I used to come here when I lived in Charlottesville and remember it being amazing, I am glad to still say that this place is still amazing! The tacos I ordered had so much flavor and my taco didn't fall apart. I would recommend read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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I placed my order online while waiting in the parking lot. My order was ready on time and was being placed on the counter as soon as I entered the restaurant. Took it back home to Richmond, VA. My grub: -- Quarter chicken (dark meat): amazing -- Ribs: I will now be driving to Charlottesville specifically for these ribs. They're sauced with something sweet and a little tangy, and they fell off the bone. -- Roasted veggies: undercooked for my taste, but I roasted them a little more in the oven and they were fine. -- Poblano rice: amazing -- Tamal con frijoles: good I also tried all the sauces but didn't know which was which. The creamier ones were my fave. read more

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We were on the road traveling and needed to stop for lunch. We like to try local spots as opposed to big name chain restaurants whenever possible. This place had great reviews! Originally, we were going to order online but decided to wait until we arrived. When you first walk in, the wall on the left was covered in awards and accolades. It seems to be a family run business. Since we had already looked at the menu in the car, we were able to place our orders quickly. The only downside to our experience (and the reason for the one point deduction) was the wait. We watched people come and go while we waited over 30 minutes for our food. It was a little frustrating to say the least. Once our food was finally done, we headed to the car to eat while we got back on the road. Thankfully everyone was very pleased with their food. It was well worth the wait! Pro-tip: Order ahead online if you are in a hurry. read more

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Great food! Service was fast and simple! They take your order up front and then bring it to you to your table. We got half chicken with rice, yucca, and plantains. Everything came out hot and fresh! Place is nicely decorated and spacious! read more

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Someone recommended this place to us on a Sunday and went to one of their locations where it was packed but very limited seating. This time around we came to the one on Seminole trail and had dinner for two. Wow! The food, the space and the service was excellent. I had the "Para Papa" bundle and my wife had the Carne Asada burrito. Couldn't even finish our food it was so much. Everything was delicious! From the Plátano maduro, to the fried yuca and the Jamaica & horchata drinks were on the right authenticity flavors and hit all the right taste buds. We'll definitely be coming back and recommending this place to fellow Latinos in the area. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Carne asada burrito & plátano maduro - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Review from 2017 A friend took me to this place when I came to visit Charlottesville in 2017. It is similar to Sardi's in Maryland, another Peruvian chicken place. Though this restaurant has fewer option offerings. With the chicken you only get one side, whereas Sardi's you could get two sides without paying extra. The sauces are comparable to what you can get at Sardi's. Chicken was tasty though a little bit on the drier side. Plantains were good as well. You know when plantains aren't good when it makes the inside of your mouth dry. But these were fine. Their yuca fries were good as well. Inside they have some interesting decor. It is an overall small restaurant within a plaza without a whole lot of parking. It is only a few miles from UVA campus so it is a popular spot for the college students. I came during the summer though so it was not too packed. Overall, a good Peruvian chicken restaurant. Just nothing outstanding, hence the 4 stars. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Quarter chicken with plaintains - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This place easily does it for me. I ordered the Para Papa, which is a 1/2 pound chicken of any white or dark meat variant, my chosen 2 sides were poblano rice and plantains with sauce, To Go/Carry out. This could have easily fed 2 people. *I* was 2 people that day (yesterday). Chicken is freakin juicy, skin melted off and was flavorful. Grabbed an extra sauce of the jalapeño cilantro on top of my freebie aji sauce. Both were alright. Same texture but the flavor was mild in flavor as if diluted too much of the base they use (if you can get my drift). Plantains were amazing. Poblano rice is solid. Bottom line: in a quick pinch, Al Carbon makes a solid meal that I can frequent for sure. I was disappointed that there wasn't a special sauce that came with the plantains like it advertised "plantains with sauce", but I'll get over it. For $17.25 (including an extra sauce), meal was well worth its quality and price. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Clockwise: 1/2 pound mixed chicken, aji and jalapeño cilantro sauce, poblano rice, and fried plantains. - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

It was pouring rain so we went to the nearest Mexican restaurant. We should have driven further. This place was terrible. Wife ordered the tacos and I had a carne asada burrito. When the food came my wife looked at her tacos and asked "this is a taco!?" My burrito was big but it was mainly rice, a few beans and less carne asada. For $30. Went to the bathroom and there was virtually no light. Maybe a 20 watt bulb? We ate. Half and threw the rest out. What a huge disappointment after reading the Yelp reviews .its like we ate at a different restaurant. read more

