~Torchy's Tacos vs. Las Trancas~
Battleground: Austin, TX
Food: Beef Taco
Torchy's Tacos
2801 Guadalupe St.
Atmosphere:
After I came back to Austin in January, I got a passion for tacos. Luckily, I now live in one of the best taco cities in the United States and have endless options, unfortunately I took the advice of Yelp and fellow students and walked into Torchy’s- not just once, but twice.
The location, on 28th and Guadalupe, has difficult parking when it’s full- making you back out into oncoming traffic- is a mediocre taco really worth a head-on collision? While I am aware there are other locations, this is right by the University and one of the more highly rated locations on Yelp, with 4 stars and over 650 reviews[1]. The inside of the establishment was nice enough, nothing to really notice but nothing to overtly criticize. There was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating which is nice to not have to cramped next to strangers while eating a sad excuse for a taco.
The service was alright, but nothing outstanding. Tacos took about 15 minutes, yet were already cold by the time I got them.
Food:
Oh Torchy’s, how you have been made a beloved chain restaurant, I will never understand. I ordered 3 different tacos.
The Wrangler: An unbelievably dry taco containing a disproportional amount of egg, brisket, potato, and cheese, topped with tomatillo sauce. It leaves you with cotton mouth- an effect that most people, especially college students, strive to avoid. The scrambled eggs were the main taste, though they were lacking any type of seasoning. The brisket would make any barbecue enthusiast gag at the total lack of moisture and flavor- Torchy’s you do realize you are in Texas right? Either buy real, good brisket, or don’t make a half assed taco with “brisket” scraps that even dogs would spit out.
The Democrat: This came highly suggested by friends and just another reason why I have trust issues. The Democrat is a taco made from the winner of the worst beef barbacoa topped with avocado, “queso fresco” (where Torchy’s? Where is this queso you speak of?), cilantro, onions, and a wedge of a dried-up lime. YUM. The purpose of beef barbacoa is to be tender and absorb flavors, maybe it was opposite day because the chewy grizzle that I received started making me think I forgot what a good taco actually tasted like.
Beef Fajita: A “marinated” (in water?) and “grilled” (I think they meant microwaved) skirt steak with “grilled” (charred and/or raw!) onions and peppers, topped off with shredded cheese and “pico de gallo” (tomato chunks). This final, tragic taco was the final nail in the already sorrowful coffin.
Food Quality: **
Menu Variety: **
Wait Time: ****
Price: **
Ambiance: ***
Location: **
[1] As of 4/24/17
Las Trancas
1210 E Cesar Chavez St.
Atmosphere:
Driving around East Austin I was a little lost and putting full trust into google maps telling me where to twist and turn to find this (hopefully) delectable food truck. As I saw my moving blue dot move closer and closer to the red pin I grew excited and even hungrier. After a quick U-turn- you’ll miss it if you aren’t looking closely - I finally got to the lot. Yes it was just a lot, accompanied by a giant mud puddle that you could only narrowly make your way around with how the other cars positioned themselves. The long truck had only one other customer looking at the menu and a couple people chowing down in the small covered seated area that was provided.
Food:
The menu offered plenty of choices for those well versed in Mexican cuisine- I, still getting acquainted with this food did not understand everything but I saw the words I always look for when I go on a taco hunt: Carne Asada. I approached the giant truck, standing on my tiptoes to order: two carne asada tacos. My friend who accompanied me also got two tacos, a carne asada and barbacoa. We also got the options of white or corn tortillas and whether we wanted onions and cilantro. We both wanted an authentic taco and thus said yes to everything and ordered them all on a corn tortilla. Great decision.
Finalizing my order with a Mexican, glass-bottled coke, we went over to the seated area and waited. Though a large family trickled in soon after us, we got our food in less than 10 minutes. The presentation was as excepted: paper plates, tacos individually wrapped in foil to keep in heat, a plastic fork and knife, and green and red sauces in small plastic containers. Nothing special, but nothing lacking.
As I took my first bite- the bite that would determine if another shall be taken –I immediately smiled. Alas! I had not forgotten what a taco should taste like. Spice, freshness, and quality. These tacos are fucking delicious. I scarfed down the first one in five bites. Then asked my friend how the barbacoa was- let’s just say her response prompted me to get up before even finishing the second taco and ordering two more: this time including one barbacoa. And as described, it too, was delicious.
Food Quality: *****
Menu Variety: ****
Wait Time: ****
Price: *****
Ambiance: **
Location: ***
Final Verdict:
Although Torchy’s beats Las Trancas in the popularity battle, popularity is not all it’s cracked up to be. In an unsurprising turn of events, Las Trancas defeats Torchy’s Tacos. The quality of food and overall authenticity at Las Trancas pushes them into a hard to reach first place. And for everyone still loyal to Torchy’s, I beg of you to venture out into the lesser known parts of Austin and experience the places the still have a real passion for food- unlike the chain restaurants.
