One thing that many Fort Worth residents agree on is that you can never go wrong with queso.
No matter what sort of day you’ve had, crispy tortilla chips dipped into a bowl of hot, melty cheese are bound to make it better.
Here are some of the best places to get queso near TCU. We ranked based on price, chip and cheese quality, proximity to campus and extra ingredients. Each score is represented as X/5 blocks of cheese.
8. Yucatan Taco Stand
Price: 3/5 ($5)
Cheese quality: 2/5
Chip factor: 1/5
Extras: 0/5
Proximity to campus: 3/5
Overall score: 1.8/5
Someone had to be last, and Yucatan Taco Stand secured that position almost immediately.
The menu features $5 queso served with chips and hot sauce, which, seems like a bargain. I say “seems” because with the first bite of queso, it becomes apparent you get what you pay for at Yucatan.
The chips are eerily similar to Julio’s bagged chips right down to the inconsistent seasoning. As for the queso itself, it was bland and could be replicated at home with a few melted string cheeses.
In short, it’s not worth it.
7. Rodeo Goat
Price: 2/5 ($6.50)
Cheese quality: 2/5
Chip factor: 1/5
Proximity to campus: 2/5
Extras: 3/5
Average score: 2/5
Rodeo Goat is pretty hit-and-miss as far as queso goes. Ordering it is a gamble, especially considering the $6.50 price tag. It’s filled with extras like ground beef, pico and guacamole. However, if you go on a bad day, even the extras can’t hide the Velveeta-like consistency.
Rodeo Goat is known for its burgers, and queso won’t likely be taking its place anytime soon.
6. Gloria’s
Price: 4/5 ($4)
Cheese quality: 3/5
Chip factor: 2/5
Proximity to campus: 2/5
Extras: 0/5
Average score: 2.2/5
Nothing describes my experience with Gloria’s queso quite like the phrase: “I’m not angry—just disappointed.”
The atmosphere at the restaurant is great, but the queso— not so much. It’s the kind of queso one would expect to get from a food truck, not Gloria’s. The cheese is a decent quality, but nowhere near good enough to justify a stand-alone queso. The chips are, in a way, notable just because of their complete lack of taste.
In the end, the only thing the queso really has going for it is the fact it is $4.
5. Fuzzy’s
Price: 5/5 ($3.29)
Cheese quality: 1.5/5
Chip factor: 1/5
Proximity to campus: 5/5
Extras: 2/5
Average score: 2.9/5
Fuzzy’s queso might be served a little cold with semi-stale chips, but it’s the answer to anyone looking for cheap queso within walking distance. The one thing it has going for it is the pico, which is either fresh or at least tastes fresh in comparison to the cheese.
For a .4 mile walk and $3.29, it isn’t the best queso but it’s worth it.
4. Brewed
Price: 1/5 ($9.75)
Cheese quality: 5/5
Chip factor: 4/5
Proximity to campus: 2/5
Extras: 3/5
Average score: 3/5
If you’re willing to pay $10 for queso then I have just the thing for you, Brewed goat cheese queso. The queso is made with fresh goat cheese and homemade chilli and salsa.
Ultimately, if you’re going to be on Magnolia and have some money to burn, Brewed queso is a bit of an investment, but it’s worth it.
3. Chuy’s
Price: 2/5 ($6.79)
Cheese quality: 5/5
Chip factor: 4/5
Proximity to campus: 2/5
Extras: 3/5
Average score: 3.2/5
Chuy’s was one of the highlights of this investigation.
It isn’t anything fancy— just melted cheese mixed with ranchero sauce and green chili sauce, but it’s definitely one of the top contenders for best queso.
The chips are crisp and thin, but thick enough not to break. The sauces are blended perfectly and the cheese is just the right consistency. Overall, it’s just simple queso done right. Also, it’s free during happy hour.
2. Velvet Taco
Price: 4/5 ($4.75)
Cheese quality: 5/5
Chip factor: 5/5
Proximity to campus: 2/5
Extras: 3/5
Average score: 3.8/5
Of all the contenders, Velvet Taco’s queso might have the best quality cheese. The only extras it comes with are red onion and a basil leaf, but both serve to give the cheese more distinction. If you run out of queso don’t worry because the blue corn chips are good enough eat on their own.
1. Torchy’s
Price: 3/5 ($5.50)
Cheese quality: 5/5
Chip factor: 3/5
Proximity to campus: 4/5
Extras: 5/5
Average score: 4/5
Torchy’s queso is what other quesos aspire to be. It’s made with quality cheese and is loaded with extras like guacamole, basil and cotija cheese. It also comes with Torchy’s signature diablo sauce which gives it an extra kick. Not to mention, it isn’t too far away from campus nor is it too expensive.
Pro-tip: Order a “half order” to get the same amount of chips and queso for half the price. I don’t know why it works that way, but it does. For that, I am thankful.
