Fork & Taco

We were on the fence about trying F&T for a while. Is there really room in the world for upmarket Torchy’s? As it turns out, I think that there is.
If you’re a purist (and gawd knows how many Californian transplants want to get hella-​sanctimonious when you start talking tacos), you’re going to hate this concept just on principle. There are beet and cauliflower tacos. As it turns out, both of them are good. The redfish tempura (see what we’re doing here?) and the ahi tuna tacos are both pretty amazing. The «fork» bit probably refers to the house-​made corn tortillas that might just break when you pick them up.
The space is cool and modern: stained concrete floor, dark and woody, big covered patio out back. It’s the Austin-​standard counter service and food runner model, which got us our order pretty fast. They’ll let you customize within reason if your spouse has a pathological hatred of cilantro. Or maybe that’s just mine. In any case, it’s the place you stop in at while on your way to buying fair-​trade gifts at Ten Thousand Villages, which, conveniently, is next door.
So, it’s going to cost you about 15 – 20 bucks to get your fill here. The tacos aren’t all that huge and so two of them and a side ((we did the street corn and black beans) won’t stuff you. Again, if you’re a purist, you should probably stick to whatever Mexican taco truck with $ 1.50 migas that you consider to be an authentic genre representation and give this one a pass. But if you want something a little different in a saturated taco market with a good deal of overlap from one place to the next, this just might be your thing. I’ll likely do it again.
Misc: has house-​made sangria, beer and wine plus trendy small-​label sodas.

I LOVED the two tacos I had. I had the ahi tuna one and the chicken with pear. The ahi tuna is very different but sooooooo so good. I also had their ice cream which was dulce de leche or something and it was bomb.

Nothing egregious happened to me here. There is literally nothing wrong with this place. It’s cute, modern, the staff was awesomely friendly, they have a great menu, their food is decent and surprisingly fresh… As in fresh cut jalapenos and cabbage etc. The problem is, if you’ve ever had Torchy’s, then you leave her being all like «Meh, I should have gone to Torchy’s» (which is right down the street). There are just so many taco joints in Austin slinging Grade A tacos. I liken this place to a girl you have a good time on a date with, she’s a perfectly nice girl, but she talks about mascara too much, she doesn’t light your fire and get you down on one knee.

First time here and it didn’t disappoint. Had read on social media this was a top new best taco place to try so here we are! Place is clean, great for small and big groups. Came for lunch at 1pm and it wasn’t crowded. Chips and queso are delicious, manager gave us a free order of tempura veggies that were really good and the tacos are big and hearty! Had the adobo brisket and pollo pastor and my better half had the flank steak and an ahi tempura taco. All delicious, all filling :)
Go. Now. And try it!
Looks like a good place for lunch with chilaquiles tacos and micheladas!

Today was my first time here, my co-​worker recommended it. This place is modern, trendy and has a nice Austin vibe that is comfortable. The staff are friendly, clean cut and helpful. The menu selection is very diverse, so there is something for everyone. The ingredients are fresh, the combinations of ingredients and sauces are unique and tasteful, not weird and overly done with competing or poorly paired flavors like some taco places that stand out in a bad way.
I had the cauliflower taco and the red fish taco. The fish taco was sheer perfection, the batter was light and crisp and it was not greasy. The sauce on it was so good. I wish I had ordered two of those. The cauliflower was good, but just paled in comparison to the fish.
The tea is freshly brewed daily, not that icky stuff some restaurants call tea. It was not very robust in taste, but I appreciate that they brew it fresh daily.
I went at lunch hour and we got our order quickly.
The only down side is that I don’t eat the tortilla, so two tacos is not that filling and they are somewhat pricey for the amount of ingredients. Two tacos and tea was $ 12. Next time I’ll order a side or extra taco.
I recommend you try this place because the quality and atmosphere is very good.

The best part about this place is its cute design and trendy menu. I enjoyed eating my meal amidst the décor. I also enjoyed the chips and queso, although the queso had a slightly buttery taste.
And that’s pretty much where the good stuff ends. I had two tacos: the Pollo Pastor and Crispy Cauliflower. Both were okay. The pastor taco was very bland and the cauliflower taco was only slightly better due to some sauce that had been added.
I also thought it was funny that there was a sprig of cilantro just chilling in my queso. I was just eating around the li’l buddy for awhile there. Idk it made me laugh.
Probably won’t be back unless someone I’m dining with is just dying to eat here.

