5+ Absolutely superb experience. Walked in and owner was working the front counter, I love that. Told him we were new and to fix us up so we can sample everything. Here's what we got. Wifey got the Swarma which is a generous portion of grilled chicken, spiced to perfection, on a bed of basmati rice. Came with a cucumber salad side and tazini sauce. Serving was large and came piping hot to the table. I received the half chicken grilled perfectly on charcoal with crispy skin which was delicious. French fries and humus were my sides. Fries were super hot and crispy. Humus was dressed with olive oil and a few chick peas. We got a side of pita bread drizzled with flavored olive oil. We also enjoyed a flavorful hot sauce that came with the meals. The place has in door and outdoor seating. About 6 tables in each space. Service was fast, friendly and attentive. Highly recommend without reservations. Would return in an instant. Owner checked on us several times as we ate. read more

Can I just say, AMAZING food ALL the time!!! I cannot get enough of this amazing place, the food is delicious specially the Loaded Fries! The staff is friendly and you get served as soon as the food is cooked which means you get food that is warm and delicious! The ambience is comfortable, the place is a bit small but what do I know, people are kinda too finish their food quickly when they see others waiting. I recommend CHARCOAL to anyone who wants to meet with me for lunch or dinner!! I also have out of towners go with me when they come to visit! Let's go!!!! read more

Wonderful food! We had the Shwarma plate with tabouli salad and side of tandoori bread!!! One order fed both my husband and me plus a small portion for lunch tomorrow. Excellent service! Very welcoming. read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Chicken Shawarma Plate with Tabouli Salad and side of Fresh Tandoori Bread! - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Walked in and it was busy for 7pm , and they close at 8pm. Was told before we started to order , that there was a 30 min wait on food. We were fine with that and ordered. It smelled amazing inside. 6 tables on the patio for sitting. Food was delicious. They ended up giving us a free piece of blueberry cheesecake. I think they felt bad because we had to wait so long. We will definitely be back. read more

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Went on a Saturday night. Order at the counter. 6 tables for seating (small establishment inside). The chicken, hummus, garlic naan bread and tabouli salad were good. The baba ganoush was different than what I'm use to. read more

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This is absolutely the best Mediterranean food in the city. From the shawarma to the hummus and perfect bread to pair with it, and the garlic sauce, I'd come here every day if I could. They've added outdoor seating which is so nice and added more drink options as well! Along with that, everyone here is beyond kind every time we go and I genuinely look forward to coming here. One of my favorite food places in Louisville hands down! read more

Amazing food and amazing people. Everybody there treated us like family. It's my new favorite shawarma place in Louisville and I will be going back. read more

Peruvian style chicken that is so savory and good every time. It's predictable delicious flavor that I crave - especially with the Zu sauce. Their sides are really great as well! We have catered the sandwiches from them and they are so good. Highly recommend! Fresh and clean - fast service and they are honest when they are going to take time. read more

Chicken Shawarma Plate w Tabouli. Delicious. I prefer tahini sauce but this is done right. read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Shawarma Plate w Tabouli. Delicious. I prefer tahini sauce but this is done right. - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Be prepared is be greeted with delicious aromas when walking into The Charcoal Restaurant is one of our favorite places to dine. Food is delicious, service is excellent, with indoor & outdoor seating. read more

I arrived at 7:55 to get a take out order and they said they were closed. The sign on the restaurant door said open until 8pm. I could see them still preparing food. Since I had parked in front of the establishment, I watched them proceed to make several plates of food and retreat to the back. I worked many years in restaurants. I fully understand the inconvenience of dine in clients arriving the moment they close...however, if your restaurant claims to be open until a specific hour, it should be open until that stated time Unprofessional read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Friendly staff, delicious food, what more do you need? We stopped in & got the shawarma plate with tabouli & the 1/2 chicken with fries & baba ganoush. All were delicious!! Huge portions. The grill is viewable as you come in. There is some outside seating & they bring it to your table. They have a limited menu but it didn't disappoint. They have descriptions of the food so those who aren't familiar can know what's in baba ganoush ;). My mother is not adventurous with food & like it!! The French fries were really good & we joked that they made them better than American restaurants. Saw a lot of middle easterners as well as gringos like us. The diversity and native diners is usually a good sign that this is a legit place. Definitely will be coming back!! read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Left- half chicken, fries, baba ganoush. Right- shawarma chicken, tabouli, charcoal sauce. - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I had never eaten at this establishment before and went with the recommendation of the Gentlemen taking my order. The Plate! It was mouth watering! The chicken was tender and juicy; tabouli was PERFECT, and the hot/sweet sauce they gave me to try was a terrific compliment to the meal. You can watch chicken slow cooking over the fire in the distance as well. I highly recommend this spot. I went during lunch and the wait was approx 10 min for my carry out order. read more

Perks: big portions. Cons: couldn't eat it I loveeee baba ganoush and was excited to try some at a highly rated restaurant. I'm not one to waste food but I was basically just given watery eggplant chunks with no bread or anything to dip it with. A far cry from a "spread" if you ask me. The tabouleh was at least what I'd call tabouleh but it tasted the way lemon household cleaner smells and could only take a few bites of that as well. read more

The staff was so nice and they had a very solid chicken shawarma wrap! I'd also definitely recommend the falafel.

