Midtown Lunch

The lunch options have slowly been getting better and better for those who work in the Fashion District part of DTLA. And when it comes to sandwiches, I think you could do a lot worse than Gram & Papa’s. But spending $10 on a sandwich doesn’t exactly thrill me, so when I saw on Yelp that there was a far cheaper, highly rated torta place called La Torta Loca right around the corner from G&P, I couldn’t help but be curious. I’m always cautious when using Yelp as a guide, but all I had to do is look at the first (and most popular) torta listed on the Torta Loca menu, and I was sold.

The Cubana: Ham, sausage, chorizo, breaded steak, bacon, and egg.

Uh… yes please.

I fully admit to being a torta novice here in L.A., and I’m pretty sure $7 is too much to pay for one of these Mexican sandwiches.  But I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the Cubana.  Sliced ham, layered alongside milanesa (a breaded steak that’s been pounded thin), chorizo, egg, cheese, guacamole, and my favorite part… salchichas! (Aka thinly sliced hot dog.) It’s the everything but the kitchen sink torta, and I love it.  La Torta Loca’s version was pretty tasty, and surprisingly not greasy- considering all the meats in there.  If you’re a huge fan of chorizo, you might be disappointed there isn’t more, but for me all the meats were perfectly balanced with each other (i.e. one didn’t stand out more than another).  My biggest complaint was probably that the guacamole (which is huge reason why I love tortas) was practically non existent.  They’re happy to give you more if you ask, but their version of guac is super watery- so I might recommend asking for straight up avocado instead.  All in all, hard core torta aficionados might find the flavors at La Torta Loca a bit too whitewashed plain, but I found that it striked a perfect middle ground between being super tasty- but also something I’d be able to easily eat a few times a week for lunch.

Not a huge fan of tortas?  They’ve got plenty of other options, including tacos, burritos, bowls, and combo plates.  Plus a new tortilla soup, that was really tasty.  I also couldn’t help but try the fish taco- but sadly I think Ricky’s Fish Tacos has ruined me for all others.  In other words… stick with the tortas.

They do give you free chips and salsa, which made me feel a bit better about paying $7 for the sandwich.

Best torta I’ve ever had? No. That honor goes to La Casita Chilanga in Redwood City. But La Torta Loca does enough right that if I worked in the area I would for sure be adding it to my lunch rotation.

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• I work in the Fashion District, and need a good sandwich option that’s cheaper than G&P!
• This place is way cleaner than some of the other Mexican spots in the area
• The sandwiches aren’t nearly as greasy as they sound
• It’s a local fave with cops… And lord knows cops know how to eat

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• I prefer my Mexican food cheap, greasy, and super authentic (picky eaters be damned!)
• $7 is a bit too much to pay for a torta in that hood!
• They’re guacamole is too watery and doesn’t have a ton of flavor.

La Torta Loca, 855 Santee St., 213-627-2424