When you think of lobster, especially as an American, lobster from off the coast of Maine is typically top of the list. It’s a pretty well-known fact that the cold water provides plenty of options to try this succulent crustacean.
However, on a trip to Baja California one summer a few years ago, I was introduced to the lobster that was fished from the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Puerto Nuevo.
The community located just south of Tijuana in the Rosarito Beach area is known as the “Lobster Village”, according to my driver. When my friends suggested we have lunch here and walk around the village, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.
Puerto Nuevo is small, quaint and everything expected from a small Mexican village. Consisting of just a few roads along the Pacific coastline, you know you are in this little village when you drive under the arches that announce you have arrived.
My friends had a place in mind for us to go to try the famous lobster, a quaint little place called Restaurant Las Brisas. In all honesty, we probably could have walked into any of the restaurants along the way to have one of the most luxurious foods around. But they had been here before and were excited to come back for more of the fantastic food.
Standing outside Restaurant Las Brisas when we walked up was the owner, who greeted us with open arms. At that point, I knew we’d have a fabulous lunch and an even better experience. I wasn’t wrong.
Margaritas started us off and we enjoyed the company of the owner while deciding between having our lobster fried, steamed, or grilled with butter. All three of us chose the grilled with butter option, at the recommendation of our new friend.
Starting off with the homemade chips and salsa, I was told to not eat too much since the lobster was huge. Here I was, an American who had eaten a ton of lobster over the years thinking that my friends were exaggerating. However, I was so wrong.
A few minutes after ordering our dishes, out walks the staff with three huge plates filled with the most beautiful piece of crustacean I’d ever seen. But it wasn’t one piece or one lobster per plate. Each order consists of two lobsters that were caught that morning in the waters just steps from the restaurant. This was going to be amazing.
I ate it all. Every last, scrumptious bite. And I plan to do it again whenever I get the chance to head to Baja California for another trip. It was outstanding. Plus, the side dish of rice and beans was a treat that cleansed the palette. But the star was the lobster.
One of the best things about the meal was the price. At the time, the cost for the lobster was $20 USD. Now the medium is $22 USD while the large, which adds another piece to the plate, runs around $30 USD. I don’t know if you could order one single lobster from the Northeastern U.S. for this price!
When one thinks of traditional Mexican fare, lobster isn’t normally at the top of the list. However, after this phenomenal meal in Puerto Nuevo, it is for me. Next time, I’m trying the fried version since it looked absolutely delicious. And I plan to burn off those extra calories walking around this quaint village and checking out all of the sights.
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