Tortilla Sunrise

I happened to find Tortilla Sunrise, a Mexican walk up counter service eatery at Palace Playland, by accident. My wife and I were enjoying a (not really) romantic ride on the Ferris Wheel when I looked down, and right across from us was this hole in the wall with Mexican pictures around it. Before I talk about the food I need to mention the amazingly refreshing fruit drinks. Made fresh in front of you, your choices include Lime Aid, Strawberry Aid and my personal favorite Mango Pineapple Aid. These drinks have the perfect amount of fruity sweetness and are so refreshing on a hot summer beach day. They start at $ 2.00 but are half price refills all day. All the food here is made on site in the little kitchen behind the register. I had a homemade shredded beef burrito the day I was there and It was huge, meaty, spicy and wonderful. It was stuffed with fresh Pico de Gallo, beans, rice and real Cotija Mexican cheese. If you have never had Cotija, its similar to feta, but for some reason most Mexican places don’t use it. Tortilla Sunrise does, so bonus points for that. My wife had a chicken and cheese quesadilla and although it lacked the spice and size of my burrito, it was perfect for her and she enjoyed it. Both of us had Tortilla chips with our meals and although they were fresh made they were a bit on the stale side, probably because of the hot humid air that is always found near the ocean. Even though the food and drinks are very good here, the most enjoyable aspect may be the owner herself. She is so proud of her heritage and her food that her happiness is contagious. She is very happy to share her stories and her recipes with you. All of them are from the area were she grew up in Mexico and come from her family. She is very welcoming with her smile and really seems happy to serve you. It just makes you want to go back again and again (which I did all day long for my fruit drink refills) I highly recommend that you take the walk into Palace Playland to find Tortilla Sunrise, across from the Ferris Wheel next time you go to the beach.