Torchy’s Tacos

Too much hype for an ok taco. People gush over it, i think because they remember Austin, or whatever. I’ve had better, and in Houston, its not hard to find cheaper and better.

Food was consistent but the bartender has no business being in the service business and the place had an awful smell. I was repulsed and do not know if I will ever return. This place needs a deep cleaning and a visit from the board of health.

Really glad this place is nearby. They have great tacos. The place is often quite busy but they move the line quickly. The taco of the month is often good. Bar service is usually quite good. The best thing here is the chips and queso, it’s really great. My favorite is the mad cow and the trailer park.

1^st time experience. The prices seemed high but after seeing and tasting them it’s well worth it. They’re a good size and very good! Definitely will be returning.
Oh yeah, that guacamole dip was probably the best I’ve had.

First time here, went on Saturday night during prime hours. I wasn’t at all surprised with the long line (that went pretty quick), very busy, crowded and somewhat noisy, none of which bothered me at all. We got excellent service, the person helping us took time to go over things with us since we told em it was our first time and mentioned Unilocal!You pretty much order at the counter and seat yourself, the food is brought to your table and any cutlery, refills, to go items you need you grab yourself. The food was very good, fresh veggies and toppings and they don’t skimp, the tacos are huge. I can’t say how any other location will be but this was very good. We are def going back! The place gives off a good vibe, mainly a good college hipster crowd with a mix of older age peeps and families.

This place is so upbeat and full of energy. this is not an «authentic Mexican» place. nonetheless their tacos are unique and delicious. they have lots of sauces to choose from, all made fresh and oh so yummy. they’re good for breakfast, lunch or/​and dinner. the menu is broad and creative and if their in house menu isn’t enough, you can go online and search their «secret menu». so if you’re up for something different bring your appetite and friends anytime of day for some good tacos.
oh and they have a full bar. mmm bloody maries

Man, it feels weird to review Torchy’s in Houston because I’ve eaten at the original location in Austin BEFORE they expanded.
I’ll wait for you to roll your eyes at my pseudo-​hipsterdom.
Yes, the tacos are kinda pricey — their most expensive taco is $ 4.75 (it’s a fish taco), but I can guarantee that any 2 is more than enough, even for dinner. Unfortunately, 1 taco isn’t quite enough, but hey… the more tacos, the merrier. Or you can order some of their chips and queso, which is absolutely SMANGIN’. Seriously, their queso is some of the best I’ve had.
If you have no clue what to order at Torchy’s, my suggestions are the fried avocado taco and the Democrat (I try to be bipartisan, but the Republican just does not appeal to me whatsoever); for breakfast, the Ranch Hand. Also, the chips and queso. For real.
The fried avocado is an ever-​classic Torchy’s option — it opened my eyes to the light that vegetarian friendly options can taste fantastic. The Democrat and Ranch Hand are at the opposite end of the vegetarian spectrum — Democrat packed with juicy barbacoa; the Ranch Hand with hearty steak and eggs.
While I’m an advocate for tacos on corn tortillas, the tacos at Torchy’s tend to get really messy, so I would actually recommend getting most everything on flour here. Unless you’re a purist, but let’s be real… Torchy’s isn’t tacos de abuelita, and that’s TOTALLY okay with me.

Don’t eat here unless you want your car broken into.
Our car got broken into, while we were on the way back from the airport — all, literally all of our 7 luggage and personal bags got stolen in a matter of 20 mins. What’s surprizing is, apparently this incident happens almost everyday in the Torchy’s Tacos — Houston Heights parking lot and they still don’t have enough cameras and lights installed! Isn’t it the businesses responsibility to ensure their customers are safe? Atleast ensure you have enough cameras and lights to capture everything going on in your own parking lot. Why will anyone want to eat there otherwise?

Everything is good as always, but the street corn at this location is way too dry. We told one of the servers and they gladly exchanged it for a «new» one, but the replacement is still over cooked and dried out. I finally mentioned this to the manager and all she said is she can offer us some sauce for it. No thanks. The actual corn kernel is over cooked and dried out. Also, some chips are stale.
I’ll stick to the Shepherd location. I’ve been there plenty of times and food quality is always fresh and cooked right.

