La Torta Gorda
2833 24th Street
(between Bryant St & York St)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 642-9600
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 5:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Sat 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Sun 6:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
50 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
"best carnitas torta in the city, hands down. it's not as large and doesn't have as many accoutrement (if you will) as you'll get at el…" read more »
26 Reviews for La Torta Gorda
This was my first torta experience, which is surprising seeing that I've been living in the deep Mission for 3 years now. I didn't find anything all that special with tortas but I did appreciate a Mexican cuisine that wasn't just some other arrangement of tortilla, meat, cheese, and salsa. I ordered a junior carnitas torta (definitely appreciate the junior size) and was pleased with the thick fresh bread and well-seasoned meat.
La Torta Gorda gets 4 stars because they provide a quick, cheap, simple option for when you're hungry. Also, service was great - we got the royal treatment when they set up a table for us in the back patio. I'm completely satisfied with this torta joint and don't feel the need to try out any others in my hood.
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My life sucks! I have to work on many weekends (unlike like 99% of my coworkers), I don't have a car (not necessarily sucky, but when your in BFSSF, far from any cookery type place, some suckiness starts to set in) and there are not too many places i can pick up a lunch on my way to work on a Sunday morning (I guess thing could be worse). La Torta Gorda is open at 6:30 AM on SUNDAY!!! Not that I am even close to getting up by then, but it does mean that when I drag myself out of bed, i can get a fat torta on my way through the mission. One mean sannie too, they not cheap, but when i get a regular size, they are two meals worth of food easily, so in the end they are a bargain.
I've had the milanesa and the carnitas tortas so far, and both were quite good. I found the milanesa tender and flavorful, while though the carnitas were good, they were a tad dry. As you've probably read, each sandwich comes with refried beans, cheese, avocado, and jalepenos. The bread might be a little thick, but it's soft and doesn't get too much in the way of enjoying the fillings.
Oh man, i gotta try the Cubano, and the chorizo con huevos...
Oh man, i gotta try the horchata....
The best torta in the City.
I tried the junior milanesa (beef) with chipotle.
It was the perfect size! Just the perfect amount.
The bread they use is fantastic, the torta is constructed perfectly.
No drips of grease here.
Don't forget to ask for the home made hot sauce. It has the perfect amount of heat, enough to break a sweat but not enough to need to drink 2 liters of water. It has a sweet after taste too.
Next time, Regular size?
Hands down the best tortas I've ever had. My favorite is chorizo and egg with chipotle. The bread is wonderful and different than most tortas I've had; must be made there or nearby, tasting very fresh. Also great bananna liquados. I especially love this place because it's rarely crowded. You could wait 1/2 an hour+ for a seat at the St. Francis (which I do love), or, get an awesome torta in 5 mins. They've got junior and large size tortas: get a junior or split a large with someone, unless you're _really_ hungry.
Yelp says it's good for dinner and lunch. Actually, it's great for breakfast too. Closes early, like around 8PM.
As many others mention, the folks in there are super nice.
Anyhow, I signed up for yelp just to give this place a great review. Don't pass it up.
I found this place by accident. Leaving for work early because of the protests, I was happy to find my bus was one of the last to make it down Market St. Therefore, instead of an hour early for work I was 2 1/2 and hungry. No Pork Store today. Not in the mood and don't want to deal with the pain of getting there, soooooo, let's try a walk down 24th from Potrero. Feeling out of place but intrigued I'd ventured deep into the bowels of the "East Mission." Making note of a few places I'd wanted to try El Farolito first but they only had Menudo for soup. Backtracking here was La Torta.
I'd actually thought I'd been going into the place next door. I wanted some chicken soup as the remnants of the flu still bothered me. My dumbass stepped into the "other" place next door and boy did it make me happy. Not listed on the menu but on the marquee was a chicken soup just as good a Mom's in any culture. very fresh, very clean and very very tasty with all the necessary goodies and more. Fresh carrots, onion, super tender chicken, fresh and falling off the bone, and just the right amount of spices. That, along with some fresh made ice tea and a carnitas taco made my start to the morning perfect. There's a simple but complete Latin menu as well as a complete American and Latin breakfast fare for all to enjoy.
I was going to give 4 stars for general principles but the owner dude noticing I'd finished my taco asked if I wanted a couple more tortillas on the house. I didn't but the gesture was noticed. Also, the whole place is well worn but super clean, including the unisex bathroom. The loo has some very interesting paintings for all who venture there to peruse.
I have to go back... I was so out of it after leaving early for work I forgot to leave a well deserved tip. I can be really out of it in the morning and today when I realized it, I felt like a complete dork. I'll double up next time... that's a promise.
