Tex Tubb's Taco Palace

On my radar for about a year now and finally tried it. I LOVE the fact that their vegetarian/vegan options are numerous and not an afterthought. I always judge a place by its guac, its rice, and its margs. Guacamole- super tasty and a big amount. Rice- incredible. I got the sweet potato and black bean enchiladas with guajillo and their calabacita tacos. Delicious :) only good things to say and excited to go a second time trying all new things

I came here during happy hour for half off tacos and margaritas, and I have to say each were great. They have a wide variety of both available so you can be sure you'll find something that you'll like.

superb happy hour alert! this spot was a recommendation from a friend who lives in Madison. We got a reservation for 4pm and were seated right away, which gave us the one to order chips & queso, along with half-off margaritas & tacos! We split the cucumber marg, hibiscus marg, and mango marg pitchers. I got the green chile chicken taco and an avocado frito taco. I couldn’t finish it all, but wish I could’ve because it was all so delicious. The ingredients were fresh and quality and the tacos were stuffed. Salsas were spicy and fresh, too. The servers bopped by occasionally and were always helpful and attentive when at or around our table. Bathrooms were unisex with a cute gemstone/rhinestone border around the restroom sign. Definitely recommend and hope to go back when we’re visiting in the future.

Texas Tubb’s is pretty good. The best part, though, is the happy hour. Half priced tacos and half priced margaritas from 2-5 even on Saturdays! The food is good but not exceptional or mind blowing. However, the churros are something else! Definitely need to splurge on these! Overall come to Texas Tubbs for late lunch or early dinner and you won’t break your budget!

I have ordered and eaten at this place over the 7 years I've lived in Madison, and I always leave with the same opinion. Meh. The food is not bad and the atmosphere is actually very nice! It is just okay, very good for when you need a quick Mexican cuisine fix.

We went last night with a big group and this place exceeded our expectations. They were busy but our server was amazing. She was patient with our big group and even allowed us to bring a cake and sing happy birthday. She brought out plates for the cake and let us enjoy and catch up. All the food came out correct with all the modifications and it was delicious. I had not been here in years but I can’t wait to come back now knowing they still have great food and top notch staff.

A great, local restaurant that serves up some tasty Mexican food. I really enjoy the salsa bar. You can pick from several different varieties and heat levels. Some great happy hour specials on tacos 🌮

My husband and I ate here for the first time on a Thursday around 11:45. Parking was adequate and the restaurant was not crowded. My hairdresser recommended the place as we were in the area. We started with queso and chips, requesting them to hold the salsa. We loved that we got a bowl of queso that was big enough for all the chips. My husband had a regular beef taco salad (they will make any taco into a salad). I had a regular ground beef taco on soft corn tortilla. Oh my! It was so, so good, as was my husband's salad. The taco was stuffed full - a little hard to handle, but I ate every bite. We had their churros for dessert. They came out hot and delicious. Two things I need to mention. This restaurant has low table and booth availability- important for disabled and elderly. This was a big plus as so many places have gone solely to pub tables. And, my husband dies not like Mexican food and always fusses about going to a Mexican restaurant. When we left, he said, "When can we go back?!" We live in Fitchburg and not in this part of Madison often. We are already planning to come back in a few days. Another note: our wait staff was awesome and our customer service was great.

Came here for lunch because it was recommended to me by a friend that said the tacos were tasty! Once inside we were able to be seated right away and the place was busy!! The seating area was small though. The decor was fun to look at! I checked in on yelp and was able to get complimentary chips and salsa! The green salsa was so good I ate it all! The service was a little slow but that's just because it was so busy! The prices were good in my opinion! I ordered the fish tacos and loved them! The fish was well battered, large portion and flaky! The sauce on it was a little spicy for me so I'm happy they didn't put a lot. I'm very picky about Spanish rice and I loved theirs! I ate my whole plate! Highly recommend!

