DIY Ensenada Food/Brew Day

[rnr4thatsme]

Hey there..  thinking of doing a DIY food/drink day in Ensenada.   Any recommendations?  What about Taco Fenix and La Guerrerense?  Prefer not too far from port with do-able line-ups so we can hit a few, and prefer food cart type experience as opposed to sit down.  Most of the party isn't into wine - but craft brews, tequilas and margaritas would be great!  What are your favorites - how far away are they, and how long should we expect to be in line?  

 

Alternately, would you recommend this excursion instead of DIY: https://www.carnival.com/shore-excursions/ensenada/ultimate-local-food-teller-310062?selectedVariant=RD20231204004310062202312061115

[SelectSys]

9 hours ago, rnr4thatsme said:

thinking of doing a DIY food/drink day in Ensenada

You are on the right path from my perspective with a DIY day in Ensenada.  I would add Bar Anadaluz and Hussong's Cantina to your selection.  Both play a historic role in the city and both believe they invented the margarita.  My money, for what it's worth, my money is on Bar Anadaluz.

 

Remember that La Guerrense has both a cart and a restaurant.  The more authentic experience (and cheaper) is to eat off of the cart.  Another good spot for lunch after a tostada from the cart might be Muelle 3 (Pier 3) if you want something by the harbor.  A walkable cerveceria  would be Wendlant to try one of the bigger local beer companies. 

 

Another alternative would be to get a cab and visit the Valle de Guadalupe for some wine tasting and lunch.  

 

The bottom line is to do your research on the web and don't let some local steer you into a location where they may be getting a commission.  I am sure others here will have ideas as well.

 

BTW - anytime you contact with someone (e.g., taxi driver) make sure to agree to everything up front such as time, number of stops, etc and of course price!

Edited September 29, 2023 by SelectSys

[Milhouse]

We visited Ensenada for the first time last Novemeber and hoofed it to three food carts:  Tacos Fenix, Tacos Corona, and La Guerrerense.  We took some tips from a food blogger/Youtuber we follow called Mark Wiens who did a Youtube video for Ensenada a few years ago.  

 

Tacos Fenix and Tacos Corona are across the street from each other so it's easy to try both.  It's not long a very long walk but we also did not find it to be super interesting other than seeing a different part of Ensenada.  There was a short line for both with only locals when we went.  Happy we tried both; tasty but not life changing.  Very inexpensive.  Friendly staff at both.

 

We then made our way back towards the town area and shared a variety of items at the La Guerrerense cart (not restaurant).  Very busy with tourists but we did not find the wait to order and for our food to be very long at all.  The tostadas especiales were pretty loaded but I think we liked the simpler ceviches and conchas better.  Also found a few of the items a tad too citrusy for me.  But overall enjoyed everything we ordered. We bought a few jars of salsa to take home as souvenirs/gifts which were pretty tasty.  Happy we ate here even though it's way over touristed  with prices that reflect that.  Very friendly and helpful staff.  

 

Eating at these three places pretty much stuffed us.  However, we did end up getting a churro from a street vendor which was subpar (don't think the oil was hot enough).  Also, an alternative to La Guerrerense that we were too full to try was El Güero Ens 1981.

 

Have attached some pictures of the menus to give an idea of pricing but I'm guessing they would have gone up by now.  

 

[rnr4thatsme]

Thanks all for the suggestions!

[SelectSys]

On 9/29/2023 at 10:11 PM, Milhouse said:

Have attached some pictures of the menus to give an idea of pricing but I'm guessing they would have gone up by now.

And the $ has gone down too!

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

On 10/4/2023 at 10:28 AM, SelectSys said:

And the $ has gone down too!

Sadly, 17.4 pesos to the USD few days ago.  Please, bring back those 22 to the $ days.  

[pppiglet]

Did pretty much the same places a few weeks ago.  Walked from the port to Tacos Fenix, across the street to Taco Coronas, then around the corner to Tacos Castillos.  Walked to the other side of the city and stopped for a Margarita at El Corralito.  Excellent!  Touristy spot.  Can't miss it.  Pink building. 

The down the street to the La Guerrerense stand.  Really good. Stuffed and went back to the ship. 

A really good day. 

 

In July we tried to go brewery hopping but found most of them were closed or opened later.  

[L1211]

Did you feel safe walking around the pier and downtown areas?  How far to downtown from port? Thanks! 

[SelectSys]

On 12/13/2023 at 9:16 AM, L1211 said:

How far to downtown from port? Thanks! 

To the far end of the tourist zone is about a mile walk all in.  I picked "Papas and Beer" as the end destination even though I would personally recommend to go around the corner to "Hussong's."

 

 

On 12/13/2023 at 9:16 AM, L1211 said:

Did you feel safe walking around the pier and downtown areas?

The Ensenada tourist area is extremely safe and even more so during the day.

[Thrak]

On 12/18/2023 at 11:41 AM, SelectSys said:

o the far end of the tourist zone is about a mile walk all in.  I picked "Papas and Beer" as the end destination even though I would personally recommend to go around the corner to "Hussong's."

 

I realize this is an older thread but I definitely agree on Hussong's. The last time we were in Ensenada we walked through town to Hussong's Cantina. We each had 2 margaritas (not blended with ice) and then I asked for a shot of Cazadores Tequila. The "shot" looked more like a double. The total cost was $16 US. Great margaritas and a pleasant bartender. The exchange rate was posted prominently on the wall so there was no confusion regarding cost. We had a nice and relaxing time with good drinks. I just smiled at the bartender, said "Gracias", dropped a $20 USD bill on the bar and walked back to the ship. Good drinks, good price, good service, and leaving $20 US made for an excellent tip for the bartender. The next time we hit Ensenada we will do the same again. We could have gone to a tourist place like Senor Frog's and spent more but the drinks wouldn't have been any better and likely not as good.

[SelectSys]

On 2/2/2024 at 4:41 PM, Thrak said:

The next time we hit Ensenada we will do the same again

You also might want to hit up Bar Andaluz for a margarita as well.  It's a completely different atmosphere than Hussong's, but is definitely worth a visit too.

 

https://www.discoverbaja.com/2021/04/30/bajas-battle-over-the-birthplace-of-the-margarita/