Mercado Hidalgo is Tijuana's central covered market, a large mid-century building in the Zona Centro that has been the city's main commercial food market for over sixty years. It's exactly the kind of place that gets recommended as an 'authentic experience' but actually is one.
The ground floor stalls sell fresh produce, meat, fish, and the bewildering variety of dried chillies and spices for which Mexican markets are famous. The section near the entrance specialises in prepared regional foods — candied fruits, piloncillo (raw cane sugar), dried shrimps, and a range of Baja-specific products. Upstairs, textile and craft stalls sell goods aimed at both locals and tourists, but without the hard-sell of the Revolución market.
Several food stalls inside serve breakfast and lunch. The birria (goat stew) stands are particularly good in the morning. The market is busiest on Saturday and Sunday, when an outdoor flea market fills the surrounding streets.