Inside Torchy’sCourtesy of Torchy's Eighteen years ago, Austin, Texas, residents got used to seeing Mike Rypka drive around on a bright red Vespa, passing out taco and salsa samples. He then set up a trailer to sell his homemade fare, and Torchy’s Tacos was born. Now, 126 brick-and-mortar locations later, Torchy’s has entered the Atlanta market with a location in the Star Metals building on the Westside. The first Torchy’s in Georgia, it offers the same “Damn Good” tacos and queso that earned the brand its following in a classy, 4,100-square-foot space with a full bar and patio. “The consistently fresh, hot, quality food creates this dance in your mouth of different flavors,” says managing partner Devin Jones, who has been with the company since college. “It’s all about the love and care put into the product.” Customers order at the counter and their food is brought to their table when its ready. One of the most popular tacos is the Trailer Park (fried chicken, green chiles, lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese, and poblano sauce on a flour tortilla). Customers have the option to make it “trashy” by swapping the lettuce for queso. Other options include the Hogfather (green chile pork carnitas with teriyaki, bacon, crispy onions, and more), Brushfire (Jamaican jerk chicken with jalapeños, mango, and sour cream), the Democrat (beef barbacoa, avocado, cotija cheese, cilantro, and diced onions), and the Republican (beef brisket, barbecue sauce, crispy onions, corn relish, and chipotle sauce) The rather extensive menu includes breakfast tacos, a salad, burrito, kids quesadillas, and a couple varieties of queso. In fact, it’s the queso that initially drove Jones to work at Torchy’s. “I wanted to get the queso for free!” he explains, laughing. It’s a green chile queso topped with guacamole, cotija cheese, and diablo sauce. Make it “Hillbilly” by adding chorizo. To balance the heavy flavors, Torchy’s bar offers sangria, margaritas (frozen and on the rocks), punch, ranch water, and a paloma, as well as beer and wine. “We’re not uptight. We have music going. We have the vibes. We want people to come hang out and have a great time,” Jones says. The post Torchy’s Tacos promises “Damn Good” eats on the Westside appeared first on Atlanta Magazine.