Midtown Lunch

Kids have it so good these days. Back in my day, we had 2 dining options as college freshmen, the dining hall and a pretty lame cafe. But as of last month, Penn students can dine at a fast food concept by James Beard Award winner Rick Bayless. Tortas Fronteras is a Mexican fast food chain that tries to keep things as fresh as possible given the chainyness. Once you find the place on campus (its the Arch building, make a left once inside), all you have to do is switch out your suit for some skinny jeans and a brightly colored top so you too can dine like a college student. Just kidding, its open to the public, but going undercover is fun anyway.  While waiting for your food try to hit on the students and see if you “still got it”

A deluxe guacamole ($5) comes with all topping from the “guacamole bar,” meaning bacon, pepitas, roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and cotija. It comes with a box of chips. Though we didn’t taste much bacon, the guac was excellent, especially with the add ins. The small container makes it look like its less substantial than it actually is. Though you probably shouldn’t have only guacamole for lunch.

To wash it down, the mango lime agua fresca has a bold flavor, with the mango and the lime easily identifiable. Rum or tequila would help tone down the sweetness.

For the rest of the menu, you have sandwiches, soups, melty flatbreads, salads, and rice bowls (plus breakfast). The pork tinga bowl ($7.95) is made with slow-braised pork and house-made chorizo, hominy, avocado, with a tomato chipotle sauce. The pork was good, though the chorizo sort of got lost. The slightly smokey tomato sauce was successful, but could have used some lime to brighten it. Our biggest complaint was that the rice underneath was mushy.

The way they piled the cheese on those flatbreads, “molletes,” I know what to get next time.

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

• Fast and fresh-ish Mexican, with combos you wouldn’t find at a traditional taco place
• College eye candy

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

• No tacos?
• Mushy rice bowls

Tortas Fronteras, 3601 Locust Walk, 215 922-5588