Taco joint openings are taking the place of burger joint openings in Fort Worth. Velvet Taco, Dallas’ award-winning taco joint has opened its second outpost and it’s first inFort Worth at 2700 West Seventh Street, former site of the Gold Standard.
The menu ranges from the Picnic Chicken taco (#3.5) with rotisserie chicken topped with avocado crema and crispy chicken skin to more authentic options such as the Crispy Calamari (#14) topped with kimchee and green papaya pico and the Ahi Poke (#17) with raw ahi tuna, seaweed, macadamia nuts and Himalayan sea salt, served in a lettuce wrap. “We go above and beyond to not be an average taqueria,” said John Franke, corporate chef of Fork It Over Restaurants, which owns Velvet Taco. “What we’re serving is an upscale dish inspired by cuisines from all over the world that’s served in a tortilla.”
Fort Worth’s location is the beginning of an expansion for the chain. This summer plans are in place for a Chicago opening in the Gold Coast area, and Fork It Over Restaurants team is looking towards long-term national expansion, with site visits being made in cities like Los Angeles, Austin, and Seattle. “We’re serving something different, unique and approachable at Velvet Taco,” Franke said. “Since opening the Dallas location in 2011, we’ve worked towards perfecting the menu so we can take this brand across the country.” Velvet Taco is open everyday, Monday-Wednesday from 11 a.m.-midnight, Thursday from 11a.m.-3 a.m., Friday from 11 a.m.-4 a.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 a.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-midnight. More information is available at the location’s Facebook page: facebook.com/VelvetTacoFtWorth. Â
Fort Worth will soon see another taco joint opening as Taco Diner, the Dallas-based Mi Cocina spinoff in Sundance Square Plaza at 156 W. Fourth St., will open in early 2014. Â