Vintage Tijuana spot here! Las Ahumaderas has for decades been one of the better (top 3-5, arguably #1) spots in TJ for tacos - highly recommended by tourists and locals alike. Las Ahumaderas is a collection of 5-6 taquerias on one side street off Blvd. Agua Caliente, one of the main thoroughfares in TJ. The taquerias offer very solid, relatively cheap tacos and tend to stay open until super late at night (often until 4 am). Las Ahumaderas is famously nicknamed "Taco Alley" and gained some international recognition after being featured one of Anthony Bourdain's travel and food shows. I've been several times but last stopped by Las Ahumaderas in September. The most popular spot there (and my personal favorite) is Las Tres Salsas - would highly recommend checking out that taqueria first if you've never been. The most highly regarded tacos here are the adobada (pork) tacos (my personal favorite as well). Ordered two adobada tacos, one suadero (cow belly) taco, and a Sprite. The nice thing about the food and drink at Ahumaderas is that a lot of the basic items are priced the same - each taco and the sprite were 45 pesos (around $2.50 USD) each. The tacos were all well-portioned, tasty, and filling (as usual). One thing a lot of tourists don't know is Las Tres Salsas has two levels, with the second level sometimes having a decent, relaxing view and atmosphere depending on the time of day. So I ordered and ate on the second floor (ordered from the server for that floor). Cash (dollars or pesos) are by far the most common method of payment but credit cards are also accepted at Las Tres Salsas and I think the other taquerias at Ahumaderas as well. If you don't speak Spanish there's usually someone at the register who speaks enough English to get by though the server I had that afternoon happened to speak very good English. Right after Las Tres Salsas I went to Tacos El Paisano, one of the other taquerias in the establishment. Ordered 1 asada (steak) taco, 1 cabeza (cow's head) taco, and a Fresca soda. Like Las Tres Salsas, all of the items were 45 pesos each. The tacos here were also good, though not as good as Las Tres Salsas; both of the tacos fell apart a bit due to being slightly soggy (though again they were good). I'm a picky eater but there are a wide variety of tacos, quesadillas, and other items to try between the handful of taquerias at Ahumaderas. Las Ahumaderas is about a 13-15 minute walk down Agua Caliente from Telefonica Gastro Park, another excellent foodie location in TJ. Must visit if you've never been before! read more

Lots of different taco shops on this same corner. We had Los paisas. Great friendly fast and helpful service! Delicious tacos. If you can't handle spice, ask for no salsa as it is very spicy. Very filling Adobada was delicious read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

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These hit the spot and for late night. Highly recommend and was worth the price. I'd come here again and again and the onions they grill . It was quick too. read more

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Came here at 4 pm and tacos were still coming in hot! This places is a great option for late night grubbing!! They had music playing and everyone was so lively, so late at night. We had asada, chorizo, cabeza, lengua tacos. All had good flavor. The do the salsa and guacamole, as true Tijuana tacos do. Service was great. The wait for food was short and we're eating tacos within 10 minutes of getting there. For Tijuana tacos and all their hype, this place was okay. Note: they take American dollars, pesos and you can pay with card. Just ask for the exchange rate before paying. read more

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I love that I found parking right away, seats right away, and the taco guy took my order and served me immediately. Pure perfection. The tortillas are handmade, the meat perfectly grilled, and the carne asada was absolutely delicious. I usually go for cabeza, but this time the asada won my heart. Go check them out, you won't be disappointed. You can thank me laters. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Grilled meats of all kinds! - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

Delicioso! Whatever meats you get whether carne asada, adobada, lengua, or cabeza, it's going to be delicious! I love the giant glob of guac that they top every taco with. There's a good amount of seating inside, and clean restrooms. They even have hand sanitizer at every table. A must stop while in Tijuana. read more

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We always come here for tacos when we come into TJ. The tacos never disappoint! They are made directly in front of you and there's about 4-5 different taco stands right there . We always go to the one in the middle. They are $2.75 in US dollars per taco and the specialty tacos are a little more. They have always been friendly and have always provided great conversation and tacos. Parking is a little crappy besides you have to find somewhere on the street which can be a little hard since it's a pretty popular spot for tacos. read more

I love Las Ahumaderas! One of my favorite places is las tres salsas! Yummy! You can go to las ahumaderas and have a variety of little taco shops to eat from; however, my favorite is "las tres salsas!" The place is tiny; smells like tacos of course; but it's super good! It's always packed! The service is quick and the tacos are DELICIOUS! They are not cheap with their salad, lemons, and or meat! The guacamole on the tacos de asada, by far... great! You have to check It out when visiting TJ! I love going here! read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

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Food is amazing! Their asada is delicious. Highly recommend. We have ate at a few asada places in tj, this place is fire!