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This is my first time eating at La Torta Gorda and sadly, I will probably not return. I ordered the Milanesa sandwich and when I got it, it tasted really bland and it was riddled with jalepenos. Well, I don't like or eat jalepenos and I wished they had asked me if i wanted it. (spicy food is NOT for everyone, you know). And when I ordered the horchata, it was way too sweet. So for my nearly $10 lunch, I think I rather spend it somewhere else.
This is one of my favorite spots so far in my new home. I've always been a fan of the Torta, but this place is a whole other level.
The first time I went in there it was during the lunch rush and it was quite busy. It took 15 minutes or so to get my sammich, which is excessive, but again, it was busy so I just chilled up at the counter. The lady who took my order was friendly despite being pretty overwhelmed with annoying customers....
On that note, let me just say that I hate white people. I know, I know...I'm white...but believe me, I hate myself too. If your new age hippy diet isn't in line with what's on the menu, go somewhere else. Don't waste the staff's time with a barrage of questions about the ingredients and then expect them to build you a custom tie-dyed torta for you and your fellow Berkeley faculty members. I'm a hater. I know.
Back to the Gorda. Fabulous. My first sammy was a carne asada and i was a happy little clam. One thing to note: They offer both "Junior" and "Regular" size tortas. Since I'm a wannabe, I order the regular and so far have not made it trhough more than 3/4 of a sandwich. Apparently I'm not a boy, but not yet a man.
My second trip I had to try the Cubano. What a crazy sandwich that thing is...pork, turkey , hot dogs...you name it. It was yummy and deadly all at the same time. I foresee many trips to the Gorda in my future. I think the next trip will involve a breakfast torta. Should be good times....
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My girlfriend and I have a Saturday morning ritual. We wake up, blisteringly hungover, having consumed the better part of a bottle of Jack Daniels the night before, our mouths feeling like the cat shit in them, heads pounding away like a porn star. We lie there quietly and start whispering "Torta" to one another.
At some point one of us poor bastards actually has to get out of the bed and be the one to go downstairs and pick up our tortas. I'm not gonna lie to you--it's usually her because let's face it, she's whipped.
She comes back with our chorizo, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich or our torta con al pastor and two fat Gatorades and we hunker down on the couch for another useless Saturday.
I'm gonna tell you right now, there are very few things in life that one of their tortas cannot cure. Cancer? Maybe. Tourette's? Quite possibly. A hangover large enough to stop a herd of oxen in their tracks? Fuck yeah.
As a bonus, all of the guys who work here are SO NICE. If you're dining in though, the music will make your eardrums bleed.
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Cubanos - yet another reason to celebrate life.
Not your ordinary Cuban Cubanos, mind you. La Torta Gorda makes them Mexican style - a flaky, soft roll is heaped with all the usual goodies like roasted pork and sweet smoked ham, but, at La Torta Gorda they add avocado slices, re-fried beans, cheese, sliced turkey, pickled jalapenos and hot sauce. Oh yeah, and the secret ingredient, sliced hot dogs. Decadent! and all for seven smackeroos.
The obvious down-side is that, if you make a habit of eating these things, the Torta won't be the only thing that's gorda...
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DONT EAT HERE THEY SERVE DOG! Kidding. But their takeout menu does say they offer "Toasted Beagles." Note: please don't ever change that! I'm cheesy enough that it makes me giggle every time.
Tasty tortas, probably my favorite on 24th,the junior is definitely big enough for one. I've also had the grilled vegetable and goat cheese sandwich, very nice. Sometimes though you got to be assertive to get attention. The ordering location is ambiguous and when it gets busy folks just spread down the counter, looking lost and hungry.
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La Torta = La BOMB....... I used to hit up this TORTA DELI right up the street. It was a small family owned jewel that didn't have a name. On my way there it seemed they went out of business so I took my business to this place
With a Torta craving on my mind the GF and I headed to La Torta Gorda. I must say the Carne Asada Torta was DELICIOUS. The soft grilled Torta bread topped with mexican cheese, re fried beans, onion and Jalapeno (no Mayo) for 6.95 is the best bargain for your buck. FYI the sandwich is huge. Perfect to share with a loved one
With a number of Torta place on 24th street I recommend you check this place out
I'm always torn on the weekends--do I continue to walk smugly by the wad of hipsters milling about outside the (lovely, but not-so-weekend-friendly) St. Francis, or do I pause to tell them they are missing out on a quick, delicious meal that will leave more change in their pockets?
Someday I suppose I'll try to clue them in, but until then, you yelpsters can enjoy the roomy environs in peace. The tortas are huge and are the best I've had here in the city:
the bread: grilled to perfection
the meat (my fave is Al Pastor): yumsville
other stuff: a nice schmear of refried beans, mayo, onions, queso, jalepenos
It adds up to sandwich perfection.
Their breakfast sandwiches are equally delicious -- they scramble your choice of meat (bacon, chorizo, ham) with some eggs and cheese and serve it on yet another tasty bread product. I recommend adding avocado for a maximum flavor celebration.