Foods delicious and fresh, people are friendly. I live nearby and have been many times and am never disappointed.

This is a great little place! It smelled incredible outside. The chicken had great flavor and was moist. The schwarma was really well flavored and the rice was awesome. The fries were great and was their sauce. The tabuleh was great. The babaganush and bread I could tell were cooked in the same grill as the chicken and the flavor was a little strong for my taste. It was a little cluttered inside. read more

The food was delicious and large portions. The owner was so nice and courteous. The food is reasonably priced as well, I definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

Not the biggest in size but large in flavors. I always have to hype up a shawarma and a tasty tabouli. It's a lovely place to great some good comfort food. Service is always on point and clearly ran with pride. read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Interior - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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We love the chicken schwarma platter. The chicken is so good and the portion is sizable. We get a side of hummus and tandoori bread and can split between 2 of us easily. I crave this meal so when we are discussing take-out it's my go-to favorite. Also the service is outstanding - the owner and all the employees I've interacted with have been kind, courteous and the order is always accurate. Oh and don't forget to order the zu sauce- it's yummy! read more

Yum, that was delicious! My husband and I made our first visit to The Charcoal Restaurant today for lunch and enjoyed their outdoor seats. We ordered the chicken and beef kabob sandwiches which both came with fries. Both options were delicious, and if we could only choose one we'd both choose the beef. Service was friendly and they made sure we had what we needed. They brought our food outside to us and kept the tables clean. Rating this simpler place with 5 stars because it will replace the other options we've been visiting. We are excited to go back and try more option and will definitely be picking this up for takeout as well! read more

What a meal! This place is fantastic! Loads of flavor. The hummus was amazing and so was the naan bread. I had the half chicken and it was succulent and delish. We also had the chicken shawerma and this may be my go to! read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Half Chicken Baba Ganoush - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Updating an old review - the chicken is amazing. The hummus is amazing. The falafel is amazing. The salad is amazing. The spicy sauce, you guessed it, is amazing. Small space so dine in is difficult, but carry out appears to be super efficient. We plan to come back many, many times. Highly recommend. read more

Their service is always great and the shawarma wrap is fantastic! Definitely recommend it!

The best charcoal fired chicken in town hands down, and their spicy sauce I want to bathe in it's so good. The owner is always friendly. Make sure if you're going when they first open and getting chicken to give them a little extra time to prepare your order as they just start the fire and perfection takes a little time read more

Great food. Chicken is fantastic. The house sauce is an amazing garlic sauce that I could drink it's so good. Owner is awesome and I love speaking with him each time I go. Highly recommended. If you wait too long in the evening they might run out of chicken so I would recommend preordering. 5 stars great place. read more

This is one of my favorite places in a Louisville. The food is so delicious with so much flavor. The owner is such a great guy who cares about his customers read more

Excellent food, staff and service. Recommend this restaurant to everyone :) You won't regret it.

SO AMAZING!! Everting from service, smells to food. Was our first time and we took a while to order because we were unsure what to get but one of the workers came over and helped us out and told us to get the platter. It was big enough to feed both of us and so so worth it for the price of $20. read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Chicken Platter with Tabouli Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I wish I could give it a 4.5 instead of just a 4. We overall had a great experience stopping here for a quick bite on a road trip. The workers were incredibly nice/friendly. They recommended the chicken shawarma sandwich so we both went with that. It was very tasty indeed-- chicken cooked just right! It was a nice day outside so we sat outside! My only only reason why it was 4.5 instead of 5 is because the food overall (hummus, sandwich) lacked really any garlic, which I feel like really makes a dish. Otherwise would stop again! Very nice people. Great business. read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Chicken Shawerma Sandwich - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I absolutely love The Charcoal Restaurant! I typically order ahead and pick it up, but you can eat it there. Service is always great! Their staff is so friendly and helpful. My favorite is the shawarma plate. It's a ton of food so it's a few meals for me. No matter what you order, make sure you get zu sauce. It's their spicy sauce...not too spicy and slightly sweet. You can't go wrong with anything on their menu! Highly recommend. read more

