Austin-based restaurant chain with ‘damn good tacos’ opens this week in Lawrence

Austin-based Torchy’s Tacos is opening in Lawrence.

The location — at 3050 Iowa St., just down the road from the University of Kansas — is scheduled to open at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

As part of the grand opening celebrations, customers can enter a raffle through Oct. 27. Each day one winner will get a $500 Taco Money gift card to use at any Torchy’s Tacos.

It opened a location in Ward Parkway Center’s restaurant pavilion in July. A location also is scheduled to open at 11919 S. Strang Line Road in Olathe in the first half of 2021. A Wichita location opened in September, and another is planned for Manhattan.

Under “Damn Good Tacos,” Torchy’s offers such selections as the Trailer Park with fried chicken, green chiles, lettuce, pico de gallo and cheddar jack cheese with poblano sauce on a flour tortilla.

Its “secret” menu includes The Matador (with chopped brisket, grilled jalapenos, pickled onions, freshly grated jack cheese, fresh avocado, sour cream and cilantro with tomatillo sauce on a corn tortilla inside a flour tortilla).

It also has burritos, guacamole and chips, green Chile queso and chips, and salads.

This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM.