Watch Out at Cabo San Lucas Restaurants & Bars!

[gottago2mexico]

This is just a warning to everyone cruising into Cabo San Lucas.

 

To avoid being cheated by the Marina and Medano Beach restaurants and bars:

 

1) Always ask how much a drink is before ordering. It has a way of always appearing on the bill as more than what it really costs. Happy Hour also has a way of being two regular price beers, not two for one.

 

2) Always pay attention to the prices on the menu for what you're ordering, because it will often be a higher price when the check comes.

 

3) Always ask to see the check - often a waiter will come up to you and tell you how much the bill is, without showing you your check, hoping you'll just pay without thinking about it. To a tee, every time we've demanded to see the check when this happens, it is significantly less than what the waiter told me.

 

4) Always read the check very closely - not only are the prices often higher than what you read on the menu or what the waiter said when you sat down, but a favorite trick is to deceptively add their tip into the bill without telling you, even highlighting the new total so that your eyes are drawn away from the lines above it containing the real total, in the hope that you won't notice and will double-tip.

 

5) After they take your credit card, make sure that the receipt you sign is for the same amount as the receipt they gave you. This is another fun trick.

 

6) If you pay in cash, make sure to count your change to verify it's accuracy.

 

Make sure if you visit any of these establishments, that you keep an eye on things very closely. If you catch them in the act of trying to cheat you (and you will), demand to see a manager and tell the manager what the waiter is trying to do. Make sure they really are the manager, because another fun trick is to get another co-consipirator to pretend he's the manager. Then, above all else, make sure to leave ZERO tip. If enough people start doing this, then hopefully they'll start to see that it's not worth the effort.

 

Some of the most notorious cheats work at the Nowhere Bar, Baja Cantina, and Alexander's, but it is widespread around the tourist area, and their biggest prey are cruise ship passengers.

 

I have not noticed the same phenomenon at other Mexican ports, but it does seem to be almost the standard in Cabo San Lucas, so just be sure to take notice.

 

I'd also be interested to hear other stories from cruisers out there who have caught them in the act. The more we get this out there, the better the situation will get.

[CrusinAgain]

Thank you so much for warning us. Does Cabo have a Senor Frogs or Carlos O'Briens? Where would you recommend to take a 21 year old to for a little bit of fun? How is Cabo Wabo?

[ladypalmtree]

Cabo wabo is great...the drinks, and the music..and we have never been ripped off there!

[gottago2mexico]

Hi CruisinAgain,

 

There is not a Carlos O'Brien's or Senor Frogs in Cabo (yet), but they are both owned by the Grupo Anderson's chain, who also own El Squid Roe in Cabo San Lucas. As you might imagine, you'll find the same type of craziness there as you would at the restaurants you mention, and a 21 year old is sure to like it.

 

Other spots to try include The Giggling Marlin, where you are hung upside down like a marlin on the weigh scale, which is always lively. Mambo Cafe and The Zoo are also popular night spots for the younger crowd, while The Office, Billygan's Island, and Mango Deck are popular beach hangouts.

 

I am not a fan of Cabo Wabo, but your 21 year old might like to go there to be able to say they were there, since it is Cabo's most famous restaurant and bar, and is owned by Sammy Hagar of Van Halen (and solo) fame.

 

Hope this helps, have fun!

[CrusinAgain]

Which is the closest fun place to the cruise ship since we have an excursion til 10 a.m. and last tender leaves at 1:30.

[gottago2mexico]

Cabo Wabo and Giggling Marlin are only a block or so from each other, and are quite close to the cruise-ship side of the marina near Hotel Tesoro. El Squid Roe is a few blocks down, probably a five minute walk from Cabo Wabo.

 

Medano Beach is too far to walk I'd say, but you can grab a water taxi right there on the beach that will take you right to the dock.

 

Nothing takes very long to get to in Cabo. If you find yourself lost, just walk toward the water a block or two, and you'll hit the marina, which will totally re-orient you.

[crabbycruiser500]

Funny you should mention Nowhere Bar & Cabo Wabo...we were there about a year ago staying at a very nice all inclusive and decided on different nights to go to these places.

 

First experience our group had was at the Nowhere Bar. There were about 7 of us and it was "happy hour". Some ordered beer others mixed drinks. When the bill came it was not with the "happy hour" prices. Did not think of it at the time but after reading your original Post we were being scammed. The two persons who were taking care of the bill had to talk to the waiter and the "manager", the bill was finally resolved but it was a big issue with the people involved.

