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Without exception, most human beings establish goals that they desire to achieve within their lifetime. Some of us desire lofty goals, as I recall a story from a high school history lesson which taught the class that Woodrow Wilson, as a small boy, desired to become president of the United States, and indeed he achieved his goal, as he became our 18th president in 1912. Well, I can't exactly put myself into the leagues of great men and women who have made a significant impact upon the world, but since reading an article, published a few years ago about Tortas del Wash Mobile, I had plotted, fantasized and dreamed about a visit to Tortas del Wash Mobile, and on Saturday, September 28, 2007, after a visit to Tortas del Wash Mobile, my dream was achieved, as I was able to enjoy one of their delicious tortas. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Lunch time at Tortas del Wash Mobile generates a crowd of locals; the tortas are that good! This small sidewalk restaurant is famous to Tijuana locals, and is famous north of the border, as it serves some of the best carne asada tortas imaginable! Mountains crumble, buildings turn to dust, Hollywood stars fade, but Tortas del Wash Mobile lives on, as its been in the same location since 1964, far outliving the car wash that it took its name from, decades ago. It's located a couple miles south of downtown Tijuana, on Calle Jalisco, just west of Blvd. Agua Caliente. Tortas del Wash Mobile is located in a small, unpretentious stand, that's semi-always attached to the sidewalk; although it is classified as mobile, it hasn't been moved in decades. Wash Mobile may be small and simple, but during peak lunch hours, this is probably the busiest torta stand that I've ever seen, as the place is crowded with locals for good reason, as the tortas that Wash Mobile produces are a slice of heaven, the staff is very friendly, and the price is cheap, cheap, at only MEX $35.00 per torta, with all of the trimmings, along with complementary drinks. Don't look for gringos, as Wash Mobile's customers are all seasoned Tijuana locals.
Photo: The four guys that operate Tortas del Wash Mobile are pictured in this photo, including the guy that is working the grill, at the right of the photo. Notice that everybody wears a brown shirt an a ball cap, which is the uniform of Tortas del Wash Mobile. Check out the customer who wears cowboy boots, and the pigeons on the sidewalk, which are both familiar sights in Tijuana. Actually, Tortas del Wash Mobile has been a legend of its own kind, in the local area, as its outlasted its namesake, the long-defunct Wash Mobile gas station for many years. For a small, sidewalk restaurant, Wash Mobile is quite an operation, as it employs three guys; at the time of my visit shortly after noon, on Saturday, September 28, 2007, were three very busy guys, who were catering to the lunch time crowd. Three guys to run a sidewalk torta stand? Of course, as Guy #1 mans the grill, constantly adjusting the temperature of the charcoal coals using a long poker to ensure that the meat is cooking properly. Guy #1 also places mesquite chips atop the burning coals, in order to implant a tangy, smoky taste to the carne asada that they're grilling. Oh yes, before the carne asada is placed on the grill, its been marinated in Wash Mobile's secret marinade for 12 hours...
Photo: Carne asada on the grill, cooking over charcoal and mesquite wood, at Tortas del Wash Mobile. How does the Tortas del Wash Mobile cooking assembly line work? It works like a well-oiled machine, as they've been honing their sills for decades. Guy #1 places marinated carne asada on the grill, looks up at the sky, jokes with his comrades, and whistles "Dixie" for a couple of minutes, then places a square, Mexico-City-style pambaso roll, face down on the grill,to cook next the carne asada. When the carne asada is grilled to perfection, along with the roll, Guy #1 removes carne asada and the roll from the grill, Guy #2 takes it, and using a large cleaver, chops the carne asada into small pieces, and hands the cutting board to Guy #3, who actually assembles the torta, by placing the chopped carne asada onto the roll, and he drizzles the whole sandwich with fresh, in-house-made guacamole. Although Wash Mobile Tortas offers picked tomatoes, onions and radishes as garnishes, I chose to enjoy a delicious torta, with only guacamole as a condiment, as I didn't want anything to mask the flavor of a legendary Tijuana classic torta.
Photo; These guys are busy preparing the best carne asada torta that you'll ever eat when you're visiting Tijuana. Tortas del Wash Mobile has been serving amazing carne asada tortas since 1964, so they know what to do! The carne asada is marinated in a secret spice mixture, and its grilled over a mesquite fire until its juicy, and cooked to perfection. Carne asada tortas are the only item on Tortas del Wash Mobile menu, but these guys know how to prepare a torta the right way, as this place has been in business over 50 years. After taking a bite of my delicious torta, I can understand how the restaurant has been in business for so long, as this is probably the best carne asada torta that I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy. The meat is juicy, cooked to perfection, and implants just a hint of mesquite smoke. The square roll is toasted to perfection, yet is soft and chewy on the inside, just the way I like them. The juicy meat is covered by cool, creamy guacamole, which makes a delicious contrast to the hot carne asada. The restaurant opens in the morning at eight, and they stay open until about 4:00 PM, unless they run out of meat, which sometimes happens, as Tortas del Wash Mobile is very popular with the local residents.
Photo: In my outstretched hand, I hold probably the best carne asada torta that I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy, as purchased at Tortas del Wash Mobile. If you're visiting Tijuana and you're looking for one of the best tortas EVER, take a hike a couple miles south of downtown, on Bvd. Agua Caliente, treat yourself to an amazing torta at Tortas del Wash Mobile. You'll love their tortas! Tortas del Wash Mobile Copyright(c) 2007 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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