Still by far our favorite restaurant in the Fredericksburg area. We go out of our way from Williamsburg to eat here. It's our favorite spot to eat lunch after going to Calvary Chapel Fredericksburg for church. It is a must try for the el pastor tacos, pupusas, horchata, yucca, chicharrones, and more! read more

Carbonero Latin Kitchen - Enjoy great food! - Latin American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Virginia

On a recent day trip down to Fredericksburg we decided to check out the newish Carbonero Latin Kitchen. It's really a Central American eatery. Carbonero looks fresh, modern and appealing on the exterior. The inside is decent. When we arrived on a Saturday afternoon, the restaurant was busy with all tables taken with a short wait to be seated. A complimentary small portion of tortilla chips with red salsa is served. There's also squirt bottles with red and green salsa you can request. Be careful, these salsas are watery. For an appetizer, we ordered the Chicharrones De Casa. JP remarked that these were the best chicharrones he's had in NoVA/DC. JP ordered the Nopales Con Huevos (Cactus with eggs). This was a very good dish. I ordered the Pollo in Crema (Chicken in Cream). While it as attractively presented, I felt a bit like Clara Peller in the 1980s Wendy's commercial asking "Where's the Beef?" In my case, it was, where's the cream? My spouse schooled me by telling me I was used to Mexican Pollo in Crema, but that other Latino cuisines serve their pollo in crema without cream. Well, alrighty then. In any event, the generous chicken serving and its accompanying mushrooms were a bit salty. The rice on the plate was okay. This dish also came with French fries and an undressed salad. In addition, I ordered a queso (cheese) pupusa. The pupusa came with a little cup of crema (which is a lot like crème fraiche). The pupusa was stuffed with unmelted queso fresco and was okay. Lastly, I ordered a Tamal De Elote (sweet corn tamale). It was very good, flavorful and moist. Service was friendly and fine. Overall, all things considered, the food was fine as well. read more

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We finally tried Carbonero for the first time a couple of weeks ago after hearing so many great things. The aesthetic immediately stood out, and there was plenty of seating available. We were seated at a table and greeted right away, which set a great tone. We ordered the pupusas along with the carne asada, and everything was delicious. The horchata was especially good--and much larger than I expected! You definitely get great portions for the price. Overall, we had a wonderful experience and will absolutely be back. read more

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A few friends and I wanted to get a quick dinner, so we made a reservation at Carbonero. None of us had been there before, and when we walked in, it was apparent we didn't need to make a resy, as it was a very casual establishment, more like a walk up to the counter and order food type of place. The young lady helping us was very kind and sweet. She tried to answer my questions to the best of her ability. I really wanted to try Atol de Elote, but it was made with cows milk, which i don't drink. I ended up getting for different pupusas and some yuca fries. I LOVE yuca fries, but i did feel like for the amount I received, it was over priced. There was maybe 2/3C of yuca for $5. I got one garlic, one chicken and cheese, one pork and cheese, and one spinach pupusa. I was getting very full, so I didn't even try the spinach. I ate a portion of each of the other three. The pork and cheese and garlic and cheese were very good, but the chicken was lacking. It was mine there was no cheese inside and no flavor added to the pupusa! My Friends both got chicken taquitos and liked them very much! Usually when I get pupusas, I get the curtido and a special salsa on the side, which I did not get a salsa. I used the salsa I got with my chips and salsa and that worked out! I would probly come back to order to go, but maybe not dine in. I would definitely recommend coming by for lunch rather than dinner! read more

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I made a return visit and brought my sister out for lunch. We sat outside on their patio but later ate inside due to the humidity. We ordered 5 items: 1) Lengua taco 2) Pollo en crema 3) Bandeja paisa Al carbon 4) Chiccharron de casa 5) Fried plantain. Every single item we order was incredibly delicious. The highlight was the pollo en crema - grilled chicken, mushroom sauce, onions, bell peppers, served with rice, french fries and salad. The chicken was on point, tender and that sauce was so deep in flavor with every bite you took. This cozy place was so vibrant and comfortable. The service was impeccable from our server Yamileth, she was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. I will definitely make another visit to try other items on their menu. read more

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I started with the (Chicharrón de Casa) fried pork belly, and it was perfect. Super crispy, well-seasoned, and the house guacamole on the side added the perfect balance. Highly recommend starting with that. I also had the (Mixto) Tacos a mix of chicken and steak. They were loaded and both meats were seasoned really well. You can tell they don't skimp on flavor or portion size. Tried the (Bandeja Paisa) too total comfort food. It came with grilled steak, sausage, pork belly, a fried egg, rice, plantains, avocado, and beans. Everything was delicious! Only thing I'd mention is the egg came cooked through we were expecting over-easy, but that's probably on us for not saying anything. Still totally enjoyable. To drink, I had the Lemonade (Limonada Fresca), and it was exactly what I needed super refreshing, not too sweet, with a slice of lemon for extra zing. And of course, you obviously can never go wrong with a chilled authentic glass bottle of Coke classic and always hits the spot. Only miss for me was the shrimp taco. It had a really strong ocean-fresh taste that just didn't work for me, but the staff was super kind and took it off the bill once I mentioned I hadn't eaten it. No questions asked. Really appreciated that level of service. There were three TVs playing different visuals (no sound), and a fourth screen showing the menu a cool touch if you're browsing options. All in all, great spot. The food is flavorful, the portions are generous, and the vibe is super laid back. You definitely won't leave hungry. I'd totally come back just skipping the shrimp taco next time! read more

