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"Drowned Sandwich" Torta ahogada


lardca

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We had our first Torta Ahogada a couple weeks ago at a little sidewalk stand in Tonala. Oh, my, it was delish!

Tried one today at the little Torta shop just down Colon/Morelos from Bancomer in Ajijic. Pretty good, but not as good as that first one.

We don't want to drive to Tonala when we're in the mood for one of those sloppy delights.

So, give us some recommendations as to your favorite Lakeside 'drowned sandwich' emporium.

Waiting, hungrily! :016:

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I like the place on Colon, and until recently it was the only on e around. Now there is one on the lake side of the caraterra before the light at Juarez and there is another near where the Greek was. I have not tried them.

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A good place is the "older" ahogadas place, just beside the chicken guy who is between the Coke plant in San Antonio and the WalMart. To the right of the key guy. Note that there is a new tortas tent to the left (east) of the key guy; that's not him.

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The first time I saw them was when I stopped at a roadside stand outside of Jocotepec. They gave you a plastic spoon which was completely inadequate to cut through the bed. It was getting messy and I couldn't see any place for the customers to wash their hands so I paid and left it uneaten.

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Yes, tortas ahogadas can be messy....but we treat them as a 'french dip.'

We always get ours para llevar from the shop (the sign reads: Tortas Ahogadas Aqui) just below Ajijic plaza, on Colon. He bags the ingredients separately (the roll; the meat; the pickled onions; the limes; the two sauces...one the au jus, the other muy picante).

Once home with the goodies, we pour both liquids into deep bowls, assemble our sandwiches, and dip away...I know it's not the authentic way to eat the torta, but it works for us! You can lower the heat level by holding back on the picante sauce bag, but we never do.

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The first time I saw them was when I stopped at a roadside stand outside of Jocotepec. They gave you a plastic spoon which was completely inadequate to cut through the bed. It was getting messy and I couldn't see any place for the customers to wash their hands so I paid and left it uneaten.

Oh no! I too was faced with this the first time I encountered an ahogada! I have learned to use this little plastic spoon to cut and swoop!

I want to share that there was a GREAT place directly south of Plaza Bugambilias in Ajijic on Guadalupe Victoria. It was called "Albertos" or something like that. I think that "Albertos" has moved EAST of San Antonio. If one takes the carretera from Ajijic/San Antonio towards Chapala, there is a sign past San Antonio, but before Mirasol that states "ALBERTOS". This is pointing Lakeside. Oh, I know I am not being very clear, but I am wondering if this is the same restaurant, but in a different location.

There are several little holes in the wall offering ahogadas in Chapala. One venue is north of the bus station on Madero ( the divided road also known as the carretera), just a few store fronts north of the bus station. Now, between Miguel Martinez and San Marcos, on the carretera (Madero) in Chapala, on the west side of the street is another ahogada's venue. Basta por hoy!

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perhaps Alberto's is the name of the restaurant that is directly behind Angelica's Bistro on the carretera in san antonio. peeked inside and it was new, clean and pretty with patio seating.

don't think that the plastic spoon that was given with someone's ahogada sandwich was meant to cut the bread until after it had been used to spoon as much hot sauce/tomato soup onto the sandwich to make it soft, hence the "drowning".....

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Yes, tortas ahogadas can be messy....but we treat them as a 'french dip.'

We always get ours para llevar from the shop (the sign reads: Tortas Ahogadas Aqui) just below Ajijic plaza, on Colon. He bags the ingredients separately (the roll; the meat; the pickled onions; the limes; the two sauces...one the au jus, the other muy picante).

Once home with the goodies, we pour both liquids into deep bowls, assemble our sandwiches, and dip away...I know it's not the authentic way to eat the torta, but it works for us! You can lower the heat level by holding back on the picante sauce bag, but we never do.

Ruth, we've tried twice to order from this place (which we found quite easily from your directions, thanks); however, they have been closed each time.

Do you know when they are usually open (I recognize that there is a certain unpredictability with the horas de operación in Mexico.

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Ruth, we've tried twice to order from this place (which we found quite easily from your directions, thanks); however, they have been closed each time.

Do you know when they are usually open (I recognize that there is a certain unpredictability with the horas de operación in Mexico.

It is a bit of a hit or miss place. We normally get them for lunch, around 1PM, mas o menos. I have noticed he's not open now as much as he was this winter.

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Watched the end of the Uruguay-Ghana soccer match at Tortas Ahogadas Las Famosas, on the highway to, and about 1/4 mile before, the turnoff to the Guad airport. Had the torta loca...really not that spicy, but fresh, delicious and, of course, finger-lickin' good and messy. We almost took a picture of the pile of napkins on the table when we were done. This place is pretty well-known; they even deliver to Guad and area environs and cater. Plan on returning for our next torta fix.

It's located across from an OXXO and has large red and white signage.

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We had another Torta Ahogada experience yesterday.

Around 2pm we were doing errands and drove by Hole In One in San Antonio. We spied a sign on the little road right next to it that said Torta Ahogada Arthur's Desde Guadalajara a Chapala. We drove down the road and right into their yard.

There was a tent with about 4 brand new tables. They have a building separate from the main house where they do the cooking. The son was pulling weeds. Dad greeted us and took our order. Uh...TORTA! I think that's all they had but we didn't inquire. No cerveza or coke lite so we just said ‘'agua.'’ Mom went into the house and brought out 2 clean glasses and filled them with Agua Horchata. We'd heard of it but never had it and didn't even know what it was until we she wrote the name down for us. It's a very popular rice water drink. It was just lovely. So refreshing.

