Tortillas

When dinner starts with a free glass of sangria or a margarita and a warm basket of freshly made tortilla chips with a spicy homemade salsa (skip the accompanying Cheese Whiz), it is easy to see why Tortillas is a place to return to.

This Mexican B.Y.O.B. tucked into a little brick building in Willow Grove features the only authentic Mexican food in the area - a welcome addition to the culinary landscape even if it falls a few tacos short of a full plate.

You can find it tucked behind the bar (a spot that surely would be packed for happy hour if Tortillas had a full liquor license).

The guacamole is simple prepared, fresh and served chilled. And the salsa bar is a little slice of heaven for a sauce fan such as myself.

Fill your plate with the sweet, yet hot, Guajillo, the fruity green mango and the smoky chipotle to enjoy while you wait for your main course.

The best thing about Tortillas menu is that it satisfies any appetite without breaking the bank. Not feeling very hungry? Go for a Chicken Enchilada Mole Poblano ($3.95). Big chunks of juicy chicken and hot melted cheese are encased in a soft corn tortilla and smothered in one of the best sweet mole sauces I have tasted. Each bite made me wish six more enchiladas were waiting for me on my plate.

If your stomach is a bit empty, try anything that includes the house-made, slow-cooked pork, which is fatty enough to keep the meat juicy and moist. The Carnitas plate ($11.95) is served with good portions of Mexican rice, refried beans, shredded lettuce, Pico de Gallo and warm tortillas, and is almost filling enough to be dinner for two. Ask for a side of the Salsa Verde that usually accompanies the Durango Burrito. It’s served warm with bits of shredded pork cooked into it and is perfect atop this plate.

Each entrée comes with a salad or homemade soup starter. Offerings range from Black Bean to Turkey Chilli and a Tortilla soup with a great chicken broth flavor that would be improved with a couple chunks of shredded chicken and some fresh avocado and cilantro tossed in just before serving.

One thing to avoid on the menu is the tamale. Even though many items on the menu are prepared in house, the tamales are prepared commercially and the processed taste and mushy texture make that shortcut quite apparent.

And, although, our waiter was one of the friendliest I have ever encountered (and full of terrific menu suggestions), service faltered a bit at times.

The table lacked place settings when we arrived and had to be requested after the chips and salsa appeared. A fork arrived dirty and a water glass was left unfilled. It seemed not to be so much a lack of attentiveness, but just some simple oversights – oversights that are easy to correct and certainly won’t keep me from coming back and filling my belly on another snowy winter night.

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A second helping of information:

Location: 634 York Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090

Phone: 215.706.0777