We popped in after an appointment in the area. Overall, we were pretty disappointed with experience. Food - We ordered tacos, because that's what you should at a place calling themselves "Taco Palace". We tried several different versions, and found them all pretty dry. Portions were fair, although the amount of protein in each was very different. Brisket = skimpy. Carnitas = mucho. Service - Not bad|not good. Came by once for order, drop food off and the check. Could have used another beer, but I had a water at the table. Inside - it's your typical downtown style restaurant. The bar is right up front with table where they fit. Nothing of note. Pro tip, don't set up front in the winter, cold. Price - Would call it fair if the food was a little better, but for the quality we received it was too much. Not keeping this one on my return list.

Took a long time for food to arrive, not sure if that was because we had a big order or is normal. I loved the chips and yellow/green salsas! plenty of vegetarian options on the menu so got all 5 veggie tacos (fried avocado, squash, impossible meatball, sweet potato black bean, and cauliflower) to share because we wanted to taste test! howeverrr can't lie was not a fan of really any of them, just a bit lacking in flavors imo. also got churros (not pictured) which tasted a little bit like the taco bell cinnamon twists... overall probs would not go back

These photos tell the story! Fabulous Happy Hour deals - a three drink margarita flight (flavors of your choice - I recommend the prickly pear!) for $10? Sign me up, once a week, please!

This will probably be a new go-to place for me! They have a variety of food and drink options including enough options for vegetarians (like my friend). The atmosphere is casual and fun, good for a chill summer weekday dinner. I ordered the prickly pear frozen marg (pink) and the chicken tinga and fried cod tacos. My friend had the cucumber melon marg with some vegetarian tacos and enchiladas. It was plenty of food. Chips and salsa are not free, but if you check in on Yelp, they are! ;)

Last week my friends and I went to @textubbstacopalace during happy hour. HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (1/2 off tacos and margaritas) To eat I ordered street corn (cotija cheese, crema, mayo, white onion, cilantro, and tajín), Chicken Tinga (chicken marinated in onions, garlic, and tomatoes, with cabbage slaw, cheddar jack, pico de gallo, and lime crema), Beef Brisket (cheddar jack, Mandy's hot sauce, pickled red onion, and cilantro), and Grilled Flank Steak (marinated and grilled flank steak, avocado-tomatillo puree, cabbage slaw, salsa arbol, onions, and cilantro). To drink I ordered the Ultimate (upgraded with 100% Blue Agave Corazón Reposado Tequila) 360z Mega Rita. The Beef Brisket was the best taco and I really enjoyed the street corn. The Ultimate Mega Rita was delicious and you only need one. I would definitely be back again.

Service was extremely slow. Tacos & Enchaladas were just average. Salsa more spicy than tasty. The seating was somewhat crowded. I wish I would have enjoyed it more, because I was really excited about going. I may give it another chance down the line.

Perfect lunch spot if you're in this side of town! Must try the limeaid!! Inside is very cute and all the antique/vintage pieces on the wall are very fun.

I think I was overcharged but the food was pretty good and the service was terrible as I stood there for quite a little while before someone paid me any attention

Great Tex Mex food and good service. A little busy around the noon hour so plan accordingly.

I brought my team here for a small celebration. The tacos were delicious and the service was fast and responsive. I will definitely be back.

Excellent Mexican restaurant and wonderful service that we went to celebrate a special occasion. Everyone in our group enjoyed their food and drink. We wanted to eat outside and we did on a very nice patio.

I absolutely love this place because it's so much fun but I do have to say that the food is kind of bland or oversauced. No middle ground.

I had tacos and enchiladas here. I wouldn't say it was mind blowing or anything, but it was very good, I enjoyed it, and I would certainly return

Great food! Make sure to go for the happy hour which is from 2pm - 5pm everyday where you 1/2 Tacos, Beers & Margaritas. The tacos are flavorful & a good size. Drinks are pretty good! Plus the customer service is top notch. I will def be back!

MARGS!! So many incredible flavors. I strongly recommend the cherry, strawberry or raspberry frozen Margs! Can't go wrong!! We went during happy hour and got the tacos too!

