Al Carbon Chicken

We have now eaten at Al Carbon three times, and we drive 120 miles round trip to do it! It is that good. The food here exceeds even high expectations and is very affordable.
First timers, you have to try the chicken cemita, the sweet potato with condensed milk, the pintos and the churros. This will give you a good taste for things to come when you return — and you will — to try the rest of the menu.
You will enjoy it. You will be full. You will take part of it home. You will tell everyone you know. And you will be back.

Do yourself a favor and go eat here NOW, you won’t regret it. I swear I have food dreams about Al Carbon Chicken. My favorite is the the Cemita and I get the chorizo, with the spicy sauce! Don’t forget the yucca fries! I mean this sandwich will change your life! Its huge, and juicy, so many tastes, the sauce is awesome, the cheese is plentiful, and you will not be able to eat your dinner after because you will be full! I’m a recent transplant from Texas and Al Carbon would give the best restaurants in Texas a run for their money!
Its a small place but always plenty of seating and they have highchairs too. Lots of things on the menu my toddler enjoys eating. I love love love this small family owned business!

The smoked jalapeños and chicken is so good! There is so much more that I can’t wait to try here that I heard about from friends after I had already ordered! Can’t wait until the next time!

I thought I had left behind authentic, hole-​in-​the-​wall-​real-​deal Peruvian chicken when I left the city… so I was surprised but excited to find this place here in such a small town… the hype is true. The food here is as good as it gets. The chicken is like melt in your mouth butter, and the yucca is out of this world. Very inexpensive. Super friendly owners/​service. Atmosphere leaves a bit to be desired, but who cares with food this good?!

The chicken was really tender (got a quarter dark), and the sides make it a complete meal. A friend and I shared the cactus, sweet potato, fried yucca, and arroz poblano. The cactus was good, nothing too special. The sweet potato was good because it was a sweet potato, there didn’t seem to be any extra prep beyond that. The fried yucca was the best of the sides — perfectly fried to be tender, good texture, not too greasy. The rice was also a good addition. Overall I think it’s a bit pricey for what it is, especially as exactly a prime location either. The sides in particular add up fast. But I’m happy with the quality of the food, and the atmosphere of the village-​y strip mall location.

Al Carbon Chicken is every bit as good as you would hope for the Top Rated Unilocal restaurant in Charlottesville. In fact, my wife and I enjoyed the food so much we went back two days in a row!
What makes this place so special is the quality of the food. My wife raved about the chicken and I was pleased to have plenty of vegetarian options to choose from.
All of the food is good and some of the dishes are fantastic. Our favorites are guacamole with chips (we got it spicy — was spicy for a guac but not too much so), the vegetarian taco (lots of delicious mushrooms), the fried yucca and — of course — the much praised chicken.
The prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get. The location and seating are nothing special — come for the food and you won’t be disappointed.

Went back here again with family. Food remains amazing. Holy cow, I finally had a churro… *Homer Simpson drooling groan*
Seriously, you’ve got to go here.

A great addition to the local Charlottesville scene. Authentic style dishes including tacos, roasted chicken a d side dishes including cactus (nopales).
I be been several times and have not been disappointed. The prices are a tad high for the location but if you’re in the area its absolutely worth a stop.
Difficult parking and obscure location shouldn’t keep you away from this fine local food.

Great food. Only problem is that the set up is kind of awkward if you’re ordering to-​go or if the place is crowded (the line kind of snakes through the tables). If possible, you should try to call in your order. Wish they would get a bigger building; I’m sure they can afford it.
The chicken is excellent. It’s moist and juicy and comes with a couple of sauces on the side that I can’t figure out. I’ve had the chicken flautas and they are also fantastic– make sure to ask for avocado!
The fried plantains are very good. They come with a sweet cinnamon sauce that’s excellent.
Basically, I haven’t had anything bad here. Getting the food is a pain in the butt but it’s worth it.

