A stop for lobsters in Puerto Nuevo, on the coast between Rosarito and Ensenada, should be required of any Baja California road trip. Puerto Nuevo, aka the Lobster Capital of Mexico, is famed for its crustaceans, specifically the Mexican Baja California red rock lobster (also called the California spiny lobster). The seaside town is small but literally packed with restaurants selling lobster, all prepared in the same hallmark way: split and pan-fried in lard till nicely browned, and then served with lots of rice, refried beans, butter, and wonderful paper-thin flour tortillas. Rich and delicious, it’s a meal made for a king that won’t break the bank.
Good to know: Puerto Nuevo has a long history with lobster, with origins as a tiny fishing village stretching back to the first half of the 20th century. The daily catch was offered from people’s homes, cooked up the day it was brought in—always with rice, beans, and tortillas. According to this Los Angeles Times article from 1991, once locals caught on to visitors’ interest in their inexpensive, local lobster, they started to build restaurants. The first few restaurants, built by the Plascencia family in the 1950s and the Ortegas in the 1970s, proved so popular that many others followed.
We couldn’t help but wonder how there’s enough lobster in the sea for the 30-plus Puerto Nuevo restaurants touting it. It’s safe to assume this lobster isn’t coming from the sea right off the town anymore. While we can’t confirm how much of the lobster served is local, the Baja California fishing season runs from October to mid-March, so it’s more likely to be local catch during those months (though it may be caught much further south down the coast). Outside of those months, you are probably eating imported (or frozen) lobster prepared in the local style. The good news is that when the catch is local, it appears to be from a sustainable, Marine Stewardship Council-certified fishery.
Where: We dined at Restaurant Puerto Nuevo #1 (+52 661 614 1411; Arpón, map), one of the first restaurants in this area, owned by the original family who started it all. (This was an accident on our part, to be honest—you really don’t have to research a restaurant here; they seem very comparable!) It’s a vast restaurant with a quick turnover, and while there are plenty of other things on the menu, you’re here for one item.
When: Tues-Sun, 10am-8pm
Order: One of the lobster specials (starting at US$26), which pair the buttery, pan-fried crustaceans with yellow rice, refried beans, extra butter, and thin flour tortillas. (If you’re unsure of which size special to order—from medium to jumbo—ask your server. The medium-large was enough for our family of four.) It all arrives to the table simultaneously, a feast fit for royalty. Or at least some hungry road-trippers.
The way to eat them is in a taco, naturally. There’s a full bar and plenty of jugos to drink, but it is an exceptionally fun occasion for a michelada served in an oversize glass.
Alternatively: There are about 30 other places in this very small town, vying for your attention. We can’t say which ones are best, but besides Puerto Nuevo I and II, we have heard good things about La Casa del Pescador.
