Everyone thought the outdoor maze of bars and eateries in Zona Rio known as Plaza Fiesta had lived its heyday before Tijuana’s unfortunate narco winter of 2008. But the party has been slowly coming back to life since then, thanks mostly to locals looking for an alternative to the crowded downtown Calle Sexta scene.
New spots have opened over the past few years, like El Depa (The Apartment)—outfitted to look like a Mexican bachelor pad circa 1988, complete with 16-bit Nintendo and wooden TV console—and El Tigre, once a go-to spot for punk shows that’s since become a favorite for its all-day breakfasts.
A loophole in design has led to the plaza’s most recent incarnation as Tijuana’s first and only open-air craft beer galleria. Several spaces connected by even the skinniest of hallways allow local beermakers to share liquor licenses with already established bars. The current roster includes Bosiger inside Sótano Suizo, Madueño Brewing Co. in Bar 664, Lúdica Artesanal in El Tigre, Cerveza Silenus in El Depa, and Paralelo 28 inside La Plaza, as well as Cerveceria Mamut and Cerveceria Insurgente, which are soon to open their own tasting rooms, too.
Paseo de los Heroes and Calle Juan Sarabia, Zona Rio, Tijuana
Tijuana Craft Beer: Plaza Fiesta is Back
Cerveceria Mamut
