Taco Loco serves delicious tacos on Articulo 123, in downtown Tijuana

Taco Loco, located along Tijuana's pedestrian-friendly and very busy Articulo 123, just east of Av. Revolución is about as "touristy" of a restaurant in Mexico that my presence have ever graced. But, we all must make sacrifices, and especially where a shady place is offered to sit along one of the best people-watching avenues that I've ever seen, all the while sipping $.99 Corona beer, Taco Loco seemed like a good place to relax. It's located directly across from the Wax Museum, along the major pedestrian route used by tourists between the U.S. border and Tijuana's shopper's paradise, Av. Revolución. Sure, Taco Loco attracts many Norteamericano tourists, but it also is patronized by locals as well.

Left: Taco Loco is located on pedestrian-friendly Articulo 123 and features plenty of outdoor seating. Right: The busy kitchen is located at the front of the restaurant, facing the street.

In many ways, Taco Loco is typical of the small, open-air restaurants scattered all over downtown Tijuana. It's typical that it serves several varieties of tacos, domestic, Mexican beer, features indoor and outdoor seating, a huge cooking and wait staff, and a sign posted in front that advertises $.99 Corona beer, obviously a loss-leader. It's not typical in that they actually have a printed menu that they give to customers, and they also have a full-service bar in the rear of the restaurant. I really liked the sign on the front of the building that reads "Tortillas hechas a mano."

Left: Inside Taco Loco. Note the complete bar to the upper left of the photo. Right: One of the pretty waitresses picks up an order to deliver to a hungry customer.

I'm been wandering the streets of Tijuana, and I really needed a beer, so I sat down at one of their tables and was immediately served an ice-cold Corona by a pretty waitress. One thing turned into another, and pretty soon the one beer had turned into four, or was it five? At $.99 per beer, who cares? Taco Loco is a very pleasant place to sit and sip a Corona, as it's located across from the Wax Museum, and there is an endless sea of pedestrians to watch. It appears that when the ample wait staff aren't waiting on customers, they're supposed to grab a menu, station themselves in front of the restaurant, and try to lure potential customers into the establishment by showing the menu and shouting "Taco! Taco!" Truly an interesting spectacle.

Left: This cute girl holds the menu in her hand and solicits business, in the middle of pedestrian-friendly Articulo 123, by yelling "Taco! Taco!" Rght: How could I resist not publishing this photo as she takes a break?

After another Corona or two, I asked the friendly waitress if they had any tacos de tripa, as that was a selection on their menu, but, alas, they were out of tripa, so I had to settle for a carne asada taco. My taco arrived garnished with fresh, salsa cruda, grilled onions, and creamy guacamole. Along with the taco came a complementary bowl of fresh, salsa cruda, and a bowl of in-house made chips to enjoy with my beer and taco. The waitress told me that when the chips and salsa ran out, just to whistle at her and she'd bring more. By the way, it's the custom in Mexico for patrons to whistle at their wait-staff to get their attention. For a dollar, you get a delicious carne asada taco, and all the fresh salsa and chips you can eat. Such a sweet deal!

Left: The busy kitchen staff pause to allow me to take a photo. Note the huge pile of grilled, green chilie peppers, which are served with every dish. Right: My $2.00 meal of a delicious Corona beer, a carne asada taco, and an endless stream of fresh salsa cruda and tortilla chips.

I highly recommend a visit to Taco Loco!

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