Honestly not the greatest bandeja paisa, especially for the price. Restaurant was empty when I came in so service was quick, and the menu is varied in terms of Latin countries, but I'm still pretty disappointed this didn't wow me like I had hoped it would. read more

Al Carbon - Bandeja Paisa Colombia - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

My partner and I live in the neighborhood and come here from time to time. The inside is pretty dark (which is fine with me, but a bit surprising that the owner would want it so dark), but on a nice evening (like tonight), the outside seating (small, only 4-5 tables) is delightful. Not fancy, but nice and comfortable tables with huge umbrellas to block the sun. The food here is good. In the past, we got the Platter for 2 ($27), which is a nice sized platter of wood fire grilled steak, chicken, sausage and shrimp with rice/beans/salad and tortillas. We couldn't finish it all and it was all delicious. No complimentary chips and salsa for the table, so tonight we ordered chips and guac to start. The guac was good with chunks of tomato, onion and avocado; it would have been nice to also get some salsa with it when you order the guac, but there's a separate charge for chips/salsa. For entrees, we got a Carne En Vara and Carne Asada. The En Vara is a skewer of chicken, beef, onion and green peppers, with rice/beans and a side order of arepitas (corn fritter). Everything was well prepared. I liked the arepitas. The Asada was a decent piece of beef that was well prepared. Came with rice and beans and flour tortillas. The service was very good. We were seated and received ice water promptly. The guac came out quickly as did the entrees, but not rushed. The server came by a couple of times to see how we were doing snd she refilled our waters. This is a "Latin" restaurant, and maybe I'm used to the ubiquitous Mexican restaurants that place salsa on the table, and I will say I missed it and didn't want to have to spend $3.95 for salsa. There were a couple of times when I would have liked to dip some of the meat into a sauce/salsa. They do put a bottle of Habanero hot sauce on the table when you sit down. The entrees tonight were good, but if you want to try the fire grilled meats, for value I recommend the Platter for 2. read more

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Im the Heart of Rockville is this amazing spot. I happen to come in the morning and ordered the breakfast platter which came with the most flavorful eggs, rice, beans, plátano, sour cream and avocado on the side. The tortillas are home made and super fresh. Everything about this breakfast was amazing!!! The gentleman who I think is the owner is super nice and is the chef himself. He is extremely friendly made me feel super comfortable sitting inside. I can't wait to take the rest of the menu here. If your in the area I highly recommend this spot. You won't regret it!! read more

Al Carbon - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

The restaurant says it's wood grilled.. and yes! It is wood grilled authentic Latin cuisine at its best! We walked in and greeted immediately and you sit where you want. The food was freshly made and tastes great! The ambiance was not there for an award but WHO CARES cause the food was delicious!!! Soda was a little warm from fridge and it was a little hot inside. I'd still go back! read more

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Short and sweet - Try the restaurant. The wood-fired grill adds flavor to the meat and vegetables. It was delicious, and it was worth the trip. We went mid week. It was dark inside, but felt authentic. read more

This was a sleeper restaurant. i've seen it for years and finally had the chance to stop in and eat. Super family owned dive. Don't expect frills, just good food. They outside patio is charming. They have cut up large cans which they turned into spray painted planters. You know someones mom is in the back cooking. We had a robust meat platter for two which included: beef, chicken, sausage and shrimp served with rice, beans and tortillas. It was delicious and a lot of food. We also had the ceviche, which was perfect. The owner strolled in and greeted the few guests. The bill was less than $60. Reasonable and delicious. read more

This place is such a hidden gem in Rockville! I've been here maybe a total of 3 times and the food is spot-on every time. Visited yesterday for dinner and had pupusa's. There's a coleslaw type of salad added on the side for a nice crunch and a mild sauce you can dip in for a kick of spice and flavor. It was hot yesterday but there's some available seating outside to socially distance from others who are dining in. Would recommend and definitely return. read more

Al Carbon - Pupusas with apple and kiwi strawberry juice - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

First few things to know. There is more parking in the back. Inside is dimly lit and off putting. There is no English menu. That aside the food is great! The arepa sandwich is going to be my new goto. I had the pollo arepa which had a lot of guacamole smashed with chicken in between two fluffy corn patties. It was spectacular and don't know why I haven't had this before. The pollo quesadilla was soooo good. People that are getting quesadillas from chain restaurants in the area are really missing out. This quesadilla was packed and was enough for me to eat half for dinner and the other half for lunch the following day. Al Carbon doesn't look the best but the food is amazing. read more

