December 2004 – When friends ask where they should go to dinner, Tortilla Sam’s on Highland Street in Worcester is always one of the first places that spring to my mind.

As you enter the restaurant, you can watch fresh tortillas being made through the window. All night, batter is poured on a conveyor belt fryer and tortillas are being hand-flipped.

On a recent wintery day, my guest and I popped in for a taste of the Southwest. In the dining area, eclectic hot pepper art work from some of Worcester’s best artists lined the walls and reggae played over the speakers. The scene was alive with 20-somethings.

After we were seated, we checked out Tortilla Sam’s menu of standard (and not so standard) Mexican offerings that includes quesadillas, burritos, fajitas by the pound and many vegetarian selections (even tofu wings). The restaurant offers a great selection at great prices, ranging from $1.75 for a burrito to creative entrees under $10.

Soon, our waiter swung by with a basket of freshly fried, multi-colored corn and flour tortilla chips with homemade salsa, pureed — just the way I like it.

As our waiter gave us the rundown of specials, he reminded us that Sam’s is BYOB. While my guest ran through the menu, I ran two doors down to Highland Liquors of Worcester for some Coronas — Sam’s provided the bottle opener, tall glasses and limes.

For an appetizer, I had to have my favorite: nachos (“Huge” $5.95) with chili (add $1.50). They arrived on a hot, silver broiler platter, bubbling with melted jack & cheddar cheese. We ordered our entrees and dove in. I was not disappointed.

We ordered side salads with our entrees ($1.95 extra). The salads were crisp & fresh .

Soon, our entrees arrived. My Lime-Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa was served on a bed of lettuce and accompanied by shoe-string sweet potato fries.

My guest’s Baby Back Ribs (Half Rack Dinner $9.95) were, well, I guess ‘sublime’ would be the word that comes to mind. Big and meaty and falling off the bone, the ribs had a wonderful sauce that tasted tangy and sweet and were accompanied by seasoned rice and beans and two artfully folded soft tortillas. Clearly, pride went into the preparation of this dish.

At Tortilla Sam’s, dessert is a must. My guest went for the outstanding Deep Fried Ice Cream ($4.95), a heaping mound of crunchy-coated ice cream doused in caramel and strawberries. I had the Apple Burro ($4.95), a deep-fried pastry burrito stuffed with apple pie filling and served with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Tortilla Sam’s is a classic in the making. The location is excellent, the food creative and well-prepared, the prices amazingly low and the atmosphere and clientele fun and eclectic.

Tortilla Sam’s is open Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday 5 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 p.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.