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    Carbon

    3.6 (657 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Desserts, Salad
    Open 10:30 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Carbon Takeout or Delivery

    Carbon Photos

    Business Info

    CARBON ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Carbon

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    Reviews With Photos

    Birria Tacos
    Jonathan B.

    I have two different reviews since I went to the regular Carbon for years and then I tried their Carbon Cantina (sit down style eating) in the back. The regular Carbon in the front has always been amazing to me. I love getting the stelote, mother clucker, or the fish called William; all three are packed with flavor and come with beans and rice! The pineapple salsa is also to die for!!! When I went to the Carbon Cantina, I got the birria tacos, and it seemed like a small portion of two tacos for the price. I do like how they give free chips at Carbon Cantina though. The service is always good when I pick up, and they never forget anything in the order. The Carbon Cantina waitress was so nice when taking our order, and she was so considerate with it came to refilling our drinks/chips. The ambiance is very simple at the front part, so I expect that with the takeout style service. The Carbon Cantina section seems unrecognizable since it's in the back and they have very nice seating!

    The Mother Clucker: 1 lb tequila lime chicken  w/ creamy sauce, onions & cilantro. Served w/ black beans, rice, chips & salsa--delicious.
    Bernardo A.

    I'd give it 4.5 if that was an option. The food was very good. This is the second time I've had this burrito. The first time, the chicken was very moist, tender and juicy the second time around, the only downside was a few of the chicken pieces seemed a little dry which was just a little bit surprising but it was still good. I do like the rice and the black beans that come on the side with it. I was a total glutton and ordered the chips with hot salsa but I have no regrets. It was good. I also love that the Diet Pepsi fountain had the right amount of fizz. The last couple of places I've been to they were kind of flat. So kudos to Carbon for this. The staff are great and they definitely keep on top of keeping tables clean (which I am noticing lapses at other places). The ultimate verdict is that I look forward to going again.

    Stelote Burrito
    Antonio M.

    The Stelote Burrito was truly impressive. The steak inside was tender and really delicious along with the awesome taste of the corn. Employees are courteous and always smiling. Carbon remains consistent.

    Jocelyn H.

    One of my favorite caterers and tacos in Chicago. I got the fish taco and lomo taco which I think are perfectly flavored by themselves (I barely used the salsa). We also got a chicken burrito but I liked the tacos better. Each taco is about $4 and it took about 15 minutes for our order to finish, but I think the tacos are worth it. They have about 10 seats inside and some seats outside.

    2 fish tacos. Just a snack for us.
    Lisa P.

    Tacos are such a treat; hand-held, versatile, deliciousness that can be filled with anything your heart desires. Was in the area and decided to try the fish tacos. Made to order but worth the wait. Carbon uses cod and it's crusted with tortillas, served on a flour tortilla with cabbage and cilantro lime sauce. One taco is filling as they use a generous portion of fish. Next time I will try it with the corn tortilla and less sauce. There was a couple that sat down to eat and was served huge taco salads in tortilla bowls. It looked amazing. I'll have to try that as well.

    Key lime pie
    Akshay S.

    I tried their Chicken Burrito & Key lime pie, loved both. Wish they were a little less expensive though, but still, amazing food!!

    Happy hour every day. This is a berry margarita. Yum yum yum
    Lisa G.

    Who knew this place had a sit down restaurant next to the whole in the wall. Still yummy food and happy hours all day everyday!!! $7 margaritas. Go!!

    Leftover catering tray from Carbon including corn, steak, chicken, rice
    Michelle G.

    I have to preface this by saying I have never once eaten in any of Carbon's locations, but I have attended events where Carbon was catered countless times in my life. It was a popular catering option in college because it feeds so many people with great prices, and I most recently had it catered at a professional event. Is it my go-to for Mexican food? No definitely not, but it's definitely a good place to feed a group. I love their corn so much that even my colleagues know this about me. Their chips are also good and they have so many yummy sauces that come with it. If you ever want affordable catering to feed a group of people, Carbon is the place to go.

    Angela H.

    Food spectacular, service so friendly and consistent. The atmosphere makes it an experience. First timer and I'll be back consistently! But, back to the food! So delicious and savory! The drinks were delightful. I had the strawberry maguerita

    Amber J.

    The food is amazingly delicious. The staff are awesome. The environment is warm and welcoming. The Birria tacos are outstanding and full of flavor. And the mixed berry margaritas are out this world. I definitely recommend !!!!

    Jess H.

    Carbon Mexican Grill is my office's go-to for catered meetings, and it's always been so good that I had to try it on my own! I ordered the steak burrito bowl, which came in a crispy shell--so tasty! The meat is seasoned perfectly, and I'm a big fan of their elote as well. Great spot for flavorful, satisfying Mexican food!

    Premium Fire Grilled Steak Quesadilla and Tortilla Encrusted Tilapia Signature Taco
    Maricel J.

    I have eaten here before, but this is my first time writing a review. Every time I order from here, I always order anything steak. Today, I ordered the steak quesadilla, and since I love seafood, their tilapia taco sounded tasty, so I ordered one. Their steak is always tasty and cooked well. It comes with melted cheese, but you also have the option to add other ingredients, which I added onions, cilantro, and jalapenos. Jalapenos were hot! My choice of salsa was the picoso (hot). Next time I will try the roasted red pepper (medium) salsa. I wasn't sure what to expect from the tilapia taco, but the cabbage and lime sauce, make this taco delicious! Next time I order tacos or another quesadilla, it just might be tilapia instead of my beloved steak. The service was great as well. Someone from the restaurant called to let us know that our delivery would be about 15 minutes late, which was very much appreciated.

