Funky Late Night Velvet Taco Is Now Open in Austin

Velvet Taco, the popular fast casual Dallas taco mini-chain known for late hours, is making its Austin debut today. It opens in the Domain Northside tonight, Wednesday, March 22. Keep in mind: only dinner will be served this week, with lunch hours added next week.

The essential Dallas taco spot offers up new school takes on taco fillings, like fried paneer, Cuban pig with shaved ham and pulled pork, fish and chips, barbacoa egg frittata, a rotating WTF special, and others. Sides include corn, crispy tots topped with an egg, and red curry coconut queso. The sort of namesake dessert, red velvet, will be served by the slice, too. As for drinks, there are margaritas, along with soda.

Velvet is also known for its Backdoor Chicken special, where you literally knock at the restaurant's back door to ask for the $20 meal, which includes an entire slow-roasted rotisserie chicken, six tortillas, and sides.

Austin was Velvet Taco's next city because it's "famous for having a love of tacos and some of the best eclectic taco joints in the U.S.," chef John Frank told Eater previously. "We felt like, where else would we fit in than Austin?" This is its fifth location, which include Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Chicago.

For this week only, Velvet Taco will be open from 5 p.m. to midnight. Starting next week, full hours are from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

• Dallas Favorite Velvet Taco Makes Austin Debut Soon [EATX]
• All Coverage of Velvet Taco [EATX]