Pasaje Rodríguez

What’s there

Pasaje Rodríguez is a covered passage that cuts from Avenida Revolución, between Calle 3a and Calle 4a, through to Avenida Constitución. Step in from the bustle of La Revu and the pace drops: storefronts and murals, coffee counters, a bookstore that hosts readings, record bins and collectible shops, and two small theaters. Writing about the pasajes that open off Revolución in 2025, HOLA! Viajes described them as bursts of creativity, with murals, alternative galleries and independent bookshops.

Tenants change, but the directory on Visit La Revu, a downtown guide, lists cafés such as El Grafógrafo, Café Delizia, La Lola Café and Café Aether; art collectives including La Caja Fuerte and Laborder Studio Colectivo; Casa Retro for records; Tadaima and Manga Plus for collectibles; the theaters Teatro Valentina and Pieza Laboratorio; Babel, a multilingual bookstore; Tredicci Pizza; Antojitos Regionales Oaxaca; vintage clothing; and an outpost of Mamut, the craft brewery. It is still a working arcade, so you’ll also pass opticians, a dentist and souvenir shops.

A short history

The passage dates to around 1920. According to a 2024 San Diego Red history, the Foreign Club hotel and casino stood on this site from 1917, a businessman named Rodríguez later bought the property, and from the 1950s to the 1970s the arcade sold leather, silver, souvenirs and cigars. It declined from the 1980s, and by the late 1990s its shops had closed. In late 2009, local artists asked the administration to rent spaces for galleries and workshops and set about cleaning and repairing it, TV Azteca Baja California recounts. San Diego Red credits a manager who took over in the 2010s with improving the lighting and curating the storefronts and murals.

What to expect

Daytime is the main event, so bring time to browse rather than a checklist. El Grafógrafo, a bookstore and café, hosts readings and book presentations; Zeta announced one there for April 17, 2026. The passage also holds themed weekend fairs. San Diego Red mentions gothic fashion markets, vegetarian food fests and anime events, and the vinyl fair is the best known. The 2025 edition ran Aug. 16 and 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with free entry.

Prices and entry

You pay at the counters, not at the door; none of the sources we checked lists an entry fee for the passage. Coffee, pizza and Oaxacan snacks make it an easy stop between other plans, and fairs and theater shows set their own prices.

Getting there

Pasaje Rodríguez is at Av. Revolución 917 in Zona Centro, between Calle 3a and Calle 4a, and you can also enter from Avenida Constitución on the other side. Pasaje Gómez is on the same block of Revolución, and Pasaje Sonia and Pasaje Revolución are a short walk along La Revu, so it’s easy to see several arcades in one outing.

Good to know

• Each shop sets its own hours. Listings give roughly 9 or 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, so midday and afternoon are the safest bets.
• The Visit La Revu directory lists public restrooms inside the passage.
• Tenants come and go; check a shop’s social media before making a special trip.
• It pairs well with a downtown night: Caesar’s, Black Box, La Mezcalera and the main Mamut taproom are all in Zona Centro, and La República de Hops Underground is a short walk up Revolución.
• Because it’s covered, it’s one of downtown’s better rainy-day plans.

For more places by neighborhood, see our guides, and for what’s on this week, check the calendar.