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As a happily, married, middle-aged man, I'm not supposted to wandering the streets of Tijuana's famous Zona Norte, right? However, I'm not walking the streets looking to enjoy the favors of the many working-girls, or to enter the many bars, such as Adelita's or Club Chicago, but no, I'm searching for food, as my stomach seems to be on endless quest to sample as much wonderful food as it can digest from the streets of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
Left: Enthusiastic, local shoppers, walk past the unpretentious facade of Pierna de Pollo. Right: Two customers order lunch from the outside order window, that is open to the street. Sure, I was wandering the streets of Tijuana's fabled Red Light district, known as Zona Norte, but I wasn't searching for sex or sin, as I was searching for food. As I was wandering Articulo 123, a.k.a. First Street or Calle Primera, between Av. Revolución and Av. Constitutión, I spotted what I was looking for: A small, locally owned and operated restaurant that featured a favorite local Tijuana cuisine. What cuisine? A whole chicken leg, deep fried, served with pinto beans, diced cabbage, salsa verde, and a stack of tortillas on the side. Restaurante Pierna de Pollo is one of those small restaurants that you'd miss if you were a tourist, riding in one of the many limos that shuttle tourists to the strip clubs, such as Chicago, or Adelita's, yet if you are a local, or an informed tourist such as your author, you can't miss a place such as Pierna de Pollo. The whole place just screams of local flavor, cuisine and character, and it's the sort of place that the gringo, or uninitiated Tijuana diner should experience, but few of the aforementioned characters would choose to enjoy the experience of a meal at Pierna de Pollo. Well, I'm the adventurous type, so I boldly marched up to the window of the restaurant the faces the street, and at that point I said to myself, "What the heck, let's do it..." and I walked into the dimly-lighted place and sat down at the bar, that faces the wall, just behind the kitchen. Friendly "Ace," who was cooking, asked me what I wanted, and I blurted out loud "Polo, frijoles y tortillas!" Grinning, "Ace" said it was coming up.
Left: "Ace," who is a master at cooking chicken legs. Note the big pan of seasoned flour on the counter, which will be used to coat the chicken leg. Right: The kitchen at Pierna de Pollo, looks out to the street from an open window, where "Ace" takes orders from walk-up customers. Note the big pots full of pinto beans. Restaurante Pierna de Pollo isn't a one-man operation, as in addition to "Ace" (I swear, that was the name he gave me...) Franco was in the rear of the restaurant, giving many heads of cabbage his best effort with a huge meat cleaver. While my lunch was cooking, I had the opportunity to engage both of the guys in conversation, and I found out that "Ace" actually owns the place, and Franco works for him, but "Ace" has owned the place since 1990 in the same location. He proudly informed me that his business has a huge local following, and during my pleasant 45 minute at his restaurant, I can guarantee that statement is true, as I observed many locals purchasing meals while I was enjoying my lunch. Most of the local customers purchased orders "para llavar," or, to go, and I found that quite interesting, but, gee... Tijuana is a big city! So I sat myself down at a dingy stool that faced an equally dingy wall, and watched as "Ace" cooked my chicken leg in a huge wok-like bowl filled with cooking oil that reminded of a rather antique 1970's trucker's expression that reverberated around the phrase "road tar." Actually, the oil was just well-used, as obviously "Ace" must be very ecology-mined since he seems to firmly believe in recycling the cooking oil as long as possible. However, "dingy" is good, as it adds character to any meal consumed in downtown Tijuana. As I sat on my dingy stool, I had to opportunity to watch "Ace" coat my chicken leg with flour, and plunged it into the cooking oil, that was boiling over the propane-fired burner. Franco, finished chopping cabbage, and immediately brought a huge bowl full of the stuff to the front of the restaurant, where a portion of it was placed on a plate, obviously intended for me. All the while, "Ace" and Franco exchanged pleasantries, with each other, and with pedestrians passing by on Articulo 123. Only in Tijuana!
Left: "Ace" and Franco to the right, in the kitchen at the front of the restaurant. The narrow shelves, which are mounted to the walls, serve as tables, and the stools are where the diners sit to enjoy their meal. I sat at the stool to the right, near the middle of the photo. Plastic spoons and forks are stored in the cut-down plastic bottle mounted on the wall, at the center-fight of the photo. Right: My wonderful lunch that I enjoyed. It was simply, delicious! When I walked into this place, really I had no idea what to expect. I just waked in to the place, smiled at "Ace" and ordered a chicken leg meal, as per their menu, posted on the outside of the restaurant.. Well, was I in for a surprise, as "Ace" presented me with a perfectly cooked thigh and leg of a chicken, a side order of pinto beans, salsa verde, and a stack of eight, warmed, corn tortillas. All of this for MEX $19.00, which is around $1.70 in U.S. dollars! You can't even purchase a cheap, generic burger, cold off the Sysco truck in the U.S. for that kind of money.
Photo: "Ace" and Franco, hard at work in the kitchen. Note the lady standing across the street, seen through the open window. She's a Tijuana, "working girl," and her profession is completely legal in the Zona Norte. I had the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful lunch, cooked to perfection, and enjoy a slice of life not often witnessed by Norteamericanos to this part of Tijuana. As I chewed on my chicken leg, I as able to observe the street life of Tijuana's Zona Norte, and watch the street grills, and the prostitutes ply their trade, but I was also able to savor the local cuisine and enjoy the whole spectacle presented to me, all in Spanish, with not a word of English spoken. What an experience! I highly recommend Pierna de Pollo for a delicious, Tijuana-style meal! Pierna
de Pollo Copyright(c) 2007 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custon photography for any occasion...
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