It’s been a long time coming, but Velvet Taco, known for the weirdest and wildest tacos in the metroplex, has finally opened a second location in Plano, complete with a drive-thru and advance order pick up window.  

Velvet Taco doesn’t specialize in street tacos, or simple, homestyle layers of meat and cheese in a tortilla. It’s not even Tex-Mex. Instead, Velvet Taco prides themselves on the “liberated” taco because a Velvet Taco is a taco that wants to be more. Sometimes that means it wants to be chicken tikka masala or a burger. Sometimes it wants to be chicken and waffles. At Velvet Taco, anything is possible. 

Velvet Taco opened its first location in Dallas in 2011, at the thriving intersection of Knox-Henderson and I-75. Immediately, it was something to behold. An odd collaboration between the co-founder of Pei Wei, Mark Brezinski, and FrontBurner, the restaurant group behind Legacy Food Hall and Whiskey Cake, Velvet Taco was a culmination of Dallas’ yet-to-end taco craze. 

While there’s no question that authentic Mexican street tacos cannot be defeated, Velvet Taco remains a foodie’s dream. It isn’t trying to be authentic—they serve pea tendrils and Thai basil for goodness sake—but that’s okay. Velvet Taco does what all good fusion food does: it offers a new definition of what a taco can be. It provides an international city with a global palette at a hometown price. 

Also, they make everything from tortillas to meats, corn pico, avocado crema, and curry mayo from scratch, props for that.

The new Plano location has a mural of hot air balloons, an homage to Plano’s beloved annual balloon festival, and serves tacos every day until 10 or 11 p.m.

If you’re a newcomer to the Velvet Taco creed, here are five menu items so iconic, you won’t want to miss them.

velvet taco spicy tikka chicken
Spicy Chicken Tikka | Photo by Clint Walker

#3 Spicy tikka chicken

Crisp tenders come doused in fire-red tikka sauce on a bed of buttered cilantro basmati rice with drizzles of raita crema and a touch of Thai basil in a flour tortilla. It’ll leave your lips burning.

shrimp and grits taco telvet taco
Shrimp and Grits | Courtesy of Velvet Taco Facebook

#14 Shrimp and Grits

This fan favorite tops blackened shrimp and pepper jack cheese grits with housemade Creole remoulade, and charred tomato salsa, a beautiful melding of flavors into something creamy, crispy, and dreamy.

Slow-Roasted Angus Beef Velvet Taco
Slow-Roasted Angus Beef | Courtesy of Velvet Taco Facebook

#12 Slow-roasted Angus brisket

Velvet Taco starts with barbacoa-style slow-roasted Angus brisket. Then comes a healthy portion of avocado relish, red chile mayo, and queso blanco, all inside a flour tortilla encrusted with comté cheese.

Nashville Hot Tofu Velvet Taco
Nashville Hot Tofu | Courtesy of Velvet Taco Facebook

#4 Nashville Hot Tofu

If you’ve had Nashville Hot chicken, you already know the bright white heat of Nashville hot sauce. For a vegetarian option, try blistering crispy tofu topped with napa slaw, ranch crema and house brined pickles.

Crispy Tots and Local Egg Velvet Taco
Crispy Tots and Local Egg | Courtesy of Velvet Taco Facebook

Crisp Tots & Local Egg

It’s not a taco, but an irresistible side. These loaded tater tots take the concept of a “side” to the next level with warm herb goat cheese and smoked cheddar, their signature avocado crema, chile butter, peppered bacon, and finally, a perfect fried egg.

Velvet Taco, Plano

Hours: 

Sun – Thurs | 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Fri – Sat | 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Where: 5013 W. Park Blvd., Plano

More: velvettaco.comhttps://localprofile.com/2020/10/19/velvet-taco-opens-a-new-plano-location-plus-5-must-try-dishes/