They also do fresh juice and will whip up a great espresso drink. Throw in a very clean and classy environment and some Futbol on the TV and you've got yerself one nice meal--without the wait and all the " ohmigodsdidyouseehowdrunkjimmywaslastnight?! ?!?!"
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Alright. I'll admit it. I was a sucker and paid for 7x7's June "Best of" issue. Nestled amongst the "best of"'s was La Torta Gorda. The bf is in love with tortas, and since I've never had one before, I decided this may be worth the trek out to the Mission. I kept this place filed away in the back of my brain for one of those days when we get tired of the restaurants around us in the Richmond District.
That day came last week and I draaaagged the bf and myself off our lazy butts and into my car, me driving and silently hoping that my pain-in-the-ass-ishness about going would be rewarded with a tasty dinner choice.
We were rewarded. Oh lordy, were we rewarded.
The place was empty, which seemed strange because of all the praise 7x7 and Yelpers were heaping onto it. The bf and I placed our orders (torta carnitas for me, torta carne asada for the bf) and sat down. The food came up fast and while we were waiting, 3 or 4 people (regulars, it seemed) came and went, all ordering food to go.
We bit into those tortas and mmmm.. heavenly. The cheese was good, the bread was wonderful, the meat.. meaty deliciousness. It was definitely worth the trek and assuaged my worries that I'd. be. made. a. fool. (Nobody ever likes to be the person who drags someone else to the lame party, the whack bar, or.. the bad torta place?)
HA! IN YOUR FACE, THESE TORTAS WERE AWESOME AND WORTH THE TRIP!
Ahem. So, in summary. Go here. Eat the tortas. If you are uber-hungry, get the regular. Otherwise the junior is a good size to get.
Funny side note: you can buy (order?) cup of noodles here!
Oh, oh, oh! I almost forgot: the staff is awesome. They were really nice and even handed us different hot sauce when they noticed that we were using the El Tapatio (sp?) sauce. "Oh, here you go. This hot sauce is better." Sweeeet!
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Not half bad. Yummy little sandiwches. Could be larger and cheaper, but still, not half bad. they open pretty early also which is nice when you want a veggie Torta for breakfast.
The Tortas are not as good as El Farolito down the street, but they are very interesting taste-wise. i like them, but not the best, but still yummy.
They delivers if you order over $15. to the Mission, Noe Valley and Bernal Heights. (415) 724 - 5399
So I was walking myself back down to SF General for another trip to the ER, thanks to my horrible month-long saga with E.COLI poisoning from Cafe Flore http://www.yelp.com/bi... and feeling really pissy about having to go back to the hospital, AGAIN. I figured a little Mexican comfort food might cheer me up. I just couldn't do the liquid diet anymore. Plus I knew it was going to be a long wait in the hospital and needed something light, portable and breakfasty to go with my pain killers and gigantor-size Gatorade. (mmm -- have I awakened your appetite yet?) I specifically needed something that wouldn't arouse too much suspicion or jealousy from the other ER patients and would be easy on the stomach. A lot of expectations for just a little sandwich. Thank God for this place. Excellent ham & egg torta (sin queso) served on properly grilled bread with a generous heap of avocado and perfectly thin-spread refried beans, with a side of super sweet, super sincere service from the nice guys behind the counter. I cannot emphasize enough the value of kind service when you are having a shiteous moment in life. It is also ridiculously awesome that they serve two sizes and price each size VERY fairly for what you get. My small was big and cost around $3.40. The large? Well let's say you would need two gigantor Gatorades to wash one down. So go with a small and if that isn't enough you can upgrade on your next visit. All in all, a perfect torta for an imperfect morning.
Update:
Guess what yall, I came back here for breakfast the other morning, thoroughly cracked out tired after working all night at DJ Adnan's legendary ForwardSF Underground and FECK their huevos divorciados are TASTEE!!! I also like their champurrado which is on the chocolatey-er side with a really nice thick but smooth consistency. Again with the awesome service equaled a fistful of our night's worth of tips flowing freely into their morning's worth (don't overlook the tip jar at the register yo!)
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They just moved further on 24th street and they seriously deserved it. All the best for them. The new location has some delightfully kitsch 50ness that makes it really cute. Their tortas are still GORDAs and they are absoultely filling and fresh. The liquado de fresa had something like a chemical background though...hmmmm. Don't take the three stars like something bad...it's just that I like tortas better in another place.
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my girlfriend brought me here a month ago and i was skeptical. i'm more of a burrito guy, even a quesadilla or nachos get my vote before tortas. but i'm always willing to try new things. and i'm glad i did....i got a cubana torta and good lord this thing was epic. it comes packed with FOUR kind of meat...ham, turkey, carnitas-esque pork and hot dog. yes, hot dog. at that moment in time while i was eating my sandwich my whole mind, body and existence were centered around this most legendary of legendary foods. if there was a culinary embodiment of the term "wins" it was this torta. oh and their horchata is the best i've ever had. they make it fresh on the spot in the blender, it's not sitting in some container all day, so it's real rich and frothy. pure excellence.
