To say Tijuana is having a culinary moment is an understatement. The border town has long been a favorite stopover for travelers and a destination for fun-seekers, but over the last decade, the city’s chefs have changed Tijuana’s image from an anything-goes party town into a serious eating destination.
Visitors have come to recognize the deep culinary roots that form the bedrock of the city’s historic restaurants and to appreciate newer culinary influences brought by immigrants from other regions of Mexico, elsewhere in Latin America, and all over the world. Just look at the tourist thoroughfare Avenida Revolución, where diners can sample the original Caesar salad, complete with Prohibition-era tableside service, then hop over to one of the Avenida’s avant-garde kitchens showcasing modern Baja cuisine—the style itself influenced by Mediterranean, Asian, American, and local sensitivities.
With momentum fueled by the latest generation of chefs emerging from local culinary schools, as well as renewed faith in the city’s traditional food scene, Tijuana’s “moment” does not seem to be ending anytime soon. From a six-course Baja-Mediterranean dinner to a beloved truck serving Sonora-style mariscos to the city’s quintessential adobada tacos, our guide highlights the definitive Tijuana eating experiences.
The level of service offered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is indicated on each map point. For updated information on coronavirus cases in Mexico, please visit mx.usembassy.gov.
Mario A. Cortez is an award-winning freelance writer and photographer based in the San Diego-Tijuana region. His work has appeared in Remezcla, San Diego Magazine, The Daily Chela, San Diego Reader, La Prensa San Diego, and The Eureka-Times-Standard, among others.
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