Little Rey

Really tasty tacos with fresh ingredients and great flavor! The chips with queso and guac were perfect, and the Grapefruit drink was super refreshing. Casual spot with good vibes and quick service. Definitely worth coming back for more! 🌮✨

Little Rey’s in Raleigh did not disappoint! We started with the queso primo and it was the perfect way to kick off the meal. It was rich, cheesy, and packed with flavor. For mains, we tried the chef’s special tacos, arroz con pollo, and the Diablo shrimp tacos. Each dish was fresh, vibrant, and absolutely delicious with the shrimp tacos bringing just the right amount of heat. The service was just as impressive as the food. Quinn took amazing care of us and made the whole experience even better. If you’re looking for a spot in Raleigh that combines bold flavors with excellent hospitality, Little Rey’s should be at the top of your list.

I was excited to try this spot after reading glowing reviews about the food and service, but the experience fell short. The location at RIW was great -outdoor seating and good food - but service was confusing and underwhelming. We arrived on a quiet Sunday afternoon and weren’t sure how things worked. The woman at the register took our order, flipped the screen for a tip, and offered no further guidance. After awkwardly waiting with our chips and guac by the salsa bar, another staff member finally explained that food would be brought to our table, handed a table card, and showed us where to get drinks. That staff member also delivered the tacos and explained what was what, which helped since we ordered one of each. It wasn’t busy, so a simple welcome and explanation would’ve gone a long way and leave less room to wonder what service should I be tipping for. Aside from taking and delivering the order, there was no interaction with the staff, though there were a lot of them hovering behind the counter. We bussed our own table after we finished the meal and left feeling a bit let down, especially after reading reviews about attentive service with great recommendations from staff. Food-wise, the tacos were solid—pork, chicken, and pork belly were favorites. Cheese and pork belly offered a fun twist. Shrimp was decent but buried under cabbage. Chips were crisp, though the guac could have used a bit more flavor. The avocado vegan salsa was my favorite.

The traditional chicken tacos were amazing. I loved the smokiness within the meat. The fries were also delicious! (The last item on the apps). If you come to RIW, give it a try for lunch or dinner. Service was great!

Amazingly good food, super friendly staff and absolutely clean. I had the Chicken Flauta (3 per order) and one Carnita Taco. Fresh cooked, great Salsa Verde - we loved it. Great job guys !

Came with friends to try Little Rey for the first time Friday night and loved it so much I had to come back Monday for lunch. The food is an incredible & margs were delicious! Both visits had the pleasure of having Quinn take our order. The service made us feel so welcome and they gave us the best recommendations. Absolutely love this place and will be returning soon. (Hot tip: the June chef featured taco is AMAZING, do not miss)

My first experience at Little Rey when they opened at Raleigh Iron Works left me underwhelmed, but a friend convinced me to give them another try, especially after hearing about their Torta De Barbacoa collaboration with Union Special. And I'm so glad I did! That torta alone was worth the revisit – truly outstanding. Beyond that, we dove into a selection of their tacos, sipped on their delicious margaritas, and enjoyed their queso, all of which exceeded expectations. What truly elevated the experience, however, was the service. The staff was top-notch, and the restaurant itself was impeccably maintained. The manager went above and beyond, stopping by each table multiple times to ensure everyone was enjoying their meal. They also boast an awesome patio for those who love dining al fresco. Little Rey genuinely has something for everyone, making it a great family-friendly option. I'm already looking forward to my next visit! Don't forget the convenient parking garage nearby – it's a short, pleasant stroll to the entrance.

Have enjoyed dinner here many times but decided to try it for brunch today. It was great, and priced really well. Those hot cakes are worth going for alone. (And the staff were great, as always)

We enjoyed our lunch at Little Rey. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros which was a HUGE serving. I enjoyed my dish. My husband ordered the steak breakfast taco. He liked it and said he would definitely order again. I was pleasantly surprised that they also offered a kids menu. Our kids enjoyed the beef quesadillas and the beef taco. We also ordered the chips+guac which was posted as Market Price. It was $10 for us that day and 100% worth it. The guac was so fresh and creamy. It was a large portion of guac. All in all, we'll def be back and I'd stick to their breakfast offerings which are available only on the weekends until 3pm.

Two of us tried out this new restaurant in Ironworks. It's on the opposite end from Jaguar Bolero. Good size place, with plenty of seating. Order at the counter, get your own water, tea, utensils, napkins. What makes this Taco place stand out is they offer wood-roasted meats. I tried their smoked chicken wings, which were described to me by the friendly Gal working the front of the restaurant as good if you don't have a peanut allergy and can take a bit of heat. I would say they have a LOT of heat. Tasty but very spicy and salty. The jalapeno cream sauce and fresh lime help cut that a bit. Also tried the chips and small queso. Love that they have a salsa bar, so I got a couple of those to go with the chips as well. The medium one has a nice chipotle flavor. The chips were thin the way I like them, but again very salty. My Friend got one chicken taco and said it was good, but it was small. She would have gotten two if she hadn't had some of my wings and queso. I will definitely go back but order differently.

