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I brought dinner home from Las Tortillas tonight. WOW! I LOVED the shrimp tacos! I'm pretty sure we had the tongue too... but I thought it was pork at the time.
This place is fantastic. I can't believe it is only a few blocks from my office and I didn't know it was there!
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Las Tortillas
4100 Marlborough Dr NE #2, Calgary, AB T2A 2Z5, CA›2 Replies -
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The Gut
Jan 22, 2010 02:13 PM
Just went. Pretty good little tacos. The tamales are excellent. I bought a bottle of mexican coke it's in the fridge I'm excited to try it and see if I can tell the difference sugar makes to it.
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re: 23skidoo
yes it does. see the ingredients list at http://cocacola.ca/productinfo/brands_products_ingredients.htm
In Canada, HFCS is listed as "glucose/fructose" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fru...
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re: 23skidoo
yea i dunno, maybe slightly different formulation, water differences, etc.? I think mexican coke is awesome though, and i notice a much bigger difference between mexican and us/canadian coke than i do between us and canadian coke. if you've never had it, you should try it when you get a chance!
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re: howlin
The Gut
Jan 25, 2010 10:23 AM
I probably wouldn't have noticed if it were not for an article here about Mexican Coke having sugar. Then I looked when I was a LasTortillas and sure enough. So I grabbed one to take home. My wife the coke drinker didn't like it at all but it might have been because she was chewing gum at the time.
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re: nonlinear
DeeDub
Feb 2, 2010 08:53 AM
Still a little off topic but since we are talking HFCS, I stopped in to Las Tortillas on the weekend for my taco fix and I picked up some mexican Nesquik chocolate milk powder. I grew up on this stuff and over the last few years I have only found Nesquik chocolate milk in liquid form. ANYWAYS... it states right on the label that it is sweetened with sugar not HFCS. Long story short, if you have kids (or are a kid at heart) and are looking for that old school powdered chocolate milk mix... Las Tortillas is your place!
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Have bought tortillas her twice now. First time they were great, fresh, kept well in the fridge for several days. Last time they seemed stale, or perhaps the ingredients were not in the proper proportion, as they split into pieces and could not be rolled no matter what was done, nuking, frying, or simply allowing to come to room temp.
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re: Scary Bill
DeeDub
Jan 22, 2010 10:50 AM
Come to think of it, I had a similar experience when I purchased a batch a month ago. Very dry... most of them cracked. Even when I wrapped them in tin foil and heated them in the oven, they still split on me. I ended up deep frying them to make chips instead of busting them out for taco night.
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howlin
Dec 6, 2009 08:22 PM
dropped by last week ,tacos(beef)were really good didnt miss the cheese at all.id like to try the tamales but ididnt see them advertised on the board they have.do you have to ask for them or do they advertise when they actually have some made?
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re: howlin
I asked him the same question because my bf lives in Edmonton and I wanted to get him some to freeze. The owner seemed really reluctant to let us freeze them. He said it can be done but that the tamales keep in the fridge for a week and best to just be re-steamed.
Btw I found it best practice to go into the store and just ask, "What do you have available?" He'll tell you. Try the Beef Tongue.... super tender and juicy!
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re: howlin
i froze half a kilo last time i bought toritillas there. It's possible, but there's definitely some degradation, as the freezer dries them out quite a bit. You then need to steam them back to life, but the ones on the bottom of the pile (or top of the steam) get wrecked (too soggy).
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Because of this post I tried the restaurant tonight... the taco I had (pork) was ok... but the tamales (chicken) were amazing! The owner was a super sweet gentleman who was grateful for the business he got and because of that I will go back again and recommend the place. The price was very reasonable ($10 for 2 tamales and 1 taco) and the place is authentic.
I loved it and am glad I read this post.
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re: nonlinear
A bag of tamales for $10 in Calgary AB??? Tell me where and I'm there!!!
If we were in LA or other parts of US, I'd understanding your claim at outrageousness... but after 7 yrs in this city I've succumbed to paying $40 when I go out for a nice sushi dinner (compared to $20 for better sushi dinners in Vancouver), and yes I do think $10 is a steal here in this city compared to the crappy Taco Time, Taco Bell, Taco Del Mar lunch combos that people pay $10-12 for. This debate though speaks to my post about Regional Food Snobbiness...
