There's more to Mexican food than tacos. Here are 15 tortas you should try in metro Phoenix

When it comes to Mexican street food, why should tacos hog all the attention? It's time to make Torta Thursday* a thing and shine a spotlight on the humble and ubiquitous Mexican sandwich, in all its regional, filling and affordable glory.

Torta components can vary, but the Mexican sandwich usually consists of:

• Round roll bread (telera, bolillo or birote).
• Meat(s) of some sort, although torta shops can offer it without meat.
• Toppings such as avocado, jalapeños, tomatoes, lettuce and onion.
• Mayonnaise and other condiments, such as hot sauce.

Some tortas seem to push physical boundaries, stuffed with as many different toppings as you could possibly fit between two pieces of bread. But there are also the simple, but classic choices, such as torta de jamón con queso (ham and cheese).

Hungry yet? Here are 15 tortas you can try in metro Phoenix.

Birrieria Tijuana

What to get: Torta de birria

This bright orange food truck, parked in a north Phoenix parking lot, is worth the morning trip. It's known for a menu that centers on Tijuana-style birria, a meat stew cooked for special occasions and also hangovers.

Of all its offerings, it's the torta de birria, however, that Arizona Republic dining critic Dominic Armato called his favorite.

Details: 1926 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix. 480-250-0274, Birrieria Tijuana on Facebook.

Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara

What to get: Torta ahogada

This torta eatery is hidden away in Mercada Plaza del Sol, a small indoor shopping center in the East Valley. The restaurant offers more than just tortas, but the torta ahogada, or "drowned" torta, is a regional specialty in Guadalajara, served drenched in spicy salsa.

Details: 518 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. 480-855-3888, Plaza del Sol on Facebook.

Carniceria y Restaurante Monarca

What to get: Torta de pierna

Monarca is a modest, but legit operation in south Phoenix. The torta de pierna comes stuffed with tender roasted pork leg, sandwiched between bread that's baked in house. Armato described the flaky crust as "almost reminiscent of a croissant."

Details: 602 W. Baseline Road, Phoenix. 602-299-3579, Restaurant Monarca on Facebook.

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Casa de Don Pancho

What to get: Torta al pastor

Competing with the fast food chains in Alhambra, this area around 35th and Glendale Avenues contains the casual sit-down restaurant Casa de Don Pancho, as well as Bosa Donuts and Taco Mich. The restaurant serves a wide variety of Mexican food dishes, which is great if you're in a group that's not feeling your torta craving.

Details: 7124 N. 35th Ave., Phoenix. 602-249-8720. facebook.com/casaddp.

Tortas El Chavo

What to get: Torta de jamón

"El Chavo" is the nickname of the titular character on a popular Mexican sitcom. The orphan gets up to a lot of shenanigans, but there's one constant: he's always craving a torta de jamón.

El Chavo would probably be flattered to know there's a torta restaurant named in his honor.

Details: 1101 N. Mesa Drive, Mesa. 480-844-4200, Tortas El Chavo on Facebook.

Gallo Blanco

What to get: La Bomba

If you want to sit down in a more contemporary Mexican restaurant, head over to Gallo Blanco in the Garfield neighborhood. One popular choice is chef Doug Robson's La Bomba, stuffed with pastor meat, chihuahua and manchego cheese, lettuce, mayo and tomatillo salsa with pineapple. But Armato thinks you can't go wrong with any of the tortas at Gallo Blanco.

Details: 928 E. Pierce St., Phoenix. 602-327-0880, galloblancocafe.com.

Tortas Jimy's Estilo Guasave

What to get: Mixtas

This Sinaloa-style torta restaurant is located just west down Camelback Road from Grand Canyon University, in an unpretentious strip mall where there's also a taquería, panadería and Mexican hot dog shop. The tortas here come with pressed bread and a server brings you three squeeze bottles with different hot sauces.

Torta choices include lomo (pork loin) and mixtas (mixed meat).

Details: 3633 W. Camelback Road Suite 7, Phoenix. 602-812-7455, tortas-jimys-estilo-guasave.business.site.

Los Altos Ranch Market

What to get: Torta de pollo

Fry's has Starbucks and Sprouts has a salad bar, but Ranch Market has tacos, tortas and an a la carte selection in its cocina area that guarantees you don't have to shop while hungry.

