Velvet Taco

This place was such a vibe. I loved the music, atmosphere, and the people working here. I didn't want to come at first because there's an abundance of taco places here in San Antonio, but this one superceded my expectations. It offers unique and healthy Indian-Mexican-Texan fusion, and it just pairs so well together. I tried the Spicy Chicken Tikka Masala Bowl which has the right amount of spices to vegetable and rice ratio. (Please keep these in the rotation and don't phase them out!) My spouse also had the Brisket Tacos which he stated that he enjoyed as well! The staff was also amazing and kind and made the experience great. I received a complimentary velvet cake for it being my first time, and it did not disappoint!

Great food and great experience! We walked right in with no wait, and the menu was displayed clearly on the wall—easy to read and packed with options. I went with a group of five, and we all tried different tacos—every single one was amazing! I ordered the Chicken & Waffle Taco, and it was my absolute favorite—perfect mix of sweet and salty. I also tried the Birria Duo Tacos (comes with two); they were a bit thin with a smaller amount of meat, but still really flavorful. My husband got the Burger Taco, and it was freaking amazing! The Puffy Taco was also a hit. We all chose the $14.99 combo, which includes two tacos, a side, and a drink. We picked elote as our side—it was really good. My son ordered a cheese quesadilla from the kids’ menu, which came cut into four pieces with a mix of white and yellow cheese. For dessert, we had the Red Velvet Cake with Cajeta on the side—absolutely delicious!

The grilled steak was just a bit salty but overall the experience was pleasant and the staff were also very nice.

first time here! The lady running the register was super nice and welcoming. I got the smash burger and Mexi-cali taco 12/10. My gf got the chimichurri steak taco and the rotisserie chicken taco. Both pretty good but our faves were the burger and shrimp.

Velvet Taco is not your average taco joint - it's a bold fusion of flavors wrapped in a tortilla. The tacos turn into a flavorful canvas bursting with flavors. Shrimp Taco & Salmon Taco - 5 stars sooooo savory! Generous amount of shrimp and a generous portion of salmon. Fish and chips Taco & Smashburger - 5 stars generous portion of fish. Smashburger was the favorite for the guys both wished they had gotten 2. Steak taco and smashburger - The Distinct Palate Kid loved them! The vibe is funky, casual, and energetic - perfect for a casual bite with the family or late-night bite. The bold personality can be found in the eclectic art and music in the background. The service was fast and friendly. The staff was helpful and accommodating with one of my custom orders.

Tell me why this is my fav taco place. 1. It's open late. 2. Consistency. Those 2 things make it such a convenient option. Lots of locals say these aren't real tacos but let me tell you they're so good. Their queso is phenomenal. 10/10. I recommend the buffalo chicken taco and the bacon smash burger taco omg 🤤 the margaritas are good too. I've always wanted to try their red velvet cake. I'll need to try that 1 day. If you're in the pearl area, you definitely need to try this place out.

The food is delicious! And the service is great. We ordered takeout in store and they comped us free drinks since there would be a long wait. It's such a fun atmosphere inside too. Highly recommend!

Great tacos the shrimp and brisket was good our favorite was the smash burger taco and Tikka definitely recommend this place

Fantastic. Worth leaving the final four early to make sure these tacos were eaten before leaving town. Loved the fact that both traditional and fusion tacos were designed and executed to perfection. I had the brisket, spicy chicken tikka, and shrimp taco, and all of them were phenomenal.

Great experience with a few of my coworkers. I'm not a taco person so I has the rotisserie chicken bowl with rice, beans pico de gallo, and salsa. It comes with alvacado and cream but I requested not to include that. After they take your order you're able to take a seat and they call your name over the speaker. The time we went the speaker was broken so a gentleman brought our food out to us. My coworker ordered the brisket bowl which she loved--she said the brisket was super tender. The food was so good, we didn't want to go back to work. If we could've, we would've taken a nap. Recommend for large or small groups. Good food and service!

Leaving this review specifically to address an unfortunate bad move on their part. I placed an order this afternoon for their backdoor chicken special and scheduled pickup for 6:30. As I'm on my way to pick it up, they call and tell me they're sold out. BAD BUSINESS!! If you take my money, you "set" one aside to fulfill your order! I'm a fan otherwise but they best rethink things.

Love this place. The food is just well done, drinks are spot on. The service is great. They are very polite. We sat outside which is perfect this time of year. This is a definite stop when visiting the Pearl.

