A hidden gem in Chicago fresh ingredients combine with flavor and a huge portions. The fish tacos are really good but my favorite is the Mother Clucker shut your mouth I'm just talking about the Mother Clucker. A really cool place with good food. read more

Carbon - Mother Clucker - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've ordered from this place a few times now and I really like it. Delivery service has been very fast and friendly. MY THOUGHTS * The steak is too chewy. This I assume is due to the fact that they cook it completely through. I like my steak to be a little red for juiciness and tenderness. Also lacking in seasoning. * The tequila lime chicken however is awesome. A nice blend of tangy and sweet. * The guacamole leaves a lot to be desired. While it's nice and fresh it could use some salt and pepper and a whole lot of crushed garlic. It is very bland. * The chips are made fresh and are nice and warm. They combine fried corn tortilla chips and flour tortilla chips so a little variation in texture. * The Key Lime Pie bar, while a little steep in price, is awesome on the flavor. I could eat these things every day. Ah-MAY-zing! So there's some good and some things that need improvement but overall I recommend this place. You can get your mostly authentic Mexican food fix fast and at pretty good prices. read more

My plans of going out for dinner last night were dashed when my boyfriend got stuck on a work call past 7pm. I was too hungry to wait it out so I decided to look for a good place to get delivery. I stumbled upon Carbon here on Yelp and decided to give it a try. So glad I did! We ordered a veggie quesadilla, steak tacos, steak nachos (plain bc that's how BF likes them), guac and chips, chocolate quesadilla and pineapple corn salsa. Everything was so yummy. I loved the authentic steak, cheese, cilantro and onion tacos. Probably the best tacos I've had in a long time. I was also super impressed with the veggie quesadilla and how flavorful it was. Our food arrived super quick! I was a little nervous after reading other reviews about lost orders and long delivery times, so when our food came in 25 minutes I was thrilled. (Granted we only live a mile away.) I highly recommend Carbon and I am so glad to have added another great take-out place to our repertoire. read more

One of the best Mexican quasi-fast food places in town! The food is very well-seasoned and quickly prepared. It's so much more healthly than 95% of all other taqueria-like places. It focuses on a somewhat lo-carb, high protein menu. The Talipia taco bowl is my favorite. It's got a amazing combo of slightly sweet (grilled corn) and spicey. Interestingly enough, the ceasar salads is one of the most tasty I've had. It's great also for late-night-missed-dinner-got-to-get-something-now scenarios. I admit the burritos are less impressive but if you stick with the healthier, salad-based fares your taste buds will thank you. read more

Great! Mexican with heavy flair of lime. Highly recommend the fish tacos! We eat here regularly. I run in and order and stay for pick up - maybe 6-8 minutes top for a trip. Good treatment for regulars. Never order delivery. While staff is great, this is not food that should sit for any amount of time in a brown bag! It's cooked and served fresh off the grill w/ fresh sides, why trust that to delivery boys who don't earn enough in tips to rush? Still trying to figure out if its legit to park in Ricobene's parking lot while eating here...the restaurants are definitely connected...we'll keep chancing it until we hear more! read more

This might be sad to admit, but I'm seriously addicted to Carbon's chicken and mole tamales. They are hands down...effin' amazing. This combination is fantastic and (the BEST part) extremely reasonably priced at $1.79! 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.) The burrito bowls are still a favorite at my job. I usually opt for the "no-bowl" option, but instead ask for some tortillas and Carbon is always happy to fulfill the request. They also added a nice option for a bag of chips (corn OR flour OR a mix!). Umm, those flour chips? Slowly creeping up my list of favorite things! Delivery is pretty quick and, if you order online, you get $1 off delivery. Granted, they raised the delivery fee to $3.50, but at least you can save some money somewhere, right? read more

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. 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 read more

Such great food! I always get their taco salad with the tilapia, because I'm obsessed!! read more

Carbon - Tilapia taco salad - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I don't have a whole lot to say about Carbon except that their steak burrito is awesome. Delicious corn tortilla wrapped around a ton of steak. 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. read more

