The Charcoal Restaurant

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.

Absolutely loved the place! They're sitting at 4.8 stars on 302 reviews as of this writing. Owner is great! Big personality and really enthusiastic about his place. Always a good sign. We ate a bunch of stuff, all of it delicious. All has been very well described by other reviewers so I'll just share a few personal observations. Same reason why I didn't post any pictures. Tabouli salad - pretty straightforward, nice and fresh. Hummus - almost seems to have a whipped consistency. Really tasty and full of flavor.Baba...(that's all I've got on spelling it but I absolutely love the stuff). A bit more coarse than some places. That adds a bit of texture and is really good. Nice and garlicky!Falafel - least favorite. Seemed a bit dry and hard. Chicken Shawarma - this is what you need to order. Absolutely fantastic!Don't miss the grilled bread either!

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!

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!

The food there is delicious ans prices are great. We ordered the shawarma platter and was huge! Literally a tray of mouth watering food!

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.

The best, freshest, tastiest chicken from a fast-casual type restaurant around! They cook the chicken fresh, so depending on your timing, you might have to wait for your food. But it will be so worth it! It is super easy to order on their website - so I would recommend ordering ahead. We have eaten inside at the restaurant both times we've been, but they also do a lot of take-out! There are 4 tables inside, and there are more tables outside for when the weather's nice. The gentleman taking orders at the counter is usually the owner and he is so friendly. He gave us a little side of their sweet and spicy garlic sauce - which is amazing!! Definitely request the "Zu Sauce". The hummus is also a MUST. Homemade creamy goodness. The Charcoal is our new go-to when we want a healthy, fresh, homemade chicken meal.

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.

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 8/10Basmati Rice 9/10Cucumber salad 6/10Comparing 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.

So Impressed!The food was absolutely incredible--every bite was full of flavor and perfectly prepared. The atmosphere was just as impressive, thanks Ahmad for creating the perfect setting to enjoy a great meal.I'm already looking forward to coming back. This place truly exceeded my expectations, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a top-notch dining experience!