I went to Raleigh’s fanciest fast-casual taco shop. Here’s what I got for $25
There’s something irresistible about “Market Price” on a menu.
Maybe it’s the mystery, maybe it’s the urge to thumb one’s nose at the age-old adage, “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”
But for guacamole, how bad could it be?
Well, it ended up being the priciest bite of the day on a recent lunch at Little Rey in Raleigh.
In the last few years, a handful of major out-of-town taco brands have moved into the Triangle, seemingly with dreams of national expansion. We’ve seen Torchy’s and Taco Bamba, with even more on the way.
Little Rey, created by celebrity chef and Superica owner Ford Fry, stands out in the pack. There are only five Little Reys so far in the country — Raleigh was number four. The menu is focused and fun, with around 10 different tacos, and unexpected bites like crinkle cut fries and, on the weekends, pancakes. Little Rey’s menu is built around smoky charcoal chicken, served in tacos or as a whole bird.
The thing about Little Rey, and there’s no way around this, is that it’s expensive, even for this fancy, fast-casual boom of taco shops.
Is it worth it? Let’s find out.
Here’s how I ordered
For our On a Budget series, I knew I could only spend $25. I wanted two tacos and a snack.
Another cool thing about Little Rey, they’ve done a monthly guest taco created by a local Raleigh chef. This month’s is from James Beard finalist Cheetie Kumar, chef of Raleigh’s Ajja. Proceeds from the taco go to a charity of the chef’s choosing, with this month’s benefiting the Southern Smoke Foundation, which offers emergency funds for restaurant workers in need.
So I started by ordering that, a honey harissa fried chicken taco, topped with sumac crema, pomegranate molasses, pickled red onion and cilantro, for $6.95.
Wanting something other than chicken for the other taco, the crispy pork belly called to me, topped with smoked onions and pico de gallo, for $5.75.
Here’s where things got tricky. I wanted chips, I was intrigued by french fries at a taco shop, but more than anything, I craved guacamole.
Which is where I encountered “market price” on a counter-service menu. I could have asked how much the guacamole was today, like a freshly caught flounder, but I didn’t. I daringly ordered, throwing caution to the wind, believing this promised mix “smashed avocado and serrano peppers.” It was $10.
My total, post tax and pre-tip: $24.57.
How was it? My Little Rey’s lunch review
The tacos ended up being a wonderful contrast to each other. Each was served in a housemade flour tortilla, dappled lightly from a griddle, with an excellent chew. It’s hard to measure tacos, but these were about 5-6 bites each, so decently big.
The honey-harissa taco from Cheetie offered a refreshing detour from the usual taco menu, eating more like a Mediterranean wrap. The sumac crema was bright and tangy and the pomegranate heightened the sweetness of the honey, with the harissa adding a backbone of spice.
The pork belly had lost the advertised “crisp” but that’s hardly a knock on these cubes of succulence. The smoked onions brought pork barbcue to mind and the pico kept things bright.
I didn’t dare add a sauce to the special taco, but for the pork belly I added the hot red pepper sauce for kick.
The guacamole and chips would have been great to share between two people, the chips light and crisp and perfectly (extra) salty. Compared to Torchy’s ($8.25) and Taco Bamba ($5.50) this is the most expensive, but tastes fresh and spicy and worthwhile.
The bites left behind
Little Rey is a tough order for a diner with menu FOMO. Two tacos and a large order of guac is a lot of food, but I mourn for the taco and snack combinations I didn’t get. The $10 guac hangs like an albatross on a solo-dining $25 budget. I had to skip the $5 Topo Chico and the $4 vanilla soft serve.
If you’re a snack fiend like me, the best way to do Little Rey is with a group, sharing a spread of chips and salsa ($1.95), chile con queso ($7.50) and crinkle cut fries ($6.50).
Little Rey menu and price guide
Tacos at Little Rey range from $5.50 to $6.95. Other dishes include a whole chicken for $35, plates like arroz con pollo for $13.50 and a spicy chicken torta for $10.50.
Notable drinks include an agua fresca of the day at $4.50, iced tea for $2.50, beers from $4.25 for Shiner Bock to a hazy IPA tallboy for $8.75. There are also $10 house and grapefruit margs, for another day.
This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 10:19 AM with the headline "I went to Raleigh’s fanciest fast-casual taco shop. Here’s what I got for $25."
