Torchy&#x27;s Tacos

https://onthegrid.city/houston/rice-university-west-u/torchys-tacos

On the Grid : Torchy's Tacos

"If you’re looking for some damn good tacos (and who isn’t, always?), Torchy’s is your spot. But prepare your tastebuds for some suspense. What began as a food trailer in Austin has quickly become one of the most popular Rice Village restaurants, often with a line into the parking lot. With names like “The Republican” and “The Dirty Sanchez” – words you don’t hear too often in the same sentence – this fiery taco joint boasts a taco for every appetite and hosts creative monthly specials, featuring experimental flavor combos, regionally sourced ingredients, and award-winning salsa." - Principle

The Best of West U + Environs

"Damn Good Tacos at Torchy's Eat at Torchy's Tacos and you might get an addiction. They're ridiculously good and priced between $2.25 and $4.75 a piece. Try the Fried Avocado and The Democrat for a good time. They're open from 7 a.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. on the weekends for breakfast. Photo via Torchy's Tacos Facebook page"

Cheap and Delicious Eats in Houston

"Torchy's Tacos, Rice University West U. If you’re looking for some damn good tacos (and who isn’t, always?), Torchy’s is your spot. But prepare your tastebuds for some suspense. What began as a food trailer in Austin has quickly become one of the most popular Rice Village restaurants, often with a line into the parking lot. With names like “The Republican” and “The Dirty Sanchez” – words you don’t hear too often in the same sentence – this fiery taco joint boasts a taco for every appetite and hosts creative monthly specials, featuring experimental flavor combos, regionally sourced ingredients, and award-winning salsa."

Houston

sankalp mogulothu

Google

Love the food, love the place in the heart of rice district. The chicken and fish tacos were really good and the shrimp taco is kinda an acquired taste. The vegetarian tacos are good too. Our favorite was the chips and their special dips. Plenty of parking available but the sign boards say that are paid parking only.

Neil Theiss

Google

It’s been a few years since a tried Torchy’s because we live close to a Velvet Taco. I have to say Torchy’s is better. Both taco places have good variety and great taste, but Torchy’s has more filling. They really pile it on! Make sure you grab a fork so that you can get it all!

Roxie S

Google

Ordered the chicken Fajita taco with Flour tortillas. $5.05 for about a 6 inch taco is a little too much for me. Taste of the fajita was ok. The flour tortilla was amazing. You do have to pay for parking and if your lucky the have further parking on the street for free. Cashier was nice and informative. The employees giving out the take out food never called my name. So I’m guessing you do have to keep an eye out for it.

Randy Sloman

Google

Now I get what the big deal is! The fried chicken taco with queso is the absolute best! Great people and great service. Had a decent beer selection as well

Ra Ba

Google

great staff, cheap prices, gave us free chips because they miss-made ones, and also because we're tourists. Staff is super chill! Prices range from 5-10$, free drinks!

Robin White

Google

Honestly, they have some of the best queso blanco I’ve ever tasted. I’ve been to two different locations, actually three, and the queso is always top-notch. I always order the breakfast tacos, specifically the Wranglers, but this last time, I decided to try the Baja shrimp and the Mr. Orange tacos. While the Mr. Orange didn’t really impress me, the Baja shrimp taco was a 10 out of 10! If you’re looking for great queso and delicious tacos, this place definitely delivers!

Kevin Wang

Google

Updating review: Solid spot for Tex-max tacos Torchy’s tacos hits the spot when you’re craving TexMex. I’ve tried their steak and salmon tacos, both of which were solid! Folks taking orders at the counter are nice. The interior features plenty of clean area to sit. There’s paid and free paid parking but not a dedicated lot.

Vanessa

Google

This is the size of a pork taco and the salsa dip cup next to it for context. $5 taco! That is wild.

Michelle B.

Yelp

Stopped in for a quick bite on a busy Saturday. We watched part of a game from the bar. The bartender was friendly. She didn't seem the most organized though. I feel that they may have been missing someone working judging by the number of folks I observed waiting. I was glad that they left off the cilantro as requested. The brushfire included the perfect heat as usual. I stepped out and tried the Fo Sho which I hadn't noticed before. Honestly for a vegetarian option I felt it was filling. I'd order it again. Overall there were plenty of seating at this location both inside and outside. Under the trees outside in the fall is the best.

Bradley L.

Yelp

Torchy's hasn't been my go to in many years but it is goooood. I stopped in to claim a free reward taco and honestly for how busy the restaurant was it took too long to come out and wasn't that hot. I got the new tipsy chicken which I did enjoy after heating it up a little at home. In general come get some queso and drinks. If you're willing to wait, get some tacos

David P.

