Tijuana is not a pizza city. Tijuana is a taco city, a seafood city, a carne asada city. And that is exactly why the pizza here is worth paying attention to. The spots that survive the taco competition have to be exceptional. They cannot coast on convenience. Every pizzeria on this list exists because someone had the nerve to open an oven in taco territory.
The pizza tradition in Tijuana stretches back further than most people realize. The first serious pizzeria opened in 1969. Today the city has Neapolitan wood-fired ovens, New York slice joints, and Sardinian brick ovens. One place puts mole poblano on a pizza crust. We ate our way through the best pizza in Tijuana. These five tell the full story.
What Makes the Best Pizza in Tijuana Different
Tijuana sits 20 minutes from San Diego. The proximity to California means pizza culture crossed the border decades ago. But what happened next was not imitation. It was adaptation.
In 1970, a Tijuana barman put salsa de frijoles, chorizo, and jalapenos on a pizza and called it Pizza Mexicana. That invention at Giuseppis became a regional staple. Today you find Mexican-topped pizzas at shops across the city. Nobody calls it fusion. It is just what pizza tastes like here.
The other force is the Baja Med movement. Tijuana’s chefs have spent two decades blending Mexican, Mediterranean, and Asian flavors into a regional cuisine. That mindset shows up in pizza. Mole poblano becomes a base sauce. Enchilados shrimp land as a topping. Arugula with pear and Roquefort sit on a thin crust. The pizza makers in Tijuana do not copy Italy or New York. They take what works and make it local.
Wood-fired ovens are the standard at the top end. The Gastronomic District on Boulevard Salinas and the Zona Gastronomica in Playas both concentrate pizza talent. The price range is wide: 50 pesos for a build-your-own personal pizza to 325 pesos for a Sardinian-style specialty.
1. Giuseppis
Juan Jose Plascencia was a barman in Tijuana. Everyone called him Don Tana. In 1969, after a trip to Filipe’s Pizzeria in San Diego, he came home with an idea. He threw a party for his coworkers, found recipes, and baked pizzas. His wife Martha and a woman everyone knew as Nana Chela helped him build the operation. Giuseppis opened with eight tables, a single oven, and a small room.
One year later, Don Tana invented the Pizza Mexicana. He spread salsa de frijoles across the dough, then layered tocino, chorizo, jalapenos, and red pepper on top. Nobody had done that before. That pizza became a regional icon. Giuseppis became part of Grupo Plascencia, one of Tijuana’s most influential restaurant families. Today the chain runs nine locations across Tijuana and Rosarito.
Giuseppis is not the fanciest pizza in Tijuana. It is the most important. More than 50 years of continuous operation. The place where Tijuana learned what pizza could be.
What to Order
The Pizza Mexicana. This is the original. The bean salsa base changes everything. Add the Hawaiian if your table wants variety. The lunch special runs 95 pesos ($5 USD): a small salad, soup, and your choice of fettuccine, lasagna, or beef. For pizza, budget 150 to 250 pesos ($8 to $13 USD) per person.
What to Know
Nine locations across the city. The Playas branch on Arenal has ocean proximity. The Plaza Rio location is central and easy to find. The Agua Caliente branch draws the after-work crowd. All locations are family-friendly. Cards accepted. Hours vary by branch.
Details
Address (Playas): Arenal No. 109-5, Terrazas de Mendoza, 22330 Playas de Tijuana
Address (Plaza Rio): Paseo de los Heroes, Zona Rio, Tijuana, B.C.
Hours: Vary by location. Check giuseppis.mx
Phone: See website for branch-specific numbers
2. Tony’s Original New York Pizza
Tony grew up with a Mexican mother and an Italian father. He worked in Italian kitchens as a teenager. He lived in New York City for 15 years. Then he moved to Tijuana and opened a pizza shop on Calle Brasil in the Cacho neighborhood.
The pizzas are massive. Each one fills a table. You can buy by the slice. You fold it in half and eat it like a New York slice is supposed to be eaten. Tony won the Los Angeles Pizza Festival. Local food critics named it the best in the city. The Siciliana is thick-crusted and loaded. The Manhattan is thin and clean.
There is no other New York-style pizza in Tijuana at this level. Tony brought the technique south and did not water it down.
What to Order
The Siciliana if you want volume. The Manhattan if you want precision. Buy by the slice if you are solo. The calzone is a sleeper. Skip the pastas. You are here for pizza. A slice and a drink will run you about 80 to 120 pesos ($4 to $6 USD). A whole pie feeds three to four people for 250 to 350 pesos ($13 to $18 USD).
What to Know
Closed Mondays. Tuesday through Wednesday 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM. Thursday through Saturday 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Sunday noon to 7:00 PM. The Cacho neighborhood sits between Zona Rio and the Gastronomic District. Easy taxi ride from the border. Cards accepted. Walk-ins only.
Details
Address: Calle Brasil S/N, Col. Madero (Cacho), 22040 Tijuana, B.C.
Hours: Tuesday to Wednesday 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM. Thursday to Saturday 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Sunday 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Closed Monday.
Phone: +52 664 684 7504
3. Gianluca Ristorante Pizzeria
Chef Antonello grew up among bakers on the island of Sardinia. He came to Tijuana and opened Gianluca in July 2013 at Plaza Unisur. The city adopted it fast. Within a few years, six locations spread across Tijuana. Each one has a brick oven. Each one follows the same rule: thin crust, fresh ingredients, artisanal preparation.
