Located in the outskirts of Round Rock, The Urban Turban has been serving up Mexican-Pakistani-American fusion dishes since 2021.

How we got here

In 2020, owner Fawad Yaqoob decided to take a different approach to his career after working in the pathology field. Yaqoob was always interested in combining different cuisines and decided to open The Urban Turban food truck in July 2021.

Yaqoob said he was nervous at the business’s start, but he was pleasantly surprised with the amount of support his food was met with.

“People responded really well,” Yaqoob said. “It was not just the Pakistani and Muslim demographic—I’ve had people come from all paths.”


On the menu

The business features a wide variety of Mexican, Pakistani and American fusion items including tandoori tacos, birria quesadilla and chicken tikka cheesesteak. Yaqoob said he drew inspiration from his grandmother and mother’s cooking for the menu.

When birria tacos grew in popularity in 2020, Yaqoob said the dish reminded him of a traditional Pakistani dish called Nihari. His combination of the two dishes was the first fusion meal he made for the business.

The present


The food truck was awarded Best Food Truck in Round Rock’s 2024 Best of Round Rock awards. Yaqoob said he was unaware the contest existed until a customer, Erin Swearengen Boren, messaged him that she nominated the truck for the award.

“That’s quite the honor to be nominated and by a fellow customer that has been returning to us,” Yaqoob said. “It made all the hard work that’s been going on so much more worth it.

Yaqoob said he hopes to open a brick and mortar location in 2025.

“If I had to tell you my New Year’s resolution, that would be one of them—to try and get ourselves in a small building,” Yaqoob said.