Revered South Texas Chain Taco Palenque Opens All-Hours Drive-Thru in Round Rock

Taco Palenque, the beloved South Texas taco restaurant chain, finally opened a location that much closer to Austin. The new spot — a 24/7 drive-thru — is found in Round Rock at 130 Louis Henna Boulevard as of October.

The Round Rock Taco Palenque is known for its tacos, particularly the pirata taco. The item is made with two flour tortillas filled with grilled fajitas, refried beans, and melted cheddar cheese. Then there are the matamoros with steak, avocado, and cheese on corn tortillas; fajitas; al pastor; barbacoa; and egg combinations for breakfast.

Other dishes include burritos; parrilladas; enchiladas; panchos; tostadas; and stuffed roasted potatoes; salsas; and soups like menudo and fideo. There are also plates like chilaquiles, migas, flautas, and the tampiqueña, which comes with an enchilada, a hard-shell taco, fajitas, refried beans, and red rice. Everything makes use of house-made corn and flour tortillas and salsas.

There are plenty of Taco Palenques in San Antonio, as well as a single one in New Braunfels. There don’t seem to be any locations planned for Austin. When asked about this, a guest relations representative told Eater that the company is “focused on expanding in different areas.” In 2017, Statesman reported that the restaurant would open a food truck in Austin, but that doesn’t seem to have happened aside from a food event.

Owner and founder Don Pancho opened Taco Palenque in Laredo in 1987, and the company has grown to 30 locations throughout Texas.

• Taco Palenque [Official]
• Beloved South Texas Taco Palenque Rolls Into Austin With Piratas Tacos [EATX]
• All Taco Coverage [EATX]