You know a good taco when you find it, and Torchy’s Tacos serves some really good tacos. I remember the original Torchy’s Food Truck in Austin where all of our taco dreams came true. It used to operate in one of the coolest food truck parks I ever visited, but it has since closed its doors and continued operations in other locations around the city – as well as in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
If you thought you’ve tried all of Torchy’s Tacos, you might be surprised to find that they have a Secret Menu – known to only the most dedicated taco junkie. There are eight secret tacos to choose from. Each one is made from ingredients used to make other tacos on the menu, but they’re combined in different ways for more over-the-top flavor combinations.
So let’s see what these secret tacos are all about.
Ace of Spades
The Ace of Spades is probably the sloppiest and the most popular of all the secret tacos, but it’s a must-order for sure. It comes with a jalapeño sausage link split and grilled, grilled chopped brisket, a fried egg, green chili queso, cotija cheese, freshly grated cheddar jack cheese, sour cream, and cilantro on a flour tortilla. Drizzled over the top is the famous Diablo sauce, giving it the perfect amount of heat and extra flavor. Be sure to have a few napkins on hand, and maybe a fork to enjoy all the toppings that fall off while you eat it. You won’t want to waste that!
The Hipster
The Hipster, always looking for a way to be just slightly different from the others, earns its namesake with its panko-fried tuna, bacon, black bean relish, green chiles, cotija cheese, cilantro, and lime. You won’t find fried tuna anywhere on the regular menu, so this really is a secret ingredient. For me, the avocado sauce pulls this taco together flavor-wise.
Jack of Clubs
It’s no simple breakfast taco, that’s for sure! It’s massive and filling, with several flavors and textures going on. A flour tortilla is filled with a fried egg, but I like to ask for my egg to be cooked over-medium for the runny, yolky goodness. Besides this main player, the Jack of Clubs comes with potatoes, black beans, shredded cheddar jack cheese, cilantro, and sour cream. Crunchy tortilla strips give this taco the crunch it needs, and the Diablo sauce gives it the heat and spice to make it the perfect meatless secret taco.
Mad Cow
The Mad Cow taco isn’t as glamorous as some of its secret sisters, but it’s still tasty. The star of this taco is the chipotle sauce drizzled over the tender marinated, grilled fajita beef. It’s accompanied by black beans, grilled corn, freshly grated cheddar jack cheese, and cilantro on a flour tortilla. It’s a good introductory secret taco to go with one of your more bold taco choices, but it’s more like a classic fajita taco with a crazy name.
Green Chile Pork Missionary Style
This double-decker taco is quite the masterpiece. Filled with Torchy’s popular slow-roasted green chile pork, this secret taco also features pickled onions, fresh guacamole, grated cheddar jack cheese, and cilantro. It’s all perfectly held together by the double layer of tortillas, including a crispy corn tortilla. Chipotle sauce is drizzled over the top for a smokey southern flavor combination that really hits the spot.
The Matador
Named after a bullfighter, the Matador packs a punch of flavor. It’s the second of Torchy’s secret menu double-decker tacos and a tough competitor of the Missionary Style Green Chile Pork taco. The crispy tortilla wrapped inside a flour tortilla gives this taco the crunch it needs, but its impressiveness doesn’t stop there. This taco is packed with tender chopped brisket, grilled jalapeños, freshly grated cheddar jack cheese, fresh avocado slices, sour cream, and chopped cilantro. Torchy’s smoky tomatillo salsa is poured over the top, making it a messy delicious secret taco choice.
Trailer Park Hillbilly Style
This taco is a variation of a popular Trailer Park taco on the regular menu. It features crispy chunks of fried chicken, spicy chorizo, chopped bacon, shredded cheddar jack cheese, pico de gallo, and poblano ranch in a flour tortilla. To put this taco over-the-top, it has green chilis and green chili queso for an extra cheesy and spicy touch. It’s a delicious mess, and I can’t eat more than two of them.
The Sanchez
The Sanchez is the Honorable Mention of the Torchy’s Tacos Secret Menu list. A lot of people don’t talk about it, which makes it even more “underground” in the taco world. A flour tortilla is filled with eggs, fried poblano chili, guacamole, escabeche carrots, and cheese, topped with a special poblano sauce. This happens to be one of my favorites because of the natural heat from the fried poblano chilis, which just happens to be one of my favorite peppers- I use it in all kinds of other recipes. It’s almost like Torchy’s made this a secret just for me.
Which is Your Favorite?
Have you tried any of the tacos from Torchy’s Secret Menu? Which one was your favorite? Which one would you probably not order again? Let us know in the comments below.
