Taco news
Texas taco chain climbs its way to nearly top USA Today 10-best list
Full spread at Torchy's Tacos
One of Texas' favorite taco chains has nearly topped a hot list: It's Austin-based Torchy's Tacos and it nabbed the No. 2 slot on USA Today's list of the 10 Best fast casual restaurants in the U.S.
The only chain that beat it: Qdoba Mexican Eats, which came in at No. 1.
The ballots were created by "expert panel" but it was USA Today readers that determined the ultimate winners. This was the second year in a row that Torchy's made the list, and it clawed its way up from its rank in 2023, when it came in at No. 4.
Torchy's Tacos famously started 17 years ago as a food truck, as so many Austin classics do. Since 2006, it has grown to 125 locations in 14 states. Although that's getting big, it's impressive that Torchy's pulled so many votes considering that it only has a fraction of the market share of a restaurant like Chipotle, which operates in all but one U.S. state and came in at No. 10.
USA Today's blurb said: "Torchy's Tacos is spreading the love of Austin tacos across the United States. The tacos at Torchy's have always been experimental, with options like the Mofaux, cowboy-style Beyond Beef with grilled corn, green chiles, peppadew peppers, avocado, and Diablo sauce. And their green chile queso is some of the best in the nation."
Torchy's has changed in taste over the years but has faithfully held onto its branding, which rests on an irreverence fit for its hometown Austin, its original devil logo and boasts of "Damn Good" tacos. The tacos are also still cooked-to-order, and monthly specials keep things fun for repeat visitors.
The 10Best fast casual restaurants in 2024, according to USA Today experts and readers, are:
- 1. Qdoba Mexican Eats
- 2. Torchy's Tacos
- 3. BurgerFi
- 4. The Halal Guys
- 5. Tropical Smoothie Cafe
- 6. Mendocino Farms
- 7. Culver's
- 8. Five Guys
- 9. Portillo's
- 10. Chipotle Mexican Grill
.“At Torchy’s, we do our best to live up to our mission to be Damn Good each and every day," said Torchy's founder and CEO Mike Rypka in a stement. "We’ve got lots of exciting news and more things to come to help us keep spreading the taco love across the nation!”
