We stayed in the hotel here for a weekend, so I ate here three different times. The food presentation is gorgeous. I thought the prices were high for what you get. Also, some of the dishes were slightly cold that were served that was disappointing. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous and the service is above the average . read more

See all

A cute restaurant with a stunning view overlooking the Pueblo Magico. Staff are extremely friendly and accommodating. They speak English as well in case your Spanish is rudimentary at best like me. I enjoyed the chorizo omelette I had for breakfast. The homemade chorizo was smoky and delicious, egg fluffy, and the bean very smooth and silky! Would like to return for dinner sometime. read more

Asao - Breakfast omelette - Steakhouses Near Me - Tecate, BCN

Amazing location with phenomenal views. Great service. Better food and drinks. The atmosphere is upscale and incredible. Tip: Go at night. read more

Asao - A simple paloma - Steakhouses Near Me - Tecate, BCN

2 restaurants in one, we chose the more hip one with light music playing in background. Very delicious food, full course meal for two for $50. Great views. We ordered calamari and queso fundido, both were delicious, especially the calamari. Would recommend this place to anyone. read more

Asao - Apple cheesecake and platanos dorados. - Steakhouses Near Me - Tecate, BCN

Nice please to stay , relaxing , very good food, friendly environment and save place.

Great best spot for a business meeting in Tecate. Good food. Wine selection is ok. Great views. read more

Asao - Duck torta was delicious. I asked for a side of avocado. - Steakhouses Near Me - Tecate, BCN

I have dined here twice now. The first experience was a 5-star visit. The second was a 3-star visit. The service on both occasions was impeccable. The ambience is welcoming and very aesthetically pleasing. The shortfall on the second visit was the food. We ordered the cheese plate, which was very generous, except there was nothing to put all of that cheese on! Crackers, bread, something is needed as a base for the cheese for those of us who can't just eat cheese alone with a bit of fruit or olive. The soup was lukewarm, and I had to commit the cardinal sin in a fine dining establishment and ask for a salt shaker. I needed the salt for my main dish as well, which was so unremarkable that I don't remember what it was...just that it needed salt, and I didn't finish it. The chef last November 17th (2018) was either having an off night, or needs some additional training. I want to love this place and take others here. I want to stay here one weekend. I am going to give it a third try, but if it's another 3-star night, it might be my last... read more

Was the recipient of a prize that included a four course meal with a bottle of wine at Asao, located at the Santuario Diegueno Boutique Hotel in Tecate. WOW! What a treat. I had assumed they must do a Prix Fixe menu, but no, we were just to pick, one appetizer each, one soup or salad each, one entree each, and one dessert each. We were provided a bottle of their red house wine... mystery wine! But, luckily, mystery or not, it was tasty! First, the service was impeccable. Our waiter was attentive, helpful and made us feel special. This was just like eating at any other 5 star restaurant I have been to and it felt like we were VIPs. Appetizers: lamb burritos & seafood quesadillas. Yum and Yum. We loved the lamb burritos. The lamb was tender and flavorful and that was our favorite of the two. The quesadillas were fine, but cheese and seafood... what were we thinking? heh Soups: I had the corn, he had the tortilla. Mine was delicious and his was tasty and beautiful and HUGE. It not only came in the bowl, but also extra broth came in a pitcher on the side along with a mild soft cheese and chicharones. Thumbs UP! Entrees: We both had steaks. I had the tenderloin tampequena and he ad the rib eye with a spice rub and a coffee sauce on the side. Both were good... I used the coffee sauce since he ins't a coffee can and it was soooo tasty. GET THAT ONE! Only thing is both of our steaks were cooked a little more than we liked, so I think when ordering order less done than you would normally. Dessert: We were stuffed, but I could not resist the creme brulee and I am so happy I didn't skip it. It was the best creme brulee I can remember having! it was an Orange Rosemary and it was fabulous from the flavors to the texture. EAT THIS! the husbnad just had a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of a berry sorbet. Can't go wrong there. Overall, this meal was AWESOME. If we had paid for it, it would have come out at about $100 total and it would be well worth it, but at home, it probably would have cost twice that. Between the food and the service, Asao is an amazing value and worth a visit. (food photos to come!) read more