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We pass this restaurant often since it is not far from home. Tried it for the first time today and was very impressed. I did an online pickup and it was already 45-minutes to get my order, which was ok while I was still at the salon across the street. We ordered the Carne Asada platter and the Churrasco Encebollado which was seasoned just right and a perfect medium. Added the shrimp and I have 3-meals in one dinner. I also had to add a Pollo & Chorizo Papusas! Reason why I'm full! Will go back for sure, so many things I want to try. The photo was taken when I called it quits. read more

Carbonero Latin Kitchen - Latin American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Virginia

Food was phenomenal and I will be back for the Saltado. The wife is already craving the tacos. Salsa was good the service was ok. They were crowded and the two workers were nonstop. The atmosphere is a little cold so not much ambiance. I will be back. If you want honest Latin flavors this is the spot. read more

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Carbonero is the latest greatest star of Lafayette Blvd - such good service for dining in and takeout, lovely simple immaculate dining room, lovely people serving. The food is SO delicious- we are crazy about all the tamales and papusas, as well as the curtido! We will enjoy all their offerings in the coming years I hope! read more

The inside of Carbonero is very clean and welcoming. They have a few tables where you can sit and dine but also have the option to order at the counter to go. When we sat down we were given chips and salsa to start which tasted great. For drinks, we ordered the Mint Lemonade which was delicious and very large! It seemed like every table had ordered a juice so I think it's worth a try if you come here. I ordered two bean and cheese pupusas. They had a list of other filling for the pupusas if you like yours with protein in it. My dad ordered the Carne Asada. The meat was flavorful and tender however they did forget to bring out the tortillas. They ended up bringing them out towards the end of our meal luckily. As a Latin food lover, I will definitely be returning to try other dishes on their menu! read more

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This was my first time there. We were the third table so not busy. One table already had food. Ordered drinks and it took almost 20 minutes. It took them an hour and 10 minutes to serve us food and we only got the yucca with chicharrones and the plantain appetizer and I ordered the breakfast with scrambled cheese only. The eggs came out with peppers and onions and since it took too long I didn't send it back. The white cheese on the plate was way too salty to eat. The appetizers were very good! They keep the temperature in there very very cold which was not the best. It had highs and lows here. Good appetizers, mediocre breakfast, very very slow service. $40 for those 3 dishes. read more

Carbonero Latin Kitchen - Latin American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Virginia

Oh man if you love tacos you have to try this place! I got 4 tacos and they were all great! I really like the barbacoa taco! Can't wait to come back! read more

Carbonero Latin Kitchen - Tacos - Latin American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Virginia

I've been back at least 5 times since my original post and it's still amazing. Order ahead bc they stay pretty busy! read more

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I'm here for business trip and decided to try this place for dinner tonight. Food is delish, ambiance is great, & service was ok. Definitely coming back to try other menu. Highly recommend! read more

Carbonero Latin Kitchen - El Mondongo - Latin American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Virginia

I had the churrasco. It was amazing. The tamal w the hot sauce was great. Nice heat. Nice Hispanic food selection. I will definitely be back. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Thank you. read more

Literally the best chicharron I've ever had from a restaurant. Their tacos are also amazing.

We love Carbonero. The food is fresh, tasty, and seems made to order. The green sauce is delicious and would make shoe leather taste good. It's my go-to eatery when I want a great meal. read more

We recently tried Carbonera Restaurant and had a mixed experience. Ordering was challenging; we had to repeat our requests several times before feeling confident that our order was correct. Unsurprisingly, the food didn't include everything we ordered when it arrived, which was disappointing. At that point, we decided to go with things as is rather than trying to get them corrected. At least the items we ordered weren't on the check, so there clearly was a mix-up between what we thought we were ordering and what the server thought we ordered. The service was virtually non-existent most of the time we were there. When you have to go to the counter to ask for napkins and silverware, it's a tip-off. While the food was just okay and didn't make our "must return for that" list, the pupusas were a standout--they were excellent and the highlight of our meal. We're hopeful that Carbonera will work out these kinks with more time. For now, we're not ready to cross it off our list entirely, but it may be some time before we decide to give it another go. read more

Came here and was seated but sat....and sat... and sat. Not an acknowledgement after that. People that came in after us go their order taken and chips brought to the table, we got nothing. The place a little more than half full, so not sure what happen but for us, its a not again, which sucks cause the food looks good. read more