The torta was very good. Loaded with meat in nice crusty bread. The sauce was a bit more 'tomato' based (for lack of a better description) and thick enough so that lots of it stayed on the torta when you spooned it over the top. Very flavorful. Little bowls of pickled onion, lime and a hotter sauce if you’re so inclined. I am, spouse NOT.

Cost us 65 pesos for all of it. Nice people, too. Nice setting. Very clean. They even have a wash basin set up so you can wash your hands before and/or after. Nice touch. You'll need it.

This might be the place a previous poster mentioned and thought the name was Alberto's. ??? We'll definitely return to this one. Our favorite is still the stand in Tonala, Arthur's is 2nd, the place on Colon 3rd .

We intend to frequent some more establishments (we're on a mission.) The guy next to the chicken guy across from Lety's that a poster mentioned sounds promising. He's been closed the couple of times we went by. Next time. A few others that have been mentioned are on our list, too. We'll take as many suggestions/recommendations as we can get. Keep 'em comin'

Torta Ahogada Arthur’s

San Antonio

A small road just east of the Hole In One building.

Down towards the lake on the left. Across from the Villa Pacifica development.

They are open Thurs-Sun.

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After several attempts, we finally drove by the Torta Ahogada place on Colon (recommended by Bisbee Gal) and found it open! Go the to go order as she suggested (I forgot the proper Mexican words, but made a chewing motion with my mouth and said "su casa, por favor." He got it, with a very friendly smile.)

As we've never had one of these before, I can't compare it with any other. But the sauces (one hot, one quite mild) were delicious. A more vinegary flavor than most other red sauces I've had, but it went well with the included pickled red onions. We heated up the rolls, meat (very tasty, moist pork) and sauces a little in the microwave, and dipped into the sauces. Eventually, we were spooning this stuff all over so that the bread could soak it up. (Warning: The hot IS HOT).

The leftover sauce will used this evening with more meat purchased at the Chapala Market tickoday, along with fresh rolls and some homemade pickled onions.

Thanks for introducing these to us! We'll be trying a few other places before we leave, I'm sure (Arturo's sound like a lot of fun, and very near where we are renting).

If anybody knows how to make that sauce, I'd appreciate the info so I can make them again when we get back to Phoenix.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We had another Torta Ahogada experience yesterday.

Around 2pm we were doing errands and drove by Hole In One in San Antonio. We spied a sign on the little road right next to it that said Torta Ahogada Arthur's Desde Guadalajara a Chapala. We drove down the road and right into their yard.

There was a tent with about 4 brand new tables. They have a building separate from the main house where they do the cooking. The son was pulling weeds. Dad greeted us and took our order. Uh...TORTA! I think that's all they had but we didn't inquire. No cerveza or coke lite so we just said ‘'agua.'’ Mom went into the house and brought out 2 clean glasses and filled them with Agua Horchata. We'd heard of it but never had it and didn't even know what it was until we she wrote the name down for us. It's a very popular rice water drink. It was just lovely. So refreshing.

The torta was very good. Loaded with meat in nice crusty bread. The sauce was a bit more 'tomato' based (for lack of a better description) and thick enough so that lots of it stayed on the torta when you spooned it over the top. Very flavorful. Little bowls of pickled onion, lime and a hotter sauce if you’re so inclined. I am, spouse NOT.

Cost us 65 pesos for all of it. Nice people, too. Nice setting. Very clean. They even have a wash basin set up so you can wash your hands before and/or after. Nice touch. You'll need it.

This might be the place a previous poster mentioned and thought the name was Alberto's. ??? We'll definitely return to this one. Our favorite is still the stand in Tonala, Arthur's is 2nd, the place on Colon 3rd .

We intend to frequent some more establishments (we're on a mission.) The guy next to the chicken guy across from Lety's that a poster mentioned sounds promising. He's been closed the couple of times we went by. Next time. A few others that have been mentioned are on our list, too. We'll take as many suggestions/recommendations as we can get. Keep 'em comin'

Torta Ahogada Arthur’s

San Antonio

A small road just east of the Hole In One building.

Down towards the lake on the left. Across from the Villa Pacifica development.

They are open Thurs-Sun.

Had lunch today at Arthur's. Agree with Lardca 100%, though I might ask them for a little less sauce. And be warned - the hot sauce was very hot! The onion are less pickled than the place that Bisbee Gal recommended, and the sauce is a bit less vinegary. Both huge hits with us, and thank you both for the introduction to this interesting sandwich.

Two Torta's, a Cornona and a Fanta (no diet soda, btw) - $67 pesos.

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I have to agree with jrod...Tortas Ahogadas Las Famosas has the best torta hands down. I am married to a Guadalajara native, and have been eating these for about a decade. We made our permanent move to Mexico in April. We have been to the location on the highway to GDL, before the airport, a few times. Their sauce is the best I have ever had for this messy delight!

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Mighty fine Tortas at this cute little of the road tent. We had Coronas when we were there! :-P

The hot sauce is common in Jalisco to use Piquin peppers and always comes with a tomatoe based suace. I find that the hot sauce had to much Apple Cidar Vinager, which is also characteristic for Tortas Ahogada within Jalisco.

Bring an appetite and of course your "Iron Stomach"! :-)

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