Food: 4 Service: 4.5 Ambiance: 5 Date/Time: 5/15/2026 7pm Order: ACP, Pollo Tropical, No Manches 'Rita, Ojitos Lindos 'Rita Crowd: 1/3 full I think this place has gone through a couple of mgmt/name changes since first going there, but the place looks the same inside and the food is just as good but seems to be more variety. The service was very good with what seemed to be a newer server. She checked in quite often until it was time to bring the check. Had to ask her for that after about a 10 minute wait after she cleaned off the table. Outside of that, very friendly and attentive. The ACP had very thin slices of chicken which was nice, but not as much cheese as you typically see in other restaurants. According to the server, you do have to ask for some flour tortillas on the side if you want them as they don't come by default. The Pollo Tropical had a nice thin layer of chicken breast covered in cheese.... tasty. The margaritas were good and have a smear of taijin on one side of the rim which gives the drink a little spice. Prices are in line with other restaurants in the area. Definitely would recommend it. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - 5/15/2026-menu - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Had the Carajillo sampler and a watermelon margarita. Huge portion for the price and the house margarita was amazing. I will definitely be back!! read more

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Came out to dinner with friends and it was wonderful. Not very busy since it is a Wednesday. They have a $10 mezcal deal, so I got a mezcal margarita and it was delicious. We also got the guacamole, which was yummy and made table side. Then I ordered a quesadilla fajita. Typically quesadilla fajitas have melted cheese in line but this one didn't. Our waitress was amazing! She was sweet and attentive. I'll definitely go back but will likely order the burrito which I've found to be delicious. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Quesadilla Fajita - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Ordered nachos one night for delivery. It came fast, hot and fresh with no complications. The nachos had beef and chicken, beans, pico, cheese, lettuce. The chips were crispy and sturdy enough to hold a healthy scoop of toppings. Additional chips and salsa came with the meal, and the salsa was tasty. Will have to try them again. read more

Ordered food to go. Sooo much food. The chips and salsa is delish. Ordered shrimp tacos, burrito and soup. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Shrimp tacos - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Huge menu, fast and friendly service, tons of drink options. Nice and clean indoor seating. Free chips and a delicious salsa. Fun music but not too loud. Chicken in the burrito and chimichangas were flavorful and not dry like some places tend to be. Will definitely be back read more

Great good, great drinks and great service. Love the menu, so many options we've never had before. We'll be back soon. They also serve breakfast all day. yay!!!! read more

Very good!! We came in for an early dinner. We were seated in a booth in the bar. Salsa and chips arrived quickly! The salsa is very good! The menu is huge with MANY choices!! I got the mar and tierra tacos with steak and shrimp. Very good!!! They came with black beans and rice. It was amazing! The restaurant was clean and the staff was friendly. Very good spot in north Raleigh. read more

Visited this restaurant tonight with some of my friends from my gym. The ambiance was great - not too noisy, very comfortable. The restaurant was clean. The waiter we had was great as well. He made sure our drinks were never empty without interrupting too much. We all enjoyed our food. We had the guacamole- which was fresh and delicious! I ordered the senor burrito and it was huge! Stuffed with chicken, chorizo, rice, beans, smothered with queso and topped with guacamole! I absolutely loved it and was not able to eat the entire thing! I can't wait to go back on a weekend so that I can try some drinks! read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Senor burrito - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

