No food pics because we were that hungry -- the food came out steaming hot and we didn't waste a second before diving in. We ordered the parrillada familiar for five hungry adults and it was more than enough, with plenty of leftovers to take home. Fast service, insanely reasonable prices, and bold, authentic flavor across the board. I travel throughout Mexico often, and this food is the real deal -- deeply flavorful, well-seasoned, and exactly what you'd expect from a legit northern Mexican grill. The horchata wasn't my favorite, but I'd happily try a different agua fresca next time. Five stars, easily. read more

Yes, yes, yes! Who should come here? Locals, Texans, tourists from around the world--anyone stepping foot in San Antonio needs to stop here before unpacking their suitcase. This is the spot to truly taste San Antonio! I've been coming here for years, and oh my goodness, it never disappoints. Our go-to order: the whole chicken with rice, grilled onions, chile toreado, lime, corn tortillas, and both green and red sauces. Add a side of charro beans & salchichas especiales--and you're in heaven. Highly recommend. I usually get a little nervous dining west of downtown since my Spanish isn't fluent like my dad's, but everyone here was incredibly kind and spoke both Spanish and English. The restaurant itself is surprisingly spacious, spotless, and they even serve fantastic Southern sweet tea! Honestly, I don't know how any restaurant could top this. Michelin-star-level Mexican food? Check. Amazing service? Check. Fresh tea, good vibes, and all-around perfection? Double check. It truly doesn't get any better than this! read more

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As we pulled into the Al Carbon Pollos Asados parking lot, I had a feeling this spot had all the makings of a great chicken spot. It shares parking with a gas station, has maximalist branding with a cartoon chicken holding two big thumbs up, there were no vacant parking spots, the blue sky looked straight out of a Windows background, and the smell of Northern Mexican style marinated fire grilled chicken cooked over charcoal was waging war on my nostrils. This spot is about as authentic as it gets: Mexican music blasting from the speakers, a colorful interior with papel picados and Mexican murals lining the walls, and a server that only spoke Spanish. I legit feel like we were in Mexico. We got coke zeros because we are skinny legends, and they served it with a styrofoam cup. Soda just hits different out of styrofoam. I got a half chicken with a side of rice and tortillas that ran $11.44, DIRT cheap. It also comes with a huge bottle of avocado sauce so you don't have to continually ask for more which is HUGE. As always, I must rate the chicken pre sauce, because otherwise we are just rating sauces. The chicken itself was a 7.9/10, but please keep in mind this is a much tougher grading scale than restaurant chicken. My only gripe was that the chicken was a bit dry to be considered truly elite, but an explosion of flavor, avocado green sauce, and vibes made up for it. It's places like this that make me hesitant to rank chicken from restaurants, because although the chicken itself was an 7.9/10, but I would recommend ANYONE to go here when in San Antonio. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__ read more

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About a year ago I visited this establishment the chicken wasn't bad, but the chicken breast was so dry unlike the most pollo asado places in SA and like the other pollo asado places the tortillas are a mediocre afterthought. The service was so indifferent it angered me. Good luck getting any assistance. read more

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I've seen it from the freeway and I've always wanted to pop in and try it. The parking is limited. The inside is a nice size space, good for a large group or two. I placed an order for a whole chicken. It came with a pint of rice, corn tortillas, onions, jalapeno and two salsas. I added a pint of charro beans. It came out to $24 and change. If you pay cash it's a tad cheaper. My order was ready in 5 minutes and I was out the door. The ladies were friendly and professional. The chicken was DELICIOUS and a good sized chicken. The rice, corn tortillas and beans were also good, I think you get about ten tortillas. Next time I'm ordering a bigger size of the beans and maybe a dessert too. They had bottled sodas as well. Next time I'll snap the menu. read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Whole chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Inside have plenty of tables to serve large crowds. Chickens are well seasoned and tasty! WARNING-Parking is not big but you can park by the closed gas station next it, if need be. read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Ordering some grill chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Another one of my favorite spots when I am visiting San Antonio. Great customer service and amazing food! I always pack extra plates to bring back home to Boston! read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Chicken at this place is always the best , something about the way they cook it makes this chicken the best in town if you like pollo al carbon 10/10 read more