Service was great. Outdoor area is nice next to the water. Taco were just ok. I had shrimp, tikka chicken, and queso birra duo. Shrimp and chicken were very flavorful. I found the shell to be hard. I prefer the taco shell from La Fonda or other restaurants in the area. The pork shell was very hard and not a lot of pork in it. Overall for the price it was good.

Love me some VT. The tacos are creative and delicious and worth every penny in my opinion. These aren't street tacos so don't try to compare them. The addition of the bowls is super clutch and theyre yummy and reasonably priced! The service is always friendly and fairly quick when ordering delivery. I have not had the pleasure of dining in but when Ive picked up my orders, the inside seems clean and well kept. Definitely recommend if youre in the mood for a unique taco experience!

I mean just look at my pictures from my recent visits, they speak for themselves, everything is always great! The tacos are different in their own unit way. I get it they're not "traditional" so who cares if you got some wild combo in a taco form, it's a taco, they're not claiming to be authentic. That's what I enjoy about it, it's unique. You can go to a "Tex mex" big chain and get an asada taco for $5 and it be subpar when you can get one of these for the same price and better quality. Besides that rant, the service is great, staff are always nice! The interior is great, always great music playing. This last time I went; there was a big family with crying kids, that was the only thing that bothered me during my meal lol.

Life changing tacos. Didn't get a picture because the tacos looked amazing, so I dove right in, and they taste even better than they look. Had the taco of the week, and 3 of their other tacos. Pina colada shrimp, birria, chicken and waffles, and smash burger. All were PACKED with ingredients and flavor. Absolutely with every penny and I will be going back. Go check them out and you won't be disappointed!

For the price I would expect hot food not sure if my tortilla was even cooked maybe consider cooking tortillas to order!!

Two tacos, and I am so full. The chicken and waffles have a mix of sweet, fried, heat, crunch. Great flavor mix. Wish the waffle Tortilla stood up better. The Korean chicken fried rice has a unique set of rice, chicken, cilantro, and pineapple. Be prepped cause it has serious eat even without the jalapeños. Super fast and friendly to go and at good price.

Came here twice in the last week, both times for lunch, once with coworkers and once with my wife. I've tried the Cuban, Brisket, Birria, smashburger and the chimichurri steak tacos, with sides as queso Blanco and the guacamole. Out favorite taco was the smashburger one followed by the cuban taco. All of them were freshly made, sides were yummy, and the lunch special for about $15 can't be beat. It does take a few minutes for your order to ve ready, however even with a good crowd, it moces fairly quickm The tacos are pretty large and two was enough for me. The place itself seems nice, has a good vibe, but the chairs are all metal and kinda stiff and noisy. Great for lunch and I will definitely come back!

While always a fan of the margaritas here, today I just came for the food. I grabbed a table and ordered from the QR so we'd have a spot for the whole group. The food ordered in line arrived much quicker. Chips and blanca queso were the highlight, as usual. I love the location and atmosphere. Parking, meh. Get a ride so you can enjoy the margaritas.

I stopped by for a quick taco and was not disappointed. This place is walking distance from The Pearl and has a lovely view of the Riverwalk where there's outdoor seating. Upon entrance the creative menus line the walls listing all of their unique menu items and beverages. There's lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoors, which is accessed through the rear of the restaurant, has games available to ply such as Connect Four and Jenga. And the star of the outdoor seating is the huge tree providing cover from the hot sun. I ordered the Chicken and Waffle taco and an order of queso. The queso came out pretty fast and was OMG good! My taco came out shortly after and was the best taco I had ever tasted! The chick strip was seasoned so well and gave an awesome balance to the not really sweet waffle taco shell. The cabbage/apple slaw filling was an added bonus to the flavor and texture. It was amazing! As I left I admired all of the murals painted through the establishment. The service was friendly and fast. The food was muy bueno! I'll definitely be back to try more.

Always a great choice when you're around the Pearl. Love the different tacos, this time got the Kobe Smach Burger Taco, Spicy Tikka Chicken Taco with Elote Sauce and Chips. Didn't think I would like it so much, but the Kobe Smash Burger Taco is my new favorite. Also a great starting spot and even better ending spot due to their late hours.