    3 tequila lime chicken tacos, 1 with cheese

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    4 years ago

    Terrible service sat down wasn't greeted or asked if I needed anything got up and walked out after 10mins. Fuck this place!

    Business owner information

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    12 years ago

    The steak tacos and elote are super yummy. Love this place.

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    3 years ago

    Love the food here this carbon is better then other location portion size is always good as well

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    6 years ago

    The location isn't the best but the food is amazing!! Love the steak burrito bowl. Recommend getting the roasted pepper sauce!!

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    5 years ago

    Excellent food... probably the best on the go Mexican food I've had consistently. I love their bowls... so good!

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    10 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing tacos, love the grilled meat aspect! They are a bit expensive but worth the try!

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    Page 3 of 17

    Ask the Community - Carbon

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    Matcha En

    Matcha En

    4.2
    (295 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Kari's Rating 9/10…read more TLDR: -Ube soft serve is to die for -Taiyaki seemed like a good idea, but the hot fish bread melted the soft serve so fast it turned into a giant mess -ice cream portion size is good enough for two people This is the second time I've been here and I came on a Thursday around 8 PM and then was it crowded. There are tons of people ordering at the counter as well as a line outside the door. They were really busy and I think they might've needed a few more workers. Orders were piling in from the kiosk as well as the counter. We ended up ordering the Ube taiyaki fish as well as an Ube ice cream soft serve in a cup. Man, I remember last time I came here. I got the Ube Matcha float and my friend got the Matcha milk tea with tapioca and those two desserts didn't seem like too much, however, this time when I came, these desserts are a lot. I kind of wish we'd ordered just one of them, but we live like we're rich #yolo. I think the Ube is the best Ubisoft server ever had in my life as it's not overly sweet, but is incredibly creamy and rich meaning they probably made it with whole milk. The taiyaki was warm when he first had gotten it, but the ice cream has started to melt inside and now it's become slightly gooey mess. This is our exact conversation while eating the taiyaki. " Fish bread, sweet ice cream. I don't know they made it hot. so sweet. Oh no it's exploding-that's why I got in a cup. It's melting I'm getting more ice cream next time. Yeah it's amazing. Oh no I'm so being recorded. I am."

    Wanted something tasty for dessert and came upon this place from IG…read more I ordered the cream soufflé and the matcha float. Both came out in pretty quick time even though it was a busy Saturday evening. Loved the cream soufflé! It was something different that I wanted to try and it wasn't too sweet which was amazing. The soufflé was so fluffy and hot and fresh. The cream inside was sooo good! Everything was well balanced together and the float was also great. Only downside is that it's a really small place. So inside felt very cramped and crowded.

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    Super M (left) and Black Sesame Matcha Latte (right)

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    Super M (left) and Black Sesame Matcha Latte (right)
    UFOUU

    UFOUU

    4.3
    (60 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    I recently tried UFOUU, the Chicago-based bakery known for their Japanese-style cheesecakes, and…read moreoverall it was a really a hit for me. I wish I was able to travel with one of their cheesecakes but they require refrigeration. Anyhow the cheesecake itself was delicious super light, fluffy, and honestly felt like biting into a cloud. I had the salted egg but they had several flavor options that I would've loved to try if slices were available. The texture is what really stands out, and the flavor was unique and interesting in a good way. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it taste like, but it was sweet, but not too sweet They only sale but I consider a personal size but it's definitely enough to share with two people, maybe even three depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have. My only downside like others is the price. Paying around $19-$20 for a small cheesecake felt a bit steep, especially since they don't offer slices. I really wish they had smaller portions available so you could try different flavors without committing to a full cake prize. They package it very well and they also serve you a cute little fork set and a knife for cutting which I think is contributes to the price. The shop itself is very cute with chic décor and a lot of Asian-inspired artwork, which adds to the overall vibe. Customer service was friendly. When I visit Chicago again I'd definitely go back the texture and taste alone make it worth it but I do hope they consider offering smaller portions in the future.

    Came here for a hot drink while it's very cold in Chicago and not a lot of lot of places around…read morethat offer hot chocolate, hot coffee, or any hot drinks. We got here when it just was opening. The place was clean and the staff was really nice. We got the sweet roasted milk and it was very good and unique flavor. We were watching them while they were making that and the cheesecake and you can tell they put a lot of care and in time to their products.

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    Matcha
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    Mabu Generation

    Mabu Generation

    4.3
    (58 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    We came to Mabu Generation on a Sunday evening when the restaurant was not busy and was actually…read moreunusually quiet. One thing I personally did not like was that they require customers to pay first before the food comes out. For a sit-down restaurant, I prefer to eat first and pay after, especially when service is expected. The service was not very proactive during our visit. The food was okay, but nothing really stood out to me. For the price, I felt it was a little pricey compared to Taipei Cafe, and the overall experience did not feel worth it. Overall, the food was just alright, the service could be improved, and the pay-first system was not something I liked. I don't think I would come back.

    Decided to spontaneously eat here on a friday night while walking past and did not regret it…read more The restaurant wasnt overly crowded or loud and, the service was great while the food was even better. The taiwanese style popcorn chicken and pork cutlet were super juicy and tender with nicely crisp breading. The sausage had a pleasant sweetness to it and was served with garlic chips, which added a nice touch. Finally, the broth of the Sichuan noodles was packing with flavor: sweet, tangy, spicy, umami - truly hit all the spots without being too numbing to your mouth, if thats one of your concerns Would definitely return to try the other menu items, especially their hot sizzling plates and their dessert/drink offerings

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Ovaltine Condensed milk French toast
    Ovaltine Condensed milk French toast
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    Carbon - mexican - Updated August 2026

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