It’s a Texas taco showdown: Fort Worth’s Salsa Limón takes on giant Torchy’s in Austin

You have to be brave to open a taqueria in Austin.

Particularly three blocks north of a landmark Torchy’s.

“Hey, all of Texas is competitive for tacos,” said Ramiro “Milo” Ramirez, founder of the Salsa Limón restaurants that have expanded to a location near the University of Texas.

“If you’re slinging tacos in Texas — this whole state is like the Formula One for tacos, and you’re in the race.”

Salsa Limón “Lupita” — for its address, 3001 Guadalupe St. — has been open nearly a year, long enough to develop a four-star rating on social media and a busy Uber Eats trade.

In fact, Salsa Limón has proven to travel well from its Fort Worth home, where four locations cover downtown, the west and south side.

The busiest Salsa location of all is in Dallas at 411 N. Akard St., Ramirez said.

“We have a robust fan base,” he said — “Dallas loves Salsa Limón.”

Austin is warming up, and a planned menu update will help.

Salsa soon will add birria, chilaquiles rojos, potato tacos and burritos, new salads and also a vegan guiso, Martinez said.

The new items appeal to Austin college students’ demand for plant-based cooking, but they’ll be added at all stores.

When Salsa Limón opened to stay in 2010, it was a food truck brining real tacos and habanero salsa to college students across West Berry Street from the original Fuzzy’s.

Now, the newest location is challenging a Torchy’s for college dominance in the North Campus neighborhood inside a former Steel City Pops.

“We serve simple, flavorful, consistent food,” Ramirez said.

Without naming Torchy’s, he said: “A lot of places go over the top. That’s not what we do.”

The list of favorite items at Salsa has grown longer over the years.

In the beginning, there was the El Capitán, with steak, cheese, pickled cabbage, onion and cilantro in double corn tortillas or flour.

Diners love to order something simple, change the ingredients and then pour on the salsas: tomatillo, jalapeno, chile piquin and habanero.

Now, the chicken Capitán is just as popular. And there’s El Campeón, a burrito with a choice of meat, beans, rice and an egg, plus onion and cilantro.

In response to demand, Salsa also will add a bean-and-cheese burrito.

“More people just want the beans,” Martinez said.

“Our beans are great.”

There’s also a full bar with margaritas, micheladas, mimosas and cocktails, along with wine and beer.

Salsa Limón’s flagship location serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night at 1465 W. Magnolia Ave., near Eighth Avenue.

Salsa has three other Fort Worth locations open from midmorning through dinner: 550 Throckmorton St. downtown; 925 University Drive in the Cultural District; and at 5012 White Settlement Road, in a 1947 Streamline Moderne aluminum diner moved from the Cultural District location; salsalimon.com.