Tortas Lokas
Published January 8, 2024
It was Friday evening and my boyfriend and I were searching for a restaurant to visit in Upper Montclair.
There are many popular restaurants in Upper Montclair like SLA Thai Restaurant, Turtle + the Wolf, and De Novo European Pub. However, without a reservation, it’s difficult to get a spot for dinner. Thus, we found ourselves walking Valley Road until we came across Tortas Lokas.
Tortas Lokas Interior
Tortas Lokas has several locations ranging from Newark to Fairfield. Their branding greets you with a pop of color the minute you step inside. Dark wooden tables with yellow, red, and white metal chairs filled the space with enough seating for ~27 guests.
The patterned dessert case and cash registers sat at the back of the room. We claimed the two-top table across from it. Neon paper flags hung from the ceiling, drawing your attention to the decorative woven lights which glowed orange and yellow.
One woman operated the register, sat guests, took orders, and managed takeout pickups.
We reviewed the menu (which I forgot to take a picture of). It was organized by offering, such as: Starters, Quesabirria, Taquiles, Tacos, Campechanos, Burritos, Chilaquiles, and more.
Appetizers
We ordered our appetizers and drinks. The dining room gradually filled up with other couples, who claimed the last two-top tables before moving onto the four-top tables. All the while, the waitress packaged takeout orders from the kitchen and checked out guests who came through the back entrance for pick up.
Super-nachos | $13.00
We ordered pulled pork with our super-nachos. This appetizer had melted cheese, beans, pico de gallo, sour cream sauce, and a huge portion of guacamole, which was my favorite part.
Tacos | $2.00 each
The price of the tacos seemed perfect for an appetizer. We mixed and matched the protein for our tacos. My boyfriend selected the chicken and Al Pastor. I selected the chorizo and the chuleta (smoked pork loin). The tacos were topped with onions and cilantro and came with a side of cucumber and lime.
I don’t typically love the taste of raw onions, but they worked well with the tacos. The tortillas were soft and warm and the seasoning of the protein was delicious. I loved the charred flavor of the pork loin. These were a good choice in my book to have a sampling of different proteins without a filling or heavy dish.
Entrees
The menu had three separate sections for sandwiches. I was tempted to select one of the specialty sandwiches to try. However, when I saw the quesabirria tacos, I couldn’t pass them by.
Quesabirria Tacos | $15.00
Three loaded quesabirria tacos came with melted mozzarella cheese, onions, and cilantro. These tacos had a large bowl of the consommé on the side for dipping.
I loved the crispy beef, warm tortilla, and melted cheese. I was surprised that I enjoyed the raw onions on the tacos as well. The consommé also had great flavor, with a touch of heat. I would order these tacos again. With our appetizers, this portion was enough that I had leftovers to take home.
Tortas Lokas | $15.00
My boyfriend ordered one of the sandwiches for dinner. He added lettuce and tomato and had the option to add homemade chipotle sauce or mayo.
This sandwich was a monster. I couldn’t believe the size of the bread. It felt like it was a loaf of bread piled with meat. This sandwich included: Breaded beef, bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausage, pernil, peppers, and onions.
My boyfriend didn’t even eat half of the sandwich, it was loaded with so much protein. I was skeptical that that amount of protein on one sandwich would be tasty, but it was. The jalapeño peppers were too much for me, so I would skip them, but the portion of this sandwich for the price was unbelievable.
Dessert
By now, the dining room was filled. A group of 5 took the table by the front window. Several couples came in, ate, and left. A new couple arrived and took the two-top table in the center of the room. The volume of phone orders increased as the night went on.
We sat at the table for a bit, picking at the last bit of nachos and catching up before the waitress came by to clear our plates. The dessert options were visible within the left-hand case near the counter. It looked like there was a cake option and a pudding-style dessert.
We opted for the cake, which was half-chocolate and half flan.
The chocolate cake was moist and fresh. The flan had a perfect texture and caramel-y taste. I would’ve loved something in the middle that connected the two types of dessert, but overall it was a subtly sweet treat to end the meal with.
My Recommendations
I would give our visit to Tortas Lokas a 10/10 for the following:
Decor and Design
Tortas Lokas’s brand was vibrant and welcoming. From their bright interior to their branded stickers, they had consistent branding across their menu and highlighted on the wall via in their other New Jersey locations.
Service
Our waitress was welcoming and helpful. She answered our questions and pointed out dishes that may be spicy (for me), which allowed us to customize our order to remove those elements. She checked in with us throughout the meal and didn’t rush us to leave once we finished.
Food
From the appetizers to the desserts, I enjoyed all of the dishes from our meal. The ingredients were fresh and the portions were huge. I thought the price points were fair and that the quality and variety of menu options were great. I will definitely return to Tortas Lokas Montclair to try even more of their menu.
Have you been to Tortas Lokas?
Do you have a favorite dish from any of the Tortas Lokas locations? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, I’d love to hear from you.
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