Eating on the Hood of Your Car: El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas

On my second visit to the Mariscos El Pescador truck, I noticed a second truck, right past the entrance to the RTA and Toys R Us parking lot off L Street in Chula Vista. One side of the truck was painted a bright red, and claimed Tortas Ahogadas. Curious, I did a quick search on "Tortas Ahogadas" and I think Wikipedia's entry was short and sweet. Tortas Ahogada is a specialty of Guadalajara, and the best way to describe it would be as a "dipped" sandwich.....or perhaps more appropriately a "drowned" sandwich that had been submerged in a brew which features chilies as a main ingredient! Talk about right down my alley.......

So instead of the Mariscos truck, I decided to give the Torta a try on my next visit.

I parked my car and walked up to the truck. The first interaction was interesting, a brown hair "gringo" walked up to me, and started asking me questions, all of which led to the same question, "did you read about the truck in the Union-Tribune"? After telling the guy that I decided to check out the truck after seeing it while eating from the Mariscos Truck forty yards away, I was given a disapproving nod and told, "you must have read the article in the U-T". Unfortunately, I guess I'm just not that "plugged-in" to the food scene.... Anyway, here's what I found in the 'Street Blog', and the guy also pointed to a "hard copy" pasted onto the side of the truck. He was so adamant in his belief that I could not have found this without the help of the U-T....... it was strange, perhaps he was the person who wrote the article???

There are two versions of Torta Ahogada served at this truck, and of course I chose the "original" version. And I chose it spicy as well. I was quickly warned off by the very friendly woman at the window, telling me "most people can't eat the spicy version, are you sure"? I said, I'd like to try the spicy version.... the woman replied, "it'll grow hair on your chest". I pulled out the front of my t-shirt and looked down at my hairless Asian chest, and said, "well perhaps this will help me out, because I could use a bit of hair on my chest......"

And so it came to pass that I received a spicy Torta Ahogada.......

Which looked a resplendent bright red as I arrived at the hood of my car...... First the good, the bread was wonderful, almost amazing I'd say, the crusty Bolillo stood up perfectly when drenched with sauce. It was the best part of the sandwich, as the pork and everything else was totally over-shadowed by a singularly "one-note" chili arbol based hot sauce.

 
For me it was just a singular lip and front of mouth heat, that lacked nuance and over whelmed everything else. I like to think that I'm not a shrinking shrinking violet when it comes to spicy food. I just felt as if something was missing.......

A few weeks later, when Captain Jack and I did our Taco Crawl, I encouraged him to check out the Torta Ahogada truck, which by then had moved to a closer position right in front of Toys R Us. CJ, told me without prompting, "man the texture bread is good, but all I can taste is the spice, like drinking hot sauce... something is missing".

I'd still encourage you to check out the truck, and maybe just order the non-spicy version drizzled with what looks like a mayo-mustard kinda sauce, because that bread is really good.

El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas
1008 Industrial Blvd
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Comments

[Dennis]

Mmm sounds like an enchilada sandwich of sorts?!

[nhbilly]

WoW its a tortachilada, yum. Worth a shot to try something else.

[ed (from Yuma)]

Very interesting. I've only had a torta ahogada spicy once (at a defunct restaurant out here) and my response was similar to yours. A hot but not complex flavor. Oh, and yeh, the bread on the one I had wasn't especially good.

[Janfrederick]

I had one from a place in Corona a while back. I enjoyed it for the novelty, but I prefer having the sauce on the side so I can dip it at my leisure.

So do you need recommendations for a place to get waxed? ;)

[sawyer]

i tried this once a few months back and it was pretty spicy. funny thing is i've been craving for a good bolillo for some reason lately. what kind of meat did they use?

[Lynnea]

Honestly, I can't imagine reading UT for food recommendations when I can read your blog Kirk. It's really amazing the things people come up with.

[Stephen]

Too bad about the "missing" ingredient. The picture caught my eye. Speaking of bolillos, have you tried the ones at Pancho Villa's down here on El Cajon Blvd. They are so good, and I think they are 4 for $1.00. Nice & crunchy on the outside, soft and flakey on the inside. YUM!