Al Carbon is a GEM in Charlottesville especially for all you burrito lovers out there. Let me say especially to those college students out there that you are WASTING money at the Chipotle on Barracks Rd and need to go to Al Carbon either near the Wegmans or going up Emmet St [if you so desire a burrito]. I've been to Al Carbon multiple times, but I recently ordered one of the most underrated items they have there: a carne asada burrito for only $9.70! This burrito was THICK, and when I mean THICK, I really mean it. It's hard to find places that can fully satisfy my stomach as I often have to order more food because I'm still hungry, but this place was value at its peak. The burrito looks like your average burrito you can get from anywhere, but it is packed with SO... MUCH... MEAT... like it's never-ending. It also had other fixins in there that complemented the burrito very well. After eating this, I was amazed because I felt pretty good afterwards. It was fresh as it wasn't too oily, greasy, or even salty. The flavor was on par, but I wish it had something savory like the hot salsa from Chipotle to spice up the burrito. Overall, you need to go to this place--not for their charcoal rotisserie chicken but for their burrito. I have ordered platters and sandwiches from Al Carbon, and they are quite mid. But who knew that the hidden GEM--that is, the burrito--would be the best bang for your buck you could get. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Inside - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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You have to get either a half chicken with any of the sides - because they are all delicious - or the tacos! The jalapeño cilantro sauce is *chef kiss* so freaking good. I absolutely love this place - it's my favorite lunch spot with the hubs. -5th street location is so convenient and just as tasty! read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Green onions - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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We love Mexican food and this was a new experience for us. First off the chicken was AMAZING! So good and not over cooked oat all. The corn was delicious. We loved every bit of the meal. The restaurant was busy but the staff was very accommodating. They helped with explaining the menu when we had questions. The place was clean, well maintained and easy to relax in. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Nino plates. One with corn & one with rice. Medium chips and guac. - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Al Carbon Chicken is hands down THE best restaurant in Charlottesville. So good, we had to have it twice for dinner in the 5 days we were there. Their rotisserie chicken is roasted to perfection. We generally go for the dark meats, but the white meats was very juicy and good too. Other worthy mentions are the fried yucca, street corn, and their traditional tacos. The chips for the guacamole are thin and crispy, kind of like Chipotle's, which I prefer to the thick ones. But the guacamole was a bit too sour for me. We got a medium order and it isn't really worth it at $6.95. The staff is super quick, and food is ready for pick up within 15 minutes. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - 1/2 Peruvian chicken, fried yucca, street corn, guacamole and chips, tamale with beans - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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First visit - take-out Great portions delicious sandwich Sides: Yucca fries (these are Great! Dipping Aji mayo sauce Yum!) Plantains (no dip sauce needed - but it does come with some) read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Chic Sam - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I SWEAR BY THIS CHICKEN PLACE. I just absolutely adore them. Have been eating here since I started at UVA, when they were still a small and homey shop to after they expanded. Just cannot love them more. The chicken is so tender and juicy, and packed with flavors! The sides are delicious - my favs are the Plantains and Green Poblano rice. I always get the Jalapeno and Cilantro sauce for the chicken and the sweet sauce for plantains. You have to pay for extra sauce but I am always down! Their other menu items are great too - the sandwich are bomb, esquites are insane, elote con mayonesa, cemita is so so good, churros are delicious, and I ask for Horchata when I miss Spain! Now that I have graduated, every time I visit Charlottesville, I always always make a stop and bring some home. Love them and hope they will always bring their amazing chicken to everyone! read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Chicken, fried plantains, and green poblano rice - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

