My wife and I recently celebrated my birthday by vacationing in San Diego. Because I like the food landscape in Tijuana, we took a quick trip across the border to enjoy a late lunch. After crossing the pedestrian border in San Ysidro, we boarded a taxi and headed to the Telefónica Gastro Park.
I learned of the Telefónica Gastro Park when I participated in a food tour by Club Tengo Hambre. The gastro park is set up in a converted warehouse with an open-air food court featuring an onsite Mexican craft brewer and a good variety of food trucks permanently parked in a semicircle.
Benefiting from my previous visit, we walked around and read all the menus. Since the menus are in Spanish and the prices are in pesos, the experience could be a little daunting. Fortunately, many of the vendors can speak English and can even convert the prices into dollars. Simply smile and say “hola” and then present your questions in English.
A couple of the vendors extend their cooking operations outside of their mobile kitchen. This allows them to prepare food directly in front of potential customers as they walk by. My wife was in the mood for steak and when she caught sight of the huge tomahawk steak, she quickly selected a ribeye plate from Creta. The price, only $14 US.
I ordered the shrimp and octopus tacos I ordered from Tacosteño. What made them unusual is that they use tortillas made with purple corn. The taste, however, was nothing to write home about. On the other hand, Otto’s Grill saved the day with their outstanding octopus tostada. It was perfectly prepared and bursting with flavor.
Inside the warehouse, resides in-house brewery, Cerveceria Lírica, Far Niente, a coffee house, and La Botella, a bar serving wine and sangria. NFL football was on the big screens and we caught a portion of the Rams / Saints game. The last time I visited, a number of Americans were present. This time, small groups of local families and friends dominated the scene.
While many in groups were ordering the ballenas (32 oz Pacifico), most of the younger people were ordering craft beer and sangrias. My wife selected a blonde and I went for a hoppy IPA. Both beers were quite good and we sipped them as we watched the football and people watched.
Other popular food vendors include Humo and La Carmelita. Humo has a large smoker parked in front and slow cooks tasty sausages. They combine them with a housemade bun. The cauliflower taco con mole negro is on most everyone’s Instagram feed that visits La Carmelita in Telefónica Gastro Park.
Should you wish to visit the Telefónica Gastro Park, make sure your passport is current and be sure you plan ahead. Our preference is to stay in San Diego and take the trolley down to San Ysidro. From there, it is an easy walk across the border. There, you can take the taxi libre or Uber. Beware that there could be a long line crossing the border in either direction.
Telefónica Gastro Park, Boulevard Agua Caliente #8924, Tijuana, Baja California 22000
Phone: +52 664 684 8782
Facebook: @telefonicagastropark
Instagram: @telelefonica_tj