My order was messed up once it came out . Food had things on it that I asked to not include. Manager took it back to remake , just to mess up again and bring me out totally burnt food. I returned my food AGAIN and told them I'm fine w dining there ! I left and had to go eat elsewhere.

Best happy hour prices in Madison. Right within the budget to kick off a weekend. The tacos are average but wide selection. Great spot for groups and there's outdoor seating too. Parking can be tough but try to get there right when happy hour starts.

"A Heartwarming Dining Experience at Tex Tubb's: Compassion and Flavor Delight" In the midst of an unfortunate dining experience, Tex Tubb's shone as a beacon of compassion and culinary excellence. My friend had embarked on a culinary adventure armed with a $50 gift card for a 'food network' of diverse restaurants. The previous night, we had a lackluster encounter at the discourteous Luigi's Pizza, spending $24 on subpar pizza. With high hopes, we headed to Tex Tubb's for tacos. Little did we know that our troubles weren't over from the previous night. Luigi's Pizza had not only served us disappointing food but had also double-charged my friend. When it came time to settle the bill at Tex Tubb's, there was only $2 left on the gift card. We were fully prepared to work off the remainder, but to our surprise, the kind lady at Tex Tubb's understood our predicament and graciously let us off the hook. This act of compassion was truly heartwarming. What made our experience even more delightful was the affordability of the menu and the explosion of flavors in every dish we tried. The food at Tex Tubb's seemed to have endless layers of taste, and the combination of flavors was positively overwhelming in the best way possible. In summary, our visit to Tex Tubb's was a remarkable journey filled with not only delicious food but also the genuine understanding of a mistake. We are incredibly thankful for Tex Tubb's and their exceptional service. Thank you, Tex Tubb's, for turning what could have been a sour night into a heartwarming dining experience we'll always remember.

I love this place! All the food is great and the outdoor dining space is perfect for a summer weeknight out. I got the stuffed chicken burrito and got the queso on top...so good but could have been hotter, temp wise. My bf got the gun barrel and ate all of it LOL lots of food, but he was happy. I'd definitely go back and I would recommend to others.

Poblano salsa was my favorite thing. The hot salsa was more about heat than savoriness. Ordered 3 tacos. A roasted cauliflower species, which had spinach (shame) and tomato cucumber and was tasty, but something was (missing; I forgot to finish the sentence.) The chipotle beef was very fearful. (I meant flavorful) The blackened cod was sans flavor, salt in particular. All were very large and overflowing. I realized while I was eating the cauliflower that I forgot to request flour tortillas. Midway thru the beef one I endured the corn tortillas and it's presence (corn flavor) overtook the perfectly seasoned protein in a negative way. One bite into the fish taco, I wisely abandoned the miserable flaccid tortilla, which helped. But lacking seasoning, sodium, was evident. I truly dislike soft corn shells. Wish I had realized the error. These would've been another star. I intended to request flour, but when the server was suggesting her input, I totally forgot. Service was on par and the warm toasty chips gave me a vehicle to devour the excellent tomatillo salsa. Which I really wanted to stick a straw in and devour. Being sober, I couldn't bring myself to behave in that manner. (That's perhaps what I miss most about drinking. Besides the drinking itself. ) Damn. I took a great photo, (of the tacos, not me) or at least I thought I did. I heard the phone click. Bummer, it was art, or at least I thought it would be. Instead I was stuck with the image I took for the check in.

I don't know who Tex Tubb is, but he makes one hell of a taco. This is also a great spot for frozen margarita flights, super fresh guacamole, and delicious burritos. They have several vegan and vegetarian options that looked really good. Our waitress was really great! She was very attentive and helpful. This place is an easy 5/5 and definitely worth the price!

Food and drinks were much better than new Taverna Tacos on Monroe street. Service just okay a couple small mistakes, but food and drinks very good. Excellent happy hour!!

