Cabo San Lucas has a well-deserved reputation for boisterous and uninhibited nightlife. But the Land’s End city’s bars and clubs aren’t all given over to rock' n’ roll and tequila shots, or DJ-driven dance music and VIP bottle service.
Discerning visitors – or at least those with more traditional tastes in music and beverages – will find other options are readily available.
Take Two for the Road, for example. It's an intimate jazz club nestled behind Solomon’s Landing at Tesoro Los Cabos, just off the marina boardwalk, and it's one of the city’s more popular adult-oriented entertainment alternatives.
Marty and Kathy Daniels perform six nights a week at Two for the Road, the jazz club they own in Cabo San Lucas — Photo courtesy of Two for the Road
Owners Marty and Kathy Daniels perform standards from the Great American Songbook six nights a week. He plays piano, and she sings, while the Yes girls (the three-letter affirmative is a combination of their first names, not a comment on their virtue) shake up martinis and other classic cocktails behind the small but finely stocked bar.
The Daniels excel at moving effortlessly from convivial conversation to stage patter and smooth song stylings, and their easygoing charm is the primary reason the club has become such a beloved local institution.
Other musicians occasionally stop by and sit in, but their relationship is at the heart of the Two for the Road experience, as expressed in the romantic and beautiful songs from the golden age of nightclubs in America.
Marty and Kathy moved to Los Cabos in 1998, and they started a company called Montana de Baja. The business wasn’t named for the Spanish word for mountain (montaña), but rather as a nod to their San Franciscan roots, for former 49er football great Joe Montana.
Montana de Baja specialized in fishing charters, as well as sport fishing accessories like handcrafted porcelain lures.
They transitioned to Two for the Road seven years ago, in the same location that formerly housed the fishing business. Nowadays, though, the floorspace is largely given over to tables and chairs – the club can accommodate up to 30 guests – while walls are filled with photos of Marty and Kathy performing in years past, as well as jazz greats like Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker.
Two for the Road doesn’t open until 7 p.m. (8 p.m. during the slow summer season), but it's an attractive option for those seeking after-dinner diversion.
The bar offers an excellent selection of top-shelf tequilas and traditional cocktails; the music is engaging without ever being intrusive; and the nostalgic, unconventional atmosphere draws a consistently eclectic mix of visitors and colorful local characters.