El Gallo Giro’s menu is a certain one for those who hound taquerías, but that’s no sign of sagging quality. The tacos are as good as any, wrapped up in the restaurant’s in-house tortillas, stretching to the size of a softball. But the real draw is the torta: thick cuts of just-baked bread housing meats scooped from the grill and shoved right into the sandwich. Whatever protein you pick (chicken’s a good choice), make sure your torta has everything on it: lettuce, tomato, avocado, a pepper or two and a slice of queso fresco. Split in half, the sandwich is a slice of pure efficiency, an impossibly layered mix of tricolored ingredients that, even when halved, is nearly as big as any burger.

EL GALLO GIRO 1795 LONG BEACH BLVD | LONG BEACH 90813 | 562.591.3180 | FOOD FOR TWO, $10-20

Tags: dinner, Long Beach, lunch, mexican