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Ah Carbon!

4.5 (168 reviews)
InexpensiveMexican
Open • 2:00 pm - 9:00 PM

Ah Carbon! Photos

AH CARBON! ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Quiet
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - Ah Carbon!

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Tacos al Pastor
Jack M.

Scored these as an excellent Rappi deal. The corn tortillas is soft and chewy. The meat was generous in portion and had a strong smokey flavor. The red sauce was a complex adobo that paired exceptionally well with the grilled pineapple. I was quite impressed with these and count them amongst the better tacos of PDC.

Rian T.

The flank steak tacos are so good. The timing took no time at all, we order and it's here. It has a lot of bright colors and great scenery, it has a nice cozy feel to the place. Great staff!

Michael U.

Although there are an abundance of Taquerias and Street Vendors in Playa del Carmen few are so well regarded as Ah Carbon!, a shaded open air shop at Calle 22 Norte just a few blocks from the beach. Family friendly with credit cards accepted, the open grill hissing as Al Pastor spins adjacent fire, it is from a concise menu that guests are invited to make choices, a duo of housemade Salsas arriving first to spice things up alongside Limes and chopped Jicama. Known for grilled Meats, Al Pastor on warm Tortillas with a slice of Pineapple arguably the best in Quintana Roo, fans of Chorizo should also take notice as Ah Carbon! serves a superlative version with plenty of heat and porky sapor beneath a pile of fresh Tortillas for just 115 pesos.

Mi hermano
Colin M.

Holy smokes, what great tacos! This might be the best deal on 5th avenue. My brother and I were trying all sorts of places along this strip and think we've found the best one. Great food and great prices, can't wait to come back.

Parrillada Especial!
Elizabeth C.

Great spot across the street from the most annoying bar on the avenida (Senor Frogs). Reminds me a bit of Squid Row in Cabo. Try to block them out while you indulge in Playa's food scene. Back to Ah Carbon! Al Pastor is not to be missed, nopales, baked potato, beans, and grilled onions accompany fantastic grilled meats. Simple and flavorful fare. Margarita is on point.

Cynthia S.

Such an enjoyable meal with good service and price. We ate here twice since the value is so good. The pastor is decent and the kiddos noshed nicely on the baked potato. Recommend.

Chorizo tacos
Jake D.

Ok, you have to take this 5 with a small grain of salt... It's right off 5th, heart of tourist central. BUT I just had a pile of chorizo, fresh tortillas, some really nice salsa verde, cilantro and onion and 2 Pacifico's for about $10 US. I'm coming back for the al pastor tomorrow. If you want cheap tasty eats, and prompt friendly service, it's a 5. Let's keep this simple.

Thought I would put a little better photo of the menu the other was on a slant and I couldn't see the top.  Taken 2/16/22
Vince B.

Great meal, I had the chicken tacos which come with 5 small corn tacos. I'm a hungry guy and I felt content. Their hot sauces can really put fire in the bowl.

Basil M.

The volcano tacos were awesome. Crispy, melted cheese, meat. Very tasty once you put a little hot sauce on it. The steak tacos were ok. They were kinda plain. Most street style tacos I've had in the past usually have a little onion and cilantro as well. I've had better back home honestly. The guacamole need salt.

Tacos
Seyitbek U.

Worst tacos in the world! Don't come here. Reviews must be fake or ownership changed. If you want to taste bad tacos then you can come here. Even in Isa tacos are better.

Bistec tacos

Great food, even for being touristy. Tacos were delicious, kid friendly. A little pricey. BEST salsa we had in Playa.

Guacamole

Such amazing food right in downtown playa del Carmen. Had such a delicious meal and service was amazing, everyone was very nice!

Volcano tacos that we got too excited about to take a pic before eating.

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1 year ago

Great food and service!! We had lots of tacos that were delicious. The michelada was also great.

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5 years ago

Trash I've had better tasting tacos when in California. The guacamole is hot and whet no toilet paper?

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4 years ago

Cold beer and great tacos! Try the chorizo and pastor tacos! Very small but she works hard! Worth the visit!!

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5 years ago

Simple but great food. Some of the best steak nachos we've had. The chicken tacos and enchiladas were also amazing

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4 years ago

This place was tiny but great!!! We had different types of little street tacos and their sauces were out of this world.

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9 years ago

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Raquel G.

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Page 1 of 5

Ah Carbon! Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Ah Carbon!