Do not go here! If you love tacos and love Austin, do not go here! I am trying to warn you for a reason.
Ordered 2 tacos (no sides) = over $ 10.
You get this tray with the small tortillas and the taco presented like it is some kind of artwork. Thats nice, but when you eat them there is nothing amazing. Very bland, not an amazing combo of toppings and yes again 2 tacos = $ 10+. I realize rent is not cheap on Burnet rd and you need to pay people a decent wage, but your food has to be worthy of the price. It is not!
This place is everything that is wrong with new Austin. The décor is hip like you are in California, they are playing trendy music, and they are more concerned looking good than actually making tasty food. These are a very very poor excuse for a taco. This is Austin, TX and this type of food quality should not be tolerated. We know better because there is far better food than what this place is serving. I have been all over this city for many years and eaten tacos everywhere. For the people that gave this place 5 star reviews, ya’ll got problems.
Did I also mention the horrible rear parking lot? There is a huge dip in the lot where people have all sorts of scrapes from their cars. You think a smart person would see this huge defect in a parking lot and lay some cement down to fix it. Nope nope, lets just leave it as it is for more people to screw up their car bumpers from this absurd dip in the rear parking lot. I made a bad choice coming here. Lesson learned. NEVAR again!

fork & taco is an SNL skit of the Austin taco scene.
Each taco is about $ 7.45 and there’s asian pear on the menu.
Asked to add crema to one of my tacos. Was told no substitutions. Charged $ 1 after insisting. For a squirt of sour cream.
Totally dead at 1:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon. Tacos took 27 minutes to arrive. Should have gone to Noble Pig with everyone else.
I had the Chimichurri Flank Steak & Cilantro Fried Cauliflower. Tasteless is not strong enough a word. It was like a swedish massage when you want deep tissue. Like a thousand spoons when you just want a knife. These are horrible metaphors. It was bland.
They stop serving breakfast tacos at 11 am on weekends. Sacrilege.
Corn tortillas are about 1/​3″ thick and taste like piñata glue. Yes I’ve made piñatas.
All in all, the tacos lack pretty much everything except a fork.

Well the reviews are all over the place on this one, but I’m a fan. Checked it out for lunch today and was surprised by how packed it was. So it looks like the masses are digging what they are selling. If there was one thing I’d fix, it would be to have 2 people taking lunch orders rather than just 1. I had the cauliflower taco and the five spice pork and some chips and queso. I liked both of my tacos, I’d order them again. No, they didn’t change my life, but the corn tortillas were homemade and quite tasty. 2 tacos will not leave you feeling stuffed, but that’s ok by me, I don’t want to be too stuffed.
The chips and queso were really very good and made the time pass as we waited for our food, which was not particularly quick due to the lunchtime rush of a crowd. I like their tortilla chips, they were thinner and cornier than most places and pleasantly salty. Also, try both of their salsas, the orange one is the hotter one, and it is no joke, but if you can handle some heat, you will like it. This is a cute spot, and I’d definitely come back when I’m in this neighborhood to try some of the other tacos I am coveting like the asian pear chicken and the pork belly. I saw that they have a kids combo on the menu, which is a nice touch as well. I’ll be back.

I must confess, I’m not really sure why Fork is part of the name or why they even serve your tacos with a fork and napkin, because their corn tortilla game is so freaking ON POINT!
I had the Asian Pear chicken and the 5 Spice pulled pork tacos, served on the most majestically fluffy yet dense and chewy white corn tortillas of all time. You don’t really need a fork at all, that tortilla has you covered. It delivers every bit of food morsel wrapped in its deliciously pillow-​y folds.
The Asian Pear, despite not looking as colorful as the pork taco has this amazing sweet, savory tangy flavor story going on and was my favorite of the two.

The Good: I love this place! It’s a very «Austin-​ish» type of taco restaurant. Every taco has a «weird» non-​typical style. I had the 3 that were highly recommended to me, Asian Pear Chicken $ 3.95, Ahi Tuna $ 5.95, and Chili Dusted Chicken $ 3.95 (recommended by waiter). Ahi was the best.
The Bad: Pretty much everyone I talked to about Taco and Fork complained about the price so going in I was a little prepared. Paying almost $ 6 for a small fish taco may be a bit overboard but after seeing all the fresh ingredients that come with it get it. These are more gourmet style tacos so expect to get what you paying for.

