Now Open in Charlotte: Taco Boy Comes Inland – Charlotte Magazine

Open a taqueria on the ground floor of a mixed-use development in front of a light rail stop in LoSo, and you’re guaranteed to attract customers. Stay open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays with a DJ spinning house tracks, and those customers aren’t likely to care if your taco game is less than awesome. Mexican culinary tradition isn’t the goal at Taco Boy, despite servers’ T-shirts that read, “Tacos are our superpower.” The vibe is the priority here.

Taco Boy’s flagship location opened in Folly Beach, South Carolina, in 2006. Founder Karalee Nielsen Fallert has been a longtime advocate for women-led initiatives and community projects, according to her restaurant group’s website, so it doesn’t quite track that she named this one Taco Boy. It’s a fun place on the surface, though, with a pet-friendly patio, cornhole, and a rooftop bar. Inside, it’s got a tortilla-making station, a custom mural by Charlotte-based artist Jen Hill, and greenery from Kristine Brockman of Charlotte Plantscapes.

In addition to tacos, the menu features made-to-order guacamole, enchiladas, quesadillas, vegan-friendly dishes, and a kids menu. Drink highlights include tropical frozen margaritas, classic cocktails, and aguas frescas. It’s odd that a place with “taco” in its name doesn’t have taco specials on Taco Tuesday, but it does observe Tequila Tuesday with $5 margaritas, which kind of makes up for it.

Service is prompt, and each table gets a welcome snack of Crispy Seasoned Chickpeas to nibble while you peruse the menu. The lineup of margaritas is fairly predictable, with Skinny Casa ($9), Spicy ($10), and Blood Orange ($12). The standout is the Hibiscus Margarita ($11), which has cinnamon-fennel salt on the rim to balance the tartness from the lime and orange juices. It’s also pretty (and pink!).

Most tables start with the Guacamole en Molcajete ($15), made to order and served in a textured stone bowl. While the menu says “scratch-made,” they don’t make it tableside like many Mexican restaurants do, and it seems like a missed opportunity to show diners just how fresh their guacamole is. Unfortunately, Taco Boy’s version of this avocado-based dip is too heavy on diced tomatoes, and the excessive lime juice disguises the slightly bitter flavor of avocados that have passed their prime. 

The Queso Fundido ($12) is an unremarkable bowl of melted cheese that tastes marginally better than Velveeta. Kids (or late-night imbibers) will lap it up, but if you want to punch up the flavor, add birria or mushrooms for $2 extra or vegan chorizo for $3. The Trio of Salsas ($8) includes salsa verde, roasted tomato, and a seasonal variety, but it feels like a scam when you remember how many Mexican and Tex-Mex places provide bottomless chips and salsa at no charge.

The Guacamole en Molcajete with a Blood Orange Margarita.

Tacos come with your choice of corn, lettuce, or flour tortillas, which you can order a la carte or as part of a platter with rice and beans. Look for classics like Carne Asada ($6), Tinga ($6), and Al Pastor ($6). The Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($6) is a bit more unexpected, but the sweetness of the chipotle barbecue sauce overpowers the cilantro-Key lime crema. The Be-Hive Chorizo ($7) checks the vegan box with plant-based chorizo, watermelon radish slaw, and chimichurri. 

If you order the Birria taco ($6), expect mediocrity in a tortilla. The braised beef is dry and doesn’t have the sexy cheese pull we’ve come to expect after TikTok made it trendy. If you want more cheese, you have to make it a “quesataco” for $2 extra. Or you can save yourself the guesswork and spring for the Quesabirria ($13) entrée.  

Of the four desserts, the Tres Leches ($10) is the best, with brandy-infused sponge cake and fresh strawberries on top. The Churros ($9) are the most kid-friendly, with vanilla whipped cream and dulce de leche for dipping. (When the sugar high hits, send them outside for a few rounds of cornhole.)

Desserts include Tres Leches and Churros, with whipped cream and dulce de leche.

Taco Boy makes sense as a beachfront taqueria where mediocre food and cheap margaritas are enough to get thirsty, sunburned people in the door. But a restaurant on the ground floor of a mixed-use development in LoSo? Tequila Tuesdays might be the thing that keeps their high tops booked and their rooftop bustling.

TAYLOR BOWLER is the lifestyle editor.