Tacos Gardenias is my favorite spot in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, when I am craving beer-battered fish and shrimp tacos on homemade tortillas.
Tacos Gardenias was established in 1980 and has been in business for over 40 years. At that time, the restaurant was a small stall with plastic tables and chairs on a cement floor. Although the restaurant has moved to a new modern location, the food quality and time-tested family recipes remain the same.
In addition to shrimp and fish tacos, Tacos Gardenias is popular with locals and tourists for its home-style Mexican food, including shrimp molcajete, fish ceviche, tortilla soup, and grilled fish salad.
Though located only a few minutes by foot from the marina and Puerto Paraiso Mall, this humble taqueria feels far away from the crowds and mega-resorts. So, if you are looking for some of the best fish tacos in Cabo and affordable yet authentic Mexican dishes, visiting Tacos Gardenia is a must.
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
Table of Contents
Open-Air Interior of Tacos Gardenias
The one thing I love about Cabo San Lucas is the weather. It’s always sunny and warm. Not surprisingly, many restaurants in Cabo, such as Tacos Gardenias, feature open-air dining rooms. Even though it was a hot day, the breeze flowing through the narrow dining room and the ceiling fans made the temperature quite comfortable.
I enjoyed the simple yet modern design of the restaurant. The spot felt like a hole-in-the-wall but with a contemporary twist. While the space was clean and comfortable, the décor was relatively modest, with tile floors and a few decorations on the concrete walls. The space was beautiful and inviting, not something I would necessarily associate with a taqueria.
Stretching along one side of the dining room was an open kitchen with workers preparing dishes, chopping vegetables, cooking meats, and frying seafood. At the far end of the kitchen was a woman preparing fresh tortillas, a must for any authentic taqueria in Mexico.
Tacos Gardenias Menu
On the first side of the Tacos Gardenias menu were tacos, quesadillas, and drinks, including sodas, lemonade, beer, margaritas, and liquor.
Most people visit Tacos Gardenias for their tacos, specifically the fried fish or shrimp tacos served on a homemade corn tortilla. Other taco options included tuna, octopus, steak, pork, and stewed meats.
The other side of the menu surprised me. There were many great options besides tacos, including seafood dishes, salads, molcajetes, soups, burritos, and sides. Whether you are in the mood for tacos or something else, you will find something delicious on the menu.
Condiments
Like many taquerias across Mexico, when you order tacos, you will receive them “naked” or without any toppings. And this was the same at Tacos Gardenias. Now comes the fun part: You get to customize your tacos with the condiments supplied. Think of it as a blank canvas, and you are the artist.
The colorful condiments at Tacos Gardenias included sliced cabbage, red onions, lime wedges, pico de gallo, red salsa, guacamole, and a white sauce labeled as mayonnaise. There was everything you needed to create the perfect taco.
Pescado (Fried Battered Fish) Taco
I ordered the two most popular items on the menu. The first was the Pescado (Fried Battered Fish) Taco (40 pesos or about $1.94). As mentioned before, tacos came naked with no toppings. It was up to me to finish the taco by adding the condiments of my choice.
There were two simple pieces of fried fish on the tortilla. The first thing that caught my attention was the color of the breading. It was golden brown and looked delicious. I was hoping it tasted as great as it looked. And it did. The golden fried breading was thin, light, and airy with a rich, slightly salty flavor.
It wasn’t overly crunchy or soggy, but just right. The thin breading allowed me to taste the freshness of the moist fish inside. The contrasting textures of the crispy breading and soft fish elevated this taco.
The homemade corn tortilla was just as impressive. Its taste, texture, and flavor showed me that it didn’t come from a bag. The thin tortilla was charred on the outside yet chewy and moist on the inside. The char added a distinct smoky flavor, which I enjoyed.
As for the condiments, I added some of everything. I added shredded cabbage for a crunchy texture, pico de gallo for a pop of flavor, creamy guacamole and white sauce, spicy and smoky salsa, and a squeeze of lime.
Camarón (Fried Battered Shrimp) Taco
Next up was the Camarón (Fried Battered Shrimp) Taco (45 pesos or about $2.18). Everything about this taco was the same as the fish taco, except for the shrimp.
This taco featured three large pieces of breaded and fried shrimp. Each plump shrimp was cooked perfectly, moist inside with a bouncy texture on the outside. When I bit into each flavorful shrimp, I tasted a sweetness and a salty ocean flavor.
While the fish taco was great, to my surprise, I preferred the shrimp taco over the fish taco, where I could taste the fresh flavors of the shrimp. It was perfect.
Service at Tacos Gardenias
The service at Tacos Gardenias was fantastic. All the workers and servers were welcoming and friendly to locals and tourists like myself. My server was friendly and prompt. He always seemed to be around but let me eat in peace.
On top of the friendly service, I found the restaurant to be immaculately clean, which wasn’t something I would expect at an open-air taqueria. When the workers and servers weren’t helping guests, they always cleaned the restaurant and wiped down the tables. I could tell that they took pride in their restaurant.
Conclusion
To my surprise, Tacos Gardenias did not serve the best fish taco in Cabo but the best shrimp taco in Cabo. While the fish taco was great, the shrimp taco was better with its plump, moist, flavorful, and fresh shrimp. Add a homemade tortilla and an assortment of colorful condiments, and you have something special.
With an extensive menu of tacos and Mexican dishes, friendly services, and a clean restaurant, I highly recommend visiting Tacos Gardenias on your next visit to Cabo San Lucas.
If you are looking for another excellent taco restaurant in Cabo San Lucas, then you can always check out Taqueria El Paisa for their delicious tacos al pastor.
Pros
- The fish taco was great, but the shrimp taco was better
- Extensive menu featuring not only tacos but home-style Mexican dishes
- Friendly staff
- The restaurant was very clean
Cons
- None
Hours
Monday-Sunday: 8:00AM-10:00PM
Address
Paseo de La Marina 3, El Medano Ejidal, Marina, 23479 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
GPS Coordinates: 22.889594,-109.90818
Map
Last Updated on April 20, 2024
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