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this review is based on a very limited sampling of the menu.
their horchata is made to order and hands down the best one i've ever had, anywhere. i didn't know horchata's could be this good.
unfortunately, they're breakfast doesn't match it. they can't cook eggs either. why is this such a challenge for so many short order cooks? check out usulutan on harrison and 24th for a good breakfast, but get your horchata here first.
the fellow behind the counter is always friendly, and the venue is nice too. maybe i'll explore the menu further than breakfast one day.
The carne asada torta I had was pretty good. I have to admit Ive had better back home, but it was still good. Price not bad either. Id go here again. The aguas frescas were delicious (I had mango, will have to try sandia next time). The servers/cooks are very nice. I didnt know you were supposed to go up to the counter to order and just sat down. One of the cooks came over and asked what Id like. I wasnt able to finish my entire torta and kept half of it for later. Unfortunately, it fell out of the bag in the backseat and rolled under my passenger seat. I completely forgot about it and found it a couple days later, saddened to realize that I wasnt able to finish the torta.
This little sandwich place is truly a hidden gem in the mission. My friend Tammy 'Tamara' introduced me to to their Torta sandwiches back when, and I've been fiending ever since. The hours are a little funny, so I can usually only catch this place during the weekend, but it's worth it. Everything I've tried there so far has been great: cheap prices, large portions, fresh meat, cheese, bread and all the rest - and the staff are so friendly and quick. When I was waiting for my mozarrella sandwich this weekend I noticed alot of Mission regulars ordering the chicken parmigana and I've made a mental note to try it next - but honestly, I have a feeling that their whole menu is "on point."
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Best tortas in the City. Jamon con Huevo sin Queso is the best. Not the best service (if you come in during the lunch hour) takes them a while, and with good reason, lots and lots of people call in big orders. Great prices. I always leave happy with a full belly.
What the other reviews have overlooked is the profoundly unclassifiable nature of this restaurant. It has 3 personalities.
First, it's a taqueria. It's in the south mission, everyone who works there is latino, they specialize in tortas, they have shelves behind the register with abuelito hot chocolate and ramen, and when I was there the whole back of the restaurant was filled with a sprawling familia latina, having quite a good time.
Second, it's a 1950s soda shop. You go in and you can sit down at the bar on a row of soft red cushioned stools. There are big Coca-Cola light fixtures that hang down from the ceiling. While I waited for my meal a well-curved white woman and her daughter came in to order a chocolate milkshake. For all I know they drank it with 2 straws, cheek to cheek, while listening to Paul Anka.
Third, it's a french cafe. They have those faux french liquor art posters everywhere. I ordered a chorizo and egg torta. The guy calls out "chorizo y huevo..?" so I go to retrieve it, expecting a torta similar to what I might find up the street at Taco Loco or Farolito. Instead I get an impeccably crafted masterpiece, a work of art, not a drop of grease anywhere, just good mexican ingredients tightly wrapped in paper, looking just like a $15 panini sandwich. A french one.
Maybe the best fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice of my life, too.
Late for work and need a delish sando to get you through until noon?
This is the spot. Fast service and quality.
Torta de pavo sin mayonessa.
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If you find yourself in the heart of the mission and need some lunch, this is a great place to pick up a sandwich. I have been here countless times and they're very consistent. I can't vouch for the tortas, though my coworker swears by them, but their sandwiches are totally fresh---they don't even slice the meat until you order.
Be daring and order the "Julia special," (off-menu & my coworker's invention) chicken breast, cream cheese, chipotle peppers, pickles, and avocado--like I said, daring. They also have great veggie options, and one sandwich is big enough for 2 people to share...
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Tuna Melt is great. Tortas (except for their El Pastor meat...and I can't say anything about beef) are excellent. They make it fresh. They make their aguas frescas fresh. It's good shite. Go there for lunch and converse with the construction workers. There are seats, but only outside, and only in the way of the order window. This is the only reason I give it 4 stars.
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Allrightee then if you want a sandwich, between york and Hampshire on 24th street.... or a gorda..then this place is Mexican sandwich heaven:) yummy is what I have to say and everyone I bring there is YET ANOTHER repeat customer.... Louis, the order taker, nice man, his car just got stolen, tip him good, because the food is so good, and sometimes you can get a coffee refill if you earn your way, stripes, I would say..I get great sandwiches with so many choices, and those gorda things every one loves but yet I only have had one once in a while.....Bella loves it there too, all year long they still have plenty of avocados....anyway, its the bomb, prove me wrong...
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