Popular Folly Beach taco joint to open Greenville location

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A popular Folly Beach taqueria announced it will be making its way to Greenville this summer.

Taco Boy, which was founded in Folly Beach in 2006, is opening its fifth location in the Carolinas at 1813 Laurens Road in Greenville.

Longing for the oceanside fish tacos of her youth, Taco Boy was created by Charleston restauranteur Karalee Nielsen Fallert, a founding partner and co-owner of a dozen restaurant ventures in the Holy City and a leading advocate for community projects and women-led initiatives. She’s been recognized for her contributions to Charleston’s culinary community and for revitalizing Charleston neighborhoods, according to the news release.

The new Greenville location will take the place of the former Farmhouse Tacos. The opening will follow a complete transformation of the interior and exterior spaces, including the hardscaping. Steering the project is Greenville-based builder David Caldwell of Caldwell Constructors Inc., who’s working with the design team, global architecture firm Gensler, and Greenville-based civil engineering firm Isomer Project Group, according to the news release.

“We’re really focusing on curb appeal,” said Fallert. “We love the stretch of Laurens Road and proximity to Swamp Rabbit Trail. The location has served as a catalyst to improve that whole space. We’re expanding the outdoor patio for gathering and dining. And while the shell of the building will remain, the interior won’t be so recognizable.”

The family of neighborhood taquerias has four other locations: the flagship restaurant on Folly Beach, and others in downtown Charleston, which was opened in 2009; Summerville, which was opened in 2019; and West Asheville, which was opened in December.

The Greenville location will also include an in-house tortilleria, which is currently being guided by Asheville-based chef and consultant Luis Martinez, founder and owner of Tequio Foods, which supports indigenous Mexican farmers, the release said.

“The impetus for our growth is to create a positive impact for our team members and the communities we call home,” says Fallert.

In addition to Taco Boy’s current and upcoming locations, the restaurant plans to open two other locations this year: one in South Asheville’s Biltmore Park and another in a soon-to-be announced Carolina location. Though expansion is underway, the taqueria will remain independently owned, with a long-term goal of being an employee-owned business, the release said.

At the new Greenville store, Taco Boy will continue the restaurant’s charitable mission and will be partnering with local Greenville nonprofits for a variety of fundraising initiatives.