On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant

Colombian restaurant · Oxford Circle

On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant

Colombian restaurant · Oxford Circle

1

6516 Castor Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19149

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On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null
On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant by null

Highlights

Meat-centric BYOB serving Colombian fare, juices & soups  

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6516 Castor Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19149 Get directions

oncharcoal.com
@on_charcoal

$20–30 · Menu

Reserve

Information

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6516 Castor Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19149 Get directions

+1 215 613 8934
oncharcoal.com
@on_charcoal

$20–30 · Menu

Reserve

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Last updated

Aug 10, 2025

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The Tastiest Latin Restaurants in Philly | Eater Philly

"This popular BYOB is the a great place to try Colombian cuisine in all its flavorful and sizzling vibes. They are known for having a very meat-centric menu that includes the legendary “mixto doble o triple” — a triple meat entrée that includes spicy skirt steak, grilled chicken, pork loin, steamed yuca and potato with guacamole." - Ernest Owens

https://philly.eater.com/maps/tastiest-latin-restaurants-philly
View Postcard for On Charcoal: Colombian Restaurant

Natalie Martinez

Google
Celeste was very nice and attentive, gave great food recommendations. I ate pollo con champiñones, my mom ate the lomo and my fiancé ordered have chicken half steak. Everything was well cooked and delicious !

Yulaikis Garcia

Google
The food was amazing, but Celeste totally made our evening. Super friendly, attentive without being overbearing, and had great recommendations. Hands down one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Everything was super fresh, full of flavor, and just hit the spot. 100% coming back! Gracias 🤗

Mike

Google
The dinner was very good and at a reasonable price. Our server, Josianne, was very friendly and attentive. The whole experience was great.

Mechelle Sabb

Google
Great food establishment! Everything was delicious and service was impeccable.

Fatima De Anda

Google
Oh yes, 10/10. If you are in the area or not. This is a must try. Cozy inside. Tasty food and drinks. Great service.

Evelyn DeSantana

Google
We love this place! The food is always fresh and the service is great. They also deliver which has been a great help in the past. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for authentic Colombian food.

Bukolami Kaye-Smith

Google
Listen, we've been to a few Colombian restaurants and this one was just as great. I love that the Colombian foods are similar to our Nigerian foods. Our waitress Ceci was nice and explained the menu to us. She gave some recommendations. The Yuca balls were to die for. I was only going to eat a few and take some back so I'll have room for my entree... bebe, I finished them. I wish I had ordered extra to take home. The fried red snapper was nicely seasoned. The taste really took me back home. I think it was seasoned with palm oil. If I could give more stars, I would. We would come again.

Kristid Rehnig

Google
Absolute awesome gem of a place. Gorgeous inside. Perfect, fresh, beautifully done foods. Love this place.
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Keila M.

Yelp
Their empanadas and all their food tasted amazing. The chicken was juicy and tender. The orange natural juice was fresh. The place is very clean and I love how easy and tech savvy they are. The menu was quick to access, I didn't had my wallet and paid quick over their app. The server was very polite and the experience was very pleasant.
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Helen W.

Yelp
I ordered delivery via phone. It was around 8:30p and almost everything ran out. The girl on the phone apologized and was really friendly. I settled for the Pichana (I think that's how you spell it) which is pretty much beef cooked with peppers and onion in a gravy. It came with 2 sides so I got the corn and yellow rice. The stew was a good amount of meats and veggies, and also tasted good. The corn didn't taste fresh however. The rice also isn't your traditional spanish rice. It was just colored rice. I also ordered the mango juice made with water. I can taste small pieces of mango and pulp which O didn't mind. The juice tasted good and fresh.

Jennifer K.

Yelp
Food is fabulous service was great I recommend everything particular the Carne Asada and pork ribs

Emi R.

Yelp
Good combo so far, the flavors was great! But.. the food wasn't fresh and they charge us for the sauces (even though we didn't asked for them) :/
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Gina C.

Yelp
Yuca was very crispy, beans takes good, the sancocho was very tastey. Place is small but pretty. Juices were delicious.

Nurse M.

Yelp
From a Colombian to another: service sucks!! You only have 6 tables in the place and 4 were occupied us being one of them and still got our order wrong and to top it off we had to wait for 1 hour after ordering a hot chocolate, fried eggs, arepa and an empanada. Take a course on customer service! I'm sure you can find free ones on Google! Never coming back here EVER!
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Crystal M.