Have not eaten here as a sit down but we love ordering to go at this specific "pollos asados" location. It's a great sign to see no parking avail and walking inside to most tables taken up during dinner hours. Price is great. You get lots big portions for a reasonable price. Love the chicken (whole) and beef fajitas. AMAZING charro beans + rice. We always order extra. Make sure to ask for extra salsas because those taste great. Plenty of seating and great music in the background with nice decor. read more

Wow! I finally had a chance to eat at this restaurant and it did not disappoint. I ordered the 1/2 chicken meal which comes with rice, a grilled jajalapeno and corn tortillas. Charro beans can be ordered as a side and you MUST order the beans. The beans are so full of flavor (I think they are cooked with chicharonnes). I could just have eaten the beans and been happy. My mom ordered the short ribs and finished her plate...she never finishes her plate. I also need to give Honorable mention to the creamy guacamole salsa they serve because it is sotasty and not too hot. Believe me, that grilled jalapeno adds eenough heat that the salsa is perfect. Unfortunately, we started eating and I forgot to take photos....sorry. Also, be sure to order an aguas fresca because those are good too. read more

This chicken is the bomb.com The parking sucks a little bit but once you are able to make your way inside you should have no problems. I ordered a whole chicken that comes with a side of rice, tortillas and beans for 20 bucks!!! You really can't beat that price for some good chicken! read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The food was great, and everything came out on time. I felt really comfortable there and definitely recommend this place. I'll be back soon!Great service!! read more

The chicken used to be better cooked and better taste also on the second location the smell when you go in there is not very good

Went on a Wednesday night, service was fast and great. Food was so good with rice, and a side of onion with tortillas. Will definitely go back. read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Half Chicken meal with added beans - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Wow, this place is such a GEM! A hole in the wall amazing find! The chicken is juicy and succulent. The beef was tender. The beans were just the right amount of salty. Their portion sizes are generous especially for the price! Highly recommend! read more

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The food is the best Al carbon I have ever had anywhere ever and the service was spectacular! I never would have gone here on my own without the recommendation and now every time I go to San Antonio I make it a point to go to this location. The ambience is perfect! I have been told this is the best location to go to of all of them and I don't doubt it. The flavors of the chicken, the charro beans, and the rice is amazing! I can't put my finger on what exact spices they use for each, but it is perfect and better than anything I have ever had! read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Half chicken with rice and charro beans. - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Food is great but the service... went to the smaller location on Culebra and Colorado to order to go from inside. Ordered the "chicken only" whole chicken but was charged for the one with the onions, pepper, and stuff (which we did not want). We let the cashier know and she made a face because she had to re ring the order. She said we did not specify the "chicken only" but we did. I was even pointing to where it says "chicken only" as I was ordering the "chicken only". She was very rude about her mistake. read more

Small restaurant but don't let that fool you. The chicken is delicious & you definitely get what you paid for. They have a family meal that feeds about 5. We ordered 2 for a total of 10 adults & 1 baby & we had some leftover. I also ordered the Monterey burger , the portions are pretty big. The burger was absolutely delicious but the chicken and fajitas were definitely better. The green salsa is delicious & so is their fresh lemonade read more

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Have been coming to this location for many years. I love their food,their rice and beans are always consistent. Chicken has lot of flavor and price is not bad. They recently changed their indoor lights which makes the place EXTREMELY bright. The amount of light inside the restaurant is excessive and it almost hurts to look at someone at an eye level. Their lighting was just fine in the past. Sometimes their music is too loud where you can't have a conversation . Please don't try to fix something that's not broken. read more