“We were so hungry we forgot to take a picture There was a sign for a special so we decided to give Ah Carbon a try.”

Mentioned in 12 reviews

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El Fogón

El Fogón

4.6(1.3k reviews)
1.0 km•Centro
•$

After visiting all three El Fogón locations in Playa del Carmen, I can confidently say they're all…read morefantastic. The service is quick, the prices are incredibly reasonable, and the food is consistently delicious. Before your meal even arrives, you're served a plate of fresh radishes, cucumber, and lime wedges, plus a selection of toppings including tomatoes, onions, and both a green and red salsa. Unfortunately this location didn't give us the cactus like the other locations did. The red salsa was my favourite, it paired perfectly with the tacos and had just the right amount of heat and flavour. The standout for me was the al pastor taco. The meat was incredibly flavourful with crispy edges, a smoky char, and the perfect balance of savoury spice and sweet pineapple. It was easily one of the best al pastor tacos I had in Playa del Carmen. I also tried the sirloin taco and the chicken breast plate, both of which were excellent. The portions were generous, everything tasted fresh, and the quality was impressive, especially for the price. El Fogón absolutely lived up to the hype. If you're looking for authentic, delicious tacos and grilled meats that won't break the bank, this is a must visit. I loved it so much that I ended up eating at all three locations and every visit was just as good as the last.

We had a fantastic meal at El Fogón in Playa del Carmen! The atmosphere was fun, lively, and felt…read morevery authentic. The service was outstanding, and everyone made us feel welcome. My wife and I shared the chicken fajitas, which were excellent. My friend ordered the al pastor fajitas, and his wife had the pork chops--everyone agreed the food was delicious. The guacamole was fresh and amazing, and every dish was flavorful and generously portioned. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food with excellent service and a great atmosphere, I highly recommend El Fogón. We would definitely come back!

Photos
El Fogón - View from interior towards the corner intersection.

View from interior towards the corner intersection.

El Fogón - Nopales

Nopales

El Fogón - Strawberries smoothie

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Strawberries smoothie

Axiote - Mezcal tasting pairing

Axiote

4.4(280 reviews)
0.4 km•Gonzalo Guerrero
•$$

Axiote Cocina de México was an incredible, beautiful restaurant, and one of the highlights of our…read moretrip--a perfect reminder to get out of the hotel and experience the local fare. The space is warm and completely unpretentious--wood, simple tables, an open kitchen and a palapa-style roof. Nothing about it screams "fine dining," and that's part of the charm. The perfectly prepared food does all the work. We chose the tasting experience, and bite for bite it was outstanding. The fried mushrooms were perfect, the fish ceviche was awesome, and the beef tongue was cooked beautifully. And don't be afraid of the grasshoppers--seriously. Yummy. Even ingredients I normally don't gravitate toward, like black beans, were used so thoughtfully that I enjoyed them. The drink pairings were equally impressive--tequila, beer, wine and espresso--and each one genuinely complemented the course it accompanied. We were basically the only guests that evening, and our waiter turned that into a wonderfully personal experience. He patiently answered every one of our many "American questions" about the ingredients, preparation and pairings, never making us feel rushed or out of place. A sincere thank-you to him, the cooks--who my partner and I gave a standing ovation to--and the entire team for making the evening so memorable. My one tiny suggestion? Cloth napkins. With that many courses, sauces and textures, the paper ones felt a little out of step with the quality of the food. But when the napkin is your biggest criticism, they're doing something right. And then there's the value. For an experience of this quality, the price was remarkable. Our total was about $320 including tip for the full tasting experience and pairings for two. We have spent more than twice that on comparable special-occasion dinners at home, so Axiote felt not just exceptional, but genuinely budget-friendly for what you receive. Axiote is relaxed, confident, welcoming and absolutely worth leaving the resort for. Go hungry, ask questions, trust the kitchen--and yes, eat the grasshoppers.

Great experience last Friday night at this Michinlin Bib restaurant. So glad I stopped by this…read moreplace is bomb and super not pretentious! Wish I got the tasting menu but I opted for 3 of the specialties instead and they were delicious... Tasting menu is best value tho! I got the raw trout sashimi thing and it was by far the best plate of the meal (first dish/appetizer) , then got the shrimp flautas (good not amazing) then I got the trout loin for the entree (good not amazing) Skinny marg was perfect and so was the waitress! Would recommend and go back but like I said I would for sure do with the 6 or 8 course tasting menu!