We stopped in here randomly while visiting Charlottesville for a late lunch on Saturday and I am so glad we did. This place is a hidden gem in a bustling shopping center. This is the kind of spot you grab food to go or sit on the patio on a nice day. It's super casual and small. You order food and wait for your number to be called. We were immediately greeted with smiling service and our food took maybe 10-15 minutes. I ordered the para papa which comes with two sides and a sauce with the half chicken at an amazing price. I think that's what really shocked us about this place. The cost for what you get. AMAZING. My wife got a half rack of ribs which came with a sauce as well and we shared my sides. The yucca fries were so freaking yummy and after seeing all the reviews about this poblano rice I had to try it too. Worth it. It was so much food for around $30 and we couldn't finish everything (leftovers!). The chicken was so good. I do agree with other patrons that it was a touch dry but I was drowning everything in that cilantro sauce so I really didn't mind it. My wife's ribs were smoky, sweet and tender. We are already talking about going back tomorrow before we hit the road to head home. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Yucca fries, half chicken, half ribs and poblano rice with chipotle crema and jalapeño cilantro sauce. - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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One of my most anticipated restaurant visits. I had been wanting to try their well-spoken-of food for ages, but it didn't happen until a few weeks ago when we wanted a good local option for takeaway food. Al Carbon does the family meal the right way and their menu/style of serving makes it easy. We got the familia, a whole chicken, with green rice, equites, yucca and an extra side of cactus. It was all delicious. By the time we got home the yucca wasn't super hot which lessens the experience of fried yucca but that's just what happens with takeaway, and a few minutes in the oven is a fine remedy. All of our chosen sides were tasty. The cactus is spicy so watch out for that (our toddler couldn't deal, but my husband and I enjoyed the slight kick). The chicken is seriously good though and the chipotle crema was a perfect condiment for it. We had chicken and cactus (it's a big portion of cactus!) leftovers since only three in our family eat solid food and one is a toddler, but the leftovers were welcome! Everything was delicious and it was so reasonably priced, we can't wait to grab food again, or maybe eat in, once this time of restriction has passed. Do it. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Familia plated up at home. Green rice, esquites, and yucca, with an extra cactus and chorizo side. Chipotle crema sauce. - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

So many of my friends recommended this place; I can't believe I've never tried it before. Everything was so good! We ordered La Familia (whole chicken, three sides, and two sauces). For our sauces, we chose the Jalepeño & Cilantro and Chipotle Crema. I definitely preferred the former, which is a little spicier. For the sides, we opted for the: - Poblano Rice: So good--probably my favorite side, actually! It paired really well with the chicken. - Fried Yucca: This was my mom's favorite; really good with the sauces! - Esquite ($0.75 extra as a premium side): I also really enjoyed this one. Sometimes, the sauce can be overwhelming on elote/esquite, but this was great! We also got four tacos: - 2 Carne Asada - Chorizo - Choribeef I've never had Carne Asada where the cuts are done long/vertically (?) before, but it was still good. This is usually my favorite, but I definitely liked the Chorizo more and wish I ordered more of that instead. Lastly, the Horchata was good, but a tad too sweet for me. The staff were very kind with requests for to-go cups/lids, etc. Would definitely return here on my next visit to Charlottesville! read more

Al Carbon Chicken - La Familia, Tacos, and Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Al Carbon Chicken is hands down one of my favorite local spots convenient for me. I absolutely love their smoked chicken, their sides, and their sauces. They have yummy street corn, too. This is a casual spot that you might go for either take-out, a quick lunch or dinner, or with friends. You order at the register and get a number, and depending on how many people are there, it could be a short wait. They have fountain drinks and other drink options available. There are a lot of tables inside but no booths. It's a great place to bring kids as well. read more

Used to go to this place all the time during my undergraduate career and I'm glad to see that the business is alive and well. The poblano rice and plantains are just as I remembered as well as the chicken! For those of you who are new to here, the chicken is a rotisserie styled chicken cooked over open flame. Peruvian spices are rubbed on the outside that make this a truly delicious experience. I highly recommend the jalapeno and cilantro sauce or the aji sauce. Both are great in their own right. Affordable food that fills you right up! Come on in and give it a try! There's a clear an obvious reason that this place is a regular staple in the UVA student's diet as well as the average townie. On top of the place expanding its inside so there's plenty of seating, its a fantastic place to eat. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

First time here and worth the drive. Had the 4 taco special. Incredibly fresh and delicious. . read more

Best Peruvian chicken place HANDS DOWN. A must if you're in charlottesville!! The space used to be pretty tight, but they expanded the interior a few years ago (so now has lots of seating!). You generally order in combos, so ideal for a group/ family setting. They have three sizes: la familia (whole chicken), para papa (half chicken) and a single. If not sure what sides to try, i recommend the Green rice and Fried yucca. Their churros are pretty well-known, as well! LOCATION// a little hard to notice on 29... be careful when turning in! Its right before the stoplight & turn where u see Kohr Bros read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Para Papa (half chicken + green rice + fried yucca + aji sauce) - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

