Horrible
Decided to order delivery from here on a lazy night. Grubhub gave us an approximate wait time of 40-60 minutes. No biggie. 60 minutes later, we were anxious. Called the restaurant and the lady said the food was on its way. We were barely a mile away. 15 minutes later I called her again and she says they're right around the corner. 15 minutes later, he finally arrived.
Way over priced burritos and tacos. The over stuffed chicken burrito was tiny and didn't come with any sides. The fish taco was bland and over fried. Chicken taco was good. The tortilla soup was ok but was 90% beans. Rice was meh. Chips and salsa were good, I like how they give you the option of corn or flour tortillas, or both.
Btw, when you're delivering to a hotel and they order soup and rice, things that require utensils, how about tossing in a few of those plastic silverware packets? Napkins wouldn't hurt either.
I think Carbon is pretty awesome. My favorite is the Burrito Bowl. It's like a burrito but in a big, bowl shaped tortilla shell. Steak topped with all the regular fixings and elote mixture on top. Yummm! Not the most diet friendly... but definitely more healthy than the standard lard infused bean dishes you get at most Mexican restuarants. A little on the pricey side for what you get... but still worthy for a treat once in a while.
Review Source:Jerry should not be delivering food. Â I LOVED this place but after my day today I JUST wanted my chicken tortilla soup. Â Jerry said he was outside, and so I went to get my food. (It snowed here in chicago today, and I was beaten from traveling on the CTA to and from forest park without a warm meal in me. Â This was what I was looking forward to ALL DAY.) Â As I got downstairs and saw no delivery BOY, I called him. Â "where are you jerry?" Â he replied,"you dont see me im right here." Â "Ummmm, no you aren't, are you at 3347?" Â "Yeah" Â "no, you're not, whats the address on the building you are at?" Â "3249" Â "well, that's not 3347 is it?" Â "oh wow they must have given me the wrong address" Â "????" Â I hung up.. Â Â He still hadn't arrived after another 10 minutes and i called him.. Â he did not pick up. Â after he played his game a bit more, he called me back,"hey im here" Â "no, yo aren't jerry, Im standing outside with no F-ing shirt and I want my food. Â do you want to keep your job? Â quit playing with me bud" Â he then called customer service before i did. Â He said I used profane language. Â WELL JERRY YOU LIVE IN F-ING CHICAGO GROW UP BEFORE YOU ENTER THE WORKING MANS WORLD AND F UP EVERYBODYS ORDER BECAUSE YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO FIND AN ADDRESS!!! UGGHHHH! I HATE TODAY!
Review Source:mm fish tacos! I sure do love them and boy is this the place to go to curb your craving. I have been going to this gem of a place for a few years now, not often but once in a while especially since it used to be walking distance to where I lived. I never tried much here but did try and love the fish tacos with lime sauce,mm. The tortillas were good and the elote was good too. Always got my food to go.
Review Source:My second review of this place... and all I have to say is:
Elote, elote, and elote. Â Those are the three ingredients to complete and utter happiness. Â And possibly world peace too. Â
I know what you're thinking... world peace is that simple? Â The answer is yes, elote from Carbon can lead to world peace! Â Amen!
I am writing this review in real time. My experience. As I eat. Here it goes.
"Stelote" burrito. Brown paper bag. It's a massive, foil wrapped force of nature. On the side, enticingly crimson red chili sauce beckons to be poured over everything. I tear into the foil, the form of the flour tortilla becomes clear.
One bite opens the wrapping up to display the huge, succulent slices of beef within. They are tender, and taste of summer grilling. Plump corn kernels associate closely with their beefy compatriots.
Oh yeah, I have the sauce. I open the lid, spicy but sweet aromas waft through the air. I gingerly pour it over the open burrito receptacle.
The next bite, the sauce hits first, pleasant, and not overpowering. I could have used more. The cheese makes an appearance, shredded as a layer embracing the meat. The steak becomes even more flavorful with every bite. They weren't shy about stuffing the most flavorful bits of flank steak in here.