My family and I are fans of Carajillo's. The place is huge and a great spot for a large group. If you are looking to head in when it's less busy, definitely head in for an early dinner. The menu is huge and what you would normally expect, but they also pride themselves on huge photo worthy drinks. I ordered a sangria and it was large and brimming with fruit. I enjoyed it! My son couldn't get enough of the black beans and I enjoyed the refried beans. I ordered a carne asada dish, which was tasty, I enjoyed the charred peppers with it. Service was friendly and accommodating to kids! read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - a fruity drink - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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If you have ever eaten at Monterrey Mexican Grill in Chapel Hill, NC, then you already know the food is incredible. Great Tex-Mex, great atmosphere, great drinks. The same owner has opened Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen, one in Garner and one in Raleigh. The Garner location is huge, very fun, always crowded. The Raleigh location on Wake Forest road is also amazing, just smaller. My go to during lunch there is the fajitas or the fajita burrito. Today I wanted to try something new so I got the Barbacoa Burrito. Tender amazing pieces of barbacoa mixed with rice, beans, onions, and cilantro, and Mexican street corn on the side. Outstanding! I personally think they should move to the North Hills area. The traffic would be much better, and this restaurant would have a waiting list! The dinner menu is even more extensive. Drinks are awesome and they have little lights in them! If you like Tex-Mex you will love Carajillo's!! read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Barbacoa De Res Burrito with Street Corn - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Inconsistent in both food and service. The first meal I had was so freakin' delicious that I brought others in shortly thereafter. The first time it was just me and Husband and we were super impressed with the food. My Shrimp dish with pineapple and veggies on rice with a cheese sauce was perfection. I'm drooling just thinking about it. Got two meals out of it and loved every bite. He felt the same about his burrito. Chips and Salsa good. Second time six of us came in and I made the mistake of wanting to try my favorite classic Mexican combo of a Chile Relleno and a spinach enchilada that I can easily and happily get elsewhere. The language barrier made it very difficult (and expensive) to order, as I was brought a plate with a small enchilada with lots of beans and rice (and charged $14 for it). When I asked where the relleno was, they brought me one separately and charged me another $4 for it. Relleno was terrible. Way too thick batter. The enchilada was small with too thick of a tortilla. I would not recommend either. Sis ordered a "special order" also of a Relleno with a Spinach Burrito and was charged for a combo and got it that way. She obviously made herself clearer ordering than I thought I did. She agreed with me about the relleno. Not impressed. Both times I was here, drink refills took forever. Had to be patient for the check also. Would go back, but would stick with some of the more unique items like the Shrimp dish, and steer away from more traditional Mexican. read more

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This restaurant takes your typical Mexican dishes to the next level both in taste and presentation. Reasonable prices and great service keep me coming back. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Mural - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Carajillo's has a sleek and modern aesthetic and it's nicely laid out. We were seated quickly for an early dinner and immediately greeted by our server who was very friendly and attentive. We ordered the wings and the Carajillo's dip to start and the portion of the dip was generous and delicious. The wings were heavily sauced and had an excellent flavor. I would definitely order both again. We ordered the Tres Compadres which was pretty good although the chicken was slightly dry and the Texas Fajitas which was very similar and good as well. We didn't get a chance to try the drinks so we'll definitely go back to the other menu items and the drinks too. read more

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Came here on a Sunday afternoon and we were seated right away. Staff is friendly and attentive and the restaurant is very clean and spacious with a nice ambience and murals on the wall. There is a separate bar in the middle of the restaurant. The chips came out warm and crispy. The chicken soup was full of shredded chicken and came out hot. Overall a great experience. read more

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Amazing service, food, especially the drinks - never misses and always consistent! Food was served swiftly, with a large menu to choose from and all the waiters always provide quality service. A intimate setting, with lots of space. I have to been to La buena vida, Mezcalitos, Sano José - none top Carajillo's! We always love coming here for birthdays or simply a nice weekend dinner. read more

Wasn't bad i expected it to not taste good. I wouldn't go back tho. I just know better Mexican spots.

Pros: Good service. Excellent salsa with plenty of flavor. Very spacious restaurant and clean n and tidy. Menu is large with numerous options, including a large and unusual seafood section in a separate Spanish language menu...and it is very good seafood indeed. Cons: Dishes are hit or miss outside seafood and excellent burritos. Seafood menu is very expensive for a Mexican restaurant (but, again, good). read more

