using pre-made sopes (masa shells)

I meant to post a few months back when I saw this article on cooking with supermarket packages of sopes in the Trib:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 4332.story

I see packages of sopes by a few brands (El Mexicano, El Milagro, etc.) on the shelves at several of my shopping stops, but never know if I should trust them, or how to check freshness, or which brand is best, or how to cook them (bake or fry?) once I get them home.

Has anyone had good experiences with a particular brand and cooking method? I've made masa boats from maseca and shortening, but never used store-bought, and would be interested if this is a worthwhile time-saver or just a waste of flavor and texture.

Not only have I tried them, I've recognized them at some local taquerias. They aren't the same as homemade, even homemade from dry masa - but they'll do in a pinch. They don't have the sweetness I dislike in storebought corn tortillas, but they do have a lot of the same texture issues, though I admit I didn't try deep-frying them.

Deep-frying or pan-frying in a 1/4 inch of oil is the way to go for the best texture and flavor.