I absolutely love going to Tex Tubb's for American Mexican food. They have such great food and margs. I used to love the backyard bbq burrito back when they served it still. Since they got rid of that, I now order the chicken tinga tacos. We also love getting the queso and guac. I wish the chips were free since they're pretty average, but you need to pay for them. If they tasted homemade, I wouldn't mind as much. I love the margaritas too! If you like frozen margaritas, they have several flavors and can serve them in a flight. They're a bit sweet but pretty fun to order! The vibe is super cute inside. It's Austin Texas themed so there lots of neon lights. Parking is easy and free as well! The lot is small but there's plenty of street parking nearby.

I legitimately crave Tex Tubb's!! My only wish is that they had a west side location. The margarita pitchers are a must! I always get the queso and salsas to start. The staff are great about bringing over more chips when needed. I also really enjoy the street corn and recommend to others. Their tacos are pretty good! I like the chipotle beef the best.

The current menu is nothing to the former. The beef taco is disappointing (where's the beef?) the brownie texture is sweaty.

Tex Tubbs has been one of my favorite restaurants. My husband and I went for dinner last night and several disappointing changes have been made to the drinks, food choices, and menu. The margarita I ordered was in a small glass. The blended margarita was barely cold since the ice melted. The beer I ordered was flat. I ordered enchiladas which were half the size I've had before. The salsa was bland and very little on the plate. The men must have changed recently and fewer options available. Not sure if there's new management but it was very disappointing. Won't be returning.

We used to go there all the time and it had awesome food. And great service. It has a very bustling vibe.

Tex Tubb's has been one of my favorite Madison restaurants for a while. You truly can't go wrong here with any menu item. They have ample options for vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters. All of their chips and dip (guac, queso, salsa) are awesome to start. I adore their tacos, and my favorite was the shrimp taco, but they sadly removed this from the menu. My new favorite is the fish taco. Their sweet potato fries come with a chipotle sauce, and they're some of the best sweet potato fries in Madison. My sister got the frito burrito vegetarian style, and she also loved it. I've heard the margs are great too. Relatively affordable for large portions and reliable quality. I will absolutely be returning, and I urge everyone to try Tex Tubb's sometime!

Get the queso! It's so good. The salsa is also super tasty. The chips make a great vehicle for the queso and salsa. The margs looked good, but I didn't have one. They have so many different taco options! I love that they have so many vegetarian options, too. If you fill up on chips and queso (do recommend) then only getting three tacos is perfect!

My fiancé and I came to Atwood fest and we got the Mexican corn. Maaaaaaan let me tell you, it hit the spot 100%. I've been looking for Mexican corn that I like and this was it. The chicken Tinga tacos were fire too! Chicken was well seasoned and tender and delicious. I like it, I'll be back to try more! I'll have more reviews from Atwood fest

Omg my husband and I loveeeeeeeeeeeeer this place. We go here at least once a week. Most the time they screw up the order. When I order whole steak and whole chicken, they always forget to put the chicken in! But they did give me credit.

Love that they carry lone star! Otherwise had a tough experience here with dry bland food and couldn't suggest it.

Ordered what I always order and was told they can't substitute the chicken...ok..thanks for trying your best? I'm sure it was super taxing to change the chicken to something else.

I vacillated between 2 and 3 here and decided a 2 was the most accurate. I've now been here a few times and while I appreciate their creativity they have a lot of combinations that just don't work. This place has been hyped a bunch so I expected more than I have experienced. Honestly, Tex Tubb's is sadly a sort of Catch 22. Sadly they cut a lot of the experimental tacos off of their menu, but they were hit or miss so I can understand why given that. The usual meat tacos are they're middling, even a bit dry. The sauces make up for that a bit but you shouldn't have to lean on that. Their vegetable tacos are a cut above the usual taco suspects and might be worth going there (esp since they've got more vegetarian taco options than other restaurants) -- this is why I was trying to decide between 2 and 3. Service, however, has been consistently good so there is that.