El Tizon, formerly known as Al Carbon. Same chef, menu and people. Same delicious food. Same ambiance. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - New name banner - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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The folks at Al Carbon roast a mean chicken. The birds here arrive juicy and well seasoned in a rich, piquant marinade. The chickens here are decently sized, and a half chicken should easily fill up one diner. My wife and I always go for the economical "la familia" meal, which comes with a whole chicken, three sides, and two salsas. This amount of food leaves us stuffed with a meal's worth of leftovers. The sides here, generally, taste pretty good though we have had some flops. Must orders include the sweet and savory grilled green onions, the fluffy homemade flour tortillas, and the classic elote with plenty of salty cojita cheese. We sometimes go for the poblano rice, though it's more filler than taste experience itself. We didn't love the charro beans, as they ran a bit too salty and soupy for our preference. I find salsas here to be a bit of a weakness, which is unfortunate as my wife and I adore fresh, Mexican salsas. The spicy red salsa is serviceable as is the tomatillo. We tend to avoid the mayo based aji and jalapeño sauces since these weigh down the meal. The salsa also come in skimpy portions and there's a charge for extras, which is a bit of a bummer. This place gets super busy during dinner hours, so order ahead. They also offer other Mexican goodies such as tamales, tortas, and tacos, though we haven't tried these yet. Al Carbon serves some solid chicken and sides at a reasonable price, and is one of the better takeout options in town for a hearty meal. 4.5 stars. read more

The best cabbage wrap sandwich I have ever had. Ever since starting Keto, I have really had a hard time finding good keto food options at restaurants, but the chorizo cemita here is on point. Located a little down the main highway leading to DC from Charlottesville, Al Carbone is tucked away in a small shopping area that makes it little hard to notice from the street. Despite this fact, the food is really a treat, especially if you want something fare. From What I have seen in restaurant, the cemita, sandwich, along with tacos seem to be quite popular. On my last visit, I personally had a chance to order a chorizo cemita with a lettuce wrap, instead of bread. It was honestly amazing. And I definitely think this would be a godd option for someone on keto. read more

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We order the jalapeño cilantro and new item tequila half rib And two margarita. The rosstic chicken is no surprise The rib was very good When you order make sure you Oder the combo And the drink you need to made sure you order with liquor one The one we ordered turn out to be ice cream for $9 each read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

THE BIG: I'll say it here, I think Peruvian chicken is better than Portuguese chicken. There it's said. THE BLACK AND WHITE: I've only heard great things from the bae about this place every time I've visited Cville and finally had a chance to try it. We came here with the bae's family right before her small graduation and let me tell you, what a great move! Apparently, they've moved from the shop next door and got a little more space inside. It also smelled delicious since they were roasting the chicken right as we walked in. I don't remember everything we ordered, but I do remember the half chicken being SUPER juicy and the aji sauce being the mvp of all sauces. The yuca fries had a nice starch to crispy ratio. Oh and the elote was to die for. Something about mayo and chipotle seasoning on a corn cob just gets me. THE FINAL BAMBOO: The damage done was around $64 including tax and tip for ALOT of chicken. Glad we came here for lunch and will definitely be back. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Half chicken, yuca fries, rice and elote - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Best place to get food for a reasonable price, you really get a lot for how much you pay considering most places up charge for practically nothing. I highly recommend taking your family here, I've been going here since I was a kid and I love it. The staff actually cares about your needs and serves you right on time, this restaurant deserves way more recognition than it gets also the scenery is literally incredible read more

Al Carbon is located in a small plaza with a parking lot. Arrived around 1:45 p.m. on a Friday and there were still plenty of tables available. Once you enter the restaurant, you see numerous rotisserie chickens being rotated on a spit that immediately make your mouth water. You place your order at the cashier and pick up your food when your number is called. Tried the El Nino, a quarter dark chicken with jalapeno and cilantro "salsa" and a side of green poblano rice. The chicken was good with a simple salty flavor. It didn't have the crispiest skin, but the meat was tender. The chicken tasted even better with the jalapeno and cilantro "salsa", which was a mildly spicy, creamy pureed mixture of mayo, jalapeno, and cilantro sauce. The side of green poblano rice had pieces of corn and a delicious buttery flavor that made me want to keep eating more. My companions ordered Mexican sandwiches, Cemitas, which they both enjoyed. The Oaxaca cheese in the sandwich is definitely fresh, as publicized. The sides are a must. All of the sides combined with the chicken made for a tasty meal. Tried chiles toreados and cebollitas as well as premium sides, which cost a little bit more: nopalitos and esquites. The chiles toreados and cebollitas were deliciously grilled whole jalapenos and whole spring onions, generously topped with salt. The jalapenos were surprisingly minimally spicy. The nopalitos were thinly sliced grilled cactus and onions. The cactus were tender with a slightly tart taste. The esquites were not my cup of tea but probably yummy for anyone that likes cut corn mixed with mayo, cotija cheese, lime, herb, jalapeno, and chile powder. It was not spicy at all. And finally, churros for dessert. The churros were just how churros should be, fried crispy and cinnamony sweet. It was the perfect sugary dessert to end the meal. This is a great restaurant to try for anyone visiting Charlottesville. read more

