Pummeling metal guitar riffs greet me when I pick up lunch at Terror Tacos. I would be more specific ā pummeling death-metal guitar riffs, say ā but what little I know about metal is just enough to understand both that it has many subgenres and that I donāt get the nuances among them. At any rate, the music isnāt too loud for this unhip indie-rock dad, and the pummeling is a welcome distraction from the existential jackhammering that has filled my head since the beginning of the pandemic.
I could tell you Terror Tacos is a metal-loving vegan Mexican restaurant, but as specific as that description is, it doesnāt convey exactly what brothers Brian Roash and Bradley Roach are up to here. (The siblings spell their last name differently.) Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines are obvious, direct influences, but so are skateboarding, street art and horror flicks, an aesthetic that manifests itself in dishes that genuflect at the altar of the 2 a.m. fridge raid and explode any trite preconceptions of what vegan food can or should be.
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Bradley Roach (left) and Brian Roash,Ā co-owners of Terror TacosĀ
Terror Tacosā mashup of Mexican cuisine, veganism and metal is more cohesive than it might appear. The menu draws inspiration from the style of Mexican food the brothers loved to eat while growing up in California, Colorado and New Mexico. Meanwhile, Brian and Bradley are not only metal fans, but they also played in bands themselves, and it was the intersection of the hardcore and straight-edge scenes that introduced them to veganism. Brian is vegan, and Bradley vegetarian. Terror Tacos is 100% vegan.
Brian moved to St. Louis to be with his girlfriend (now wife); Bradley followed later. In addition to operating Terror Tacos, Brian has a full-time career designing exhibits and other guest experiences. Bradley previously worked as the chef and general manager of the Clayton vegan restaurant Seedz Cafe.
The brothers opened Terror Tacos in March on the Tower Grove South side of the main South Grand strip. The space (the former Baida Moroccan Restaurant) is small, its dƩcor memorable: a wall of honor with framed photographs of metal legends; a mural by Brian with two creatures that look like the Grinch crossed with a jalapeƱo rising out of a taco that is also a nightmare sun; an impressive amount of fuchsia-like Terror Pink paint (a custom color), including in long dribbles that evoke running blood or deeply dug roots. A chandelier hangs from the tin ceiling. Outdoor seating is also available.

A Carnage Asada burrito at Terror Tacos
Terror Tacoās menu is based around a familiar trio of non-meat main ingredients: tofu, textured vegetable protein (or, in the restaurantās parlance, veggie grounds) and seitan. The seitan, made in-house, is the star. As the featured ingredient of the Carnage Asada burrito, it doesnāt taste meaty, per se, but to my palate, at least, it suggests the charcoal smokiness of a backyard grill. The seitan isnāt ballast, but a distinct flavor in a burrito bursting (literally) with cilantro rice, grilled vegetables, lettuce, guacamole, and nondairy chipotle cheese sauce and sour cream.
For the Citrus Mistress taco, Terror Tacosā seitan makes for a credible faux chorizo in both texture and chile-sharpened bite. The dish nods slightly to tacos al pastor with its fruit salsa ā pineapple, mango and pickled jalapeƱo with lemon and lime juice ā while the soy-based vegan sour cream adds a cooling tang.
The fried tofu in the Buffalofu Taco doesnāt pretend to be anything other than fried tofu, but it offers a firm chew and, as the dishās name suggests, a generous dose of piquant buffalo sauce and a dash of vegan ranch dressing. The tofu sits atop a bed of rice inside a flour tortilla. The rice doesnāt add much to the taco besides heft; it certainly makes the crisp garnish of jalapeƱo, green onion and cilantro an essential textural contrast.

A folded quesadilla sits in front of a mural painted by Terror Tacos co-owner Brian Roash.
If the Buffalofu Taco didnāt make clear that Terror Tacos is following its own path, let me introduce you to the Behemoth. This fourth-meal fever dream begins with a vegan riff on the beloved American hard-shell taco: veggie grounds as the taco āmeatā dressed with lettuce, the chipotle cheese sauce and sour cream. The crunchy corn tortilla is itself cradled in a flour tortilla spread with black beans, green chiles and more cheese sauce.
If you would like the taco Inception to end here, you can order the Double Diablo. The Behemoth wraps this taco-within-a-taco in toasted pita bread with guacamole, jalapeƱos and more sour cream. Itās fun, especially if you get all three tacos in a bite, and while it isnāt Terror Tacosā best dish, it might be the most representative. I felt metal finishing it one sitting.
Iāve mentioned the chipotle cheese sauce a few times already. It deserves a moment in the spotlight. Made from pulverized oats, the sauce is impressively creamy ā or ācreamy,ā if youāre a stickler ā and with its smoky chipotle heat, it performs admirably as the queso atop Terror Tacosā nachos.
The restaurantās most daring improvisation is vegan birria tacos. The degree of difficulty is higher than swapping in seitan for beef and building a vegan consommĆ© to season the tacos and serve alongside them. In a phone interview with the brothers, Bradley said he has been a vegetarian for so long that he has never eaten a traditional birria consommĆ©. He relied on friends for taste-testing.

Birria tacos in the dining room at Terror TacosĀ
A blend of arbol, guajillo and other chiles carries the flavor of the consommĆ© and, in turn, the seitan: a brow-dampening blast of heat with an earthy, subtly sweet finish. What the vegan consommĆ© canāt approximate isnāt so much the flavor of meat but the silken body that slow-cooking beef imparts.
On its own terms, though, this vegan birria is delicious: crisp tortillas with tender, spicy seitan and the crunch of cabbage and onion served with a fiery, complex sipping sauce. Rather than try to describe them as ātrueā birria, I will tell you that I ordered them on two separate trips to Terror Tacos.
We are currently not assigning star ratings to restaurants. This review is based on takeout. Contact the restaurant directly for the most up-to-date hours and operating procedures.
Where Terror Tacos, 3191 South Grand Boulevard • More info 314-260-9996; terrortacos.com • Menu Vegan Mexican-inspired dishes • Current services Dine-in; patio; takeout • Hours 3-8 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday (closed Monday)
Photos: Terror Tacos on South Grand in St. Louis
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

Bradley Roach (left) and Brian Roash,Ā co-owners of Terror TacosĀ
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

Birria tacos in the dining room at Terror TacosĀ
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

A folded quesadilla sits in front of a mural painted by Terror Tacos co-owner Brian Roash.
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

The Behemoth at Terror Tacos
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

Terror Tacos co-owner Bradley Roach plates roasted jalapenos with an order of birria tacos on Sept. 4, 2021.Ā
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

Terror Tacos co-owner Bradley Roach works Sept. 4, 2021, in his restaurant's kitchen.
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

A Carnage Asada burrito at Terror TacosĀ
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

A Carnage Asada burrito at Terror Tacos
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

A large painting of a taco hangs over a table at Terror Tacos in St. Louis on Saturday, September 4, 2021. The restaurant's menu is vegan friendly and theme is influenced by graffiti, street art, metal and hardcore music. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

Bradley Roach (left) and Brian Roash, co-owners of Terror Tacos, with a wall of framed concert photos by Alvaro Oña
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

The entrance of Terror Tacos is decorated with paintings of peppers on South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis on Saturday, September 4, 2021. The restaurant's menu is vegan friendly and theme is influenced by graffiti, street art, metal and hardcore music. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com
Terror Tacos vegan taco joint

The entrance of Terror Tacos is decorated with graffiti style letters on South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis on Saturday, September 4, 2021. The restaurant's menu is vegan friendly and theme is influenced by graffiti, street art, metal and hardcore music. Photo by Daniel Shular, dshular@post-dispatch.com