Yelp

Nut allergy friendliness: This specific torchy's has almost killed me before, but it's been years and they seem to do better when not catering. Pretty sure everyone knows Torchy's for its famous fusion style tacos. They're large - two are enough for a meal. The habanero sauce they include may or may not annihilate any other flavors of the taco. Use at your own risk.

Holley Janae P.

Yelp

My husband and I visited Torchy's the other night because we had reward tacos in the app. The rewards app is convenient and easy to use. Torchy's has long been a staple for me and I never get tired of it! Our food arrived very quickly. The restaurant was also relaxed with other dinner guests, so it made for a pleasant dinner together. We split the Baja shrimp taco, the republican taco, the airstream salad, and queso (of course)! Everything was fresh and flavorful!

Brian S.

Yelp

I found Torchy's to be a familiar place to eat on a short visit to Houston. The restaurant in San Antonio made a good impression on me and it was no different here. Great tacos and drinks at a fair price. Sitting at the bar was probably better than waiting for a table because the bartender was ready and there was no wait. It's a casual place anyway, if you want to watch sports sit at the bar, the tables have a more intimate feel.

Leonardo M.

Yelp

Slowest service ever - if you have an hour to waste waiting for your food to come out this is the right place

Roma B.

Yelp

Hadn't been to Torchy's in a while, so was excited to take my friend from out of town there! Ordered the scallywag, the taco of the month and the fried avocado. The scallywag taco was great, the fired coconut shrimp coating was crispy and had a lot of flavor. The fried avocado taco has always been one of my favorites, but this time the avocado was a little too ripe in it. The taco prices have also gone up since last time.

Devlin W.

Yelp

How did I not know about Torchy's Tacos until now?! Some of the best tacos I've had in Houston. Just place your order at the counter, grab a number, and have a seat. It was plenty of space & open seating available at the location I went to, & that was on a Saturday afternoon. Surprisingly! I was excited as soon as I saw the menu. I like how Torchy's has specialty tacos, not just your typical chicken or steak, the creativity is there...& so is the flavor! Order: Tipsy chick (my fav!) Democrat Trailer park (another fav!) Crossroads Street corn All were amazing, but Tipsy Chick & Trailer Park were the best! Flavorful, not skimpy on the protein, good portion size & presentation. I can appreciate the sauces & salsas on the side because one contained bacon which I do not eat. Street corn was good however I'm used to more mayo & cotija cheese. And the Agua Frescas were so fruity, refreshing, & light! This is my new spot for tacos I'll certainly be back & I recommend you go too!

Priya R.

Yelp

Who could go wrong with Torchy's! They have many locations around houston and this is one of my favorite locations! Love coming here because they have great vegan options like the Mofaux, made with a plant based meat alternative. Their chicken fajita taco is also one of my favorites! They used to have many more options for tacos before Covid but I guess they reduced the menu options during Covid. I found out today that they can make most of the tacos into burritos as well, so instead of getting two tacos to be more filling, you bc ab just get one burrito! The burritos around about $10, so slightly more than the tacos but just one is enough to get you full! It's also way less messy than a taco! Highly recommend the Mofaux Burrito! I'm just not a fan of refried beans though which they add to all burritos so I would just order it with no refried beans. They also add Mexican rice to all burritos as well. The tacos do take about 10-15 minutes to get ready. Also, I highly recommend getting their sauces on the side! My favs are the chipotle, Diablo, avocado and poblano! They used to give larger sides of the sauce, but this time they gave small side containers. I'm not sure if they are trying to reduce the amount of sauce given or if they just ran out of the larger sauce containers, but the sauce is one of my favorite parts about this place! Overall, a great place for a quick and tasty lunch or dinner!

William K.

Yelp

The tacos here are great. I don't remember all the names but they had a wide variety of tacos that suited everybody's needs. Of course, there's also the usual tortilla chips, queso, etc. too. The prices are also quite good. I only ate these tacos as part of a big delivery order at the end of a business conference I was part of, so I can't say much about what the overall ambiance of the restaurant or what the service is like.

Chi A.

Yelp

Had the worst experience at this Torchy's. I made my own bowl and asked for veggies, blackened salmon, arugula, and avocado. I waited for 10 minutes and happened to look at my ticket and noticed it said lettuce and beans. I immediately asked one of the bartenders to please have the kitchen fix it. Another 20 minutes goes by and my food comes out and it's lettuce, sour cream, cheese, pico de gallo (I think) and some other stuff I didn't ask for. I was so through after waiting almost 40 minutes. I had them get the manager to refund me my money immediately. Absolute waste of time.

