BajaNomad

Dinner at Los Pelicanos, Rosarito

Gypsy Jan - 7-4-2006 at 10:37 PM

Tonight, we took an early dinner at Los Pelicanos Hotel and Restaurant on the beachfront north of the Corona tower in Rosarito.

It is a beautiful setting - a two-story hotel with the restaurant on the second floor overlooking the expansive white sand beach, with gentle waves rolling in sets on turquoise sea.

The food and service is great - mesquite grilled meats with all the accompaniements.

The only complaint is that drinks are ripoff priced. Two 4-oz sized glasses of house wine (bad red)) were $6.00 each.

That left a sour taste!

Jan

Baja Bernie - 7-5-2006 at 06:18 AM

Stop by El Nido's and tell Lupe Perez, a great guy, and a friend of mine. Los Pelicanos is also owned by him and has been a hidden treasure for years.

Six bucks does seem like a rip off. The waiter might have gotten to you because I don't believe that Lupe charges that much at El Nido's.

Another positive vote...

Mexray - 7-6-2006 at 09:16 PM

...we stopped by there last fall on the way north, stayed there o'night also. It was mid-week, and you could have shot off the proverbial cannon through the place without hitting anyone!:yes:

We had a great meal and drinks...but didn't sample the 'box' wine you mentioned! The staff greatly outnumbered the customers, and they were pleasant and friendly.

Their location is great, there right on the beach...I don't think many Rosarito visitors know about therm!

bajabound2005 - 7-28-2008 at 08:24 PM

Had breakfast here on Saturday, July 26 upon the recommendation of the folks we were staying with. They said they had the BEST Housemade flour tortillas. They had me right there. And they said they had "decent" coffee. So we get there and I order up the machaca burrito (have recently fallen in love with machaca) and he (bajamigo) orders the the eggs and machaca. We both order the coffee. We see this interesting pot go by in one of the servers hands, and he pours something into a cup at a neighboring table. The "pot" is like a campstove coffeepot - all crusted over with black stuff. Someone stops at our table and asks if we'd like more coffee (which by the way, has just the perfect hint of cinnamon) and we, of course, say YES. And he comes back with one of these crusted pots and pours the coffee into our cups.

We also are served a basket of chips with some of the best salsa I've ever tasted - and I am salsa picky! Then the food arrives. Mine is 2 burritos of machaca, some refritos and a silver dollar of hash browns. His is a heaping serving of scrambled eggs with the machaca and veduras along with refritos, the hash browns....and 2 huge flour tortillas just off the comal.

First taste: the hashbrowns. Definitely made on the spot and not a purchase from Smart & Final's freezer. The best, creamiest and crispy on the outside hash browns EVER....just a hint of garlic in them. How can it get any better? Now to try the machaca burrito.....well, it's not quite what I expected which was "machaca" and nothing else. It was the exact same thing he had on his plate, but mine was already wrapped in the tortilla. So it was machaca, egg, onion, pepper. Delicious, mind you, just not what I expected. And the refritos were also yummy.

We got into the restaurant around 10:00 am and there were quite a few tables with people, including some large groups. We were the only Americans until maybe 10:30 when another couple or two of Americanos came in. The prices are very reasonable.

This is stick-to-your-ribs eats! We could not eat another thing until like 10:00 that night...when we stopped at Tacos Manuel for a late night snack. That place is HOPPIN' at that time of night! This is all in Rosarito. Here's the website for Los Pelicanos
http://www.lospelicanosrosarito.net/

[Edited on 7-29-2008 by bajabound2005]

[Edited on 7-29-2008 by bajabound2005]

Bajafun777 - 7-28-2008 at 08:39 PM

Bernie, have not eaten at this restaurant but El Nido's food is very good. I especially like sitting at the bar and just enjoying the place. I will have to try this place when I go over in August, Gypsy Jan I will tell them you sent me and they better not over charge me!! Now, on rare occassion I will drink wine but if the beer is very cold they are alright with me, who knows maybe even do a few shooters. Later---------------- bajafun777

Santiago - 7-28-2008 at 10:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajabound2005
First taste: the hashbrowns. Definitely made on the spot and not a purchase from Smart & Final's freezer. The best, creamiest and crispy on the outside hash browns EVER....just a hint of garlic in them. How can it get any better?


Now wait a minute....are your sure you weren't having breakfast in Bakersfield???? It is possible to get them confused, you know. No way you're getting good hash browns south of the border. Of course, "the size of a silver dollar" does sorta give it away. Next you'll be claiming that you had great potato salad in El Rosario.:coolup:

bajabound2005 - 7-28-2008 at 10:20 PM

no way, they'd put way too many onions in the potato salad...but I kid you not - these were in fact the best hash browns EVER.

Santiago - 7-28-2008 at 10:50 PM

Well, that does it - I'm stopping in next time south.

Aventurera - 7-29-2008 at 09:57 AM

Los Pelicanos is hands-down my favorite place in Rosarito. The menu is almost exactly the same as El Nido, but aside from El Nido's back patio, I prefer the ambience at Los Pelicanos. While they are really the same restaurant a few blocks apart, the fact that Los Pelicanos is right on the beach with great views and also is (usually) less crowded gives it the edge, at least to me.

I agree that their salsa and those tortillas are out of this world, but my favorite plate is the carne asada (thin cut). They serve it with guacamole and a baked potato. The meat is simply the best I've ever eaten. A little bit of that meat with some guacamole in one of those tortillas...heaven! They also serve a wonderful tres leches cake. The only thing that El Nido wins on, for me, is that they have the bakery and I can order a cafe mocha after my meal. :tumble:

BajaGringo - 7-29-2008 at 11:32 AM

Los Pelicanos has always been one of my little secrets and now you guys are going to push the crowds in and the prices up!

;)

Dannyrose - 7-29-2008 at 12:45 PM

I have to agree on tortilla's. My kids insisted we bring back 5 dozen this last weekend from El Nido. $11.50, smokin deal! They were still warm when we picked them up. I think we have 7 left. I assume they taste the same as Los Pelicanos being the same owner and all. If you do go to El Nido, I recommend asking for Alfredo for your waiter. His signature line is "why not" to any request. He gave all the kids a root beer shot concoction then took them over to the tortilla lady to roll out some tortillas. It's a fun place.

elgatoloco - 7-29-2008 at 06:57 PM

Viva Los Pelicanos! It is one of the few places where we have never had a mediocre experience. We always take new to Baja people there because we know it will be excellent.

If we are drinking wine in Baja we always bring the first bottle. :D

Flattered That My Two-Year Old Review

Gypsy Jan - 7-30-2008 at 03:15 PM

Has stood the test of time.

Los Pelicanos and El Tapanco are on our fave list, but I never considered Pelicanos for breakfast.

Now I am drooling over the prospect of trying those hash browns!