Tortas, the macho sandwiches of Mexico, are true masterpieces: find them at Las Tortas #3 in Greeley

A torta ahogada before the tomato sauce smothers or “drowns” it. The ahogada style torta hails from Guadalajara. Photo by Emily Kemme.

By Emily Kemme

 Have you ever chowed down on a torta? Before you say, “Oh sure,” you have to know that I’m not talking about a delicate layer cake or waxing rhapsodic over the thinly sliced potato and egg omelet that also goes by the name torta in Spain.

The torta you need to sink your teeth into (with a helpless sigh), was likely born in Mexico around the mid-1860s when the French invaded the country. The invasion ended when Mexican forces defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. During the French occupation, the baguette was introduced to Mexico.

The idea of using a wheat roll with a hard shell and fluffy interior grew slowly in a country where corn tortillas rule. Mexican bakers played with baguette recipes, producing the bolillo (a hoagie-style roll with three cuts) and telera (rounded and softer, with one cut). And poco a poco, as people learned what delectable fillings could lie sandwiched between two halves of that bread, the torta’s popularity rocketed in Mexico. Today’s tortas are sold in markets, street carts, and there are entire shops dedicated to the art of torta making.

Greeley is fortunate to have Las Tortas #3, 1918 9th Street, an outpost of two Denver-based gourmet Mexican sandwich shops.

Anilu Flores and her husband, Oscar, co-own the Greeley shop and trained at one of the Denver locations. From Mexico City, Anilu has lived in the United States for 29 years. Oscar previously owned a pizza restaurant. Nearly everything at Las Tortas is scratch made, authentic Mexican, Anilu said, including boiling the beans in house.

Las Tortas #3 owner Anilu Flores helps customers place an order. Nearly everything at Las Tortas is scratch made, authentic Mexican, including boiling the beans in house. Photo by Emily Kemme.

The Flores’ aim to cover a range of torta styles from different Mexican regions, but essentially, tortas fall into two primary styles.

The Mexico City torta is similar to a subway or hoagie, with more meat choices. Meat — piles of it — is the defining essence of a torta. And there are no rules about how many different varieties you pile onto this kitchen sink sandwich. The garnish is also important: pickled jalapeños or onions add a hint of acidity to cut through the umami overload.                                  

The restaurant offers its own creations or you can make your own. All choices start with thinly spread refried beans, mayonnaise, cheese, chipotle sauce, sliced avocado, sliced white onion and tomatoes. Meat combos may include adobada (marinated pork), carnitas (pulled pork), or asada (steak), to name a few. You can also add tilapia to a sandwich. The Norteña (steak, breaded steak and Mexican cheese) is one of Las Tortas’s most popular creations. So is the Milanesa, prepared with thin cutlets of breaded steak or chicken. If you add a smoked pork chop, it’s called the Tejana.

Bursting with meat, Flores said La Cubana is popular with guys. It’s a mammoth-sized sandwich layered with chorizo, Milanesa, ham, a filleted hot dog, smoked pork chop and eggs. The eggs can be either fried or scrambled to order.

In case you’re wondering if the La Cubana is the same thing as a Cubano sandwich, it’s not. It’s unclear which came first, but the Mexican version is named for the street in Mexico City where it was invented: the Calle Republica de Cuba.

The Mexico City-styled sandwiches are served on telera, which comes from Denver. Flores said they cut the bread in house to give it its shape and then it’s pressed and lightly grilled on a panini machine.

A traditional torta ahogada is loaded with pulled pork, refried beans with tomato, chile sauce and pickled onions. Order it media ahogada (half-drowned), fully immersed, or with sauce on the side for dipping. Photo by Emily Kemme.

Then there are the ahogadas, meaning smothered or drowned. Order a sandwich media ahogada (half-drowned) or fully immersed. The ahogada style hails from the state of Jalisco, notably Guadalajara. Las Tortas offers two types: traditional, with pulled pork, refried beans with tomato, chile sauce and pickled onions, or the Gema (pronounced hema), with pulled pork, mayo, tomatoes, sliced onions and jalapeños smothered with Gema sauce, which is creamier and less spicy than the traditional. Made with chipotle, orange, spices and a little cream, the sauce tastes similar to the tomato-forward vodka sauce of Italian cuisine.

Ahogada style is served on bread similar to a French roll and is toasted so it doesn’t get soggy when the sauce is poured on top. You can also eat it French dip style — the order comes with a steaming cup of sauce for you to make that choice.

Because sandwiches are versatile things, you can also order tortas for breakfast. Look for a full complement of ham, chorizo, carnitas, cheeses, paired with eggs, of course. 

What you need to know about Las Tortas #3

Where: 1918 9th Street, Greeley, CO 80631

Hours: Open everyday, 9 AM - 9 PM

Contact: 970-378-9898 | Order online from the website | In-house dining + to-go

What’s on the menu: tortas (sandwich style and ahogada), breakfast tortas, hamburgers, dessert (flan, gelatina, arroz con leche), Mexican beer, Micheladas, bottled and fountain soda, horchata, freshly squeezed juices, coffee