Yelp
I used to come here very regularly. My last experience was absolutely horrible. First week of September 2017, I ordered a platter and it took 28 minutes!! Noone said anything to me so when I asked what was taking so long they said oh it's coming . There were two very young ladies work in and the manager. (I forgot to mention that they told me they didn't have any pork ribs so I had to get the beef ribs. ) When I got home and opened up my container, it was full of rice with one beef rib that was extremely tough on top of it, the two pieces of dark meat were so small and they forgot my sauce!! I called them immediately and the manager said that he could credit me $5 since it was $5 more to get the beef rib. I explained to him that no I was totally unsatisfied with my complete platter. I told him that I live too far away to come back that night since it was late but would bring the whole platter back so that he could see I only took a bite of the rib and was totally disgusted. He told me he couldn't do anything else about it and I told him that I wanted to speak to the owner who wasnt there so I gave them my information. He simply said yeah okay and hung up the phone. I have yet to hear back from the owner. I have called pretty much once a week and have been put on hold or the owner is not there. I think this is absolutely bad customer service.
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Martha P.

Yelp
This is probably the worst service that I ever had in my hole life. The server was so rude and the manager worst, she even kick one door open in an awful way that make me think that they even don't want us there. I'm definitely never coming back again and if someone ask for I will tell that the food seems good but it's not worth the shoot.
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Joby G.

Yelp
Worst service ever. Waited for two and half hours for the food to come. Once it came it wasn't even worth wait. Wouldn't come back due to food and service. I understand if you can't handle a large crowd but then other wait staff should step up and help so that guests are taken care of. Not to mention there is no AC so you are sweating during your 2 hours of wait time.
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Boaz M.

Yelp
Waited 2 hours to get our average food while paying a high price. The service was terrible, as they took extended periods of time to bring out our food and take our plates, even though there was only one other party at the restaurant. You are much better off taking your money elsewhere.

Nathan P.

Yelp
Worst place ever, rude servers, rude owner, food overcooked.... every time we call to order something, the person taking the order gives a horrible attitude, like I'm not kidding, it is incredible how bad the service is, on top of that the food is overcooked or sometimes they will give you things that you did it even order and get charge for... This place is horrible. Won't buy here anymore.
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Alec Q.

Yelp
I have never left a yelp review in my life but I'm going to leave one because this place deserves it. Took my pregnant girlfriend here last night because I like to try new places and it's like pulling teeth trying to find a place that she actually enjoys but this place was dead on with flavor and vibes. She actually enjoyed her meal and said she wants to come back. That is the FIRST time she has said she wants to come back to a restaurant I pick out for us. We definitely will be back. I can't wait to try some different items in the menu. And they have one hell of a grill that you can watch them grill from the bar. Overall place is awesome and would love to see them grow and expand. Also food is very reasonably priced for the quality and quantity.
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Yaya M.

Yelp
If you are a true Colombian, the food at this place would be sub-par. They are locking seasoning and a lot of their stuff seems to be canned/frozen. I ordered from here cause my American husband likes BBQ ribs. Their grilled stuff is ok but the portions are small for the price. I payed about $20 for a bunch of rice, 1/2 cup beans and 2 little strands of beef short ribs. So I am not happy. The only redeeming quality is their banging Passion fruit pudding. That's it.
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Laura T.

Yelp
Found this place after reading Craig Laban's review of northeast Philly. I cannot believe I haven't been here before today. The food is amazing, my fiance and I shared a chicken and rib platter, and the chicken was so moist and tender, it fell off the bone! The empanadas were so good that we ordered more to take home! Definitely will be back in the near future!

Jaime S.

Yelp
This place is trash. We waited over an hour to get our food. I ordered the "churasco" medium well. It was overly cooked, tough and very rubbery and extremely hard to chew . The rice tasted like it was minute rice made from "uncle Bens" .The service was some of the worst I have ever seen. The wait staff is more concerned with playing on their phones then actually tending to their customers. You had to go and physically tell someone to bring you this , that , or the other. Even after you did that it would probably never come. Terrible , food , long wait, and horrendous service is a recipe for a bad business. Never again while I make this mistake.
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Dena C.