Is it the best torta in town? Probably not, but it's filling and beats grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Wash it down with agua fresca before you hit the aisles.

Details: 1602 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix and other locations. 602-253-6874, losaltosranchmarket.com.

Tortas Manantial

What to get: Torta de chicharron or atun

This west Phoenix tortas and juice bar has the added bonus of coming with an attractive selection of fresh-squeezed juices, fruity milkshakes and aguas frescas.

The chicharron (pork rinds) and atun (tuna) are some notable inclusions on its torta menu.

Details: 5950 W. McDowell Road No. 101, Phoenix. 623-873-0664, tortasmanantial.com.

Tortas Manny

What to get: Especial Manny

Here's another south Phoenix favorite. This torta shop off Southern and Seventh avenues, at the Food City complex, makes its tortas with soft, fresh bread that's baked daily. Try the Especial, stuffed with two kinds of hot pork and sliced cheese. Visitors also rave about the Cubana.

Details: 845 W. Southern Ave., Phoenix. 602-603-9264.

Tortas Paquime

What to get: Torta milanesa de res or colita de pavo

You could consider this small chain a local success story. Omar Alvarez started with one small restaurant serving the kind of sandwiches his family made at home. There are now five torta shop locations, plus the fast-casual restaurant Paquime Street Food of Mexico in Sunnyslope. 

You could really get any torta here, but if you want to break away from classic ham and cheese, there's the torta milanesa de res (breaded beef) and colita de pavo (deep fried turkey).

Details: 4344 W. Indian School Road No. 1, Phoenix. 623-848-8616. Additional locations at torpaq.com.

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Tortas El Rey

What to get: Ranchera Especial

Despite the name, this no-frills restaurant on the east side serves a lot more than just tortas: huaraches, sopes, mariscos and mixed plates, to name some. But it's best known for its very full tortas, a few of which are named after famous Mexican pop stars (see: Paulina — breaded beef, ham, cheese, pineapple and bacon with usual veggies and chipotle dressing).

Tortas El Rey also serves its version of pambasos using torta bread marinated with red salsa.

Details: 1811 N. 24th St., Phoenix. 602-275-1605, tortaselreyphoenix.com.

Los Reyes de la Torta

What to get: Pancho Villa

This family business is proud of its Mexico City-style cooking and over-the-top tortas, which it's been serving since 2001 in Phoenix. The restaurant even caught the attention of Adam Richman, then-host of TV series "Man vs. Food," on his quest to find the best sandwiches.

Tortas like the Pancho Villa come packed with ham, melted cheese, pork sirloin, egg, chorizo, tomato and avocado. Meat-lovers, if you think you can handle it, there's also the King Carlos V with seven cuts of meat.

Details: 1528 E Southern Ave., Tempe. 480-491-1314, losreyesdelatortaphx.com.

El Rincon Poblano Mexican Grill

What to get: Any cemita

The cemita is a sandwich that originated in Puebla and you could consider it a subset of the torta. The cemitas here come with light and toasty bread that's baked in house and covered in sesame seeds.

Armato tried three different cemita poblanas including one that packages chipotles caseros (smoky dried and pickled chipotles) with pata de res, which he described as "tender, slightly chewy cubes of tendon-packed pickled cow’s feet, a double dose of vinegar and spice."

Details: 3302 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix. 602-301-1479, El Rincon Poblano Mexican Grill on Facebook.

TEG Torta Shop

What to get: Cochinita pibil or Pacifico

Formerly known as Tortas El Güero, this informal eatery has been serving up tortas in Phoenix since 2002. Part of the Calle 16 arts, culture and culinary scene, TEG Torta Shop lets you order your torta from three sizes so adjust based on your hunger level.

Notable options here include the cochinita pibil (marinated pulled pork) and the Pacifico (pork leg, ham, pineapple and chipotle).

Details: 2518 N. 16th St., Phoenix. 602-252-9228, tegtortashop.com.

*Should Torta Thursday take off in the future, it may need protection from the trademark vultures (and LeBron James, for that matter). It's too late for tacos already: A Wyoming-based fast food chain trademarked the phrase "Taco Tuesday" in 1989.

We're always looking for hidden gems. Tell the reporter what's the most underrated  restaurant: Priscilla.Totiya@azcentral.com or 602-444-8092. Follow her on Twitter: @PriscillaTotiya.

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