The food was excellent and good portions, I will definitely go back and try something different. The place was under construction when I was there but this is a late review so it may be fully open again. Service was attentive and fast and food was good and juicy. read more

See all

This review is for Yiima by Asao. The restaurant itself is nice inside. Very spacious and I like the decor. There's a great view from the terrace. Unfortunately they didn't have a table available out there for us, but the table we got inside was nice. I ordered the burger. It was really good! I like the Chiles it had. The fries it came with tasted like home made. They were ok but they could've been crispier and less oily. The fettuccine Alfredo was a miss with my niece. She didn't like the sauce very much and there wasn't much sauce on the noodles. The baked ribs were decent. They tasted like pot roast but not in a bad way. Both the fettuccini and the ribs would've been better if they served bread with them. Also I think the ribs should've come with another vegetable besides just mashed potatoes. The deserts were decent. I had the bune de elote, I think it's called. It was like a corn cheesecake and was pretty good. The actual cheesecake we ordered however was not good. It wasn't sweet, it almost tasted sour like they forgot the sugar. The churros were pretty good! Served with a chocolate sauce, they were fresh and had a good flavor. Overall this place was pretty enjoyable. I'd go back, and probably order the burger again. I'd definitely recommend skipping the fettuccine and the cheesecake . read more

Had quite a few meals here over the course of several business trips to the area. Each meal was very good. The Caesar salad was exceptional. Attentive service at the bar read more

See all

We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the view. The food was wonderful. Started with the cheese platter, all cheeses from Valle de Guadalupe, very generous in the array. Had the Tuna Carpaccio, so so good! Seafood stuffed Chile Relleno and the Hamburger. Everything was excellent. read more

Asao - Steakhouses Near Me - Tecate, BCN

Went into Tecate for the late afternoon. Was recommended to try this place by parking lot attendant on US side. Short cab ride from square, 50 pesos I think. Gorgeous restaurant and amazing food. Ceviche and tuna carpaccio were fantastic. Had a 400 gram filet mignon that was amazing. Service was impeccable. Would highly recommend if you are in Tecate and looking for something more than a taqueria. read more

See all

Let's start by saying the service you get here is probably better than you get at most restaurants in the states. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and attentive to our needs. The menu isn't big but that doesn't mean picking your meal will be easy. Everything on the menu sounds intriguing and delicious. The food itself is very creative but I thought that some of it could have been executed just a bit better. The octopus appetizer was a little cold as well as the soup. The main dishes were somewhat of the same with fantastic sounding dishes but somewhat poor execution. I got some sort of beef (I don't recall what exactly the name was) it had great flavor but for me the taste of gas on the meat was a little strong. I'm willing to go back because I think it can be much better with some better execution. read more

The restaurant maitre-d guy kept pestering us during our meal blabbing away at us. Finally as the dessert was being served, and here he shows up again for the fouth time for yet anther blab session. At that point we both walked out, skipping our desserts. Jesus the server kept explaining to us the guy didnt even work there, but funny that he sure acted like he did! Thanks for ruining our very special evening and wasting a $100 dinner. read more

