fan favorite

Favorite Texas taco chain ranks high on USA Today 10-best list

Always get the queso.

Courtesy of Torchy's Tacos

Something about Tex-Mex lends itself very well to launching reliable chains. Whatever it is, Torchy's Tacos has it, and it's landed the chain the runner-up position on USA Today's 10Best fast casual restaurants list.

Torchy's made the list in 2023, too, when it came in at No. 4. This time, it was edged out only by Qdoba Mexican Eats, which held steady at No. 1. Torchy's overtook Mod Pizza and BurgerFi to improve its ranking.

A fast casual restaurant is very often a chain that offers a slightly more involved service style or a higher quality menu than a strictly fast food restaurant. The USA Today fast casual list nearly dips into fast food, but that's a separate list. Although an "expert panel" created the ballots, it was USA Today readers that voted Torchy's into the No. 2 spot.

Torchy's Tacos famously started 17 years ago as a food truck, as so many Austin restaurants have. Since 2006, it has grown dramatically 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 seems to have decided that its description ain't broke, so here it is unfixed, the same as last year: "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 the chain has faithfully held onto its branding, which rests on an irreverence fit for its hometown of Austin, with 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.

“Thank you to all our epic fans and Taco Junkies who voted for us to be the #2 Best Fast Casual Restaurant," said Torchy's founder and CEO Mike Rypka in a press release about the win. "Competing against all the great brands out there on a national level is no easy task! We are super grateful to our staff who deliver Damn Good tacos and Damn Good hospitality to our guest day in and day out."

In a 2023 deep-dive into the lasting quality of Torchy's, a conference for developing chain restaurants called Restaurant Spaces found a few practices that seem to be working especially well for the chain: making items from scratch, originating delivery orders at the counter rather than offsite, and tip- or profit-sharing. Rypka predicted that 2024 would be "bumpy for all of us," but the USA Today rating proves that Torchy's has weathered those bumps well.

“At Torchy’s, we do our best to live up to our mission to be Damn Good each and every day," Rypka said in the recent release. "We’ve got lots of exciting news and more things to come to help us keep spreading the taco love across the nation!”

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

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where there's smoke

Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

It didn’t take Sambrook Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opens today, Monday, December 22, at 5101 Bellaire Blvd.

Speaking on a November episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, Sambrooks Hospitality founder Michael Sambrooks explained that, as a Bellaire resident, he saw an opportunity to open a restaurant close to home.

“It was a combination of, this location became available, and we liked the market. I think Bellaire is underserved. As far as Tex-Mex options, I think it’s limited,” he says. “We always struggle with where’s somewhere we can grab a bite that’s five minutes away as opposed to driving to another part of town. I think Candente is that solution. I think it’s going to be pretty well received.”

In terms of design, the restaurant replicates many of the same elements as the original Montrose location that opened in 2019, such as its copper-topped tables and yellow, orange, and maroon accents. Diners will note a mural by local artist Franky Cardona along one wall. Overall, the restaurant seats 125 in its dining room, 10 at its bar, and 24 on an outdoor patio.

While the location is new, the menu is the same. That means the same wood-fired fajitas, brisket enchiladas, nachos, birria tacos, and other fare that helped it achieve a “Recommended” designation in the Michelin Guide for Texas — the only Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston to make the prestigious guide. Pair them with margaritas (both shaken and frozen), as well as agave-based cocktails such as the paloma and ranch water, beers, and non-alcoholic options.

Sambrooks Hospitality also operates The Pit Room, the barbecue joint with locations in Montrose and Memorial City that earned a Bib Gourmand designation.

“It’s a privilege to open in Bellaire and get to know and serve a new clientele,” Sambrooks said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce our style of authentic, handcrafted Tex-Mex that has made us a Houston dining staple.”

Candente will be open for lunch and dinner during the week beginning at 11 am. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday beginning at 10 am.

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

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