 

Second experience was at Cabo Wabo. This time it was 5 people from our group (two couples and our then 18 year old son). When we arrived around 8 PM we could see it was getting crowded and there was a big tour bus letting people out. Most of the people were an older group, 30 & above. We kind of heard that Sammy Hagar was going to play a set and there was excitement in the air, we thought it was too good to be true. We ordered our drinks, and my 18 year old son was just walking around the place taking in the sights (he had not yet ordered any alcohol). Then from out of nowhere came some guys from the "management" wanting to see his ID. We left his passport at the AI but we had a colored copy of his passport with us. This was not good enough for them so they called the "manager" over and basically what he told my husband in Spanish (DH speaks Spanish well) was that if we paid what amounted to a bribe my son could stay. Since he did not name a price but kept telling my husband "this is my job" my husband thought he wanted around 50 bucks. My husband refused to pay but said look, I can go back to the hotel and get his passport or I could give you the taxi cost right now and be done with it. The guy jumped at that and my husband handed him over a twenty dollar bill($10.00 each way to the hotel & back to CW), he also made it clear that our son was not t be bothered anymore and that he wanted a Corona. They went to the bar, ordered the Corona for him and we waited for Sammy to play the set. We hated to have to pay :mad: but at least Sammy did entertain us and we enjoyed the night. The kicker was that my son thought it was like an "old people" spring break. I should have danced on the table but he already had enough trouble for the night. :p

 

The Lesson is to beware!!! It does not matter where you are, always be careful, read the bill, and be prepared for some places to try to squeeze every last penny out of you.

[martinsfo]

Had a similar experience at Los Gatos beach in Zihuatanejo. Our waiter kept on delaying acutally showing us the menu with prices. When the check came it was for more money than I thought. I went to the manager and got the menu and he made some adjustments. The bottom line is watch out where ever you are.

[CocoKai]

Just got back from another fabulous trip to Cabo....via the sea this time. We love hanging on Medano at The Office, Mango Deck, Billigan's Etc. Nikki Beach looked great too.

 

We are always UNDER charged. This time I think they missed 3 beers or something. We had fish tacos, huge serving of guac and chips, 9 beers, two shots of Don Julio Reposado in 2 Mechallatos (sp?)...lime beer, salt and tequila concoction...the entire bill was about $44. (we were there for about 3 hours)

 

Cabo Wabo, on the other hand, has no ambiance and it's a huge tourist trap. That same meal there would have costed close to $100. The first and last time I went to Cabo Wabo....the bartender filled my glass to full and I saw the server drink off the top before he brought it to me...yum.

[lazygal]

Thanks for posting this JoHann and Sandra - you always have the best information.

 

Our day started off fine enough. We ordered 4 margaritas and it was "happy hour" at 11:00 in the morning. Then when we went to shots of tequila, each shot was four times the cost of a margarita. Seems like they brought out the good stuff. We would have been happy with shots of the cheap tequila they put in the margaritas. $10 a shot seems high.

 

Basically, they were making up the prices as they went, but giving us the total cold shoulder when we wanted to pay the bill. I knew something wierd was going on. When we did get them to take our money, we couldn't get change - then they said they misquoted the price of drinks and there would be no change.

 

Being the loudest of our group, the story is I was up and over the bar demanding the change. Now, my husband was laughing at me, my friend was shocked, and others nearby were asking what was wrong. I said we were being cheated, and they also agreed that the prices were constantly getting higher.

 

Next thing I know, all our money was back on the counter along with a Fresca, which I think was Cabo talk for "chill out you crazy gringo and get out of here before everyone catches on"

 

We left, I was furious. The stupid thing is, we would have left all of the change in tips, but jeez, don't try to cheat me.

[gottago2mexico]

Great post, lazygal - way to stand up for yourself!

 

What bar were you at?

 

You are truly fluent in "Cabo Talk" - that's exactly what it meant. :D

[lazygal]

LOL. Yeah, the Fresca threw me at first. I just kind of looked at it, then yelled, "FINE!", grabbed the money and skipped across the pool with my party following.

 

We were at the pool bar of Nikki Beach Melia. Guess I looked like a seal flapping across the bar!! Nice place, but they are running some shady practices. Prior to our problem, my friend witnessed another ship passenger storming away from the beach bar and proclaiming to his party. "We're outta here!". He was enjoying a bucket of beers shortly before his incident.

 

My husband thinks it was all a misunderstanding, but no, they were really being wierd when we tried to pay our bill - which we tried to do with each round. I know when I'm getting the cold shoulder.

