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Menudo, in Mexico, is about as about as traditional for breakfast as buscuits and gravy is north of the border. So on Thursday morning, August 25, 2005 as I was hiking toward Tijuana's famed Zona Rio from the border, along Tijuana's Av. Negrete, I couldn't help myself when I saw the huge sign advertising menudo for breakfast, at the corner of Av. Diaz Miron and Av. Negrete, in the area of Tijuana that's best-known for automotive shops, tire shops, upholstery shops and machine shops catering to automotive needs. To many norteamericans, menudo may seem an odd choice for breakfast, but for a San Joaquin Valley native of California, it seemed to hit the spot.
Photos: In the heart of Tijuana's automotive district, you can find freshly-prepareed tacos and delicous menudo at Auto-Tortilleria La Mexicanana at 4th and negrete, in Tijuana's Zona Centro. Auto-Tortilleria La Mexiana, located at Calle 4, Numero 2200 Zona Centro, which can be translated as 4th street and Av. Negrete, in the heart of the automotive repair district of Tijuana, could be described as a combination torterilla and restaurant. Their business is two-fold, as they have a walk-up window from the sidewalk where they sell their freshly-made tortillas, and then they have the sit-down restaurant, where they serve menudo and birra by morning, and carne asado tacos by afternoon. Different than many Mexican restaurants in Tijuana, they shut down in the afternoon, so the family has time together. However, the restaurant features a counter that faces Av. Negrete, that is piled high with freshly cooked corn and flour tortillas, sold by the "six" and if you watch, you'll see lots of folks walk up from the street to purchase their morning meal. If you look inside, you'll see a tortilla machine that would make a dead O.S.H.A. inspector roll over in his/her grave, as it exposes belts, chains and many other nasty moving parts, plus the whole work area is poorly lighted, in keeping with much of the small enterprises of Mexican industry. One tends to wonder, how so these folks survive without the regulation of Big Brother? All of the local workers seem to survive and they seem to be healthy and prosper quite well.
Left: Here's the walk-up window to Av. Diaz Miron and the "machina de tortilla" in the background. Right: The dining room at La Mexicana. Just to the left of the white post, you can see a big pot of menudo simmering over a propane-fired burner. In my case, I was not after tortillas, as I wanted a hearty breakfast, as my plans included exploring the Zona Rio and beyond. So I entered the open door that faced Fourth Street, and I had entered breakfast heaven, as I had entered Tortilleria La Mexicana, into food heaven. As customary for breakfast in northern Mexico, you have two choices: Birra, or menudo; they have a big pot of each simmering over a propane-fired burner. How many places in the U.S. offer goat stew or tripe stew for breakfast? Anyway, my choice was menudo, and from the posted menu, I ordered menudo, a regular portion, although a large and an extra-large potions were offered. So you're at Autor Tortilleria La Mexicana, in Tijuana and you're hungry, and you maybe don't have the best command of the Spanish language; you're a "gringo" like I am. However, you just love menudo and you're hungry, so you order the regular. OK fine, but here's what you get for a "regular" order: A MILE HIGH bowl of menudo, with tripe piled high above the bowl, 12 corn tortillas and all-you-can-eat garnishes that include chopped onions, cilantro, salsa cruda, and the ever-present chopped key limes. La Mexicana is a family-operated business, which is very typical in Mexico. The father makes the tortillas, as he operates the tortilla machine, and sells the tortillas to customers who appear on the street on a regular basis. The mother takes care of the pots of menudo and birra, busses tables and takes money from the customers, as in most small restaurants in northern Mexico, there are no cash registers or computers. Two daughters act as waitresses, clean-up folks or general handy-persons. I got the impression that after the teenage daughters finished their day at school, they spent some of their time helping out their parents in the family-owned and operated business. When it comes to paying for your delicious meal, like most small restaurants in Tijuana, La Mexicana operates on the honor system; I like it that way. Left: The business owner works the cash register. Judging by his shirt, he's a baseball fan. Right: I get served a mile-high bowl of menudo, served hot from a simmering pot. So I sat down in the dining room and ordered a regular bowl of menudo. A couple of minutes later, I was rewarded with a "mile-high" bowl of menudo, with tripe piled high above the bowl. If that wasn't enough, my breakfast included a dozen corn tortillas, plus all of the aforementioned garnishes. You get all of that for $43.00, a shade over 3 U.S. dollars for a breakfast that will fill you up until dinner, and perhaps beyond? Since I grew up in a family that taught me to eat everything placed in front of me and be thankful for it, I'm a believer in eating everything in front of me and not letting anything go to waste. However at La Mexicana, I could not finish my breakfast, as between the mile-high bowl filled with menudo and tripe, and the dozen corn tortillas, it was just too much good food. Too bad "doggie" bags aren't offered in Mexico! For just a few extra pesos, La Mexicana offers a large, or an extra-large bowl of menudo. I can't imagine anyone able to eat a large, or extra-large bowl of their delicious menudo.
Left: The colorful dining room of Auto Tortilleria La Mexicana with some of the employees taking a chit-chat break. Right: My breakfast of a HUGE bowl of menudo, a dozen corn tortillas, salsa and garnishes. Oh yes, the menudo is good. Oh boy is is good! It's just not tripe, hominy and broth, but it includes smoked beef and in my bowl, I got a portion of the calve's foot. The folks who own the place don't speak English, so I'd recommend that you bring your Spanish dictionary and a HUGE dose of Mexican culture, and just enjoy. The portions are HUGE, the service is wonderful, the folks are friendly, and the atmosphere, if you relish working-class Mexico, can't be beat. Do you like menudo? Do you have an appetite? Then check out Auto-Tortilleria La Mexicana in the automotive district of Tijuana, and you won't be disappointed. Auto
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