Carbón Cabrón
Chef Poncho Cadena's open-kitchen wood-fire grill at El Merkado, cooking Baja meat, seafood and vegetables over live flame.
Carbón Cabrón is Los Cabos cooking at its most elemental: meat, seafood and vegetables over live fire. Founded by chef Poncho Cadena, it calls itself the asador of the Californias, and everything that leaves the kitchen has been cooked on a wood-fired grill, mainly over mesquite.
The restaurant sits in El Merkado on the Tourist Corridor, close to the San José del Cabo end and near One&Only Palmilla. It is recommended in the Michelin Guide, and at the Los Cabos Culinary Awards it was voted Restaurant of the Year while Cadena took Chef of the Year, a double that speaks to its standing among locals as well as visitors.
The philosophy is regional. The kitchen describes its menus as a tasting of Baja Sur flavours, built on ingredients from the peninsula, including organic vegetables, with the rest of its supplies sourced within Mexico.
What to expect
This is a menu for sharing and for appetite. Expect smoky cuts such as beef tongue, short ribs, lamb, steaks and baby back ribs, alongside seafood from the grill and simple, fire-touched vegetables like coal-cooked corn and heirloom tomatoes. The bar matches the theme with drinks such as a rosemary-smoked Negroni and a house margarita, plus a wine list built for grilled meat.
The restaurant also offers private dining, and Cadena can bring the grill to a villa for an in-residence feast, a popular option for groups staying along the corridor.
Good to know
- Setting: El Merkado, Km 24.5 on the Carretera Transpeninsular, just outside San José del Cabo.
- Service: dinner nightly in the evening.
- Reservations: strongly advised; Mexico News Daily recommends booking at least four days ahead. Book through OpenTable or the restaurant.
- Dress: smart casual.
- Best for: carnivores, groups and anyone who wants a lively, flavour-first dinner rather than a formal tasting.