3.5 (rounding up for service) When you enter the dark and somewhat dingy Al Carbon, flanked by chalkboards hung on either side of the door that list out the daily specials that have been the daily specials since I last went about 2 months ago, you'll usually find a somewhat empty restaurant with just a few people behind the counter moving somewhat slowly but methodically. The small woodfire that is tended to throughout the day has a wall of wood that sits outside of the restaurant perched along the fenceline feeding it, and the fire is cooking most of the meats you're eating whether it be rotisserie chicken or carne asada. The menu is similar to what you see in most Latin restaurants in the area. Amongst the offerings you'll find tacos, burritos, a couple of entree soups, and a handful of sides that include rice and beans, avocado, french fries (papas fritas). But look deeper and mind those chalkboards when you come in and you'll find specialties like Carne Deshilada, a mix of shredded beef, egg, peppers and savory seasoning served with thick homemade flour tortillas, plantain, and refried beans. You'll also stumble upon arepas of three different types. Corn-cakes that are split apart, filled with meat then griddled to give the thick outer coating a nice crispy exterior. Unfortunately, my arepa spent a little too much time crisping up it's exterior to the point that it had more of a splotchy burn across the back bun which made the corn cake a bit acrid and unappetizing to the palate. This visit was also marked by a Caesar salad that lacked 2 of the few principle components of a Caesar salad: parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing. Ranch dressing was served with the salad, and then when I pointed out the error #NotTheBiggestFanOfRanch, they let me know that they didn't think they had Caesar dressing. In fact, one of the cooks curiously showed me a Thousand Island bottle of dressing asking if this was the dressing I was looking for and I knew, at that time, that things were a bit lost in translation on that one. Luckily, the chicken that topped the salad was well grilled over the open wood fire and was seasoned with an herbal marinade which added strong tastes of cilantro. When I asked if they had another dressing, a green dressing was presented to me (which I'm fairly certain was what they marinade the chicken in - separately of course), and overall the salad itself came out pretty well and was pretty enjoyable. Portion size was what I feel all entree salads should be, fellow restauranteurs take note. On a previous visit I ordered the carne deshilada which was a solid rendition of a dish that I've just currently started exploring at the polka dotted Latin eateries in the area that serve it. Overall, Al Carbon's rendition is definitely worth a try. That said Al Carbon itself is worthy of a visit. The price is right, the food is fresh, and some of the menu really hits the mark. Service was friendly, albeit somewhat timid and reserved and I'd recommend visiting the restaurant on a warmer day as the door in the living room that enters out to the wood pile is frequently opening for the chef to carry in impressive stacks of cut logs on his arms as he loads them into the kitchen, into their spot awaiting their fiery doom under your delicious meal. read more

Al Carbon - Ensalada- Caesar Salad Ak Carbon Salad - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Tried Al Carbon out for dinner and took a few photos BUT forgot to check in (doh!) Nevertheless, we really enjoyed it. We were met with a friendly greeting when we walked in and invited to sit where we liked. It bring our first visit, I tried one of the entree platters that was a kabob with chicken, beef and veggies with a side of little fried ground corn cakes, while the hubby got the fajitas. Both came with a side of beans and rice. We also got an arepa (chicken and avocado). Everything was wonderful - nicely spiced, fresh, and delicious ... we'll definitely be coming back! read more

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Food was reasonably priced, ready very quickly, and delicious. This is a small family business which I love to support. I don't get what the bad reviews are for, this place is a great find. read more

Al Carbon - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

I really wanted to like this place. Maybe it was the fact that it was late. Ordered chips and salsa and the chips were stale. The salsa had good flavor but didn't knock my socks off. The aroma of the place just consumes you. You definitely know they are cooking with wood back there. The stale chips turned me off to ordering anything else to eat. So I can't really review on any dishes they offer. I also ordered a margarita and it was a huge lemony mess. Definitely not a place to order drinks either. As the waitress walked away with my drink she commented to the other person behind the counter that I was returning it because it was too strong. Very funny. Thing is you actually couldn't even taste any tequila in that mess! I sent it back and got a sangria instead. While I waited for my sangria saw the waitress go and start chopping an apple. Great so my sangria was being "made" to order. Fine I will let that slide. But once I received it the vino was Luke warm! This is sangria! Meant to be served chilled. The apple chunks she just cut were colder than my wine. Unwillingly I drank it and left not wishing to spend any more money in this place! read more

