Carlos River Cafe

1707 Nish Rd, Crystal Lake
(815) 444-9024

Recent Reviews Order Online

Customers' Favorites

Enchiladas Verdes de Carne Al Pastor Con Arroz Y Frijoles
Regular Burrito Dinner
Steak Burrito Dinner
Steak Taco Dinner
Enchiladas Suizas
Chips and Salsa
Chimichanga
Carne Asada
Guacamole

Menu

Breakfast
Huevos Rancheros
3 eggs cooked over easily topped with ranchero sauce.
Chilaquiles
Tortilla bits mixed with scrambled eggs, chorizo, and salsa.
Mexican Sunshine
3 small burritos with chorizo, eggs, and chihuahua cheese.
Huevos con Chorizo
3 scrambled eggs with Mexican sausage.
Sunshine Burritos
3 small burritos with eggs and chihuahua cheese.
Huevos a la Mexicana
3 scrambled eggs with cooked onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos.
Rajas Omelette
Chorizo, green peppers, onions, and chihuahua cheese.

Enchiladas
Enchiladas Suizas
Mild ranchero sauce. 4 enchiladas filled with your choice of chicken, beef, or cheese, topped with chihuahua cheese, and your choice of sauce. Served with rice, beans, lettuce, and sour cream.
Enchiladas en Mole Sauce (4 pcs)
4 enchiladas filled with your choice of chicken, beef, or cheese, topped with chihuahua cheese, and your choice of sauce. Served with rice, beans, lettuce, and sour cream.
Enchiladas Hustequenas (4 pcs)
Hot chipotle sauce. 4 enchiladas filled with your choice of chicken, beef, or cheese, topped with chihuahua cheese, and your choice of sauce. Served with rice, beans, lettuce, and sour cream.
Enchiladas Verde (4 pcs)
Medium-hot green sauce. 4 enchiladas filled with your choice of chicken, beef, or cheese, topped with chihuahua cheese, and your choice of sauce. Served with rice, beans, lettuce, and sour cream.

Chimichangas
Chimichangas
Deep-fried burrito filled with beans, cheese, and your choice of meat. Served on a bed of lettuce topped with guacamole and sour cream.

Fajitas
Chicken Fajitas
Served with rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and tortillas.
Combo Trio
Made with chicken, steak, and shrimp. Served with rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and tortillas.
Steak and Chicken Fajitas
Served with rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and tortillas.
Steak Fajitas
Served with rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and tortillas.
Shrimp Fajitas
Served with rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and tortillas.

Combinations
Combo 3-Two Flautas, Cheese Quesadilla, and a Taco
Served with rice and beans.
Combo 1-Taco, Tostada, and Cheese Enchiladas
Served with rice and beans.
Combo 2-Chile Relleno, Tamale, and Taco
Served with rice and beans.
Combo 4-Tostada, Chile Relleno, and Quesadilla
Served with rice and beans.

All American Favorites
Mexican Burger
Ground Chuck Cheese Burger (1/4 lb)
Chicken Sandwich with Hand-Cut Fries

House Favorites
Carne a la Tampiquena
Tender skirt steak grilled to perfection and served with 2 cheese enchiladas, lettuce, and guacamole. Served with rice and beans.
Steak Vallarta
Tender skirt steak topped with grilled shrimp and chihuahua cheese. Served with lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and tortillas.
Steak Burrito Platter (3 pcs)
3 small burritos filled with skirt steak, cheese, and grilled onions, served with lettuce, and sour cream.Served with rice and beans.
Carne Asada
Tender skirt steak grilled to perfection. Served with lettuce, guacamole, and tortillas. Served with rice and beans.
Carne Ranchera
Grilled skirt steak served with grilled green pepper, onion, melted cheese and salsa ranchera.
Pollo a la Tampiqueña
Chicken breast grilled to perfection and served with guacamole and sour cream.
Bistek a la Mexicana
Tender skirt steak with grilled onions, tomatoes and jalapeños.
Bistec con Rajas
Strips of tender skirt steak grilled and topped with green peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Smothered in chihuahua cheese, served with lettuce, sour cream, and tortillas. Served with rice and beans.
Bistec Oaxaca
Tender skirt steak grilled to perfection, topped with chihuahua and chipotle sauce, served with lettuce, sour cream, and tortillas. Served with rice and beans.
Mar y Tierra
Grilled skirt steak with 3 open face garlic shrimp.
Pollo con Rajas
Grilled chicken breast topped with green peppers, onions and tomatoes. Smothered in chihuahua cheese. Served with lettuce, sour cream and tortillas.

