Now Try This: Aguas frescas at Tortas and Beer

Yes, Tortas and Beer has killer sandwiches ($5-$7). Pitching superlatives isn’t my style (though fellow local critic Michael Gardiner thinks the house special Cubana sandwich is a contender for best sandwich on the planet, loaded as it is with a little bit of everything from pulled pork to eggs and chorizo), but even the “regular” tortas at Tortas and Beer want lofty prose. Fried beef or chicken, chorizo, or stewed pork leg forms the protein center. Mayo, tomato, onion, avocado, and cheese pile on top. The whole thing is hot and tender, filling and indulgent, exactly as a torta should be.

And, yes, Tortas and Beer holds it down with tasty beers. The restaurant carries nearly the full-line of Indian Wells micro brews (a company that deserves a lot of credit for making drinkable beer without descending into hop-sniffing self-indulgence), as well as your Mexican favorites.

But, ultimately, Tortas and Beer has killer aguas frescas. The hand-made pineapple and strawberry-orange bebidas (to name a few) are a far cry from the tamarindo and jamaica that flow from ubiquitous taco shop machines. It may be the smallest detail, but it’s a thing of beauty.