By Dan Hanley
Vegan food in Tijuana.
Tijuana (TJ), Mexico is a quick 2 1/2 hour drive from LA. I have come to
love Tijuana, for many reasons. I recently spent a couple of days there
to drop off donations to some nuns there serving migrant women and
children, to speak Spanish and to check out some of the amazing vegan
food options there.
A couple of things to know before going from California to Tijuana.
First, you need your passport. I also recommend purchasing insurance for
the amount of days you’re there, if you’re driving. Bring pesos. Your
bank can help or you can get them at the last exit before entering
Mexico. Traffic can be crazy, and if it makes you uncomfortable to drive
there it’s easy to Uber around or use the local buses. If you want to
stay in Tijuana there are a lot of great Airbnb options all over and in
the central part of town some nice hotels, like the Lucerna.
Also, activism of all kinds is alive and well in Tijuana. This trip for
me was to bring donations to the Centro Madre Assunta, and there are
literally dozens of nonprofits doing amazing work for humans, animals
and the environment.
Playas de Tijuana is the area of the city along the ocean and the US
border. Super relaxed with beaches, a boardwalk and work out spaces
along the boardwalk. I love it. While here there are three spots I
suggest. Luwak Cafe is on the main boulevard and is a small cafe/coffee
shop. And they serve vegan waffles! I love them mainly because of their
staff, and vegan waffles help. Head south and you will find The Green
House. Mostly sandwiches, tacos and veggie burgers, add smoothies. I
tried the tacos and the agua fresca of the day which was lime. Number
three is La Veggicheria, right on the boardwalk maybe two blocks south
of the border. The view is gorgeous, all ocean. Sitting outside with
that view and delish food is pretty perfect. Their burger is pretty
popular and I loved their mole.
Alma Verde is a spot I didn’t get a chance to go to but heard good
things about. Two locations in Tijuana. I will report back once I go
here next trip.
My favorite spot in Tijuana to eat is Mazon Vegano. It’s near the
southern part of the Avenue of the Insurgents (Avenida de los
Insurgentes) in an inside area of placed food trucks. Their quesadillas
were so good! I started with two and had to try a third. Fresh and
flavorful, with a great salsa to go along with them. The mind-blowing
part of the meal was the blueberry cheesecake, the best cheesecake I
have ever had!
You’re probably hungry now. And if you are like many people I tell that I
love Tijuana, you might be thinking about safety. I have never felt
unsafe in Tijuana. I have heard the stories, and like any city with
crowds you want to be careful, and use common sense. Tijuana is a
wonderful place, and add in all of the delish food options and you’ll
have a great time.