On another note, I went back tonight to buy 12 tamales to bring with me to share with people in Edmonton... the owner suggested I try his beef tongue taco... it was super yummy, juicy, and tender! He has it all the time, doesn't post it, doesn't advertise it because he hasn't had good reviews from Calgarians who are disgusted by the fact that it's tongue. He usually offers it to Mexicans only... however if you ask, he'll make it for you.
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re: foodkarma
John Manzo
Oct 30, 2009 02:36 PM
This is ridiculous- tell him to call it "lengua" and put it on the damn menu. And I don't buy for a second that he needs to keep it hidden because people are "disgusted." Maybe he's exaggerating, maybe he's ignorant, but anybody who steps inside a taqueria should expect to see tongue on the menu.
I call shenanigans on your story, because you can see head cheese and tripe and all manner of offal and "disgusting" items all over town with no effort to hide it.
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re: John Manzo
peter.v
Oct 30, 2009 02:47 PM
You know John, I thought people wouldn't get freaked out over stuff like that either until I did a nose-to-tail pig dinner. Very, very few people were even willing to converse about how brains were on the menu (or trotters for that matter). It's pretty easy to lose sight of what people used to eating a less diverse diet think of as normal food when we're all about lengua tacos, pig brains and tripe. Hell, a taqueria for all some people care in Calgary is the same as a Taco Bell and they wouldn't be expecting tongue on the menu board.
Dealing with people who are disgusted with an offering you have at a restaurant is really, really tough because those folks tend to think selfishly and not at all rationally.
That being said, it's super sad that it's not on the menu. I love tongue!
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re: peter.v
John Manzo
Oct 30, 2009 06:54 PM
yeah, but this is beef tongue- it's been a sandwich staple for decades. Many of our parents ate tongue sandwiches all the time, so that's why I'm wanting to find out myself what the story is.
We have offal, pork belly, hell even bull testicles on menus here- Calgarians aren't hicks and neither would they be afraid of tongue.
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re: John Manzo
Some people would, though. I have friends who won't eat anywhere but the keg & red lobster (Ewwww on both).
I did try the tongue taco (the girl working gave it as one of the options). It was the first time I've had tongue and I honestly didn't like it. I say honestly b/c I ordered a tongue taco & a regular beef taco & told her not to tell me which was which. :)
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re: John Manzo
"We have offal, pork belly, hell even bull testicles on menus here- Calgarians aren't hicks and neither would they be afraid of tongue."
I laugh a bit because bull testicles to me are a true demonstration of farm eating... Since I moved here 7 yrs ago I have never encountered so many issues eating out with acquaintances, coworkers, etc... I find this city to be a lot more "steak and potatoes" than what I was used to... I'm picky about my friends because I like to be around people who like to eat the same way I do... everything... but there are SOOO many picky eaters here.
Call Shenanigans all you want but the owner isn't necessarily hiding the tongue, rather not putting it on the menu... I asked him what he had and he told me the 3-4 versions tacos and tamales then said, "Do you eat everything? Have you tried Beef Tongue? I don't put it on the menu because people normally don't like tongue here except for Mexicans." It was one of the best damn tacos I've had. Next time you go, ask for it... I'm sure he'll be glad to give it to you! Happy even! But don't expect it to be posted. I agree with peter v, "Dealing with people who are disgusted with an offering you have at a restaurant is really, really tough because those folks tend to think selfishly and not at all rationally."
This is no different than Chinese restaurants here making a very Westernized version of fried noodle (without kidneys, intestines, etc.) unless you are Chinese. I've seen it happen at a couple Chinese restaurants here because when I eat out with my Caucasian friends and we order same dish, it contains organs rather than just the meat when they order the same dish on their own.
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everytime I see this post I feel guity because I haven't tried it yet and I can walk there in probably three minutes.....
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re: crigg
Give it a shot - I went on the weekend. It's pretty good and the owner is a really friendly guy.
We tried the chicken, beef, and shrimp tacos. Chicken was my personal favourite.I wouldn't say the food is out of this world - but they're a lot better than what you'll get at most mexican places in town in my opinion.
As for the seating - they've got one table that seats 6-8. Get ready to cozy up to some other customers. Personally, I kind of like it, but can see how it would make some people uncomfortable.
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JingJong
Oct 22, 2009 07:12 AM
The tacos (pic attached) are delicious. They also have tamales if you are there early enough. They start the tacos at about noon, but they sell out of the tamales fast. I haven't had tamales like this since I lived in TX.