Fanny F.

Yelp

Good food there. But mixed up on orders because we were a large group of people otherwise their queso is always good!

Adam R.

Yelp

Horrible customer service. For any negative review, they give you a link to "talk to their team." I did this instead of leaving a review but no one ever got back to me. So here we go: I had to wait over 40 minutes after my expected pick-up time because they had a large catering order. Ended up just getting a refund and leaving. If you are unable to accommodate a catering order and pick-up orders, this needs to be reflected in the pick-up time provided in the app before customers pay.

Tiffany J.

Yelp

Good service, fantastic queso, good tacos and drinks...Everybody was friendly and the tacos were good. Very laid back vibe for good tacos after a day of shopping in Rice Village. They also have To-Go options...

Jessie C.

Yelp

All my 3 tacos were delish. Vegabond, fajitas and democrat tacos were really good. Sangria was good and strong.

Courtney C.

Yelp

Vibe- Cool spot for tacos and drinks. There's a bar at this location!!!! There's a seating area outside and plenty of spots to sit inside, I counted about 20 tables each with 2-4 chairs. Happy hour is 3-6pm, Monday thru Friday. Customer service- Great! Food/drinks- I got the mofaux that has the plant based behind beef and lots of veggies. I was going to get one of the fried avacado tacos but the girl that took my order let me know that to make it vegan it would only have avocado, lettuce, and a salsa so I opted for 2 mofauxs instead! Parking- There's a paid parking lot that it sits in and you just have to pray someone is leaving when you get here to get a spot in that lot. There's street parking as well.

Karen O.

Yelp

I ordered the breakfast tacos and nothing else compares to these!!! The best I have ever tasted !!!!

Journey M.

Yelp

Shoutout to Tony for the excellent service! Hooked on the queso & chips - of course the tacos are always delicious & finger licking out of this world good!

Tracy T.

Yelp

Good tacos. Pricey for 1 taco but good. Trailer trash is my favorite. Cool lil spot I would recommend.

Gia C.

Yelp

Recently renovated, to a more modern feel, rather than austin cool hipster vibe. More spacious than before. Took 30+ mins to get our food. They were concentrating on to go orders instead. It was only two tacos! People who came in to order to go after us left before us. Sold out of their monthly taco and others, so limited choices. Asked staff, and she didn't want to seem to help us, but more like, what do you expect? it's a cinco de Mayo? Literally, that's what she said. I was like uh? K?? Inside dining, there was barely anyone. Been here before renovation, and I recall it being messy. I think this is my least fave location to go to. Sticking w the one by westheimer/Kirby side, they are always on point even when busy.

Emily L.

Yelp

Portions are huge here compared to other locations I've been to! I always get the green chile queso and it was extra spicy here which I loved. This is definitely THE torchys to go to

Vidya P.

Yelp

Friendly staff, clean restaurant, great service. AMAZING queso, fresh chips, and some absolutely delicious food! Felt the portion was a bit smaller than the amount we spent, but very flavorful. Would highly recommend!

Michelle M.

Yelp

Came to see the hype and Torchy's delivered for sure! The tacos are way bigger than we expected so definitely ordered way too much for two people. Highly recommend the queso, trailer park, fried avocado, crossroads, and democrat. Tables were a little sticky but the restaurant was clean overall. Would definitely come back again.

Denise J.

Yelp

The food is good. However, every time I went flies were everywhere in the outdoor seating area. They need to do something about that!!

Dev R.

Yelp

Is this what Texas calls a good taco? Come on out to L.A., South Gate in particular. Get y'all a street taco worth writing about. These tacos are all about the stuffing, which are no flavor complexities worth coming back for. I need a taco about the meat flavor first. So, busy place drew me here. Quick line to wait for your order. Helpful service. They bring you your meal. Everything tasted Bland, like special salsa was needed. I got three different tacos; all fails.

Christine P.

Yelp

Torchy's has one of the best quesos that I've ever tried. I HIGHLY recommend getting it as an appetizer to share with someone or even just for yourself whenever you go here. I've even gotten the queso to-go several times before too. It's just that good! The tacos that I've gotten that I recommend: -trailer park (get it trashy) -green Chile pork -Baja shrimp -democrat (highly recommend if you're a fan of Barbacoa) These tacos are a pretty decent size and are on the pricier end. To be honest, it takes me about 2 of them to get full. I don't think I can ever order more than 2 at a time. These tacos are definitely really unique and have so much good flavor! It's a great casual place to go with friends. I love the remodel of this place too for this location. It's a lot more spacious with plenty of seating. They also have outdoor seating too.

