Among students, one of the most popular places to sit down or pick up some food before class is Torchy’s Tacos. However, with the closest location previously being 3.9 miles away, not everyone could make the trek there and back so easily.

This problem was fixed as of Nov. 13, 2018. Despite being a food-joint associated with devils, someone seemed to hear students’ prayers as a new location was opened up on Slaughter Ln. and Escarpment Blvd, only 1.5 miles from Bowie.

I was never a fan of going to Torchy’s because of my particular dislike of their food and especially how claustrophobic the place made me feel. The lines were so long that with the amount of people you could hardly move around. For students wanting to pick up a quick lunch, there was a time-consuming crowd they’d have to go through first.

Unlike the previous William Cannon location, the new Torchy’s was much bigger with two huge indoor seating areas, an outside heated area, and a bar. The open space made the restaurant feel much more hospitable than the other without so many people crammed together.

My favorite part of the Escarpment Torchy’s had to be the interior. The modern light fixtures and monochrome furniture made it look almost like a completely different restaurant. The booths were spacious and didn’t give the impression you were glued to your neighbor and were comfortable enough to sit in for long periods of time. There was also a sense of privacy that was not present at the other location. Overall, it was a refreshing change of scene.

The location was an extremely smart idea as it is center of where many students who attend Bowie live. For those that don’t live near Escarpment, it’s just as convenient being only a 5-6 minute drive from the school.

Before going to the restaurant myself, I was a bit nervous about the service there as I had heard it was not the best. My nerves were put to rest though as the servers and employees at the front desk were very polite and patient when ordering. They didn’t have beaming smiles, nor rolled out a red carpet for me, but they did their job more than efficient for employees working long hours.

My one experience at the Torchy’s on Escarpment was much more enjoyable than one I ever had at the William Cannon location. It’s a great place to go with friends or family, and an ideal location for students and teens. Torchy’s pleasantly surprised me and proved they sure know how to make a damn good upgrade.