A couple of years ago, before the revival of downtown Tijuana, before the drug cartel violence in the border, before this new concept of microbreweries and craft beers took us by storm, "La plaza del zapato" was THE place to party and have a good time every weekend, people from all over the place gathered there because of the great variety of bars it had to offer. There was this place in particular called Chez Bar that was basically a second home for all the punk kids, the rejects, the misfits, they played loud music no other place would play and it was pretty cheap to get a drink there. The best thing was that it also worked as a venue for local bands that had nowhere else to show their music. Then one day, it was just gone. The violence took over the city and everything was gone.

Fast forward a couple of years, downtown Tj became the new hotspot for bars and partying, yet something was missing, that element of raunchiness that helped these kids meet other people like them, a place where punk rock from the city and from across the border could be heard. A couple of guys that grew up in this scene and one day decided to open his own bar. Where? Plaza del zapato. This is "El Tigre Bar", a place that keeps the old feeling flowing with a lot of nostalgic posters from old punk rock magazines, good tunes playing all the time, craft beer and affordable prices and a new vibe that just invites people in.

The beer is really affordable but the plus that makes this place special is the food. "Las alas del diablo" or devil wings is a local restaurant that has partnered up with El Tigre bringing a whole new meaning to hot wings, trust me, no other place in Tj will serve something like this and they also have a vegetarian menú, so be sure to look into that if you're ever there.

The bar is used as venue for local talent every week, not limited to punk rock, they book bands from both sides of the border, including indie, folk and alternative acts that really put on a good show, really connecting with the audience, its a small venue so that type of interaction is not only encouraged but also created a special kind of atmosphere for everyone.

Best part of it is, its free. So you not only get cheap drink but an awesome show, making this place THE new spot for all the new (and old) bands to connect with new people. At the end of the day, I think these guys have succeeded in creating a new spot for all the kids that want to go out on a Friday night but cant fill that need of experiencing alternative music and also fill that nostalgia crave all of us from the so called old school were in so much need of.

"El Tigre Bar" is located at Calle Paseo de los Héroes #10001, in Zona Rio, Tijuana, wich is pretty close to the border, so if you ever need to rock and roll and have some awesome craft beers, head down to "El Tigre Bar", I guarantee you'll have a great time.

jorge.guevara@sandiegored