Tortas Ebenezer has the best sandwich you never knew you needed.
Tortas of the Mexican variety are sandwiches made with bolillos, soft bread rolls, and fillings of many varieties. I spoke with Selene Arista, who co-owns the drive-through with her father, about what the restaurant has to offer. All the tortas come with beans, mayo, tomato, avocado, cheese, and jalapeños or chipotle sauce. The tortas include some unique ingredients not found elsewhere.
The menu calls out to diners to make a life-defining choice:
- ask the Aristas to explain what ingredients are in each torta variety,
- read the descriptions of each torta’s ingredients in the next segment, or
- live a little and try out a torta you’ve never eaten before based on its distinctive name.
For those that want to ensure your chosen torta will be a good fit with your exact taste buds, here is the lowdown on the ingredients for each. All the tortas below include the fixin’s noted above. Queso fresco is also available.
- Chavo: Sliced ham
- Combinada: Ham and head cheese (pork or beef bits suspended in natural collagen with spices)
- Pollo: Shredded chicken
- Milaneza: Thin sliced beef – battered and fried
- Pierna: Spicy sliced ham
- Asada: Grilled beef pieces
- King Kong: Chicken, melted mozzarella cheese, sausage, and egg
- Cubana: Chorizo, egg, ham, sausage, head cheese, and milaneza
- Hawaiian: Milaneza, ham, melted mozzarella cheese, and pineapple
- Sonidera: Milaneza and spicy sliced ham
- Pastor: Spicy pork pieces
- Carnitas: Braised and then shredded pork
- Alambre: Philly cheesesteak-esque with asada, bell pepper, melted mozzarella cheese, and spices
- Pollo A’la Crema: Shredded chicken, sliced bell peppers, spices, and crema (a thinner and slightly sweater sour cream)
- Chorizo con Huevo: Chorizo (pork sausage) and eggs
In addition to delicious tortas, the Aristas also offer burritos, quesadillas, breakfast burritos, shakes, and aguas frescas. Aguas frescas are scientifically proven to be the most delicious drinks on hot summer days. If you haven’t tried one, ingredients can include fresh fruit, cereals, seeds, sugar, and water.
Arista advised that students from nearby Sparks High School have adopted Tortas Ebenezer as a favorite spot. The Student Lunch Special is a steal for $6. It includes a ham, chicken, or steak torta along with a drink. The special is available to students with school ID Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
I chose the Sonidera torta and a mango agua fresca for my lunch. The milaneza had a great crunch, the chipotle added smoky heat, and the spicy sliced ham had a satisfying squeak to it while chewing. The tomato and mozzarella slices contributed flavor and moisture to an overall tasty torta. The mango agua fresca was refreshing and had a prominent Champagne mango flavor. I was stuffed after the meal.
Let’s be honest, sandwiches are good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Get your next fix at Tortas Ebenezer. I visited the location at 1500 Prater Way on the corner of Prater and 15th St. in Sparks. If you find yourself in Reno instead, the original Tortas Ebenezer resides at 555 S. Wells Ave. The Reno location is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. In Sparks the drive-through operates 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed Sundays.
