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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adios for now

Mole-obsessed Mexican restaurant sets closing date for Kirby location

Photo by Brandon Holmes

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The ongoing saga of Houston Mexican restaurant Picos has taken another turn. The restaurant will close its current location on August 30, 2026.

In a lengthy message posted to Facebook, chef-owner Arnaldo Richards says that the property at 3601 Kirby Dr. has been sold to developers for a future high-rise project. He and his family continue to search for a new location that will allow the restaurant to continue operating, although so far the search hasn’t produced any results.

“My family and I want to emphasize that this is not a goodbye, but rather a transition as we work to secure the right location for the next chapter of our family legacy. Our goal was to move seamlessly to a new space without interruption; however, that timeline depends on securing and remodeling the right location,” Richards writes.

Richards opened the first location of Picos in Southwest Houston in 1984, quickly earning a following for serving dishes inspired by Mexico’s seven regions. In particular, fans hailed the restaurant’s different moles, enchiladas, and other flavorful fare. It also served its signature shaker margaritas — made with freshly squeezed lime juice and good tequila — at a time when many restaurants still used sweet and sour mix.

In 2014, Picos reininvented itself by moving to its current location at 3601 Kirby Drive. The expansive location featured an all-new interior with design elements imported from Mexico, a dedicated bar area, and a private dining room stocked with spirit lockers which the restaurant’s most loyal customers could stock with the favorite bottles.

Richards first announced the restaurant would close in August 2025. After an enthusiastic response, Richards delayed the closure until this year.

Thankfully, fans have plenty of time to make their final visits to Picos, including for holidays such as Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day.

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