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This is not really a restaurant review. It's more of a solicitation of input. Las Cazuelas restaurant on Sanguines, or as Dennis would say, next to Tutti Donas, has been a destination of ours for many years. While open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it has always appeared to host its biggest crowds in the morning. While it hasn't been the case lately, I can recall that in the past we would have to wait for a table for breakfast. Anyway, just a couple of days ago, we decided to go there for dinner. Our arrival was at 7:15, admittedly a little early by Mexican standards. We entered to find one host, one waiter, and no customers. Being familiar with the management and the menu, we opted to stay and dine. We remained the only customers until we had actually requested our check almost 90 minutes later, when one other couple strolled in. So. Is tourism and the economy taking a larger toll than I thought? Or has Las Cazuelas' reputation taken a hit? Just wondering.

That is pretty much my experence also. Deserted restaurants no matter the day of the week. I have seen an increase in the 3 or 4 wheel food carts in the streets.
So people are doing what ever they can to survive.

Originally Posted by Gruñón

Of the restaurants I am familiar with in Ensenada this is what I have seen.

One in downtown Ensenada across the street from Dorins closed its doors last month after more than 40 years in business there.
They still have not paid the final salaries of the staff.

Another on 9th street cut its staff in half.
Cut the hours of the remaining staff and cut hours of operation by 5 hours a day.

Another on 7th street used to be so busy that many times we would go elsewhere to eat. Now most of the time we are the only mid- morning costumers.

Another on the boulevard is the same story. Most of the time my wife and I are the only breakfast costumers in the place.

A neighbor of mine that owned stores in both Ensenada and La Bufadora closed the one in La Bufodora saying he was losing over $1000.00 usd a month there.

For whatever reason it is a general turndown and the long term effect is going to hurt thousands of locals.

So, who were all those people in the Caliente Casino, occupying virtually every slot machine?

Historically, vices are the most successful businesses in bad economic times...

Don't know if you remember, but some twenty years ago, way before the Indian Casinos, California had a chance to create a casino zone in the area of California City in the upper Mojave. The initiative failed, as the oppossition cited the concept of those who could afford it least would do it most and funded by the Vegas people. Have to wonder what revenue stream would have been and whether the chronic CA budget crisis would not be. Brings me to wonder just how much the municipality of Ensenada and the state of BC benefit from the taxation, assuming there is taxation.

I know nothing of the tax part of it.
What I do see is many Mexican women of middle age and older spending a lot of time playing the slots.

I once had a bar owner tell me that
"If people are unhappy they drink"
"If people are happy they drink"

Might be the same with broke and gambling.
Fifty pesos left to by food so let double it at the slots type of thing.

We always try to stop at Pelinganos by the fish market in Ensenada on our way home for that last little taste of baja before crossing the line. There were a couple of delivery trucks blocking the parking so we ate at the little cluster of stands right in front of the market and there was NO business going on. There was some serious competition to get us to sit down in the different stands.
It was decent but Pelinganos is the shizniz.

We just got back from two weeks down and up. We stayed a number of places. The smaller hotels managed to fill up. The ten unit ones. But by and large, there was an obvious lack of tourism. It was particularly noticeable along the highway where the percentage of US plated vehicles was way down. Strangely, we noticed a much higher number of mainland Mexico plates, especially Sinaloa. Just guessing that mainland folks are coming over looking for work.

Originally Posted by Bajahowodd

Strangely, we noticed a much higher number of mainland Mexico plates, especially Sinaloa. Just guessing that mainland folks are coming over looking for work.

Many locals would see a joke here but to avoid the obvious, I will pass...

I get your point, guru, but still doesn't 'splain all the mainland plates I saw. Vacation?

Sinaloa..........................ummmmmmmmm?

Tourists? maybe/maybe not

Originally Posted by tripledigitken

Sinaloa..........................ummmmmmmmm?

Tourists? maybe/maybe not

We've noticed a lot of Sinaloan plated newer model trucks the last two years. We found it odd that there was enough lucrative employment to justify that many of them.

Soulpatch- Check Ken's post again! Methinks he's referring to a sort of self-employment.

Hmmmmm....... we were thinking it had to do with what appears to me, I will admit ignorance here, to be one of Mexico's most lucrative exporting business.

Sinaloa is a big state in a country of 100 million people. There have to be some honest rich folks there.........doncha think?

Or, is Mexico just one big cartel...........

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Sinaloa is a big state in a country of 100 million people. There have to be some honest rich folks there.........doncha think?

Or, is Mexico just one big cartel...........

Yes of course.

The reason I even notice all the Sinaloa plates is they are distinctively different from Baja plates, bearing a colorful crack pipe in the center.

Many from Sinaloa take the barge over in the hot/humid summer months and drive up the Baja peninsula.

Just got around to reading this post....and remembered that we took a quick 4-day trip down to the Ensenada area in mid-July. Had cravings for fish tacos and cool ocean breezes. All the campgrounds/RV parks seems pretty deserted, with only a few Mexican families (mostly from California) in attendance. We did not see any other gringos at the places we visited. Downtown Ensenada was DESERTED.

It was a slow summer but many I know in the Ensenada area said it did pick up in August through Labor Day. Not sure what the reason was.