Damn Good Tacos 

Texas Chain Torchy’s Tacos Opens Fishers Location

Writer / Seth Johnson
Photography Provided by Torchy’s Tacos

Whether it’s a signature taco or one of their fresh margaritas, Torchy’s Tacos is ready to bring an exceptional dining experience to customers in Hamilton County.

“We want to be known as the best damn taco place out there,” says Torchy’s Tacos Market Partner Joe Kopke. “Everywhere we go, that’s our mission, while providing jobs and a great work culture.”

Torchy’s Tacos in Fishers marks the chain’s first location in central Indiana. Since the restaurant’s grand opening on March 14, hungry Hamilton County patrons have flocked to the beloved taco shop, getting a true taste of the Torchy’s Tacos hype for themselves.

The origin of Torchy’s Tacos dates back to 2006, when Founder Mike Rypka first started selling freshly made tacos out of a food trailer he hooked up to his red Vespa.

“Mike just really wanted to get tacos in people’s hands,” Kopke says. “He got on his Vespa, would hand out free chips, salsa and queso, and the lines started to form in 2006. People used to say that the tacos were damn good, and that became our mission statement as we are today.”

Now with more than 100 locations across several states, the Torchy’s Tacos brand has become a favorite to many across America. According to Kopke, one thing that sets Torchy’s apart from other taco spots is the freshness of their food and drinks.

“Everything is made from scratch,” he says. “I think a lot of brands say that, but our food really is made from scratch. People can’t receive their food in just two minutes because we do make everything from scratch. It makes the fast-casual, or what we call ‘craft casual,’ an elevated experience where you might have to wait a little bit longer, which is why we have bars with scratch-made cocktails and margaritas.”

“We are working our tails off in the back to make everything recipe-right and to perfection,” Kopke continues. “That way, when you do get your food, you do say, ‘Man, that’s damn good.’ It’s a different experience from the typical fast-casual, where everything’s in front of you and already made. They say fresh, but how fresh is that?” 

When it comes to customer favorites, Kopke says you can’t go wrong with the Trailer Park taco, which features fried chicken, green chiles, lettuce, pico de gallo and cheddar jack cheese with poblano sauce on a flour tortilla. “You can get that trashy, which is with our award-winning queso layered over the top,” he says. “It’s named after Mike starting the business out in a trailer park. I think that’s one of the very best and most unique tacos that we offer.”

Other unique taco offerings include the Brushfire (featuring Jamaican jerk chicken, grilled jalapeños, mango, sour cream and cilantro, with diablo sauce), the Republican (featuring jalapeño cheddar sausage, pico de gallo, cheddar jack cheese and poblano sauce), and the restaurant’s array of breakfast tacos, which are served all day. While munching on a taco or two, be sure to explore the Torchy’s drink menu as well.

“The margarita is a staple, whether it’s frozen or on the rocks,” Kopke says. “Then you’ve got the Torchy’s Tini, which is a classic martini with a twist. We have our Sangria, which is made from scratch. I think that’s really outstanding and a great offering to have with many of our tacos.”

In reflecting on why the Torchy’s Tacos team chose Fishers as the home for its first central Indiana location, Kopke says they saw an interest in the area, which has been further validated by area customers.

“Any time we look at location, we look for demand and people who want to see Torchy’s brought to their community,” Kopke says. “I think we had a lot of good feedback from people who lived in that area. Now that we’ve been open, a lot of people have said, ‘We’ve been to Texas and we experienced Torchy’s. We’re so glad you’re here.’ We felt it was a good place to plant our roots in the Indianapolis market as we try to grow that market out.”

While the restaurant has only been in the area for a short time thus far, Kopke says he couldn’t be happier with how things have gone.

“We’ve had great feedback from our guests,” he says. “We’ve hired a great team and the management team there is outstanding. In the early stages, it’s everything we thought it would be. The people of Fishers have been so kind and so wonderful, and we’re excited to be a part of that.”

Torchy’s Tacos is located at 11595 Whistle Drive, Suite 101-A in Fishers. Visit torchystacos.com to see their full menu, or give them a call at 317-537-0914.