One thing about me I love Hispanic food in all forms. I love a good drink, good food and a great vibe. This place gave me all of that. I love the fact that their drinks are made from fresh fruit. Their menu is so vast it took me forever to decide what I wanted. Our server was very informative, helpful, and patient with any questions we may have had. I got the cheesy street tacos, me and my friend split the El mas Chingon and I got the La Picosita for the drink. Everything from beginning to end was chefs kiss. First time coming here but it definitely will not be the last! 10/10! read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - El Ms Chingon - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We recently went to Carajillo's for the first and second time. The first time was great. The food, drinks, and service were awesome. I had a vegetarian trio and all of them were delicious. The second visit was with a large group that we had invited after the great first visit. The food and drinks were great, but the service from our server was poor. The manager and others were nice but I'm not sure if the server was overwhelmed or that was just the server's attitude. The attitude definitely made us feel unwelcome. I would recommend giving this place a try and hopefully you get a good server or the server is having a better day! read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - One of their fun margaritas - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Wonderful service and the chips and dip were amazing. Very delicious tacos and fiesta nachos. Would highly recommend!

Great option for Mexican food without been stuck with having only tacos or burritos !! Lol. Lots of options when it comes to seafood. They have some tacos as well if that's what you like. I came with a friend and we liked it. Check out the pics. Price I believe was reasonable when compared to the quality of the food. We had 2 dishes and drinks for about $50, that came with plenty of chips and salsa! Service was very good, our server was very attentive. I came for lunch and I saw a lot of Hispanics, I guess that means it may be a good place . I will not comment on the ambiance because I haven't been here for dinner. I will probably go back to try something else. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Salmon - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Love the ambiance here. The waitstaff were attentive and the service was good. The food that I had was very tasty. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Fried ice cream - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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The decor in this one has been changed and checkin desk is now on the other side. That flows well, everything was clean. Our server was nice. We received our food fairly quickly. The food was hot and looked great. The drinks were really good. Little too sweet and taste syrupy but good. The tacos were ok. They looked great, crispy shells, it was still warm. The sauce was a soup, not what I expected but it was ok. The cheese seemed very processed, by the way it was melting. The dip had so much grease I couldn't eat it. My husband said it was ok. The corn was salty. I was disappointed and I'm sorry I dont think I'll come back. read more

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Absolutely the Best service and food around. Isamar was fantastic!! Had a great Birthday lunch with a friend. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Over the top Birthday celebration. - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Great customer service! Great Food! Great music! On Tuesday's we usually do tacos, we both wanted to try a new place. I'm so happy we stumbled upon this restaurant, the manager was very informative and made us feel welcomed. There were about 4 different menus so there was a lot to choose from. I had a huge drink that i couldn't finish, I'm not complaining bc I could definitely taste the alcohol. I ordered a red snapper dish which was char grilled! Omgeeeeee the flavor was like something out of this world, the fish was seasoned to perfection!! The red snapper was plated beautifully on what looked like a Turkey platter, it came with rice, a small salad and some French Fries. I tasted a little bit of the sides but my focus was the fish! I'll definitely come back. The manager did mention a live band comes on Friday and Saturday, I'm actually looking forward to it. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - I can't remember the name but the drink looks just like the picture on the menu. - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

My wife ate here on Nov. 2nd. We were looking for something new in Mexican food. We stumbled upon Mariscos Altamar Mexico, so we decided to try it out. We noticed they specialized in seafood dishes but that did deter us. We both had a drink which was very good. We were impressed how new and clean it was and it had many TVs playing videos of old movies which grabbed our attention, we were entertained while dining out. I had the chorzio and avacado tacos with beans and rice, which was very good. My wife had the Salmon Al Mango, I had a taste of it and we both loved the Salmon, it was very tender and moist. The mango relish was beyond awsome. The service was great and staff was very friendly, We will definitely go back and try a couple of seafood dishes. The price was appropiate for the food, not too pricey. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Amazing food and service always!! They have some of the best salsa in town!! I usually get the birria tacos and they never disappoint.