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re: slingshotz
DeeDub
Oct 23, 2009 09:24 AM
Hey Slingshotz, I have been to Las Tortillas a half dozen times and I had no idea they sold beef tongue. The last time I was there was on a Friday afternoon for lunch and another group came in and ordered them. They do not have beef tongue posted as an available item on their wall/menu so you could be right, they might only sell them like they do their shrimp tacos which is Friday/Saturday.
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morefuuud
Sep 15, 2009 08:36 AM
Update: We were there on Saturday and the owner is thinking he'll be putting beef tongue on the regular menu and having it available all the time now - not just on the special days he makes it! He also mentioned something about trying beef eyeballs ... I pushed for tripe tacos too, but we'll have to see how the tongue goes I guess!
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Finally tried this place today. Yum Yum! I will definitely be back. I had the chicken taco and the pork taco. My friend Erin had the beef and the chicken. We both prefered the one other than the chicken. I see what everyone means about them being a bit pricey. Two for lunch did not leave me "full" but that's probably a good thing. At $6, it's definitely cheaper than many, many other places. I wish they had more of a seating area.
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sharonanne
Apr 16, 2009 06:28 AM
Someone has to find out. Please ask where they get their 'flour' and report back. Then we can discuss whether it matters.
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re: sharonanne
haha, nice.
as manzo and others have said, i don't think the price of corn flour has anything to do with it. i mean shit, a single taco has 2 corn tortillas but they sell a whole kg of tortillas for $5!
but i would be willing bet they use Maseca corn flour imported from mexico. it's the most commonly used brand in north america, and it's cheap. hell, you can buy a huge bag at wal-mart for like $4.
c'mon, the high prices are obviously due to lack of competition.
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re: nonlinear
worldwidestuff
Apr 19, 2009 09:06 AM
Lack of competition may be a reason. However, it is NOT easy or cheap to import any food products into Canada. Hoops and more hoops. They bring in flour from the US, Minsa brand, which is a Mexican company I believe.
Having just eaten excellent .99 Tacos in Vegas, yes, it makes me think about the price. But regardless, Las Tortillas is a great spot and I will go back there.
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re: sharonanne
howlin
Jan 21, 2010 01:31 PM
late getting back to this post ,the flour is Minsa,i stopped in today for some tortillas and tacos.had lengua for the first time(thanks for the language lesson manzo,turned out to be a cool icebreaker.)wasnt bad ,ill order again.i even talked to hes about cebeza.hope thats the right spelling.
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Long time lurker; first time poster.
I went here for the first time today. A kilo of tortillas will run you $5.20, and they're very nice. They have pork and barbacoa (shredded beef) tacos every day for $3, shrimp on Fridays and Saturdays, and chicken on Saturdays only.
I had the barbacoa and it took a lot of will power to not devour them in the car on the way home. They were jumping with flavour, though a bit small for the $3. I would probably need three of them for a meal. That said, the family that runs the place has 10 kids to support, so let 'em price a bit high.
The people behind the counter were also incredibly lovely.
And, since Food in East is right next door, you can make a Marlborough day of it...
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re: nkn
hornvixen
Apr 15, 2009 05:15 AM
"That said, the family that runs the place has 10 kids to support, so let 'em price a bit high." Calgary will never have the cheap taco trucks of somewhere south - first it's too cold, or at least a bit more sporadically cold. And then everything has to be shipped in from somewhere else....if not the tortillas, then the flour, or sauces etc....plus it's the only place you can get this exact thing. Not meaning to sound like I want to pay high prices, but it's a pretty good value, in comparison to flying to LA.
Los Tortillas - He has to bring in the flour, and drove the tortilla machinery here himself. Many don't think twice at spending $10 at McD's or similar, but here's $9 (for three...which is real stuff, made by a real person...and will tide you over for a while)....for a local business. A steal of a deal!! (although honestly, I don't even know how it survives at $5.20 a kilo....that's a LOT of tortillas to sell)
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re: hornvixen
DeeDub
Apr 15, 2009 11:56 AM
I went to Las Tortillas for lunch yesterday. I ordered two pork tacos and a bottle of Jarritos Tamarindo soda. For about three minutes, I thought I was somewhere other than Calgary! The tacos were exceptional and the homemade salsa they use is really, really good. I sat by myself at the only table they have (seats six) and watched them churn out tortilla after tortilla. Does anyone know if they only sell to the public? I would hope they have commercial contracts because I agree with hornvixen, I have no idea how they would survive on walk-up traffic alone. With my two tacos, pop and a kilo of tortillas my bill was only $12! I will be back!