This is the spot! If you're craving tacos this is the place to come to. We ate at tacos el paisa. It was less busy so we worried we chose wrong, but the tacos were perfect. I think I tried all the meats the offer and they all were amazing. I will be back! The service was friendly and fast as well. You won't regret coming here. read more

I have to stop here every time I visit! TACO ALLEY! Good quality food. People are always welcoming! As authentic as it gets. When people say TJ tacos this is what they're talking about. read more

Las Ahumaderas - 3 tacos de asada 3 de Lengua un pastor quesadilla. Coke - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

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Went here on a late night. Great concept, fun and the carne asada tacos were great. I personally wasn't a big fan of the adobada, but highly recommend everything else. Their horchata was probably the closest I've ever had to my mother's home made one. Great service and fun atmosphere read more

Known as Taco Ally or street, Las Ahumaderas is a little further away from the boarder and a longer walk away from Avenida Revolución. It's one of the spots that Anthony Bourdain visited, which should be reason enough for you to make your way here. Its a row of open air taco stands, they all pretty much have the same items, they each have a walk up bar type seating with the exception of the one on the far left which has indoor seating and a bathroom. I liked that you could see the open charcoal grill and watch them prepare it at your seat. They offered all the meats they had at other taco stands but they also had chorizo which I didn't see at any other place. The chorizo was cooked in its casing then cubed, not the loose type of chorizo that is taken out of its casing and cooked with eggs that you are used to. It wasn't too spicy but a nice change from adobada and carne asada that is served at most other taco stands. It was actually nice to have whole cubed chorizo this way, I wish there were more places that served it like this. There were maybe 5 or 6 taco stands all in a row, even though I haven't tried them all, I'd guess they are all the same. They all have the same menu, same prices and same grill set up, I guess their recipes could be slightly different but I haven't tried them all and the main draw is the meats cooked over the charcoals. I went during off hours and it was rather empty, but im told during peak hours its really busy. The tacos are a little cheaper than what you'd find closer to Avenida Revolución because its more of a trek to get there and away from the tourist area. I felt safe and I'd make the trek during the day but probably make sure I was back towards the boarder before it got dark. read more

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Un paraíso para los amantes de los tacos! Las Ahumaderas, o "Taco Alley," es el lugar perfecto para probar tacos auténticos en Tijuana. La variedad es excelente; probé los tacos de asada, adobada y tripa, y cada uno estaba lleno de sabor y cocinado a la perfección. Las salsas caseras son deliciosas y añaden el toque justo de picante. El ambiente es muy animado, lleno de locales y turistas, lo que le da una vibra auténtica y emocionante. Además, el personal es rápido y amable, a pesar de la cantidad de gente que siempre está en el lugar. Si estás en Tijuana, este es un lugar imperdible para una auténtica experiencia de tacos. ¡Altamente recomendado! read more

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Google "tacos" near the place that we were leaving and found this place within walking distance. Looked it up and realized Anthony Bourdain also came here so you know we had to try it. And boy, we were so glad we did. Immediately we were welcomed and were pointed to an available table. You go up to order your food and man, are they quick to serve them up to you. We were even given carne asada to try while we wait. We ordered adobada, carne asada, lengua (tongue), and vampiro. All the tacos were so good and the salsa that they put into the adobada had a kick. We couldn't stop eating or sweating lol but it was a good sweat. Their onions were seasoned well. Everything was cooked with charcoal which was a plus. It just hits differently. We ordered a total of 25 tacos and spent $55 (excluding tip). You can't get that in the States. Make sure to try the taco alley if you are ever in TJ. read more

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Third foodie tour stop in Tijuana, Mexico... Las Ahumaderas has the nickname of Taco Alley, but it's not an alley. It's a row of open-air taco vendors next to each other. Some of the vendors have counters with seats right along the sidewalk. We chose the shop on the end with tables and chairs inside. I sat near the fan because it was late afternoon and a bit warm. Luckily, this shop had a restroom upstairs. I ordered an adobada taco and a horchata. This combination has become my favorite. I like the taco's flavored meat because it reminds me of Cha siu (Chinese BBQ pork). The horchata has a cinnamon sugar taste to the rice water. It sounds weird, but it's surprisingly good! I was just happy to sit down for a bit. The service was kind and efficient with limited English. Very admirable! Note: there's a YouTube video with Anthony Bourdain visiting "Taco Alley"! read more

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This place is bomb!!! A classic and traditional spot.. the earlier the better on a weekday! Cabeza, TripA, asada, chorizo, ... OMG. Da le GAS!, read more