Al Carbon - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

This is a pan-Latin restaurant, leaning heavily towards El Salvadorean. We came because of the four star review but left someone deflated. Ordered a guacamole which appeared to be made with mayonnaise. I don't know if that is a Salvadorean preparation but it left much to be desired. Also tried the ceviche which was just OK. Then a couple of arepas, made with corn tortillas, freshly grilled. One was with beef, also mixed with appeared to be mayo. The other was beans and cheese. Pretty bland if you are used to Mexican food. The atmosphere is very cordial. Lots of chattering in the kitchen, people running around, and very friendly. The ambience is somewhat dark. Bottom line - if you love pupusas and grilled chicken at a reasonable price, you may like this place. For me, I probably would not go back. Just not enough there to compete with all the other delicious restaurants in the area. read more

Al Carbon - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Was pretty great food for a cheap price. The inside was nice and cozy the staff were friendly and i got a bandeja paisa while my friend got a grilled salmon. All in all, would come again. read more

Al Carbon - Grilled salmon - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Came and gave Al Carbon another try for a late dinner and it honestly could not have gone better! The food this time was excellent and delicious. Service was unparalleled. Everything we ordered was superb and came fairly quickly. Our waitress even gave us samples of the cashew, tamarind and mango juices after I ordered a glass of horchata (does not come with refills) and inquired about the other offerings. I especially enjoyed the beef empanadas ($2 for 2) over the chicken and the cheese (but not by much) and the cheese and black beans arepas. They were not at all soggy this time around. My tacos were excellent and the ceviche was my favorite in the round of chicken and beef. Because each taco came double wrapped in the order, it held together well. My siblings enjoyed their split order of the chicken and steak fajitas, which came sizzling to the table. We were only give two tortillas at first for the whole order of fajitas, but were not charged extra when we asked for two more. That was a bit strange... I think the order should have come with six, without having to ask for it. The only other downside was the restroom, not very clean, from what my husband shared. The interior of the restaurant was clean and it would have been nice to sit outside in their side patio, but it was raining. Nice amount of parking available right outside the place too! read more

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This restaurant is very great food and great service. The stuffs are very nice . The foods are very yummy. Very recommend this place read more

Al Carbon - This restaurant is very great food and great service. The stuffs are very nice . The foods are very yummy. Very recommend this place - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

A dimly lit, drab, smallish dining room, with a large display cooler whirring and clanging rather loudly on the side of the room. Rice and beans with quesadilla(passable) were rather tasteless. Partner had lomo saltado with small portions on a big square plate. Ordered a bottle of Apothic red blend and it was a whopping $38. It's $11 at Target and $13 at Rodman's, or $7.50 if you want to travel to Total Wine. Partner asked for the manager to complain, but was told he wasn't there...cowardly ripoff. Hasta la vista, buena suerte. read more

Homey atmosphere and good service. Food was delicious and filling. Prices are very reasonable. We shared a pupusa revuelta (pork and cheese), yucca fries (perfectly fried to a golden brown), arepa pepiada (chicken, avocado, and a herby cream sauce), and a carne asada burrito. Everything was tasty! We were really impressed The menu is in Spanish and English, and impressively, has English descriptions of the dishes, which was was rly helpful. Can't wait to return and try more dishes. Highly recommend for a low key and tasty bite! read more

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Great food and a nice small restaurant to go to when you want some good authentic Mexican food, me and my dad loved the people working and the guacamole they had read more

Al Carbon - Grilled Chicken Or Steak Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Sooo I've been dying for empanadas during this pandemic After reviewing yelp revised Al Carbon was recommended I made the 35 min trip and .... waaalaaa This is a cute Resturant and I was impressed with the customer service I loved the beef empanadas (tasty & filling) Will return read more

