Happy with a sope topped with cochinita pibil & a quesadilla

One of the highlights of Ensenada is the variety and quality of restaurants in the central part of town.  Nearly every corner has a food stand, and there are frequently several taco shops on a single city block.

Ceviche tostada

Like in many coastal cities, seafood is often featured on the menu.  In Ensenada the most popular way to serve seafood seems to be in ceviche – the fish is “cooked” in citrus juice, mixed with onions, chile peppers, and sometimes other vegetables, and served on a tostada shell or in a taco.  Ceviche here can be made with fish, but it’s often prepared with clams, mussels, octopus, squid, or scallops.

Birria de res taco

A second style of restaurant features guisados, or stews.  A guisado restaurant typically has 5 or 6 pots of different stewed meats – pollo mole (chicken in a rich, slightly sweet brown sauce made with chiles, pumpkin, and even a little chocolate), cochinita (stewed pork with achiote and a little nutmeg), and birria de res (stewed beef) all seem to be common.  The guisado is served in a taco, or on a tostada shell, or with cheese in a quesadilla.

This was our second visit to 240 Grill- it was just as outstanding as our first time

Mike’s favorite style of restaurant comes with a grill and a spit.  The grill is for cooking carne asada, marinated strips of skirt steak; the carne asada is diced up after grilling.  The spit usually holds large pieces of marinated pork, or adobado, and revolves around a gas flame.  Thin slices of adobado are shaved off the spit.  The carne asada or adobado is then served, you guessed it, in a taco, or on a tostada shell, or with cheese in a quesadilla.

240 Grill- pulpo pastor taco on the left and marlin ahumado quesadilla on the right- delicious!

Typically, the restaurants are very simple – you order at the counter, they prepare the food, and then it’s dropped off at the table.  After eating, you head back to the counter and try to flag someone down to pay.  No one seems to keep track of what you actually ordered – perhaps they do, but it seems to be more or less on the honor system.  A full meal for two runs $6 to $8 USD (without drinks; if you add a beer or two with dinner the check may reach $10 or $12 for two).

Delicious!

Another delicious fish taco & pulpo taco