Tortas y Bionicos "Nice" Santa Ana — Restaurant in Santa Ana

While reading a book about local Mexican food, I came across the torta ahoghada. It appeared to be different from tortas commonly served at quick-serve eateries and street food trucks. Torta ahoghada is iconic to the state of Jalisco, more specifically the city of Guadalajara, that had me at the words "drowned sandwich". Unlike most tortas which center around the combination of meat stuffed between two pieces of a sandwich roll, the torta ahoghada consists of different fillings and is covered in a unique spicy sauce that could make or break the dish.

Most of the street carts that sell torta adoghada in the Santa Ana area serve the lunch crowd and close by 6pm. Two alternatives which open later are Taqueria Guadalajara and Tortas & Bionico Nice.

I rolled into Tortas & Bionico Nice at around 8:55pm. They close at 9pm but I never felt rushed. The kitchen remained open just past 9pm. About 10 minutes later, I walked out with a giant $6 sandwich that spanned the entire take-out box. The torta shell consisted of sweet oblong-shaped bread called birote with a crunchy exterior that reminded me of a baguette, but the interior was much softer and cushiony. The bread enclosed fried pork carnitas, melted cheese, and refried beans. Some parts of the carnitas was very tender, some pieces were dry and chunky. I liked the seasoning that appeared to be spiced with salt and pepper.

The torta at "Nice" was halfway immersed in a pool of thin chile de árbol sauce. From what I've read, some restaurants only pour the red chili spicy sauce which is so hot that it burns the tongue. On the other hand, some places incorporate a milder sauce with tomatoes, chili peppers, and vinegar to reduce the heat level. The sauce at "Nice" was closer to the medium-mild end of the heat spectrum, but still robust and satisfying. You get best of both worlds, the slight burning sensation from the hot sauce that's not overwhelming, and the tomato sauce to relish on the sweet and tangy flavors. Finally, the torta is topped with fixings such as sour pickled onions and lime.

I don't recommended dressing to the nines before eating the torta ahoghada because the traditional way to consume it is by holding with bare hands (just like any other sandwich). Yes, holding a soaked sandwich stuffed with slippery ingredients can be a mess, but it's part of the experience. You'll need a lot of napkins.

I recommend consuming the torta ahoghada shortly after it is served. I relished the half I ate, but after I revisited the other half several hours later, the bread became mushy and unremarkable because it had been completely...

First time we came, we were satisfied and the lady that took our order was very polite. We came for the second time and unfortunately it'll be our last time. We have two small kids under the age of 5, one being under the spectrum...and was behaving very well but he loves sitting next to the window, which relaxes him when he's indoors. He was touching the window and as we were finishing up, the blonde server rudely came to wipe it down saying "lo acabo de limpiar y ahora otra vez" to which I responded "disculpe" but she still had a very rude facial expression. I then proceeded to tell my son not to touch the window anymore because the lady would get mad. I just wish people would be more understanding of children like our...he wasn't acting obnoxious or anything for her to have been rude that way. I totally would have wiped down the window had I noticed my son leaving it a complete mess. But she couldn't even wait until we finished eating. We've never felt so uncomfortable at any other restaurant before. We'll just stick to the place we know will be kind and more understanding of...

BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! I have been here several times but today was the last. I bought a bean burrito with rice, avocado and lettuce, $12.00. I took it to go but tipped $1 for the effort. When I asked for extra salsa I was quickly reprimanded that I only get 2 containers and the rest are extra. I told them thats fine, charge me. I was given a total of 4 salsas and told "you can pay next time." 10 minutes later when I sat to eat the burrito, it was lukewarm and the salsas were like jello. Clearly the salsa was not fresh and had been sitting in the plastic containers for some time. Additionally the containers were half empty. The burrito was mediocre, but the customer service over salsa & the salsa are unacceptable! The word "Nice" in the title of this restaurant must be the owner's...