Velvet Taco — Restaurant in Houston

We came here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and ordered the Corn in a cup, Crisp Tots & Local Egg, the Green Chile Pork taco and the So-Cal Shrimp taco. I'm allergic to red onions so I asked if they could make a pico for my So-Cal taco without the onion, the cashier said no. They could see I was obviously upset because I told her this was very upsetting, but she didn't offer anything as a substitute. I decided to get the taco without the pico because it was still gonna have a slaw that'll give it flavor. While waiting for our food, the cashier came to our table to inform me that the So-Cal's slaw also has red onion. She asked if I would be ok with substituting the slaw with plain lettuce. I reluctantly agreed. The corn cup came out first and like 10 mins later we got everything else. The corn in a cup was fabulous, 10/10 on that one. The Tots were really good too, but I'd say they're a 9/10 because the egg was a bit too undercooked for my taste. It was sunnyside but still had some of the egg's clear stuff on it which grosses me out, it doesn't gross my husband out so they still got eaten. The Green Chile Pork Taco is a 7/10, it was flavorful, but the meat was a bit on the drier side, and the portion is very small. The So-Cal taco is a 2/10. The shrimp was BLAND (like they only "seasoned" it with salt), there is ZERO flavor from anywhere else (they refused to accomodate the pico or the slaw for me), I did have avocado and some other stuff in it, but again, bland. The tortillas were a HUGE disappointment. They do NOT make ANY of their tortillas in house, but instead "source them locally" which tastes and sounds like Mission, Texas. Absolutely disgusting tortillas. Would I go back to Velvet Taco? Maybe if it was the only taco shop in town and I didn't know better. The corn in a cup was FABULOUS, the Tots were good too (though I've had better in other restaurants), but that's all I would recommend. I would NOT recommend this place if you're looking for really good tacos and an...

Let me preface this with the fact that I LOVE velvet taco. This review is not about velvet taco as a brand but more about this location itself.

I have been a frequent (2-3 times a month) velvet taco customer for 8 years at least. Since the location on Knox opened in Dallas. I have tried probably 5 locations now that they have opened more in Houston where I live now. This is by far the WORST velvet taco consistently that I have been to.

They get my order wrong almost every single time I order togo. Literally of the last 15 times probably 13 have been wrong. They always forget to pack my cake. Luckily I have gotten better about checking the bag before I leave and reminding them to pack it, but there’s definitely been a few times where I have driven all the way home only to realize it wasn’t in there. Super frustrating. AND they don’t even apologize for it and the inconvenience it causes to come all the way back. The staff isn’t super friendly, seems to be distracted and more concerned about talking to each other vs. helping a customer.

Their food is also way worse than the other locations. They corn is consistently watery, their tacos dry, they don’t pay attention to what kind of tortilla needs to be on the taco.

I am pretty patient but after like I said soooo many orders being wrong it was time to address this. The only reason I come to this location is it’s closer to my house. But due to generally being sub - par, I am probably going to have to drive further or just stop ordering from them in general and go to torcheys instead. Their tacos are too expensive for them to bring anything but a 5 - star experience and taste. It used to be that way but maybe they just don’t...

Went to Shepard location, looking for the best since that had always been our fav velvet location..no customers other than myself and wife, waited for cashier/manager few minutes, ordered 2 combos to eat in. Wife ordered cheeseburger and flank steak on hers, I ordered mine with numbers 16 and 3.5..fish and picnic..cashier/manager failed to tell me they no longer have the crispy fried chicken skin that goes on top on the picnic. I get my food sans crispy skin and notice a taste difference immediately.. Texture of baby food mush mixed with copious amounts of super salty cilantro ranch to cover flavors(?) Go and ask the manager where is my crunch that belongs in the flavor profile, tells me they don't get the skin in anymore so don't have it. Ok...i say..let me ask you a question. Ok. You serve and sell rotisserie chickens, correct? Yes we do. You also break down some to have the chicken for tacos like the one I'm currently eating, correct? Yes we do. Then what do you do with the skin you remove from those chickens? Throw it away. Why wouldn't you just use that for the tacos and source it from in house?? It's a different kind of chicken skin.

I'm a chef. As far as I've known, been trained, and experienced..there is only one type of skin from a chicken. I also had to add salt, pepper, and lime to my guacamole to give it any flavor. While we ate there, 3 other customers came in..a couple and a solo guy. Both the guy in the couple and the solo had issues and had to bring food back..so mathing it: 4 customers in 30 min time span with 3 food complaints...