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If you're ever walked across the border from San Ysidro, CA to Tijuana, you'll recall after you pass Mexican customs, and the Visitor's Information Center, that you'll walk through a sterile corridor, and enter Tijuana through a turnstile... when you emerge from the turnstile, you're suddenly thrust head-first into Mexican culture, as you're greeted with an oasis of taco stands, a sea of taxis, and a hoard of farmacias. As soon as you pass through the turnstile, you're in a different world, as your world is now the world of Tijuana, Baja California, specifically the Zona Rio. For a little old lady from Kansas visiting Mexico for the first time, this can be intimidating, but for a seasoned Tijuana visitor, it's a welcome sight. The savy visitor will have brought an appetite, rather than squandering it on some generic burger on the U.S. side of the border, and the hungry visitor will make a stop at Tacos Amistad.
Photo: The turnstile is to the left of the photo, and Tacos Amistad is located to the right of the photo. Pedestrians are crossing Av. Amistad on their way to downtown Tijuana. Tacos Amistad is located at the corner of Av. Amistad and Av. Jose M.A. Larroque, in Tijuana's Zona Rio. You couldn't find a more convenient taco stand for visitors entering Tijuana from the U.S., because as soon you emerge from the turnstile, the Tacos Amistad is immediately to your left - you don't even have to cross Av. De La Amistad. Even before you exit the turnstile, your nose, like radar, will inform you of a delicious meal ahead, and your eyes can see the plume of mesquite smoke rising from the grill; those two signs mean only one thing: Tacos ahead! You won't be disappointed when you stop at Tacos Amistad. I've been passing by this taco stand for years and had never bother to stop, for a couple of reasons: 1) I always assumed that since it is located so close to the border, that Tacos Amistad couldn't produce authentic tacos 2) I was on my way to the nearest watering hole, as I was thirsty... On Friday, March 13, 2009 I decided after many years of passing this restaurant by, that I was going to give Tacos Amistad a try, and hopefully write a restaurant review on the place. Amistad doesn't sell beer, but they certainly created authentic, delicious tacos!
Photo: Lisa cooks my taco meat on the grill, while her mother looks on. Meat is warming in a pan, in the foreground of the photo. You can't miss Tacos Amistad, as it's the first taco stand that you'll encounter when you enter Tijuana. Amistad is family owned and operated by a mother, father, brother and sister. The restaurant is a combination, as besides the taco stand, there is a elote (boiled corn) cart next to the restaurant, and also a churro cart. The mother and daughter operate the taco stand, while the father does the honors with the elote cart, and the brother takes care of the churro side of the business. As I mentioned before, I've noticed that this restaurant has been in operation for quite a few years, and I confirmed that fact when I placed my order of carne asada tacos. Although Tacos Amistad is located close to the border, it does not cater to tourists, and the food it serves is a Mexican as Mexican food can get. I suspect that most tourists, including me, pass by the restaurant in search of tacos in downtown Tijuana. Tacos Amistad isn't fancy, and offers few, if any amenities, but I don't judge Tijuana taco stands on frills or perks, as the proof is in the taco. And, Tacos Amistad serves delicious tacos...
Photo: Mom toasts two in-house made corn tortillas on the griddle. The churro cart is in the background, and Brother seems to be taking a break. After I emerged from the turnstile, I made an immediate left, and in just a few feet, I was face-to-face with Mom, and daughter Lisa, who were busy operating the taco stand. It's interesting to note that the name of the restaurant doesn't appear on the taco stand - I had to ask Lisa; neither does a menu listing the varieties of tacos that the restaurant offers, again, you have to ask, but you get a clue because the words "asada, chorizo and suadero" are displayed on the facade of the restaurant, along with the words "tacos" and "quesadillas." Tacos are priced 2 for MEX $25.00, which is a little high, but during the time of my visit the peso vs. dollar exchange rate was nearly 15 to 1, which made the tacos a bargain. It had been quite some time since I'd had a taco de suadero, so I placed an order for two of them with friendly Lisa. It was a good thing that suadero was my choice, as they were out of chorizo, so suadero it was for me. So I ordered two tacos de suaderos, with everything. In case you're not familiar with the term taco de suadero, "suadero" is a thin cut of beef from the brisket, which is the breast of the cow, and the meat has a rather smooth texture, rather than coarse, like muscle, as in Texas-style brisket. It's very similar to carne asada, as the term "asada" refers to the fact that the meat is grilled.
Photo: Lisa spons guacamole on to my taco, and is about ready to place it on a plate. The turnstile and the corridor from the border crossing are in the left background of the photo. Tacos Amistad advertises that they make their tortillas by hand, and it's true. As she was grilling the steak for my tacos, I asked Lisa about how they make the tortillas. She told me that the masa dough is made at home before they open the restaurant, and then the tortillas are made, by had, using a wooden tortilla press, at the restaurant, and toasted on the propane-fired griddle. As if to underscore her remark, she placed a couple of corn tortillas on the griddle to toast, as the meat was grilling.
Photo: My two tacos de suaderos were cooked to perfection, nicely garnished, and delicious to eat, and represented a good value. Suadero is a thin cut of meat, from the brisket. While we were talking about the tortillas, a black dog came up behind her, and started sniffing around the restaurant. Lisa took a swipe at him with a broom, and yelled at him to leave, and the dog, probably thinking that discretion was the better part of valor, promptly took his exit. According to Lisa, the dog is a stray, and they call him "Negro," due to his black coat of hair. She mentioned that "Negro," along with the numerous pigeons who frequent the area, are pests, and she and her other family members have to constantly chase them off.
Photo: Lisa takes a break, while Dad stirs his elotes, and Mom toasts a couple of corn tortillas on the propane-fired griddle. The pedestirans in the photo have emerged from the turnstile and mostly are headed to downtown Tijuana. My tacos arrived hot, fresh, and juicy from the grilled, with the meat placed between two fresh corn tortillas, hot off the griddle. I had ordered my tacos with everything on them, and my tacos included creamy guacamole, diced white onions, and chopped cilantro. Tables and chairs are nonexistent, so I simply took my plate of tacos and sat on the curb, next to the bank of pay telephones, and proceeded to savor a delicious meal of tacos, much to "Negro's" chagrin, as he hungrily looked on from a few paces away. Sorry, Negro, go eat your dog biscuits!
Photo: "Negro" seems oblivious to the traffic on Av. Amistad as he wistfully ponders the delicious tacos that Tacos Amistad serves, but are off-limits to him. My worry about less-than-authentic tacos was thrown out the window after enjoy a couple of delicious tacos de suaderos served at Tacos Amistad. Amistad my be close to the international border, but they are all Mexican, and rate with the heavy-hitters as far as taste and authenticity go. By Mexican standards, the tacos are a little pricey, but you get what you pay for, and Tacos Amistad delivers a quality product, that represents a good value for anybody who appreciates a delicious taco. Go ahead, cross the border, bring your appetite, and stop at Tacos Amistad to get an early "taco fix." Tacos Amistad Copyright(c) 2009 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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