Food in Tijuana

[Captain Solo]

Very nice place with good deals on snacks and meals.

Nice balcony to sit and drink with your HK GF watching crowds on Revo.

[Rambo1969]

I enjoyed lunch upstairs at Ruta 3 Sports Bar, Avenida Revolucióand. A couple of blocks from Arch.

The Enchiladas platter with 4 chicken enchiladas were very good. For 160 pesos.

Good service. Free taco chips, etc.

The fish ceviche was not great since the bits of fish were cut too small.

[Papae Noel]

One block east of Revolucion on Francisco Madero. Ate there several times last month. Love that place. Hadn't been there in 20 years. Has not changed. Open 24 hours.

[Phordphan]

Organ meats require specific type of preparation and they can be absolutely memorable to taste, nutritious too. I have eaten everything except the lungs and eyeballs. I did eat it all including the brain and testicles. Every single one with specific and widely used way of preparation. I don't mind the skin of the animal either so long as it has no residual hair on it like I encountered in some viet place.

I've had lots of it. I do not like liver no matter how it's prepared. Plus it's the body's filter and all the nasty stuff goes through it. I don't care for the texture of brains. There was also lots of speculation about BSE and eating brains, some years ago. I won't eat Luu in Thailand for love nor money, and the Chinese clotted pork blood is pretty gross. I have had them put beef blood in boat noodles in Thailand, and that was pretty good. Also, to be safe, I try not to eat any raw meat when traveling. I don't need to screw up an expensive trip with a massive case of the Hershey Squirts. I will eat sushi when traveling, if the chef is Japanese. LOL.

[BrotherMouzone]

After seeing my girl I decided to go to LOS arcos. But after getting off the taxi van, I happened to run across El grill and Melissa had a porterhouse steak. I misread the menu. Thought it said $50. The menu said their meats are prime but this was a lie. The steak was most definitely not a frying steak. It cost way too much. When I got the bill it was like $114. For this price I could have gone through Ruth's Chris steakhouse. I was going to the objection after calling me but I figured there's not much I can really do. They probably would have insisted with prime. This is the last time I'll ever order steak and Tijuana.

I went to El Grill for the first time on my last trip to Tijuana a couple of weeks ago. Actually went on the Mexican Independence Day federal holiday. Thought it was a good, solid meal though nothing special beyond that. Wasn't all that hungry so went with the petit ribeye steak (300 g or 10.5 oz). Comes with a side of your choice (I went with mashed potatoes) and their soup of the day. Also complimentary crackers and bread which they bring out before the soup. Altogether was 1389 pesos (around $70). Also had a frozen margarita (209 pesos) and all of that plus the 20% tip I left came out to slightly less than $100 in US dollars. Again, the meal was good though I don't think I'd go back at that price point. I've had better steaks in Tijuana for less and better meals overall for much less. Waiter spoke very good English. What I appreciate about upscale Mexican restaurants is that they seem to be way more lax on dress codes than the restaurants here in the US. Like 90% of Mexicans do dress up for places like that but it seems like as long as your money's good all are welcome. I was dressed casually and had no issues.

[Zenduka1]

I agree with that. If you can't mingle with the locals, if you can't stay in a hotel the locals would stay in, if you won't eat the local food, if poverty bothers you a great deal, and if you're scared of the local religion, you really, truly, need to stay home.

With a few exceptions (I won't eat organ meat) I do my best to eat everything I run across when traveling. There's no point in being there if you can't enjoy the cuisine.

With regard to El Grill, I haven't been since Covid. I do know their target demographics are pochos and wealthy Mexicans. They've been in business for quite a while now, and I strongly suspect if they were palming off inferior meat as USDA Prime, their business would suffer greatly and they'd no longer be around. Just my 2 centavos. I don't have a dog in the fight.

Organ meats require specific type of preparation and they can be absolutely memorable to taste, nutritious too. I have eaten everything except the lungs and eyeballs. I did eat it all including the brain and testicles. Every single one with specific and widely used way of preparation. I don't mind the skin of the animal either so long as it has no residual hair on it like I encountered in some viet place.

[Hargow20]

I had originally planned to go LOS Arcos. But I happened to run.

But happened to run across El Grill. I had heard some good things about this restaurant before. So decide to try their porterhouse steak. But I misread the menu thinking it was $50 . If I'd known a steak was $114 dollars then I would have skipped the restaurant. But now I've learned my lesson. I will not have a statement to you want again.

