Best Tortas In The Twin Cities

If you're getting tired of the same old cold-cut sandwich for lunch, try a torta. A torta is a Mexican sandwich served hot on a six- to eight-inch sandwich roll (known as a split bolillo) that is filled with a variety of meats, cheeses and vegetables. While these sandwiches are usually found in many different regions of Mexico, Minnesota chefs have been making some great tortas within the Twin Cities. Below is a list of restaurants to find the best tortas.

Manny's Tortas
920 E Lake St #125
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 870-3930
mannystortas.com

If you are looking for traditional Mexican tortas, look no further than Manny's Tortas. This hidden gem is located inside Midtown Global Market and has gained quite the reputation as one of the best locations for tortas in the Twin Cities. Each torta is made fresh to order and is stuffed with cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, avocado, jalapeño peppers, refried beans, chipotle pepper mayo and comes with a side of chips. Choices for torta fillings include chicken, eggs with Mexican sausage, ham, Hawaiian, Milanesa (breaded steak), pork, steak, turkey or vegetarian. And be sure to bring your appetite when you visit because each torta weighs close to three pounds.

La Alborada Market
1855 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(888) 311-1671
laalboradamarket.com

This Mexican market has a wide selection of bakery items, produce and deli selections, not to mention a wonderful antojitos snack bar with some of the best tasting Mexican food in town. Inside of the snack bar lies a small but perfectly done selection of tacos, tortas, fresh-squeezed juice and licuado milkshakes made to order. La Alborada's torta rivals Manny's as one of the best in the area and comes with steak, avocado, jalapeño, lettuce, refried beans and cheese all melted together on a toasted bread loaf. Each tora is served with Cheetos as a side. The best part about this market is that the snack bar opens up outdoors when the weather is nice, where it will also sell fresh fruit to pair with your lunch. The staff, while mostly Spanish-speaking, are always friendly and make for a relaxing atmosphere in an otherwise busy market.

Los Ocampo Mexican Restaurant and Bar
1751 Suburban Ave
St. Paul, MN 55106
(651) 256-2932
losocampo.com

Located in St. Paul, this restaurant serves a wonderful selection of Mexican food. The welcoming ambiance, along with the full bar and complimentary chips and salsa, will keep you relaxed and entertained while you enjoy your meal. Los Ocampo's tortas, while one of many tasty selections on the menu, are still some of the freshest, most flavorful sandwiches found here in Minnesota. Five different torta options are available, each served with lettuce, tomato, avocado, jalapeños, onions, beans and mayo. The most popular torta is the Torta Ranchero, a combination of breaded chicken and beef, grilled jalapeños, grilled onions and marinated roast pork.

Related: Best Fajitas In Central Minnesota

Andale Taqueria y Mercado
7700 Nicollet Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55423
(612) 259-8868
andaletaqueriaymercado.com

Along Nicollet Avenue lies a wonderful Mexican restaurant/shop called Andale Taqueria y Mercado. With one of the largest selections of tortas in town, Andale sure knows how to make this dish. Each sandwich is served on a telera roll with queso fresco beans, mayonnaise, onions, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeños and your choice of filling. The fillings include pork, beef, ham and cheese, chorizo, cheese and seasoned chicken. If you're not sure which torta to try first, Andale's most popular sandwich is the La Cubana; a torta filled with breaded steak, sliced hot dogs, scrambled eggs, chorizo, cheese, peppers and guacamole along with the rest of the torta staples. While you're there, you can check out the attached mercado, which has a number of bakery items, produce, packaged goods and deli selections.

Pineda Tacos
60 Nathan Lane N
Minneapolis, MN 55441
(763) 545-1977

Pineda Tacos may look like a restaurant that is easy to miss, but it has slowly grown to be known as one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants in the area. Different from most restaurants listed here, this restaurant is set up "Subway" style, meaning that you can watch your food being prepared/assembled as you order. Each torta comes with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado, jalapeños, sour cream, beans, mayonnaise and choice of meat. Options include ham, hot dogs, breaded steak or any one of four combo selections on the menu. According to the waitstaff, the best torta on the menu is the Mexicana, which has ham, Mexican cheese, hot dogs and breaded beefsteak. Think your appetite is bigger than the average torta? Try the doubles' torta, where you will get twice as much meat for only an additional $2.

Related: Best Margaritas In Minnesota 

Alicia Stewart, a clinical dietitian at a metro hospital in St Paul, MN, has the unique role of working both as an acute care clinical dietitian, as well as an out-patient counselor. She has worked with hundreds of clients on various health topics, including diabetes, weight management, family health, and other chronic health conditions that can be controlled and improved with the right food choices. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.