I consider Carbon the Jimmy John's of tacos. Delivery is ridiculously fast and the food is great! Never had the chips, but the steak and fish tacos are really tasty. The fish taco tends to have variability in the taste, though. The burritos are essentially oversized tacos and don't have beans (I prefer not having the magical fruit in it, personally), and the elote is pretty pricey for slightly spiced creamed corn. Horchata is always delicious! Slightly steeper than I'd like on the prices, but it's (usually) great food that is super fast. Can't argue with that! read more

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. read more

My second review of this place... and all I have to say is: Elote, elote, and elote. Those are the three ingredients to complete and utter happiness. And possibly world peace too. I know what you're thinking... world peace is that simple? The answer is yes, elote from Carbon can lead to world peace! Amen! read more

GET THE ELOTE!! OK, now that that's out of my system... We've only ever ordered delivery from here. I usually get tacos while the boyfriend always gets a steak burrito. He loves the burrito. I like the tacos a whole heck of a lot. I didn't like the corn/pineapple salsa so much, but that's ok - all a learning experience!! I love the salsa verde and have liked some of their seasonal salsas as well. And then there's the elote. Good lord this stuff is good. We always have to get 2 larges or I won't get any!! Maybe next time will try carry-out, as their delivery has been taking longer and longer and it hasn't exactly been hot the last few times... Still delicious though! read more

So I'm in search for the best fish tacos and after reading the reviews on carbon, I was determine to try it, like right away. In fact... only minutes away from my apartment, I biked there to get a taste at the fish tacos! I pass this place all the time. I always thought it was just a bar, a little creepy since its directly under the over pass, but heck, so is ricobenes and I love that place too. Ok, so we get there, a little confused on how to order. I like the fact that you walk up to order, it makes things that more chill. There's plenty of outdoor seating and I believe in the back you can even have larger parties under a huge tent. I ordered for two, 2 fish tacos, 1 steak, and chips/salsa. Again, I didn't know if I had to wait for my order by the counter, but this nice young gentlemen, said he would bring it to us. Mhm, how nice. Anyways, the chips came first and boy it was a pleasant surprise to see tortillas and wonton chips with a huge portion of salsa. The chips were a little on the oily side, still good, but the salsa was amazing! Spicier than I expected, but it was went well together. Moments later the tacos came. Again, the nice server, asked us if we wanted salsa on the side. Wow, he came back with 4 containers of the tomato based salsa and and 3 of a red pepper sauce. I loved both of them! I had so much fun dipping my taco and chips in all different sauces/salsa. I don't think I've had that great of service in my life at a place where you aren't expected a server. This specific server was just so polite and attentive, never annoying. He really just wanted us to enjoy our meal. Before leaving, my bf asked him for his name, and what do you know, they have the same name, hah! We'll keep him in mind, because we'll be back for sure! I'm giving Carbon a 5 star because of the service alone, more specifically that server. The fish tacos, get a 4 star for being super tasty, juicy, and uniqueness of toppings. I really hope this place get a bump up on their reviews ;) read more

Carbon - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Two tilapia tacos for $5.00?! Holy guacamole, count me in! This place is grossly located under a highway bridge but they do try to make the best of the uber urban atmosphere with flaming art work and a big safety-vest colored tent where you can sit and watch the traffic whiz by. Bonus: an ideal setting for watching Chicago's Finest chow down on their lunch hour. Great fish tacos and hot sauce with just the right amount of kick.The sweet lime sauce is a nice counter-balance to the heat of the salsa but I had to scrape quite a bit off--they were a little heavy handed and it was just too much. Overall, a fun and inexpensive place for a quick bite to eat. read more

My 23-year-old daughter requested that we get the catering for her college graduation at this place. I hadn't heard of it, but many of our guests knew all about Carbon and kept commenting that it was "a good choice." When it was cake time, I had to pass out ziplock bags because lots of folks wanted to take their leftovers home -- so much meat in those Mother Cluckers! The food was memorable and appreciated by our guests -- and enjoyed the next day as well. I supplied the Margaritas, Sangria and lemonade, but the presence of great food from Carbon really made it a party. read more

