Velvet Taco — Restaurant in Houston

First time customer here!Atmosphere and ambience gets 5 stars for sure. The building is architecturally pleasing to the eye with great lines as well and the upstairs patio overlooks the infamous Westheimer strip in the Montrose district of Houston. As far as I can tell, all they sell are tacos wrapped in like an 6"-8" flour tortilla with just about any mixture one can imagine and all hoovering around the $5 each price point. There were 3 of us and we each had 3 various tacos, a couple of orders of chips & "blanco" queso, an "elote'", a soda and one large frozen Rita which all came to about $75 + tip. When the orders were ready, it was self pickup at the side counter and signage asked customers to clean up after themselves which wasn't a problem except I didn't see anyone following up with wiping the tables down or any other high contact areas (front of house). The chips went quickly but I noticed each of us didn't finish more than one taco and yes, they were stuffed and filling! I agree with the guys that the flavor profile of the various tacos were good but I would have to say as far as my selections, they were just bland and I know there's a few taco trucks that have much more tastier tacos for between $1.50-$2.50. Additionally, all three of my tacos (a chicken, a beef and a fish) were not even warm and proper food temperature is always a concern for me due to the possibility of rapid bacteria growth and especially salmonella in the chicken. To qualify myself, I have had a City of Houston Health Department Food Managers Certification since the mid 70's so my awareness is elevated wherever I dine. I don't complain because I'm not there to make a scene or get free food and opt to just throw my food away and blog about the experience. 5 Stars for the design, ambiance and atmosphere. 2.5 Stars for the food and flavor profiles. 1 Star for food safety (off temperature) and current CDC...

The Velvet Taco on Westheimer takes a delicious twist on traditional Tex-Mex foods- as if a traditional taco restaurant went on a gap year. They claim to take a “fresh take” on traditional Tex-Mex, and by golly that’s what they’ve achieved. From Cuban Pig to Falafel to Tuna Poke, they revitalize the Texas tradition of tacos, and do it using only the freshest ingredients. When we went up to the counter to order, we could see them making fresh flour tortillas and roasting whole chickens in the kitchen behind. The rest of the space is spacious, with an upstairs, and no shortage of seating. For a more traditionally American meal, I chose the Brunch Steak and Eggs taco, with a St. Arnold’s Root Beer to drink. It comes on a wacky plate- wacky for the W shape it’s in to hold the tacos. It was a cool spin but difficult to eat over. Upon first bite, I was reminded of a breakfast taco. It’s on a soft-shelled flour tortilla, with nicely cooked and sliced steak, cubed potatoes, a spicy Sambal Hollandaise sauce, micro greens and arugula, tomatoes, pickled fresnos, and queso fresco. The steak was a little tough and the Hollandaise sauce was a bit too spicy and overpowering, but overall I enjoyed my meal. The Velvet Taco is one of those places for when you want to try something new and out of the ordinary. Their inventive spins on classic cuisines make for a delicious lunch and their fresh ingredients make everything...

We ordered the Spicy chicken tikka taco, Nashville hot crispy tofu taco, fried paneer taco, their taco of the month - chicken onion chutney taco, and the red coconut curry queso with blue corn chips. Of the all the above, I would say that the chicken tikka taco is a must have! The chicken tikka sauce and the basmati rice blend so well and the chicken was tender as well. It is on the spicier side but I would highly recommend it. After that I would recommend the Nashville hot crispy tofu one. The tofu was soft and crispy with thinly sliced pickles and hot sauce, and the taco was overall very flavourful! Again, this is on the hotter side, but I would recommend it for the taste. The paneer taco was good but had a lot of chunks of tomatoes, which was what you could only taste in the whole taco. The taco of the month was good too but was served on a corn tortilla, and I am personally not a fan of those. The red coconut curry queso tasted like thai red curry with oodles of cheese. A good twist to the reular queso. The ambiance is awesome. One of the spots that's open until late night and also...