Torchy's Tacos comes to Abilene--Updated

Update: This past Sunday at about 11:15am, I went by Torchy's to get lunch for myself and my mom. I ordered two different types of tacos, some chips and green chili queso, and some guacamole. It took about  20 minutes to get the food to me even though they were not particularly busy. When I got to the house 5 minutes later, the order was correct but my taco wasn't very hot but my primary issue was the hair clinging to some cilantro in the queso. Not cool, along with the general overuse of cilantro in everything but that is a personal preference. All in all, Torchy's is just too expensive for what you get. The bill for all this was $23.00. I fail to see what all the fuss was about regarding this chain.

 

Torch's Tacos has finally made it to Abilene. I went with a small group of friends on a Wednesday evening. For those of you who have never been to one, it is a go through the line and order your food type of place. Then they will bring it out to you. Fast casual it the term I believe nowadays. The difference with Torchy's is they also have a full bar as well with a variety of specialty drinks.

Trailer Park (trashy) and Chicken Fajita tacos

The restaurant was quite popular (and probably a bit too crowded by pandemic standards though there were tables blocked off) and there was a large contingent of college students and under 30 folks there that evening. It is a noisy space so if you prefer a quieter dining experience, go at an off time or get take out instead of dining inside.

Now to the tacos. There is quite a variety. Many with creative names. There is also a salad option and a burrito too. The ingredients were fresh. The tacos are in the usual soft taco-sized tortillas.

I ordered a Trailer Park and made it "trashy". Trashy means instead of lettuce it had queso on it. The meat inside was fried chicken with green chili, pico, cheddar jack cheese, poblano sauce (on the side) served in a flour tortilla, though corn is an option as well. The chicken was tasty and I'm always a fan of green chilies. One taco is not likely to fill a person up if you are hungry so the second taco I ordered was a chicken fajita taco--went more traditional. It has grilled onions and bell pepper, pico, cheddar jack cheese and tomatillo sauce on the side. You can have either a flour or a corn tortilla. The chicken was juicy and I did not think it was greasy as though it had been sitting in oil. I was pleased with both tacos.

The vegetarian choice on the menu is a taco with fried avocado. There is not tradition ground beef taco on the menu. Carnitas, shrimp, salmon, barbacoa, brisket, sausage, beef fajita, and Jamaican jerk chicken are all options.

One of my friends ordered the green chili queso. It come with a small dollop of guacamole, a bit of cotija cheese, cilantro and a drizzle of diablo sauce on to top and a basket of thin tortilla chips. It was probably my favorite thing. Very flavorful but not a large serving. I believe it was about $5 for the bowl. The sauces provided with my tacos were quite good.

Probably my biggest issue was the price point. The tacos are quite good but at $4-$5 a piece they are expensive. There are no sides that come with them so if you want beans or rice that is an extra charge. Two tacos will cost about $10.

I am sure I will return but not if I want a big meal.

  

Located on the south end of the Shops of Abilene--

3765 Catclaw Dr. Abilene, TX 79606 

325-480-3380

Hours--

Monday - Thursday 11AM - 8PM

Friday 11AM - 9PM

Saturday 9AM - 10PM

Sunday 9AM - 8PM

https://torchystacos.com/location/abilene/