Heading to Tijuana for the day in a few weeks, thought I’d see if anyone here has any particular favorite places to eat/drink.
I’ve been a few times before and have a handful of regular spots, but am always on the hunt for new/alternative ones. Also debating Mision 19 and Los Compas for a nicer late lunch/early dinner.
Either way, I’ll report back with some pix after the trip.
TIA!
Oops, currently closed, supposed to reopen in a new location nearby … sometime.
We like Cien Años and Misión 19 but haven’t been to either in quite a while.
If you haven’t been to the new Telefonica it’s definitely worth checking out. So is the newish food court at the Zona Rio mall.
I really like Mision 19 but it’s sometimes a bit erratic. I’ve had stunningly good meals there and others that were very good but didn’t quite hit the mark.
Tras/Horizonte from the Tacos Kokopelli guys is fun and very good.
La Querencia is Miguel Angel Guerrero’s flagship restaurant and is pretty much ground zero for the whole BajaMed thing. A lot of the produce comes from his huerta (garden) and some of the fish and game is what he’s caught hunting and fishing, tho’ given how busy the restaurant is, he’d have to be doing a lot more hunting and fishing than cooking in order to keep up with demand.
Erizo is probably my favorite place for seafood. It started as a casualish sports bar with a fish market and has sort of progressed into a nice, but certainly not fancy, seafood restaurant serving very fresh and very well prepared hot and cold seafood dishes.
Oryx Capital is also quite good and worth checking out.
Really, it’s hard to go wrong on food these days in Tijuana.
Thanks for these!
Definitely planning on the new Telefonica, do you have any particular spots that you like there?
I’ll probably pick one of your other recs. I’ve been to Erizo and Kokopelli (is Tras/Horizonte significantly different than the Kokopelli that used to be there?), but they all sound great.
Do you have any other street food kind of spots you’d recommend? I’ve never been to Taqueria Franc so I was thinking I’d probably do that, and I like the Birria El Sabroso on Aguascalientes and Brasil (right near Telefonica), but otherwise I’m not sure. Travel partner loves Taco Alley, but we’ve done that several times now so I’m looking into other adobada/asada/taco spots.
Really appreciate your guidance!
It’s hard to go wrong with almost anything at Telefonica. I like Humo’s and Otto’s Grill a lot. Try the tuna shashimi at Otto’s. The octopus burger at Maquina M65 is unusual and really good. I’ve not tried it, but friends that have love the ramen vendor. Now that they’re in their new location they’ve got a ton of Mexican craft beers on tap and even some wines from the Valle de Guadalupe can be had. Not on tap, of course, but by the glass.
Tacos Fitos on Javier Mina in front of the Mercado Hidalgo does sublime tacos de birria. You can also get a taco that’s half birria and half crispy tripas that mostly adds some crunch but not a lot of flavor. They sell out early. If you cross the border in the morning, especially a weekend morning, this should be your first stop.
Right next door to Tacos Fitos is Mariscos El Paisa. The thing to order there is the tostada mixta.
And if you go down to the corner there is a Tacos El Gordo which is also pretty good.
If you cross the street from El Paisa and into the Mercado Hidalgo complex, then walk straight back to the other end, there will be 2 carnitas places. Both are good, but the one that will be on your right is a little better. The carnitas torta is pretty darn tasty.
Tacos Franc is pretty close to the Mercado Hidalgo, just around the corner and across the street (if I recall correctly) from Tacos El Gordo.
Very close to Tacos Franc is Mariscos Ruben. If you haven’t tried it you owe it to yourself to do so. Sonoran style seafood. Best scallop aguachile/ceviche I’ve ever had. They do a baked clam thing that’s delicious and quite big as well as an interesting smoked marlin taco dorado. Close to Costco.
Mariscos Mazateno is probably the best marisqueria in Tijuana, but it’s a schlep to get out there if you cross at San Ysidro. It’s closer to the Otay border crossing, but oh, those shrimp tacos! The pulpo enchialdo taco is also pretty special as are their tostadas and coctales.
Tacos Aaron is terrific for carne asada and other meats. It’s in Colonia Soler on Independencia, I think most taxistas know where it is
Tortas El Turco has been arounda 30+ years and does a pretty good marinated beef loin torta. It’s not carne asada or adobada, but is similar.
Tras Horizonte is Kokopelli all gussied up with an expanded menu but the original core tacos are still there.
If you end up at Las Compas please report back, I haven’t been yet and word of mouth is that it’s very good.
Edited to add: Mariscos Ruben & Tacos Aaron are both food trucks not brick and mortar locations.
This is amazing, thanks a ton!
Tacos Franc is my favorite for Adobada. a must visit
Second DD’s Mazateno recommendation!