Just ate here yet AGAIN!! I love this place. Today I had the tilapia burrito bowl with corn/pineapple salsa and guacamole. Usually I carry out (I live very close by) but this time I ate in. Service was pretty quick (5 minutes or so) and everything was good and fresh! There are a few small (2-4 people) tables inside and when the weather is warmer they have outdoor eating also. I agree with Hanna's comment about delivery. Would you order Chipotle for delivery? Not if you want it fresh. Carbon is a similar type of place but I always refer to it as an upgraded, fresher, more creative version of a Chipotle. I love the fact that they don't drown everything (including guac) in those nasty onions. The only complaint I've ever had is for ordering chips - they tend to give a mix of corn and flour chips in one bag. Kinda weird but my friends never complain so it works for some people. I think the flour chips (similar to the "bowl" used for the burrito bowl) are very good. read more

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. 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! read more

Carbon is like more expensive Chipotle, with better ingredients and sauces. I very much enjoy a good steak burrito, but I was a bit put-off at the cost today-- it seemed like my regular steak with elotes had jumped at least $2.50 in the last year since it's made it to the "Signature" menu. All of the sauces and salsas are fresh and tasty. I recommend the red pepper sauce and the pineapple salsa. A Stelote burrito with cheese and sour cream and a chicken burrito with cheese and sour cream cost $24 delivered, inclusive of tip. Had we had the ability to drive over and pick it up ourselves, we'd have saved $5, but $20 for two burritos is still a little pricey to me! read more

1) They need to be open later. When I have a burrito craving after 10pm, then NEED to be open!!! 2) Their food is really tasty! 3) They are very friendly. read more

I love this place. One has to go in though not expecting the typical Mexican joint food. Everything is made fresh! I am a big fan of their chicken tacos but on a flour tortilla with the tequila lime sauce. That sauce is to die for. The staff is friendly and always tries to please. If you're curious about how something tastes, just ask for a small sample. read more

I don't get what the hype is about this place? This is CHICAGO there are delicious delicious cheap tacos abound! Subpar tacos, high prices, and a really really odd set-up on the inside. Is it deli style? Is there wait service? Hell if I know. I can't quite figure it out. Fish tacos are one of my favorite things of life... and these were average. You can get better tacos elsewhere...seriously... it's CHICAGO. read more

It is extremely expensive for flimsy, flavorless tacos and other dishes. The only toppings on their tacos are cilantro and tons of raw onion. Who doesn't at least put lettuce and tomatoes on Mexican food? The pineapple salsa is mushy and lacks flavor. Their homemade chips are extremely greasy and inconsistently cooked. Guacamole is basically just avocado and onion, no zip, flair, or special spices I could detect. Fish tacos are breaded and deep fried fish chunks, not fresh tilapia like any good fish taco should be. Meat on burritos and tacos I've had is always flavorless and chewy. I don't believe the chicken to be fresh, but rather pressed/processed chicken meat that can't be disguised with their grilled/open fire shtick. If you're a boring White person that shies away from robust, rich flavors, you might love this place. Otherwise, SKIP IT. Go down the road to 31st & Halsted to Erendira or El Cid or any other authentic taqueria in Chicago. read more

Chipotle, Qdoba, etc.... need to all shut down and open as Carbon!! Their burrito bowl is amazing! The beans are fabulous, the spicy ranch sauce they give you is out of this world....love love love!! I also love the horchata and the steak quesadilla! This is not authentic mexican food, but that's not what they are going for. It's just delicious...crazy delicious food! What else matters?? read more

I went here based on the Yelp reviews, and quite honestly was very disappointed by the experience. I was really in the mood for a good Burrito/Taco and literally had to force my wife to give this place a try. Man, was it disappointing. I ordered a Burrito (Something w/ Tilapia) and well, first of all - it was deep fried tilapia. on top of it, the burrito does not have rice, beans, etc in it...just plain old cabbage and you pay extra for cheese. It did have avocados in it. Also, the mild and hot salsas are very BLEH...tastes like canned salsa. My wife had the tacos and again, nothing impressive. In fact, the fish that was in my burrito was fried, as stated earlier, but you know that nasty taste/crunchy feeling you get of deep friend stuff that is stale...well, thats what I also experienced. Needless to say, wish these guys the best, seems like they are doing great but I didnt have a good experience w/ the food. read more

