Most Texans are no stranger to quesabirria tacos, but a California-owned birria giant is looking to make its own foothold in the Lone Star State as part of a nationwide expansion project.
Mike’s Red Tacos, which first hit the scene as a San Diego food truck in 2021, announced last week it would be franchising more than 200 new locations across 10 states, including Texas. Multi-unit franchise deals have also been reached in California, Michigan, Minnesota, New England, Nevada, Virginia, Arizona, Indiana and Illinois.
The restaurant was named to Yelp’s Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list in 2023 and its menu offers birria tacos, quesadillas, burritos, ramen, nachos and more.
Construction on the new locations is expected to start in the coming months, with the first restaurant expected to open by the end of 2026, the company said in a news release. A corporate-run restaurant in Pasadena is expected to open this spring and will serve as a prototype for the newly franchised restaurants.
No construction plans have been filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation yet.
It is still unclear which Texas cities will get their own Mike’s Red Tacos locations, but in a news release, the company said it is focusing its initial expansion on “top tier U.S. markets,” including Austin and Dallas.