[river_sand_bar2]

Come on GUYS... Its Mexico, and your a tourist... off a cruise ship... they do it to everyone. Your an easy target, and they will never see you again.

 

It wont help to say "I'll tell everyone NOT to go there" cus believe it or not, there are thousands and thousands of people going there fresh and new only to be ripped off as well.

[gtaylor]

So what's your point?

 

gary

[PACURN]

Thanks for the warning. It's good to know.

[H20 Lover]

Thanks J & S for the wonderful advice! Just got back from Cabo myself and paid a million dollars at Cabo Wabo, but it was a blast. :)

[river_sand_bar2]

Gary,

 

Mexico is a country full of corruption and rip offs.... no matter where I have been, and believe me, I have been in allot of places in Mexico, there is always a lure of easy money to them.

 

When they see a tourist, its like taking candy from a baby, yes, they will cry, but the tourist will move on and another one will come by the next day.

 

I am just saying that expect to be ripped off, expect to be over charged, expect to NOT get what you pay for... and once you have that in your mind, then you can enjoy yourself but keep an eye on your wallet.

 

Jim

 

P.S. I go to Mexico at least once a month, so I know what I am talking about.. however, I still love the people and I still love the food.

[decari]

I'd also be interested to hear other stories from cruisers out there who have caught them in the act. The more we get this out there, the better the situation will get.

 

This exact same thing happened to us in December '05 at Billygan's on Medano Beach. Our waitress told us about the special 2 for 1 on beer. My husband ordered a couple buckets over the course of the afternoon. Our waitess was treating us sooooooo nice, visiting with us, and making sure we were comfortable. She came around and gave my husband a few "free" shots of tequila. Our bill came and the total was $36. We had a total of 24 bottles so our total should have been $12. We questioned it and she turned on us! She got rude and told us we had drank 48 bottles of beer. We argued with her for a bit and she kept walking away and waiting on other customers. My husband went up to the restaurant and had words with the "manager" then tossed $12 at him and we walked away. It was a terrible end to the day.

We weren't cruisers then but we will be in April. This is our first cruise and we'll have our children (ages 7 & 11) with us. I'm not crazy about returning to Medano Beach with my kids. It didn't seem like a family atmosphere. Everyone was drunk and participating in crazy contests and the vendors were BEYOND annoying!!! I'm not sure where to go when we got off there. Actually, I'd love to rent a car and get down to San Jose del Cabo! I like it down there much better.

Good Luck and stick to your guns.

OH yeah, and they quickly retrieve the empty bottles so you don't have any PROOF of the real amount you actually consumed. Your word against theirs.

[Ralphinsc]

I guess the way to turn that around would be to get up and just leave if you feel you are being scammed. Like said before, you're a cruise ship passenger and they aren't going to find you there tomorrow if you just leave without paying the bill. If my server refused to bring my check after multiple times of asking, they'll get their just desserts when they wonder where the hell that gringo went who they were trying to scam. That works both ways......I have no qualms with drinking on their dime and returning to the cruise ship terminal to be ripped off for drinks properly by the fine folks at Royal Carribean International.

[genoa]

Just because you're a cruise passenger or a tourist in Mexico, doesn't make it ok to be overcharged or scammed. These posts are great so others know what to be aware of when they go to these restaurants. We went to the Mango deck recently and the waiter tried to charge us for 3 bucket of beers when we only had 2 and charged us $20 for shrimp nachos which were only $12 on the menu. So just be aware and check your tab. Now I know to check my tab carefully so I don't get ripped off again.

[Chmie]

Great info on Cabo.

Although I would be tempted to dine and dash if I was being scammed I would rather spend the nite in my comfy shipboard bed then on a floor in the Cabo caboose. :cool:

[river_sand_bar2]

BY NO MEANS, would I EVER tell someone to skip out on their bill in Mexico...

 

The Mexican police are no laughing matter and I have spent time in jail down there. It is NOT something you want to do.

 

SOOOO PAY your bill even if you are ripped off... trust me, the harresment

and frustration of dealing with the authorities is NOT worth the $20. Just simply make yourself aware and keep on your toes.

 

DO NOT SKIP OUT on your Bill!!!!!

[Family Man]

Wow, this is interesting......first I've heard of this. I don't doubt it happens, but it didn't happen to me the last 2 November cruises I took. I WILL be on guard this November though. Thanks for the heads up J & S.

 

I sure hope they don't start pulling this crap in PV! I love it there!