Hidden gem in Charlotte’s Oakhurst neighborhood where the menu is as creative as the food
July 24, 2026
Carnal is putting refined twists to traditional Mexican cuisine
How a restaurant romance became one of the city’s hottest pop-up concepts
by Samantha Husted
From innovative spots like Nordic-style eatery Vivienne, now located at Free Range Brewing, to the woman-run, fiercely unapologetic El Veneno, some of Charlotte’s best cuisine can be found outside of a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant. Enter now: Carnal.
Taking an innovative approach to traditional Mexican cuisine with a refined twist, Carnal is decidedly not a taqueria, a point owner/chef Cristian Villalvazo makes abundantly clear. He always has at least one taco on the menu. And yes, the tortillas are made from scratch.
”I have a lot of pride in being Mexican and not just Mexican, but Mexican-American,” Villalvazo says. “I take pride in trying to show people a different perspective of Mexican foods without jeopardizing the traditional ways.”
Carnal features dishes like its popular, tuna tostada served with a herb crema, matcha salsa, pickled onions, and fresh herbs, as well as quesadillas, flautas, and other rotating seasonal specials.
Villalvao’s pop-up is not a one man show. Villalvazo runs Carnal alongside his partner and fellow chef Jennifer “Jeni” Hollomon. When Villalvazo isn’t cooking up Mexican cuisine for Carnal, you can find him at Customshop, where he works as the a.m. prep lead. Hollomon previously worked in the kitchen at Rada. Both restaurants recently received Michelin Recommended status.
“We both have that Michelin experience now,” says Villalvazo. “We want to bring that to Carnal, too. Not that we’re shooting for anything, but we want to give that quality of food.”
Villalvazo and Hollomon met in a traditional restaurant industry fashion: working together in a kitchen, a back of house love story. Today, their love for each other and for the art of cooking is what flames the fires of Carnal.
“We met at Puerta. That’s where we fell in love with each other and cooking,” Villalvazo says. “We have a really incredible chemistry that I think it’s unseen or heard of in the restaurant industry.”
Together, the couple creates Carnal’s menu using their combined culinary knowledge and Villalvazo’s cultural background. According to Villalvazo, it’s a lot of research and development and plenty of “hear-me-outs.”
“She has been the most supportive,” Villalvazo says. “Thanks to her, we’re really able to do this perfectly.”
Villalvazo’s ultimate vision for Carnal has always been to showcase Mexican food in a way Charlotte isn’t necessarily used to, but certainly ready for. Inspired by his culture, family recipes, and the evolving culinary landscape here and abroad, Villalvazo hopes to broaden Charlotte’s understanding of what Mexican food can be.
“The inspiration comes from my mom and my dad,” he says. “We would have cookouts on Sundays. We would have cooked meals every single day, like rice, beans, and steak. Outside of my family, I look up to all of the chefs doing it in Mexico. I think they’re incredible and I want to bring that over here.”
After years of working in kitchens throughout Charlotte, Villalvazo is having fun cooking the food he truly wants to cook and doing it with love.
“On a lot of our menus we’ll put “with love” because that’s where it comes from,” Villalvazo says. “We’re just cooking out of love, from us to the city of Charlotte.”
When it comes to the restaurant community, Villalvazo says it’s been nothing but supportive. From the team at Customshop who urged him to pursue this path to others in the pop-up scene supporting Carnal’s vision.
“ Just having the support of Andres Kaifer and Matt Moore (both of Customshop), Callan Buckles (Rada), and Michael Le (formerly of Hello Uncle) — all of these huge killers now molding two brand new killers to the culinary game is great,” Villalvazo says.
You can find Carnal popping up around Charlotte at events like Not Just Coffee’s Wine Night at its Jay Street location and other local bars including Super Abari Game Bar, Bar à Vins, Burial Brewing, Bar à Vins, and Substrate.
Updates on Carnal’s pop-up schedule can be found on its Instagram page: @car.nal_