Seafood
Camarones a la Mexicana
Shrimp with grilled onion, tomato, and jalapeño.
Filete de pescado a la plancha
Grilled, fish fillet.
Coctel de Camaron
Shrimp cocktail.
Camaron a la Diabla
Shrimp, in homemade hot sauce with shell.
Camaron a la Matequilla
Shrimp, cooked with butter and seasoning. No shell.
Camaron al Mojo de Ajo
Shrimp, in garlic sauce with shell.
Camarones Botaneros
Shrimp in spicy sauce.
Camarones a la Plancha
Open face garlic shrimp with shell.
Camarones Enchipotlados
Shrimp in chipotle sauce.

Traditional Dishes
Taco Dinner (3 pcs)
3 tacos with your choice of meat with rice and beans.
King Burrito Dinner
Served with rice and beans.
Flautas
Four rolled corn tortillas filled with chicken and deep fried. Dressed with lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese.
Torta Dinner
Served with your choice of meat with rice and beans.
Taco Salad
Served on a crispy tortilla shell shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and your choice of meat. Topped with chihuahua cheese and sour cream. Served with rice and beans.
Tamales (1)
One tamale filled with red pork.
Regular Burrito Dinner
Served with rice and beans.
Meat Quesadilla Dinner
Served with rice and beans.
Sopes Dinner (2 pcs)
Served with your choice of meat with rice and beans.
Cheese Quesadilla Dinner
Served with rice and beans.
Chiles Rellenos
Two poblano peppers stuffed with chihuahua cheese, egg battered and pan-fried, topped with ranchero sauce, served with lettuce, sour cream, and tortillas. Served with rice and beans.
Tostada Dinner (2 pcs)
Served with your choice of meat with rice and beans.

Mexican Favorites
Taco (1 pc)
Includes lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and your choice of meat. Meat choice: steak, chicken, marinated pork, ground beef, Mexican sausage, beef tongue, and avocado.
King Burrito
Meat choice: steak, chicken, marinated pork, ground beef, Mexican sausage, beef tongue, and avocado.
Regular Burrito
Meat choice: steak, chicken, marinated pork, ground beef, Mexican sausage, beef tongue, and avocado.
Torta
Includes beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, and your choice of meat, milanesa or chorizo, and eggs. Meat choice: steak, chicken, marinated pork, ground beef, Mexican sausage, beef tongue, and avocado.
Tostada (1 pc)
Includes beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, and your choice of meat. Meat choice: steak, chicken, marinated pork, ground beef, Mexican sausage, beef tongue, and avocado.
Fajita Burrito
Combination of steak and chicken with black beans, sour cream, grilled onion, grilled pepper and guacamole.
Sope (1 pc)
Includes beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, and your choice of meat. Meat choice: steak, chicken, marinated pork, ground beef, Mexican sausage, beef tongue, and avocado.
Carlos Special Burrito
Combination of steak, chicken, and shrimp with mushrooms, black beans, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, pico de gallo and ranchero sauce.
Vejetarian
Grilled corn, spinach, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, rice, black beans, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese.

Appetizers
Nacho Platter with Meat
Chips and Salsa
Cheese Quesadilla with Meat
Nacho Platter
Nachos with Cheese
Cheese Quesadilla
Queso Fundido with Chorizo
Queso Fundido with Shrimp
Queso Fundido Cheese Only

Side Orders
Guacamole
Bag of Tortilla Chips
Pico de Gallo
Hand Cut Fries
Rice
Sour Cream
Beans
Cheese

Kids Menu
1 Taco with Rice and Beans
1 Cheese Quesadilla with Rice and Beans
Chicken Nuggets with Fries

Soft Drinks
Horchata
Jarritos
Soda Pop
Mexican Coke
Jamaica
Sangria Soda

Photos

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Photo credit: google
Photo credit: google
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Photo credit: google
+39 photos
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Recent Reviews

Well, we came back again and they did NOT disappoint! I had the Pollo A La Tampiquena and she had the Steak Vallarta! Both were SPECTACULAR. I only wish I could eat more when I'm here.
June 2025
Absolutely fantastic. The decor is super cute and authentic, and the service was phenomenal! I had the grilled fish, and it was seasoned and cooked perfectly. We had an order of guacamole and it was really really good (we add lots of lime to ours). Their house salsa is very flavorful (and chunky), but not spicy, which I personally loved. Lots of flavor without the heat ... I'm sure you can ask for hot salsa if you want it. Their chips are definitely made in house, and...
June 2025
From start to finish, this place was incredible. Fast, friendly service with amazing food. I just had the Mexican sunshine breakfast, and wow!!! Huge portions and a price tag that made me think I traveled back in time, it was so reasonable. 100% will come back.
May 2025

More Reviews

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Carlos River Cafe

1707 Nish Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 60012
(815) 444-9024