The Char Market

Great neighborhood spot to eat a good meal. We have tried everything on the menu and our favorites are the chicken plate and the marrow plate. I love the flavor of the chicken and the tortillas they serve with the plates are really good. The portions are plentiful and the sauce drizzled on the plates is flavorful without overtaking the dish.They have my favorite flavor of Jarritos (guava) which is a huge plus. They just added loaded potatoes and burritos to the menu and I can't wait to try both. Definitely a hidden gem. I recommend checking them out if you're in the Carmichael area.

God Bless The Char Market!!! BEST tacos in the game. And it's really not even close!!! Ranked by Yelp as having the THIRD best Mexican food in the United States I can attest that that list was not a fluke and is completely accurate! And whomever is first and second must be putting gold flakes in their tacos because I'm not sure how ANYTHING and ANYWHERE can beat 'Char Market'!Just remember that 'Char Market' is very unassuming!! You would never expect this place to have GOAT Mexican food!They are located in Carmichael off Whitney and in-between Mission Ave and Foster Way. The restaurant is kind've in a weird, older area with not much going on in around it. Think older suburbs. And it is definitely a trek coming from Sacramento. But trust me when I say it is absolutely worth it just to get to indulge in these tacos!!!Tuesday was my second time visiting The Char Market. My wife and I came for a Yelp Elite event last summer. But we were in the area so hitting up 'Char Market' was a MUST! My wife and I arrived around 6pm. The ambiance here isn't anything crazy, as it is a small restaurant inside a cul-de-sac. They have a giant California flag to the left which I love (I'm SUPER proud to be a Californian these days, for obvious reasons) and there's about 6 or so tables to sit at. 'Char Market' really is more of a takeout place in my view, but considering how far it is from where we live it makes sense for us to dine-in.Staff were very friendly! As had been the case last year. My wife and I both ordered their 'CharTaco plate' and went with steak for our protein. This includes two tacos, rice, and charro beans. As I remembered from the Elite event, they bring out food FAST here. I'm talking within five or so minutes! When our meals were brought I made sure to SAVOR each bite. I'm a notoriously quick eater, but I "slowed" myself down to really enjoy that "char" flavor.I've never seen tacos "charred" like at this restaurant. The tortillas ALONE would be fantastic to eat, let alone blanketing the perfect amount of steak, lettuce, and cheese. Their steak bangs and is incredibly tender! I have no idea how they season it but 'Char Market' should lock their recipe book in Fort Knox! P.S. I've been DREAMING about these tacos since Tuesday... yes they are THAT good. Incredibly unique!Their rice is also fantastic. I always say you can tell if a restaurant is 5 Stars based off their rice. And 'Char Market' lives up to that and then some! And their beans... DELICIOUS. Flavor on flavor on flavor!!In addition, I don't know what 'Char Market' puts in their in their crema sauce but it is OUT OF THIS WORLD good. The perfect amount of "tanginess" and it compliments everything perfectly. It's been two days and I want to go back. Next time I want to try their bone marrow as I know fans rave about it on Yelp.In a nutshell, 'The Char Market' just is THAT place. The spot you have to go to regardless of the distance. Yes it's in a weird area. Yes the ambiance is nothing to write home about. HOWEVER, I still say they're the best tacos I've ever had. Bar none. Anybody who gave this place less than 5 stars needs to get their head checked! For real! Lol. A++++++++. Just go already (and take me with you!)

Arrived mid evening to try and eat in. Still overall an hour before they closed. Place was surprisingly dingy with limited seating so neighborhood hole-in-the-wall vibe. Stood awkwardly at the counter for 10 minutes without being acknowledged despite all the staff clustered in the front discussing the HVAC or something? Left without even being said hello to by anyone. 2-3 DoorDash orders were picked up in that time mind you. Wth?Fine. Still want to try them. Can understand off nights. Ordered delivery thinking that was the unspoken way to go considering the limited seating and HVAC or whatever issues.* Bone Marrow - $27: Not to my liking. Way too smoky and mixed with other smoked stuff so you can't taste any bone marrow. Couldn't really tell what I was eating and then found bits of ground bone particles so had to stop after a few bites. Serving size was ok (2 filled halves) but basically inedible.* (2) Steak Taco - $10: Plain, greasy. Toppings standard. Nothing special. Small servings.* Elote - $7: The only thing I liked but have had better elsewhere.All of that for over $60 not including delivery since we didn't want to deal with the non-existent service. Can not recommend. No idea how it got the reviews and reputation as a top place in the country let alone the city.

