Tijuana craft beer guide: a downtown taproom crawl, plus the breweries worth a ride

Tijuana’s craft beer scene is one of the easiest nights out in the city to plan, because the heart of it fits inside a few blocks of Avenida Revolución, roughly 10 to 15 minutes on foot from the San Ysidro pedestrian crossing. Here’s a route through the downtown taprooms in our directory, the breweries worth a taxi ride, and what to expect to pay. Hours change often, so check each place’s page or social accounts before you set out.

The downtown crawl

Border Psycho Cantina. Start closest to the border, on Revolución between Calle Segunda and Calle Tercera, about ten minutes’ walk from the crossing. The house beers run strong, led by La Perversa, a double IPA, and the Imperial Psycho Ale, with guest taps from other Baja breweries and pub food such as pizza, wings and sopes. The brewery lists hours of 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday and 2 p.m. to midnight Wednesday to Saturday. Profile.

Mamut. A couple of minutes away, upstairs above a pharmacy on Calle Tercera, Mamut pours more than two dozen house beers, from Tijuanita, a 4% Mexican lager, to the Bandido porter and the Mastodonte imperial stout, which tops 10%. Pizza is the main event in the kitchen, and most weekends there’s a live band, so come in the afternoon if you want to talk. There’s no cover, and cards are accepted. Profile.

Norte Brewing Co. Next, take the elevator to the fifth floor of the Foreign Club parking garage on Calle Cuarta. Norte has brewed on site since 2015, and its floor-to-ceiling windows look over the Revolución rooftops toward the arch and the border, so time this stop for sunset. It lists 2 p.m. to midnight Monday to Saturday and 2 to 10 p.m. on Sunday; expect an elevator line on busy nights. Profile.

Insurgente Tap Room Centro. Back on Revolución at Calle Cuarta, Insurgente keeps twelve beers on draft, led by La Lupulosa IPA, with no cover. It stays open until 2 a.m. Wednesday to Saturday and closes at 10 p.m. the rest of the week. Profile.

La República de Hops Underground. For a late finish with live music, the Underground pours house beer Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and shows are ticketed separately. The brewery lists it at Revolución 821 (other listings differ, so check your ticket); its main taproom at Pasaje Sonia, Calle Sexta 8175, opens daily at noon. Profile.

Rather dance? 93 Beer Tap, a brewpub at Madero 1270, one street over from Revolución, has a rooftop with DJs on weekends, and Atly notes a 200-peso cover that doesn’t include a drink. This Saturday, MØD hosts a house and tech house night there from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. (details).

Worth the ride

Lúdica. Lúdica’s taphouse sits on the brewery’s production floor in La Mesa, near Mercado de Todos. It has 17 beer taps, burgers from Ollie’s and deals worth timing: two lagers for MX$120 from 2 to 5 p.m., and two IPAs for 195 pesos on Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m. It opens Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday until 9 p.m., and it’s closed Monday and Tuesday. Profile.

Farland Aleworks. About 600 meters from Estadio Caliente, in Colonia 20 de Noviembre, this sci-fi-themed brewery opened in 2022. Its hazy pale ale Yoda the Gentleman won a bronze medal at the San Diego International Beer Competition, and the kitchen turns out pizzas and wings, which makes it an easy stop before or after a Xolos match. Listings disagree on hours, so check Instagram. Profile.

Plaza Fiesta and beyond. In Zona Río, Plaza Fiesta was once the city’s craft beer hub. Most of its small breweries have since opened their own taprooms, but a 2024 guide found Bosiger still brewing there, across from the Sótano Suizo bar. And Madueño Brewing Co., known for its hazy beers, now lists a new tasting room at Jalisco 2816, in Colonia Dávila, on its website; check its Instagram for hours before you go.

What it costs

A 2024 beer guide put most pints in town at 70 to 120 pesos. Mamut lists 16-ounce pours at 80 to 100 pesos and pitchers at 150 to 250, and Norte runs a little higher. Mamut, Insurgente and Lúdica charge no cover; concerts and DJ nights are ticketed or charge at the door.

Plan your night

• Walk the downtown route, and take a taxi or ride-hail to Lúdica, Farland and Plaza Fiesta.
• Bring ID. Show nights are usually 18 and over, and the Underground is 18+.
• Pace yourself: several house beers are well above the strength of a regular lager.
• Before you head back, check the border wait times on our homepage.

For more nights out, browse our guides and see what’s on this week on the calendar.