Just a few kilometers south of Puerto Nuevo there is a seaside restaurant where you will find great home style Mexican cooking served with a smile.
We recommend Splash for all food lovers who prefer an off-the-beaten locale AND great food.
Their name is perfectly appropriate as a large picture window spans the entire length of the bar area and frames the ocean just for your entertainment. The waves splash upon the lava reef rocks below and create a signature ambiance, hence their decision to name their new restaurant Splash.
Regulars tell me the waves can get pretty fantastic when the tide is high.
Splash did not happen by chance, but rather by hard
work, research, and the collaboration of three friends. Proprietor
Nicolas Santos is often the bartender. Together with his brother, Agapo
as the head chef along with their friend/business partner, and biggest
fan, American, Jim McGill, they have created something very special at
Splash.
Just opened in mid-July of 2009, Splash has quickly
become a local’s favorite. The atmosphere is perfect.
The bar area is
the recommended spot for dining as the view is as close to the beach as
you can get in this area of the Baja coast.
Just beyond the bar is an outdoor seaside
palapa accented with palm fronds to keep the hot sun off your shoulders
while you enjoy a truly tasty meal.
There is also a colorful indoor dining room
with an exhibition kitchen.
Nicolas
Santos has been in the restaurant business with his partner Jim McGill,
and his brother Agapo, and they have been working their magic at other SUCCESSFUL locale eateries for years.
The past couple of
years they have been searching for the perfect location to open another
restaurant.
Once Asapo brought Nicholas and Jim to the this spot on the
coast and they saw the waves splashing against the rocks, that was all
it took.
Now the Best Part - The Food
“We have a set menu
but we cook according to our client’s request.”, says Santos. Nicholas
has been in the hospitality industry for many years, and has successful
real estate ventures in Baja as well. But he does not hesitate to take
the opportunity to share the success of Splash.
His brother
“Agapo,” he says, “was always cooking, cooking all the time. We always
said he was the sister we never had! But all joking aside,” adds
Nicolas, “he is a wonderful cook and has attended culinary school.”
His brother “Agapo,” he says, “was always cooking, cooking all the time. We always said he was the sister we never had!
But all joking aside,” adds Nicolas, “he is a wonderful cook and has attended culinary school.”
On our recent warm September afternoon visit, we asked Nicolas to bring
us what he wanted us to try. He quickly mixed up a perfect margarita on
the rocks, and brought us the best New England style clam chowder, made
with large chunks of corn, carrots and peas, and a very tasty and light
shrimp burrito. The clam chowder was fantastic, and the burrito was
delicious, and a perfect size to fill you, but not stuff you. Their
garlic bread is out of this world.
As we discussed the fine
art of holding a burrito like a lady, the locals started to pour in for
lunch. Jim McGill arrives in time to draws our attention to how some are out looking
for mussels right on the reef in front as the tide pools are low.
“At
Splash we cook clams, oysters, deep fried, what ever you want, we make
it.” says McGill.
Nicholas tells us more about his family. “Food
is Agapo’s passion and he is very patient in the kitchen. He was
always cooking something at home. We have seven brothers. Agapo is
the oldest. We grew upon a ranch in Chihuahua and arrived in Rosarito
in November of 1993. Every day we make fresh tortillas, salsa fresca
and add a beautiful margarita for our guests.”
Agapo has
worked in some of the the finest kitchens in Rosarito, and in the West.
He won a Culinary Award in 1994 while at the Rosarito Beach Hotel and
has graced the kitchens and dining rooms of other fine establishments
at Calafia, Las Rocas, Palm Grill, the State House in Colorado, and the
Rodeo Grill, in Los Angeles.
While I am enjoying every bite of
this scrumptious lunch, I ask Nicolas what is his favorite meal at
Splash. “Camarones Al Gusto” he says. My Spanish is not perfect but I
always ask when I forget what a word means. “Al gusto” means “however
you want them!” says my generous host.
At Splash one will find
many different dishes, with shrimp, fish, and other fresh seafood.
There are tacos, burritos, ceviche and house specials. Agapo goes all
the way to 6th Street in downtown Tijuana to purchase his fresh seafood
directly from the local farmer’s market.
I keep pushing Nicolas
to tell me more about this location and he tells me the new high rise
building complex I see on the skyline to the north is the Palacio Del
Mar condos and villas.
We are told we have to come back and have
Caldo Siete Mares Grande. With the onset of Lobster Season in mid
September and fall weather coming, they will soon begin serving Agapo’s
world renowned lobster bisque. Yummmm....Pacific Lobster Bisque, count
me in right now!
In closing, all three restaurateurs invite the
public to come and see their new spot. “Please come and experience the
ambiance, the food, and the view that Splash provides. If it is not on
our menu just ask the chef!” says Nicolas.
Splash is located about 5 miles south of Puerto Nuevo at KM 52 on the Free Road in Colonia El Campito.
Open Daily 10 am - 8 pm Winter Hours 8 am - sunset
