Las Ahumaderas

THE BEST TACOS NO CAPPPP NO DIDDY my dad lowkey put me on and all the people are straightforward so don't be shy but the name translates to the smoking ones if ya were wondering another thing my dad told me

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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"!

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!

Food is so good. Great service and a perfect place for a grab and go. Love the atmosphere

the tacos were great I like the cabeza but it needs flavor. And the drink and service were great ima come here When im in vacation