After a few years in the Oaks shopping mall on the other side of the road, the location at 1440 N. Walnut Ave., New Braunfels presented the opportunity to have what the San Marcos location lacked—a large outdoor dining area and playground.
The location that had previously been Buddy’s Backyard, Schwamkrug’s and other businesses was purchased by the Rizk family in 2012. Business has been brisk ever since.
“Everybody always tells me, ‘Man every time I pass by here your business is packed,’” Rizk said.
Rizk said on the weekends the restaurant pays to use the parking lot at the doctor’s office across the street on Fredericksburg Boulevard. “We’ve been blessed to be busy, quite often every day,” he said.
The original Herbert’s Taco Hut in San Marcos was opened by Rizk’s parents, Dora and Herbert Rizk, in 1976 after purchasing a small grocery store adjacent a few years earlier. Many of the recipes go back to the restaurant’s founding.
The taco hut got started because of frequent requests from the customers of the grocery store.
“They decided to open up a little taco hut because people who were my dad’s friends kept saying, ‘Hey sell some tacos,’” Rizk said.
Rizk duplicated the signature enchilada gravy used at the San Marcos location, and he said the enchiladas are the main draw along with the fajita plates.
“We’ve tried to make the fajitas better. We use a hot skillet for the beef fajitas and chicken fajitas and shrimp,” Rizk said.
Rizk’s brother, Anthony, also began producing the restaurants’ gravy, hot sauce and queso for retail purchases, and they can be found at the restaurants as well as Granzin’s Meat Market.
Herbert’s strives to stick to fresh ingredients, which can be difficult considering how much they offer on the menu, Rizk said.
Apart from the San Marcos location, Herbert’s in New Braunfels offers Caldo de Res ($9.49) and shrimp enchiladas. The large patio area keeps customers coming.
“That’s how we stay busy all the time because we have a little area where kids can play on the swings, and the parents love that.” Rizk said.
For newcomers, Rizk recommends trying the Herbert’s Special ($12.99), a combination plate that has an enchilada, guacamole chalupa, crispy beef taco, rice and beans.
Fun fact
Dora and Herbert Rizk learned many of the recipes used since opening the restaurant from a friend, Guadalupe Facundo. Facundo did not give them written instructions or measurements, but rather they watched and learned from her cooking style.
Herbert’s
1440 N. Walnut Ave., New Braunfels
830-216-6845 | www.herbertstx.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat. 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