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re: hornvixen
"Calgary will never have the cheap taco trucks of somewhere south - first it's too cold, or at least a bit more sporadically cold. And then everything has to be shipped in from somewhere else....if not the tortillas, then the flour, or sauces etc....plus it's the only place you can get this exact thing. Not meaning to sound like I want to pay high prices, but it's a pretty good value, in comparison to flying to LA.
Los Tortillas - He has to bring in the flour, and drove the tortilla machinery here himself. Many don't think twice at spending $10 at McD's or similar, but here's $9 (for three...which is real stuff, made by a real person...and will tide you over for a while)....for a local business. A steal of a deal!! (although honestly, I don't even know how it survives at $5.20 a kilo....that's a LOT of tortillas to sell)"
wrong in so many ways.
$3 is expensive for a single taco. the reason we see high prices on mexican food in calgary isn't due to the weather, or transport/import costs, but instead LACK OF COMPETITION, which stems from a relative lack of mexican immigrants.
it has nothing to do with being in the north - they have these same 'taco trucks' in seattle and portland for very cheap. and what you call a 'taco truck' is more generally called a taqueria, and is more commonly found in a building - so it could definately exist here in calgary, year-round.
it's also not due to costs of transportation or importation. have you ever purchased corn flour? it's cheap as heck. so are dried peppers, and meat can be sourced locally.
mcdonalds costs so much because 1) advertising is expensive and 2) all of the food and service products are made in factories and shipped instead of being made on-site.
/me puts palm to face.
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re: Shazam
John Manzo
Apr 15, 2009 06:57 PM
Indeed. Funny how the taco experts seem to think that "flour" has anything to do with anything.
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re: nkn
Have any of the people up in arms about the price considered that all fast food costs more in Calgary than the US? I'd say most are 1/3-1/2 as cheap as similar places in Canada, which would only put the prices @ Los Tortillas on the slightly high side. If this amount breaks the bank you can try the tacos at ... and let me know how you like them.
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John Manzo
Apr 11, 2009 11:54 PM
Shouldn't it be "Las Tortillas"?
Ah yes, already been pointed out, muy bien.
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their website says they make tacos now. has anyone had these? what are the options and prices?
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re: nonlinear
worldwidestuff
Apr 10, 2009 06:46 PM
I picked up Tortillas twice now and on both occasions had Tacos. Three bucks a Taco, very authentic flavors. Mild pork for my little one, spicy Barbacoa for me.Camarones is the third option.
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re: nonlinear
worldwidestuff
Apr 11, 2009 04:43 PM
It's basically one table with six chairs. While we had our Taco, a lady came in to ordr some to take away.
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Thanks for the recommendation, guys. I visited this place last weekend and got a kilo. I live in Edmonton, and I hear there are some places here that sell fresh tortillas, but they would have to be pretty good to beat Las Tortillas.
They also sell some varieties of refried beans and dried peppers that can be hard to find in the little shop. I picked up some to make tortilla soup and enchilada sauce. There was a sign saying they served some kind of tacos during limited hours, but I was kind of a in a rush and didn't take that close of a look.
I made tostadas with the first few tortillas: http://kelly.cybr.org/archives/2009/0...
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There seems to be the beginnings of a website
http://lastortillasinc.com/
There is a nice little Flash slide show of them making tortillas.
The content on the site is lacking - no address; no phone number.
Some of the text trails off with "bla bla bla" so a work in progress. -
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They sell tortillas. As far as I can tell that's it. I was informed they're made fresh on Saturday afternoons, but the ones I got are great. There was no Interact working yet when I was there so it's cash only for now. $6 got me two individually wrapped kilos in one plastic bag.
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re: John Manzo
maplesugar
Jul 2, 2008 01:57 PM
google results: Las Tortillas 2-4100 Marlborough Drive NE
Calgary, AB T2A 2Z5 (403) 273-3555no url as far as I can see. HTH :)
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re: maplesugar
sharonanne
Jul 2, 2008 03:52 PM
ah HAH! Spelling it right was the trick. I'm still working out making these at home. Husband broke the press.
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re: sharonanne
maplesugar
Feb 21, 2010 08:17 PM
sharonanne I dunno if you're still looking for a replacement press - I just picked up a tortillla press at CFM of all places - Tres Marias sells them for $25.
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