Hello, queso. A new family-owned Mexican restaurant is now open in the Charlotte area.
Where there was once rotisserie chicken and fried yucca, there is now queso and fajitas. Mr. Rayo Mexican Grill has moved into the Fort Mill space where Roasting Oven and Grill recently closed.
The Ugalde family behind Rock Hill’s Casa Tequila has opened the restaurant, named Mr. Rayo for a nickname given to the family patriarch, Raul, co-owner Cesar Ugalde told CharlotteFive. (“Rayo” means lightning, a nod to how speedy Raul Ugalde was in his youth.)
The restaurants won’t share a name, partly to help avoid confusion by customers ordering in separate towns. But the food — based on the cuisine of Michoacán, Mexico — will be quite similar.
Customers can now down on burritos, fajitas and tacos at Mr. Rayo. Other familiar favorites from the Casa Tequila menu such as chimichangas and chile rellenos will likely make an appearance.
“Our fajitas are really popular. We have one that comes in a whole pineapple,” Ugalde said.
Mr. Rayo is still awaiting a liquor license but plans to eventually offer a full bar, complete with margaritas and other cocktails. Mexican beer and domestic options will be available, too.
Murals by Charlotte-area artist Alex DeLarge decorate the dining area, which underwent renovations. Customers can dip chips into queso and crunch into tacos under DeLarge’s Monarch butterflies, set along a bright orange wall, and near a striking calavera mural.
As for the Roasting Oven, owner Aldo Sevillano had reached out to the Ugaldes about the space close to South Charlotte because he was ready to retire, Ugalde said. The longtime family friend served Peruvian and other Latin American cuisine since 1993, including rotisserie chicken entrees and sandwiches, seafood platters and more.
Mr. Rayo Mexican Grill
Location: 855 Gold Hill Rd #111, Fort Mill, SC 29708
Cuisine: Mexican
This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