I finally got to try this place and I'm so happy we made it here for a Saturday lunch. Parking was not too bad which was what I was most concerned about. The restaurant was empty since we got there pretty early. We walked up to the cashier and placed our orders. No fuss. We started with the red curry queso served with chips. Loved it. Soon after, we were called to grab the rest of our orders. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed both tacos (sweet chile shrimp and the Cuban pig). We decided to treat ourselves with the velvet cake and let me tell you, it was nice and moist. Worth the calories! We sat outside to take advantage of the view. It was a bit too windy but totally worth the view of the Riverwalk which was full of waterlilies. Check this place out. You won't be disappointed.

Staff were quippy but amazing. Clean restaurant. Super fun food combos. The boozy lemonade was . Cuban taco was perfection! Brisket taco was super loaded and flavorful. Queso and guacamole were standard and mid but overall loved my experience.

first time here, got a salmon taco and burger taco was great. Sabrina helped me out. Super cool and friendly, very knowledgeable about the menu was able to make a good recommendation :)

Anothe taco place with a perfect twist of flavors. Super fast service, pet friendly and lovely spot in Domain area

Ordered some tacos, chips, and queso on Uber eats. We didn't feel like driving through traffic so that was very convenient! Our order came out accurately. We ordered a rotisserie chicken taco and it was ok. The spicy Tikka taco was indeed SPICY very tasty and unique. My favorite was the grilled steak. The steak and veggies were tender and so flavorful. Made me wish I had only gotten steak tacos. Additionally, we got Chips and queso which were yummy! Definitely a good queso. Definitely looking forward to sit down at the restaurant sometime in the future for more queso and steak tacos!

Very friendly staff. Great tasting food and their new combo meal is great edition to the menu. Inside seems very ragged but plenty of seating inside and outside. The length in time for the food takes about 10-20minutes. Somewhat enough parking outside as long as you're not going during the evenings or weekend.

Velvet Taco is really good, the atmosphere and location is awesome. This place used to be "Taco Land" it was a neighborhood bar and the owner was named Ram and he was a bad a$$. Many grunge bands played there before they made it, like Mother Love Bone (Pearl Jam); STP; Peppers... Back in the 90's my brother and I started an original band and Ram gave us a shot and we became a regular band there on Fridays and Saturdays. Great place then and great place now! Thanks for keeping taco in the name and love the mural.

Stopped into Velvet Taco on a whim after a day of errands. Can't complain overall! The restaurant was cute and the staff were nice and efficient! The tacos were pretty good, I wasn't a huge fan of the gravy on the chicken and waffles taco but thats a me thing, not a Velvet Taco problem. The Al Pastor was delicious! And the Spicy tikka was surprisingly delicious also! Great place to try funky flavors and unique tacos! Overall pretty good experience!

First time visiting. We were craving tacos and decided to try something less traditional. The service wasn't bad, but since it was our first time there we didn't know the order/pickup system. I wasn't sure how much I should tip when I paid because I didn't know if they brought the food to us (they don't). A little "Hi, is this your first time here?" would have been appreciated, but the person at the register just waited for us to speak. We ordered a trio of dips (Salsa, Elote Guac, and Queso Blanco) and 6 tacos to share before finding a table. The salsa was served warm and tasted too much like a marinara for my liking, but the Elote Guac was excellent. The tacos were a mix of great, good, and meh. Ranking of the 6 tacos we tried: (1 = best) 1) Sweet chile shrimp - delicious combo of sweet chile that didn't over power the shrimp 2) Chimichurri Steak - great flavor 3) Cauliflower - tastey vegetarian option (not vegan) 4) Al Pastor - I trusted my dinner mates with their assessment and ranking because im not a fan of al pastor flavor in general 5) Spicy Tikka Chicken - any flavor on chicken was lost in spice and the heavy flour tortilla 6) BBQ Pork - excessive amount of cheese and the combination of flavors came together to taste like a basic hot dog. Overall, we'll probably visit again because they've have a large menu and they all sound unique and worth trying. I'll definitely recommend it to my vegetarian friends because they have fun options.

Interesting taco combination that aren't traditional but they sure are delicious. The restaurant is pretty cool and has some history behind it.

The last time I was at a Velvet Taco was in Nashville 1.5 yrs ago on a trip. Can't believe I haven't tried this one in TX since I moved here. I need to come back more often! Their tacos are amazing. Always great combinations that are stuffed full. Very filling. Super fresh ingredients. Can't wait to go back.

