El Squid Roe is a 100% Mexican company founded in 1989, built on a simple ideology: in our house, “we have no customers; we have guests.” For over 35 years we’ve been creators of joy and laughter in the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas — and we’re still just getting started.
How it started
Like all the best bad ideas, it came late one night in 1988 — when Carlos Anderson ordered one more chalupa and Billy ordered another round of mezcal. Carlos sketched an old mining-town building on a bar napkin (he always wrote his ideas on whatever was closest — receipts, envelopes, napkins), and Billy was sold. He left Puerto Vallarta and moved to the desert of Baja California Sur.
They rented a run-down warehouse in what’s now downtown Cabo and welded rusted iron sheets to steel beams. To this day, experts can’t explain how it has survived so many parties and natural disasters — but mostly parties. The walls are covered in funny signs, photos of Mexican revolutionaries, and a whole lot of what looks like junk but is, we promise, decoration.
What makes El Squid Roe legendary
Ask anyone who has spent a night in Cabo San Lucas and the name comes up: El Squid Roe is the party everyone tells stories about. It’s the metal booths people dance on, the buckets and the conga lines, the balloons dropping over a packed crowd, and the kind of run-it-back energy that turns first-timers into regulars. For more than 35 years it has been less a nightclub and more a rite of passage — the place a Cabo trip is measured by.
What keeps it iconic is that it never takes itself too seriously. The decor is gloriously chaotic, the staff are in on every joke, and nobody is too cool to climb on a table. It’s a big, loud, joyful free-for-all — and that, more than any single thing, is what makes it legendary.
On the Cabo San Lucas Marina
You’ll find El Squid Roe right in the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas, steps from the Marina on Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas. It’s the easiest landmark in town — within walking distance of the cruise tender pier, the marina boardwalk, and most downtown hotels, and a short taxi from the hotel-zone and Corridor resorts. If you’re wandering the Marina at night, just follow the crowd and the neon.
Live shows & global stars
El Squid Roe isn’t just a bar — it’s a stage. Over the years its dance floor has hosted major touring artists and international headliners alongside its own resident MCs and party crew, with confetti, live drummers on the bar, and shows that spill from floor to floor. On the right night, the icon of Cabo nightlife turns into a full-blown concert.
Three floors, one icon
El Squid Roe rises across three levels, and each one has its own pulse. Downstairs is the open-air restaurant and bar where it all begins — food, frozen margaritas in souvenir cups, and the first rounds of the day. As the sun drops, the second and third floors come alive with DJs, bottle service, and a dance floor that doesn’t stop until 3am. One building, three moods, a single unmistakable icon.
From breakfast to the last song
Few places in Cabo run a full day-to-night arc the way El Squid Roe does. Mornings and afternoons are easygoing — families, big groups, and cruise guests come in for breakfast, lunch, and a cold drink on the patio. Then the lights drop, the music climbs, and the same room becomes the biggest party in Baja. Come for the tacos at noon, stay for the chaos at midnight.
No dress code, all heart
Our tables and booths are made of metal — on purpose — so that when MC Pablo calls everyone up to dance the macarena, the whole place climbs on top. There’s no dress code — just wear footwear (broken glass happens on a party floor) and a shirt. The proper attire is an El Squid Roe t-shirt, shorts, and maybe a little of our BBQ sauce on your face.
Breakfast to 3am
After noticing guests wandering outside at sunrise asking for a tour, Billy started showering early and opening the doors at 9am for breakfast. Yes, we have a real kitchen. Our fresh pescado is locally sourced, and we’re open every day for breakfast, lunch, and table-side dinner — try Pablo’s Pepper Steak. As the day turns to night, a second and then a third floor fill up with dancing, bottle service, and the biggest party in Baja.
Rooted in Cabo
We’re part of this city’s heartbeat. Through the El Squid Roe Cares Foundation we support the Letty Coppel Foundation’s breast-cancer cause (our iconic Pink Bus), host Children’s Day for local kids, run downtown clean-ups, and source local-first from regional fishermen and farmers. One of Cabo’s most loyal employers — many of our team have been here 30+ years — we reopen fast after every storm to help the destination get back on its feet.
Come find us
Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas 1112, Downtown, Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S. Open every day, 9am to 3am, all year long. Operated by Cabo Hospitality LLC.