Next bite, more sauce, more beef, better as you go. The burrito was teasing me at first. Now it's gettin' serious. Now we're getting somewhere. Â Let's see what happens when we slather it with even more sauce. I hold it with both hands as I bring it up to my face, all the fragrances fill my airways as I press it closer to my lips....
...
Alright, that's enough typing, I think I might need to finish this in private. Signing off! -j
Hands down literally the best carne asada burrito, chicken burrito, quesadilla and red salsa I have ever had in Chicago. Period!
They do tend to forget things like added guacamole or extra meat so kep an eye on your order, which is why they get 4 stars instead of 5. Don't let that scare you off though; it's a small price to pay for the best Mexican food you'll find in Chicago.
Oh yes, these are some of the tastiest vegetarian tacos in Chicago!! Â Fire roasted mushroom, onions, peppers, all marinated in balsamic vinaigrette and served in a whole wheat tortilla. Â Seriously good. Â And two of them make for an inexpensive and satisfying lunch. Â Sure, I suppose it is not the most traditional of taco joints, but I'm fine with that. Â If a Mexican place is being really serious about traditionalism, then I won't be able to eat there! Â And I do appreciate being given my options.
So I like this place. Â Plus they keep my carnivorous spouse happy, too. Â He general orders the Mother Clucker Burrito - grilled chicken marinated in tequila-lime sauce. Â The thing is huge and he generally gets two meals out of it. Â Plus, it's chicken so he feels like he's eating healthy!
It also offers easy, free parking right nearby. Â What's not to love?
LITERALLY best mexican in the city. ALWAYS order from them off <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FGrubHub.com&s=f593eaab003cd19889a720326b2f211d5de3ba2dc932c7460208b2fc52110c66" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://GrubHub.com</a> and they get me my food relatively fast and its always delicious.
Favorites to order:
GUACAMOLE and FLOUR CHIPS.. wow so amazing
Chicken and cheese quesedilla.
So good ALWAYS my go to place to order from on grubhub!
Their tilapia tacos are amazing and my all-time favorite. Its always made fresh but I can't say the same for their steak. Their steak is sometimes pre-cooked and kept under a hood. If it is made fresh, you can noticeably taste the difference. Its a hit or miss for the steak. If i'm feeling very hungry, I get a burrito bowl. It comes with elote which makes it more enjoyable.
Some favorites to order are the tilapia taco, steak burrito bowl, chicken tortilla soup, elote, and horchata. My favorite salsa is their roasted red pepper (red and creamy). They are generous with their salsa and will give you as many as you want.
When I first started going here, I went once a week for about 3 months. Then, their service dramatically went down. I have ordered tacos with cheese to go before and realized there was no cheese on ANY of the tacos. I called back and was given a credit for a guacamole for the next time I visited. But then it happened again, and I didn't bother this time.
Overall, there are some items on the menu that I would come back for. But with so many other taco joints around that are cheaper and better, I find myself coming here less unless I'm in the area.
Ordered delivery from here tonight. I will say ordering online was simple, you get $1 off, and it came in about 40 minutes.
I had a steak burrito which was literally just that - a bunch of steak in a tortilla. I think there might have been some onions. The corn / pineapple salsa was pretty gross. The salsa verde was good, and provided pretty much all the flavor for the meal.
The lady friend had a tilapia burrito, which she said was pretty good, but that "Chipotle is 1000 times better." I thought it was sort of gross. It was enormous, she only ate about 1/3. I don't think I could have eaten that much of it.
Also, the paper that the burritos were wrapped in was really thin and a lot of it tore off on the burrito, so I ate about a post-it note worth of paper.
I guess that's what you get ordering Mexican food in Chinatown. I will take the blame on that one.
