Los Cabos Street Food Sales Reinstated After Hurricane Priscilla’s Passing

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Good news for taco lovers: after a brief pause during Hurricane Priscilla, street food sales are back in parts of Los Cabos.

As we at The Cabo Sun reported during the storm’s impact, authorities temporarily halted outdoor food vending to prevent contamination from floodwater and wastewater runoff.

According to the State Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (COEPRIS), street food sales are now authorized to resume in Cabo San Lucas after inspectors verified there are no longer widespread wastewater spills in the area.

Vendors must clean and disinfect their stalls and utensils before serving again, and food handlers are expected to follow strict hygiene measures.

In San José del Cabo, however, the suspension remains in specific neighborhoods where sewage discharges persist—notably Zacatal and Vista Hermosa—until conditions improve.

What This Means If You’re Visiting Now

• Cabo San Lucas: You’ll see favorite carts and stands opening back up. Expect some vendors to start a little slower as they restock and deep clean. COEPRIS has emphasized sanitation—think disinfected prep zones and gear—before anyone flips the comal back on.
• San José del Cabo: Street food remains paused in the affected pockets (Zacatal, Vista Hermosa). If you’re staying nearby, plan to eat at restaurants or look for vendors operating outside those zones.

If you missed the backstory, our earlier coverage broke down why authorities hit the brakes in the first place—runoff splashing onto open food and disrupted cold chains after heavy rains are a real health risk.

How To Eat Street Food Safely Right Now

We love Los Cabos street eats as much as you do—birria, marlin tacos, elotes—the works. With the restart underway, here are quick, practical checks we recommend (and that local officials echo):

1. Look for a fresh clean-up. Stalls should appear recently washed, with prep tables wiped down and utensils stored properly. That’s not just a good look; it’s a requirement for reopening.
2. Mind the surroundings. Avoid stands adjacent to puddles or residual muddy water—these can harbor bacteria and mosquitoes (we’ve recently flagged problem spots around certain markets until drainage improves).
3. Cold foods must be cold. Ceviche and mayo-based salsas should come from chilled containers; Cabo heat is unforgiving, and inspectors have long stressed proper refrigeration.
4. Watch the workflow. Handwashing, gloves or utensils for handling ready-to-eat items, and separation of raw vs. cooked ingredients are green flags. These match COEPRIS guidance tied to the current reopening.

Why Authorities Are Still Watching Closely

Inspections didn’t end with Priscilla. Officials have been stepping up checks on vendors—licensed and unlicensed—to keep standards high and the playing field fair. That means surprise visits, paperwork reviews, and, when needed, fines or closures. We unpacked this trend earlier this summer as part of a broader vendor crackdown in tourist corridors.

And if conditions change (say, a new wastewater leak is detected), COEPRIS can impose targeted suspensions again. The agency even invited stall operators working in previously affected areas to report their status for verification through official channels—another signal that this is a measured, data-driven reopening, not a flip of a switch.

Planning Your Taco Crawl

• Cabo San Lucas first. If street food is a must on your itinerary this week, prioritize CSL where sales have resumed. Pair your eats with a marina stroll and keep an eye out for stands that display permits prominently—often a sign they’re inspection-ready.
• For SJC, follow local updates. Ask your hotel concierge which areas are fully cleared; conditions can evolve block by block. Our earlier hurricane coverage has a running context of closures and reopenings you can reference while you plan.
• When in doubt, go indoors. During the immediate recovery window, restaurants with controlled kitchens and refrigeration can be a smart stop—exactly what health officials suggested during the peak of the suspension.

More Help For Travelers

We’ve stayed on top of food-safety advisories in Los Cabos over the past few years—from temporary shutdowns to seasonal inspection blitzes—so if you’re new here, browse our past explainers for context before you hit the streets with an empty stomach.

The bottom line is that street food is making a careful comeback in Cabo San Lucas, with health protocols front and center. San José del Cabo still has limited suspensions in specific neighborhoods while cleanup continues.

Follow the simple checks above, stay flexible, and you can still have that unforgettable taco night while Los Cabos dries out and gears up for the next round of sunny days.