Muy bueño!
We had our eyes set on the place since Leesburg, MD. We are on a trip down to Chapel Hill, NC and knew we were driving through Charlottesville, so we looked ahead to see what to eat while here.
Firstly, if your GPS tells you to U-​Turn DONT! It’s behind 7 – 11, kinda out-​of-​the-​way and behind other stores. DO NOT BE DETERRED.
My mom and I knew this was going to be good, authentic food because we could smell the spices right after stepping out of the car and upon walking in to see the patrons all of Latin descent, speaking Spanish.
It’s a «order here, pick up there» style restaurant. We ordered the «El Niño» with a side of fried plantains and individual sides of the corn and pinto beans.
The chicken (white meat) had a great flavor, which was evident from the special oven they had that was behind the counter. The real winner, though, were the plantains– not too oily, but outstanding flavor. The soft interior and slightly crisp exterior lent to a perfect texture, and the flavor reminded me of sweet potatoes on thanksgiving. And tied for second were the corn and beans. The perfect blend of spices in the beans made them stand out, and it had the right amount of bacon– it could easily be a meal into itself. The corn was so rich, and we agreed that this is the only way we should eat corn. It was orgasmic.
But what really impressed me was the service: it’s not table service, but we were treated very nicely and were given free churro desserts when we finished because we told them how pleased we were and how we were planning on going here because of Unilocal.
My mom and I wanted to take a siesta after our «linner», but we have to keep going on our trip– but this was a very worthwhile stop and we Won’t forget those plantains any time soon.

Loved it! Husband is Mexican so when he’s happy, I know its real Mexican. We’ve come several times now and each time we try something different and I’m so happy we do bc we haven’t found anything not worth having again! They even have Peruvian chicken and yuka! They could make their yellow and green sauces better, but it’s still good though. They make elote (Mexican corn) too!

I like it. Wouldn’t call it Peruvian chicken, and it does in no way compare to chicken spots around DC, but it’s good
The line to order moves excruciatingly slowly
The chicken is good, very juicy. I would describe the flavor as being closer to BBQ then a Peruvian dry spice rub. Green salsa is delicious, yellow is pretty standard
The sides — poblano rice was pretty bland, fries weren’t anything special. Elote (corn on the cob) was delicious. Will try yuca next time
Tacos — these were ok, chorizo was my favorite. Pastor/​asada tacos were different then I’ve ever had them, with long thin slices of meat which were dry. Not enough onion/​cilantro on top for me, and they definitely don’t stand alone without adding salsa

Despite the (relative) diversity of the Cville food scene, I eat here all the time. Its awesome and deserving of its glowing reviews on Unilocal.
Its not perfect, the wait can be long if the place is crowded, the seating is limited/​casual, the white meat can be dry, and they sometimes run out of tamales. But those are seriously the only issues.
Run by two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, they serve a variety of Latin american food (Peruvian style rotisserie-​chicken, Mexican cemitas, etc). Everything is good, but certain things are really good. Personal favorites are the carne asada/​chicken cemitas, dark-​meat rotisserie chicken, fried plantains, grilled onions/​jalapenos and the tamales. They have a few different tamales, some are very spicy, all are delicious.
The food should cost WAY more than they charge. Now I’m hungry after writing this review…

Al Carbon is one of my favorite restaurants in Charlottesville! It’s casual, budget-​friendly, and never fails to make my taste buds and stomach happy.
I always get the green poblano rice and yucca fries as my sides. I love how the yucca fries are always crispy with a chewy inside. The chicken can be a little dry sometimes, but the dipping sauces and deliciously seasoned and crispy skin makes up for it.
Tip: if you’re eating with 2 – 3 other people, get the La Familia to save money! It comes with three sides, but if you have a bigger appetite, you might want to order an extra one.