The Fella and I had just arrived in town and after a short visit to a local brewery, it was time to decide on a place for dinner. We decided quickly on tacos as our desired food stuff for the night. My friend and our host gave us a couple local options for us to peruse on Yelp and check out their menus. Tex Tubb's sounded the most promising. And although their website told us that due to unforeseen circumstances, they were running on a limited menu. It all still looked delicious so we decided to take our chances. Turns out the menu on the website was accurate to the reduced menu on the site. Color me impressed that they are quick and savvy enough to be able to update their website to immediately reflect what you could get at the restaurant! We arrived for an early-ish dinner right around 5pm on a Sunday evening. We were seated right away and got our waters, ready to peruse the menu. Lets be honest...we knew we were getting tacos. The rest of the menu did not matter. But which ones to choose?! I settled on the roasted pork, the shrimp and the fried brussels sprouts. The shrimp was my least favorite. The main shrimp part tasted good, but the jicama slaw was a little too much and...I found out...exactly the same as the slaw side. So there was a little too much slaw in my life that evening. The pork was super tasty! Really flavorful. And no joke, the brussels sprouts was my absolute favorite! I love sprouts all the time always anyway, but the fried crispies were wonderful! And the carrot crunchies and crema were great with it! The salsa bar was another highlight. I love me some tomatillo green salsa. And it went great with my tacos. My only complaint is that this seems to be a nearly totally dead cellphone zone. (yeah, yeah, I know. Put your phone down and talk to the people you were with. Look...my sister was having major flight issues at the airport and was trying to be in touch and figure life out...texts were NOT coming through!) They are in a cool, old brick building...but don't go here if you are expecting a call or a text or might need to be called away. They have a guest wifi network, but once on it you need a password to be able to use it. I wish places like that would put the wifi passwords on the table tent or on the menu somewhere. Just make it easier for us. Overall, I would gladly go back! And would suuuuuper recommend the brussels sprouts taco!

A regular ole hole in the wall in Madison, WI, that just happens to sell some good vegan options. FLAUTAS BASKET: As an appetizer, I ordered vegan flautas. The vegan flautas come with either a black bean & corn filling or a roasted sweet potato filling. I couldn't decide on a flavor and they were gracious enough to allow me to get half of each. (There are 5 flautas in a basket and I believe I got 3 black bean & corn + 2 sweet potato.) OMG These were SO delicious! I slightly preferred the sweet potato flautas because I love sweet things, but both are winners. I would definitely order this again, next time as an entree. CHIPS & GUACAMOLE: The guacamole was very bland and boring. It needed more sea salt or cilantro, or something. I was utterly disappointed with this $8 guac, which would be better priced at $2-$3. I wouldn't order it again. TACO PLATTER: I ordered 3 tacos: Fried Cauliflower, Avocado Frito, and Fried Brussels Sprouts. I wasn't impressed with the tacos. I still can't figure out how each and every one of them manager to be so bland despite all of the amazing garnishes and ingredients. I don't know what's missing... Maybe the perfect salsa? If they can figure out how to amp up the flavor, I'd give them another try. I did, however, enjoy the flavor of their refried beans and rice (mixed together). Everything was vegan in this platter. SALSA BAR: The salsa bar has a whopping 4 salsas. Insert side eye here. I'm accustomed to salsa bars having over a dozen salsas. 4 salsas is Taco Bell: mild, verde, hot, and fiery. They need to change the name to salsa row; salsa bar is misleading. All salsas are said to be vegan-friendly, even the "milky" looking one. I also tried one of their limeades. I mixed raspberry and prickly pear and it was very tasty. A few things that I didn't like: They don't have any vegan desserts and they don't have any Taco Tuesday taco or food specials. We were sat in the back by the door that isn't used and it was freezing. They sat a heater next to us, but it didn't help a whole lot. There were only 3 of us, so I don't know why we were sat in such an odd location, away from everyone and everything... I found that to be weird. There was a bit of an unwelcoming vibe too, but I tried to brush that off. The parking lot was small and parking was scarce. During the winter, that can be a pain. I won't say that I'd never return, because I would, but there is room for improvement here.

I was surprised that given all of my trips back to Madison and the fact that I had eaten at most of the Food Fight establishments that I had never been to TTTP. After 12 hours of driving we needed some dinner before stopping at the in-laws house. We snagged a table in the window and ordered a couple of frozen margaritas - 1/2 price on Thursdays - nice. All the tacos in the trio I ordered were tasty and some had more heat than others. Too many good choices. I would definitely eat here again on our next visit to town.

