Torchy’s Tacos has arrived on the north side of town. With plans for a couple more Central Ohio locations in the upcoming months, the Polaris spot is the Texas-based institution’s first foray into Ohio.
Well, not exactly the first foray in Ohio. The Torchy’s name might sound a little familiar for local fans of the ghost kitchen scene that operates out of Essex Avenue. The Torchy’s team did some scouting there for a few months in 2021 through a digital kitchen with delivery and take-out. Evidently, Torchy’s liked what it saw enough to go all-in on Columbus this summer.
In its own digs, the operation is a fairly traditional, casual spot. It’s fancier than Taco Bell, though, but not BYO like Chipotle (although you can make designer choices). And Torchy’s has a devilish theme, hence, dining options fall under categories that include Damn Good Tacos and Damn Good Drinks.
In the Damn Good Taco department, the choices run from traditional to novel. For something basic, the Green Chile Pork ($4.65) makes a good starting point. It’s a loaded taco that teams a traditional version of pork carnitas with diced, soft green chiles, crumbles of cotija cheese, cilantro and onions.
While avocados are common components in taco (and toast) culture, they typically appear in raw or mashed form. The Fried Avocado ($4.65) takes a different approach, and it works better than one might predict. Wearing a light sweater of crunchies, the avocado element is seated in a corn tortilla, while retaining the signature silkiness for which it is lovable. It’s teamed with refried beans, pico de gallo, shreds of lettuce and cheddar jack cheese.
Brushfire ($4.65) combines a peppery, not-too-processed Jamaican Jerk Chicken, with jalapeños and spiked diablo sauce that plays off the sweetness of its mango cubes. Sour cream adds heft with bits of cilantro. Again, it’s a good, loaded combo.
It’s not totally clear how the Republican taco and Democrat taco got their names. If you look it up online, what you learn is that the Republican version was removed from the chain’s menu for a brief period last year. Not because of a partisan issue, per the company’s statement, but because the Republican taco wasn’t a great seller. This is not terribly surprising, as it’s built around a grilled sausage, and sausage links seem like an intuitively odd filling for a tortilla. Meanwhile, the better-selling Democrat version’s got beef barbacoa, avocado and cotija, with cilantro and onions ($5.25). The latter was tested and approved with zero political motivation – a shredded beef taco sounded good, and it was.
Beyond the main taco action, there’s a selection dedicated to breakfast-based appetites, with egg-centered taco options that include migas. There are also some chip-dip options: Hillbilly ($7.50) is the right choice. It features a relatively traditional cheese sauce base that’s thoroughly populated with chorizo. The result is every bit as gloriously heavy as it sounds.
For dessert, the Lil’ Nookies ($4.25) would be the obvious choice, despite the ridiculous name. They are fair food: cookie dough in a fried shell that’s sprinkled in powdered sugar and garnished with maraschino cherries, which are inexplicably cute in this context.
Torchy’s hosts a drinking scene too, complete with theme-appropriate margaritas and sangria options. It opens at 10 a.m. daily at 1478 Gemini Place.
For more information, visit torchystacos.com.
All photos by Susan Post