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Al Carbon on Route 29 in Charlottesville has been listed as permanently closed, which is incorrect. Al Carbon's partners parted ways and one took the restaurant on Route 29 and one took the restaurant on 5th St. The 5th St restaurant kept the name as part of the separation agreement. The 29 restaurant has changed it's name and is operated by one of the partners who has been managing the restaurant since its inception. The name was changed to El Tizon since the Route 29 restaurant was better than the 5th St restaurant. The current operator of the newly named El Tizon (formerly Al Carbon) is operating the restaurant exactly the same as it's been operated since it's inception with the same menu and same exciting food offerings. Stay tuned for new and more food offerings and continued excellent service and prices as in the past. read more

Great food and a great family operating this business! Everything on the menu is a homerun! read more

Always amazing chicken, yucca, plantains, and green poblano rice. Their green poblano rice is everything. I almost always come here whenever I visit Charlottesville and it never disappoints. I really wish there was one nearby where I live! read more

Absolutely one of the most consistent places I've ever eaten. Consistently good food, service, and quality. You get a LOT for a little, and it is usually 2 meals out of one order. Best steak taco I've ever had and friendly fast service. I'll be back, I'll tell my friends, and I'll always get a side of green salsa. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Quarter dark chicken, green salad, Corona, and steak taco - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Al Carbon Chicken is the perfect lunch spot! My husband and I both ordered the Para Papa, which is a meal that comes with a half chicken, 2 sides and 1 salsa. We tried the fried plantains, green poblano rice, yellow rice and street corn for sides. We also both chose the mild salsa, medium and spicy are also available. The chicken was so flavorful and tasty and the green poblano rice was the favorite side. I love corn but I didn't care for their street corn unfortunately. Overall, it's a must visit as you can't beat the value for the price paid. read more

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I love me a good rotisserie-style chicken. I've come down to Al Carbon a handful of times, and though I leave satisfied, I am always left a little wanting. For one, I have found that the chicken has been dry... which albeit can be offset by the dipping sauces. On the flip side, I have nothing but love for their fired yuca - it's the real deal and it is piping hot and fresh and delicious! This is also a good spot if you want a fast-casual meal, or want to split a whole chicken amongst amigos! Overall, I think the sauces and the sides steal the show - and though I thin the chicken is well marinated, I wish they could nail down the cooking time so it's juicy and not so dry... read more

I'm never one to order chicken at a restaurant because anyone can cook chicken right? Wrong. I was a firm believer in that statement until I had Al Carbon. Now I am a firm believer in that no one can cook chicken EXCEPT Al Carbon. The chicken was unreal. I ordered 2 chicken tacos and 2 fish tacos figuring that the fish would be better. Too bad I wish I would have ordered all chicken tacos, maybe even 6? Were the fish tacos bad? Not at all, BUT the chicken is u.n.r.e.a.l. I can't event explain it so you'll just have to go try for yourself! I will be back, for the whole chicken! Also heard they're opening a location downtown. Excited! read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Chicken and fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

My wife and I loved their chicken, sweet plantains, and yuca. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We can't wait to come back.

Yum!! So glad we visited this place while visiting Charlottesville. It was worth the little drive. So authentic. Sauces and spices were delicious. You can see the rotisserie chicken coming out of the oven and it looks just so fresh. I really enjoyed the tacos although I wish I got all chicken. Would absolutely stop by again. read more

Al Carbon Chicken - Close up of the tacos - Mexican Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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While visiting my son at UVA, we decided to stop by this place for a Sunday lunch. We came just in time to beat the church crowd. It became busy very quickly. Fortunately, there were plenty of tables. The cashier took the order and the food was brought to our table within 5-7 minutes. I ordered 1/2 chicken, poblano rice, and fried plantains. The rotisserie style chicken was well seasoned, moist, and delicious. The chicken is small, so get the 1/2 portion if you're hungry. The sides, poblano rice and plantains were very good. The food is fresher and more flavorful than another similar rotisserie chicken place that goes by the name of NPP. read more

The best chicken in the area, splendidly roasted and eminently affordable. Just wish it was a little closer to my house!

Great food. Went here for the take-out and was super easy to order ahead and pick up. The chicken was authentic with all those sauces. It can really feed a bunch a people at an affordable price. I recommend the yucca over the fries, but you definitely should get the chip and guac! It was really great. The churros were really fresh, crispy outside and warm soft center. The alley has some seating available too. Check them out, it was great. read more