[kat]

sounds way too spicy for me!

[E J]

The ONE time I tried a torta ahogada in Guadalajara, I couldn't get past the first bite! I enjoy spicy food which is also tasty, like the salsa habanera at Mariscos German, but I could NOT handle the heat of the ahogada!
On another occasion, we took a large bottle of the sauce to a pozolada and everyone was crying because of the heat, but NO one stopped eating!

[caninecologne]

hi kirk
cool food find! and dude, wtf was wrong with the guy anyways? i smell a rat. kidding. i'd rather read a food blogger for his/her recommendation(s) than trust the union-trib.

[Kirk]

Hi Dennis - Not even close....that sauce is almost pure chili de arbol.

Hi Billy - The bread is really good.

Hey Ed - So I guess that's pretty much how it is......

Hi Jan - LOL! It wasn't THAT spicy! ;o)

Hi Sawyer - The standard filling for Torta Ahogada is pork....but you couldn't really taste it.

Hi Lynnea - That guy was so fixated on that article that I thought it was kind of strange.

Hi Stephen - There's a bakery near third in CV that bakes some wonderful Bolitos.

Hi Kat - It was pretty spicy.....

Hi EJ - I wish the sauce had a bit more nuance, or something to keep me interested.

Hi CC - I dunno what was up the dude, it just seemed very strange.

[Andy (美國土子)]

great entry Kirk. Now I know what a torta ahogada is!

there's a popular place called Tortas Ahogadas in Pomona.... never knew it was a special type of torta until now.

thanks.

[Kirk]

Hi Andy - Hey, that's pretty neat. Now you can grab a Torta Ahogada and let me know how you like it!

[E J]

I agree, Kirk-heat without flavor just doesn't do it for me. I would have enjoyed my first ahogada if it hadn't been "ahogada", but then it wouldn't have been a torta ahogada! The sauce was great, just too hot for me. Family members from other cities always made it a point to have ahogadas on their first day in Guadalajara.

[moowiesqrd]

Hey Kirk! Whoa... talk about a weird dude. I'm betting that he was the guy who wrote the article, but who goes around plugging their own work like that? It would have been hilarious to stand next to you and interrupt him with, "And don't you know WHO THIS IS? This is Kirk!" I'd even wear sunglasses and carry a briefcase, just to complete the look of being a faithful minion. ;) Anyway, I've been meaning to drive down to CV for a while and now I'm glad I have a reason to wimp out on the spicy part... ahogada with mayo-mustard works just fine for me. Oh, and in case the U-T guy is reading this, I heard about this place from you, Kirk, and Chowhound. Nyah, nyah, nyah. ;)

[Kirk]

Hi GF - You know I'd never do that.... but it was kinda weird. You should check out some of the shops in the South Bay.... we've been enjoying it over the last couple of weeks!

[Masa Assassin]

Hey Kirk getting caught up on all the great reviews after some time off. That’s funny about the UT article I discovered this place the same way you did by eating at pescador 40 feet away. I was so stuffed when I tried this place the first time I’m thinking of going back today and checking it out again. You had had me laughing with the hair on the chest joke :)

[Kirk]

Hi MA - It was very spicy....but didn't add any hair to my chest..... ;o)

[george]

hooo.......the torta from el GALLITO !
is really EXCELENT !!!!!!
chula vista ca

[adriana ballesteros]

tenia tiempo de no visitar la union americana y al mvisitar esa bella ciudad q es san diego( en chula vista,ca) me tope con una ricas , limpias y deliciosas tortas ahogadas; yo soy de gdl jal, mex y senti como si no estuviera en california igual sabor y exelente textura del pan,(birote) las carnitas y la salsa ni se diga todo! les doy 5 estrellas...mmmmm rico vuelvo quien iva decir q en fuese aprobar algo tan mexicano autentico y sabroso en otro lugar que no fuera mi casa .