Tacos Fitos, fine birria and tripa tacos in Tijuana Zona Rio...

When I want to really get to know a city, I park my car and walk! Walking is not only good exercise, but if you really want to explore a city, feel the pulse of it, and mingle with the locals, walking is the only way to go. Also, it's hassle-free, as you don't have to worry about traffic, crooked cops, parking meters, or crazy drivers. Walking also gets you up-close-and-personal with the locals, and isn't that the whole idea of a visit to a new city? By walking the streets of Tijuana, I discovered Tacos Fitos.

Left: Located on Calle Javier Mina, between Paseo de Los Heros, just north of the produce market, and Bvd. Sanchez Taboada, Tacos Fitos is a place that you can't miss. Right: The huge dining room of Tacos Fitos, located behind the kitchen/taco stand.

Sunday morning, September 17, 2006, I found myself exploring Tijuana's huge produce market, which occupies a whole city block, in the very trendy Zona Rio section of the city, near the busy intersections of Blvd. Tabuada, and Av. Paseo Heros. After hiking who-knows-how-many-miles, and spending a couple of hours exploring the zone, I had developed quite an appetite, and I spotted Tacos Fitos, situated under a huge tree, on the west side of the produce market, located on Calle Mina. It was time for breakfast.

Left: A local lines up to the counter of the kitchen in order to sample a tasty taco de tripa. Right: The cook, also the veggie-guy grins as I snap his photo. The staff of Tacos Fitos got a big kick out of me, speaking to them in my halting Spanish and taking lots of photos. Not to mention consuming a couple of their delicuiys tacis,

Tacos Fitos is quite an operation. From the street, the place appears to be just another of many small taco stands run by your joe-average taco entrepreneur in Tijuana. However, Fitos is much more, as it's a moderately-sized operation run by four guys, and its one of those sort of places where you order your tacos up front, and watch while your order is cooked before your eyes, and then you take your food to a very spacious dining room, in the case of Tacos Fitos, a converted warehouse located immediately behind the kitchen/cashier stand.

This is one of those sort of places where you place your order at the counter, watch the chef, cook your food before your eyes, and then place your steaming hot tacos on your plate. You make your way to the dining room, located in the converted warehouse behind the kitchen, pick a table, and then you're good to go. If you're thirsty, all you have to do is pick a soft drink of your choice from the cooler located on the wall by the kitchen. As in almost all taco stands and small restaurants in Mexico, the bill, or "la cuenta" is the left to the diner to keep track of, as its all on the honor system. If you dine at small restaurants in Mexico, you'll note that very few of them are equipped with cash registers.

Left: Tacos Fitos cook shows me how macho he is as he raises a cooked taco for the digital camera to show me that it's a gourmet treat for one of the customers. Right: Here he poses for my digital camera with his cleaver in his right hand, and a feashly-made taco in his left hand. This guy knows how to multi-task!

Tacos Fitos serves only two types of tacos: Birria and tripas. Fitos is primarily a breakfast and lunch stand, as birra is a very common breakfast food in Mexico, and tripas tacos are very popular for breakfast. I asked the friendly cook what their hours were, and he said they're usually up and running at around 0700, and they close, "When we run out of meat," which is typically between the hours of 1300 to 1500.

Tacos Fitos is a moderately-sized operation, as it employees four guys. One guy cooks the tacos, another guy buts veggies, and actually prepares the tacos. The third guy acts as cashier, and when he isn't taking money from customer's, he's bussing tables in the dining room and pushing a broom across the tiled floor. The fourth guy is a "gofer" and seems to have many roles, including keeping the place spotlessly clean, flirting with patrons, and helping out the cook and the busboy as needed. Truly entertaining to watch while enjoying a delicious taco!

Left: Customers line up to Tacos Fitos for their morning meal. This is one of the most popular taco stands in Tijuana's Zona Rio. Right: My meal of a birra taco on the left, and a taco de tripa on the right. Outstanding food a rock-bottom prices! Only at Tacos Fitos, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Their tacos are only MEX $10.00, which is less than an American buck each. For that price, you get meat, diced onions, peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, and a couple types of salsa. At less than a dollar each, I ordered one of each: Birria, and tripas. Tacos Fritos tacos? Simply delicious!

Yes, their tacos are both inexpensive and delicious, but the best part to come was when I finished eating. Since I wanted to do a write-up of their operation, I pulled out my Fuji FinePix S5200 to take a few photos, and the formally semi-sedate atmosphere of the place immediately changes. The four guys working at the restaurant immediacy started "hamming it up" for the camera, and many of the other patrons dining at the counter in front of the kitchen started "acting" for my camera. Yes, that made for a very friendly dining experience.

Photo: The four guys working at Tacos Fitos strike a classic pose for my digital camera as they take a break from their duties. Everybody at Tacos Fitos smiled and laughted as I took their photo, and I recommend Tacos Fitos for good food, but also for friendly, camera-friendly stall. Highly recommended!

If you're visiting Tijuana's Zona Rio, and if you're near the produce market, I highly recommend Tacos Fitos for an excellent birria or tripe taco, and you'll find some of the friendliest people in Tijuana working at the restaurant. Highly recommended!