The best tacos I think in Tijuana, I have been going there for 4 years and they have never failed and great customer service

My family has been coming to this taco stand for decades now! The staff recognize us as soon as we walk up and are very friendly and easy to talk to. Pay the security guard to get a good parking spot and they will keep eyes on your vehicle and belongings. You can smell the meat cooking over the mesquite as soon as you get to the corner. Many places to choose from around this area but hands down this spot is the best! Ask for a grilled jalapeno and they will hook it up with salt and lime! read more

Las Ahumaderas - THEY DO NOT SELL BEER... so I bring my own =] - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

Los tacos más bárbaros y más ricos q me he comido EN MI VIDA!!! (He probado en distintos estados de México) Si pudiera darles 10 estrellas, se las daba, lol!! Ojalá y pudiera ir todas las semanas pero vivo en Puerto Rico =') read more

Legit tacos, what can I say. I was in TJ with my Daughter and she wanted tacos. After searching on yelp and reading the reviews I settled on Taco alley. Anthony Bourdain came here a did a segment so it must be good. It was, I left fat and happy ready for my journey back accross the boarder. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

Highly recommended this place!! Delicious tacos and service!!! We had the carne asada and they are absolutely delicious!!!!

Las Ahumaderas is made up of several taco bars, and the smoke from the grilled meats wafted down the street enticing diners! Sitting down at a bar seat, I ordered the Vampiro with Adobada, two crispy corn tostadas topped with fatty marinated pork sliced from a rotating spit, along with melted cheese, onions, cilantro, and guacamole. I also had the Kamikaze, a taco with carne asada, two chopped habaneros, onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole. This was an aptly-named creation, as the orange-colored habaneros were super spicy, setting my mouth on fire! The tacos went nicely with some lime and grilled scallions, and this made for a fun street food experience! read more

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The first thing I noticed was that the people who were there were all smiling and having fun eating delicious food with great service

Las ahumaderas aka "taco alley" was a fun experience. The hard part is there are several vendors all selling similar things so choosing which one can be difficult. We sat at one with open seating to get food right away and it was great. The cabeza so soft and tender (my favorite). A friend of mine really like the carne asada and said this was her favorite. There was a place next door that was busier and we went there next. Their pastor was great and we couldn't go to any more after that since we were so full. Everything is fast paced at these places so you pretty much order, eat at the counter, and make space for the next group. This is the place for street tacos! read more

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Taco Alley... the late Anthony Bourdain made a stop here during one of his trips to Tijuana. I had actually visited this set of taco stands on my last venture to TJ, but I was already so full that I couldn't eat anymore. I did make it a point to come back for a future visit which was what our group did recently. This spot was a long walk from the border crossing so one can always pay for a cab ride there (~$10). There were about six vendors set up in a row along one side of Avenida Guillermo Prieto. When you think of street tacos, this was exactly how I imagined it. Each stand had a spit rotating with freshly cooked pork being sliced off and placed on a corn tortilla for the adobada (i.e. al pastor). You tell the cook which type of tacos you want and then you grab a counterside seat while he makes them. Payment doesn't occur until after you are done eating. At the time, the least expensive tacos cost about 20 to 22 pesos each which was like less than $1.25. All the vendors pretty much sold the same set of choices... asada, adobada, birria, cabeza, chorizo, lengua, suadero, tripa, vampiro, and a few others. They really load on the toppings, especially guacamole, so you may want to ask for less or none if you're not a fan of avocados. Note that you won't find any fish or seafood tacos here as it is all meat and internal parts of a cow or pig. During the late night hours, it can get quite busy in Taco Alley which makes it difficult to find any seating. There may be better tasting tacos elsewhere in the city, but for the combination of price, quantity of ingredients and setting, this is a hot spot to hit for TJ street tacos. Look for the Baja episode in season eight of 'No Reservations' if you want AB's perspective on Las Ahumaderas. read more

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Yep, this place lives up to the hype. Believe everything you hear - it's alllll true! As I'm sure you know, the late Anthony Bourdain was brought here during his tour of Tijuana and for good reason. These guys are killing it! They've got all the classics here, but if I may suggest the Samurai tacos, you won't regret it! What are Samurai style tacos, you ask? Well, pick your meat and they lay it on a bed of melted cheese and put it inside of a crispy corn tortilla shell. They then wrap that hard shell in a warm, soft corn tortilla and serve it up with onions, salsa and aguacate (guacamole). Think Taco Bell did it first?! Well, you got that WRONG! TJ invented this bad boy and Taco Bell adopted the idea. And once you taste it, you'll see why! I always get a horchata with my tacos and the horchata here is bomb. Can't go wrong with a Coke either, though! Another thing to note is these guys are fast. Order one or two at a time and then order more as you go. They'll get to your table in a minute or two and that way they'll arrive hot and fresh. Don't pass this spot up on your next trip to TJ! read more

Las Ahumaderas - Samurai with Al Pastor, con todo - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

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Muy buenos tacos! Bien servidos y tienen una gran variedad. Yo probé los de asada y adobada y los recomiendo. Es la primera vez que pruebo el agua de plátano y me encantó. Muy buen servicio. read more

Great tacos lots of history old school standing on the side walk eating tocos and drinking a beer!

