Quemadero — Restaurant in Baja California Sur

Edit: Editing my previous review because the manager read my comment and made things right. We were given an apology along with complimentary drinks and desserts. The chef also came out to speak with us. The food really is very good. All the desserts were delicious. I know things happen especially when a restaurant is very full, so I appreciate the fact that they did what they could to make up for their mistake.

I’ve been here several times and always enjoyed the food despite many people saying it’s overpriced. I’ve also always had very good service. Tonight, however, the service was abismal. I get they were very full and maybe not used to having a crowd, but the disorganization and lack of communication was terrible. They asked us if we wanted our starters before the main dishes and we said we did. After over an hour, we asked about the starters because other tables that were seated after us had already received theirs. Shortly after, almost all of our dishes came including starters with the main dishes except the main dishes for two people. Another 45 minutes later, everyone was done eating except for the two people that still had not received their dishes. No one came to explain anything or to give an ETA. Again, none of the other tables seemed to be having any issues and from what I could tell, we didn’t order anything special that would merit this delay. It was a disappointment and I don’t want to return or recommend this place again. Which is a shame since I live in La Paz full time and I’m not just a tourist that would have only come once and...

We dined at Quemadero for Valentine’s Day. It was our third time at the restaurant and our last. I love the design and the vibe in the courtyard. The food and drink were excellent the first two visits last year, but the food and service were really disappointing on the holiday night. Our tablecloth was so worn out, it had holes in it. We wondered if it was a design choice, but I checked the nearby tables and none had the rips. Our place settings didn’t have silverware, and the food runner did not notice the missing utensils and left. I had wave down our server talking in the corner to ask for forks. The salad tasted like the romaine came from a bag they bought at Chedraui or Costco. The next course, a crab cake, looked like hotel wedding banquet food. It tasted like it had been premade a day in advance or more and made with store-bought breadcrumbs. The only great courses with food quality in line with past experiences were the beef tenderloin and the chocolate ganache dessert. The dinner with a bottle of Baja wine cost us $130 USD per person. That’s one of the highest prices for a meal we’ve paid in our four years living here. A friend told me to give them a try again because they’d brought their prices down. We are willing to pay good money for a great dining experience and Quemadero sadly lost our trust. We won’t make the...

We come to La Paz, in part, because the restaurant scene is so good. Today, we were heading somewhere else and stumbled upon Quemadero. We normally stay away from restaurants on the malecon, so many of them are tourist traps, but Quemadero caught our eye and we are delighted that it did. Quemadero serves the best food we’ve had in La Paz. The wood fired grill is highlighted in much of the menu. We had striped bass that had been seared on the grill and then baked on the hearth in ash from onions and corn. It was served with puréed cauliflower that had been roast on the grill and garnished with a kale dressing. Perfectly cooked, the fish was delightful. The grilled vegetables were exceptional, the mixed ceviche was a delight, and the beet salad couldn’t be beat.

Service was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. Roger took excellent care of us, patiently and knowledgeable answered our questions about the preparation of the dishes, and made excellent suggestions. His brother (Paolo?) has but together an excellent selection of Mexican wines complemented by an international portfolio. We’ll selected Mexican wines have been exceeding my expectations and I’ll be visiting Quemadero again to continue my education.

If you are in La Paz and enjoy fine dining, I’d recommend making Quemadero...