Tia Juana’s was the perfect fit for the 1885 lima bean warehouse. Once the center of the vast Irvine Ranch, the warehouse was originally built to process the lima beans which were grown on what is now El Toro Marine Base. At harvest time, as many as 200,000 hundred-pound sacks of lima beans would be shipped all over the world from the rail line at the back of the building.
As agriculture gave way to the high-tech urban Orange County, the warehouse was restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Tia Juana’s Long Bar and Restaurante moved in that same year, using great care to preserve the original character of the building. Even when new touches, such as the murals that are painted on the walls, were added, they were installed on new wood, which overlays the old, leaving the walls intact. Most of the original equipment is located throughout the building and stored in the loft overhead.
While the ranch hands of a hundred years ago would indeed be surprised at how the building is being used today, we believe they would approve and would enjoy Tia Juana’s, as we hope you are.