For those who do not already know, Austin loves tacos. Breakfast tacos, fish tacos, soft tacos, hard tacos… you name it, we eat it. Torchy’s Tacos came along a few years ago and people immediately started to rave about it. Naturally, I had to see for myself if it was that good, and guess what? It was.
The Democrat and Fried Avocado. Photo by Christin Urso
Torchy’s has just remodeled its campus location and is now a sleek taco hotspot. Although the new digs don’t feel as homey as the previous set up, the tacos still make you feel the same: happy and damn full.
When I go to Torchy’s, no matter what time of day, I always get the fried avocado taco. The taco is served with refried beans, lettuce, pico, cheese and ranch (the most important part). This taco makes me think I’m in heaven for the brief 2 seconds it lasts in my hands.
My other favorite is the “Democrat” taco, although I don’t order it as often anymore because it’s pretty rich. If you like barbacoa (if you don’t know what it is, don’t ask, just try it) this is the taco you need to order. The barbacoa is wrapped up in a flour tortilla with queso fresco, onions, cilantro and avocado. It is the perfect combination of ingredients.
However, don’ t even get me started on the Torchy’s queso. It’s literally the-bomb-dot-com. It’s packed with flavor and is topped with queso fresco, cilantro and a little of Torchy’s famous habanero sauce, as if there wasn’t enough goodness going on in there already.
Photo by Christin Urso
Now what some people don’t know is that Torchy’s has a secret menu. The main item that caught my eye was the “trailor park” taco, but hillbilly style. A fried chicken tender with chorizo, chopped bacon, green chilies, green chile queso, shredded cheese and pico de gallo. served on a flour tortilla with poblano ranch… um yes, please.
Here’s a complete list of items on the secret menu:
- Missionary-style Green Chili Pork: carnitas, pickled onions, guacamole, jack cheese and cilantro, topped with chipotle sauce and wrapped in a flour and corn two-tortilla tandem.
- Jack of Clubs: fried egg and grilled potatoes with black beans, tortilla strips and cheese; all topped with cilantro, sour cream and Torchy’s Diablo sauce.
- The Hipster: panko-breaded fried tuna, with bacon, green chilies and black beans; topped with cilantro and cotija cheese, and served on a flour tortilla with avocado sauce.
The Hipster and the Jack of Clubs. Photo by Christin Urso
- The Mad Cow: skirt steak with black beans and corn; topped with jack cheese, cilantro and ranch.
- Trailer Park, Hillbilly Style: Torchy’s gauche standby is made even trashier with chorizo and chopped bacon atop the usual fried chicken tender with green chilies, queso and ranch, served on a flour tortilla.
The Mad Cow and Trailer Park Hillbilly Style. Photo by Christin Urso
- Ace of Spades: jalapeño sausage link and grilled brisket topped with a fried egg, green chile queso, cotija cheese, sour cream, more cheese and Diablo sauce, served on a flour tortilla.
- The Matador: chopped brisket and grilled jalapeño topped with pickled onions, jack cheese, avocado, sour cream and cilantro with tomatillo sauce on a corn tortilla.
Next time you find yourself at Torchy’s, do me a favor and try the lil’ nookies. They are balls of chocolate chip cookie dough that are deep fried! Sounds weird but trust me on this one, you won’t regret it.
Torchy’s Tip: If you order a taco and think some queso on top would be the perfect touch, ask them to make it “trashy”; they’ll smother some of their queso on top for ya.
Like they say, Torchy’s has a taco for every appetite, so why not check it out?
Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday: 7am-10pm, Friday: 7am-11pm, Saturday: 8am-11pm, Sunday: 8am-10pm