Velvet Taco opened its third Houston location Jan. 11 in the Heights and expects to roll out its Galleria-area location Jan. 25, followed by a Rice Village outpost this summer, the Dallas-based restaurant chain announced.

The latest location at 2001 N. Shepherd Drive, Houston, offers indoor and outdoor seating as well as Velvet's first Houston drive-thru order pickup window. Drive-thru orders must be placed in advance.

The restaurant opened at 50% capacity for indoor and outdoor dining under COVID-19 restrictions.

“The Heights is an ideal neighborhood for our newest Houston location with its walkability and convenient location within the city,” said Clay Dover, Velvet Taco CEO and chief taco maker, in a news release. “We see this location on Shepherd Avenue as a great opportunity to continue providing our Houston guests with our globally-inspired scratch-made tacos and ‘kick-ass’ margaritas in a unique space.”

Velvet Taco draws on several international cuisines across 20 taco options.

Velvet Taco has 18 locations across the United States. www.velvettaco.com