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The word torta can refer to many different foods, but in Mexican cuisine, it refers to a versatile and delightful sandwich. Tortas are often made with telera bread, an oval-shaped white bread that’s soft yet dense. They come with a wide variety of fillings, such as steak, chicken, and pork. Common toppings include cheese, avocado, tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos. Here are seven of the best options in and near Boston.
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Tasty Tortas to Try Around Boston
Where to find delightful Mexican sandwiches in and near the city
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Esquite Mexican Street Food
For those who like a lot of sauce on sandwiches, the carne en chile colorado torta from Esquite Mexican Street Food is the essential torta, featuring chile colorado sauce and a house chipotle mayo. For even more sauce, get a side of the esquite Mexicano, which is corn off the cob with chipotle aioli, chile powder, and queso cotija.
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Tenóch Mexican
It’s no secret that the Tenoch tortas are exceptional. Tenoch — a small local chain with locations in Medford, Somerville, Melrose, and Boston’s North End — also has torta options that are fairly unique compared to the rest of the Boston torta scene, with both pescado (fish) and vegetales (roasted vegetables) on the menu. A spread of chipotle mayo on all of the tortas guarantees a creamy, spicy, and flavorful sandwich every time.
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Mi Pueblito Restaurant
The menu at Mi Pueblito is vast, with Mexican tortas, traditional Colombian plates, Salvadoran pupusas, and more. Enjoy a torta mixta, which has chicken and steak, on the outdoor patio. The steak is perfectly seasoned, and the bread is light and fluffy. As a bonus to the great food, the margaritas are huge, and the restaurant offers a great selection of juices and fruit shakes as well.
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Orale Mexican Grill
Orale’s tortas come with a generous pile of toppings, including refried beans that add to the richness and pickled onions that cut through with tanginess. For those who love birria tacos (Orale’s are excellent), Orale also offers birria tortas.
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El Pelón Taqueria
Many know that you can get a great burrito from El Pelón, but the restaurant’s torta makes a great lunch (or any meal, really) as well. You can’t go wrong with any of the three choices: grilled steak, grilled chicken, or braised pork. Being able to get a torta and a soft drink for around $10 makes El Pelón a delicious and affordable choice for a torta fix. In addition to this location in Brighton, there’s also one in Fenway (92 Peterborough St., Boston).
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Chilacates
Like all things from Chilacates, a local chain, the torta is a must-try. One can fill a torta with any one of 11 toppings; a few unique options for the Boston torta world include grilled shrimp, lengua (beef tongue), and papas con chorizo (potatoes and Mexican chorizo). Add an agua fresca to the order to round out a perfect meal. Find locations in Jamaica Plain (two), Mission Hill, the South End, Roslindale, and Chestnut Hill.
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Raymundo Bakery and Taqueria
Part of what makes this family-run shop a great choice for your next torta adventure is that it is both a bakery and a restaurant, so the torta bread is made in-house — it’s fresh, dense, and soft. A unique addition to few of the tortas is a whole, grilled scallion topping, giving the sandwich a smoky taste. Try the steak torta, and don’t forget to order a horchata on the side.
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