Yelp
On Charcoal This evening I decided to try this place, in search of a nice new restaurant in the Castor Gardens section. I ordered 2 quesadilla and a Passionfruit smoothie. Well first my smoothie wasn't exactly so smooth. It was actual cold juice. However, that was the least of my worries as I bit into not 1 but 2 chicken bones inside my quesadilla. Not to mention they forgot to give me salsa . NEVER AGAIN!! ....... TELL A FRIEND !!
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Danielle H.

Yelp
Absolutely love this place!!!!!! The service is amazing and always kind! The food is awesome!!! Fried Plantains was the best I ever had! I'm literally calling in for a order after I write this review! There are no words for how good the 3 milk cake / tres Leches cake!!!! Can't wait to have again!!!
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Ama C.

Yelp
I guess I got lucky. I enjoyed my meal here. My fried yuca was goooooood. They could stand to update the decor & dishes for serving, but I would definitely go back. I left full & happy.
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Bruce B.

Yelp
I went here with friends the other day expecting to eat at a Brazilian restaurant and we sat down while a pretty server named Angelina passed us menus. We had a young girl in our group and she saw chicken fingers on the menu, and I knew we were gonna eat here when I saw the look on her face. After studying the menu, it was clear that this was a Spanish restaurant and to be exact Columbian I ordered the Churraso steak with beans & rice and tostones with mucho ajo. Zee ordered the fried Seafood combo, and she was the only one who did not enjoy her selection. She ask if the seafood was fresh instead of frozen and the server said it was definitely fresh. Well it was definitely frozen because some of her food wasn't cooked all the way through and cold in the center. My and the little ones food was very good. My steak was tender & juicy, the rice & beans were very flavorful and the tostones were crunchy and immersed in garlic. I gave them 3 stars because or the seafood fiasco and for the Artic blast we received evertime someone used the front door.
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Tamika O.

Yelp
Shame... My first & last experience for this place. I placed an order at 6:03pm per the receipt, my food was not received until 7:28pm, mind you I live 8 mins away. When I called back to ask about my delivery, the girl said it was still there at 7:11pm, I asked for some type of compensation since my food was pre-paid, she placed me on hold, when she returned she hung up on me. I called back, no apologies, just a "your food is leaving now then she hung up again. Once the food came there was an ice tea included. The the food was hot but that's the only good thing about. This was a waste of money & time. The food was bland,we ordered the steak quesadilla, the steak was definitely bad, not fresh, something & the Hawaiian cheese burger which was o. k. As I said first & last time for this place. BAD SERVICE & NOT SO GOOD FOOD.
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Emilie C.

Yelp
Savory chicken over some of the best rice ever reminds me of good days living in Central Florida.

Lisa O.

Yelp
I have to say I would have never known about this gem on Castor Avenue had it not been for a friend giving me a gift certificate. I had no clue what or how to order for a takeout order but the staff was friendly and helped without batting an eyelash. The order only took about 10 minutes to be ready but it gave me time to check out the tiny spotless dining room and equally clean bathroom. I'm glad I put my food in the back seat because I would have dug in right in the car if it had been closer to me. When I got the food home, it did not disappoint. Wonderful ribs with the old fashioned taste of a charcoal fire, great chicken wings and really good yellow rice and black beans. I haven't dug into dessert yet but can't imagine it will be a disappointment. I'll be back and recommend this place to friends.
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Joy L.

Yelp
I didn't know that grilling was a Colombian thing. I came in thinking they were Brazilian but the Shakira in the background set me straight. I had the picanha (a confusing nod to Brazil) with yellow rice, red beans and the corn on the cob. I didn't have a very long wait but no one asked me how I wanted my picanha done either. Rice is rice. Beans are beans. Nothing to set it apart as especially Colombian. The bits of my picanha that were medium-rare were juicy and tasty. The rest, tasty but too chewy. Lunch seems to be your best value or take out of the ribs.

Claudia Q.

Yelp
I haven't eaten in the restaurant. I've been a delivery customer, and the quality has been impressive. I've ordered the grilled pork chops once and the churrasco once. I expected thin cut pork chops, but they delivered two good sized chops that were each about an inch thick. The churrasco was a skirt steak (about 12 oz.). I had ordered it medium rare. It arrived perfectly cooked and hot. Pretty impressive for delivery. For one of the sides I ordered fried yuca. Again, it was hot and fresh when it arrived. The fried yuca is especially tasty -- the best possible combination of crispy and tender. The Northeast needed a restaurant that delivered more than pizza, steaks, and wings. But On Charcoal has that covered, too, if that's what you want.