On my first day at a new office, I was urged/told to head to Carbon for a quick lunch and delicious Mexican food so my friend and I walked the .6 miles. I am glad we got there when we did cause boy is this place busy for lunch. We snagged the last open table and within a few minutes the bar stools were filled too.
I only ordered two tacos, one steak and one chicken and they were sososo good. AND it was the perfect amount of food for lunch without putting me in a 2pm food coma. The mild salsa was seasoned perfectly; the steak tender. The two tacos came out to almost $8 so I thought it was a little expensive. Â
Overall, I will be heading back again during the month I am at the new office. Service was quick and left us plenty of time to return within our hours lunch break. After reading reviews, I now know there is the entire menu I need to try!
awesome steak burrito, but sauce is put on the side, not in the burrito and it's extra for things like guacamole.
spanish rice was good, but dry
quesadilla was a delicious mix of cheese. Â maybe chihuahua cheese and something else
chocolate chip brownie tasted store bought, but was an overdose of chocolate, which was exactly what i wanted at the time.
delivery was extra fast and nice.
Have been going here many years. The fish taco's can be hit or miss. The steak burrito with cilantro tastes so clean. Â They have the best salsas period! Everything is fresh, the service is great. Neighborhoods a little dingy, typical Bridgeport. When me and my boyfriend do stop in, visits run a bit long. Its a cop hangout since theres a station in the area. He's a cop and cops love to chat each other up. Just ignore them and go for the tacos...
Review Source:I recently had a random, very strong craving for fish tacos. If you can believe it (I can't) the last time I had them was on my trip to LA...which was back in January. Yikes. This did not bode well for Carbon, as Mexican food in LA is aaaamazing, and my craving was screaming, "You haven't had fish tacos in so long IWANTTHEMNOW and they better be just as damn good as the last time you had them!"
The fish tacos at Carbon? Good, but just good. The portions are pretty big (as they should be, for the price, yeesh) and I liked the crispiness of the fish, but the flavor and sauce were eh. The elote was a bit too mayonnaise-y and the horchata just okay (more cinnamon please! Although that's just preference, I suppose).
My craving was satisfied but I plan on doing some research so that the next time it hits I'll be better prepared.
This might be sad to admit, but I'm seriously addicted to Carbon's chicken and mole tamales. Â They are hands down...effin' amazing. Â This combination is fantastic and (the BEST part) extremely reasonably priced at $1.79! Â
Carbon's selection of salsa is something that they boast about AND it really is ridiculously good.  My fav?  Roasted red pepper.  (It's a lil spicy, but nothing  too crazy.) Â
The burrito bowls are still a favorite at my job. Â I usually opt for the "no-bowl" option, but instead ask for some tortillas and Carbon is always happy to fulfill the request. Â They also added a nice option for a bag of chips (corn OR flour OR a mix!). Â Umm, those flour chips? Â Slowly creeping up my list of favorite things!
Delivery is pretty quick and, if you order online, you get $1 off delivery. Â Granted, they raised the delivery fee to $3.50, but at least you can save some money somewhere, right?
Carbon, why did you let me down? There is all these hype about Carbon having the best tilapia tacos in town. I came in prepared to be blown away but my order was quite the contrary. The Tilapia was a generous portion but it was nowhere near crunchy and a tidbit dry. Did they fry it and left it sitting? I had mine with cheese and salsa. The cheese didn't melt so I might just pass on that. I also wanted my order to be hot/spicy but my friend told them mild instead. That's not Carbon's fault but definitely worsened my experience. So despite my mediocre experience, I'm willing to give Carbon a second chance, especially because it's within 10 minutes of my home.
Review Source:I learned about Carbon tacos a few years ago when they were a vendor at the Taste of Chicago. Â I had only eaten the chicken taco and heard rave reviews about the fish tacos so I knew that at some point I had to go back and eat them.
My boyfriend and I stopped by after a White Sox game to pick up some tacos to go. Â We got 5 fish tacos and paid a little over $18 so that is a bit pricey when you think about it.
