Check out 5 taco restaurants that have opened since 2020 in Louisville

Everyone has their favorite taco restaurant in Louisville. They're everywhere: in strip centers, in standalone plazas, in food trucks and tucked inside places like the Logan Street Market.

It feels like dozens of new taco places have popped up across Kentuckiana since 2020, including new places like Agave & Rye, I Love Tacos and Taco City Louisville plus national chain like Torchy's Tacos.

So it's safe to say that maybe there's something new you haven't tried. Here are some restaurants with recently opened locations that you might not have tried yet. Who knows — you may just find your new favorite.

Agave & Rye

 324 E. Main St., New Albany, Indiana; agaveandrye.com 

This Cincinnati-based high-end taco concept serves "epic tacos" and now has two Louisville-area locations, with its New Albany spot opening most recently in February. At Agave & Rye, a taco could be crispy Nashville hot chicken and mac and cheese with sweet pickle relish. Or jalapeno-and-soy-glazed kangaroo with sesame, ginger pan sauce, chow mein and a fried egg. You get the idea.

There's also a "Not A Taco" menu with sesame chicken legs ($11), a "Proper Dinner" braised short ribs meal ($18) and even white chocolate and blueberry bread pudding french toast ($11).

Don't pass up on the nine chip and dip options as well, which include everything from Chips & Pineapple-Mango Habanero Salsa to Chips & Andouille Queso. Plus a wide selection of bourbon and tequila.

Co-owner Yvonne Sarber said Agave & Rye stands out from other taco restaurants in Louisville because it's not truly Mexican — more "continental cuisine put in a taco." The restaurant makes all its sauces from scratch in-house, smokes and brines its own meat and squeezes limes daily for margaritas.

Tacos in New Albany: This popular taco restaurant is opening its second location in New Albany this month

El Catrin 

7773 Highway 331, Sellersburg, Indiana; elcatrinmexicankitchen.com

This Mexican restaurant is from the same owners of Señor Iguanas and opened in September 2020. Just 15 minutes north of downtown Louisville, the restaurant serves Mexican street food similar to the dishes served at its sister restaurant, La Catrina.

Both restaurants are themed after "Dia de Los Muertos," the Latino holiday on Nov. 1, which celebrates life, rather than mourning death. The restaurants are decorated in bright colors, sugar skulls and marigold flowers associated with the holiday. There are build-your-own tacos and quesadillas, burritos, tortas and more, like the "panza" torta with braised pork belly, refried black beans, red cabbage, tomato, avocado and red jalapeno aioli ($9).

There's also shareable items, 10 taps serving craft beers and a full list of cocktails.

El Catrin: Señor Iguanas team opens El Catrin, a Mexican street food-style restaurant

Gustavo's 

Various locations; gustavosmexgrill.com

This Mexican concept has several area locations, and its newest one opens at the end of the month at 401 S. Hurstbourne Parkway in a former Romano's Macaroni Grill. The new restaurant is the fifth and largest in the group at a massive 7,500 square feet.

Gustavo's serves a large menu of Mexican favorites like salads, quesadillas, tortas, tacos, burritos and fajitas. Popular signature items include the Molcajete Fajitas loaded with chicken, shrimp, steak and sausage ($17) and Mummy-Wrapped Shrimp, which serves jumbo grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon and pan-broiled ($10).

Tacos in Louisville: This Mexican restaurant is opening a new location in Louisville's East End - and soon

I Love Tacos 

 9909 Taylorsville Road; 1534 Bardstown Road; ilovetacoslouisville.com

This taco restaurant opened not one but two locations recently, in Jeffersontown and the Highlands. Run by Ernesto Rivera and his partner Alfredo Garcia, the restaurant makes everything to order, including the ever-popular birria tacos.

Traditionally made with goat meat in Mexico, birria tacos at I Love Tacos are made with savory slow-cooked brisket, chili peppers, onion, cilantro, melted cheese and spices. Corn tortillas are filled and pressed, then served with a cup of red, greasy consomé on the side for dipping.

"We started serving birria last year and it's still going nuts," Rivera previously told the Courier Journal. "A lot of it is the flavor. We marinate for four hours and cook it overnight at 200 degrees. It melts [in your mouth] basically."

There are also tortas, tacos, quesadillas and burritos as well as signature dishes like tinga and shrimp tacos and a fully loaded torte asada. One of the most popular tacos is the beer-battered fish, Rivera said, and the menu has several vegetarian options, as well.

"I think the name says it all," Rivera said. "It’s a simple-looking logo, where it tells you simply, 'I love tacos.' I think that makes it attractive to customers, too."

More: Local taco restaurant opens second location in the former Highlands Panera

Torchy's Tacos

1540 Veterans Parkway, Jeffersonville, Indiana; torchystacos.com

This Texas-based taco restaurant just opened its first Louisville-area location in April. It's part of a chain that has 85+ locations in 10 states and features special "tacos of the month" so there's always something new on the menu.

Torchy's Tacos serves tacos for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There's a scrambled egg and potato taco topped with smoked beef brisket and jack cheese known as "The Wrangler" that's available for breakfast and a variety of other "Damn Good Tacos" with names like "Brushfire," "Trailer Park," "Democrat" and "Republican." Any taco on the menu can be made "trashy" by taking off the lettuce and adding queso.

Tacos fillings include slow-roasted pork, fried chicken, fried shrimp, shredded beef barbacoa, Jamaican jerk chicken and more. You can also find "Not a Taco" options, which include salads and burritos, along with a kids menu, sweets and sides and a wide range of beverages from frozen margaritas to craft beers. If you'd like to spend some time at the restaurant, there's a full bar, too.

More: This fast-casual Texas-based taco restaurant is opening its first Louisville-area location

Dahlia Ghabour: dghabour@gannett.com; Twitter: @dghabour. 

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: National Taco Day: 5 new Louisville restaurants that opened since 2020