Tortaria

"When it comes to sandwiches, Tortaria deserves to be mentioned alongside their nearby fellow low-cost, high-reward brethren like Luke’s, Bobwhite, Caracas and Mile End. Tortaria has some issues, which we’ll get into, but the food certainly isn’t one of them. The menu is large, yet focused. There’s a Mexican sandwich and a taquito for every palate. And that guacamole, oh hell yeah. It’s ridiculous. Each and every batch is made fresh to order and is crazy good. Before arranging to meet your new online love interest here, you need to be prepared for what goes on. This ain’t the spot for sexy time margaritas. There are lots of drinks on the menu, including fresh fruit cocktails and a laundry list of tequila choices, but they take an insanely long time to actually get and the bartender is probably also the dishwasher. Go to Mayahuel for date night. Tortaria is more like an NYU dining hall - overflowing with college kids and serving quick eats on the cheap. Food Rundown Guacamole As discussed above, we love the guacamole at Tortaria. They make each batch to order, and it’s got a perfect balance of creamy avocado, tomatoes, and onions. As per usual with made-to-order guac, you choose how spicy you want it. We tend to roll medium. Milanesa de Pollo Torta Their signature torta and essentially one of the best fried chicken sandwiches you’ll find in NYC. It’s a Panko-crusted chicken cutlet with spicy black beans, melted Oaxaca cheese, avocado, pickled red onion, jalapeño, chipotle mayo, and cilanto. This thing will put a hurting on you, in the best way possible. Pulled Pork Torta Every sandwich pretty much comes with pickled red onions, which pretty much guarantees they’ll be delicious. However, we will say that the pulled pork wasn’t our favorite. The slow-roasted pork is somehow a bit dry. Braised Short Ribs Torta The first torta I tried at Tortaria and still one of my favorites. The meat has a ton of flavor and is plentiful in between the warm buns. Simply served with all our favorite things: avocado, pickled red onion, jalapeño, and fresh cilantro. Do it. Crispy Eggplant Torta For the vegetarians, there’s a grilled cheese and also this thick fried eggplant cutlet sandwich. A win for the herbivores. Taquitos The other dominant player on the menu, the taquitos. These aren’t exactly the fully wrapped, crunchy taquitos you find in the freezer section, but are closer to a basic soft taco. Each warm white corn wrap is hand pressed, for optimal eating pleasure. Once again, pickled and fried onions are all over the place, which makes eating these a lot of fun. Our favorites are the Carne Asada and the Pollo Asada con Chicharrones. Sides Sweet plantains, corn mango relish salsa, thick, spicy fries and mango chipotle slaw all get the Infatuation seal of approval. Corn on the cob, not so much." - Andrew Steinthal

"If you want to eat Mexican sandwiches and drink tequila drinks and you don’t mind being surrounded by NYU students, then by all means go to Tortaria. The tortas are very good (served on rolls from Parisi Bakery) and the tequila list is long. Overall, the place works for brunch or an inexpensive dinner. Just be prepared because a guy from Zeta is definitely going to spill his drink on somebody." - hannah albertine, matt tervooren

"When: Monday, All Day The Deal: $9 Fresh Fruit Frozen and Rocks Margaritas In case you couldn't tell from the name, this place just south of Union Square serves different kinds of tortas. There's one with panko-crusted eggplant, and another with grilled skirt steak, and they also make taquitos and churros with hot chocolate dipping sauce." - kenny yang, bryan kim

"Greenwich Village is kind of like EPCOT of fast casual restaurants: there’s pretty much every possible permutation. One of our favorites? Tortaria, a Mexican spot specializing in sandwiches. It’s an extremely low-key spot, but they do have a full bar." - bryan kim, hillary reinsberg, matt tervooren