Pork and Beans on a Bun

I had gone to Tortas Las Llardas looking for a truly great torta hamburguesa. I had read about their hamburguesa estilo-D.F., or Mexico City-style hamburger, with bacon and a grilled pineapple slice on top. I liked the unusual burger, which came with a large, juicy hamburger patty. But as it turned out, the burger was served on a bun without the avocado and beans, so I'm not sure it even qualified as a torta. If you know of a great tortaburger, let me know. I'm still on the lookout.

I am thinking of going back to Tortas El Angel and asking for a double meat tortaburger. And if I could convince them to also cook the burger patties a little juicer, we might have a winner. Everything else about El Angel's tortaburger is perfect.

There's a lot to like about this humble little sandwich shop on North Shepherd. The Pepito and the Maestro were standouts, and I am looking forward to trying the fajita-and-melted cheese sandwich. (I wonder if they would add a fried egg to any of these for a little extra.)

Once you embrace the torta, you will find that various versions of the sandwich can be quite impressive. At five bucks, they are also a great deal on dinner. Yes, tortas are mushy, but so are hamburgers. (Which is why I think a hamburguesa torta is such a great idea.)

The number of new torta shops opening around town suggests that the Mexican sandwich is gaining in popularity — maybe mushy is the next big thing.