BajaNomad - Jardines, San Quintin

Jardines, San Quintin

David K - 2-28-2006 at 11:20 AM

Nice sign up high and lit at night about Km. 2, heading south from San Quintin. That's just over a mile south of where the highway narrows.

The road in is a wide graded dirt road, turn left at the end of the long straight-a-way, and Jardines is hidden in the lush grove of palm trees...

We had dinner there Friday night and it was excellent... Elizabeth ordered the garlic shrimp (ajo) and I had breaded fish (emanizado). Salad was great with an avocado base dressing... dinner included baked potato, rice and fresh veggies.

It was so good that we had lunch there on Sunday...

Garlic fish for Baja Angel and Shrimp Salad for me... Again, both meals were outstanding...

They have a full bar...

Outside are beautiful gardens... Here are some photos... First the entrance:

[Edited on 2-28-2006 by David K]

David K - 2-28-2006 at 11:26 AM

another...

David K - 2-28-2006 at 11:28 AM

Fountain...

David K - 2-28-2006 at 11:29 AM

more...

Bob H - 2-28-2006 at 11:31 AM

The place looks great - will have to get down there soon and try it out. How were the margaritas?
Bob H

[Edited on 2-28-2006 by Bob H]

What?

Hook - 2-28-2006 at 01:24 PM

No GPS coordinates???? :lol:

Seriously, David, where San Quintin ends and Lazaro Card##as begins is difficult to tell. Where is the turnoff to Jardines from the bridge just past Motel Chavez?

Thanks for the review. Looks like a must-do......

comitan - 2-28-2006 at 01:43 PM

what no prices?

DavidT - 2-28-2006 at 09:41 PM

It is on the road to the Old Mill, look for the car hood fence where you turn right onto the dirt road. I've not had a margarita there but they must be good, two of the four times I've been the local police were drinking 'em.
Are the peac-cks still in the garden?

David K - 2-28-2006 at 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
No GPS coordinates???? :lol:

It is at KM. 2 or very close... a mile + south of where the highway narrows (didn't I say this?)... This is south of both San Quintin and Lazaro Card##as

It has it's own access road south of the Old Mill's driveway... Well signed, and it is lit up at night... (didn't I say all this also?)

I apologize for not GPSing it... It is pretty easy to get to!

Prices are quite reasonable given the quality, atmosphere, and service... all good.

[Edited on 3-1-2006 by David K]

BornFisher - 2-28-2006 at 10:52 PM

Hook--- Find this great place--- you`ll be glad you did!!
I`ve only eaten there once-- several years ago but OMG!!! Was truly an unexpected treat!!

Hook - 3-1-2006 at 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
No GPS coordinates???? :lol:

My apologies, David. I read your post to mean that you were estimating that it was 2 km. south of San Quintin, rather than at marker Km. 2. You were very specific.

David K - 3-1-2006 at 06:57 PM

Hook... no apologies needed... we read through all this stuff here and sometimes a second reading is needed, but I don't mind repeating myself... Sorry for the sarcasm! Friends again?

Al G - 3-1-2006 at 07:51 PM

Do they have an URL to check out ? I know I should google it.

Jardines Baja...

BajaCactus - 3-1-2006 at 09:43 PM

Restaurantes Jardines Baja...

The owner of that place is Guillermo... really nice guy, who used to lived at the States.

The Restaurant is run by his family... his wife manages the kitchen and the cooking and his son helps with the promotion and marketing.

Guillermo of course runs everything else.

One interesting thing is that most of the vegetables they serve at the Restaurant are grown by themselves... in the back of the restaurant, so you get very, very fresh salads most of the time.

Also, if you go there on friday's night, they have live music, usually by a great musician named Gerardo Valverde... he plays the guitar quite beautiful.

Their business ours are from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm (or at least they were) and about a web page... they were setting it up a couple of months ago....not sure if they finish it yet.

If you happen to go there and Guillermo is in, tell him you know us at BajaCactus... who knows, you may get a special treat....

:bounce:

Antonio M.

Bedman - 3-2-2006 at 02:54 AM

.

Guillermo and Carmen

Bedman - 3-2-2006 at 02:57 AM

Guillermo and Carmen have a Great restaurant. If Guillermo is behind the bar try any of the fruit Margies (all except the Passion fruit, Yecch). DW loves the Fish with Mango Salsa, I love the Rib eye! Ask to go out back and see the gardens and Peac-cks. They actually have Albino Peac-cks, the only place I've ever seen one. Here's a pic of Carmen and her son....Got one of Guillermo here someplace.....I'll post it later, whenh I find it.

oops......

Bedman - 3-2-2006 at 03:02 AM

Size monitor got me...

David K - 3-2-2006 at 09:11 AM

Thanks Steve!!!

oladulce - 3-4-2006 at 11:16 AM

Thanks for the review and photos DavidK. We'll try to get there before dark to tour their garden.

elgatoloco - 3-4-2006 at 12:10 PM

Excellent food. We were told that the different 'gardens' are meant to represent the variety of flora found in Mexico. When we were there last time, our waitress, born, raised and living in SQ all 27 years of her life told us longingly how her dream was to someday travel south and see the beautiful Sea of Cortez,the beaches of Bahia Concepcion and Cabo San Lucas. We were heading south and considered kidnapping her and showing her the rest of Baja. Hope she makes it someday.

