Food in Tijuana

[SpikeBites1]

Took a girl there two nights ago. Very expensive for Tijuana. It's like a Mexican version of Ruth's Chris. They serve steaks, ribeyes, sushi, lobster. Pretty much all sorts. It wasn't bad just a bit expensive for "Tijuana".

Would recommend. The service was exceptional and the lava cake dessert was delicious.

[StRobert]

A good restaurant has been operating in the same place for 50 years. Address Avenida Revolucion number 893 near Third Street (Tercera). I ordered two fish tacos and Corona light beer. (US $ 4. 80). The taste was great. You can eat from the street side or inside. The menu is easy to read, pictures of dishes with prices in pesos and in US dollars. There is a restroom. This will be my new place to eat on Av. Revolucion. Here is the link http://lospanchostijuana.com/.

[Jim0129]

Decided to try something different, so I searched Tijuana restaurants on line and found out about this place serving Argentine food, particularly empanadas. The restaurant is by Tijuana Tillys on the other side of the Jai Alai palace on Revolucion in the parking lot. Wanted something light, so I ordered the Salmon salad and a drink and a pepperoni empanada. The waiter brought fresh hot bread with pesto sauce in olive oil along with butter. Then the empanada arrived with a hot flaky crust and filled with cheese and tomato sauce and pepperonis, think I paid 25 pesos for this. Then the salmon salad with tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, carrots lettuce etc along with ranch dressing along with more hot bread. Cost was around 180 pesos plus a good tip for the helpful waiter who set up my WiFi for the cell phone. Recommended, particularly the different empanadas with beef and onions, chicken and onions, but I was happy with the Pepperoni empanada, reminded me of calzones but much cheaper here.

Yeah, this place is great, last time I went I had the lamb meat empanadas and an Argentinian style lasagna, also we ordered their famous Sangria. Great food, low prices highly recommended.

[Travv]

Decided to try something different, so I searched Tijuana restaurants on line and found out about this place serving Argentine food, particularly empanadas. The restaurant is by Tijuana Tillys on the other side of the Jai Alai palace on Revolucion in the parking lot. Wanted something light, so I ordered the Salmon salad and a drink and a pepperoni empanada. The waiter brought fresh hot bread with pesto sauce in olive oil along with butter. Then the empanada arrived with a hot flaky crust and filled with cheese and tomato sauce and pepperonis, think I paid 25 pesos for this. Then the salmon salad with tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, carrots lettuce etc along with ranch dressing along with more hot bread. Cost was around 180 pesos plus a good tip for the helpful waiter who set up my WiFi for the cell phone. Recommended, particularly the different empanadas with beef and onions, chicken and onions, but I was happy with the Pepperoni empanada, reminded me of calzones but much cheaper here.

[Long Don Silva]

When I first came to the San Diego area three and a half years ago, my roommate mentioned that Tijuana had started to develop a serious food scene to attract tourism following the excessive violence of the late aughts. There seems to be many sources verifying this.

[Phordphan]

In the interest of fairness, let's post a couple of articles that aren't 5 years old. Here are a couple of recent articles stating that Tijuana does, indeed, have a vibrant food scene, and is becoming very famous in its own right.

https://adventure.com/tijuana-food-drink-mexico/

Here they discuss what some of us Tijuana vets know. That business tanked during the very dark days of 2008-ish. Tijuana basically reinvented itself to focus more on locals with money, and less on Yanqui tourists. And far less on grumpy gringos looking for cheap pussy. Note that Plascencia makes a point of sourcing his stuff within 3 hours of Tijuana. This is important, and why I made mention of the Valle de Guadalupe earlier. It is the source of the lion's share of the wine list (and in many cases the only source), in most fine dining establishments in Tijuana. It's gone from being a source of table wine for France to a source of wines that compare very favorably with many from California.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Mexico-...ary-revolucion

Here's another that also mentions Telefonica Gastro Park, and mentions that Tijuana was the NYT top 52 places to go in 2017. But Don't take their word for it, read it for yorself:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...-to-visit.html

"Tijuana is also having a culinary renaissance, fueled by craft breweries, stylish coffee shops and globally informed restaurants that range from Telefónica Gastro Park's hipster food trucks to bustling Baja Med spots like La Querencía in the riverside Zona areío neighborhood".

Oh, and if anybody thinks that Tijuana and VdG have no bearing on one another, because they're as far apart as, say, Milwaukee and Chicago, well, I guess that individual has never been to any of those places. For anybody who cares, Tijuana to the heart of VdG is about 65 miles, vs. About 100. And, as I mentioned before, it's the heart and soul of the BNC wine renaissance. And, what is good food without good wine?