It's been nearly a year since two friends and I drove down to Tecate to dine at Asao. Although I didn't review it at the time, since I see very few reviews here, I thought I would review it now. I just checked the current menu, and it was very similar to the menu from last year. We drove from San Diego to the border at Tecate via Highway 94. The road winds a bit, but is not at all dangerous. We parked at a pay lot on the U.S. side, walked across the border, and found a cab immediately.( When we had made the reservation, the receptionist had said the hotel in which Asao is housed would send a van to pick us up, but when we crossed the border, our cell phones did not work.) The restaurant (and hotel) are very close to the border, and we could have driven directly there. The grounds at the restaurant and hotel are gorgeous, and the interior of the restaurant has an elegant Mexican decor, large flower arrangments, and picture windows with terrific views. We were met by a very friendly gentleman who led us to our table and presented us with the classy menu. Our waiter took our drink orders right away. Choosing from the menu of appetizers, salads, soups, and main courses was difficult. However, there was no rush. I decided to have a caesar salad and lamb medallions. One of my friends selected the tortilla soup and the seafood lasagna. The other chose ceviche and duck confit in tamarind sauce.. Two of us sipped margaritas--I forget which "type", but they were so good we had another round. The designated driver nursed one beer throughout the evening. The first courses were all very succesful. I don't know why I stuck with simplicity (a caesar salad), but it was exquisite--crisp romaine spears, slightly spicy caesar dressing with the right hint of anchovy, and freshly grated parmesan (or maybe it was Mexican queso cotija?), I'll have the ceviche next time, as the combination of fish and shellfish was very fresh, and the marinade was zesty. The tortilla soup was a winner, too. The actual broth was poured at the table from a small pitcher onto thin, crisp tortilla strips, small chunks of chicken (I think), and topped with avocado slices. As was the case with the first courses, we traded bites of our main courses. The seafood lasagna was layered with noodles, octopus and shrimp, and a delightful sauce with subtle Mexican spice. The duck in tamarind sauce was a nice portion, and the duck confit was tender and very flavorful; the tamarind sauce was uniquely tangy. My lamb medallions were a little more well done than I normally prefer, but they were tender, juicy, and herbaceous. More importantly, they tasted like LAMB! (I hate it when I order lamb and it tastes like some generic meat.) We had eaten (and drunk) our fill, but, when presented with the dessert menu, we could not resist sharing a dessert--the creme brulee. It was unusual in a good way--innovative, one could say. The service throughout was very considerate yet not overbearing. There was a huge wedding party taking place in another area, so the waitstaff was probably quite busy. Nevertheless, we were treated very graciously. I can't wait to go back! But remember, you need your passport. Mine recently expired, and I am awaiting the new one. Provecho! read more

A great jewel of a restaurant in Tecate, Baja California. We took the autopista rápida from Tijuana and we arrived within 35 minutes from the San Ysidro border. Our goal was to eat at Amores restaurant but due to the construction and the lack of street signs we chose to go to Asao and what a great culinary surprise we got. Asao is part of Santuario Diegueño and it is at end part of Tecate. Asao means "comer"(ear) in Kumai. The place is beautiful with a great view and full of greens everywhere. The service by Jesus Caballero was incredible giving us a great explanation of the dishes. Tecate is known for their beer and their bread. The meal starts with a basket of bread and I ordered a artesanal pale ale from Tecate. We order the lengua (tongue) with salsa verde as an appetizer. The meat was very tender and the salsa was very tasty. I ordered the Shrimp plate with mole de Jamaica with a spinach salad with fruit and corn bread. The shrimp were breaded with jamaica, sesame seeds, and nuts. My friend ordered the steak tampiqueña style with an enchilada and beans. Then we both ordered dessert, I had the crepes with cajeta and my friend had an incredible combination of foam with sweet beans with buñuelos. It was a great experience. read more

See all

We saw a show on crossing south about Asao and its Resort, Santuario Diegueno. This review is for both because they both are a wonderful combination on the same grounds. After seeing the show, we started our research. We are so glad we did. The location is just inside the town of Tecate. A few blocks inside the border and your there. First thing you notice is they have a large parking lot with a 24 hour security guard monitoring the lot. It is well maintained with gardeners trimming the trees the day we arrived. The resort is done in classic Mexican style with art work throughout. Amazing carvings and Statues along with some gorgeous mosaic tile art like none I have seen. The place has vaulted ceilings everywhere. The rooms were absolutely perfect. They have two television stations that are English. One of the stations is HBO. We came to get a well deserved relaxing weekend so not having news was fine. We enjoyed watching about three full length movies on our three day stay. Most of our time was spent by the pool, gym, restaurant, and bar. Each room has a huge bathroom with separate tub and shower. The private outside patio even has art work framed into the wall. The grounds are all meticulously maintained. The pool was all to us the entire three days. Absolutely perfect with lots of areas to spend the day. They have shade areas too. The bartender we spoke to was Ceaser. He was very knowledgable about the menu. They have a extensive wine collection and any kind of cocktail you can imagine. They have American music playing at a reasonable level that was perfect for conversations. There you can order from the full menu if that is your desire. Asao dining room is a high end experience. White table clothes, a large flower arrangement in the center of the main dining room. The food was incredible. Each night we tried new and unique things. Their salads are gorgeous and we split one so to have room for desert. My wife and I always order different items so we can taste more of their offerings. Seafood lasagne was delicious and unique. They offer many one of a kind dishes that make this dinning experience unique. Asao has a extensive menu so everyone can have their favorite. Steaks, Lamb, Shrimp, Seafood, etc, etc. Sorry for the lack of dinner photos but when the plates landed in front of us, photography was the last thing on our minds. They also make all their own breads and pastries. Very good tasting baked goods. Service throughout both Asao and Santuario Diegueno were 5 stars. Cannot wait till next time. Being so close to home, makes this escape perfect for anyone in San Diego needing a close getaway without the hassle of flying. read more

