Carnaval Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Redmond

My wife and I stopped in yesterday for an early lunch, around 11:30 am. We were greeted by a host, and sat immediately. There were 4 other 2- tops already, and 4 or 5 more came in while we were there.

They sent us a little cup of salsa and 4 fresh, warm corn tortillas as appetizer. I ordered the calamari to start, and 1 halibut and 1 barbacoa taco. My wife ordered the huevos rancheros, and it was a huge plate! (Sorry for the already eaten portion of the pic). They had a special on the board, and I ordered that as well, but our server came back and told me it was not totally prepped up yet. Then I ordered the costillos, but those were not ready either. No problem! So I asked the server about the Carnitas or the marinated pork chop, and she enthusiastically recommend the pork chop. Glad that was ready, and that I ordered it.

My wife stated that her plate was delicious, and she finished the whole thing! I couldn't believe it, as she is a small eater. My pork chop was a porterhouse cut, and it was flavorful and presented very well. The calamari was super crispy outside and tender inside, and my tacos were awesome as well. I could have eaten a whole plate of the barbacoa meat by itself!

The ambiance is well done. Its a small shop inside, maybe 12 tables total that can be moved around. The full bar is attractive, and I saw the bartender fresh squeezing ruby reds for cocktails I assume. The bathrooms were very clean and smelled good.

Prices were $12 for the calamari, $5 for each taco, $12 for the huevos, and $25 for the pork chop.

I highly recommend this place: its fairly new to Redmond downtown and the food is all scratch...

Everything was absolutely perfect except it was extremely busy and so loud so we decided to get it to go. No big deal. As an appetizer, I ordered the grilled octopus and I was expecting it to be much bigger than it was. But It was 2 tiny pieces, no more than 3-4 little bites and at $17 I expected quite a bit more for the money but it was absolutely delicious. I also got 2 taco's. Grilled chicken and the other halibut, I didn't get the chicken but received 2 halibut instead. But it was also very very delicious. I didn't want to call and complain because it was filled to capacity, crazy busy and the staff was extremely busy but even then the staff was extremely nice and came by many times to make sure we were taken care of which is pretty rare considering how busy it was. We also ordered 2 adult beverages at a fair price while we waited for our to go food which also was very good . So, overall, it was a very good first experience and we were treated very well and very welcomed. As a Mexican restaurant, the food was a little different than the average Mexican restaurant with a few different options and some ordinary dishes. CARNIVAL is a great restaurant with very good food cooked very well and very tasty so I'd definitely recommend it if you like...

Our friends recommended Carnaval Mexican Grill. We were coming home from the Portland area and were looking to have some dinner on a Sunday. Arriving after 6 pm , place was busy but there were still enough seating for us. Both , my wife and I were tired and very hungry from our 3 hour trip. There aren't many choices for vegetarians but my wife found the Huevos Rancheros. Fried eggs served on a crispy tortilla with refried beans, topped with warm salsa Red or Green. Chopped fresh cilantro, queso fresco, drizzled with sour cream and avocado slices... Her first experience eating the Huevos Rancheros was a good one. Very tasty . Just a little too much salsa. The dish was swimming in it. I had the Carnitas de Puerco. Slow simmered pork, quickly fried at the end. Served with arroz mexicano, refried beans, queso fresco, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, tortillas a mano. True Mexican Cuisine. This Chef's mother's recipe is a must have... I like the little tortillas where you can put nice bites of carnitas, rice and beans, and guacamole all in one . Very flavorful. The carnitas is moist and extremely tender. Our waitris was informative, friendly, and gave us great service. Glad to have another great Mexican restaurant...