Top 5 Tacos in Tijuana

I've been a fan of Mexican food my entire life. I was lucky to live in San Diego where Mexican restaurants are on every corner. Growing up, I alternated between eating Chinese food at my parents' restaurant (sold) and tacos at hole-in-the-wall eateries around town. I knew that tacos in San Diego were good, but it wasn't until I began making regular trips to Tijuana that I found the tacos there to be amazing. To satisfy your foodie cravings, here's a list of the top 5 tacos to try in Tijuana.

1. Grilled marlin taco.

There are fish tacos and then there are grilled marlin tacos. Make sure you find a place that grills them on the spot. It makes a huge difference. This particular one comes drizzled with a guacamole and chipotle cream. The slight char and rainbow of colors makes each bite all the more enjoyable.

2. Carne asada taco with handmade tortilla.

Carne asada taco with handmade tortillas

Two words: handmade tortilla. Part of the excitement of enjoying street food is that everything is prepared right in front of you, as in fast, fresh, and fun. If you're a visual person like I am, you'll definitely get a kick watching the lady grind out those corn tortillas using nothing but her hands and a tortillas press.

3. Al pastor (marinated pork) taco.

You'll never forget your first al pastor taco for the explosion of flavors that'll leave you tingling. This taco is definitely foodie approved! Make sure you find a spot that carves the pork freshly from a vertical spit. The one above is from Tacos El Gordo, one of my favorite spots in Tijuana because their tacos are consistently great.

4. Crispy shredded beef taco.

When you have the craving for something fried, these shredded beef tacos are sure to hit the spot. I'm a big fan of Mexican sour cream (more runnier than its American counterpart), as it adds just the right amount of light creaminess to the crunch of the taco.

5. Baja-style fried fish taco.

What is a Baja-style fish taco, you may ask? This type of taco is what most people in San Diego consider the classic fried fish taco. This taco was invented a bit further south in Ensenada. To be truly authentic Baja-style, it should only come with cabbage, tomatoes, and Mexican cream, basically everything you'd find in a normal fish taco but without the guacamole.

If you're not familiar with Tijuana, it'll take a lot of trial and error to find a good version of each of these types of tacos. To make it easier, you can just join me on my Tijuana Street Food Tour where you'll enjoy at least three of these must-have tacos, in addition to a few other foodie stops along the way.

In summary, the top 5 must-have tacos in Tijuana are the: