Courtesy Torchy’s Tacos
Memphis Flyer’s Taco Week may be well in the rearview mirror, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to celebrate the traditional Mexican dish. But each state has its own spin on what makes for a good taco, and Torchy’s Tacos are bringing its Tex-Mex approach to Tennessee for the first time.
The Austin, Texas-based “fast casual taco brand” has a wide variety of street-style options on its menu, built around chicken, carnitas, barbacoa, sausage, beef, salmon, and plenty of other interesting twists. For those with dietary restrictions, there’s a separate gluten-conscious menu. Torchy’s also keeps things fresh through a rotating Taco of the Month, with November’s Chili Wagon, for example, comprising “New Mexico red chile stewed chicken with fried poblano strip, onion, avocado sauce, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge served on a corn tortilla.”
I texted my sister, a current Dallas resident, for her thoughts. “It’s good! A bit trendier than your average taco chain,” she said. “Their street corn is really good, and so is the green chile queso.”
Torchy’s Tacos recently signed a lease for 711 S. Mendenhall Road in East Memphis, and is set to open in either the spring or summer of 2021. (There are plans to bring further locations to Tennessee in the future, as well.) That’s a long way off, but there are plenty of excellent local taco joints to try in the meantime.