Preston Hollow is getting its very own Velvet Taco.
The fast-casual taco chain is known for serving interesting ingredients in a taco, like chicken tikka, or shrimp and grits, or spicy tofu. The newest Velvet Taco, at Preston Road and Forest Lane, will serve the same menu found at the existing restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
And why mess with a good thing? When the restaurant launched seven years ago at Henderson Avenue and Central Expressway, it was a gateway to a trendy strip of restaurants and bars in that Dallas district. Back then -- and now -- the OG Velvet Taco still sees lines out the door.
Much of the allure of the existing Velvet Tacos in D-FW is its late, late hours: sometimes until 4 a.m. The Preston Hollow shop will stay open until just 1 a.m. on the weekends, but even that will feel late in this new neighborhood.
"This is the furthest Velvet Taco from a downtown urban area," says Grant Morgan, director of food and beverage for the eight existing Velvet Tacos. "This is like our venture into the suburbs."
That makes sense: In Preston Hollow, like in the 'burbs, neighbors likely aren't looking for 4 a.m. food, Morgan says. But there's "tons of traffic" at the busy Preston/Forest intersection, he points out. "With what we do with high-end tacos, this area just fits us."
If it proves to be successful, the Preston Hollow restaurant will likely inspire the team to scout locations in the Dallas suburbs, he says. They're potentially interested in Addison, Plano, Frisco or Southlake, but no deals have been made.
Like the existing Velvet Tacos, the Preston Hollow shop will sell "backdoor chicken," or a $20 rotisserie chicken served with elotes, corn tortillas and salsa. On Mondays, the same meal costs $10 -- and it's one of the best deals in town, especially since it feeds several people. (Anyone looking for backdoor chicken in Preston Hollow should go to the side of the restaurant, where customers can order from a to-go window.)
After the Preston Hollow shop opens July 16, another in Dallas, located on McKinney Avenue in place of the former Urban Taco, is expected to open in August.
Welcome to the Velvet tac-over.
New Velvet Taco is located at 11700 Preston Road (at Forest Lane), Dallas. It's the third Velvet Taco currently open in Dallas; there's one in Fort Worth, too.