The Pizza Tijuana al Modo Mio is the house signature. It costs 315 pesos and it earns every peso. The four cheese pizza pulls crowds at every branch. The edges char just enough. The crust snaps when you tear it. The menu runs deep: pastas, antipasti, salads, chicken parmigiana. But the pizza is why people drive across the city to a specific branch.
What to Order
The Pizza Tijuana al Modo Mio at 315 pesos ($16 USD). This is Antonello’s statement piece. The four cheese pizza is the crowd favorite. Order the Pizza Antonello al Modo Mio at 325 pesos ($16 USD) if you want the chef’s personal recipe. Start with an antipasto. Budget 200 to 400 pesos ($10 to $20 USD) per person.
What to Know
Six locations across Tijuana. The Agua Caliente branch is the most central. The Hipodromo location draws the after-races crowd. Monday through Thursday noon to 9:00 PM. Friday noon to 10:00 PM. Saturday 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Sunday 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Cards accepted. Takeout and delivery available.
Details
Address (Agua Caliente): Blvd. Agua Caliente 160, Col. Agua Caliente, Tijuana, B.C.
Address (Hipodromo): Blvd. Agua Caliente 11999, Hipodromo, Tijuana, B.C.
Hours: Monday to Thursday 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Friday 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Saturday 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Sunday 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Phone: +52 664 623 1099
4. Hornero
Hornero opened on February 12, 2009 on Boulevard Salinas in what would become the Gastronomic District. The idea was simple: take the Neapolitan tradition and adapt it to the Tijuana palate. The stone oven came first. The menu followed.
Today the menu runs more than two dozen pizzas. The Margherita is textbook. But the menu earns its reputation with the Mexican fusions. Mole poblano as a pizza sauce. Camarones enchilados as a topping. Cochinita pibil spread across thin dough. In 2011, customers asked for meats and fish. The menu expanded into one of the most extensive in the city.
Hornero is where the Gastronomic District eats pizza. The stone oven turns out thin crusts with the char and bubble pattern of a proper Neapolitan. The toppings are pure Tijuana.
What to Order
The Mole Poblano pizza is the conversation starter. If mole on pizza sounds wrong, it works. The camarones enchilados pizza delivers heat and ocean in one bite. The arugula pizzetta with pear and Roquefort is the lighter option at 242 pesos ($12 USD). The prosciutto pizza runs 286 pesos ($14 USD). Budget 200 to 350 pesos ($10 to $18 USD) per person.
What to Know
Open 24 hours Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. The restaurant sits on Boulevard Salinas in the Gastronomic District, a 10-minute drive from the San Ysidro border crossing. Full bar. Cigar room. Private dining rooms available. Outdoor seating. Hornero Express operates separate casual locations in Cacho and Hipodromo for takeout. Cards accepted.
Details
Address: Blvd. Salinas 10556 Int. 8, Col. Aviacion, 22014 Tijuana, B.C.
Hours: 24 hours Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Phone: +52 664 686 2634
5. Caccio
Caccio takes its name and its mood from the trattorias of southern Italy. The founders wanted the feeling of a slow Italian summer: good pizza, wine poured without hesitation, no rush. The Cacho location on Gobernador Lugo has white-toned walls, mosaic floors, marble accents, and red details. Vintage art lines the walls. The terrace planters were hand-painted by Tijuana artist Ele Ache.
The pizza comes from a wood-fired oven. Neapolitan style. The crust is fluffy with charred edges. The Margarita Fior di Latte uses fresh mozzarella. The Pizza al Tartufo brings truffle oil into the mix. The organic rotisserie chicken is a second specialty: Mary’s brand, free-range, slow-roasted. The wine list is curated, not extensive.
Caccio is the Tijuana pizzeria that feels most like you left Mexico for an hour. The design, the pace, the flavors. Everything is deliberate.
What to Order
The Margarita Fior di Latte is the test. If the mozzarella is fresh and the crust has char, everything else on the menu will deliver. The Pizza al Tartufo is the splurge. Split the organic rotisserie chicken for the table. The charcuterie board makes a strong opener. Budget 200 to 400 pesos ($10 to $20 USD) per person for pizza and a glass of wine.
What to Know
Two locations. The Cacho branch on Gobernador Lugo is the original and the more atmospheric. The Chapultepec location on Avenida Tapachula runs breakfast service Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Both locations close Mondays (Cacho) or run limited hours. Cards accepted. Reservations via OpenTable.
Details
Address (Cacho): Gobernador Lugo 9531, Plaza San Miguel, Col. Davila, 22044 Tijuana, B.C.
Address (Chapultepec): Av. Tapachula 11590, Col. Chapultepec, 22060 Tijuana, B.C.
Hours (Cacho): Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Sunday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Closed Monday.
Phone (Cacho): +52 664 208 5353
Tips for Your First Visit
A pizza crawl in Tijuana costs 400 to 700 pesos ($20 to $35 USD) for three stops with drinks. A slice at Tony’s starts at 80 pesos ($4 USD). A full dinner at Gianluca or Caccio runs about 400 pesos ($20 USD).
From the San Ysidro border crossing, the Gastronomic District (Hornero) is 10 minutes by taxi. Cacho (Tony’s) is 15 minutes. Zona Rio (Giuseppis Plaza Rio) is 5 minutes. The Chapultepec corridor (Caccio) is 10 minutes. Everything on this list clusters within a 15-minute radius of the border.
Lunch works best at Tony’s and Giuseppis. Hornero runs 24 hours on weekdays, so late-night pizza is an option. Gianluca and Caccio are dinner destinations. Cards are accepted everywhere on this list.
For tacos in Tijuana, check out our guide to the best tacos in Tijuana. For burgers, see our guide to the best burgers in Tijuana.