Al Carbon is definitely worth all the five stars people have been giving it. It’s not well-​known among UVA students because it’s out of the way, but it’s a must go and should be included in the list of things all students should do before they graduate.
On this occasion, I went with a group of friends, and we ordered la familia, which includes a whole chicken and three sides, for the five of us. For the three sides, we got two orders of green rice and an order of fried yucca. We also ordered an extra side of fried yucca and six churros (three regular and three filled with Bavarian cream) and only paid $ 5.74 each.
The chicken was cooked to perfection and the skin was to die for. I rarely eat the skin off chicken unless it’s fried, but I could eat the skin off Al Carbon’s chicken all day. Everything else was just as delicious and went well with the complimentary sauces (except for the churros of course). The Bavarian cream-​filled churros were a perfect dessert to end our savory meal with and were better and more flavorful than the regular churros-​the only negative if you could call it that to our cheap and wonderful meal.

With over 100 reviews, Al Carbon Chicken (ACC) is a South American restaurant in Charlottesville that has miraculously carried a 5-​star average rating on Unilocal.ACC serves charcoal rotisserie chicken; in their own words, «we honor our local broiler chickens and meats by simply allowing the coal-​fired flame to massage-​in the secret spices while drawing-​out it’s natural flavor.» (
) After a short road trip, we were famished and excited to try ACC. Here are the highlights of the meal:
Yucca Fries– These have the look and texture of steak fries, but the taste is quite different. I took a bite by itself and I didn’t really like it. But when I dipped it into their cilantro/​jalapeño sauce which happens to come with the rotisserie chicken, a 2-​star rating changed to a 5. I suggest you ask for some sauce when you order. without sauce 2*/with sauce 5*
Cemita– A Mexican sandwich featuring sesame seed bread layered with avocado, your choice of meat, adobo chipotle peppers, fresh Oaxacan cheese, red onions, and ham. The cemita is popular at ACC and it’s easy to know why. I went with chicken (of course!) and spicy (but it’s not really that hot). Their chicken is the star of the show – perfectly cooked, moist and flavorful. 4.5*
Elote con mayonesa– I’d heard of elote con mayonesa before but this was my first time trying it. It has mayo, cotija cheese, and chili powder all over the corn on the cob. Juicy and flavorful, my son gave it two thumbs up. I did get a few bites before he stole it and it was quite delicious. 4*
The only real hiccup of our experience was when we asked for our churros. I paid for them when I ordered, but he said he would give them to us after our meal. When I had to ask, they were a bit confused, and the worst problem was the churros came out a bit burnt. There was nothing special about them – some frozen churro that they dropped in oil. We were quite disappointed after the rest of the food was so awesome. 2*
I love the décor of the place, and the owner who took care of us at the counter was nice. However, the order process is a bit disorganized, but maybe it’s just me. I did have to ask for my fries and then the churros twice. The interior is a bit small, so when things are busy, it can be chaotic. There are also a few tables outside.
Overall, we all enjoyed our meals, and we would definitely come again if we’re in the area. Between the churros and the small problem with my order, I can’t give it 5-​stars. Still, I would highly recommend ACC. It’s a great local restaurant with great food (except for the churros) and good service. Check them out!

Al Carbon is owned by Myriam and Claudio, and offers Peruvian charcoal rotisserie chicken, cemitas, tacos, and sides. I’d heard that this place is continuously rated as #1 in C-​Ville and had to check it out! The hubs and I shared a ¼ dark of the charcoal rotisserie chicken (supposedly marinated 24 hours and slow-​cooked in their authentic Peruvian charcoal oven); this came with one side, in which stuck with the yellow rice. The chicken itself, while slightly dry, had a very flavorful skin with all the spices; the meat itself had a mesquite/​broiled taste to it, which was interesting. We only asked for the aji sauce, which was tangy and heavily mayo-​based, and it complemented the meat pretty okay. The meal comes with 2 cup of sauces, and anything extra costs additional. I first tried the Green Poblano Rice, but since it was extremely cilantro-​focused, I switched to the yellow one (which was perfectly-​cooked and flavorful, and probably one of the better ones, if not the best, rice I’ve had in a Peruvian chicken restaurant). We also tried the Elote con Mayonesa, which is the Mexican street corn on a cob on a stick, covered with mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime zest — while it looked pretty delicious, the flavor of it was just underwhelming; it had too much of the mayo, but not really flavorful, even with the cheese and the chili powder. The place had a good amount of seating, and the staff were super friendly and nice. It may be a good Peruvian/#1 spot in Charlottesville, but I’ve honestly had better!
+yellow rice
+good skin
+mesquite-​esque chicken meat
+heavily mayo-​based aji sauce
+friendly staff

