The best Mexican food in the US may be at this Sacramento-area eatery. What I ate for $25

Brianna Taylor covers affordability on The Bee’s service journalism team.

Despite its unassuming appearance, The Char Market stands out in the Sacramento region.

One reason has to do with a specific menu item typically known for its high price point.

I would have easily driven past The Char Market in Carmichael on my way to another eatery along the Sacramento city grid — and that would have been a mistake.

The restaurant on Whitney Avenue was recently named the third-best Mexican restaurant in the United States by Yelp, which ranked the top 25 spots for dishes such as tacos, quesadillas and burritos.

“(The Char Market) brought a true culinary experience to an area which has been pretty much a food desert,” said Foothill Farms resident Richard Stanley, who told me to try the restaurant as part of The Sacramento Bee’s reader-driven series Sacramento on a Budget.

Richard and his wife, Connie Stanley, live less than two miles from The Char Market.

When the restaurant opened in the summer of 2023, Richard said news of its “delicious” food and pleasant employees traveled quickly among his neighbors.

Now it’s his turn to spread the word.

“I have no dog in this fight. I’m not a partial owner or a secret backer,” he said. “I was happy to see (The Char Market) open ... I wish them all the best.”

The restaurant serves an array of foods infused with Mexican and Californian flare, including chimichurri marinated beef, melty bone marrow and grilled elote.

Look inside Carmichael Mexican restaurant

Location : 4717 Whitney Ave., Carmichael

The Char Market exudes individuality, from the minimal decor to the flavorful grub.

The men behind the restaurant are co-owners and best friends Shane Cichy and Noah Corsey.

In August 2023, the two strategically opened the Char Market in Carmichael to manage a storefront and food trucks simultaneously.

“The Char Market is doing so good, I don’t even want to do food trucks anymore,” said Shane, a food industry veteran with more than a decade of experience owning food trucks in the region.

“(The Char Market) blew up,” said Shane, a Sacramento native. “It’s just amazing ... to be able to feed the public and get this kind of recognition.”

What’s on the menu at The Char Market?

Everything served at The Char Market has a charred flavor. That’s by design.

The entire menu, with the exception of the rice, is made on the grill.

The food list features tacos topped with cilantro and cotija cheese, salads assembled in large deep-fried tortillas and nachos loaded with toppings such as cilantro lime crema and onions.

Richard said he’s “really fond” of the shrimp tacos, typically served alongside rice and beans. Connie opts for a double order of vegetables.

Richard moved from Seattle to Rancho Cordova with his family in the 1960s. He’s lived in Foothill Farms with Connie for the past 11 years and loves it.

“Every time I go (to The Char Market) I’m amazed how busy they are and I’m sure a lot of it is neighborhood traffic,” Richard said.

Platters are packed with a healthy helping of rice and grilled vegetables covered in chili lime seasoning. Customers choose between steak, chicken, shrimp or the star ingredient, bone marrow.

The soft, fatty tissue found in the hollow portion of bones is destined for platters. That’s if you can get your hands on it before it sells out for the day.

Yelp users, who gave the Char Market more than 300 reviews and 4.9 stars, describe the restaurant’s bone marrow as “flavorful,” “worth it” and “to die for.”

“When I say you have never tried bone marrow like this before, you have never tried bone marrow like this before,” Yelp user Courtney P. wrote in a recent review. “Words cannot even put into perspective how incredible this dish is.”

Shane said he grills beef femur bone just before it liquefies. Then he stuffs the marrow with chunks of skirt steak, cotija and cheddar cheese.

Finally, the creation gets torched and sauced with housemade cilantro lime crema.

“I wanted to elevate the bone marrow experience at a more affordable cost,” Shane said.

“I just want unique things,” he added.

Each time Richard has visited the Char Market to try the collagen-packed menu item, he said he “can’t find them there because everybody goes in and orders it all up.”

Let’s see if I have better luck.

How I spent my $25 budget

The Char Market’s menu includes platters, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, sides and desserts.

After employee Michael Perry III broke the news that the bone marrow was unavailable, I settled on the $16 chicken platter with rice and vegetables, as well as a $7 order of elote and a $3 Jarritos, a carbonated Mexican drink.

My total came to $24.56 after a sales tax and tip.

It took less than 10 minutes for my order to be placed in front of me. In the meantime, I took a gander at the roughly 900-square-foot space.

I thought back to what Richard told me about the restaurant’s interior: It’s not lavish.

The space, which seats 18 people, is decorated with wooden and bright red accents. A black-and-white canvas of the California flag was one of the first things I noticed when I walked in.

Once my food was placed in front of me, I wasted no time trying the entree, which had the perfect amount of charred flavoring.

The elote was juicy and tangy, thanks to the restaurant’s chili lime seasoning, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, fresh lime and cilantro.

After about 30 minutes of nibbling, I collected my belongings and waved goodbye to Michael.

Is Sacramento-area eatery affordable?

I got an entree with two sides, an additional side and a drink for $24.56.

The Char Market’s current menu includes platters with four different protein options, all priced above $15. The bone marrow plate costs $27.

There is also a kid’s menu, with options ranging from $9 tacos and bowls to a couple of $10 entrees.

The $10 cheese quesadilla is served with chips.

The drink list includes canned soda, Mexican Coke, multiple flavors of Jarritos and water.

Shane said he and Noah want to open four additional locations in the Sacramento region including sites in Roseville, Folsom and Elk Grove.

He credits the restaurant’s success to its local following.

“It makes me really happy that people really like (The Char Market) in the community,” Shane said, adding that the business has attracted customers from Lodi to the Bay Area.

Thank you for the suggestion, Richard!

What are open hours at Char Market?

The Char Market is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The restaurant is closed on Mondays.