Tortilleria Hernandez

This humble tortilla factory is tucked down a side street in Central Sioux Falls. When you enter, the husband and wife team who run it will be busy with their main occupation, which is making fresh tortillas for sale by the dozen. They happily pause for any hungry soul who enters to set them up with tacos, burritos, quesadillas. If you’re really hungry,  try the mega-torta, known as the torpedo. 

Because Tortilleria Hernandez a humming tortilla factory, it might seem odd to order the one thing that comes on bread, but the torpedo is a highlight. The bread is a soft French roll that is grilled to have a nice crunch. it a good foot long with at least a half a pound of meat. 

What to eat at Tortilleria Hernandez

The menu is minimal, When we went, asada and pastor were the only meats available, asada, grilled to crusty goodness, is the better bet. But pastor doesn’t disappoint either.  

Of course, tacos are the essential dish. They are classic street tacos with two tiny tortillas brimming with meat and finished with pinches of onions and cilantro. There is just enough oil on the soft, fresh corn tortillas to make them go down easy. 

Being that it’s more of a factory than a restaurant, meals are made with the fewest ingredients necessary. This means that burritos, curiously, are just meat, rice and pico de gallo. The factory floor is crowded with bags of masa and a few odd bags of rice that only exist for burrito customers.

Our one gripe is the use of shredded lettuce with the pico. It is fine for the Torpedo, but unwelcome in the burrito and quesadilla. Just ask them to leave off the green stuff. 

The tiny factory at Tortilleria Hernandez doesn’t offer much seating, so many make a ritual of taking their meal to the city’s main attraction, the rushing river of Falls Park.  We could hardly wait through the five minute drive to dig in. Grab some extra ramekins of fiercely spicy salsa. It makes everything that it touches a little bit better.