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This place was great! I got some food to go to have for dinner that night and for lunch the following day. I had a great experience even though I didn't dine in. The menu is simple and straightforward, and very well executed. The locale itself is pretty small and unpretentious. I ordered the shawarma plate and some falafel. I've had the privilege of trying some pretty excellent shawarma, and this pulley its weight nicely. The falafel was very yummy as well. A big highlight for me was the staff. I didn't even dine in and they were so attentive, hard working, and clearly put a lot of thought and care into their craft. Overall, great experience. Check it out if you haven't. I look forward to coming back next time I'm in the area. read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Falafel - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Excellent food. Decent prices. True Mediterranean meal. A real treasure in Louisville.

Great food! My favorite is the Shawarma plate. For family size meals, we always get couple of whole grilled chicken and some sides to go. Friendly people as well. read more

We tried Charcoal for the first time a few days ago. It was genuinely so good. We got the chicken shawarma plate and sandwich. The hummus was so good. Some of the best I've had. The owner is very kind gave us free drinks and threw in a little spicy sauce for us on the side that was great. Definitely going to be one of my go-to restaurants from now on. read more

Fresh! So impressed with their food that I came here to write a review! We ordered take out from here last night, first time we ever tried this place. Very happy to say it was all surprisingly excellent. A lot of fast casual places can be underwhelming, but Charcoal really focuses on their ingredients and incorporates lots of fresh herbs and vegetables. The chicken was absolutely perfect, just cooked and not overdone. The hummus is very, very creamy and the best we've had in Louisville. And the baba! So Smokey! Yum. Try this place out, just excellent! read more

What an unexpectedly great place! I mean a lot of the reviews add up BUT it exceeded my expectations. I got the Shawarma Plate. The chicken was perfectly cooked. The rice was good & the garlic sauce to dip was delicious. I also got the hummus & garlic naan to dip. So fresh & delicious. Their side salad was different than what I'm used to but the ingredients were finely chopped with the perfect juicy tomatoes was the best touch. Zero complaints. Plus customer service was friendly & happy to help. 10/10 recommend. I will be back :) The inside is a little small but there's a few tables to sit comfortably & enjoy your meal if you don't want it to go. I felt very welcome. read more

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Love Charcoal! This place has the best Shawarma plates and the sauces! My favorite place to get Shawarma around town. There is indoor seating, outdoor seating and private parking for connivence. The service is so inviting, very quaint. So patient if it's your first time in reviewing over the menu. They don't have much but what they have you cannot go wrong with. I find myself craving it weekly. It's just that good. Very consistent with their service, food, and wait time. They have good ratings for a reason. read more

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There is very limited seating but was not busy when I went. It seemed like they were preparing multiple pick up orders while I was there so I waited a little longer than expected but not long. The gentleman who took my order was very friendly and made some recommendations for me. The chicken is fall off the bone tender but I was expecting some breast meat which I'm pretty sure I didn't get with a half chicken. I'm pretty sure I got 2 drums and 2 thighs which is why it was so tender but not what I was expecting. For me, it could have used more seasoning but I only have Yummy Pollo to compare it to and they season theirs heavily. I will say Charcoal seems lighter and "healthier" despite the lack of breast meat as the rice seems to be steamed and seasoned versus fried. The cucumber salad wasn't for me so I wouldn't get that again but I'm sure some will love it. Half chicken 8/10 Basmati Rice 9/10 Cucumber salad 6/10 Comparing to Yummy Pollo, I think I'd have to give the win to them based on my current experience but that doesn't mean this place isn't great. I'm definitely going to return and try more items! If you need a lighter option that's quick, this might be a win for you. read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Half chicken with basmati rice and cucumber salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

My absolute favorite chicken shawarma wrap in the city! The chicken is so juicy and flavorful, with some pickles and a wrap is seriously all you need. Both sauces are fantastic too and a definite must get. The garlic sauce is perfect and their hot sauce has a kick, but nothing too crazy. The fries are good, nothing special but had some nice seasoning on them. Everyone working has been super friendly, helpful and they care about the food they server so definitely support local spots like this one. Pretty small building with limited seats so you may have to take your food to-go, especially during busy hours. I'll 1000% be going back again and I loved the shawarma wrap so much, it'll be hard to try something else on the menu haha. Buuut it's about 5 minutes from my house and that's both a pro and con.. I'll definitely be a regular going forward! read more

The Charcoal Restaurant - Chicken Shawerma Sandwich with fries - Soooo good! Chicken was perfect and juicy, sauces are tasty and fries were solid too. - Mediterranean Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky