What’s the latest at Velvet Taco? An all-new restaurant opens in north Fort Worth
Velvet Taco is 14 years old, like a goofy little kid that has begun to mature.
When it started in 2011, the Dallas-based chain had an unfunny name and a fusion menu that was way too cute. Even the original chef said the only thing that made it a taco shop was that everything was served on tortillas.
And crowds mobbed it, both in Dallas and on West Seventh Street in Fort Worth.
Now, a new suburban-look Velvet Taco is open in north Fort Worth at 2852 North Tarrant Parkway, just west of Interstate 35W.
A new menu with quesos, drive-thru
The menu has changed with the times, offering bowls along with more than 20 tacos and side dishes such as white queso, red curry queso, guacamole and street corn.
This is a less hectic and more mainstream version of Velvet Taco. It even has a drive-thru.
The menu includes some very good brisket, pollo asado or birria bowls and tacos along with the smash-hit chicken tikka, blackened shrimp or fish-and-chips.
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The price had started to creep too high. So Velvet Taco has added a $14.99 combo platter with two sides, chips and its first-rate quesos, salsa or guac.
On a recent Saturday, the crowd started flowing in when the doors opened at 11 a.m. By 11:30, the dining room was full.
Patrons waited to grab a table on the outside patio as diners devoured tacos and passed around the big squeeze bottles of Salsa Valentina or red chili hot sauce.
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Who’s ordering the tacos off the children’s menu?
This is the Tenders Generation, so the menu highlights the tacos with chicken tikka tenders, Buffalo chicken tenders or fried chicken tenders on a waffle tortilla
To find the old-school beef tacos, you have to look down the menu. But the brisket taco in a cheese-crusted tortilla is well worth the visit.
For something simpler, there’s a children’s menu with basic chicken or steak tacos, quesadillas and tater tots.
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This is very unusual. But the children’s chicken and steak tacos are listed among the most “popular dishes” on social media, indicating that (1) they’re good, and (2) some adult diners might be reliving their youth.
This Velvet Taco location is open for lunch, dinner and late night weekdays, past midnight weekends; 817-213-6900, velvettaco.com.
The West 7th Fort Worth location is open even later, until at least midnight and past 2 a.m. weekends; 2700 W. Seventh St., 817-887-9810.
There’s also a VT in Grapevine: 440 Texas 114 West, 817-527-5995.
The Dallas-Plano area has 12 locations.
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 5:36 AM.
