Mama's Royal Cafe: Breakfast in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Mama’s Royal Cafe, located west of the marina on Calle Miguel Hidalgo, is considered by many to serve the best breakfast in Cabo San Lucas. Both locals and tourists visit Mama’s Royal Cafe for their extensive menu. The menu features traditional Mexican breakfast, American breakfast, omelets, French toast, lunch, cocktails, and more.

Being the best breakfast in Cabo was not the only bold statement made by Mama’s Royal Cafe. They also claimed they were “probably the best breakfast restaurant in the whole country” and served “the best French toast in all the world.” With such bold claims, I was curious to try the food for myself. Would it live up to the hype?

You will find Mama’s Royal Cafe on Calle Miguel Hidalgo. This street is also known as Restaurant Row. You will find multiple restaurants on this street, many popular with tourists. One of those restaurants, located across the street from Mama’s, is the famous Maro’s Shrimp House. It is a great spot for seafood and steak. But for now, we will focus on breakfast.

If you are looking for more information about Cabo San Lucas, I highly recommend you pick up a guidebook such as Moon Los Cabos: With La Paz & Todos Santos

Open-Air Interior

At Mama’s Royal Cafe, there was a small indoor dining room along with a larger, open-air covered patio. Indoor-outdoor dining rooms are a common occurrence in Cabo as the city enjoys great weather all year long. While the weather can be good, the heat and humidity can be a problem as it was on my visit. Thankfully, the restaurant had many strong ceiling fans, allowing for a comfortable dining experience.

The covered patio was open and bright with light pouring in from the front and rear of the restaurant. On one side of the patio were bright orange walls with the names of popular menu items painted in black. On the other side were fake green plants extending from floor to ceiling. Scatted around the patio were tables with yellow and red checkered tops.

While located on a busy road, I only heard the sounds of the kitchen and a guitarist playing music at the entrance.

Mama’s Royal Cafe Menu

The menu at Mama’s Royal Cafe was quite extensive. On this menu you had traditional Mexican breakfast dishes along with American breakfast options. This included huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, eggs Benedict, omelets, and French toast. There was a lunch menu for those looking for something other than breakfast. While I didn’t try their French toast on my visit, Mama’s Royal Cafe claimed their French toast was “The World’s Best.” I will have to try it on my next visit.

Other than food, the menu featured a good selection of drinks and cocktails including their famous Coconut Orange Juice Special.

Assortment of Fresh Salsas

Placed in front of me a few minutes after ordering was an assortment of salsas in glass jars. You had every type of salsa you could want: fresh, spicy, smoky, red, and green. These were not your typical store bought salsas. They were homemade and this was a good start to the meal.

Coconut Orange Juice Special

I don’t usually order juice or shakes when I go out to eat. But, I couldn’t say no to the Coconut Orange Juice Special (85 pesos or about $4.28) made with coconut juice, orange juice, and shredded coconut. It was the perfect drink to enjoy on a hot day in Cabo.

This smoothie was delicious. I could taste coconut and orange in each sip. Its flavor was sweet from the coconut and tart from the orange. The drink reminded me of a piña colada but without the alcohol. It was the perfect balance, not too sweet or tart. Shredded coconut, sprinkled over the top, added more flavor and a crunchy texture.

Huevos Rancheros Camaroneros

While I have had huevos rancheros countless times, I can’t recall ever having it with shrimp. At first it sounded strange, but when I saw the dish on the menu, I knew I had to try the Huevos Rancheros Camaroneros (190 pesos or about $9.47). This dish was made with two eggs, ranchero sauce, avocado, sautéed garlic shrimp, and melted cheese over corn tortillas. On the side were beans, fruit, guacamole, and crema.

The first thing that caught my attention was the amount of shrimp placed on top of the eggs. While chopped small, there was a lot of shrimp. The garlicky shrimp tasted fresh with a smoky flavor after being pan grilled. There was nothing fancy about this, just well cooked fresh shrimp. Sprinkled in with the shrimp was a gooey white cheese and sautéed vegetables. This included tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Cheese and seafood isn’t an ideal combination, but it worked in this situation.

Hidden under all the shrimp were two fresh over easy eggs. When I cut through each egg with my knife, I was rewarded with the perfect amount of rich, bright yolk. Below the eggs were lightly toasted corn tortillas. These tortillas were soft and tasted fresh but they were not homemade.

Tender pinto beans, fresh fruit, a basic guacamole, and crema were served on the side. The smooth, cool crema had a funky, salty flavor which was strong on its own but great when mixed with the shrimp and beans.

I enjoyed the flavors and colors of the Huevos Rancheros Camaroneros, even though it was simple. But, I thought the dish was tasty and appreciated the generous amount of shrimp.

Service

Service at Mama’s Royal Cafe was excellent and prompt. The moment I sat down at my table I was handed a menu and offered a drink. After ordering, food and drinks arrived quickly and correctly. All the servers were friendly and stopped by my table every few minutes to ask if I needed anything.

Conclusion

Mama’s Royal Cafe is a great breakfast option in Cabo San Lucas thanks to its extensive menu and friendly service. Does it serve the best breakfast in the country or have the best French toast in the world? Probably not. But, I did find the Coconut Orange Juice Special and Huevos Rancheros Camaroneros to be tasty. While there was nothing wrong with the dish, it was forgettable when compared to other food I ate on my visit to Cabo. With that said, I would gladly return to Mama’s Royal Cafe to try more items on the menu. And, I’ll have to return to try the world’s best French toast.

Pros

• Coconut Orange Juice Special was not only delicious but refreshing on a hot day in Cabo
• Extensive menu with many choices
• Generous amount of shrimp on Huevos Rancheros Camaroneros
• Prompt and friendly service

Cons

• Huevos Rancheros Camaroneros was a little too simple for my liking

Hours

Monday-Sunday: 7:00AM-2:00PM

Address

Calle Miguel Hidalgo s/n, Centro, 23450 Cabo San Lucas, BC, Mexico
GPS Coordinates: 22.88224,-109.91360

Map