The fish was absolutely amazing even slightly colder than usual. Â I loved that it was crispy on the outside and breaded perfectly. Â The only downside was that they were on flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas.
Decor wise, I did not like what it looked like at all and wouldn't eat inside it. Â The location was super small, somewhat dark and dingy looking. Â Also, the bathroom is extremely small and narrow. Â But, at least they have one! Â Also, location wise, I did not like having to cross a relatively big street to get to it.
But, great tacos and I definitely would eat them if I was in the area and grab some to go since they held up well on our somewhat long drive home.
Absolutely terrible. Ordered delivery and half of our order was forgotten. Specified no cilantro on a taco and received only cilantro. Tacos more expensive than anywhere else, but with half the amount of meat. Inauthentic AND overpriced. Guacamole tasted like it was from a plastic tub in the supermarket. Never again.
This place could only be good if you haven't sampled Mexican food anywhere else, but given the wonderful variety of Mexican restaurants in this city, there is no reason that anyone should ever visit this establishment.
I ordered the chicken burrito. It was really good! I think it's a nice step above chipotle. It's not a traditional taco and burrito place.
My friend got the steak burrito bowl. It's an actual tortilla bowl as compared to chipotle burrito bowl which is in a paper bowl.
One weird thing, they put carrots and peas in the burrito.
Ask for tequila sauce on the side! It's really delicious.
This restaurant is nothing special. Â i'll keep it short and to the point.
- floor was dirty with crumbs and lettuce throughout
- there was an industrial ac vent above my table which cooled my dish within seconds
- the salsa tastes like it was made in new york city
- the mens washroom was dirty
- the food was ok, the taco salad shell was kinda chewy; not crunchy
- the meat was too chewy, poorly trimmed.
Ah Carbon, you hooked me with your crunchy fish tilapia tacos with the lime sauce drizzle. Love the mixed chips, the corn and flour kind which give a different texture from your regular nachos. TIP: order the elote and eat them with the mixed nachos. They are delicious.
So glad that this is an option in my work 'hood. Could be an excuse to get away from the hub bub or even after hours and share a beer with a coworker or two.
Recently decided to stop in after passing Carbon tons of times...
I had the chicken (lime) tacos and they were pretty good. Can't say they were the best I've ever had in the city but they were decent. Carbon isn't exactly what I'd call "authentic" either so considered yourself warned on that aspect of the experience. Head over to Pilsen if you're looking for that experience.
The service was good, restaurant was clean, etc. I don't really have any complaints. It's a solid establishment if you're looking for something in the area.
Try the salsa too. I passed on it but I've heard that it's fantastic if that's your thing. My sister LOVED it.
Looking forward to stopping in again to see what else they have to offer.
Had the steak bowl. It was delicious. Steak is so flavorful. Just make sure you ask for extra lettuce. They hardly put any in there.
Service was just ok. Cashier wasn't really helpful. Asked if cilantro was included in the bowl. She said yes, but when I got home there was no cilantro. Also asked for some fresh grilled Jalapenos. Was disappointed when I discovered I was given pickled jalapenos.
Overall.. Food is great as long you know how to order it.
Carbon wouldn't be what I would call "traditional Mexican" fare. Â It's definitely Americanized. Â That said, who cares?!?! Â The food is fresh. Â The food is fantastic. Â I am always game to eat and eat and eat and eat at Carbon. Â (I lika to do da taco eating.)
I've tried almost everything on the menu and I've been happy with all of it. Â The tilapia tacos have a very generous portion of fried fish and are prepared the west coast way with cabbage and a creamy lime sauce (I always add cheese). Â The chicken tacos are kind of a new favorite as well. Â The chicken is just too tender not to love. Â Their chips and salsa is also where it's at. Â The bag of chips has a mix of corn and flour chips. Â The flour chips and the combination of the two is very unique and very delicious. Â Carbon has 5-6 salsa to choose from. Â I like the mild which is a chunky tomato style salsa and the roasted red pepper which is more of a creamy, spicy condiment than anything else but the fat kid in me loves it ... on everything. Above all things Carbon, the elote is what I find myself craving the most. Â The portion is large and the seasoning is just right. Â I would swim in a pool of it if possible.