I'm done with this place . My first time, they got my order wrong , and didn't put tequila lime sauce on my $11.50 steak burrito . Yes , $11.50 for chewy , crappy steak. I went back to try it a second time, months later, and the same exact thing happened. My burrito did not have the sauce , and I worked hard to chew down the low quality steak . For 11 bucks the burrito should be WAY better. If they knew how to take orders, and use better meat , the concept with the tequila lime sauce would be good. Save your money and grab a burrito elsewhere for half the price, or you could always make 4 or 5 of your own much better quality steak burritos for 12 bucks. read more

If I'm on the south side of the city, I stop here on occasion if the mood for Mexican food strikes me. They're tacos are decent, as well as their guacamole and chips, but not my favorite. They have a good Nutella chocolate/hazelnut quesadilla, but beware chocolate lovers it's a bit too sweet, so remember, one serving is usually enough for two people! I definitely think La Pasadita on Ashland Avenue [the yellow building on the east side of the street] has much more tasty tacos, although they don't take credit card, the space for dining-in (if you want to call it that) is cramped, and you always end up smelling like carne asada when you leave. Overall, I'd stop in again...considering price, speed, and quality but don't expect a WOW experience. read more

I tried this place for the first time at Taste, and now I've ordered food from the 4 times (in the span of about 2 weeks)! This place has great food and they aren't afraid to load up your tacos, burritos, salads, etc. I've tried all of their meat tacos, the burrito bowl, the burrito, quesadilla, chicken tortilla soup, and a bunch of the sauces. Here are my favs so far: 1. Chicken burrito bowl - this thing is loaded up with so much stuff its unreal. Plus, the crispy edible bowl they use is such a plus. 2. Steak taco - simple, authentic style, but packed with a lot of flavor and meat 3. Chicken taco - although I like the steak one better, the chicken taco still rocks 3. Fish taco - it was good, although a lot of other reviews have it as their best item. I don't think it is the best, but maybe I'm just not a fish guy. 4. Quesadilla - I get steak in this usually, and it is very big and very good. They also have a small size (which isnt all that small). 5. Elote - Now this is corn hash with some kind of sauce in it. I'm not a huge fan of corn, but this stuff is good. And my wife swears by it. 6. Soup - The soup wasn't bad, but it almost had the taste of a chicken chili. Now the sauces - They have a ton of different kinds, but so far my favs have been the salsa verde and the roasted pepper sauce. Very, very delicious. I've never actually eaten at the restaurant, but they have a lot of seating outside which would be nice. Either way, you gotta try this place! read more

This place is fast, tastes authentic, and the steak is GREAT! There are surprisingly very few choices on the menu, but I think that's why what they do make is great. The elote is pretty good, although when I read that they had elote, I was really expecting them to have it on a stick, rather than in a bowl. I've been back several times. Great place. read more

Great tacos under I-55. Shady looking area, but the food is great. A bit on the high side considering other joints are much cheaper per taco. But the taste...so much better. I would recommend the elote...compliments three steak tacos with everything including tomatoes. Also, you must eat it on the spot. Not that great on take-out...only because the tortillas steam and stick together. Sit at the bar, and enjoy the friendly service. read more