Jardines

pangamadness - 3-10-2006 at 09:13 AM

We tried Jardines also in late February and it was good food for a reasonable price. Another twist was that the owner of the old Mill told us to go there and not the old Mill restaurants because some people got sick at the Old Mill Restaurant. He told everyone the same. Sounds like a little bad blood between the two. We ate at the Old Mill in the morning and it was great. I would go back to both.

Is the restaurant at the Old Mill

Hook - 3-10-2006 at 03:27 PM

the one that used to be called Gaston's? Is it still called that?

I ate there about 1-2 years after it had opened and thought it WAY overpriced for dinner.

cafe near Old Mill...

Pompano - 3-10-2006 at 04:04 PM

I never did get the actual name of the place...but see the photo below. "Seafood", maybe?..har, har. Anyhoo, the Old Mill owner was a little cool on the place for sure. Must be something 'testy' going on, but we can say we enjoyed our meal there. I would say that Jardines is a step up, though. Hey, you plunks yo money down and takes yo chances. Food is often mishandled, I suspect. I once refused to pay for a bad dinner at Olaf's Lutefish Bar in Little Norway, ND...but then Olaf was never a cook anyway. Don't really know what prompted him to open a cafe?

KurtG - 3-10-2006 at 04:13 PM

Pompano, if you can stomach lutefisk you're a better Norske than I am! I know our Viking ancestors ate it out of desperation but I have never understood why anyone would still eat, much less pay for, that horrible, odiferous stuff unless they were facing starvation during a long cold north country winter.

Pompano - 3-10-2006 at 04:19 PM

KurtG...You will never get to Valhalla. This is blasphemy of the lowest order. You may turn in your portion of lefse, too. I like my lutefish the consistency of snot on a doorknob. Bring back some terrible childhood memories, did I?

Watch out for Thor and his thunderbolts!

KurtG - 3-10-2006 at 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pompano
"I like my lutefish the consistency of snot on a doorknob."

Does it come any other way?

I do like my lefse though, Norwegian tortillas.

Lefse and crepes ala Norske in Baja

Pompano - 3-10-2006 at 04:44 PM

Ya sur, ya betcha....I once won the annual Playa Escondido FlapJack-Off contest on the beach. You had to make the flapjacks from scratch..no mixes or whatever...and do it all right there in front of the many judges...some of whom may have been drinking.

I used my grandmother's recipe for Norske Crepes and won first place! Uff-da! Those delicious pancakes/crepes are STILL floating around out there over the Cortez....ahem

thebajarunner - 3-10-2006 at 04:47 PM

Breakfast??

oladulce - 6-14-2006 at 02:48 AM

We enjoyed "Jardines de Baja" for dinner on our way south recently. Easy to find with a well marked sign on the Hwy, and only a couple of miles down the dirt road.

Comfortable, spacious (not cramped) dining room and good service. I'm not a margie specialist but they tasted pretty good to me. My seafood brochette was tasty but I'd skip the gravy-like sauce next time. I'd give their flan a "5" outta 5.

It was a very enjoyable meal and we'll go back for the ambience and the flan especially.

Debra - 6-15-2006 at 01:04 AM

I have never eaten at Jardines, but, they must be pretty good since many of the permanents at Cielito Lindo eat there often. I was at the Old Mill in March and had the shrimp, very good.......

And yes, I also heard from the Motel owner what made me feel there was some bad blood between him and the cafe. The service and food was very good though.

bajabound2005 - 6-15-2006 at 02:18 PM

We ate at Jardines last night (also on the recommendation of the owner of the Old Mill Motel who steered us away from the Old Mill Restaurant). We'd guess that based on the varied reviews on Jardines, it's one of those places that's hit or miss. The highlight of the evening was that there was a "duo" of guitarists and their buddies also enjoying diinner. They played their guitars and sang so we were delightfully entertained. The food on the other hand...the Queso Fundido con Rajas was wonderful. We ordered Shrimp Borracho and the Crab Stuffed Shrimp. The Borracho had potential but the shrimp was overcooked. The Crab Stuffed Shrimp was down right awful. It was hard and crusty and topped with what tasted like pork sausage gravy for bisquits and gravy - and way oversalted. Probably the same sauce as on Oladulce's seafood brochette. Both entrees were served, interestingly, with rice and potato salad (2 separate items). Both sides were very good just odd to see rice on the same plate as potato salad! Also came with steamed veggies which were crisp and tasty, but cold. The salads were very tasty with the house cilantro dressing delicious. The margaritas were nice and refreshing.

We decided to chance breakfast at the Old Mill Restaurant as we'd had a great one there last Fall. It was even better than last time. We had eggs with machaca and huevos rancheros while watching Ecuador beat the pants off Costa Rico at the World Cup. All in all, we're sorry we didn't try the Old Mill for dinner last night!

Debra - 6-15-2006 at 07:29 PM

Re-reading this I remembered something the Motel owner (Old Mill) told me last March....I was headed to dinner with the Pacifico he had given me and he said to please remember to bring the bottle back, that they steal them at the Cafe.........(Reason for the rift?)

wrk - 6-15-2006 at 07:59 PM

It is quite common in all of Baja to serve rice and potatoes - salad or mashed -on the same plate. We have had many excellent dinners at Jardines over the past five years - never a bad meal. Guess everyone has a bad night. Having dinner there - plus a margarita or two - is one of the highlights of an overnight in San Quintin.

bajabound2005 - 6-15-2006 at 08:27 PM

WRK - we've been eating all over Mexico for YEARS and have never seen rice and potatoes on the same plate! One would say 2 starches on the same plate is a no-no :no:

! A little fruta would have been a nice touch in place of one of them - but both sides were so good, which one to replace???