Hussong's Cantina

The oldest bar in Baja California, where the margarita may have been invented in 1941

Hussong's Cantina on Avenida Ruiz in Ensenada opened in 1892 and is the oldest bar in Baja California. It is a straightforward place — a long wooden bar, sawdust on the floor, live norteño music on weekends, and a clientele that mixes Mexican locals with Californian expats, surfers, and the occasional tourist who wandered in from the cruise ships.

The bar claims to be the birthplace of the margarita, and while the claim is contested, the cocktails are good enough that it doesn't matter. The atmosphere is genuine rather than tourist-staged — Hussong's was a real local bar long before Ensenada became a day trip from San Diego, and it feels that way. Open daily from mid-morning.

bars and cafes bar sight
A story
The margarita's origin is disputed across several bars in Mexico and the US, but Hussong's Cantina has one of the strongest claims. In 1941, bartender Don Carlos Orozco mixed tequila, Controy orange liqueur, and lime juice for a Mexican general's daughter named Margarita Henkel — and named the drink after her. The story is unverifiable, but the cocktail has been served here ever since, and Hussong's has never felt the need to look modest about it.