Update: I have given Carbon26 a chance a few times again, and though the concept is good, they keep disappointing me. 1)You can tell the onwers are penny pinchers in many ways: They charge $3.50 per delivery, and they have a large minimum delivery. They are always trying to upsell you to have cheese on your stuff, which is an additional charge, and.... The most upsetting thing... they withhold the avocado all the time. Avocados just went down in price, they they used to be expensive and most places charge you for them, I agree! But, if you advertise a burrito as having avocado, I expect to have SOME avocado at least. It's been 3 times straight that the avocado is missing from my burritos. This clearly shows it's not an 'honest' mistake, but instead it is a methodological mistake. "If it's to go, don't put avocado, they will likely won't complain". I'm an avocado addict, and the fact that they're keeping me from my addiction is downright insulting. I will not be coming back, it is unacceptable. Previous review (back when they weren't so cheap I suppose): After getting a menu delivered to my door, I decided to give Carbon on 26 a try. When one is advertising Mexican-food in Pilsen, one certainly needs to differentiate themselves from the tens of other restaurants in the community. Carbon did this very well. Carbon's distinct features are its elote, and their fish tacos. I have tried both of these and for the most part I'm very pleased with them. The elote's spicy-ness does seem to fluctuate quite a bit, but it's always good. When a restaurant has such a small menu, they certainly need to excel at what they do, and this is where I'm hesitant to give Carbon more than 3 stars (which is still positive). The fish tacos are sometimes wonderous, and yet sometimes the fish fillet is rather small, so the crust flavor becomes predominant. That cannot be good, especially when their tacos (with the optional cheese) are about 3 dollars with tax. The chicken tacos are also very good, but at times they have been a little on the dry side. Thankfully, they are kind enough to give some delicious pineapple salsa that makes the dryness not an issue. Their delivery has been very fast, and I'm very pleased with. Though I don't consider it a place where I would want to go and eat, it seems to have its unique style and appears to be clean. It is somewhat small though, and right under some overpasses, so not exactly a charming area. + Clearly unique, fast delivery, delicious when made right. - Small place, price per item lousy against near competition, inconsistent food. read more

The red salsa (picoso) is delicious!!! I'd eat it on just about everything if I could. I had 1 veggie taco and 1 tilapia taco, both were awesome. The ingredients were good quality and they both had a great flavor. I can't wait to try the rest of the menu. I think I am literally going to eat my way through it each time. My very picky boyfriend had a steak burrito & elote and he liked his meal a lot, as well. Carbon THANKFULLY has shaken up the mundane assortment offered to Bridgeport diners. I mean...we have run-of-the-mill mexican, pizza, hot dogs and chinese. That's about it. Yes, Carbon is mexican, but offers way more than the standard soggy taco with like 2 chunks of meat on a stale tortilla. Try this place if you haven't already, and if you like spicy foods, try the picoso salsa!!! It's awesome! read more

Last night we ordered food from this restaurant--chicken soup, steak burrito, and fish burrito. The steak was of terrible quality--couldn't finish. I took one spoonful of the soup and couldn't go on. The fish was even worse--one bite and threw it out. I spent nearly $50 after including tip, delivery, etc. I will NEVER order from this place again. Total waste of money. Ugh. read more

Best damn tacos in Chicago perioooodddd! Chicken tacos are my favorite but I'll cheat and get a stelote from time to time! Great flavor better quality read more

I just had my first experience with Carbon and it was a great one!! I used to be a loyal Flacos Tacos customer, eating there at least once a week. After having a horrible experience with their customer service, I was ready to try something new. I was not disappointed by Carbon. I had a chicken taco and steak taco, both were delicious. The meats were flavorful, and both the mild and hot salsa were tasty. The guacamole was delicious as well. I loved that they offered both corn and flour chips with the guacamole. I opted for the corn and was happy with my decision. I was very intrigued by the chocolate quesadilla and decided to give it a try... and let me say, wow! it was better than I imagined. The chocolate oozed out of the tortilla, and the powder sugar was a delicious addition. YAY for Carbon! You just found yourself a new regular customer. read more

Best burrito I've had hands down... A little sketchy looking where it's located, but food is AMAZING. Recommend the "stelote" -steak, and corn burritodelicious read more

Carbon - Stelote burrito!!! Steak and corn AMAZING - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my third time here and they never disappoint. The chicken fajita in the bowl is amazing with a little kick to it, the chicken fajita burrito is just as delicious and the steak is even better. I hear the fish tacos are very good so this will be my next order. The place is small though. Four tables placed inside along the side wall with only two chairs per table. They have a small outdoor seating area. Staff is great. Very nice and accommodating. They even serve alcohol. This is a definite must if you are in the mood for Mexican. SO good!!! read more

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. read more

Excellent food, always fresh. Shenita who takes your phone order is the absolute best!!!!

Disappointing. Consider this a (small) step above Chipotle. We ordered food to go on a Saturday night. They got our order wrong and we didn't notice until we got home. We called but since we were outside of their delivery zone we were SOL. Boo. read more