Tex Tubbs is the kind of place you go when the wait at bartaco is too long and your companions fancy themselves too posh for the authentic Northside taqueria next to the laundry mat. The variety of queso options nearly make up for the lackluster taste. Though I've been told that my fatal taco error at tex tubbs is that I order the traditional taco and not "better tacos with more things," I believe the true problem is that Ted Tubbs is incapable of making a flavorful quality taco. Their traditional pork taco is full of pork carnitas but yet completely devoid of any discernible flavor. If you absolutely need a taco, and literally every other taco place in madison is closed, and you don't want to leave the city limits, then go to Tex Tubbs. Or save some cash and hit up the Taco Bell drive through; your taste buds won't know the difference.

I had this food at a wedding. They were the caterers and the food was BOMB. I don't live in the area, but I will definitely recommend this food to my family in the area.

I'm going to be honest--delish food, iffy in-person service. Last two or three times that I had their food, I did pick-up, but this time was eat-in. Note--pickup was great-ordering on line a little challenging, but friendly follow-up by phone, dedicated parking, and a quick drop-off by staff once we let them know we arrived. We ate in at 1:30 or so in the afternoon, and it was slow, despite only 2 other occupied tables in my section and two in the bar area. We were ready to order when server first came up, but they said, "drinks first," then took another ten to return and take our food order. As a former waitstaff, I don't get the delay--no harm in getting both at the same time if the customer is ready (and it saves steps!). Service equally delayed to check on our progress once food arrived, and to deliver check. It looked like he was busy--just cleaning the seating area and the closed-off front room. I tipped nicely because pandemic, but honestly, won't be eating in again. I used Yelp check in for free house-made chips. Food--sweet potato taco and the chicken tinga taco for me, quesadilla for friend--was yummy and filling. Neither of us could finish. I think the server forgot to tell kitchen no cilantro, but luckily only a sprinkle I could pick off. We drank house-made ginger ale and margarita, but that felt overpriced.

My first time here and the brisket tacos were fabulous as well as the margaritas quick service pre show and glad to have tried it. Will be back again and again especially for the friendly staff !

Stopped in while in town. Not your typical taco joint but definitely a good spin on a taco! Will be back again! Til next time!

Great food. Lots of great vegetarian options! We got the tacos and street corn and they both were amazing. Definitely coming back for more!!

Despite a marketing campaign that insists "it's different" and "takes food seriously", this place was a terrific letdown. Long wait times, inconsistent quality control, and underwhelming food. Did it curve my craving? Yes... but not before making me and 2 other guests nauseous. Also, despite raving reviews, my cousin (who is pescetarian) ordered the jackfruit taco (which she has cooked before) and said it was the worst she's ever had. None of us finished our meals, and I doubt any of us will be back.

Great Mexican food and margaritas!! Very good tinga tacos . Fun atmosphere. First time here. Will be back.

Always one of my "go-to" places when in Madison. Excellent tacos and friendly service. Nice environment and fun to people watch. However the wait to get food is way too long. I know it gets extremely busy and I'm assuming it's a lack of staff like so many other places? Still a must. Great vegetarian options too

Ordered food because of happy out special.not able to get happy hour price because dine in only.i specifically asked if it was happy out and would like to go.sat for half hour and charged me full.maybe specify and let staff know

Tacos and margs, what could be better?! We went to check out Tex Tubbs because they are apart of the Food Fight Restaurant group. Expecting some eccentric tacos and colorful dishes. We got that and more! A fun, colorful environment very much a part of the Madison food scene. Our food was very fresh and flavorful from the Tequila Lime Shrimp and Brisket tacos to the chicken burrito bowl and steak fajitas our food was portioned large and very tasty! Known for their different salsas they surely have something for everyone from mild to one with significant heat! Their margarita menu is vast and the frozen options were very yummy. Don't just "taco" bout going - this place "guacs"!