Cervecería Tijuana is located on Blvd. Fundadores, which is a major street that leads toward the…read morecoast. The brewery is easy to find, if you're familiar with Tijuana.
My visit actually happened a couple years ago, and it's taken me this long to posting it on Yelp.
The brewery is a about a two mile walk from downtown, as it's located in the hills, south of downtown, off of Blvd. Agua Caliente, south of the famous Tijuana tower, on Blvd. Fundadores. Unless you're familiar with Tijuana and like to hike, you'd probably be more comfortable taking a cab from downtown. Personal safety is not an issue, as contrary to popular belief, Tijuana is safe, and the only real menace is the traffic.
Cervecería Tijuana offers an upscale dining room to enjoy the great beer, and is quite elegant inside, as the decor is Victorian, complete with high ceilings, richly paneled walls, stained glass, brass lamp fixtures, fleur de leis wallpaper, wooden floors, and one of the most elegant bars that I've seen during my visits to Tijuana. The walls are covered with framed photos of old-time Tijuana, and the place is huge inside and well-lit, but not bright or gaudy in any way. Cervecería Tijuana is pure class...
Despite the fact that I was quite outnumbered by staff members, I probably sat at my table for five minutes before a server visited, and placed chips and salsa on my table. She asked me if I was ready to order, and I ordered a "Bronca" beer from the menu for the price of MEX $40.00... I had considered ordering a burger or a taco, as their now-defunct web site advertised the fact that they are a restaurant as well as a brewery, but I wasn't offered a food menu, so I just decided to concentrate my attention on beer, along with the complimentary chips and salsa.
When I asked about food, she told me their kitchen didn't open until around 5, so that explained the lack of food, or the lack of a food menu. But, complimentary chips and salsa are a great thing!
The "Bronca" beer arrived in a frosty mug, and was excellent, being a medium, pilsner, very German-tasting beer. Oh baby! ... This is great beer, tasting even better after the long walk, so great that I ordered a second one, in order to help wash down the tortilla chips, sprinkled with seasoned salt, and delicious, in-house made salsa. My thirst was whetted for a third beer, so I decided to give the slightly dark, "Morena" beer a taste. Great beer!
The chips arrived in a large basket, and a small plate was provided to enjoy samples. I noted the chips were fresh and warm, which surprised me, consider the kitchen wasn't open, but I simply enjoyed. The chips were slightly "puffy" and covered with seasoned salt, which made them absolutely delicious, and made a perfect side to enjoy with my beers.
With the chips came a bowl of fresh salsa, made in-house, of the "salsa roja" variety. It was tangy, flavorful, mildly spicy, and just plain delicious. I dipped each tortilla chip in the salsa and enjoyed.
By the time I'd enjoyed my third beer, I'd eaten the entire basked of chips, along with the bowl of salsa. Muy sabroso!
Cervecería Tijuana produces outstanding beer. I felt that it was a bit on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for, and Cervecería Tijuana delivers a quality product, served in elegant surroundings. The chips and salsa were great, and the complimentary price was a deal. The service was very slow and sporadic, which surprised me, considering at the time of my visit, and that I was the only customer present for much of the time I was in the dining room.
I truly would have enjoyed a taco or a burger, had they been offered to me, but I absolutely loved the beer, as it's a true pilsner, and is as good as it gets. The complimentary chips and salsa only enhanced the amazing beer.
When you're visiting Tijuana, and you're in the mood to enjoy great beer, brewed locally, a trip to Cervecería Tijuana should be on your calendar...
