On this episode of Homegrown Highway, Travis ventures to Conway to highlight an amazing local business and longtime friend – Tacos 4 Life! Watch along to hear all about their mission, purpose, and culture that complements their delicious food!
Support Austin & Ashton with Tacos 4 Life at facebook.com/Tacos4LifeGrill
and @Tacos4LifeGrill.
Find us on Instagram at @EatMyCatfish and @EatMyCatfishNWA
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/EatMyCatfishAR
Tacos 4 Life
Travis:
All right. Welcome back to the next episode of the Homegrown Highway. Today we’re headed back up to the big town of Conway to feature a huge success, and that’s Tacos 4 Life. Austin and Ashton and I met at a food conference about four years ago. We went in, we didn’t know each other a bit, didn’t even know each other were going to be there, and by the time that flight was coming home, we felt like good friends. Since then, we’ve really relied on each other for business advice, restaurant advice, and formed a community of restaurants here locally.
Travis:
Through times like COVID, where everybody’s lives been turned upside down and businesses, we’ve relied on each other to come through it together, so I can’t wait for you to hear their purpose. There’s not another business or restaurant out there that I think has a better purpose-driven culture than Tacos 4 Life. Such good people and really good food, of course, but today the secret challenge is going to be Arkansas’s favorite catfish, straight out of Tunica, as you know, and grandma’s coleslaw. We’re going to see what they can whip up, and I can’t wait, again, for you just to hear their story. We’ll see you there. Ashton!
Ashton:
Hey, come in.
Travis:
How are you, my friend?
Ashton:
Hey, welcome. Come in.
Travis:
Oh man, you have it all set up.
Ashton:
I got us ready.
Travis:
Did you cook this?
Ashton:
Oh, no, no. The best restaurant I ever known to make catfish, we got it. I got it all ready, and I thought we could just merge.
Travis:
I skipped lunch for this.
Ashton:
You better, because it’s going to be delicious. Catfish in a taco, what could be better?
Travis:
Before we get started, I want all our fans to hear about your purpose. I talked about it on the way over here, but there’s not a restaurant or business out there, I don’t think, that has a better purpose-driven business than y’all.
Ashton:
I appreciate that.
Travis:
Yeah. Yeah. Tell them a little bit about it.
Ashton:
Yeah. The way it works is our guests come into Tacos 4 Life, and when they order a taco, a quesadilla, rice bowl, any meal, less than a quarter goes to an organization called Feed My Starving Children and they feed a child.
Travis:
That is so cool.
Ashton:
We just reached 15 million.
Travis:
I know. That was the coolest part of being here.
Ashton:
I’m so excited.
Travis:
We won’t tell anyone, but Austin’s in the background right now and-
Ashton:
He’s wishing he was getting to eat this with us.
Travis:
Yeah, he wishes. Yeah, yeah.
Ashton:
If you’re not on the video, you don’t get to eat it. Just kind of the way it goes.
Travis:
Yeah. We’re about to start filming and Austin starts screaming as loud as he can. Well not scream really loud, but 15 million meals just right now.
Ashton:
Kind of amazing. Literally, Travis, I know you agree, because we have a lot of the same guests, but the most amazing people that are coming to eat locally and support, but also making such a big difference around the world, so I can’t believe it, 15 million meals. It’s so cool.
Travis:
Would you have ever thought it 10 or 12 years later?
Ashton:
We’re really excited about it. Oh no. We hoped. We really hoped, but yeah, it’s really exceeded our expectations, so I’m just so excited about that. Yeah. That’s our big thing today that we’re pumped about.
Travis:
That’s awesome. That’s awesome. All right. Whatever place we go, we do the Homegrown Highway food challenge.
Ashton:
I love it.
Travis:
We bring something from us, so today we have brought Arkansas’s best catfish here.
Ashton:
Looks amazing.
Travis:
Tunica [inaudible 00:03:15], packed on ice, and then grandma’s coleslaw, and ours is really creamy.
Ashton:
Is this your grandma?
Travis:
Yes.
Ashton:
Of course. I love it.
Travis:
Tell us what you have in mind.
