REVIEW OF POCHOS RESTAURANT ON THE CABO MARINA WHERE FOOD MEETS FIRE... AND BOY, DO THEY MEAN IT!
Walking the marina boardwalk in Cabo is a great way to see the sights. You'll walk past multi-million dollar yachts and a bevy of restaurants and bars that will no doubt tempt you to take a seat. If you venture towards the north end of the marina you'll come to Cabo's famous "Restaurant Row" at Plaza Bonita, a few hundred yards short of the Puerto Paraiso Mall and Luxury Avenue. Restaurant Row has several options for dining and with our latest dining experience, we've now tried them all. While we've enjoyed most, one stands out as our personal favorite and that's Pochos Cabo Restaurant.
There's a lot that goes into picking a personal favorite. For me, it has to start with location and ambience. If it's in a spot that has nothing to offer in the way of views, it still may be a contender but the food and service has to be exemplary to offset the lack of visual impact. Luckily, you'll find Pochos set right on the marina boardwalk giving you gorgeous views of the sport fishing boats and yachts that call the IGY Marina in Cabo home. You'll also have some great people watching as this stretch of the marina has a constant procession of tourists and locals giving it festive appeal.
Sure, we could show you a photo of Flambé cooking at Pochos, but still images just don't do it justice. Watch the video above to see what a night of dining at Pochos is all about.... we guarantee it will light your fire!
Another reason Pochos makes it to our list of favorite restaurants in Cabo lies in the allure of tableside cooking. A good meal prepared in the kitchen is one thing. A good meal prepared tableside gets an upgrade to great. There's just something about this style of personalized cooking that sets it apart. The aromas that eminate from the pan as a premium cut of Filet Mignon or Chateaubriand sizzles it's way to tender, juicy perfection gets the attention of my tastebuds everytime. But, it's when tantalizing mixtures of brandy, tequila or wine hits the pan that the art of Flambé cooking takes center stage.
On our first visit to Pochos, we opted for their much lauded Surf n' Turf Platter for Two for our entree but started with Pochos version of Queso Fundido or flame-melted cheese. Prepared at your table, the cheesy-gooey mixture starts with a few different Mexican cheeses mixed together with select spices in a lava-rock bowl. Soon, it meets a flaming river of Tequila and Brandy. It's that liquid fire that transforms simple cheese into the perfect partner for fresh tortillas and house-prepared salsas. Once the flames go out, you're ready to experience nirvana.
Whether it's Queso Fundido (flame-melted cheese) or the Surf n' Turf Platter for Two, dinner at Pochos is sure to please the most discriminating palate at a price that's tough to beat!
The Surf n' Turf Platter takes a small army to prepare. Composed of two premium filet mignon, two lobster tails, crab cakes, coconut shrimp and the fresh catch of the day, it's more food than most couples can possibly finish, but you'll probably try just like we did, it's that good! The filet mignon and fresh catch were cooked tableside while the kitchen staff prepared the rest. When the platter was assembled and brought to our table, ooh's and aah's came from the adjoining tables and soon, another Surf n' Turf Platter was ordered by them as well.
Each component of the platter seemed to top the next. The filets were perfectly cooked and finished with a sauce made by deglazing the pan with wine while sauteed mushrooms and garlic joined the party. Our lobster tails were tender and succulent served with drawn butter and lemon while the crab cakes were far more crab than cake... just the way I like them to be. PochosCoconut Shrimp was crisp, light and not in the least bit greasy, but, should you want your shrimp prepared differently, you can choose Garlic, Imperial or Scampi style as options. The fresh catch that night was Yellowfin Tuna prepared blackened with a quick searing that leaves the tuna loin rare and oh so delicious. The only problem we had was it was too much food for one sitting, so we ended up taking some back to the hotel for a late night snack. The Surf n' Turf Platter for Two costs about $70 USD – a bargain that's getting hard to find in Cabo.
We came back twice during that trip... once for lunch and once again for dinner and have to say that both of those visits were just as good as the first. Pochos menu is diverse enough to provide something for just about every palate out there, including finicky eaters who prefer to stick to standard American fare. However, if you're the least bit gastronomically adventurous, I'd highly recommend Pochos Molcajete's – named for the lava-rock bowl the meal is cooked in. These basalt stone bowls are Mexico's version of a mortar and pestle tool used to grind spices and such. But, the Molcajete evolved into a cooking vessel – heated over open flame or smoldering coals using that retained heat to "cook" the ingredients placed within. Once at the table, the bubbly mixture of cheese, shrimp, chicken and arrachera (flank steak) mix with the spices and fresh cactus creating a bounty of culinary magic.
Pochos location on the Cabo San Lucas marina at Plaza Bonita means you're right on the water's edge with gorgeous views to go along with an exceptional meal.
Desserts at Pochos also come with flames by way of their Strawberry or Banana Flambé - Pochos version of Bananas Foster which I happen to think is one of the best I've tasted. What more could you ask for than sweet, sticky, warm and just plain delicious to finish of your dinner? Well, I'd suggest a flaming Mexican, Irish of Spanish coffee to go along with a decadent Chocolate Cake or Vanilla Flan... homemade of course!
THE STAFF MAKES THE MEAL EVEN BETTER
Earlier I told you that ambience and location play a big part in our putting any restaurant on our favorites list... and that's certainly true. But, it's also a matter of how welcome you feel and how involved the staff at the restaurant is. At Pochos, we came away with the distinct feeling that each and every staff member really cares about their work and their guests. They work like a well-oiled machine whose goal is to make each guest feel special by crafting amazing dishes and serving them with panache. We've spoken with many diners who have experienced Pochos first-hand, and they all felt the same way.... welcome guests who had the pleasure of enjoying a great meal amongst friends
Pochos Cabo Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Their lunch and dinner menus are very diverse and fall in the moderate price range of Cabo restaurants with lunch dishes from $7 to $28 and dinner entrees starting at around $15. Full bar and nice selection of wines from Mexico, California and beyond round out the menu. They'll also cook up your fresh catch if you're a fisherman... plus they even have their own Cabo charter fishing fleet!