Andrew B.

Yelp

We really enjoyed the tacos here. Perfect dinner after a college football game. I really enjoyed the sangria

Dianne P.

Yelp

OMG. The hillbilly queso and regular queso is the best! You order at the counter and they bring it to your table. The Trailer park trashy was one of the best tacos ever and the democrat's meat was so flavorful. The chips were perfectly crunchy. The employees were friendly and I could go back again and again! One member of our party was here yesterday! The condition of the restroom needed improvement but the food and experience were fandamntastic!

Deyanira G.

Yelp

I keep giving this location a chance because it's the closest one from work for when I want Torchys for lunch. I've always admired Torchys to be consistent across all their locations so my review is for this particular location. I do order through their online delivery system. They have often forgotten to include sauces, or other taco specific ingredients like limes etc but keep giving them a chance. Keep in mind each taco is from 4 to 6 dollars. The last straw was this last time with the Trailer park chicken taco. It only had one tender that was super thin! I can't believe how much I spent for that. Going to avoid this location from now on. So much for the known Torchys consistency. Not at this location.

Hannah Z.

Yelp

torchy's never disappoints!! the tacos here are amazing every time. this time, we tried the baja shrimp and the crossroads taco. we also tried the green chile queso and chips as well as the guac and chips, and they were AWESOME--would highly recommend. other than that, service is efficient and the shop is nicely lit & has fun decor. definitely worth stopping by here if you're in rice village.

Emily C.

Yelp

Great taco place in the Rice Village area. Portion sizes are generous for the price, and they give you a bunch of salsas/sauces on the side! Would recommend if you are in Houston.

Debra D.

Yelp

My Bestie lives in Katy,Texas and had been talking about this place. So before we caught our planes back to reality; we stopped in to get a bite. When I tell you that my trailer trash chicken taco was delicious; believe me. I also had some of my girlfriend's shrimp taco which was also Good. The staff was very polite and accommodating.

Randy C.

Yelp

This is not the location to go to. During COVID times: we called on the phone to make an order to go and they told us to hold on ... for 25+ min. We were already driving there and ended up hanging up since we were still on hold. We were pissed when we saw 2 customers at 1 table and that was it. They took our order of 4 tacos. After waiting about 10-15 min, we asked how much longer our to go would take. They then told us another 45 min. After I got upset, they then told me just a few more min because someone else ordered food with the same name. Even though the cashier saw us asking. They are not organized or paying attention. After we got our food, I asked the employee for sauce and she said ok. But never came back. Keep in mind the restaurant was empty and no one was sitting at the bar. Just completely unprofessional and disorganized. It was very sad.

Justin I.

Yelp

If I could give a zero, I would. Flat soda. Flat like the state of Florida but without the benefit of waves in the water. Took fifteen minutes to deliver these gastronomical monuments to indigestion and they likely spent fourteen minutes under a heat lamp. I can't say they were the worst tacos I have ever eaten because I could not bring myself to actually eat them. $17 into the trash and I felt good about that walking out. Likely saved myself a lot of regret. Avoid this place like .... like you would avoid this place. Can't think of a metaphor that comes close at the moment.

Joanna Q.

Yelp

About a year ago, the quality of food at this Torchy's was a lot lower compared to the other Torchy's on Wesleyan. However, they have seriously turned it around, especially with new staff. The staff a year ago was lazy and rude, but the new staff are so great and go above + beyond for customers. The food here is super fresh and on par for OG Torchy's and my boyfriend + me come here all the time now. The guac has increased in quality and tastes GREAT. It is our favorite guac. I usually get the Mr. Orange fish taco, but the new Tokyo Drift taco is so, so good. My boyfriend always gets the Trailer Park trashy tacos and loves them.

Kate N.

Yelp

This is one of my favorite places to go with the family! They have something for everyone! Love their tacos very much! Highly recommend going for your next meal!

Ashley A.

Yelp

Took my son here for his first experience with Torchy's. He loved his chicken taco so I didn't say anything him about it. But literally it was grilled chicken with cheese. I didn't seen anything else on it. It was disappointing to me that they didn't offer any other toppings. The kids meal did come with a drink but nothing else besides that. My tacos were great and the flavors were awesome. The Baja Shrimp is still my favorite. The order came out in 10 mins or less after we ordered. My little one had to use the bathroom and I was reluctant but it was clean and smelled fresh. Great first experience for him.