Had heard really great things about this place and was excited to try it out. Was a little apprehensive driving up as the outdoor ambiance did not meet my expectations...that was the end of the disappointment! First off, customer service was spectacular~ friendly and helpful. We dined in and waited average time for our meal. Arrived hot, flavorful and as described! Nachos were to die for! 5/5Shrimp plate ~ 5/5Simple, unique menu. Highly recommend. Would probably just pick up to go next time as the ambiance is clean but mediocre. If you are not looking for a "dining experience" then not an issue.

I had the chicken tacos. Wonderful moist but with a subtle smile flavor. Great service and recommendations. Seemingly nice people Well worth going out of your way for.

My intern was actually the first person who told me about the Char Market and it was such a great recommendation.This small restaurant could be easily missed if you aren't looking for it. It's located off Whitney Avenue between Mission Ave and Foster Way in Carmichael and the small business strip they're in has parking available.It is on the smaller side with a few tables that are good for couple or small groups of maybe 4-6. It does fill up fast during peak hours though and they do a lot of takeout business.You can tell they've become a neighborhood favorite. I've made smalltalk with people in line and there are a lot of regulars and they all have opinions on their favorite items.They offer plate meals, tacos, kids options, and some desserts. One of the items people rave about is the Bone Marrow ($27) that is very unique and delicious. The taco plates are also very popular and they offer chicken, steak and shrimp. Their house rice is unique and flavorful and the charro beans have pieces on meat in them.I have enjoyed meals dining in as well as for takeout and the quality is always there. I also always order a Jarritos to pair with my meals.On most of my visits one or both of the owners have been there and they're really friendly and happy to answer any questions.

Overall, I personally don't plan to return for a 3rd visit and I don't get the hype. I give it a solid 3.5 stars. We enjoyed our meal at the Char Market, but I don't get exactly why it's so popular/highly ranked on Yelp. We've been twice now, the first time they were still working out their kinks and we were a bit disappointed so wanted to give it another go. The second time we found our meals to be pretty good, but I wouldn't say the greatest ever. The food was zesty and refreshing, not as heavy as Mexican food can frequently be. I thought the meat was seasoned OK, but again not sure what the hype is about. The place itself is very small and in a rundown area. It's fairly barebones inside with just a few tables and seating was uncomfortable in our opinion. I wouldn't plan to sit and chat here, more of a grab-and-go or scarf your food down quickly then leave type place. Food didn't take very long to come out once ordered thankfully. I do think the portions could be better for the price.Overall, I personally don't plan to return for a 3rd visit and I don't get the hype. I give it a solid 3.5 stars.

We love the food super authentic if you love Mexican food and if you love bone marrow this is a great spot for eating that Maichel provided great customer service. The place was so clean and nice.

My dinner was absolutely everything I hoped it would be! Simple, delicious, elegant even! So glad I finally popped in for dinner. I was greeted immediately by the very friendly counter staff and the menu was clear and present for easy ordering. The menu is small and I always know that with a very refined menu, the food is going to be great because the chef takes the time to specialize in these dishes instead of a wide menu of frozen and precooked meals. The restaurant is small but mighty. The tacos were flavorful and fresh and very filling. I did one chicken and one steak. Can't pick a favorite- both were absolute perfection. Beans are one of my top foods and these didn't disappoint. I feel like sometimes the food can be good OR the customer service is good but in today's world, it's not often both.The Char Market dished out both! I was dining alone so I didn't get to convince anyone to order things for me to try but I'll be back to taste the rest of the menu.

I came here because I heard great reviews but was dissatisfied. The food wasn't authentic in my opinion and it wasn't what I expected. Everything was okay. We drove 20 mins to try it out with a group of 6 and all of us felt the same.