We found this little gem on Unilocal and it is absolutely amazing!!! Hubby and I got way too much food for lunch but I wanted to try some of everything. The yucca fries were like nothing I had ever tasted — crisp on the outside and absolutely creamy inside. The rotisserie chicken and cemita (giant!) sandwich were both delicious too. I wanted to try their beans but they weren’t finished cooking. I also wanted to try the churros but seriously, they give you so much food, I was stuffed!
This is definitely off the beaten path and a little tricky to find. I took a picture of the entrance — turn right at the seven-​eleven and its in a white bldg in the back. Come with an open mind and an empty stomach!

I first saw Al Carbon Chicken on Unilocal as one of the top-​rated restaurants in Charlottesville. I put it on my list, and then I kept hearing about it from other people who couldn’t stop raving about it. I am wary of over-​hype, but I figured I should check it out. We visited for dinner on a Thursday night, and the place almost dead. There was one other table when we got there, and then a few more people trickled in to order takeout, which I get because the ambiance isn’t that great. It is pretty divey inside, which I’m more than okay with.
There was a sign that said they had just started serving beer, which I always am excited about. The cemitas was on special, which meant it came with a complimentary side of fries. I ordered the roasted chicken cemitas with a side of plantains. OMG! From the second I took my first bite, I was in heaven and understood all of the hype. It is well-​deserved. The roasted chicken is super flavorful and moist with the perfect amount of spice. The cheese and sauce are amazing complements to the chicken, and the whole deal tastes absolutely incredible. The sandwich was so huge that I could only eat half, and I really looked forward to enjoying other half for lunch the next day. The fries I could have done without, but the plantains were also amazing. I also tried a bite of the fried peppers but for some reason, I wasn’t feeling them that night.
If you haven’t been to Al Carbon Chicken yet, you must go! Like tonight, go there tonight for dinner.

Believe the five star Unilocal rating — one of the best restaurants in Charlottesville and the best Mexican food I have ever had.
For being the number one rated restaurant on Charlottesville Unilocal,Al Carbon Chicken is in a very humble strip mall along Route 29. The restaurant specializes in rotisserie chicken and is family owned and operated — while my girlfriend and I were there, several family members of all ages coming in and out of the kitchen. The interior is small and cozy, seating maybe 30 people.
The food, in a word, was sublime. We ordered the Chicken Cemita ($ 9.25), with slow roasted rotisserie chicken, sesame seed bread, avocado, peppers, Oaxacan cheese, and a slice of ham, and the four chicken tacos ($ 10.99) with corn tortillas, cilantro, red onions,. radishes, onions and two salsas. The tacos were excellent — fresh ingredients and the corn tortillas coupled with homemade salsa made all the difference. The star of the meal was the Cemita — as you can see from the picture, you get A LOT of cheese, and it’s unbelievably good, and the fresh ham and avocado spread compliments the succulent chicken perfectly. The juiciness of the chicken in all dishes cannot be understated — it was perfectly cooked. Whatever you order, just make sure it has chicken on it.
In sum, stop reading and come to Al Carbon Chicken immediately. You can thank me later.

Great food and great people! I love the chicken, as well as the side dishes of fried yucca, fried plantains and poblano rice. Their churros and hot chocolate are also a great snack between meals!