I’ve actually never had one with refried beans. When I get a torta, it’s just a sandwich on a hoagie roll, kind of like Bahn Mi at a Vietnamese restaurant. I wouldn’t mind trying one with beans though; it sounds delicious.
Mexican food is surprisingly regional and San Diego is heavily influenced by Baja cuisine, especially (of course) Tijuana, which specializes in fish and street tacos: small round corn tortillas with some meat, crema, queso fresco and some sort of salsa. California burritos, which include crispy french fries or potatoes inside and take a year of your life for every one you eat but it’s worth it (a local place near me has a CA burrito with Impossible carne asada in it as if I needed the temptation), are an entirely San Diego creation though.