Best Bars in Cabo San Lucas

Jungle Bar has never quite been the same as it was during the heyday of Strogeno, when lead singer Monster and the boys would kick out the jams four nights a week - in two languages - and the crowds would spill far out onto the sidewalks. But this is still a popular hangout for night owls who want to avoid the disco/DJ scene: those who don't want to feel out of place in their ripped jeans and concert shirts, or need a place to wash out the road dust after stabling their Harley. Sports are shown on the high-def televisions, but the sound is turned down whenever there's a good band playing, which still happens on a regular basis.

Don't think for a second that Nowhere Bar doesn't rage until the wee hours of the morning. But among discerning locals, this marina facing bar at Plaza Bonita is best known as a preferred place to start the party after dinner. The location is hard to beat, with a dockside perch looking out across the marina and the fishing boats gently rocking in their slips. It's a gorgeous site in the gloaming, with crowds milling about on the boardwalk promenade, and the occasional waterfront cameo by a pelican or sea lion. The drinks flow here all day, but the dancing starts after dark. This is one of the best dance bars downtown, and it's quite close to several of the others, including Mandala and El Squid Roe. So start here and if it isn't going off yet, you can club hop until you find a spot you like. Odds are pretty good you'll end up Nowhere again at closing time.

Billed as the "World's Smallest Bar," Slim's packs a lot of atmosphere into a very small space at Plaza de los Mariachis: four seats facing the bar, with two standing room spots at the front window. The décor consists largely of signed dollar bills affixed to every conceivable wall space, and shelves filled with myriad varieties of México's national spirit. Like the nearby Fenway Bar, Slim's Elbow Room is as much a photo opportunity and merchandising outlet as a watering hole. Tourists will sometimes crowd the front entrance on the main boulevard waiting to get their pictures taken at the bar, and hats and t-shirts are always in high demand. Beer and tequila are the beverage options for those holding up the barstools, with the house version of the latter a smooth, triple-distilled sipper called Cinco Perros (Five Dogs). Classic country music adds a downhome feel that pairs well with the intimate dimensions and straight shots of tequila.

Hidden in the breezeway behind Solomon's Landing, on the marina side of Tesoro Los Cabos Resort, Two for the Road is the premier local spot for live jazz, martinis and even a bit of sophisticated conversation. Marty and Kathy Daniels - he plays piano, she sings - have owned the place for the last seven years, and are open most evenings: Mon. - Sat., 7 p.m. to midnight (with some seasonal variation). It's the perfect antidote for those tired of typical Cabo style nightlife, i.e. the type of people who prefer the great American songbook to ear splitting dance music or hard rock cover bands (translation: anyone over 30 years old).

There always seems to be an "it" bar in Cabo San Lucas, a place where expats and regular visitors congregate en masse, and every visit promises reunions with long-lost friends. Since its opening in late 2016, Sancho's has been that bar, due in large part to co-owner Margo Marek's popularity from her bartending days at downtown watering hole Cabo Blue. Familiar faces are only part of the appeal, however. Sancho's also benefits from a beautiful Marina location, with terrace views of the boardwalk promenade, boats tied up at nearby docks, and the picturesque high point (Cerro del Vigía) of the half-mile Land's End promontory. Inside, TVs are tuned to music videos or live sporting events, drinks flow freely, and the kitchen dishes up specialties like the signature Pink Taco, a hard-shell tortilla (pink, naturally) filled with tasty fixings.

Yes, the spirit of Boston is alive and well in the heart of Cabo San Lucas. Fenway Bar, which has been open since March 2016, is the inspiration of long-time Red Sox fan and former Baja Maria proprietor Ignacio "Nacho" Padilla. Although born in Mexico City, Padilla is an avid fan of the team, and has made several pilgrimages to Fenway Park. The bar is a virtual shrine to Red Sox history: it's painted Fenway green, decorated with photos of everyone from Pedro and Manny to Ted Williams and Dom Dimaggio, and features a large-scale replica of the "Green Monster" scoreboard. The bar draws an eclectic group of local regulars and curious visitors for its sports bar offerings,shown on multiple televisions (the 75' one is the centerpiece). Red Sox games are of course a staple during the baseball season, but Padilla will cater to the taste of his customers, both in terms of television channels and food. An accomplished chef as well as a bartender, he occasionally offers daily specials from the grill, and will facilitate delivery orders from other restaurants as well.

Baja California Sur's first brewery has two locations — the original in San José del Cabo, and a rooftop aerie at Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa — both of which have proved exceedingly popular with tourists and locals alike. Fine food is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with menu options ranging from hamburgers and gourmet pizzas to New York Strip steak and other entrées. The beers are excellent, either in a bottle or on tap, and you can order flights of the draft beer for a sudsy overview of their offerings. If you can only visit one of their locations, check out the rooftop brew pub at Corazón Cabo, which offers gorgeous views of Playa El Médano and the granite monuments at Land's End.

Every day feels like Spring Break at Mango Deck. Looking for a place with bikini contests? Sex position contests? Banana eating contests? A mustachioed Pancho Villa lookalike named Big Johnson who carries holsters filled with tequila bottles, and crisscrossed bandoliers packed with shot glasses? Check, check, check and check. Order a bucket of ice cold Coronas and settle in for a memorable visit at Cabo's most iconic beachfront party spot. Heck, you can even rent a wave runner here, although most are content to work on their tans, while occasionally taking on "beer ballast" from the full-service restaurant menu. The fare is mostly Mexican, but the kitchen dishes up everything from pastas and fresh local seafood to bbq, burgers and other typical pub grub.

Cabo Wabo has come a long way in 32 years, since its MTV advertised premiere birthed a brand new Spring Break destination. Originally opened in 1990 by Sammy Hagar and his then Van Halen bandmates — who can forget the eponymous song from their OU812 album? — Cabo Wabo has since become a mandatory stop for just about everyone who visits Cabo San Lucas, even cruise ship passengers who only come ashore for a few hours. It's a complete lifestyle experience, albeit one which continues to revolve around live music. A house band jams good-time rock n' roll seven nights a week, with occasional cameos from visiting country and rock stars. But there are other reasons beyond boogying down to stop by, from "waboritas" (the house version of the margarita) to comfort food specialty dishes and souvenir t-shirts. The best time to visit is during October, when "The Red Rocker" himself hosts his annual birthday bashes with plenty of big-name guests.

The walls of Latitude 22+ are a Los Cabos history lesson, filled with old photos enormous catches and fishing contests, prominent local personages, and even life preservers from notable area vessels. The place comes by its nautical aspect honestly - owner Mike Grzanich first came to Cabo San Lucas on a tuna boat in 1959 - but also serves as a treasure trove for license plates and other souvenirs left by visitors over the years. The bar is one-of-a-kind, with gorgeous Land's End views available from your barstool, and old-fashioned booths in the back offer privacy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The go-to breakfast is a "John Wayne" special with eggs, sausage and ranchero sauce, plus sides of rice and potatoes. Other rib-sticking pleasures range from white sausage gravy slathered Croatian Eggs Benedick to chicken fried steak, rib-eye steak and pot roast. Piano player Peter Bacon is a big draw during the high season.