I had been wanting to try this place for awhile. It is right off I10 and Culebra just below the underpass. The food for the price and value was superb. I had the chicken and my buddy had the beef fajitas. The chicken unanimously was the top choice. It came with grilled onions, rice, etc. it was a nice tough with the grilled pepper/chile. The meal gets taken to a new level with what they call their guacomollin sauce. It is warm and full of yumminess. They offered charro beans but we declined. It was only $1.25 more but felt we did not need more food. I will definitely be back and partake in the short ribs. The only feedback I would have is the service was okay. We got their early before 1130am. By the time we left the crowd was building. read more

Al Carbon Culebra - 1/2 chicken and beef fajita plate. - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The pollo here is incredible! The flavor is amazing. The rice and beans and tortillas. Everything was 100% This is a must try in San Antonio! read more

This place has some of the best Mexican style barbecue chicken. The smell of the chicken as you drive by makes you turn around and try it. The place doesn't look like much, but the taste of the chicken and other items on the menu is what keeps you coming back. The friendliness of the staff and service is great as well. You definitely need to try this place read more

Came here on a Sunday to try to chicken to make a comparison to the already well established pollos asados los norteños. There is not much difference but I do think los norteños has a slight advantage maybe just based on their kitchen setup vs. Al Carbon's. Both have really great green salsa, this one is a bit more lime-y than los norteños. The seating area is ample in al carbon vs. los norteños where you have to make sure you don't stick your chair out too much unless you want to be bumped by a person passing by. The chicken is Monterrey, Mex style so you know its going to be good. The cebolla asada(roasted onion) was pretty tasty. Overall, food-wise, its a close tie to pollos asados los norteños. They are both great, I think you should decide which is best. I do want to do a side-by-side comparison of both to determine the differences. I know this place does not have the wait that los norteños has so that's something people should consider. Also, location. Al carbon is more centrally located vs. los norteños where you have to debate whether or not to drive to Houston. Come give it a try! read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Pollo asado - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Good stuff! Very authentic! The parillada offers quite a bit of food for the money. The chicken was so flavorful and the beef was super tender. Only issue we had is we should have ordered more of it! Even the rice and beans are just right! read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Parrillada See more on Instagram @CheatDay_SA - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The chicken is so tasty, the salsas are so good, the rice and beans are good. This place WAS my favorite chicken place until recently. every time we go the price has gone up. I understand everything is more expensive now pero when the price goes up AND the size goes down its an issue for me. The drumsticks yesterday were the size of my finger. We used to be able to eat lunch and leftovers for dinner but now its just big enough for one meal. I hope the chickens can go back to the size they were. read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Small chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I tried their dark meat chicken and it was delicious!!! It was spiced and smoked to perfection. I can't wait to try their ribs!

You never can go wrong with eating here! There grilled chicken and beef are never too dry, just juicy and very enjoyable!

Savory, juicy and tantalizing! I LOVE THIS CHICKEN!!!!! I could eat it every day! My husband and I eat here at least once every two weeks because I crave this fresh, hot juicy chicken of love!!!!! We first tried it a while ago through Uber Eats and I was blown away at how well grilled this chicken was. The meat fell off the bones, it was tender. Along with the 8 pieces of mm mm mmm are tortillas, where you can make chicken tacos out of them and grilled onions. Plus some seriously tasty sauce that's boss and the icing on the chicken! It's finger lickng great! Thanks, friends! Sorry I'm just getting around to reviewing y'all!!! read more

The flavor of the chicken here is outstanding. Don't be afraid to use your hands. The sides are good and the price is right (no relation). I visit each time I'm in this city. read more

My family and I always pass this on our way around town and we always say we are going to try it the next time. We finally did and the food was extremely delicious. We ordered the family pack through their website and was able to pay online. It originally said there was a 45-minute wait but the food was ready in 15. We got beef fajitas, chicken, salchicha, tortillas, rice and beans with salsa for $42. This fed all 6 of my family, plus we had left overs. I highly recommend this place as the food was tender and very flavorful. read more

