Victor’s Taco to open new location in Hardin Valley

Victor’s Taco Shop, with a location on the Cumberland Avenue strip near downtown Knoxville, is opening another Knox County location at 10826 Hardin Valley Road, next to Zaxby’s.

Ariel Lanier, co-manager the restaurant with Mario Davila, said they are hoping for a February or March opening. While initially trepidatious about opening another location, Lanier said she and Davila are excited.

“People love Victor’s,” she said. “We’ve got good breakfast burritos, good food.”

At the urging of customers at the Cumberland Avenue location to open another Victor’s, Lanier said, “Mario had been wanting to do another location for a while. He was just looking for a good opportunity.”

Then the owner told them to search for another location, and she suggested Hardin Valley.

“It’s a good place to be,” Lanier said. “It’s a nice area.

“I used to work and live in the Hardin Valley area as well. … I suggested Hardin Valley because it is up-and-coming and has a lot of traffic,” she added. “That helps us (having) a college right across the street. We have the high school down the street, and we have all the construction (from homes and businesses).”

The Hardin Valley location makes the fourth Victor’s Taco Shop in Tennessee, which are owned by Oscar Ruiz and his three brothers. Besides the Victor’s along Cumberland, there also are state locations in Crossville, Nashville and Columbia.

“We have your typical Mexican food, anywhere from tacos to burritos, fajitas,” Lanier said. “One of my favorites is al pastor. It’s a spicy sweet pork, sweetened with pineapple. It’s pretty good.”

She said while Victor’s carries many of the same dishes as other local Mexican restaurants, the style of the food might be different.

“Victor’s Taco Shop is a Southern California Mexican restaurant,” Lanier said. “The style of the food is Southern California, but (the restaurant) started out in Arizona.

“Everything we cook and prep, we do it the night before or the day of,” she said. “Everything is freshly prepped and freshly cooked right there.

“It’s really good fresh fast food.”

Once the restaurant is open, Lanier said customers will be able to order online on the restaurant’s website, victorsts.com.

“And, we are looking to do something like a to-go delivery service,” she added.

Orders also will be able to be made by calling 865-249-8370.