News

Velvet Taco makes Austin debut

April 4, 2017

Velvet Taco has opened its first Austin unit  — the fourth in Texas — at 11501 Rock Rose Ave., in the trendy, art-infused Rock Rose development, according to a news release.

"We think Velvet Taco is just quirky enough to be a perfect fit for Austin, and especially for Rock Rose,” said General Manager Michael Wynn in the release. "We have made it our mission to deliver a fresh take on the ubiquitous taco by elevating this humble food into something more. We promise that you've never had a taco like this before."

The menu features a variety of tacos, including:

• Spicy tikka chicken — crisp tenders, spicy pepper sauce, buttered cilantro basmati rice, raita crema and Thai basil on a flour tortilla.
• Texas Akaushi bacon burger — peppered bacon, smoked cheddar, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle and velvet sauce on a flour tortilla.
• Cuban pig – Gruyere cheese, slow-roasted pulled pork, shaved ham, peppered bacon, grain mustard and house-brined pickle on a crisp flour tortilla.  
• Shrimp and grits – creole mayo, blackened shrimp, crispy pepper jack cheese grits, charred tomato poblano salsa and micro-cilantro on a corn tortilla.
• The WTF – Velvet Taco's "weekly taco feature" which introduces a new taco creation each week.

"The best way to describe Velvet Taco’s menu is to take a dish from anywhere in the world and put it in a taco," said Brian Watkins, director of operations, in a news release. “We like to say that Velvet Taco is where anything goes meets the art of possible. It’s the place to go to get your taco fix, but you won’t find Tex-Mex here. What you will find are tacos made with the same care and quality ingredients as fine dining."

In yet another twist, customers can walk up to the back door of Velvet Taco, knock, ask for the Backdoor Chicken and hand over a crisp Andrew Jackson (aka, $20). In just a few minutes, someone will return with a whole, slow-roasted rotisserie chicken, six tortillas (corn or flour), two sides of Elote-style corn with crema, homemade Heat Sauce and fresh pico de gallo.

It may sound a little sketchy, but in-the-know diners swear by it, Watkins said.

Velvet Taco also has locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Chicago.