[Phordphan]

Picture menus it's a good idea , but Telefonica Gastro Park is on Yelp and Facebook. You can write a post in English there. Menus in Spanish and English are also a good idea. Once in another place I ordered by mistake a taco tripa (gut) and I ate because I did not understand the word "tripa". I also do not like taco cabeza (head) and lengua (tongue) but the fish tacos are good.

Oh, if only there were a phone app that would translate Spanish into English!

[StRobert]

Telefonica would be a nice place to hang out for lunch in day tours down the coast to Ensenada. Seafood and tacos in Tijuana are far better and fresher than Ensenada. The fish / shrimp tacos, ceviche and cocteles served by the restaurants near Ensenada's seafood market are not good or fresh but very expensive. I don't even want to eat their food. However the 4 or 5 seafood carts on the main drag, across from the giant flag pole, are fresh and delicious. Did not see any Al Pastor tacos stand there day or night, WTF?

Googles shows lots of interesting dishes served by various stores in Telefonica. When I got there the stores hang large menus with prices, but I could not order without seeing the dishes, pictures or at least descriptions of the main ingredients. I hate to order something and it turns out perrito or cato tacos with wagging tails hehe.

Can someone with decent Spanish suggest to the stores to hang pictures of the dishes on their store fronts, or show wax models of the dishes? They should probably start with printed menus describing the main ingredients and how they are cooked, for the benefits of non locals.

Picture menus it's a good idea , but Telefonica Gastro Park is on Yelp and Facebook. You can write a post in English there. Menus in Spanish and English are also a good idea. Once in another place I ordered by mistake a taco tripa (gut) and I ate because I did not understand the word "tripa". I also do not like taco cabeza (head) and lengua (tongue) but the fish tacos are good.

[Captain Solo]

Telefonica would be a nice place to hang out for lunch in day tours down the coast to Ensenada. Seafood and tacos in Tijuana are far better and fresher than Ensenada. The fish / shrimp tacos, ceviche and cocteles served by the restaurants near Ensenada's seafood market are not good or fresh but very expensive. I don't even want to eat their food. However the 4 or 5 seafood carts on the main drag, across from the giant flag pole, are fresh and delicious. Did not see any Al Pastor tacos stand there day or night, WTF?

Googles shows lots of interesting dishes served by various stores in Telefonica. When I got there the stores hang large menus with prices, but I could not order without seeing the dishes, pictures or at least descriptions of the main ingredients. I hate to order something and it turns out perrito or cato tacos with wagging tails hehe.

Can someone with decent Spanish suggest to the stores to hang pictures of the dishes on their store fronts, or show wax models of the dishes? They should probably start with printed menus describing the main ingredients and how they are cooked, for the benefits of non locals.

[StRobert]

Wow.

I just googled it and found great reviews. Thanks for the post as I now have another place to eat.

Looks like a short cab ride or a long walk depending on your hotel.

Sr.

Here is a video link, in the first part of "Telefonica Gastro Park" and "El Punto Food Trucks". - Octopussy taco and burger sounds good! http://crossingsouth.com/videosmaps/...cks-and-trash/.

[BayBoy]

Thanks for the info. I've been to a couple of taco stands in the Zona before, but will definitely try this one.

[Nounce]

Guys -- I will be in Tijuana in a few weeks from now. Can you be more specific on the location of the HK Taco Stand. Is it out the front or back entrance of the Hong Kong club?

Turn left after you go out of the front door. It is at the first street corner.

[ClamSlammer]

Guys -- I will be in Tijuana in a few weeks from now. Can you be more specific on the location of the HK Taco Stand. Is it out the front or back entrance of the Hong Kong club?

There is no Hong Kong Taco Stand. Hong Kong is not affiliated with any taco stand but there is a stand that is in close proximity, which is undoubtedly the most popular stand in the zona. Walk out the front door of HK, hang a left. When you get to the corner you'll see it on your left. Go to the left side of the stand, where you order and pay and be given a ticket. Give the ticket to the taquero and he'll prepare your order. Tacos are $20 mx each.

[BayBoy]

Guys -- I will be in Tijuana in a few weeks from now. Can you be more specific on the location of the HK Taco Stand. Is it out the front or back entrance of the Hong Kong club?

[Ctytek]

Yeah, I forgot to mention. Gastro park is about 15-20 min walk from Ticuán, or an even quicker cab ride. Very close, but yet far enough from the same old tired spots.

Wow.

I just googled it and found great reviews. Thanks for the post as I now have another place to eat.

Looks like a short cab ride or a long walk depending on your hotel.

Sr.