Nacho Universe is Out of This World
A new truck has made its way to the streets of Denton and set up shop at the beloved Armadillo Ale Works.
Nacho Universe is bringing a creative take to nachos featuring their infamous Turtle Cheese Sauce, an ode to the Ninja Turtles. From your classic nachos to a few unique combinations, everything is made fresh, delicious, and pairs perfectly with a pint of Armadillo beer.
Amanda Healy is the lady behind this new concept, with some help from her partner Will Sikora.
Nacho Universe was born between their two brains. “Nachos was Will’s idea, he was the inspiration for that. He presented it as an idea and we just started getting excited about ideas, and all the steam behind that is how we ended up where we are,” said Healy. “We also feel like we can get nachos out relatively fast, and if you are eating from a truck, you want your food pretty quick.”
How did they get the name for this otherworldly nachos concept? A beloved cartoon! “I had written down a list of names that were possibilities, and at the time I was binge-watching Steven Universe. When we would read off the list of the names that made the cut and I’d get to Nacho Universe, it would just strike a chord and I decided, okay, that's the one,” said Healy.
The delicious Turtle Cheese holds itself to a high standard of quality and execution, just like Splinter and his ninjas. “Will is a huge Ninja Turtle fan, and every piece of pizza and every bit of cheese needs to be as if it was a cartoon, stringy and gooey and stretches forever. It needs to be Turtle Cheese,” said Healy.
Nacho Universe has an excellent price point, and it's a real bang for your buck with the ingredients and hefty portions. “With nachos, you can give people a good-sized portion and keep it relatively low price, and I think that's a big deal. Especially from a truck. The servings are totally shareable and eating them brings people together,” said Healy.
Amanda was kind of enough to give us a tour of the menu and try out some of their creative and tasty nacho creations.
The Classic Nachos are a mountainous pile of chips covered in all the classic toppings: beans, tomatoes, jalapenos, ground beef, and house-recipe nacho cheese sauce drizzled with sriracha that make for a loaded box of goodness. These are just gluttonously delicious. The chips are slightly salty and crispy and don’t get soggy under all the toppings. Get a little bit of everything and you have the perfect bite of spicy, cheesy goodness! Plus, there is plenty to share, or you can eat it all yourself — we won’t judge.
The Spinach Artichoke Nachos are creamy, savory, and so good. A pile of tortilla chips covered in a cheesy spinach and artichoke sauce that's the perfect consistency for the chip, sprinkled with diced chicken that pairs well with the sauce, and then topped with fresh diced tomatoes and cotija cheese — ‘cause you can always use more cheese. Spinach and artichoke dip is my favorite appetizer, and the chips make the perfect vessel to get all that flavor to your mouth. The sauce is thinner than a dip but still rich in flavor with a creamy texture that will keep you going back for more. The tomatoes are an appreciated, fresh touch and make a great addition to this nacho creation.
The Pizza Nachos include all the amazing flavors of pizza on chips. I love these because you don’t get full too fast from all the dough that comes with a hefty slice of za, and the Turtle Cheese Sauce adds even more flavor by complimenting the pepperonis and marinara with its savory taste. The heat from the red pepper flakes is fully welcome and cuts through all the cheese and sauce to linger on the tongue. The Turtle Cheese Sauce is ooey gooey and stretches beautifully from the sauce pan onto the plate. Hands down, these are my fav, and my new favorite way to have my pizza.
With the Buffalo Chicken Nachos, I take back everything I said about blue cheese. The spicy, tangy house buffalo sauce is perfectly paired with cooling blue cheese crumbles, and the diced chicken is nacho-friendly, with a cluster of yummy little bits topping the chips. Cooled down with that white Turtle Cheese Sauce, this pairing of flavors is a nod to the classic and tastes even better with chips instead of celery and carrots. It even comes with a side of ranch.
You can find Nacho Universe at Armadillo Ale Works located at 221 S Bell Ave, Denton, TX 76201, and follow them on facebook and instragram! They are currently open Thursday through Monday.
Photos by Andrew Gamba