Mexicans in Mexico seeking meat imported from the US, that I understand. What I don't is people from the US go to other countries to visit and eat in only US chain restaurants or seek only ingredients imported from the US
I once saw Mark Zuckerberg and his wife in a small Viet restaurant having a bowl of Pho a few tables next to me. Also saw Larry Ellison in a Pakistani restaurant eating curry with a Pita bread using his hands. In Both cases people in the diners knew who these guys were but kept the staring to a minimal.

I just thought I throw this in as a note that these billionaires enjoying ethnic food available to them in their cities, whereas others travel thousand of miles away and check in the most luxurious US American all inclusive resorts selling US food. You don't have to be a billionaire to enjoy what the world has to offer.

[Phordphan]

Mexicans in Mexico seeking meat imported from the US, that I understand. What I don't is people from the US go to other countries to visit and eat in only US chain restaurants or seek only ingredients imported from the US.

I once saw Mark Zuckerberg and his wife in a small Viet restaurant having a bowl of Pho a few tables next to me. Also saw Larry Ellison in a Pakistani restaurant eating curry with a Pita bread using his hands. In Both cases people in the diners knew who these guys were but kept the staring to a minimal.

I just thought I throw this in as a note that these billionaires enjoying ethnic food available to them in their cities, whereas others travel thousand of miles away and check in the most luxurious US American all inclusive resorts selling US food. You don't have to be a billionaire to enjoy what the world has to offer.

I agree with that. If you can't mingle with the locals, if you can't stay in a hotel the locals would stay in, if you won't eat the local food, if poverty bothers you a great deal, and if you're scared of the local religion, you really, truly, need to stay home.

With a few exceptions (I won't eat organ meat) I do my best to eat everything I run across when traveling. There's no point in being there if you can't enjoy the cuisine.

With regard to El Grill, I haven't been since Covid. I do know their target demographics are pochos and wealthy Mexicans. They've been in business for quite a while now, and I strongly suspect if they were palming off inferior meat as USDA Prime, their business would suffer greatly and they'd no longer be around. Just my 2 centavos. I don't have a dog in the fight.

[Zenduka1]

Most restaurants in Tijuana are not geared toward tourists. I suspect many well-heeled Mexicans eat at El Grill (and other places) and can afford to eat imported beef. Much easier than trying to go to San Diego for dinner.

Mexicans in Mexico seeking meat imported from the US, that I understand. What I don't is people from the US go to other countries to visit and eat in only US chain restaurants or seek only ingredients imported from the US.

I once saw Mark Zuckerberg and his wife in a small Viet restaurant having a bowl of Pho a few tables next to me. Also saw Larry Ellison in a Pakistani restaurant eating curry with a Pita bread using his hands. In Both cases people in the diners knew who these guys were but kept the staring to a minimal.

I just thought I throw this in as a note that these billionaires enjoying ethnic food available to them in their cities, whereas others travel thousand of miles away and check in the most luxurious US American all inclusive resorts selling US food. You don't have to be a billionaire to enjoy what the world has to offer.

[Hargow20]

As I said before tenderness of the steak was not of prime cut. The steak does not look like a prime cut either. I have not seen a prime steak with such a rough texture. I believe they tenderized the steak.

So you're saying that El Grill is lying and misrepresenting their meat? Because it didn't look like a prime steak to you? I'm just trying to make sure I understand.

Also, how did you come to the conclusion that it was $50? I still don't understand that part.

[Phordphan]

I have eaten prime steaks many times before. The tenderness of & appearance of the steak was clearly not a prime steak.

So you're saying that El Grill is lying and misrepresenting their meat? Because it didn't look like a prime steak to you? I'm just trying to make sure I understand.

Also, how did you come to the conclusion that it was $50? I still don't understand that part.

[Bill]

Why would anyone go to Mexico and eat meat imported from the US?

There was once a hobbyist who went to Europe on a sex junket and came home without getting laid, without checking out an FKK, but trolled for junkie sw's like in Tijuana.

What anyone does and their results could be determined by choice?

[Hargow20]

I have eaten prime steaks many times before. The tenderness of & appearance of the steak was clearly not a prime steak.

How could you tell? What is your objective method for determining whether or not a steak is prime?

Also, what led you to believe it was $50? Do you have a pic of the menu?

[Phordphan]

Why would anyone go to Mexico and eat meat imported from the US?

Most restaurants in Tijuana are not geared toward tourists. I suspect many well-heeled Mexicans eat at El Grill (and other places) and can afford to eat imported beef. Much easier than trying to go to San Diego for dinner.

[Zenduka1]

The menu said the steaks were supposedly USDA prime. The steak was definitely not prime. Not sure what I could have done however. I do not believe there is a way to prove the steak was not prime.

Why would anyone go to Mexico and eat meat imported from the US?