La Mezcalera

La Mezcalera is the bar that started the modern Calle Sexta. It opened on the Sexta between Revolución and Madero when the street was still mostly cantinas, and it is credited by local musicians and by the San Diego press with getting tijuanenses to go out downtown again after the slow years of the late 2000s. Today it is a mezcal bar, a rock bar and a small live venue at the same time, and it is still the first stop for a lot of people on a Sexta night.

The vibe

Three bars in one building, combining the look of a traditional cantina with rock and indie DJs: that is the standard description, and it holds. The front room is the classic one, with mezcal bottles behind the bar and chapulines on the menu; deeper in there is more room to dance, and a space the staff call the Picnic area that doubles as a warm-up stage for shows. The founders, Sergio González and César Fernández, are named by musicians from Nortec Collective and the local indie scene as the people who built a place for them to play, and the bar has kept that role. On weekends it is crowded, loud and happy, with a crowd of all ages.

What to expect

Mezcal is the reason for the name: the list covers several brands and styles, alongside national and local craft beers. The music is DJ-driven most nights, leaning on indie, rock and electronic, and the live calendar brings in acts that fit a small room. In September 2025 Gil Cerezo, the singer of Kinky, played a solo show here with tickets at MX$100 general and MX$250 backstage through Boletia, which gives a sense of the scale: close, cheap, and sold through Instagram and ticket links rather than a box office. The bar’s own listings describe it as more about tasting than dancing, which is true early in the evening and less true after midnight.

Prices and entry

On a regular night expect to pay for drinks rather than a cover; ticketed shows are the exception and sell in advance. The mezcal list has entry-level pours as well as pricier bottles. The bar is open Wednesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.; it is closed Sunday through Tuesday, which surprises visitors who plan a Sunday stop.

Getting there

Calle Sexta 8267, Zona Centro, between Avenida Revolución and Avenida Madero, directly across from Dandy del Sur. It is a 20-minute walk from the San Ysidro pedestrian crossing down Revolución, then a turn onto Sexta, or a ten-minute ride from Zona Río. Taxis and ride-hail pick up on Revolución at the corner.

Good to know

• Closed Sunday to Tuesday; Wednesday is the quiet night to actually taste mezcal.
• Follow @lamezcaleratj for shows and DJ nights.
• Food is bar snacks, chapulines included; eat tacos on Revolución first.
• Neighbors: Dandy del Sur across the street, Moustache Bar around the corner on Madero, Black Box on Revolución.

See the guides for a full Calle Sexta crawl, and the calendar for shows.