First visit to this restaurant. We got all of favorites and very impressed. Highly recommend this place. read more

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The food is crave worthy ... the service is terrible. I used to eat here frequently, in the beginning the service was average. It has gotten worse and worse of the last few months. Tonight we never had anyone check on us after our food was delivered. We sat for over 30 min with empty water cups. There were 3-5 tables- less than half full at the time. They never even came for the check. My husband overheard one server getting after ours for taking so long and she basically said she didn't care (they didn't know he spoke some Spanish). The food isn't worth how poor the service is, which makes me sad. read more

I went there 2x once to get 2 taco and a lemonade--- 20 minutes 2nd x just for a lemonade---- 15 minutes. If they don't pick up there speed they are going to fail. Too slow long wait read more

Tonight I wanted to try carbonero the worst experience terrible customer service if you are not Latin don't go they will treat you terrible I placed an online order cost me 21.09 I drove 25 minutes to get there when I arrived to pick up my order the told me they don't have an online orders I showed them my receipt they told me they don't have any online order showed them my receipt and bank statement where they took the money for the order girl said she have to call the manager with an attitude like it's my fault you don't have my order that I paid for girl came back with an attitude said she spoke with the manager and there nothing they could do so no food that I paid 21.09 for do not go here I will never come here again I will make sure I let everybody know how I was treated the worst experience read more

Very tasty!! It's different from most spots in the area, we come often and price wise very reasonable. Very clean and excelent service, the melon con piña is AMAZING! Great little cafe. read more

Excellent services and great atmosphere. Tacos and drinks are amazing Cali style, and chicharron de la casa ... the best! If the food is good, I don't mind the wait! read more

Carbonero Latin Kitchen - Best chicharrón in town! - Latin American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Virginia

I work right the road from this place and hands down my go to place for lunch. I order online and pick up easy. Food is very good lots of flavor and quantity. I haven't eaten in the restaurant only ordered take out. What I have seen walking in and waiting for my food has been good the feel of this place is super cute and clean. The pupusas are super yummy! read more

My nuegados were so hard that we couldn't even eat them- so disappointing. One out of 3 was edible and taste was there but they should not be hard as a rock. read more

The food is authentic and excellent and prices are good for the portion size. The staff is polite, and no doubt, this is a family business. There's very limited seating (a dozen maybe?) and parking. It's not a normal sit down restaurant so don't expect linen tablecloths and a sommelier. Order ahead or expect a wait. It's totally worth it. 10/10! read more

They have the best Latin food in Fredericksburg! We have lived here for 20 years and have waited 20 years for Latin food like this!!

First time there and very impressed. Our waitress was super attentive and checked in on us multiple times. She offered and brought us water in addition to our drinks, brought us extra napkins we needed for our messy toddler, had a smile the entire time and was patient with us while we took our time figuring out what we wanted and ordering. The food was sooo good! You can tell the chef has a passion for what they create. They even offered to create a special sauce for our son who is allergic to eggs and they had brought the sauce on the side for him since sometimes toddlers can be picky. The restaurant was also very clean which was awesome to see. Loved the decorations. We didn't have any wait. Our food came out promptly. read more

We've been there several times and the food is great. Ample, tasty, hot, and fresh. This is not fast food. Service can be slow. Get comfortable. The servers are very sweet, though. The Salvadoran dishes are better than the Mexican ones, in my opinion, but it's all pretty good! Give the place a shot. read more

Love to try out new restaurants and this one did not disappoint.This place is amazing, good food , friendly wait staff and not bad on prices

Excellent Food at good prices for a great family meal. The family dining room was clean.

Quick and kind service, and great food! I drive past pretty often, I'm so glad I decided to stop in. read more

Carbonero Latin Kitchen - Tacos mixtos - Latin American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Virginia

Food was mid! Very unlikely to return. I waited 7 minutes on hold to place my order, I hung up and called back was finally able to place it. Both of my quesadillas were missing sour cream and lacked flavor and authenticity. Chips and salsa would have been a nice touch especially with food being so mediocre. read more

This is probably one of the most authentic Latin kitchens in Fredericksburg. I used to work at a Latin grill and the workers there had immigrated here and got a job there. Occasionally the workers would make off the menu items like pupusas and lengua tacos and they were the best. This place has those flavors, this place is not Tex-Mex, this place is AUTHENTIC. Now the interior design is very open and feels as if it lacks some art on the wall, maybe some music, but if you are coming here with someone or some family, you will forget that. The food is so fresh, hot, and flavorful you love it. The service is great and I will definitely be coming back, maybe even often. read more

Carbonero Latin Kitchen - Pupusas(front) Platanos con Crema y Frijoles(back) - Latin American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Virginia

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Food is authentic, fresh, great flavor. The service was friendly outgoing. Overall experience was delightful. The prices were very reasonable. read more