You Gotta Eat! Top 7 Tijuana Restaurants that Manufacturing in Mexico Execs Love to Visit

Business is booming on the border. Executives traveling to Tijuana to oversee their Mexico manufacturing operations may be hard at work during the day, but they definitely know where to eat when their workday is done.

It’s time to go beyond taco stands and rickety stools (no shaming, we love street tacos!) and see the burgeoning scene that is BajaMed cuisine.

Tijuana is an international town and home to immigrants from every corner of the globe, providing inspiration and twists on Mexican cuisine you won’t find anywhere else. As one of North America’s top foodie destinations as well as a major manufacturing site, executives and team leaders travel back and forth between Tijuana and their sister US operations every day. We’ve talked to international business owners and compiled a list of the the best restaurants they frequent when visiting Tijuana.

1. Tras/Horizonte

Address: Río Colorado 9680, Marron, 22015 Tijuana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orilladeviento/

Great for: Contemporary Mexican cuisine with spectacular cocktail mixology and craft beer. Award winning and innovative creations that bring traditional Mexican dishes to our modern palates. Frequent diners say they’re trying to work their way through the entire menu, everything is that tasty! We suggest ordering a handful of dishes and sharing while sampling your way through the superstar cocktail menu.

2. Misión 19

Address: Misión San Javier 10643, Zona Urbana Río, Tijuana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mision19/

Great for: From the famed Baja California Chef Javier Plascencia, Mision 19 is a fine dining experience you will never forget. A perfect place for celebrating quarterly successes and treating your business partners. This is where BajaMed cuisine shines. Utilizing organic and local seafood, vegetables and proteins from grilled octopus to perfectly cooked tomahawk prime angus steak.

3. 52 Kool

Address: Miguel Aleman Valdez 2612, Colonia América, Tijuana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/52KOOL/

Great for: Chef Oswaldo Flores Lagunas is part of the young up and coming chefs in Baja cuisine and his 52 Kool’s casual yet upscale restaurant is testament to his success. Superb, incredible, and unforgettable are the most frequent descriptions of the gastronomic experience at Kool. Great for unwinding after a long travel day. We suggest ordering a bottle of wine and the Mexican Risotto.

4. ORYX Capital

Address: 10750 Boulevard Agua Caliente, Tijuana

Great for: Exquisite fusion from Baja California and California. Bite after bite you can taste the passion put into each dish. From their organic chicken with grilled vegetables, to elevated twists on traditional Mexican favorites, even the mac and cheese seems otherworldly and reason enough to visit every time you come to Tijuana. We also recommend the Tuétano (beef marrow) with a hearty red wine from the Valle de Guadalupe to start your experience off.

5. Los Compas

Address: Centro comercial Rocasa, Blvd. Agua Caliente 10594, Aviacion, 22014 Tijuana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loscompastj/

Great for: A partnership between Chef Mario Peralta (formally of Valle de Guadalupe’s Fuego) and Chef Juan Cabrera (from Mexico City’s Fonda Fina) honoring the maiz roots of Mexico with touches of Baja California cuisine. “Sin maiz, no hay pais” (without corn, there is no country) is the unofficial slogan. Corn and corn tortilla-based dishes are just a starting off point, though. Don’t leave without trying the rich and unforgettable black mole sauce over tender beef rib. Creative fine dining without the white table clothes, perfect for loosening your tie and staying a few hours.

6. Toshi Toshi

Address: Col. Cacho, 2292 Avenida Colima, Tijuana, 22040

Great for: Sushi in Tijuana? That’s right! Sushi Chef Toshi, formally of Sushi Ota in San Diego, and Pedro Valverde of Hane Sushi in San Diego, have created a sushi nirvana. Combining fresh Baja California seafood with authentic Japanese sushi cuisine, Toshi Toshi a unique and unforgettable experience. Located inside and through the patio of the famed restaurant Mantequilla, Toshi Toshi feels like a secret we have to share. We suggest asking for omakase, and allowing Chef Toshi the creative freedom to knock your socks off.

7. Caesar’s Restaurant and Bar

Address: Av. Revolución #8190, between 4th y 5th Street, Tijuana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaesarsTj/

Great for: You cannot visit Tijuana without visiting Caesar’s Restaurant on Revolution Ave, home to the world-famous Caesar salad. You read that right, the Caesar Salad didn’t come to us from Rome, but just a few minutes south of San Diego, California. Caesar’s Restaurant was opened by the Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini to offer tourists an escape from the prohibition-era United States. The infamous salad is prepared table side with whole romaine hearts, while each part of the Caesar dressing is mixed right in front of you. You may never go back to bottled Caesar dressing again. With a full bar and exemplary service, Caesar’s has been wowing and satiating international travelers since the 1920s.