Tacos El Gordo

Tacos El Gordo began as a single stand in Tijuana in the early 1970s and grew into the taqueria most responsible for exporting adobada, the Baja California version of pork cooked on a vertical spit, to the United States. The original operation still runs in Tijuana, with the busiest branch on Boulevard Diaz Ordaz in La Mesa, and the format has not changed: a long counter, a row of taqueros each working a single specialism, and a trompo of marinated pork turning against a gas flame from mid-morning until two in the morning. The adobada is the reason to come. Pork is marinated in dried chillies and spices, stacked on the spit, and shaved directly onto small corn tortillas that have been dipped briefly in the fat below, then finished with onion, coriander, guacamole salsa and a squeeze of lime. Alongside it the stand serves asada from the grill, and the offal specialisms Tijuana takes seriously: cabeza, lengua, tripa, sesos and buche, each cooked at its own station. Tortillas are small and tacos are eaten two or three at a time; most cost between 25 and 40 pesos each, so a full meal rarely exceeds 200 pesos. There is no table service and no reservations. Diners queue at the station serving what they want, order directly from the taquero, dress the tacos at the salsa bar, and pay at the till on the way out, in cash. Standing tables line the walls and there is little seating. The room is bright, loud and busy at all hours, with the peak after midnight when Tijuana's bars empty. It is a working taqueria rather than a destination restaurant, and the quality is highest when the queue is longest and the trompo is turning over fast. Visitors crossing at San Ysidro can reach La Mesa in a short taxi ride.