Patrick Terry—the namesake behind Austin’s hamburger chain P. Terry’s—has opened 15 burger joints in just over 13 years. In January he launched a new concept, Taco Ranch, near Sunset Valley.

“We like the idea of shaking things up,” Terry said. “National taco chains are not what they were when they started in the ’60s. Quality has gone down and their menus have expanded to a point where you really aren’t sure what to order.”

Terry said he decided to keep the menu simple, reasonably priced and centered on quality ingredients. Options include tacos, tostadas and burritos for lunch and dinner. A menu standout, Terry said, are the nachos with housemade tortilla chips smothered in queso and topped with sour cream, a protein of choice, jalapenos and tomatoes. The taco salad is another customer favorite, he said.

Before 11 a.m. on weekdays or noon on weekends, Taco Ranch serves breakfast tacos with cage-free eggs and a choice of bacon, sausage or chorizo.

“We use all natural meat and no fillers,” Terry said. “We don’t add anything in that we wouldn’t want to feed our children.” 

Launching Taco Ranch was not easy for Terry. Serving scratch-made, fast food tacos is more time-consuming than “throwing a burger on the grill,” he said. Customers who are used to national taco chains have had to readjust expectations.

“Just like P. Terry’s, we’ve had to explain ourselves [with Taco Ranch],” Terry said. “When people first came to P. Terry’s 13 years ago, they didn’t understand what we were trying to do. It took a couple of years for people to really get what we’re about.”

Nevertheless, Terry said he is committed to his mission of serving quality food at reasonable prices.

“We think ... it’s important that everyone be able to afford a decent meal,” he said. “I worked at the original [P. Terry’s] store every day for three years. I got to know my customers. I realized that a lot of people have to scrounge for change to find the $2.50 for a hamburger. And so I became very conscious of pricing. At the same time, I want to deliver something I’m proud of. There’s a commitment to do it differently, not just for the sake of being different, but to do it right.”

The second location of the fast food taco restaurant opened in October at 517 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Austin.
Terry said future plans include opening new P. Terry’s locations in San Marcos, Georgetown and Pflugerville in 2019-20.