The location is convenient for carry out and dine in (they have a rather large outdoor patio) but they also have delivery. They just recently revamped their menu with a new list of burritos. Â The one that stands out the most is the "Stelote" which is a huge steak burrito with elote in it ... and soon it shall be MINE!
Give Carbon a try. Â You won't be disappointed.
Ok, I skimmed a bunch of the previous posts to see what people were talking about because I know exactly what sticks out in my mind there, but surprisingly I didn't see it in as many posts as I would have thought. Â THEY HAVE AN AMAZING PINK "SALSA" that I literally would PUT ON ANYTHING. Â It's so so so good. Â Great amount of spice, nice cool creamy texture. Â So delicious. Â I think it's the roasted red pepper salsa, but I'm not 100% sure. Â
To compliment the great dip are some GREAT chips!! Â The mix of corn and flour tortilla chips is so fun and unlike anywhere else. Â
I also love the tacos, burritos, and TAMALES!! Â
This is a great restaurant to get some super yummy food. Â Bring a couple people with you so you can try many things.
This is my favorite type of spot: an upscale dive with GREAT, fresh and flavorful food and reasonable prices. Â Most dives have great food but you look at the decor, close your eyes and hope the kitchen is sanitary. Â This place (although it looks like a converted garage) is clean and nicely decorated.
You order at the register, they bring it out to you if you dine in and then you bus your own tables. Â Very casual but we noticed on the way out that they have outdoor seating under a tent--kind of more upscale than your average dive.
Runs about $36 for a family of two adults/ two kids. Â Oh and I highly recommend the steak tacos and burrito bowls!
Delicious! It was less glamorous than I expected, but it was good. I had the fish taco and the fire roasted pepper taco (which came with portabella mushrooms) and chips & salsa.
I was unsure about the fire roasted pepper tacos because I didn't see many people recommend it on yelp, but I wish I ordered 3 of those. Forget about the fish taco that other yelpers are raving about. The veggie taco had far more flavor.
I also had flour "chips" for the first time. Gross. Once I bit into them, it tasted like powder on my tongue. That'll be the last time I say "mixed tortillas."
Yes!!!
All week I had been in search of a good fish taco. Â I tried Taco Diner in Bolingbrook, Taco Fresco in Naperville, Tortilla Flatz in Plainfield and one of the Burrito places in Naperville. Â Along the way I had some good tacos, mostly average, and was still hoping to hit the home run. Â Why, well a co-worked had boast about the fish tacos at 'such and such' place. Â
On Friday I was in the city for work. Â What did I do? Â I YELPED 'Fish Taco' in Chicago and CARBON was the first on the list. Â I said, 'what the heck' I can find this place. Â Well, it wasn't easy without a GPS. Â Bridgeport/Chinatown is hard to navigate, with all the bridges and dead end streets because the I-55 and I-90 pass through the area elevated above the streets.
Carbon is actually on 26th Street, right under the Dan Ryan Expressway. Â
It's a small 'sandwich counter' type place. Â There are a few small tables inside, but mostly it is a take it and go type of place.
I had the Tortilla Crusted Tilapia Fish Tacos - AWESOME. Â Fried tilapia strips on a flour tortilla, nice and thin and a little crispy. Â I had mine with lettuce instead of slaw, with some tomato and onion, and smothered in Chile Lime Cream Sauce. Â The way the tilapia was done would be enough to make this a First Class Fish Taco, but the Chile Lime Cream Sauce took it over the top. Â I added some Salsa Verde and the combo was just AWESOME. Â Â The Steak Taco was also very, very good.