I had bar service. The drinks were spectacular. I also ordered a combination of shrimp and fish ceviche on tostadas. I don't have a picture but it was a large portion with great flavors. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Great service , amazing food and cool atmosphere ! Definitely a hidden gem , 10/10 ! read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - We ordered soooo much and it was all great ! - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Isabella was awesome. Customer service was good. The food was delicious. It's a cool Mexican seafood place. The decor makes you feel like you're at the beach. read more

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My wife wanted to try something new and she selected Mariscos Altamar. An excellent choice. All I can say is WOW! Ok I can say more... First the only downside is that on Friday's there is no lunch menu, so like a couple other Mexican restaurants in the area you will have to choose from the Dinner menu. So now for the amazing food. For an apetizer we ordered the calamari. It was the best calamari we have had in years. Not over cooked with a perfect breading. For her main meal my wife ordered the Cerviche Del Mar. A really excellent dish. Great flavors without being overpowered by the citrus. I ordered the Seafood Soup. We definitely had to much food. We ate family style so we shared everything. We finished half the calamari as well as half of the Cerviche Mar, the other half will be dinner tonight. We polished off the Seafood Stew. There was nothing left. My normal go to soup for dinner is Korean Jiampong, but this soup is just as good. As to price, you are paying dinner prices at lunch but you are getting your money's worth. Just be sure you have a place to take a nap because you are going to need one. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Food was good, service was good, the ambiance was good too. My bf and I went on a Sunday around noon and it was pretty chill. Drinks are also good for the size and the price. read more

Friendly, attentive service. They immediately brought chips and salsa that was fresh and delicious. We ordered the steak and shrimp tacos and the birria tacos. Everything tasted great. It's hard to find good, well cooked carne asada in Raleigh and they did a great job. read more

Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Steak and shrimp tacos - good carne asada - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I probably won't be back. The food--ACP--was very good and plentiful enough to take some home for a next day snack. Chips and salsa were OK, but not particularly interesting. (They were thick; I personally like thinner chips and spicier salsa--or maybe being given two different salsas.) Service was weak. I was given sweet tea after asking for unsweet tea, and I had to wait several minutes to get my server's attention to fix it. He then didn't check back and keep our beverages full. But the real disappointment was that someone at the next table was vaping, and I don't want to smell some fruity vape wafting toward me as I eat. I did NOT address this with management as I didn't know the rules in NC, but further research suggests that vaping is apparently NOT prohibited in restaurants. However, a restaurant can choose to restrict it. Apparently, Carajillo's does not restrict it. (If I'm wrong on this, please let me know.) I don't believe I've ever encountered vaping at a Raleigh restaurant before, but this suggests to me that Carajillo's probably allows it. That's their choice, and it can be my choice to go elsewhere. read more

Service was great, food was great but the reason I'm leaving a complaint is because I was surprised that the manager didn't even speak English, like at all, for my understanding the manager should be able to solve the costumers needs, and I wanted to speak to him about a drink I wanted to send back because it wasn't tasting good and he did not understand a word I said, he needed someone to translate to him, how can we manage a restaurant if he doesn't even understand the clients needs. read more

One of the best restaurants in Raleigh and definitely the best Mexican restaurant in raleigh! I think I've tried them all! The seafood is very fresh and was cooked perfectly. Their sauces and flavors are wonderful! The ceviche was delicious also. The people were super nice, but there's not a whole lot of English speakers. read more

After a few (unfortunate) other tries for Mexican restaurants, Carajillo's has come out on top! They have amazing service, great (super fun) drinks, and the food comes out in 10 minutes or less every. single. time. I've never personally had to wait, it's a large establishment but it's usually filled with people so they're working magic. Whoever took over ownership of this establishment, THANK YOU! read more

We went Saturday night for a birthday celebration, and this place was hopping and an awesome experience! The food was delicious, the portions were nice, and the meals were a good value. We got the El VIEJON drink made table side and the aroma was woodsy and divine. It was a wonderful experience, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit, so don't hesitate to try this place! read more

The food was great but the service wasn't. We told our server what we wanted but she bought my sister out the wrong things. She then proceeded to blame us that we ordered it wrong and we didn't. She brought over the manager to get us to explain the situation and he gave us an attitude too. We tried to explain the situation nicely but the server insisted she did nothing wrong. I will not be coming back here. read more