Gate 22’s Café 1 is your cheapest coffee inside security
Café 1 sits just past gate 22 in TIJ’s Main Terminal, so you’re already through security when you line up for a quick espresso before boarding. It runs daily from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM, which covers the early domestic departures and most evening flights without forcing a hunt for coffee elsewhere in the terminal.
With a single dollar-sign price tier, Café 1 is one of the more budget-friendly stops in this part of the Main Terminal. Expect basic café pricing instead of airport-gouge levels: espresso comes in well under what you’d pay at the bigger chains closer to the CBX end, and drip coffee is the cheapest caffeine you’ll find near gate 22.
The menu leans simple: standard coffee drinks, a few pastries, and the house focus, a straight espresso. That shot is the move here — hotter and stronger than the default filter coffee. If you need calories, grab a pastry or small snack, but don’t expect a full breakfast plate or made-to-order hot dishes at this café.
Café 1 sits squarely in the Main Terminal zone serving gates in the low 20s, so it makes sense only if you’re already near gate 22. The 4-star average rating puts it above some of the other quick-grab stands, mostly on speed and price rather than any specialty drinks or elaborate latte art.
Lines spike around the 6:00–7:30 AM bank of departures, when multiple flights out of TIJ board almost back to back near gate 22. The small footprint means just a few people ahead of you can add 5–10 minutes. In the evenings before the 8:00–9:00 PM departures, service tends to be a bit quicker and seating nearby opens up.
Tip: if you’re flying from gate 22 or nearby, grab your espresso at Café 1 and then head straight to the gate; there’s no reason to double back toward CBX for pricier coffee.
Espresso