See all

If you're ever in Baja, Asao is definitely a must. Great breakfast and dinner. Great environment.

This is a gourmet restaurant offering international dishes prepared with Mexican ingredients. Here you can enjoy confit duck in tamarind sauce and lasagna in a chipotle sauce. The grilled octopus appetizer, marinated with guajillo chile, is absolutely delicious. read more

Asao - Outdoor seating area (terrace). - Steakhouses Near Me - Tecate, BCN

Why have I missed this place I use the Linea all the time. I can't believe this has been hiding right across the border for years. Oh my. Need to come back. Need to stay here. What a lunch. Deconstructed Caesar with nods to TJ, Pumpkin Sound with nods to the day after Halloween. Great service. read more

Asao - Steakhouses Near Me - Tecate, BCN

Fantastic place. Quiet, Flawless customer service. Dishes Came delicious. My group had the pork shank, I had the Pichana and someone else had the Rissotto , the dessert ( aww that apple cheesecake and the Elote .. great! The place is very nice as well. read more

Just had breakfast with my family, 3 kids included. Very friendly hostess and the service was excellent. The food was really good. I had the Eggs Benedict, not the traditional kind, not what I expected but, I liked them it's more of a taco shell. The hostess took the kids to see there turtle pond. The installations are very nice, looks fancy...at first we thought were dressed to casual because we're on our way camping but we were treated very well. I recommend! read more

A jewel in the desert. A beatiful Hacienda looking hotel/restaurante/Bistro/terrace inmerse in the most unlikely place...along the US border metal fence. I got there while working in Tecate and yelping. Their meat dishes were outstanding. Flavorful and soft. I tried the marinated cabreria (butterflied file mignon) and the coffee infused rib eye. A chared corn cream or soup also impressed my palate. The house wine, a young 2014 Baja meritage of Cabernet Savignon, Merlot and Syrah was very nice with clear cellar potentential. read more

Asao - Along the iron US fence with Tecate, Baja California is this "jewel in the desert". - Steakhouses Near Me - Tecate, BCN

This place is highly recommended!! I had Castilla Pumpkin cream, spinach salad, and an apple tart. Food was on time, fresh so good! The place is clean and spacious. Employees are friendly and always ask if you need anything else. Don't skip dessert ( : read more

Asao is a lovely restaurant in a beautiful hotel right next to the border in Tecate. We park on the US side (usually costs $5) and walk to it. The fastest way is just turn left and follow the border fence road and you'll end up at the back of the hotel so you walk around the side to get to the front which faces the opposite side (takes about 15 minutes or so but wear comfortable shoes as side walks uneven). Alternatively you could call and make a reservation and then call again when you get to the border and they will have someone pick you up (but we never tried that - a hotel worker told us we can do that as he insisted on driving us to the border after we had dinner). The town of Tecate is so cute that we always walk around the little square (only a couple of blocks from the border) before heading over to the restaurant. The food is haute cuisine and the setting is formal. It is not exactly inexpensive although it is less expensive than a similar restaurant above the border. We ended up paying $40/person for dinner which included soup, salad, main dish/fish, shared one bottle of wine, tea and dessert. So not expensive for a fancy restaurant in the US but not cheap. The dining room has changed in past few months so that there is now a different restaurant when you first walk in (so you have to choose which one you want). I don't recall the name of the new place but the menu is more diverse and has more inexpensive options - walking by the plates it looked very good so will try that one next time. A lot more people were eating in that one (so we probably should have figured out to just sit down there but had Asao reservation although it wouldn't have mattered). More people should visit Tecate - the town is relaxed and friendly, so far we never had a wait when walking back across the border. If you are driving in and out you will wait in a long car line getting out (but not as bad as TJ). Highly recommend walking in - so easy. When we have out of town visitors we usually will bring to Tecate as so much less hassle than Tijuana. Ther is also a 24 hour bakery also close to the border so we had to stop and get some desserts - we liked the corico corn flour cookies (look like small circles that they sell near cash register) . read more

