Pedro Pascal in Austin: South Congress TikTok videos at Torchy's Tacos go viral at SXSW

The South Congress breeze, usually scented with patchouli and vintage denim, was thick with something else entirely on Thursday: pure, unadulterated Pedro Pascal Panic. It all started, as these things do in the age of social media, with an elsuive TikTok. User @maripuri1707, bless her soul, uploaded a 20-second clip, shaky and lit by the warm glow of Torchy's Tacos' iconic devil logo.

"New fan video. Pedro grabbing tacos in Austin" the caption said. The video showed a figure, undeniably resembling the internet's collective daddy, rolling up his sleeves to get a taste of the iconic tacos. He was sporting a slightly rumpled, but impossibly cool, dark navy pullover and hat. The kind of effortless look that launches a thousand thirst tweets.

Is Pedro Pascal on a secret Austin taco quest? TikTok knows!

The internet, as always, went wild. Within hours, "Pedro Pascal Austin Texas" was trending under the video, and a full-blown recon mission was underway. The timing was perfect, of course. The South by Southwest Conference and Festival is in full swing, and Pascal, along with the rest of "The Last of Us" cast, just wrapped a panel discussion about the show's second season. The panel had been a frenzy of ecstatic fans and insightful discussion, but apparently, Pedro was craving some Austin flavor.

The real chaos started when other TikToks and Instagram stories began flooding in. A blurry video in front of The Church on Congress from TikTok user @bellavmolina showed a figure in the same navy blue pullover and hat interacting with fans.

"Ladies! This is a sign to get your nails done" the video said, "bc you never know Pedro Pascal could compliment your nails"

The speculation reached fever pitch. Was he on a meticulously planned taco tour? Was he just trying to experience the true Austin vibe? Was he simply craving a damn good taco? Nobody knew for sure.

Whether Pedro Pascal was still wandering the streets of South Congress, enjoying his taco, or had retreated to his hotel room, one thing was certain: Austin had been officially Pascal-ed. And thanks to TikTok, everyone felt like they had a front-row seat to the delicious chaos.