Ashton:
I love it. I’m passionate about fish tacos, so fried fish tacos, which we don’t currently have on our menu, really pumped me up.
Travis:
But maybe after today-
Ashton:
I’m really pumped. You never know. This may just ignite a fire within us, that we’re going to just love. Yeah. The inspiration behind what I was thinking is Arkansas’s best catfish. We’ve got some tortillas here. You want me to go ahead and build it?
Travis:
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. My mouth’s watering. [crosstalk 00:00:03:48].
Ashton:
Yes. I love it. Okay. I like a good, full taco. We call it a five finger. If it’s not taking your whole hand, it’s not worth it. Yeah. I’m thinking that, and then grandma’s coleslaw, which this is one of my favorite things on your menu. I need to meet her. It’s amazing. Yeah. We’re going to stick this on here, and then we’re also going to add … This is delicious. Y’all struck a perfect balance of sweet, creamy. Then this is Chipotle Aioli. What I love about this is it’s basically a Mayo that’s got some zest. It’s not really that spicy, so if you’re not huge on spice, it’s perfect because it’s got a lot of flavor, still a little bit of creaminess, but I think it’s going to be perfect.
Travis:
Now, what’d you say it was?
Ashton:
It’s Chipotle Aioli, which is kind of a schmancy way to say mayonnaise. We actually take real Chipotle’s in the store, blend them up with the mayonnaise and make it.
Travis:
I love it. Y’all are doing that in-house?
Ashton:
I love it. Yeah.
Travis:
That’s amazing.
Ashton:
It’s fun. Then we put on some Pico, which gives a little bit of freshness on top of all of our creaminess, which is so good. Look at this, looks super good.
Travis:
I might eat six or seven [crosstalk 00:04:53].
Ashton:
Oh my goodness. Okay. Then, what is better than some avocado? I feel like you put avocado on something and it automatically just takes it to a whole new level.
Travis:
All right. We’re going to have to take a cut, because I don’t know if I can eat this and not get it all over me, but I’ll go for it.
Ashton:
Look at this, y’all.
Travis:
Just don’t laugh. I feel like [Ghaffari 00:05:13] here. I need the Ghaffari mouth.
Ashton:
You need a plate? You want me to cut it and give you a plate?
Travis:
I’m just going to go for it.
Ashton:
Go.
Travis:
I’m going to go 10 finger.
Ashton:
You need your face in there.
Travis:
10 finger.
Ashton:
Get your face in there. Is it good? Do you like it? You got the sweetness from grandma, the Chipotle Aioli.
Travis:
I love the Chipotle Aioli flavor.
Ashton:
Arkansas’s best catfish.
Travis:
Fresh avocado. It is so good.
Ashton:
Love it.
Travis:
This is incredible.
Ashton:
It’s good?
Travis:
Is this where Tacos gets all their inspiration, it’s this table right here? Is this where it all starts?
Ashton:
I’m so excited. The crazy thing is this table actually was in the first Tacos 4 Life, this chop block.
Travis:
No way.
Ashton:
Then whenever we remodeled and redid our kitchen at Oak Street, I was like, please, I want that table. Yeah, really cool. Basically, Travis, it’s so simple. We just think about what we think is good and tastes good, and we just try to put it on a taco, like Arkansas’s best catfish.
Travis:
Yeah. You find the crave-able, and you put it in a taco.
Ashton:
That’s right. We just try it, and if it just blows our hair back or like, this is amazing, we can’t do without it, then we send it to our guests and see what they think. [inaudible 00:06:21].
Travis:
That’s awesome. All right. I want all the fans out there, let’s go to Tacos 4 Life’s page, their Instagram is to die for. The pictures, every time I see them, they’re so vibrant, makes my mouth water, I want to go there right away.
Ashton:
Thanks. Yeah.
Travis:
Go share their stuff, and share this video, y’all. We want everybody to see this content, let’s create that restaurant community and get it back thriving here in Arkansas, but thanks again for having us out.
Ashton:
For sure. Thanks for letting us be a part. This is really awesome. I’m excited about this series.
Travis:
Yeah. Until the next time on the Highway, thank y’all.