Lloyd has done some pretty impressive things throughout his existence. Being the number one draft pick of the Hartford Whalers, fighting off an army of taco fighting ninjas, and of course trying to find out whether Kevin Spacey, Sir Patrick Stewart or Fabio is his father. [To help, BRO has enlisted the services of Maury Povich and Detective John Kimble to crack the case! My personal hopeful is Fabio, but more on that later.] Perhaps Lloyd is about to embark on his most epic venture to date, Taco Factory Brunch!
Though the Lloyd crew was slinging the breakfast/lunch combo for a few months last year out of their truck in front of Buffalo Proper, this will be their initial foray into their home base brunch. One would have to assume, behind the scenes is nothing short of “The Pit” simply due to their ability to stock 4 trucks and a full mess hall.
“The brunch testing at Buffalo Proper went over great,” said Chef Teddy Bryant. “We wanted to have brunch going right away, but with the hectic nature of opening the Taco Factory we had to hold off a bit.”
To quote Ric Flair, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.” I believe Lloyd is ready to enter the brunch ring with its own Flare! As some of the truck brunch items make triumphant return, others will have their shining début. Here is a sneak peek of the standout Sunday offering.
Kimchi Fried Rice ($7) Hoisin glazed cottage bacon, poached egg, K-Town sauce, scallions, sesame seeds. This being a top seller – a returning favorite on the menu.
K-uevos Rancheros ($7) 2 tostadas, 2 sunny side-up eggs, organic black beans, avocado, K-Town sauce, cilantro, sesame seeds. A Korean style twist to this traditional Mexican dish. K-town go tu tong “Korean ketchup”.
Shrimps & Grits ($10) “Jacked Up” stone ground grit cake (jack cheese in the cake), wild shrimp, and Ragout (tomatoes, onion, garlic and Lloyd housemade chorizo). Life in the South for five years made Llyod want to bring a taste of his time there back to Buffalo. As a personal favorite, his aim was to give justice to the creaminess and true cheese flavor of the dish.
Churro French Toast ($7) Cinnamon sugar, real local maple syrup, and sweet crema dip. Lloyd aimed to the throwback childhood oldie but goodie breakfast staple French toast sticks. The bread for the French Toast is made exclusively for Lloyd by BreadHive.
Personally, I am the most excited about the B.LL.T. Chef Bryant described it as “a BLT with cheese and eggs.” So what is #HulkSauce? Originally made for their employee anniversary party, the Taquería style green salsa, with Jalapeño, cilantro, tomatillo and avocado. So it’s both spicy and creamy. Chef Bryant said, “Being that is green and strong, is why they dubbed it #HulkSauce”. Lloyd never shy’s away from bringing back the nostalgic references in their food or marketing. Something I personally am I huge fan of! (if you haven’t noticed).
The other newbie is the Bionico Fruit salad. A traditional Mexican fruit salad topped with granola (made in house) and glazed with a sweet crema. Described by Bryant as “almost like a sweet and sour cream.”
As per tradition, of course there will be brunch specials. One of the first ideas, Chili Quilas. Special tortilla chips sautéed with salsa verde, topped with a meat and eggs.
Bryant also hinted they would like to have pastries and cinnamon rolls, but one step at a time.
Lastly, what would Brunch be without cocktails? Like Rambo, there really isn’t any controlling Lloyd. So coming your way a Bloody Maria (Tequila instead of Vodka), Corpse Reviver [a cognac based cocktail that dates back to 1903], and a Tequila Sunrise. However, if history has taught me anything don’t expect any by the book versions of these libations.
No doubt one of the greats in Buffalo, Lloyd continues to bolster his reputation while cruisin’ along by the mantra “The world is your taco” where there is no such thing as a Lloydian Slip.
This menu and cocktails will only be available on Sundays at the Taco Factory from 11am – 4pm.
Lloyd Taco Factory | 1503 Hertel Avenue | Buffalo, NY | (716) 863-9781 | Facebook