La Historia  De Tijuana a Chula Vista

The alley that
crossed the border

A row of all-night taco stands in Tijuana, a television crew led by Anthony Bourdain, and a family that carried the whole thing to 1011 Broadway. This is how it happened.

Nº 01  Tijuana

El callejón.

In Tijuana, Las Ahumaderas is not a restaurant. It is a row of all-night taco stands the whole city knows by name — built by the Rodríguez family, stand by stand, with El Poblano and Las Quince Letras among them. Smoke off the trompos, tacos until sunrise, nosotros los tacos.

The rules of the house never changed: adobada carved off the trompo, double corn tortillas, real guacamole, char off the grill. Al estilo Tijuana.

“La cura son los tacos.”

Adobada tacos with guacamole, cilantro and salsa in paper wrappers
La firma de la casa: adobada del trompo

Nº 02  La televisión

The alley Bourdain
put on TV

The alley became legend far beyond Tijuana. Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations featured Las Ahumaderas — the all-night taco alley where this kitchen was born. The cameras left; the line never really ended.

As featured on No Reservations

Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations featured the Tijuana taco alley where Las Ahumaderas was born.

En la prensa · “From Tijuana to Chula Vista” · NBC 7 San Diego

Nº 03  2023 · El cruce

Across
the border

In 2023, founder Pedro Rodríguez carried the alley across the border to 1011 Broadway in Chula Vista. Google lists it as “Las Ahumaderas By El Poblano” — the family stand’s name riding along. Same family. Same trompo. This side of the line.

The door stays open the way the alley taught it: until midnight most nights, 3 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Tijuana · el callejón 1011 Broadway · Chula Vista
Las Ahumaderas storefront at night: TACOS painted on the brick, neon signs glowing, the number 1011 by the door
1011 Broadway, después del anochecer

Visítanos

Las Ahumaderas
1011 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA 91911
(619) 500-5074 · [email protected]
Monday · Thursday11:00 AM · 12:00 AM
Friday · Saturday10:00 AM · 3:00 AM
Sunday10:00 AM · 12:00 AM