Carlos River Cafe

Great place for good Mexican food. Ive been going there since it opened and they never fail. Great food and great ownership. The place has definitely come a long way.

We have gone to Carlos River Café for years. Have eaten in, and carried out. Food tastes great, however, they seem to get something wrong in our order every time. Last night, we carried out 3 meals, and 2 of the meals were wrong! They still tasted good, but we’re not what we ordered. This seems to happen almost every time. Plus their prices have gone up quite a bit over the years — especially for the guac. I would recommend Carlos River café, but be sure to check your order before you leave.

Good food… TERRIBLE service. Drinks are never re-​filled and when you ask for a refill, you get an attitude. Once they deliver your food, they’ll never be back to check to see if things are ok. The wait staff is more interested in standing at the counter and talking with the cook or on the phone. You’d get more satisfaction in wiping your ass with your money than giving it to these miserable people.

Horrible horrible service! The waiters/​waitresses never check back to see if you need anything! You have to seek them out! It is not worth the trip! Customers are definitely not their priority! The staff talks in the back instead of attending to their tables! I do not recommend this restaurant!

Great food & friendly staff. I stop here once a week one my way home for the great chicken nachos… yum yum… I have tried a few different items and have never been disappointed. I would recommend you stop and give them a try yourself.

Have gone to Carlos River Café a few times now. I And my wife have tried a few meals that were extremely good. Would recommend this place for a GREAT Mexican meal.

Dang good solid food. Homemade tortilla chips, very tasty salsa and good guac. The enchiladas with Chipotle sauce is my new favorite. Yum.

We often go to Carlos which
My husband and I consider to be the best Mexican food around. My husband ordered the steak buritto where the meat was very overcooked. My husband brought the meal to Carlos and Carlos quickly brought out a new burrito, perfectly cooked. Thank you Carlos. Our complaint is with the server. She is the worst in friendliest person we’ve met. We always overtip. I used to be a waitr
ess and I am very sensitive to that but today I just couldn’t give her a decent tip. She was rude, rude rude. After today’s service we need to look for a new Mexican place. No excuse for the waitresses behavior.

great dishes — lots of food, good sides!

i ordered fish tacos from carlos today. they made chicken tacos for me. no problem, it was a simple miscommunication. however when i brought it up to the woman working there she was very rude. i’d rather eat garbage and be treated nicely. i previously rated carlos river café 5 stars, now i rate them 1 star. i was a regular customer, now i dont know if i will ever go back.

Love love love Carlos River Café! If my husband could, he would eat here daily. Authentic, yummy and quick. Dine in or take out. My favorite is the steak burrito platter and the guac is out of this world!

The best Mexican food around! Friendly staff and delicious food. Large menu of authentic treats. Chicken flautas were crispy and light. Busted orxaca was very flavorful with good spice. We will be back many more times!

First time, WON’T be the last! Authentic Mexican! A small place, only a handful of tables, and a diner-​style «bar» (not sure they sell alcohol). Went in on a Friday evening around 6ish, the takeout line was a good indication that the food was going to be good, and it was! I had tostadas al pastor, my 4 year old neice (see pic) had a cheese and been burrito, my sister had the enchiladas suizas. We also ordered guacamole-​it was fresh and bowl-​licking good! Portions were plentiful-​each of us has enough left for tomorrow’s lunch. Service was good, too. I believe there is only one waitress, but the place is small enough that is really all that is needed. Looking forward to my next visit!

This place has amazing food … It’s all fresh and made to order, you can see it being put together with the open kitchen. Super friendly staff

This was our first time at Carlos Rover Café under the recommendation of a friend. I have noticed that both in IL and CA that the smaller the establishment the better the food when speaking about Mexican cuisine. Carlos’ is no different and I had a sneaking suspicion based on the exterior appearance of the restaurant we were in for a treat. An excellent dining experience that rivals the majority of Mexican restaurants in the area with regards to quality and price. Granted, the dining area is simple with no flashy Hispanic ambiance or décor but the food, hospitality, and service was tremendous. Instead of the Mexican décor they opted for more useful items such as several flat screen TVs.
The meal started with the complimentary chips and salsa common to most area Mexican restaurants. The chips were fresh flour tortilla based very recently cooked. The salsa was excellent with equal amounts of tomato, onion, cilantro, and a dash of lime. I had a simple burrito and my wife a taco combo platter. The food tasted of fresh ingredients with a homemade quality that is lacking in other area restaurants of this genre. The prices very reasonable considering the quality and freshness of the food. We could certainly tell that everything was prepared with tradition and experience.
If you are looking for fancy this place will not resonate with you. If you are seeking a good Mexican meal then look no further. A homely atmosphere with kind staff and excellent food defines the Carlos River Café. They offer carryout as well in case the wobbly tables are not to your liking!

Great food, local atmosphere and very clean. Menu items ranged well for all the picky eaters in our family. Service was good and quick. We were pleasantly surprised to find such a local gem.

Best steak burrito… I usually get rice instead of beans in the burrito. Tacos are best in town. Not to mention the appitizer steak quesadilla is amazing.

Great food! Carlos always comes to the table to make sure we like his dinner each time we visit! I love his enchiladas, burritos and tacos! They have great Asada & El Pastor which is a must for quality mexican food restaurants!

Best, most authentic, Mexican food in the area. We frequent this place. I prefer the steak torta, but I’ve had most everything on the menu and it’s all great. Very good horchata as well. Carlos is a great guy too, always treats us well. Well worth it to try it out, you will be hooked.

Carlos River Café is the best!!! Hands down the best Mexican food in the Crystal Lake area. I work just a mile down the road and come here often. The Enchiladas Verdes are spectacular. My husband always goes for the chicken tacos and they are perfect. I always order a Horchata on the way out and it’s awesome! Dine in if you can — complimentary (hand made) chips and salsa are delivered to the table. The restaurant has made some noticeable improvements over the years. They use nice dinnerware and silverware — instead of the plastic baskets they used to serve in. CARLOS’ IS AWESOME.