I never take the time to write reviews, but Velvet Taco blew me out the water! Such kind staff who were friendly and accommodating. Not to mention the food was great! We LOVED the Mexi Cali Shrimp taco and the Chicken and Waffle. Plus my 2 year old ate the Kobe smash burger so quickly! Lovely outdoor seating with a view, perfect place for lunch or a quick bite!

Typically Velvet Taco is an excellent option however, tonight there was an extremely rude woman in a black bandana at the front desk. She blatantly ignored me as I waited at the window for my to go order. She even ignored an employee trying to get back in who was knocking on the door trying to get her attention. Once she finally acknowledged me, she was condescending and unprofessional assuming I was the one knocking on the door. Kindly enough, the employee who was locked outside apologized on her behalf. Someone with her attitude should not be engaging with customers.

Literally my late night go to when I'm in San Antonio. My favorite is the fish and chips taco

Delicious tacos! Yummy!!! I had heard the Pearl District was the place for good eats in San Antonio. This was true. Lots of different taco options. I got three tacos (two steak and one chicken tinga). I enjoyed the steak more. The flavor was really good. Service was great. You place your order, pay and they call your name out. Indoor and outdoor seating. We did the indoor seating. Glad we stopped by here!

SO GOOD!! the tacos were amazing and so tasty! great atmosphere & will definitely be back.

I usually love Velvet taco when I visit Texas but I wasn't in love with the birria taco (right). It was two tacos but barely had any meat and didn't seem freshly made. The Cuban pig taco was good. Loved the elote corn dip. Great ambiance by the river. Marg was yummy and I got a free cup for national tequila day!

My wife and I were visiting San Antonio and saw that The Pearl is one of the better places to visit. Honestly, The Pearl is pretty lame. Some pretty buildings and some seemingly boring food and shops. However, just outside of The Pearl is this gem. We had some pretty disappointing Mexican food at another place the previous day, and we had written off San Antonio as not having Mexican/Mexican-inspired food better than our home in California. We were very wrong. This place had awesome tacos for a great price. I'd say this place is not a traditional taco place. They have a fun, Gen Z, fusion spin on tacos. They like to take flavors of different cuisines (burgers, Korean, Texas BBQ, etc.) and put them into a taco. Plenty of variety. Their sides are good too. What my wife and I liked most about this place was that the flavors were punchy. Where I am, the Mexican food is either not so good or it's good but it's more on the traditional, heavy, comfort food style. There are times I like Mexican comfort food, but I usually prefer the lighter, more vibrant Mexican cuisine (ceviche, salsa, zesty tacos, etc.). We were the only ones there that day because it was raining, so the service may not have been reflective of a typical day, but the service was very fast. And not in like a fast food, health hazard way. We felt totally happy and healthy afterward. We didn't try the velvet cake, but seeing as how the other food was good and the place and decor were tied to it, it probably would've been good too, but I can't personally vouch for that. We didn't eat at too many places during our stay, but this was our favorite. I wish there was a Velvet Taco in my area. It would crush the competition. Maybe one day, they will franchise.

Great food, very helpful and the place was great to eat at!! Being so close to The Pearl was a plus.

Staff was friendly and the tacos were great, especially the Brisket. Went there three times while we visited.

Cute spot with authentic tacos. Drinks are good and strong. I had the chicken, birria and brisket tacos which are were all good. The brisket was my favorite and the prices were reasonable.

Incredible EVERYTHING! Food, drinks, atmosphere and staff. Our favorite dinner in all of SA. (And we tried everything "popular" on the river walk.) We need this in Alabama.

Took kids from out of town to Velvet Taco (near the Rim). It was a lot of fun. A great selection of creative taco combinations makes it difficult to pick just a couple. The Crisp Tots and Local Egg appetizer is the bomb... Grandkids loved it. The tacos were excellent and their Ranch Water and Margaritas were excellent. If you are looking for a fun lunch spot by the Rim, Velvet Taco is your spot

Be warned the taco sizes are pretty big! I thought they would be smaller and ordered three. It was way too much for me to finish! So best advice for me get 1-2 and if you aren't full you can order additional tacos. We got 6 different types. Chicken & Waffle, Chicken Tikka Taco, Grilled Flank Steak, Kobe Beef Cheeseburger, Korean Fried Rice, Shrimp and Grits Taco. Best tacos: Chicken Tikka, Korean Fried Rice (unique and full one flavor Worst: Kobe Beef Cheeseburger (just too plain for me) The tortillas were kind of cold so I wish they would have warmed them up. I like my food hot. This is a cute spot to try a variety but remember the portions are in my opinion big enough to share half sizes. I also got the curry Queso. You could taste a hint of curry. To give it a small spin.

Holy moley this tacos are the bomb!! The choices are overwhelming and we wanted to try so many! My husband got the Buffalo Chicken, Fried Paneer with Tikka Sauce and the Fish and Chips! I got the Steak Chimichurri and the Rotisserie Chicken! All divine! And we got the chips and guacamole for our table since we had family with us! Everything was so delicious! They have a lot of space and the area that it's in is a really trendy area with lots of restaurants and shops! We are only here for a few days but trying to make it back before we leave!!

BEST VEGETARIAN TACOS EVER!! I walked to Velvet Tacos expecting some ok food, but what I got was 3 delicious & creative vegetarian tacos, that are probably the best tacos I've ever had. The Nashville hot tofu was perfectly crispy fried spicy, with pickles and slaw. The fried paneer was as perfect as you'd imagine a fried cheese taco to be. And the falafel taco, served in a lettuce wrap, was a fun twist. I tried both their house hot sauces, and wish I could have taken a bottle home with me.

After wandering around The Pearl Area and ooing and ahing at everything, we rejected the sterility and high prices and headed here. Just about a 7 minute walk from the green lawn space. We ate 3 tacos between us. Laws but the Nashville Hot Tofu one was amazing. We sat outside and once more a gently rain was falling. Perfect!

This place is ok, the food wasn't bad or anything just ordinary. Living in San Antonio there are way better tacos at the local food truck. The service is basic your order than they call your name to come get your food when it is ready. The one appeal of this restaurant is that it's right on the river so if it isn't too hot outside it would be nice to sit out on the deck and have a drink. In summary it's ok for a quick bite if you are in a hurry to find somewhere to eat but might be good for a drink on the deck.

Came here with a friend as I heard many good things about this place. The staff was nice and was able to get our food to us pretty quick. The food all looked good and was nicely presented. My spicy Tikka chicken was very good with a nice spice to it. I didn't expect the rice in it but wasn't mad about it. I really liked the loaded tots they had some nice sauce on it, and the egg was good too on top of it. My friend had the cauliflower taco, which she loved very much. Overall, I would come back if I'm in the area.

The masses aren't wrong - tacos here are spectacular. The menu offers so much variety, including unique takes on traditional vanilla tacos. Flavors converge harmoniously in virtually every taco we tried. Can't decide on a fav among the fish&chips, salmon, paneer, chicken or cauliflower versions. Pro tip: if you place the order on the Velvet app, you'll get free chips and a choice of 2 dip types on your 1st order. Velvet owners: kindly consider opening an NYC location. I shall be your first guaranteed patron.

Food was pretty good. Fresh ingredients for sure. The variety of tacos and the different combinations make it worth going back to try new things. The outside seating was awesome the day we went. Good spot if you're in the area.

I've been here three times and each time it has been great. The staff is friendly and the food comes out great. I am picky so i change my taco ingredients and each time but they have always come out right. I recommend the chips and queso, it's great. I can't wait to go back!

Great place for flavorful beyond-the-basic tacos. There is seating both indoors and outdoors. The decor is fun and vibrant. Food is always fast and fresh. They serve some alcohol. Near the Pearl Brewery. Good for singles, date nights, families, and foodies of all ages. Shrimp and Grits Taco-I recommend this with a flour tortilla instead of corn! Chicken and Waffles Taco-great as is, or get it just the Chicken & Waffle (no toppings) for picky kids.

I liked my tacos, the tastes were fantastic. Didn't like the puffy taco shell but ingredients made up for the shell. So far, no on beats Henry's on the puffy shell. Nonetheless, the combination of ingredients were just great. Hadn't been there in years; the food continues to taste great. Definitely recommend folks visit this taco restaurant. Atmosphere is great too, right on the Riverwalk. You can also access it from the Pearl. Good service and laid-back. Indoor and outdoor seating. Looked like there is a kids play area too. Prices seems reasonable to me. Gluten and dairy free options.

I want to compliment manager Chris on the fab team that he has on board. I want to specifically acknowledge one of his team members, Jackson. I had called earlier in the day to ask questions about our order. Not only did Jackson figure out a way to get names on nine orders, but we had four with food allergies. He even took the time to check ingredients for my four allergies. Wow! And he rocked it!!! Velvet Taco will be one of our standards for quick and healthy entertaining. The food is terrific!