September 16th is Mexican Independence Day! Trudy’s is celebrating with an all-day party at their North Star and South Star locations. Chef Julian Rodarte visited with Studio 512 about the festivities and Trudy’s new look.

Chef Julian says, “As part of Trudy’s Tex-Mex’s mission to protect and enhance the iconic brand’s legacy for generations to come, local CEO and Owner Dan Smith has led the charge to undergo a system-wide schedule of remodeling, rebranding, and renovations along with you who has revamped the restaurant’s menu while preserving old fan-favorites.” Trudy’s has been in business in Austin since 1977!

Chef Julian is keeping some really popular items on the menu, rereleasing others, and inventing new dishes. He mentions “fan-favorite dishes, such as Trudy’s Classic Queso; Cholula Honey Chicken Fajitas served with onions, peppers, zucchini, squash, rice, and choice of beans; Trudy’s Famous Stuffed Avocado, a chicken-and-cheese-stuffed fried avocado, Suiza sauce, and melted cheese served with rice and choice of beans; and Flaquities, Trudy’s original Tex-Mex egg rolls available with chicken, vegetables, or brisket.

“Additionally, Trudy’s has brought back the Chorizo-Stuffed Chicken—discontinued years ago—with sautéed vegetables, pico, avocado slices, and queso cotija, served with rice and a choice of beans. The new menu features classic appetizers along with new twists such as Trudy’s Taco Tots served with queso, spiced beef, pico, sour cream, pickled jalapenos, avo salsa and queso cotija and Shaken Ceviche Cocktail with Mahi Mahi, shrimp, avocado cucumber pico and Trudy’s house made cocktail sauce.”

The South Star (901-C Little Texas Lane) and North Star (8820 Burnet Road) locations of Trudy’s Tex-Mex are now open and operating Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.trudys.com.

A San Antonio native, Chef Rodarte is also a TV personality, a “30 under 30” chef and restaurateur with years of experience working as a concept chef for national brands. Chef Rodarte and his father recently opened Beto & Son at Trinity Groves in Dallas and at DFW Airport. Beto & Son was awarded one of Zagat’s “Top 15 Hottest New Restaurants” in the United States in 2017. Chef Rodarte has consulted on recipe development for national brands, like 7UP and On The Border, represented the United States in the World Tapas Competition in Spain, won on ChoppedU’s cooking competition, competed on Beat Bobby Flay with his dad, Beto, and guest judged on the Food Network.