Rebecca D.

Yelp

The service was impeccable. They are always happy to help and when I asked about my food they were quick to check the back and offer me extra sauce/chips. I love how clean it is and super friendly. I had the Mofaux with Diablo sauce, sooo good and they always make sure the tacos are full!

John S.

Yelp

Always had really good tacos and great service at Torchy's. Will continue to support them.

Ajay S.

Yelp

Great place for tacos, burritos and drinks. Good size dining room with options to sit outside. This is also my son's favorite place for tacos. The four stars only because of a bit expensive Very delicious good servings and if you're in the area do try and hopefully you wouldn't be disappointed.

Z. Z.

Yelp

Loved my first experience at Torchy's! We ordered drinks, 2 tacos each, and chips and salsa. We sat at the bar and had prompt, friendly service. Delicious food and a casual and fun atmosphere.

Robert C.

Yelp

Best tacos in Texas in my opinion comparable to Oscars in San Diego! Just had 5 tacos and all of them were great. Just had a tika masala taco at Velvet Tacos but I didn't think it was that special. Definitely come here for bomb tacos

Victor H.

Yelp

Mmmhhh those were some really delicious tacos! They sure do live up to their motto of "Damn Good Tacos" This is my second time at Torchy's, and I am never disappointed with the food and service here. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. The tacos here are very unique, and not just the interesting names that they chose for their tacos. I loved the Trailer Park, Baja Shrimp, and the Democrat, in that order. Can't go wrong with most of the tacos on the menu though. The wait on a weeknight was about 10-15 minutes to place your order at the counter. It can get pretty busy here, but it is sure worth the wait. Can't wait to visit Houston again so I can get more Torchy's!

Brenda A.

Yelp

So points are lost here for a few reasons. 1. Inconsistent service. The lady at the register could take a tip from the lady that actually brings out the food. I told her it was my first time at Torchy's and was asking a few questions and she just wasn't helpful. Then I didn't know she charged me 1.25 for extra chips, which wouldn't have been a problem if half the bag wasn't made of chips the size of my pinky fingernail. So I was a tad disappointed. 2. The wait. I should have read the tips and ordered while I was shopping nearby. The wait was too damn long. But my taco was good and the queso was better.

Kim R.

Yelp

Was recommended this place by a friend. I got the Baja shrimp, very flavorful. I loved the crunch added to it. My friend had the mr orange and it was nice and spicy. Service in the other hand needs work. We stood in front of the counter for about 5 min before we were acknowledged. Mind you there was 3 employees standing there. Finally one decided to take us and seemed bothered by it. Probably won't return due to lack of service. Atmosphere was ok.

Mati L.

Yelp

I thought this place was so nice inside. It was. Unfortunately myself and 2 others I ate with got sick. I got food poisoning and the others not so bad. I called to let the manager know, she gave me a refund. I wasn't looking for my money back, I was looking to save future guests from becoming ill. After telling my friends my situation, i realized Torchys has a reputation with this.

Samantha W.

Yelp

I'm a huge taco person and this is a place someone should go to when they come to visit the city. The taco choices are very unique and what I love is that they put a lot of different ingredients into each one. There are taco places that only add a few things like only cilantro or onions, but these tacos have at least like 4 or 5 toppings! I wouldn't come here weekly though, especially if you're a big eater cause you'll need at least 3 to fill you up.

Valerie D.

Yelp

Look, I want to give Torchy's Tacos 4 stars for their Queso but honestly, I'm disappointed in their signature dish - Tacos. I'm a vegetarian so I love that they have options for me but $6 for a MoFaux when the other tacos are around 3-4 dollars is uncalled for. I can practically get a box of Impossible or Beyond Burgers veggie burgers for the same price and it wasn't even good. There was a sweetness to it and I was looking for savory. I was also not impressed with the fried avocado or breakfast taco flavors either. Their hot sauces are also mediocre. We had sticker shock for the price; 4 tacos, queso, and 2 drinks - it was over $30 plus tax and tip. Service, Parking, and Cleanliness of the location were good. I mean this is TEXAS we have amazing Tex Mex and authentic tacos everywhere. I could have had 2 entrees with rice and beans for the same price with free chips and salsa. I may continue to order the Queso but only to go from now on.

Rachel A.

Yelp

I hadn't been to this location since they apparently renovated it. It was dirty. The woman working the register was rude. The food was cold.

https://onthegrid.city/houston/rice-university-west-u/torchys-tacos

On the Grid : Torchy's Tacos

The Best of West U + Environs

Cheap and Delicious Eats in Houston

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