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 down to food hall Colectivo 9 to tour some of the city’s youngest and most innovative pop-ups.
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.