Charcoal Chicken - Pakistani & Indian Cuisine

Chicken Biryani was absolutely amazing. Huge portion and very flavorful. The Mango Lassi was also delicious. The employees are very kind and treat you like family. My new favorite restaurant in Chantilly.

The food is pretty good. I liked the presentation, the flavors, the quality of the Lamb Karahi and Naan. Service was friendly, too! FOOD: Lamb Karahi was a bit pricy at $21, but also kind of normal these days, and like I said, it was quite tasty. The sauce was good, and the meat was tender, if not slightly dry. No rice was served, which I personally prefer, but I can see other customers getting uppity about not being given rice. I was a little disappointed by the heat level, but maybe my tolerance went up? I got the spiciest available. The Garlic Naan was a large portion cut into two pieces. Very good and doughy! $1.50 for a large piece, which was very awesome!! They didn't have any Sweet Lassi, only Mango flavored was offered on the menu. Still good! $4. ESTABLISHMENT: They had booths inside, which were busy when I arrived on a Wednesday evening, so I sat outside on the barebones patio tables (there are two). A simple white plastic plate was offered for dine-in, plus plastic utensils. Nothing fancy. They asked me to bring in my tray and plates after I was done, which I think was only because I was outside. They had staff bussing tables inside. The bathroom is located in the back and was basic and functional. There was water all over the floors, which I hope was mostly just them mopping recently. Overall, I enjoyed Charcoal Chicken's food and would go back. It was basic, but tasty. I could see it being a regular or go-to spot for people who live nearby. 3.5 out of 5 stars

*Update* I've since ordered multiple times and it is consistently DELICIOUS and the orders are always accurate. I'm just really impressed. The flavors 🥴🤤. I've ordered the paneer versions of several and they are also good. They know how to cook and they clearly care about the food and service! Original: Ordered delivery through their website linked vendor last week. THE FLAVORS ugh I've been waiting to find delicious, spiced, FRESH take out like this with rich, deep flavors. Have only tried it this once so will need more meals to test consistency. We ordered: Lamb Karahi (spicy) - 4.5 stars Butter Chicken(medium) - 5 stars Lahori Grill Fish - 4 stars Chickpeas - 4 stars for freshness and flavor, 3 stars for chickpeas being overcooked (I prefer more bite to mine rather than mushier textures) Naan - 4 stars fresh Mango Lassi - yogurt forward, a good middle blend, tasty The stews/sauces are crave worthy. I don't know what is in the butter chicken but it is really, really, REALLY good. I ordered medium (heat) on that but it didn't seem to have any heat..maybe I've upped my tongue's heat game unknowingly or they list heat levels for the unaccustomed palate? Still delicious. Not a huge portion, so be aware. I liked the Lahori Grill fish- it was flaky and fresh..a tad on the salty side but nothing to pause over becauseonce mixed with rice/sauces it's perfect so perhaps this is intentional. I ordered Lamb Karahi spicy and it was more a medium heat if anything but this could have been a fluke. Heat levels can be pretty subjective so suffice it to say I'll order with extra peppers next time. Karahi was served in a larger container than the butter chicken and had a lot of meat in it. I will try the paneer versions of these dishes next time! Oh and there will def. be a next time. All in all my feeling is 5 out of 5 when rated against comparative options in the area. Amazing flavors!

I am surprised by all of the negative reviews recently. I have been coming here for the past decade or more because I absolutely love their food! I have never had a bad dish from them. Yes, you should expect your food to be spicy if you order medium or spicy (it seems to have gotten spicier in the past couple of years). However, the mild is generally true to its word if you are someone who cannot tolerate spicy. I favor their shahi paneer and chicken karahi, though I have had many other dishes and they were all very good. Whenever someone new joins our office, I ALWAYS recommend Charcoal Chicken as a "must try" place. Many of my coworkers now get upset when someone goes to Charcoal Chicken and didn't let them know so they could order something, too. The atmosphere does leave something to be desired as it has more of a cafeteria feel than a true restaurant, and there are no water/beverage dispensers. However, I don't come here for the atmosphere or the beverages. The food is so good, I couldn't care less what the inside of the place looks like! Much love to my favorite Pakistani restaurant anywhere in the area!

Good food. Decent place. Amazing options if your like to eat chicken. Specially the Chicken Karahi is the best. Even their Naan is very well cooked and soft. Decent and friendly staff. Good customer service. Clean Restrooms. Separate restrooms for Male and Female. Cost is not very high and lots of variety to eat. You can decide the quantity of the food so you donot waste food. Unlike other restaurants, you don't have to order the entire portion if you want to eat alone. You can choose any item from the menu and choose for 1 person or 2, they adjust the quantity and price accordingly.