Torchy’s is a Houston-​fave. If you have visitors from another state, it is a staple and people-​pleaser. The lines are long, and the prices are slightly higher for tacos. Overall, the service is good despite the overcrowding of people! Don’t worry about getting here early though – turnover is quick. Parking also should not be a problem.
Taste-​wise, personally, I go to Torchy’s to try out the fun flavors like the brushfire (jamaican jerk flavor) that are not offered elsewhere. However, if you find yourself coming to eat the traditional tacos like el pastor or breakfast tacos, I would hit up local taco joints! Overall, a great place to bring friends, try out new flavors, tickle your taste buds, and move on.

Before heading on our trip to San Antonio, Wayne and I decided to stop here for some good breakfast tacos.
Wayne loves Torchy’s and gets excited every time we come and plus it’s near his house. Unfortunately, I don’t have a location on the south side.
This location is different than the rest I’ve visited, it has a bar.
The interior view is stylish and brightly lit. I order two tacos with, of course, water.
My tacos were delicious. I always get full off of two tacos.
The staff here is friendly. After 7pm, the restaurant started getting packed real quick, so I’m glad we got here early when it was barely anybody.
The parking is spacious.

***Disclaimer*** Self proclaimed taco snob.
Ok now that that is out of the way, I can give an honest review. Tried Torchy’s Tacos for the first time today after my uncle raved about how awesome they were. They are basically a hipster taco joint. Not bad, but not the best taco I’ve ever had. I had the green chile pork and the Crossroads tacos. My favorite out of the two were the Crossroads tacos because they most resembled bacon. We all know bacon is life.
I do like that they pile on the meat and give you two tortillas. This means there are 2 tacos in one if you want to be thrifty and get more bang for your buck.
We also had chips, green salsa, and the black bean dip which was all very tasty and the portions were big enough to share amongst 3 people.
The ambience is cool and there’s a bar in there so you can get your drinky drank on.
Would I come back? Probably. I like the creativity in the taco ingredients and names. BUT… there are probably better places to get authentic tacos. This is Houston after all.

Can’t get enough of their tacos! Absolute favorite — Democrat. Plus love the breakfast tacos. And with a side of chips and queso, you’re set. (Don’t be shy — you can ask for extra chips for free when you run out.)
There’s a small outdoor patio seating area for the nice days. Parking is a little limited — there’s a lot in the back and street parking but being in the center of Heights, it’s sometimes a challenge. The line moves pretty quickly but does get pretty packed during peak hours.

Torchy’s will forever be my «go-​to» place when I visit Texas.
I ALWAYS made sure I swung by here when visiting from Cali.
What to get:
–bottle (s) of their DIABLO sauce (works as souvenirs or just as back stock in my kitchen in case there’s ever a shortage)
–the queso
–the guac
–the democrat
–get it «trashy»
–a Torchy’s shirt (I wear it to sleep)

I enjoy the Food, Atmosphere and the People.
The Food: ***** The tacos are out of this world! The flavors are layered so that you get the complete experience of what you are eating. I recommend the Mr. Pink, Mr. Orange and the Chicken Fajita. OUT STANDING FLAVOR! You will want to try the chipotle sauce. it is cool at first then once it blooms on your tongue… you get a little warmth then a burst of chipotle flavor… It is my favorite! Great adult Drinks!!!
Atmosphere: ***** Time warp of style! Items you would not normally see in a restaurant! Comfy and Cozy… Clean and Fresh! Great out on the patio or just relaxing in a booth! LOVE hanging and relaxing on a lazy Wednesday morning finishing some work and writing a great review!
People: ***** I love the Staff here at Torchy’s! They greet you and are always friendly to talk to. The GM and other managers are great to talk to! Fast service and they make hanging out and eating some Tacos that much more enjoyable.
Over all I give them 5 Stars (*****)

When is Torchy’s ever a bad idea! Love this location in comparison to the shop off Shepherd. It’s much bigger has awesome inside and outside seating and the service is great!
The bathrooms were clean and and tables are well maintained!
Obviously you gotta get the Chips and Guac! And honestly I order 1 taco on corn and and make two tacos out of it cause it’s enough food for two!
The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars was cause I was not impressed with the guy who took my order. He just want friendly or helpful! But everyone else was great! And they had quick service!
Torchy’s in the Heights!

