Carne asada tacos at Gate 23 beat another soggy sandwich.
Restaurant 1 sits just past Gate 23 in TIJ’s Main Terminal, fully post-security and open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. It leans local Mexican, not generic terminal fast food, and the menu hits that mid-range $$ price point. Figure around 140–220 MXN for most mains, a bit more if you add extras and a drink.
The move here is the carne asada tacos, called out by staff as their signature. Portion size runs three tacos per order, with fresh tortillas and grilled beef that tastes like it actually touched a plancha, not a steam table. Salsa comes on the side, usually two types, so you can keep it mild if you have a flight in 45 minutes and don’t want to test your stomach at 35,000 feet.
Breakfast runs from about 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM, with chilaquiles and eggs priced in the 120–180 MXN range. After that it shifts to tacos, quesadillas, and a couple of bigger plates. Soft drinks and bottled water sit under 50 MXN; beer is more, closer to 80–110 MXN depending on brand. Service is table-style, not grab-and-go, so budget 35–50 minutes if you want to sit and eat without clock-watching.
Rating sits around 4.5 stars online, which is high for an airport spot in a single-terminal field like TIJ. Seating is open to the concourse, so you can keep an eye on boarding at Gate 23 or nearby gates in the low-20s. It’s loud at peak times, especially around the morning bank of flights between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM, but turnover is quick enough that getting a table usually isn’t a drama.
Tip: order, pay, and ask for the check when your food arrives if your flight boards in under 40 minutes; that shaves 5–10 minutes off the back end when everyone else is trying to leave at once.
Carne Asada Tacos