Caesar’s Tijuana: Eating the Original Caesar Salad Where It Was Born

Photo: Johntex / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5); Avenida Revolución.

Jet Set LatAM · Restaurant Guide

The Caesar salad is not Roman, not Californian and not invented in a hotel kitchen in New York. It became famous in Tijuana in the 1920s, at the restaurant of Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini, when Prohibition sent Americans south of the border in search of a drink and a good meal.

Today you can still order it at Caesar’s on Avenida Revolución, tossed tableside the old-fashioned way. Here’s how to plan your visit.

The tableside ritual

Waiters roll a cart to your table and build the dressing in a wooden bowl: garlic, anchovy, egg, lime, Worcestershire, olive oil and Parmesan, then whole romaine leaves tossed and plated with croutons. Traditionally you eat the leaves with your fingers.

The rest of the menu

Caesar’s serves a classic menu beyond the salad, from steaks to pastas, in a dark-wood dining room with old photos of the restaurant’s heyday. It’s a lovely first stop before a night of Tijuana tacos.

How to visit

Lunch and early dinner are the easiest times. Pair it with a walk along Avenida Revolución and a look into the art arcades of Pasaje Rodríguez nearby.

Good to know

• Getting there. Avenida Revolución is a short taxi or ride-app trip from the San Ysidro crossing.
• Pace yourself. Order the salad to share if you plan to keep eating your way through Tijuana.
• Evening. Use ride apps after dark.

What to pack

• Leather loafers: for walking Revolución
• Packing cubes: room for Baja wine
• Our full travel collection on ShopMy ↗

Where to stay

Zona Río is Tijuana’s most convenient base. The flight search and live accommodation map below help you plan.

Frequently asked questions

Was the Caesar salad invented in Tijuana?

Yes, it is credited to Caesar Cardini’s restaurant in Tijuana in the 1920s.

Where is Caesar’s restaurant in Tijuana?

On Avenida Revolución in the city center.

Is the salad still made tableside?

Yes, waiters prepare it at your table in a wooden bowl.

Keep reading

• Tijuana food guide: where to eat
• Misión 19 Tijuana: Baja Med tasting menu
• Underrated Latin America: 22 destinations for your next trip

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