Food in Tijuana

[The Tall Man]

I ate at Tacos Guanajuato the night before and then the next morning at La Perla for breakfast. Shortly after breakfast on the 31st, the stomach began gurgling and I began making visits to the white throne to throw up. Diarrhea then set in. I believe what caused it was that I was in the habit of putting the orange garnish provided in the breakfast and orange juice into the glass of orange juice to stretch the juice. And the skin of the orange that day was unwashed and had ecoli on it. Eventually I recovered enough to go and buy some Pepto Bismol but New Years eve was spent worshiping the white throne in my hotel. You might want to keep a small bottle of Pepto Bismo handy because when Montezuma's Revenge strikes, you are in no condition to walk anywhere to buy some.

We all feel for you Travv, been there with severe food poisoning in May 20016 and was in bed for 4 days. Hell the acid in my vomit was so bad that it scared my throat for a month afterwards. Within an hour I was laid out and could hardly get the will and strength to crawl, get this, 12 feet to the White Throne to worship.

What sucks is that's how you spent your New years, ouch.

It's almost impossible to tell where you picked the bug up at unless others report the same.

TTM.

[ScatManDoo]

I ate at Tacos Guanajuato the night before and then the next morning at La Perla for breakfast. Shortly after breakfast on the 31st, the stomach began gurgling and I began making visits to the white throne to throw up. Diarrhea then set in. I believe what caused it was that I was in the habit of putting the orange garnish provided in the breakfast and orange juice into the glass of orange juice to stretch the juice. And the skin of the orange that day was unwashed and had ecoli on it. Eventually I recovered enough to go and buy some Pepto Bismol but New Years eve was spent worshiping the white throne in my hotel. You might want to keep a small bottle of Pepto Bismo handy because when Montezuma's Revenge strikes, you are in no condition to walk anywhere to buy some.

Sorry that your New Years were so negatively affected Travv.

As it turned out, my quasi-wingman and Big Gary and I had a late lunch on New Year's Day in La Perla, after first stopping by and finding Guiseppis & Ceasars on Revo both closed for the holiday. But we weren't as risk-taking in our dining choices as you were. I had a nice plate of cooked shrimp. I drank cups of hot coffee with my meal and my dining guests sipped Diet Coke. However, I think I ate my orange slice plate garnishment, but only my fingers touched the outer peel.

The next day one of us had some OJ in Guiseppis without incident, but I don't recall the other hombre being served any orange peel garnishment in Guiseppis.

[HorseTrader]

Sometimes it is difficult to know where you ate the bad food. A couple years ago I blamed my Caesers Salad from Caesar's Restaurant. Symptoms arrived about 20 minutes after leaving Caesar's. A few months later I learned that everybody in my breakfast group at a San Diego Doubletree became ill.

[Squid1234]

There's many ways you could get sick. Pesticides on the veggies. Even defrosting chicken in water can give you e coli. I doubt the grills are cleaned between the different foods (chicken, pork, beef). Food not stored or transported cold enough. If he meat is stored in coolers under the cart, is the chicken in a separate cooler? I almost ate the the corner restaurant as it was crowded but earlier I watched bizarre foods in Vietnam. The host said how healthy the field rats were because the water and rice they fed on was clean and I got scared. I ate steak eggs rice beans once (at Asul I think, next to Adelita's) but drank a bottled coke and didn't use any salsa or anything that may have been left out. I've seen the standing girls eat from the carts but they would have a tolerance. HK staff used to eat at Rod's.

[Captain Solo]

Thanks for the alert. Diarrhea can sure kill your sexcapade quickly. It's the pit when you are out of the country. I keep a small box of Immodium in my shaving kit just in case.

The source of the bacteria could be from somewhere else and has to be verified to make prevent future infection. How soon the stomach problem started after you had La Perla's breakfast? It usually takes at least 1 hour for bacteria to breed enough quantity in your stomach to act up. I don't remember if La Perla's OJ was fresh-squeezed or not. If they squeeze fresh, whatever is on the skin would also make it into the juice. If you confirm La Perla was the source, you should do them a favor and advise the owner so they can clean up their act.

The fresh-squeezed juices sold in supermarket are mostly fruits picked and squeezed in Brazil, then shipped to the US in large containers. In the US factories, the juice is mixed with concentrates from the skin to enhance orange flavor, then pasteurized like milk, before packing into bottles. Orange in Brazil carry all sorts of dangerous carcinogens in the pesticides banned in the US.

That reminds me not to drink fresh-squeezed juices out of the country, but licking and eating pussies is OK. Hehe.

I ate at Tacos Guanajuato the night before and then the next morning at La Perla for breakfast. Shortly after breakfast on the 31st, the stomach began gurgling and I began making visits to the white throne to throw up. Diarrhea then set in. I believe what caused it was that I was in the habit of putting the orange garnish provided in the breakfast and orange juice into the glass of orange juice to stretch the juice. And the skin of the orange that day was unwashed and had ecoli on it. Eventually I recovered enough to go and buy some Pepto Bismol but New Years eve was spent worshiping the white throne in my hotel. You might want to keep a small bottle of Pepto Bismo handy because when Montezuma's Revenge strikes, you are in no condition to walk anywhere to buy some.

