The restaurant’s menu of 20 tacos takes inspiration from global dishes and flavors, using tortillas as the “vessel,” says chef and culinary director Venecia Willis.
Velvet Taco’s Spicy Tikka Chicken is a nod to the popular South Asian dish, for example. Chicken tenders and buttered basmati rice are topped with a spicy tikka sauce, raita crema and Thai basil. Other fusion mashups on the menu include a Kobe Bacon Burger taco and the Cuban Pig, inspired by a Cubano sandwich and made with pulled pork, ham, gruyere cheese, mustard, aioli and pickles.
“We’re not the traditional taco shop,” Willis says. “We do anything we can to resist that traditional view of a taco and explore different flavors.”
But, those seeking tastes and toppings more commonly seen stuffed into a tortilla will also find versions with steak, rotisserie chicken and shrimp. Velvet Taco also features a rotating weekly taco special which "really allows us to be creative,” Willis says.
Aside from tacos, the menu includes brisket nachos, chips with elote dip and red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of cajeta.
Velvet Taco will also boast a bar serving local beers, palomas, ranch waters and margaritas on the rocks or frozen.
Velvet Taco will open in Old Town Scottsdale on Scottsdale Road in the former location of Second Story and The Gelato Spot.
Velvet Taco
The new eatery replaces Second Story, the decade-old luxe restaurant and bar from restaurateur Tommy Plato, and The Gelato Spot. Plato opted to lease out the two-story building on Scottsdale Road to the chain and has since opened the Anthony Bourdain-inspired eatery The Ends in the former Kazimierz Wine & Whiskey Bar.
Velvet Taco’s Scottsdale location will have an 88-seat dining room and a 20-seat patio. The revamped space will feature large murals, bright pops of color and natural woods.
Velvet Taco CEO Clay Dover says the team aims to create vibrant places for people to gather, whether they're kicking off the night with margaritas, winding down the evening with a bite to eat or anything in between.
“The vibe will be festive, there will be a lot of energy,” he says.
The restaurant will be open daily, offering late-night service until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. In addition to in-person dining, online ordering and delivery will be available.
Arizona is no stranger to imported Texas taco chains such as Torchy’s Tacos and Rusty Taco. Dover and Willis say that customers will taste the difference at Velvet Taco, with all items, such as 18-hour smoked brisket, made in-house. The Scottsdale location will be Velvet Taco’s 47th since launching in 2011.
Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix area have been in Velvet Taco’s sights for some time, Dover says, adding that they’re actively looking for additional locations around the Valley.
“It’s the first of many more to come,” he says.
Velvet Taco
Opening Nov. 44166 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
