Destination Dining: A Modern Celebration of Indigenous Ingredients at Los Compas in Tijuana
Los Compas restaurant in Tijuana is a modern celebration of the heritage, history, and local bounty of the region.
Destination Drinking: A Tour of Tijuana Craft Beer
Though the blossoming Tijuana beer scene has taken a few cues from San Diego, there are many distinctive Baja-born brews to explore exclusively in TJ
San Diego has its fair share of amazing craft breweries (over 150 taprooms and still climbing), but there’s something about our sister city’s inchoate culinary metamorphosis that’s irresistable. According to Ivan Felix, brewer at Cervecería Insurgente, Tijuana has “lots of new craft beer drinkers,” which means experimentation is rampant and potential is supersonic.
Taste the best of Baja brews at these five craft beer havens.
Paseo de los Héroes 9611, Zona Urbana Rio, Tijuana
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, 4 pm - midnight; Sunday, 1 pm - 9 pm; closed Mondays
As one of the OGs of Baja’s craft beer scene, Insurgente is a must-visit. Both their production facility and satellite tasting room are in Zona Urbana Rio.
The brewery is especially Instagrammable, with modern architectural design, a rooftop patio, and a two-story mural connecting the brewhouse to the second floor bar.
Their witbier, dubbed Tiniebla, is a classic example of the Belgian style, and represents a recurring homage to historical beer varieties that Tijuana seems to lean towards. “It makes up the most sales of any beer, by a lot,” Felix reported. He plans to brew even more styles like pilsners and a Baltic porter, and will ensure plenty of hop-forward beers to satiate the American palate.
The current tap and bottle list is wildly diverse, with offerings ranging from a fruited kettle sour to a schwarzbier, NEIPA, maibock, ESB, and even an imperial red ale aged in rum barrels.
Carrillo Puerto y o Tercera 8161, Zona Centro, Tijuana
Open: Monday through Saturday, noon - 10 pm, closed Sundays
The Mamut (Spanish for “mammoth”) second-story pub in the heart of downtown Tijuana overlooks a bustling street, allowing for excellent people watching from above.
Their ten barrel system is kept busy, thanks to high demand for the seven-year-old brewery’s consistently rotating draft list.
Food is available to help wash down the many beers they serve, along with mezcal and whiskey distilled in the same space. The menu isn’t fancy, but their pizza and nachos are hard to beat after a few pints.
Weekends mean live music, so it’s advisable to order one of their hoppy offerings, like a hazy or session IPA, pull up a chair, and enjoy the show.
Díaz Mirón y o Cuarta 8160, Zona Centro, Tijuana
Open: Monday through Wednesday, 2 pm - 10 pm; Thursday through Saturday, 2 pm - midnight; closed Sundays
Finding Norte isn’t easy, but the view alone is worth the scavenger hunt as gazing over the city from above with a freshly brewed beer in hand is a pretty sublime way to experience Tijuana.
Once you enter the nondescript building’s lobby, take the elevator or stairs to the fifth floor. Booming music is the first signal that you’re in the right place, and a hard left into the tasting room confirms it.
Beer names like “Escort” blonde ale and “4 Play” session IPA are off-putting until the beertender explains the space formerly housed a strip club. (It’s still a little off-putting, but a gleaming pole in the center of the room remains as irrefutable proof.)
Beer quality at Norte is hit-or-miss, but mostly hits. The Belgian pale ales, saison, and black IPA are spot on, with the latter’s only flaw being a hint too much roast.
Cerveza Lírica and SouthNorte Beer Co. at Telefónica Gastro Park
Blvd. Agua Caliente 8860, Zona Centro, Tijuana
Open (Telefónica): Monday through Wednesday, 8 am - 10 pm; Thursday, 8 am - 11 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8 am - midnight; Sunday 8 am - 9 pm
Telefónica has been a hub for locals and tourists alike for years, even expanding to a new location in 2017. The gastro park concept echoes venues like Austin’s food truck parks and San Diego’s proliferation of food halls, which offer consumers a variety of drinking and dining options that range from ramen to sausages and, of course, tacos.
But it’s the craft beer that quenches a thirst for something new. The tightly packed brewhouse shared by Lírica and SouthNorte dominates the center of the inner room and features a multitude of taps from breweries across Mexico, including Transpeninsular, Legión, and Wendlandt.
With American brewer Ryan Brooks at the helm of SouthNorte, the San Diego influence is more obvious here than at other taprooms. As the first independent American craft brewery permanent outpost in Mexico, it’ll be interesting to see how SouthNorte’s partnership with Lírica and Telefónica evolves.
Eduardo, one of the brewers at Mamut, commented, “He’s pushing the boundaries for good craft beer.”
Miguel Alemán Valdez 2664, Colonia America, Tijuana
Open: Monday-Wednesday, 3pm-midnight; Thursday through Friday, 3pm-1am; Saturday, 1pm-1am; Sunday, 10:30am-10pm
Beer bars are often overlooked in favor of breweries, but it would be a sin for a craft beer lover to skip a trip to Tijuana’s Public House.
The 12 tap bar regularly serves an impressive variety of beer sourced locally and abroad for a robust draft list that stands head and shoulders above pretty much any other beer bar in the city.
Classic pub fare is served alongside beer; the sausages and burgers are especially decadent.
Other TJ Breweries to Consider Visiting
Photo 1: Teorema Cervecería and Lúdica Artesanal’s joint taproom
Photo 2: Cervecería Transpeninsular - Tijuana
Border Psycho Brewery
Calle Libertad 1751, Azcona, Tijuana
As one of the early craft breweries in Tijuana, Border Psycho has been an integral part of the developing Baja beer scene. Two Tijuana locations mean easy access to their large portfolio of beer styles, so get a flight to try as many as possible.
Teorema Cervecería and Lúdica Artesanal’s joint taproom
Ave. Revolución #1332, Zona Centro, Tijuana
Even with a minimalist design aesthetic, it's easy to remain cozy in this dual occupied taproom. In the spirit of contemporary craft, I recommend trying one of the most esoteric beer styles like a gose or grisette.
Cervecería Transpeninsular - Tijuana
Av. Revolución #967, Zona Centro, Tijuana
After crushing it in Ensenada, Transpeninsular set up shop in Tijuana to cater to a bigger beer crowd. They even tapped San Diego talent for their brewhouse, so for those looking to taste American influence south of the border, this is a great spot.
Cerveceria Bösiger
Plaza Fiesta, Paseo de los Heros, Zona Rio, Tijuana
Traditional European styles abound here, making Bösiger one of the most intriguing breweries in the city. From Belgian golden strongs to pilsners, Bösiger pays homage to craft beer's true roots.
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