Photos
Axiote - Inside

Inside

Axiote - Course 5 of tasting menu - beef tongue

Course 5 of tasting menu - beef tongue

Axiote - Tomate - mezcal, cucumber, parsley, tomatillo, worm salt

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Tomate - mezcal, cucumber, parsley, tomatillo, worm salt

La Perla Pixan & La Carbonería - CRICKETS, don't hesitate!!

La Perla Pixan & La Carbonería

4.3(184 reviews)
0.6 km•Gonzalo Guerrero
•$$

This place is amazing from the food to the staff! We came in with our 2 year old who was asleep…read morethey accommodated her and my wife to make her comfortable while she slept and the service was above and beyond and the food was the best food I have eaten while here definitely recommend!

We were wanting a "smaller" lunch and I had read that this place was awesome, so we decided to give…read moreit a try. It helped that it was pouring rain and most of the restaurant was under cover, unlike a lot of spots, so it was perfect. We were seated quickly and helped shortly after. Service was...interesting. Felt like we had the hardest experience with communication here, which is fine, as Americans that is our fault. Things like they have a porn star martini ( my fav) as a mocktail so I asked if it was possible to add a shot of vodka. They initially recommended the espresso martini which I did not want so I was just opting for water and he pushed the original option on me then charged be $20 for it, which was insane. They also pushed sales hard here, it felt a little off...like we just wanted to enjoy a meal and at the end we're hounded to try their mezcals. BUT food came quick and effeciently so no major complaints there, just be aware. As for the food, it was incredible. Again with the communication, we pointed and asked for the beet carpaccio....they brought out beef carpaccio WHICH thankfully we both eat meat because honestly, it was freaking incredible. We didn't even say anything about the mix up because it was a highlight. They brought it out under a glass smoker, it had a cream sauce, and rosemary, lime, cheese, it was just perfect. We also had the corn which was super unique, the tuna appetizer which had SO MUCH FLAVOR, and the fundito which was on par with everywhere else in the area. It ended up being more food than we planned but it was incredible in flavor, whoever the cook is does a great job of marrying flavors because it was an incredible meal. Be ready for the communication gap, but know you won't eat anything bad here.

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La Perla Pixan & La Carbonería
La Perla Pixan & La Carbonería - HUAUZONTLE WEATHERED

HUAUZONTLE WEATHERED

La Perla Pixan & La Carbonería - Dulce de leche

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Dulce de leche

La Cueva del Chango - Huevos motuleños con jamón de pavo, chícharos y salsa de jitomate, 
 acompañados de plátano macho frito

La Cueva del Chango

4.4(491 reviews)
0.6 km•Gonzalo Guerrero
•$$

I'm still sitting here eating. This soup oh my God. It's so good. Very flavorful and so fresh. It's…read morethe chicken broth soup with veggies. We also got chicken enchiladas and chilaquiles. Our server fakoundo is wonderful. Everyone here is great and the ambiance is perfect. I love it here. This is my 4th time in Playa and I've never been here but I will always come back!

Okay this place is so adorable. We were staying at an AirBnb around the corner and I had made a…read moreshort list of places to try if we were hungry, this somehow popped up on my Tik Tok one day and was glad I had written it down. We walked up for brunch timeframe and were told it would be 10-15 minutes, they had plenty of seating to wait BUT it was really only 3-4 minutes which was perfect. They have an open air concept, and we sat in back which was like a little magical garden area with a creek running through it. It was so adorable, and so tropical. Their drink menu was tasty, we got a couple of their mezcal drinks which low key were probably the best in all of Playa. Unique, fresh, and delicious. The food was incredible. My husband got a shrimp dish, it came with some very unique and creamy potatoes and a sauce that was so flavorful. I got a classic Chilaquiles dish that had so much flavor, but all the ingredients tasted so fresh and amazing. And almost a whole avocado on top which was insane. Such a great experience. We weren't rushed, taken care of, fantastic food and drink. I can see why it's highly rated.

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La Cueva del Chango - Fresh flowers

Fresh flowers

La Cueva del Chango - Empanadas con frijoles de la olla y pico de gallo. A escoger con: queso Oaxaca, chaya, champiñones, nopales.

Empanadas con frijoles de la olla y pico de gallo. A escoger con: queso Oaxaca, chaya, champiñones, nopales.

La Cueva del Chango - Restaurant entrance

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Restaurant entrance

Ah Carbon! - mexican - Updated October 2026

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