In high school, getting my driver’s license was a big deal. Not only did it mean that I didn’t have to wait for my mom to pick me up and drop me off anymore or that I could finally drive anywhere anytime I wanted to, but it also meant that I could stop at Whataburger (#Texaspride) and grab some fries and a thick vanilla milkshake or pick up a quick sugar fix on my way home. My parent’s weren’t too thrilled with the random charges on my credit card from eating out so much, but hey, a big girl’s gotta eat.
However, there came a point when my spontaneous eating trips were getting a little out of hand, and even I knew that I had to tone it down when the waistband of my jeans stopped stretching and my cash flow came to a crashing halt. During these tough times I knew I could count on a Mexican restaurant to really stretch a dollar and satisfy a salty craving. As for the waistband … one step at a time. So when I’m down to five dollars and desperately digging out change from under my car seat, I scrounge up enough cash and spare change to enjoy a Torta Mexican sandwich and a glass of cold Horchata (sweet rice water) from the closest Mexican joint. It’s an amazingly delicious and heavy heart attack on a bun that’s worth every ounce of post grub guilt. Wrapped in foil, two halves of hot and buttery bolillo bread, slathered with sour cream and chunky guacamole, with seasoned chicken fajita smack dab in the middle, topped with lettuce and tomatoes all under five bucks. Does it get any better than that? I don’t think so.
But for now, getting the most bang for my buck at 2 a.m. will mean making a trip to Louie’s for a grilled cheese and a fizzy root beer float. It’s not a Torta, but this isn’t Texas. Texas for the win.
Original Author: Kay Xiao