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Oh, man, where do I begin? As you can see from my previous reviews I'm a huge fan and the taste of the food is still great. It's just everything else is so terrible it becomes not worth it. The service is kind of surly. No AC so it's hot. There are flies. The last time I went, two crazy things happened: 1. There was a smelly, drunk homeless guy wandering in and out of the restaurant and the staff talked to him and kept trying to get him to sit down with them. WTH? I mean I have sympathy but my elderly mom and I were trying to enjoy a nice dinner. Eventually the staff gave him a beer a few minuntes later he started bothering us. This is not the correct way to handle the situation in any realm of the imagination. 2. When they brought me the receipt to sign after initially deciding to use my credit card, they they tried to charge a $1.75 convenience fee. When we asked about it they said "that's just how the machine is programmed, we can't help it" Well, the establishment is responsible for how the machine is programmed so no, not a good answer. My mom insisted on paying cash instead and we were clear that I was NOT using the credit card to pay. Well, lo and behold, the charge showed up on my credit card statement. What did they think, that we had left a $50 cash tip?!?!?! No way, Jose. I had to take time out of my day to call my credit card company then go have a very uncomfortable conversation with them. It's safe to say I'm incredibly sad. I used to love this place. I guess you either die a hero or live long enough to become a villain. read more

P.S. They have roaches Dry food-oversalted- canned dry beans- cheapest ingredients read more

Great Latin gem in the heart of Rockville! I had the bandeja paisa with some empanadas and everything came out so fresh! The staff was also very pleasant. I recommended it to my friends and family as it's hard to find that dish as well as Colombian style empanadas in the area. read more

Ordered 2 Lomo saltado and turns out it's carne guisada and the portion was super small. Had mainly sides then the actual dish. I also ordered sopa de mondongo and they gave me sopa de res. Never coming back here, very disappointed. Especially since we placed the order for pick up since my whole family sick and to get disappointed like this really sucks. read more

Came to try with place with a couple of bf's friends. Bf and I wanted to order something lighter since we had a large lunch, and maybe it's what we ordered, but everything was very disappointing. Bf and I tried the ceviche and their Tres Tacos. The ceviche was utterly disappointing. It was probably the worst ceviche I've had. Normally it is super bright and acidic, but this ceviche was lacking that brightness. The fish also really bothered me. It tasted WAYY fishy and not fresh. As I was eating it, my lips started to get a little itchy, which is a common indication to me for iffy seafood. There was also way too much fishy fish and little of anything else (shrimp, calamari). The tacos were eh, Not amazing, not terrible. I would definitely go to taco bar for a taco fix. A friend ordered an actual entree, which had meat, beans, rice, and plantains. That looked and smelled much better. So maybe it was just what we ordered. I'd be willing to give this place another try for the arepas or something else that other people seem to rave about. But if you do come here, definitely don't get the ceviche and I'd opt for something other than tacos. read more

Al Carbon - Ceviche in back and tres tracos. Ceviche was not good and tacos were meh - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

It was dirty and the food quality matched. My beef empanadas had barely any meat inside. The breading was thick around it. Cheese papusa was okay. I ate next day because I was full off of empanada breading. No salt on anything even French fries. I work close so this would've been a great alternative for lunch. I would rather skip lunch. I'm sorry Al carbon. I had to be honest. read more

I honestly expected more from this small restaurant. It's located across from the Rockville Metro and very inconspicuous. I heard the food is good here and was looking forward to the experience. Unfortunately the service ruined the experience. We came around 6:30pm (so no excuse for being in between lunch and dinnertime), business was slow (we were one of two groups in the restaurant), and we waited over 20 minutes after ordering for any food to come out (including for my appetizer). Not much was going on behind the scenes from what I could see either. The one waitress, though nice when she got to us, did not check on us. Maybe it's the language barrier, but c'mon. I first got the mango salad, which was ok, nothing to write about, a bit on the tart side, but i can handle that. Next were the arepas. The pepiada arepa (avocado and chicken) was delicious, while the mechada arepa (shredded beef) was a little too strong. For both, the corn cakes were very good. My gf got the vegetable paella dish, which was ok. I definitely felt a bias as another group of people that came in got prompt service and delivery of food. Maybe it's a race thing, but that's not how business should be done. I've heard from others that can attest to this bias also. You'd think a small restaurant would be more welcoming and gracious. Despite the tasty arepas, I'll be finding them elsewhere. read more

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I ordered Bandeja Paisa Colombia Not only did it take an hour and a half for the food to get here through door dash... the chorizo was not cook fully, rice was dry, fried egg was not cook fully, beans were bland no flavor at all and the avocado was going bad not fresh at all. My husband ordered the Pescado frito it was burnt, dry with no flavor. Waste of money. read more