This was my second time here at this location in The Heights. We sat out on the patio along W.19^th street. The weather was perfect with a nice breeze. Since I’ve never tried Torchy’s breakfast tacos, today would be a good day to do so.
Now, Im a bit selective when it comes to my breakfast food. (I like «traditional» items) I opted for a simple bacon, egg, and cheese taco on a flour tortilla. The place wasn’t crowded at all. Our food came out within a few minutes. But once we were leaving, the line was almost to the door. Good thing we got there when we did.
The taco was delish! The bacon was mixed in with the eggs. It was more like an eggs and bacon omelette with just the right amount of cheese on top. It was very filling and a great deal for about $ 2.40. I will return to try the other breakfast tacos.
Quick funny story/​experience: While we ate and enjoyed the morning weather, we were being entertained by a bird, that was hell bent on getting thru the sliding door of the patio to eat tortilla chip pieces that were on the floor (LOL). He tried for a good 5mins. Every time someone walked in/​out the door, he was either too slow to make it in or they closed it just enough to where he couldn’t fit in. He was finally able to make it in to enjoy what food he could find on the floor. When it was time for us to leave, I decided to go get a cup of water. I opened the sliding door and saw he was still in there. It was like he knew we saw him struggling, and refuse to help him get in. The revenge was on… At that moment he decided to fly in my direction and scare the Be-​Jesus outta me, making me run for my life back outside!
It was a good laugh for everyone there including myself and a good way to start my morning off.

This place has strong lunch time game. Like, you should probably get there before the lunch crowd puts a toe in the door. Good news is that there’s a parking lot behind this place so that you don’t have to play the «Let’s show up an hour early so we can circle around for a parking spot» game in Houston.
Tacos are big, but they ain’t cheap either at $ 3.75 — $ 4.25 each. One is probably not enough, but two would make me wish that I was wearing stretchy pants. Even if I wasn’t wearing stretchy pants, I would probably end up eating two, since no one can eat half of one and take the other half to-​go. And because I’m a fatass.
Their signature green chile queso? Queso es so-​so. Served lukewarm with over salted, somewhat stale chips. The queso itself was unmemorable. The nice person taking my order told me they were probably the best item on the menu, which makes me go wuuuut.
\O_​O/​This is me with my hands in the air. Being told «this is the best menu item» is like telling your man that you got something hot and sexy to put on at night, and you end up going to bed with a Backstreet Boys shirt and rollers in your hair.
Artisan Coke syrups from Austin are a fun, kitschy twist and $ 2.25.
I’d still come back to try other things, but perhaps I’m just not bougie enough and just belong at a down-​n-​dirty «cash only» taco stand in a Fiesta parking lot.

Torchy’s is the kind of Austin-​inspired restaurant that serves craft soda, has weird street art style t-​shirts, and balances great food with a chaotic eating environment. I’ve never not been in a hectic Torchy’s. The lines at Torchy’s are always long, but they move quickly.
Torchy’s dominates the cheap, but not «cheap», veggie taco in probably all of Texas, and has strong breakfast taco offerings as well. I’ve been a few times, first in Austin, and have always been impressed with the Independent, Torchy’s portobello taco. The sauce has a small zing to it. I will say though, even the best of the vegetarians, the vegetarian hall of freaking fame, might find the texture of Torchy’s portobello a bit too squishy.
Guac and queso are good here too, but don’t fill up too much on the chips: Torchy’s tacos are where the greatness is at. While fast food joints are turning over every stone to cut input cost, Torchy’s has found a blue ocean: this great blend of fast casual and fast food. What shall we call it? Or is there already a name for it? Let’s call it quick food, or brisk casual. Either way, I’ve never said no to Torchy’s for a quick bite. Yes. Let’s call it a quick bites restaurant.

A chain out of Austin (which started as, you guessed it, a food truck) that serves up pretty great tacos. As a vegetarian, I can personally recommend the migas, fried avocado, and dirty sanchez tacos! Also, their queso is out of this world — try it!
Cons: pretty expensive for tacos (I used to live in San Antonio where tacos are less than a buck) and the line to order can get long!