Lots of fresh, amazing, and different types of food and aguas frescas to choose from. Delicious. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Taco de carne adobada - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

Quieres tacos, Quieres tortillas hechas a mano, Banos limpios, y estacionarte a gusto? Todos eso hay aquí y más, varios puestos y también para comer sentado read more

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We came to Tijuana to visit and of course I wanted tacos. My parents used to bring us when we were kids and always had great memories about Tijuana tacos. We were here a couple of days and I tried some other tacos in the city. And then I found this place. I am so glad I did. This reminds me of those great times as a kid in Tijuana. This is the real deal Tijuana style tacos. Best tacos I've had while I visited this time. If you're in the area, you absolutely need to come. read more

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I've been to many many taco places in Tijuana and finally came here and quit honest I was very very disappointed. Now I'm sure maybe it was an off day for the taqueros which will happen is any restaurant so I will try 1 more time. First I paid 20 bucks for 10 tacos and 2 drinks so definitely really cheap, but it's also a you get what you pay for kind of thing. Tortillas where super tough and and also really small. Less then 2 bites tacos were gone. I know they did a taco tour and they ranked them really good but you have to think they were aware of the tour and had time to prepare. There tacos are nothing like they said and how these reviews say as well. I will try one more time just in case it was an off night for them but till now I rather go pay a little more somewhere else. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

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This is a long strip of taco shops all in a row. They all seem to serve the same type of items, its more about which one you go to. They have fresh grilled meats, chorizo and pastor. Great flavors and service. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Taco de Arrachera, Taco Campechano - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

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I went to the new Ahumaderas Broadway & Moss in Chula Vista Ca. Tacos have no taste at all! and spice is what makes bomb food! Not to mention the green sauce is soooo hot it gives you a stomach ache and heartburn ! Salsa is good hot , but not to that point! Ahora si como dijo Paquita la del Barrio taco sin chile y sin sabor! read more

I decided to come to TJs and only eat at taquerias. I went to multiple ones and they're all really, really solid. Like 8 out of 10. I had only one complaint: at every place I went to there wasn't really a salsa bar. So all the tacos get served with lime and radishes which is cool, but I'm used to having a salsa bar with pickled onions, pickled carrots, different salsas, etc. If any one of these places had this, the tacos would have been amazing! I'm actually going to copy and paste this portion to all the places I went to then my 2nd para I'l go into detail on what I ordered. I came here because it was the spot that Anthony Bourdain was taken. The tacos here are really solid. My friend told them to serve me up an habanero pepper with my taco. He cut it up into three slices, squeezed lime on it, then sprinkled it with salt. I love the taste of habanero but have never had a whole one and always had it in salsa. I wasn't sure how I'd handle it. It added so much flavor to my taco!!!! I definitely recommend you do the same if you eat habanero and it wasn't bad, about 15-20m later I stopped feeling it. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

The chorizo and adobado taco from Las Ahumaderas made me very, very happy. The chorizo was rich and flavorful without being too spicy and was crisp without being burned. It contrasted perfectly with the pork adobado (adobado meaning "marinated"; same root word as the Filipino "adobo"). Topped with luscious guacamole and accompanied with radishes and grilled green onions, this taco was a little piece of heaven in TJ. Squeeze a bit of lime on top and pay your bill ($1.20, I think) and you will see what I mean. Muchas gracias a Pablo para su recommendacion. read more

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Fantastic, great flavor, authentic and excellent overall experience. Could not ask for more from a Tijuana taco shop. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Street tacos - Tacos Near Me - Tijuana, BCN

Yep. The best. Hands down. Add some roasted jalapeños, then green onions & an horchata and what more can one want?

I've had better tacos in the states. Asada looked dry, just sitting on the grills. Adobada, lengua, cabeza were just ok. Bonus points for attentive friends serving up the tacos. They also work really fast. They have incredible observation skills and know exactly when you want more tacos. Better than most sushi omakase chefs. Come for the experience, sitting at the counter and watching your tacos being prepared in front of you. read more