I'd put their fish taco up against any other I've had - in Chicago, in Texas, in Louisiana, in California and in Hawaii (my 2nd Favorite is on Maul half way up the Volcano). Â
Carbon.....you're a hit. Â Hard to get to, a little nervous about leaving the car parked down the street, but worth the trouble.
A couple of things made me skeptical from the outset: First, located almost directly under the highway, its not exactly the most picturesque of locations. Second, Mexican food in Chinatown? Sounds questionable. The food is good enough, however, to make you quickly forget any initial uncertainty.
I've had tacos, burrito bowls, and salads from Carbon, and have tried the fire-grilled steak and tequila lime chicken in various combinations. But the absolute gem of the menu is the tortilla encrusted tilapia. Crispy-fried and covered in delicious tequila-lime sauce, get it in a burrito, taco, or salad. Doesn't matter. You won't be disappointed.
Also love the tented outdoor seating area when the weather is nice. Makes for a great place for a lunchtime cerveza. And no, it isn't as cheap as Chipotle but the quality more than outweighs the slight price differential.
I agree with some people who say this joint is slightly overpriced...think Chipotle prices. But this place offers some nice touches, such as authentic beans and rice, than other burrito/taco places just don't have. I found this place at the Taste of Chicago last year and just had to try more shortly after.
The fish tacos are really good, but so are the other tacos. Nachos and burritos are just OK. Tacos are the way to go here.
This place definitely seems to be a Chicago police department hang out for some reason. The sit down area is small, can be hot due to the kitchen being right next to it and open air. In the summer, Carbon offers outdoor seating.
While this place could use a couple upgrades, like a nicer soda machine and more spacious area to get your napkins, straws, etc., it will keep me coming back for more.
I don't have a whole lot to say about Carbon except that their steak burrito is awesome. Â Delicious corn tortilla wrapped around a ton of steak. Â I don't think I've tried anything else, it's so good that's what I want every time.
Definitely worth trying if you are in the neighborhood.
If you can make it past a thought of grabbing a Breaded steak at Ricobenes..and venture a half block west..you"ll be treated to one of my 3 favorite taco joints around..in a class by itself..they only have 4 main ones,,which they have perfected, Steak..Chicken. Veggie..and my favorite here..Fish.(Tortilla encrusted Tilapia, w cabbage and a tequila lime sauce).so heres the catch.
.its not just typical! They've managed to put their own twists on these and their all phenomenal, and they also make one of my other favorites that few places sell..ELOTES. Â [Mexican corn) freshly prepared! Â My only complaint is there getting a bit trendy which breaks down as a bit more pricey..but you wont b disappointed with the food..its awesome!
Carbon is still a great place that will continue to be near and dear to my heart, but I have one piece of advice. Â For <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FgrubHub.com&s=0b5680ad9b27daeb1f564064b4bfe50ad01d2c4a90ab5ba0926ba28b3f54c8da" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://grubHub.com</a> users out there, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT order online! Â The boyfriend and I ordered 2 burrito bowls and 1 elote (all still delicious) and it took an hour and a half for it to be delivered. Â I suggest either calling the restaurant directly or going there yourself. Â Also, a couple of other bad things: 1) the bowl itself (a fried corn tortilla bowl) can get soggy and 2) the cheese melts into one giant piece and clumps together.
Still though, couldn't bring myself to give it less than 4 stars because the food is just that good.
Not stoked about this place whatsoever.
Pros: the hot salsa and the Mexican rice, horchata
Cons: old corn tortilla chips, poor guacamole, soggy chicken Caesar salad.
I have a pretty low bar in regards to Mexican food. Any dive resteraunt is good enough for me... In saying that, the $22.00 I just shelled out was not worth the food I received. The Caesar salad is soggy, the guacamole cup has more onions and tomato than avacado, and the chips are old- the chewy/cold chip is never a good thing.
The horchata, salsa, and rice are decent though.
This was my first and last visit. Expensive mistake.
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