If you're looking for some authentic Salvadorian food... this is the place to go in the area. It's not a huge place and it's kind of hidden... but I guess that's why it's kind of a hidden gem. Ordered a little bit of everything and nothing disappointed. The ones I can say were A+ were: Pupusas, Tacos, Guacamole, Horchata, Arepitas con Nata, and Empanadas The service was good. Everyone seemed really nice and helpful. I was with someone who spoke Spanish fluently so it made ordering and communicating a lot easier since she ordered for me... but I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem even if you didn't speak Spanish. The prices were only pretty decent. Pupusas and Tacos were ~$2 each and you really can't beat that price! If you're going there in the winter, make sure you dress warm! There wasn't much heat inside so that's the only reason why I didn't give it a 5 star. I would definitely go back and try out the rest of their menu. read more

Al Carbon - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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This restaurant is wheelchair friendly but not accessible as they don't have accessible restrooms. There is a ramp out front but it is steep considering you have to push the door open as well as popping over the door sill. When I left I used the side door into the parking area as it was level and you only had to pop over the door sill. As for the restaurant it is small and a little hard to maneuver around in a wheelchair as the tables are close together. The food is cooked to order and they do use fresh ingredients. I was surprised that they use a wood grill, which is really old school but makes for some great ground corn Arepas. They specialize in Central American specialities and definitely worth the drive. read more

Al Carbon - Restroom is quite tight. Heavy door. - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

The second time I came here, I was given much better service. I showed them a text from my spanish friend of what I wanted to order. I think because I was recommended here by someone, they treated me better, lol. I ordered the arepas and fajitas. Arepas are on point as long as you use their hot sauce. I love it! and the fajitas come out on a sizzling hot plate. Everything was delicious, and our service was perfect! Very fast and very helpful. They seem to have more items on their paper menu than what's shown on the big menu in the front, so I'll have to try those next time! Oh, and they serve Nantucket Nectar orange mango-- it's my favorite drink! My friend ordered the steak salad and loved it. We'll be back soon! read more

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WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! There was a roach in our food! So disgusted! Would never go back here again. They didn't care much for the fact there was a roach in the food they prepared! read more

Al Carbon - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

This place smells delicious, looks gross, and has good tasting food. Smells delicious: Smells like wood fired cooking, because, well, it is. Looks gross: Not because it's a hole in the wall, but because it is dirty. Like bugs on the floor dirty. Good tasting food: The salsa wasn't great in my opinion, but the steak taco I had was amazing. read more

My arepa was burned. See picture. There was a huge roach running across the floor. I told them and they stepped on it. The meat is cooked in a weird weird flavor but I could eat the cheese empanada and the rice and beans but my Mexican friend hated her meal too. I would never never go here. It's gross and my plantain was too green. I feel sick to my stomach after. It's really gross. read more

Al Carbon - Huge roach running on the floor - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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Very friendly staff and cute restaurant. The outdoor seating was also lovely and beautifully decorated. Based on the reviews I was a little disappointed by the food. The desayuno tipico looked amazing online. Unfortunately the eggs had no flavor and were a little burnt. The side beans and rice were the most enjoyable in the 2 entrees I ordered. Even the tortillas were a little burnt. The burrito was very hard to eat and even got a little soggy due to how it was placed in the takeout box. The contents were OK but the steak was disappointing. :/ read more

This place was a cute little whole in the wall prices were more then fair for what was offered. I recommend the whole fish with rice and beans and ceviche!! read more

First, this not primarily a Mexican restaurant and that is a good thing. I stopped in for carry out and ordered the lomo saltado, a Peruvian dish of beef, onion, bell peppers, and French fries in a savory sauce. The food is not bland, as some other reviews have stated, but as the name suggests smokey. The beans and rice were some of the best I ever had. I can't wait to go back. read more

Tacos were puny and over priced. They skimped out on the meat and the meat that was there was tough and lacked any flavor. I was hoping this was a hidden gem, which usually these type of whole in the walls are, but I was disappointed. read more

Everything was great here. I loved the margarita i was so surprise how good it was. The steak was sooooo tender and juicy. So delicious. The Coleslaw salad on my plate was ridiculously good. I ordered carne asada. Definitely coming back to this place. Great friendly service , food is delicious, homey feel. read more

Al Carbon - Margarita. Carne asada entree - Mexican Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Surprising unclean from the windows to the wall along with substandard ingredients. Someone came in and was selling socks and hats. Eww.