This rating is based on 4 things.
— The Pulled Pork 4 Spice taco, on corn: this was a fabulous taco! The pulled pork meat was good quality and delicious. The «Asian slaw» was the perfect complement, with red bell peppers and cabbage and the crema sauce was just the right amount.
— The Chili Dusted Chicken taco, on corn: this was okay. The chicken breast meat was good quality and I liked the slaw with crispy slivers of green apple and firm celery. The pipits are a nice touch. But overall this taco wasn’t very flavorful. It was a to-​go order and I think what was sorely missed was some type of taco sauce or salsa. I’ll look to see if they offer this my next visit (none was offered).
— The Street Corn with a cream sauce was sweet and addicting. It will suffice as dessert.
— The service was friendly and my to-​go order was ready within minutes. My wait is usually twice as long at other taco joints.
The quality of proteins and produce is important to taste, and I appreciate that Fork & Taco uses locally sourced farms as their supplier.

Delicious and healthy food at a very reasonable price. Food presentation awesome and the restaurant has a very cool atmosphere!!!

So last night was my first time at Fork and Taco. On the way home after eating, I asked my boyfriend what he thought of his meal, and his response was, «When I went in I was hungry, and when I left I was full.» Yup. It was a filling meal, no more, no less.
I ordered a crispy cauliflower taco ($ 3.75) and a side of vegetarian black beans ($ 2.95). The taco was decent, but I was expecting it to have a more interesting taste. It definitely could have used some sort of sauce, salsa or spices. The black beans were completely bland and flavorless — like canned black beans with absolutely nothing added.
Be warned, the orange salsa stuff in the squirt bottle next to the soda fountain will melt your freaking mouth off if you’re not careful. I have no idea what flavor it was supposed to be, because all I tasted was fire.
On the upside, the décor is pretty cute and the employees were friendly.

I ended up at this place by accident. I was going to Noble Pig next door but they were closed for dinner. This place looked closed but the owner came to us in the parking lot as we debated where to go. Why not give it a try since I’m already parked & standing out front.
My first thought is that this is one fancy Taco place… A fancy Torchys if you will. I think Some things just don’t need to be fancy & upscale. Tacos are one of them. Don’t get me wrong now… It was good but overpriced for tacos & not as filling as a Torchys Taco.
The owner was really nice & came by and chatted with us. He asked where we go to find places to eat and of course we said Unilocal.We also let him know that the website has no mention of them being open. Hopefully he monitor’s the reviews & updates the website.
For my tacos I had two: a short rib taco & a Jerk dusted chicken Taco. I also tried the sangria which was not that great & not a large portion for the price. Oh and my friend also wanted chips & guac and the guac was just okay.
All in all I got two tacos, small glass of sangria, and chips & guac for $ 21. Honestly Torchys is better & cheaper so not sure why I’d return here. Also they don’t have queso. You can’t have tacos and chips with out queso! Also the parking is not good at all.
I hope the place does well but can’t say that I’ll be back.

I agree with the previous reviews — definitely mixed opinions here. This place is very yuppy and trendy. I loved the modern lighting and overall design.
It wasn’t very busy when we came so I’d say this is a good spot if you have a variable size group since you don’t need a reservation and people can place their orders and take a seat as they arrive. It’s also a good pick for groups b/​c there’s plenty of parking in the front and back of the building.
Here’s what we tried.
Recommend:
–5 Spice Pulled Pork — Crispy pulled pork and nice flavors. Probably the fattiest and best. Enjoyed this one on a corn tortilla, but flour would be great too. I’d probably only order this one if I came back.
Okay:
–Jerk Grouper — lots of good textures — fish, slaw and slices of avocado.
–Adobo Braised Short Rib — generous portions of beef and guacamole. the short rib needed more seasoning.
Meh:
–Thai Grouper — needed more flavor.
–Ahi — it was odd having the ginger slices included with the ahi. this would have been better on the side. also, the ahi was overpowered by the sauce, ginger, and orange slices in this taco.

I tried this new spot today at the lunch-​time rush and it was great! Loved the simple, modern décor and the ample parking in front and back. The menu is inventive and fun, and very budget-​friendly. I tried two tacos: Beer Braised Brisket and Crispy Cauliflower. Both were delicious, but there are so many interesting choices on the menu that I feel like I might need to try them all before I come back to these two. If it hadn’t been freezing today, I probably would’ve talked myself into some soft-​serve for dessert too. Bonus points for having Maine Root sodas – always a favorite around town.
What’s really kicking this up to 5 stars for me, though, is the service. Everyone was on top of everything. Great service at the counter when I ordered and asked for a suggestion, food came out quickly and well-​done (did you see that fresh avocado in my picture???) and the minute I put my napkin on my plate, a nice server came along and whisked it away. I also noticed an issue with the soda machine and one of the server’s thanked me and took care of it right away.
I wish I lived closer because this could easily become a weekly lunch spot.