[Travv]

I ate at Tacos Guanajuato the night before and then the next morning at La Perla for breakfast. Shortly after breakfast on the 31st, the stomach began gurgling and I began making visits to the white throne to throw up. Diarrhea then set in. I believe what caused it was that I was in the habit of putting the orange garnish provided in the breakfast and orange juice into the glass of orange juice to stretch the juice. And the skin of the orange that day was unwashed and had ecoli on it. Eventually I recovered enough to go and buy some Pepto Bismol but New Years eve was spent worshiping the white throne in my hotel. You might want to keep a small bottle of Pepto Bismo handy because when Montezuma's Revenge strikes, you are in no condition to walk anywhere to buy some.

[Squid1234]

Raods across the street from HK is now closed. There is a sub shop down the street but I haven't tried it.

[Travv]

The food park got written up and recommended in the San Diego Reader, so I found the place and tried some of the food. It is right next to a large culinary school on the north side and apparently students get to work at the food trucks parked next to the school as a training exercise. One food truck "Don Ramen" specialized in Japanese food, such as Ramen and stir fried noodles and rice; another in freshly made ground bacon hot dogs and beef sausage sandwiches with steamed corn on the COB; and others in vegetarian food and seafood. Ramen prices start at 40 pesos for the "Nino" size serving and go up from there and you can request special ingredients not listed on the menu, such as marinated beef and extra soft boiled eggs in your Ramen. For those who want to try unusual foods that is freshly made in front of you, find the culinary school then sample your favorite cuisines at the food trucks next door.

[ScatManDoo]

I am a newbie at this but the street taco vendors with the sit down stools in front of them. Do you pay after you are done eating?

Yes.

Also was I supposed to tip?

No, not necessary nor expected.

[Captain Solo]

Tijuana food vendors have an honor system. After eating you tell them how many tacos you ate, and pay the "managers. "

Seems like their honor system works without problems. I have never seen any disputes. One time I and 4 wingmen ate, paid and left the tacos stand on Ninos. The manager ran after, stopped us, and asked to be paid again. I pointed to the guy we paid to and all was cool.

Mexicans almost never tip street food workers, but you should if you can afford it. Most of those food workers don't own the carts; they work for someone else who own them. You usually see bottles for tip on the carts. One time I tipped the tacos cook on Nino for making custom tacos on my instructions. He took my tip and put them in the bottle so they all share.

I am a newbie at this but the street taco vendors with the sit down stools in front of them. Do you pay after you are done eating? I paid him after he gave me the food and he gave me a weird look? Also was I supposed to tip?

[CoolBeanz]

I am a newbie at this but the street taco vendors with the sit down stools in front of them. Do you pay after you are done eating? I paid him after he gave me the food and he gave me a weird look? Also was I supposed to tip?

[Phordphan]

Located just south of 11th, on Ocampo, is a cool little park full of "food trucks. " They may not exactly be trucks, and it may be difficult to move them, but the concept applies. Within you'll find an incredible of delicious food. Modern takes on tacos, pork products, cheeses, Mexican-themed ramen noodles, burgers and more. All at reasonable prices, and with one thing so many US food trucks don't offer. Seating and beverage service.

Attached are some pix of three of the places. It's going to take several visits to cover them all.

The tuna tostada and taco de pulpo are from Ta'Costeno, who specialize in seafood taco combinations. Very good tuna, albeit a bit sweet for me. Good pulpo, but there are better.

The lone black plate, with wonderful presentation, is from a specialty taco shop at the very end. I had a brain fart and didn't snap a pic of the name. Maybe somebody else has it. If you followed View 2 all the way to the back, there it is. That day they had the pulpo, the camaron roca, conejo and Borrego (although memory is fuzzy on that last one. Among other things, of course. This pulpo, with cheese, was quite a bit better than Ta'Costeno, IMO. The shrimp was very good, too, and a bit on the sweet side. 35 pesos each. I wanted to try the rabbit but was too full.

So far, the star has been Humo. The guy who runs this knows his pig. The two sandwiches are the Bork and the Bacon. The pulled pork part of this is delicious, but the absolute stand-out of these sandwiches is the sausage. This has got to be some of the very best pork sausage I've ever eaten. Smokey, savory, extremely flavorful with a faint redolence of the barnyard. You can taste the entire pig here. It's like nothing I can recall tasting. And at 80 pesos, it's a steal. This, alone, is worth the trip to Tijuana.

Next trip I think the Mediterranean truck and possibly Javier Plascencia's Don Ramen.

[Phordphan]

When I ask for "A1" sauce, I got a blank look. WTF! It was a steak and potato meal. The meal did come with salsa!

If you're looking for American food, you'd be better off sticking to America.

[SaltShaker]

When I ask for "A1" sauce, I got a blank look. WTF! It was a steak and potato meal. The meal did come with salsa!

[Travv]

Different types of tacos, burritos, mulas and quesadillas. I thought the prices for the carne asada and pollo burritos at 20 pesos was a good deal. Tacos at 16 pesos. IMO, better salsa than Restaurante Azul and several other local restaurants. Has avocado and chopped green onion in the salsa. An opener of cucumbers and radishes are served with your order. The cucumbers are good to cool off your mouth. Next to Malquerida bar in the Alley. Open in the evenings. Suggested to the manager that they serve breakfast burritos and tacos but she did not go for my suggestion. I like a machaca burrito now and then.