Mouthwateringly delicious chicken. Plump, juicy and oh so full of flavor. A nice char to give it that grilled flavor. Sides are excellent. This is simple straightforward Mexican at its best. This comes from a dude who isn't a lover of chicken. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more

Do you have kids? Do you have picky eating kids? Always a struggle finding a place to eat because they always want McDonald's?! Then this review will be helpful (lol) My picky 8-year old ate 2 full plates! Yes, 2 full plates! Even though the restaurant was very busy we got seated shortly after we arrived and our food arrived quickly. Everything was so delicious! Both of my girls fell in love with not only the chicken but the rice too! I think my husband and I only had the opportunity to taste the rice because they TORE that rice up! (lol) The prices are very affordable and portion sizes are great. Food is served family style. read more

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If you are looking for a chill spot that feels like you've gone to an old friends house to eat some backyard chicken that could win awards, this is the spot. Pleasantly suprised with this find, will definitely be frequenting here from now on. Service is supper friendly as well, bonus points! read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Piece of chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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"Al carbon" means to cook over charcoal, which in essence is grilled chicken. The mystery is what makes it that beautiful pinkish-orange hue? It's messy but delicious. If you love your pollo asado, this is another small business find. It is the makings of a perfect bite. So, si señor, esta cabrón la comida de Al Carbon! Tips: -Embrace that you will get messy. -Parking is sparse, so carpool. read more

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At first try, everything was great....So we order through Uber Eats, as my daughter is eating her burger, she spits it out because she feels a weird texture in her mouth and we see what looks to be a Clorox wipe or some kind of wipe, along with some hair in our fajitas, but a wipe with chemicals that made its way into my daughters mouth is a bit more alarming to me. She is currently feeling nauseated, hopefully just out of disgust, and of course I have to wait to contact them until tomorrow and did I a report through Uber also. Beware!! read more

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Best chicken in San Antonio When making a mobile order they have food on time Good service. read more

Al Pollo carbon is my absolute favorite restaurant in San Antonio. It is THE restaurant I take people to if they are visiting Sa. I go neary every week because of the quality and price (15 bucks not including tax/tip will feed 2 people). On to the food review: I've never had chicken as tender as the ones here. They have such a smoky flavor and are always extremely juicy. And if the 5/5 chicken wasn't enough, the green sauce they have goes along with the chicken perfectly- tangy, mild, just amazing. With a squeeze of lemon and some of their grilled onions, few food experiences in SA have come close to it. Their mexican rice is fluffy and flavorful, and I usually am not a fan of mexican rice. Their rose water drink and horchatta are delicious too but can be a bit too sweet. Lastly, their service is phenomenal. They are always checking up on you to make sure everything is fine. I was once overcharged and they said over the phone they would give me a refund at the next visit or a half chicken due to it being a credit card transaction. I came back a month later thinking they would forget but they remembered and even knew where I was sitting at the time. Just amazing people with awesome food. read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Amazing woke chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Love this place, best chicken and green salsa. If you haven't tried you should. Keto friendly.

Visited Al Carbon for the first time with a group of friends from school. I can't believe I hadn't visited sooner! Literally everything was absolutely delicious! I tried the Salchiburger. The Salchiburger is a Mexican-style hamburger that comes with a beef patty, cheese, guacamole, grilled onion, ham, and sausage. Will I order this again? YES. My friends tried the normal pollos asados and it was too delicious. The rice was perfectly cooked and flavorful. You'll definitely want to go back multiple times to try the other menu items. So good! How busy the restaurant was during a non-peak time really says a lot about how delicious and fresh the food is. However, a busy restaurant does come with trouble finding parking. Fortunately, I was easily able to find parking in the surrounding neighborhood. read more

Al Carbon Culebra - Salchiburger - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Delicious chicken. Love the charred jalapeño and onion. The green sauce is epic. Inexpensive. Good service. The classic cheeseburger is surprisingly tasty. read more