Rica’s Tortas

I was really looking forward to trying out Rica’s Tortas, mainly because I love Mexican food, plus I had never heard of ‘tortas’ before or seen them anywhere in Auckland. However, after trying them early this year, I was disappointed!
Their menu is simple, only serving three items — tortas (like the Mexican version of a banh mi), agua frescas (freshly made sodas) and paletas (ice blocks). I think it is a great concept as it makes ordering easy and it is also a chance to come back and try the whole menu. Torta options include: pulled pork, chipotle beef, dry-​rubbed ancho prawns, guajillo chicken, achiote pork and roasted eggplant.
I opted for the pulled pork torta ($ 10) as it usually has a wonderful flavour and I thought it would be great in a sandwich! Also on the day we went, they were selling horchata (sweetened rice milk infused with cinnamon). I definitely couldn’t say ‘no’ to this!
Despite the torta looking visually appealing, to be honest, it was bland. Compared to other baguette places around Auckland and especially in the CBD, this one was really lacking in flavour. The horchata however was delicious — sweet, refreshing and creamy.
They also have an online ordering system, where you can order and pay for your tortas /​agua frescas /​paletas online, so you don’t have to wait when you arrive. At first, I thought it was a great idea, but after indicating on our order form that we would be there to pick our lunch at 1.10pm, we arrived and they hadn’t even started making our tortas yet. They didn’t even offer an explanation. We ended up waiting another 10 minutes — such a shame!
I had high hopes for Rica’s Tortas, but sadly it didn’t live up to its expectations. Because there are so many other delicious lunch places in the CBD, I won’t be returning.

Despite living in Cali for a year, I’d never tried tortas until I went to Rica’s.
For those new to tortas, they’re Mexican sandwiches, made to order and packed full of juicy meat, crunchy vege and a decent lathering of sauce. At Rica’s there’s 5 options — chipotle beef, guajillo chicken, achiote pork, ancho prawn & eggplant.
I definitely recommend ordering online — they’re only open from 12 — 3pm, are pretty busy and not overly fast at churning them out. We ordered online an hour before our requested pick-​up time and still they weren’t ready for another 10mins after we arrive.
Drink-​wise they’ve got they delicious sodas (aguas frescas). I tried the coriander & lime — super refreshing & not too sweet.
Just a quick heads up — this is largely a takeaway joint. They are located next to Mexico in the roll-​up garage and whilst they do have a small amount of seating, I wouldn’t count on their being space to eat-​in!