Velvet Taco, the restaurant brand known for its globally-inspired tacos, sidekicks, house-made red velvet cake, boozy libations, and late-night hours, announces its newest location opening Monday, February 26 at the Shops at Baybrook — a newly developed retail destination in Webster Texas, southeast of Houston. Following its introduction to the Houston community in 2015 and its most recent debut at Houston’s Hobby Airport this month, Velvet Taco has garnered a following with its scratch-made and chef-driven menu of unique recipes.
The 85-seat, 2,278-square-foot dining room welcomes guests to a vibrant atmosphere, adorned with lively pops of color, organic wood accents, irreverent interior graphics, and playful messages, creating an inviting and authentic space. In collaboration with the local art collective, Eyeful Art, the brand commissioned eye-catching murals that span throughout the restaurant and pay homage to the community’s spirit and tacos, with a jovial nod to NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Outside, the breezy 842-square-foot patio offers an additional 57 seats, providing the perfect setting for guests to dine al fresco.
To celebrate the grand opening, Velvet Taco will give the first 100 guests a free Velvet Taco trucker hat. Those who sign up for its loyalty program, The Velvet Room, during opening week will receive a free taco reward to use on a future visit. Adding to the festivities, guests can immerse themselves in the excitement of Space Center Houston’s Postcards To Space pop-up on opening day where everyone will have the opportunity to craft their own postcard envisioning the future of space. These postcards will be sent to the Club for the Future and Blue Origin, who will fly them into space aboard the New Shepard rocket in a suborbital flight. Upon their return to Earth, they will be officially stamped and mailed, becoming treasured mementos of their journey beyond the atmosphere.
“Velvet Taco holds a special place in Houston’s culinary tapestry,” said General Manager Pat Eisenach in a statement. “As we open our doors in Webster, we recognize it as a natural extension of the Houston market. We are thrilled to expand our reach to a new wave of guests who may not frequent the city often but will now get the chance to enjoy our globe-trotting tacos, sides and Kick Ass Margaritas. We cannot wait to become the new go-to taco destination in the greater Clear Lake area!”
Velvet Taco’s menu has a diverse array of globally inspired tacos categorized by chicken, vegetarian, pork, beef, fish, and gluten-free options. Standouts include the Chicken & Waffle served in a house-pressed waffle tortilla; Beer Battered Cauliflower with queso blanco, corn pico and candied pepitas; The Cuban, featuring slow-roasted pulled pork; Kobe Smash Burger in velvet sauce; and Fish n’ Chips, showcasing beer battered cod with curry aioli and French fries. On Mondays, guests can enjoy the exclusive Backdoor Chicken offering, a whole rotisserie chicken accompanied by six corn tortillas, three sides and heat sauce for only $15, while supplies last. The kids’ menu includes a range of chicken, steak and cheese quesadillas and tacos, as well as tenders and tots. The brand’s namesake Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting and signature cajeta sauce, made in-house daily, offers a sweet conclusion to any order.
All tacos pair with Velvet Taco’s crafted boozy libations, including the Kick Ass Margarita, which can be enjoyed frozen or on the rocks; the Paloma, made with Lunazul premium blanco tequila, Jarritos grapefruit soda and a fresh grapefruit wedge; and the Sangrita, a red wine blend with boozy pineapples and apples.
Diners can also enjoy Velvet Taco’s Weekly Taco Feature (better known as WTF), featuring an innovative new taco every week and The Velvet Room, an exclusive loyalty program with benefits, including special VIP experiences, personalized rewards and access to limited-time offerings.
With the opening of the Baybrook location, Velvet Taco expects to bring an estimated 45 new jobs to the area. Applicants for both front- and heart-of-house positions can visit velvettaco.com/careers for more information.
Velvet Taco is located at 1065 W. Bay Area Blvd., Suite 100, in Webster, Texas. It will be open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
