Innovative taco shop serves up tacos ‘like you’ve never had before’ in Rock Rose
Taco-passionate Austinites have just been thrown for a loop. Velvet Taco – the 2016 Nation’s Restaurant News “Hot Concept” Winner – just opened its doors at The Domain Northside.
Austin’s first Velvet Taco – the fourth in Texas – recently opened its doors at 11501 Rock Rose Ave. in the trendy, art-infused Rock Rose development.
“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. “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.”
Think we’re joking? Bet you’ve never had tacos like these:
- 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
And, not to be missed, the WTF – Velvet Taco’s “Weekly Taco Feature” that introduces a new taco creation every week.
Velvet Taco’s all-day menu features scratch-made everything, including handmade corn tortillas, slowly roasted rotisserie meats, fresh-made, kick-ass margaritas and homemade red velvet cake for dessert. The restaurant has a one-of-a-kind, funky, fast-casual setting that perfectly complements its eclectic menu featuring unique, international flavors made from only the freshest ingredients.
Brunch is served all day, along with such popular sides as red curry coconut queso, Elote-style corn and crisp tots & local egg.
“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. “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 distinctive twist, walk up to the back door of Velvet Taco, knock, ask for the Backdoor Chicken and hand over a crisp Andrew Jackson (aka, $20 cash money). In just a few minutes, someone will return with a whole, slowly-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.
Velvet Taco also has locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Chicago. For more information, please visit velvettaco.com.