wtf in memorial

Inventive and upscale Texas taco restaurant delivers signature WTF faves and boozy beverages to Memorial

Velvet Taco is coming to Memorial.

Courtesy of Velvet Taco

A Dallas-based chain known for its gourmet tacos is coming to Memorial. Velvet Taco will open its seventh Houston-area location on October 3.

For those unfamiliar, Velvet Taco serves an eclectic menu in a lively, fast-casual environment. Instead of limiting itself to traditional Mexican-inspired fillings, the menu offers a variety of globally inspired fillings such as tikka masala chicken tenders with cilantro basmati rice, falafel with tahini crema, and shrimp and grits with Cajun remoulade. Brunch offerings, such as chicken in a waffle taco and a taco filled with bacon, eggs, and tater tots, are also available all day. The restaurant keeps things lively with its WTF, a weekly taco feature that's only served for seven days before it changes.

Other options include sides such as elotes and red velvet cake. In addition to its "kick-ass margarita," drink options include local beers and craft sodas.

"Our Memorial City team of staff could not be more excited to open our doors to the community here," general manger Teccora Biggers said. "We can’t wait to serve up our WTF’s, classic tacos, and signature boozy beverages.”

Located at 10201 Katy Freeway, the new Velvet Taco joins Goode Company Seafood in a shopping center that's just west of Memorial City Mall. Coincidentally, it's also less than a mile from the closest Torchy's Taco, Velvet's Austin-based rival in the fancy taco space.

The new restaurant will be Texas's 23rd Velvet Taco. Overall, the company operates 35 restaurants in Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.

tacos news-you-can-eat openings

a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

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