We came in at 3 minutes to 11 this past weekend (I know that because they go from breakfast to regular menu at 11 according to the person that greeted us at the door, who then went to check that we could order from the regular menu and came back to say we could). So we ordered from the regular menu and the lady at the cash register (about 5 feet from where this conversation had just happened) told us we had to order from the breakfast menu. The other guy behind the counter told her we could order everything. So that was a little awkward. Being that it is a new restaurant, my husband asked about the tacos.. he wanted to know how many you got. The lady said 3. When they were delivered it was a singular taco. Ok then... moving on. He also got loaded fries and I got flautas and we split guac. On the plus side- they have a salsa bar and the couple we tried were money! On the not-plus side- my flautas were so greasy that they were inedible and his loaded fries were just fries with tons of queso dumped on them. Not what we expected, but they are still new, so hopefully our experience was a fluke and they will have worked through it the next time we are in Iron Works and stop in. TLDR: Seems like they are still working out some kinks and I hope next time we pop in it will be a little smoother sailing.

I really wanted to like this place. It had Tex mex vibes and who doesn't love a good Tex mex taco?!?! It is way more Americanized than Tex Mex. My husband got the wings and I got two tacos- carne asada and pork belly. We started with the queso. The queso is bland. Missing so much flavor! The tacos were okay but nothing special. My husband's wings were ice cold. It was such a turn off we took it back and asked for our money back. We won't be going back.

My husband and I went here when they were giving out free breakfast tacos. I got the chorizo one and also the hotcakes. The taco was delicious! I got it without beans and really liked the chorizo. I was not prepared for how many hotcakes I would get. They were really good and had some good syrup. The staff was helpful, but they were hovering a little too much. They kept coming around wanting to take things we were done with. I would have preferred to just throw it away at the end. This was shortly after they opened, so maybe they will improve and not be super attentive.

Little Rey is now open in Raleigh Iron Works. My husband and I stopped in for lunch and enjoyed it. I ordered two tacos (the oaxaca and chicken al carbon) with a side of elote and a beer and my husband ordered two tacos (the oaxaca and picadillo) with a side of cilantro lime rice and the aqua fresca del dia. The tacos are on the more expensive side but they are a decent size and tasty. I would have been good with one and a side. This spot is definitely worth a visit.

Sister restaurant of Superica! Cheaper, faster and super convenient! Located in the Iron Works. The bowls are fantastic, great brunch items for a really good price. We will be back!

We stopped by Iron Works on Little Rey's opening weekend and enjoyed some truly transcendent breakfast tacos. Fresh, soft, homemade tortillas were the x-factor for sure. Quality fillings, coffee, and sauces tied it all together. Service was friendly and attentive. They seemed genuinely excited about the food and had good recommendations. It's a fun, modern space where you order at the counter. More of a casual treat-yourself spot than a date night in my book. We'll be back soon to try the lunch/dinner menu. Breakfast was a resounding success, more to come!

The food was pretty fantastic. It's been a while since I've had a pretty good meal, and as such this may raise my rating towards this establishment. Nevertheless, I was exceptionally satisfied by my meal. I had gotten a Chalupa and Esqueleto. My girlfriend got a Carnita taco and Huevo Rancheros. The food isn't made as so much to be absolutely delectable to your palate. but more as to inspire comfort and a generally different taste than what you are accustomed to from most Americanized Mexican restaurant. The service is fast and the general environment is up-beat and colorful. Hard to truly explain. A 5 star review, it had perfect timing in my life when it comes to wanting a meal. Pretty good stop and drop restaurant to eat at, would welcome a return and would recommend to passersby's.

Enjoyed my chicken tacos. Need to order at least two to satisfy your hunger. They have a salsa bar which was a option for kicking things up. The guacamole was tasty but not worth $2 given the tiny portion provided. Parking was a challenge. The deck had no open visitor spots so I parked in a muddy dirt lot.

Yummy! Food was delicious and loved the decor / ambiance. Staff were very friendly and very upbeat. Well done!

Such great food! The carne asada tacos were delicious, queso and salsas were great! Chicken was very moist and flavorful. We went with children and it's very kid friendly. Staff was also very friendly. Will definitely be back!

It's fine. Solid tacos in the hip new Raleigh Iron Works, though the prices reflect the real estate to a degree. It's counter order style service, which is fine, but it took a good bit for 2 tacos to make their way out. The vibe there is cool and you won't be unhappy, but it's nothing more or less than solid Mexican food. They do have a half chicken special I might try next time, and that might prove to be more noteworthy.

Amazing!! Warm chips with delicious queso, just the right amount of salt and the chips are thin and yummy! THE SMOKED WINGS are the best I've ever had! PERFECTION! Steak tacos had us in line for seconds! Service was efficient and friendly! Will tell our friends and be sure to come back!

They utilize peanuts in a few of their dishes. When we inquired further we did. It have a good feeling that there would be no cross contamination. With that we left.

We tried the oaxaca and chorizo breakfast tacos. Mediocre at best. The oaxaca taco was better than the chorizo taco. The restaurant has a fast food/food truck ambiance. You order at the front and find open seating. The person who took our order did not seem very familiar with the menu, and we received a couple of wrong items, but this was quickly fixed once identified. The chips were thin and crispy. The salsa bar has some hits and some misses. Overall an okay place to stop in if you are at iron works and hungry, but I wouldn't seek it out.

just ok. parking is atrocious. better bet is gringo a go go down the street. cheaper and better all around.

Had the Arroz con Pollo salad. Husband had tacos. Both had margaritas on the rocks. Every bit of it was awesome, including the service.

Best tacos in Raleigh! We tried Lil Rey's for the first time in Atlanta and were hooked, we were so excited when we saw them opening in Raleigh.

That queso is dream worthy. Scarfed down the pork belly tacos, wings and carne asada. Going back for sure.