Ford Fry’s Little Rey Anchors Down in Vandy

There’s lively debate in my family as to whether Little Rey’s tacos al carbón in housemade flour tortillas are superior to the tradicionales wrapped in corn tortillas. There’s a similarly animated conversation about whether the house margarita on the rocks surpasses the frozen version.

But for all the internecine bickering about the best order, there’s unanimity among my crew about dining at Ford Fry’s new Mexican-inspired outpost, which opened in April at the northeast corner of Vanderbilt campus.

Located in a former Qdoba, Little Rey transformed the former cookie-cutter storefront into a breezy indoor-outdoor oasis that’s surprisingly light and cheerful for a one-time Pizza Hut.

Easygoing, with counter ordering and table service, Little Rey offers a roster of tacos, roasted whole chicken, quesadillas, chips and salsa, smoked chicken wings, fries, and flautas, along with a weekend breakfast menu of chalupas, huevos rancheros, tacos, and “Little Superica” hotcakes, which borrow a name from restaurateur Fry’s larger Gulch eatery, Superica. The Midtown location adds to the list of Fry’s Little Rey restaurants in Atlanta, Houston and Raleigh, N.C.

When it comes to the tacos, try all the familiar grilled meats, but don’t overlook the meatless Oaxaca, named for a Mexican state, stuffed with corn, onions, peppers, and pico de gallo, and double-wrapped with an organic corn tortilla (from Molina Tortilleria in Atlanta) and a lacy layer of grilled Oaxacan cheese. Explore the self-serve salsas in varying levels of heat and hues of green and red. And be warned about the well-named El Diablo, loaded with plump grilled shrimp, salsa macha with peanuts, avocado crema, cabbage and jalapenos, whose stealthy heat will leave you clambering for something cold--like a Rio Red grapefruit margarita or a non-alcoholic hibiscus-lime agua fresca.

A surprise favorite from the salad section, the Esqueleto loads a bowl with greens, quinoa, caramelized plantains, avocado, cucumber, pickled onions and toasted cashews, layering sweet and savory in a textural medley of crisp, warm, creamy. Going forward, this unusual and fresh combination is likely to be a regular order, along with a soft serve ice cream.

And to be sure, we’ll be regulars--as long as we can edge our way into what promises to be a popular and bustling new Vandy landmark.

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