I have been to Asao Restaurante across the border in Tecate, Baja California, regularly. Asao means "from the earth." And really every menu item is original and "from the earth." 5-star chefs, and their sous chefs, regularly practice here. "Farm to table" as described in US. The menus change based on customers' preferences. I and my guest arrived at 6:30PM and were promptly greeted by the doorman, who happily seated us. The restaurant was festively decorated for Christmas. Only one other table was occupied, most Mexican diners prefer to eat late. A very nice classical Christmas music playing in the background. Our waiter immediately arrived, and discovered his English was not as good as my bad Spanish, so we proceeded. He brought us an assortment of local Mexicali micro brews, and we decided on the Cucopah Honey and IPA. We were not disappointed. We were brought an English menu, and I conversed in Spanish with our waiter. We started with a fresh fish ceviche embedded with an avocado and fresh blue tortilla chips; then a carpaccio with capers, fresh tuna, embedded on a lemon bed, on crustini bread. It was all outstanding. Burp! The famous Asao tortilla soup was next. It's the best, and my favorite ever. I always order it here. Avocado and fresh shredded tortilla strips over the poblano chile-based soup; then served with a side of goat cheese, chicharónes, and more soup to splash/mix. Nice! For the entrée, we each ordered the Cabrería steak (medium-rare). It comes from Sonora and is a gourmet piece of filet mignon, cut against the grain. It has a very delicate and tasty main part and a shank. Marinated in a rich coffee sauce. It was great! The sides were incredible: a chopped fried potato with gobs of fresh bacon; a vegetable medley with green beans, green onions, and marinated in a great sauce; and a grilled skewer of mushroom, peppers, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Wow...... This was so tasty! We also ordered a bottle of local Guadalupe Valley wine, a combo cabernet-merlot with dinner. It was a great addition! Finally, we ordered their regular home-made cheesecake for dessert. Double burp!! Stuffed, but totally satisfied. This entire meal was just over $100. They offered plenty of after-dinner drinks at the bar, but we were too stuffed. Traditionally, expect service to be slow... but deliberate between courses. As a matter of fact, request "courses be separate" or "cada curso sirve por separado." Service, food, and food originality: all 5-star. All gourmet, expect impeccable service, white linen table service, and ultimate courtesy. read more

See all

This pace misses in all areas. Ordered a bottle of Chardonnay that needed to be cooled in an ice bucket before we could drink. The bread we received was very average plus one of the rolls was over cooked. Tortilla soup was cold. Steak (carne asada) although the meat was very good, the meat was cooked rare when we ordered medium. Would have expected more attention to detail at these prices. read more

Good price for the gourmet food, and the food is plenty, but the food did not impress me. Perhaps some other dishes would've been more satisfying but the ones we got were not. The duck and pork were tasty but battered in sauce. Edit: I loved the ambiance though, perfect setting at night. read more

the place is on the hill with a great view the staff are very very nice we had tuna some tortilla soup and the picania (wish is the only dish that did not like very much) but everithing else was outstanding including the desert apple tart whit ice cream ,will defetnely come back again *price is more then fere just 50 dlls on i meal for 2 !!!!! read more

This is a restaurant that has incredible décor, food, service, great ambiance, and reasonably priced for the quality. I understand that it is managed by the same people connected with Rancho La Puerta Spa. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Great food and service. Tortilla soup is a must starter! Cocktail bar is fully loaded.