I had two seriously disappointing dining experiences back to back. This never happens to me! I wavered between 1 and 2 stars for a while, but there is just absolutely no reason to ever go here again.
Why there is «fork» paired with taco in their name is beyond me. The tacos are not large enough, and certainly not filled up enough to even need a fork. Another Unilocaler noted the tortillas are under cooked, doughy and chewy which is accurate. They need someone back there who knows how to heat some flour tortillas up properly. The space is modern and minimal and I can get on board with that. Their menu is cute, clearly outlined by the main ingredient that it included. Taco prices range from $ 3.75 (the non meat ones), up to $ 5.95 for one taco. Sides include items like corn, guacamole & chips, and black beans. One of these tacos will not fill you up.
Beet taco: 3 pieces of beets, grapefruit (really? yes really) a tiny piece of avocado, and pepita seeds. Simply put — I hated it.
Portabella mushroom taco: I saw no zucchini in the taco or corn as said on the menu. Simply put — I hated it x2.
Cauliflower taco: Whatever they seasoned it with was not good, how do you screw up cauliflower? It also made the corn taste abnormal too. Avocado was the best part. Simply put — I hated it the least but would never eat it again. I did not finish any of these tacos.
The beans were the best part, but at $ 3 for a TINY bowl which was probably gone in 4 bites? In a town full of people trying to make their own mark on the funky unique taco scene, there’s better options out there. But if you come here, do the meat or fish, just know your tacos will be small. Don’t get the vegetarian tacos, I didn’t like the ingredient combinations at all.

See if this makes sense: If Fork & Taco were a shiny new trailer on East 6^th, I think people would be lining up for days. But Austin is the Live Taco Capital of the World, and having the latest & greatest flavor profiles in this particular arena doesn’t mean shit — we’ve got too many taco choices on every street corner now. I could be wrong.
You tell me what makes a great taco — a few simple things with distinct tastes? Or a whole list of hip & cool ingredients you’d never expect in a tortilla? There’s no right or wrong answer here, and nothing’s really that good or bad, just spin the wheel and take your chances. We’ll see who’s still in the game next year.
Here’s the thing: I thought our three veggie-​based tacos were interesting, but not outstanding or even worth ordering again. Beets, portabella, & cauliflower — yeah, I get it, I just didn’t taste it. And I understand why people feel reviews should be based on signature meat fare, but my response is if you don’t want your veggie stuff judged, don’t offer it. The black bean side was okay, I wish I had gone with the street corn. Oh, but they do have a killer orange sauce in a squeeze bottle. Put it on your tacos. It will kick your ass.
They’ve done a remarkable job remodeling the former Simplicity, it’s cool & contemporary with wood accents instead of metal, and there’s a nice patio with lots of parking in the back. Beer & wine & Maine Root. Friendly staff, order at the counter, and they bring it to you. I wanted to bump a star here for the heck of it, but as far as tacos go, I really have experienced better. Fork & Taco is one of those hip new places I want you to check out, and then lmk what you really think.

Dude. You are going to go to Fork & Taco. Ignore Torchy’s. Forget about Taco Deli. Fork & Taco has it going on.
Simple, but really well thought out flavors are the highlight of every taco. I got an asian pear chicken taco and the jerk dusted chicken taco. I decided to go with the in-​house made corn tortillas. The flour looked good, but how can you say no to a tortilla made there? Both tacos were delicious. I think I preferred the jerk dusted chicken taco as the spice mix was awesome and really accompanied the chicken, mango and avocado well.
My husband got the ahi tuna taco and the green chili pork taco. He gave me a bite of the pork and man, it was really tasty!
Sadly, the soy and miso soft serve was not ready when we showed up. Next time!
The space is super cute and well laid out. Simple and not overdone, which I like. I recommend the patio out back. It’s a perfect spot to chill with a taco and a friend!

And Burnet Rd can boast yet another shiny new restaurant! Fork + Taco has a casual atmosphere with bar seating facing the front window, communal tables and patio seating. The tacos are fusion and they also serve an excellent selection of Texas beers like Austin Beer Works and 6 wines. They are also vegetarian friendly with 3 solid veggie options.
I stopped in today and ordered the ahi tuna taco and a Topo Chico. The ordering is counter service and the process went very quick and smooth. I opted for corn tortilla which had a nice thickness to it. I enjoyed all the ingredients of the taco and appreciated they didn’t overpower it with sauces.
I asked one of the managing partners Jeff if pups are allowed on the patio and he replied yes but they are working on seating.
Great new addition to our Burnet Street eats!