Al Carbon

My partner and I live in the neighborhood and come here from time to time. The inside is pretty dark (which is fine with me, but a bit surprising that the owner would want it so dark), but on a nice evening (like tonight), the outside seating (small, only 4-5 tables) is delightful. Not fancy, but nice and comfortable tables with huge umbrellas to block the sun. The food here is good. In the past, we got the Platter for 2 ($27), which is a nice sized platter of wood fire grilled steak, chicken, sausage and shrimp with rice/beans/salad and tortillas. We couldn't finish it all and it was all delicious. No complimentary chips and salsa for the table, so tonight we ordered chips and guac to start. The guac was good with chunks of tomato, onion and avocado; it would have been nice to also get some salsa with it when you order the guac, but there's a separate charge for chips/salsa. For entrees, we got a Carne En Vara and Carne Asada. The En Vara is a skewer of chicken, beef, onion and green peppers, with rice/beans and a side order of arepitas (corn fritter). Everything was well prepared. I liked the arepitas.The Asada was a decent piece of beef that was well prepared. Came with rice and beans and flour tortillas. The service was very good. We were seated and received ice water promptly. The guac came out quickly as did the entrees, but not rushed. The server came by a couple of times to see how we were doing snd she refilled our waters. This is a "Latin" restaurant, and maybe I'm used to the ubiquitous Mexican restaurants that place salsa on the table, and I will say I missed it and didn't want to have to spend $3.95 for salsa. There were a couple of times when I would have liked to dip some of the meat into a sauce/salsa. They do put a bottle of Habanero hot sauce on the table when you sit down. The entrees tonight were good, but if you want to try the fire grilled meats, for value I recommend the Platter for 2.

The restaurant says it's wood grilled.. and yes! It is wood grilled authentic Latin cuisine at its best! We walked in and greeted immediately and you sit where you want. The food was freshly made and tastes great! The ambiance was not there for an award but WHO CARES cause the food was delicious!!! Soda was a little warm from fridge and it was a little hot inside. I'd still go back!

Im the Heart of Rockville is this amazing spot. I happen to come in the morning and ordered the breakfast platter which came with the most flavorful eggs, rice, beans, plátano, sour cream and avocado on the side. The tortillas are home made and super fresh. Everything about this breakfast was amazing!!! The gentleman who I think is the owner is super nice and is the chef himself. He is extremely friendly made me feel super comfortable sitting inside. I can't wait to take the rest of the menu here. If your in the area I highly recommend this spot. You won't regret it!!

First few things to know. There is more parking in the back. Inside is dimly lit and off putting. There is no English menu. That aside the food is great!The arepa sandwich is going to be my new goto. I had the pollo arepa which had a lot of guacamole smashed with chicken in between two fluffy corn patties. It was spectacular and don't know why I haven't had this before. The pollo quesadilla was soooo good. People that are getting quesadillas from chain restaurants in the area are really missing out. This quesadilla was packed and was enough for me to eat half for dinner and the other half for lunch the following day.Al Carbon doesn't look the best but the food is amazing.

Food was reasonably priced, ready very quickly, and delicious. This is a small family business which I love to support. I don't get what the bad reviews are for, this place is a great find.

This place is such a hidden gem in Rockville!I've been here maybe a total of 3 times and the food is spot-on every time. Visited yesterday for dinner and had pupusa's. There's a coleslaw type of salad added on the side for a nice crunch and a mild sauce you can dip in for a kick of spice and flavor. It was hot yesterday but there's some available seating outside to socially distance from others who are dining in. Would recommend and definitely return.

Sooo I've been dying for empanadas during this pandemicAfter reviewing yelp revised Al Carbon was recommendedI made the 35 min trip and .... waaalaaaThis is a cute Resturant and I was impressed with the customer serviceI loved the beef empanadas (tasty & filling)Will return

Short and sweet - Try the restaurant. The wood-fired grill adds flavor to the meat and vegetables. It was delicious, and it was worth the trip. We went mid week. It was dark inside, but felt authentic.

Great food and a nice small restaurant to go to when you want some good authentic Mexican food, me and my dad loved the people working and the guacamole they had

Was pretty great food for a cheap price.The inside was nice and cozy the staff were friendly and i got a bandeja paisa while my friend got a grilled salmon. All in all, would come again.