Greg had his favorite hangout places in town, and I quickly found my own favorite places. Some of Greg's hangout places are still here while others have closed, and some were completely gone. The lack of cruise ships in town for 17 months due to Covid put a dent in their economy, but most of the places managed to stay open. A few of our favorite hangout spots:
Tequila's
Best sports bar in town with a fun atmosphere. Great bartender Tommy, fun owner Louis, and multiple tv channels. An excellent place to watch Sunday football in town.
Phosphorus
Nothing special about the place that makes it stand out from the rest, but Greg's longtime friend Danny the bartender and the cheap cerveza at just 2 dollars a bottle makes this place one of our favorite hangout spots! The owner of the place is also cool; she always says hi to us whenever we run into each other in town away from the bar. It has outdoor seating as well. Good place to sit and people watch. It's right on the path back to the cruise ships, so it's pretty hilarious at times watching the tourists walk back to their boats after visiting bars all day in town.
El Corralito
My favorite restaurant and bar. A couple of very animated bartenders make it a fun place to have a drink. JJ makes an awesome Pina Colada with fresh shaven coconut on top, yum! Their food is also excellent and inexpensive. All of their nachos are really good. What also makes the place unique is that you can order the same thing, but is served differently depending on who is cooking that day. Definitely a place to check out!
Tacos!
Taco Tuesday? nahh..... Tacos every day!! Since being here in Ensenada we have been averaging tacos 5 days a week! Taco stands, restaurants, or on the boat, all have been good!! My favorite taco stand offers tacos carne or pescado, and also tostadas. It's run by a father and his three girls. Tacos are just a dollar a piece! Two excellent taco stands in town, both serve carne asada and fish tacos. I found out that here in Mexico you order your tacos, add all the fixings yourself after getting your tortillas with meat or fish, stand around the taco cart eating them, and then pay. The street tacos are yummy! If you feel like venturing further into the city there are even taco stands. There is also a little hole in the wall around the corner from the fish market that serves excellent shrimp tacos, with a nice selection of hot sauces… and some of them are super-hot! Both taco stands are family owned and have been there for years. It was a little difficult to communicate at first because I know no Spanish and they don't speak English, but after a few visits it became easy enough to order and pay.
So those are a few of our favorite spots in Ensenada!