From about 7am until 10pm, you can get your taco fix at the newly opened Torchy’s Tacos in Oaks at Lakeway. Finally! The restaurant officially opened its doors to a hungry crowd on November 1st with free tacos to celebrate the occasion.
The lines have been long ever since.
Why all the fuss? I mean, it’s just a taco place. Or is it?
Think of Torchy’s as an elevated fast casual restaurant with an edgy attitude and an unmatched commitment to quality. And some damn good tacos!
From food trailer to nationwide
Torchy’s Tacos has been around for 10 years now and it’s an Austin original.
The concept was the brainchild of Mike Rypka and as legend has it, he left a fancy schmancy chef job and maxed out his credit cards with a vision of the perfect street food in mind.
Torchy’s very first location was a food trailer at South 1st St. and Bouldin Creek.
Today there are more than 40 restaurants nationwide. Your new Torchy’s is the 43rd location!
A peek inside
Torchy’s in Lakeway is a big restaurant with plenty of seating both inside and out. The atmosphere boasts an airy ‘street food’ vibe with modern lighting, a lit-up bar and, of course, “Damn Good” in lights.
When you walk in the doors, you’ll see the line on your right where you can study the menu while you wait to order. After you order, you’ll get a number and hang it on your table. Then you sit back and relax and wait for a server to deliver the goods. Easy-peasy.
Full-service bar
Did you know this Torchy’s location has a full-service bar?
Well, it does. While the wine selection is a little limited right now, they have all sorts of cocktails including a variety of margaritas. The bar is big with flat screen TVs and the garage doors can be opened to get a nice indoor/outdoor bar experience.
Plus, there’s a weekday happy hour Monday through Friday from 3pm to 7pm.
Responsible business = great food
Torchy’s may be fun and quirky with its “Damn Good” taco mentality, but the cleverly named food is fueled by fresh, regionally sourced ingredients. Everything is fresh. And if it’s not sourced locally … it’s definitely sourced responsibly. That’s the Torchy’s way.
Their eco-friendly approach can also be seen in their use of recyclable cutlery, packaging, etc.
Staying power
The company recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary with a Golden Ticket campaign reminiscent of Willy Wonka.
Instead of a wild tour of Torchy’s where there’s a likelihood of being turned into a blueberry, winners get free tacos for a year. As one Facebook fan said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so jealous of anything in my entire life.”
Torchy’s also rolled out an anniversary giveaway where 10 lucky winners will win a shiny red Vespa. The red Vespa is a clever nod to Torchy’s past because the owner, Mike, used to ride around Austin personally handing out free chips and salsa back in the day to promote his tacos. When people told him “damn these tacos are good,” he’d add them to the menu.
The allure of Torchy’s isn’t just in the food, but in the Austin-y vibe, which is one reason Lake Travis residents are so excited to have one nearby.
Sure, we may live in the bubble, but we appreciate “Show Me Your Taco” t-shirt humor too.
Which Torchy’s Taco do you crave? Let us know in the comments on Facebook!
Torchys is awesome. Also the best breakfast tacos in town.