The place to get your torta fix undoubtedly is Tortas Paquime -- near 24th Street and McDowell. The restaurant's inexpensive Mexican sandwiches fill every need when hunger strikes. But did you know that there are other gems on the menu besides tortas?
Just when you thought this place couldn't get any better, it does. Here are five things to try at Tortas Paquime that aren't tortas.
Paquitostitos Two words fuse together to make this tongue-twisting name: "paqui" and "Tostitos." Think of the biggest serving of nachos you've seen and double it. These nachos start with slightly spicy Tostitos chips and are layered with pickled pork, shredded cabbage, cucumber, tomato, avocado, crema, cheese, lime and chili sauce. For starters, chicharrones (pig skin) are not for everyone. But do yourself a favor and try it before you turn the other way because the texture of the pickled pig skin with the other super-fresh ingredients is mind-blowing. The freshness of the elements really lend itself to keeping the chips crunchy and not soggy. An order of paquitostitos can feed a family of four, so be sure to share them.
Quesadilla Paquime Choose from shredded beef or pork, carne asada, or chicken and pork sirloin to be combined with avocado, tomato, guacamole and a salad. Burritos are fun, but getting a quesadilla full of our favorite foods and toppings does everything to satisfy our cravings.
Elotes We are used to getting our elotes from someone riding through the neighborhood on a bicycle selling these corn ears on a stick. Tortas Paquime has eliminated the mess and shaved the corn from the cob and put it in a cup with mayonnaise, cotija cheese, lime, and chili. This concoction comes out hot, melting, and mixing all the ingredients together to deliver the perfect blend of savory, sour and spicy, all in a creamy texture. The corn is most certainly not from a can.
Super Nachos Yes, nachos made it on this list twice. Why? Because they're so darn good. Plus, if pig skin isn't your thing, then choose among carne asada, shredded beef, or shredded pork, each of which is covered in cheddar cheese, beans, guacamole, and sour cream. It cannot be said enough how fresh the ingredients are and how well the meats are seasoned. Tortas Paquime loads the best ingredients to make a mountain of goodness.
Fresas con Crema There's no better way to curb the craving of your sweet tooth than with fresh strawberries and sweet cream. This beautiful dish comes in a large cup with chopped strawberries soaked in sweet cream thicker than half and half but thinner than yogurt. Before you cast off this treat as yogurt parfait, think again. The cream has none of the tartness of yogurt. It is nothing but sweetness in a cup. We couldn't put our spoon down.
