The Tampa, Florida Taco Truck Where Guy Fieri Had 'One Of The Best Tortas'

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is known for celebrating hidden gems from the restaurants featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." But sometimes, the best food isn't made in a diner, drive-in, or dive. In a 2011 episode, Fieri's travels took him to Tampa, Florida, where he found an amazing torta ... on a bus.

The torta sandwich is a staple of Mexican cuisine, and some of Fieri's favorite great eats happen to come from this country. The sandwich that the Triple D host described as "one of the best tortas I've ever had" was the work of chef René Valenzuela, owner of the aptly named Taco Bus restaurant (via YouTube). Upon taking his first bite, Fieri even shouted one of his signature catchphrases: "That is out of bounds!"

The particular torta that captured Fieri's heart was the torta chilorio, which featured carnitas in a spicy chilorio sauce, fresh vegetables, refried beans, and shredded cheese — it was all stuffed into a homemade telera roll (a soft, oval-shaped white bread with a lightly crisp crust). He was immediately struck by the freshness of the roll and the perfect balance of spice created by the sauce and jalapeños.

To make the torta, chef René Valenzuela started by simmering the pork in lard with bay leaves, allspice, and fresh oranges for a couple of hours before shredding it. Then, he blended toasted and rehydrated ancho and pasilla peppers with oregano, vinegar, garlic cloves, and salt to make the chilorio sauce. Once that was done, he fried the shredded carnitas in the sauce.

When it came time to build the sandwich, Valenzuela grabbed a toasted roll and spread refried beans on the bottom half. Next came a pile of shredded pork, followed by these finishing touches: shredded cheese, finely shaved cabbage, diced white onions, pickled red onions, chopped tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and a sprinkle of cilantro.

While the 35-foot-bus-turned-restaurant has since been traded for eight brick-and-mortar locations, foodies can still taste the legendary Taco Bus torta for themselves. With options like grilled chicken, shrimp, butternut squash, and vegan steak, anyone can build the torta of their dreams.