Cafe Rio Mexican Grill

Reviews 12

BR

Brandon Kendrick

Go anywhere else. Not even sure where to start... First, you step into the place and all you can see are obnoxious quotes all over the wall lauding how great the place is. "Rated by Zagat!" "Winner of over 60 awards!". Next, this restaurant has a very Chipotle-esque assembly line, but the ingredients are absolutely not fresh- Their meat sits wet in cafeteria-style pans which the employees very hastily slop into your tin bowl, which goes inside a conveyor oven and onto the next assemblyman. They do make their own tortillas from scratch, but this hardly makes any difference. $20 for our meals. No sodas, no guacamole- $20. We start eating, and my girlfriends side of rice was undercooked. The rice was crunchy. Unbelievable. My burrito was bland and I shoveled it into my mouth like a busy chore. At some point I stopped to get some Chalua to douse the remainder of my burrito with. After finishing, I didnt feel full, but I did not feel like eating anything else. It has been about 3 hours and my stomach does not feel good. Will never go to a cafe rio again and will stick to hole-in-the-wall establishments that know how to prepare and make food- Not carelessly manufacture it. Hell, even Del Taco would have been a much cheaper and much more satisfying option. I regret coming here.

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ED

Eden Jeffries

Authentic, have-it-your-way Mexican favorites served up fresh and fast. Not quite a chipotle, though with a similar individualized design your own burrito approach. The menu options are a bit more extensive. The tortillas are THE BEST--handmade right before your eyes. They have flour, whole wheat, and corn options. Their portions are very large. Chicken, beef, and pork options both slow braised or grilled. Their pork barbacoa is sweet so its not quite my cup of tea but its a customer favorite. The salads, tacos, and burritos are a winner. The quesadilla would be great but they put about an entire block of cheese on it (way too much) so you have to request less cheese otherwise youll feel sick. Their refreshments section has all the southwest and south of the border favorites--limeade, hibiscus tea, horchata. Also for dessert, key lime pie and tres leeches will send your sweet tooth runnin! Go on a Tuesday to get a selection of entree items for $5 including tacos, quesadilla, burrito or salad. Its a GREAT deal!

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VI

Vincent Hyden

This place was one of the best about a year or more ago when I worked alot closer to this location. I usually go for Tamale Thursdays. (I really like tamales) But the last time I went, the other day, I was a little disappointed. The first thing that struck me was when I sat down to eat my delicious looking tamales (2 sweet pork) I was surprised to find that one tamale had virtually no pork in it at all. While the other was full of HUGE chunks of pork. SO much so that I had to destroy the tamales first then cut the pork and then mix it all together into what I guess I could call a Tamale bowl at that point. Second I got the Horchatta (probably spelled that wrong) which used to be freshly made or at least seemed to be. This time though IT was just super sweet rice milk with cinnamon. SO sweet I couldnt even finish it. Talk about lack of consistency and or cook training. Dont think I will be going out of my way for this anymore.

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MI

michael jordan

Y bueno,trabaje para cafe rio por un año en utah,y frecuentemente comia ahi,el servicio al cliente era bueno,la comida,la limpieza,la gerencia,en general bien,ahora aqui en california,y especificamente en este restaurant,la comida no me agrado,y me hizo mal,el servicio al cliente mal,y bueno pague por mi extra aguacate,14 dolares total,mal y hojala hagan algo,el nombre de cafe rio vale mucho mas que esto,gracias.

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JO

Joshua Butler

My wife order the vegetarian quesadilla, which seemed like it would come with rice, beans, and quac inside the quesadilla, but no, only cheese. Then the server didnt give her rice and beans even though she asked, and by the time I realized, the line was long and it wouldve taken another 5 minutes. As for the food, that was the worst quesadilla either one of us has ever eaten, not exaggerating. My shredded chicken enchilada was merely bad - the sauce was weirdly sweet and the quac had too much lime (which made it watery and pretty acidic). In short, the food was bad to terrible (though perhaps other items are better), the service was bad, and the prices were too high.

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TR

Trish Smiley

I used to eat here every Tuesday I probably havent been there in at least a year mostly because of the customer service or lack of that I received when I was there the last time I ordered the same thing as I do every Tuesday and in my guacamole was a piece of core from the lettuce and the stem from the avocado and when I took it to the cashier and told her I got the response of well at least you know its fresh I didnt get an apology I didnt get to fix it so I stopped going which is really sad because I really like the place

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MU

Mustafa Al-Ammar

For meat eaters and those with a love for Mexican fair Cafe Rio is probably a safe bet for lunch or dinner. The restaurant has a special every day of the week, with Fridays Salmon tacos being some of the best Ive ever had. Too bad its only Fridays. If youre vegetarian/vegan, stay far FAR away from this place. Theres nothing here for you. EDIT: Ive found bugs in my food once, and a few of my friends have as well. The lines have also gotten excruciatingly long making this a poor option for lunch.

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KE

Keisa Jackson

1st and only time was this weekend...they ran out of all types of meats in which there was a long line of people ready to order...they should have told us in advance....some of the food prepers had very negative attitudes and or didnt listen to your order...at one point they was trying to rip me off by not giving me the rice and beans....i so so glad they are closing...if you do open up again, go find well qualified people to do the job....real..

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AR

Armando Santos

i was not welcomed. the mexican light skinned slender female was rude and got away with it. the cashier lady also noticed how she was was rude and mumbled something to this other employee about her. its a shame that the food is great but women like her havent been caught treating guests poorly. shame on her and manager for allowing her. I would rather go to Cozymels down the street for VIP treatment and excellent Mexican food.

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A

A Private User

I love everything about Cafe Rio.. friendly staff, service is great, and the food is AMAZING! Im currently hooked on the chicken tostada..love the shredded chicken and cilantro lime dressing! The best part is that everything is consistant, from the service to the quality of the food, including the freshness! AND..the prices are very reasonable. I always get my moneys worth and everytime I go is just as great as the last!!

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RO

Robert McPhie

Great burritos, but (and Im surprised to say this) get the salad! Its essentially an open-face burrito and its definitely good for 2 meals -- huge! Also, they have really good steak. If you have special requests (like extra lettuce & extra pico - recommended) online ordering is NOT reliable, but ordering in person isnt bad except during busiest times. All in all, highly recommended!

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AA

aaron lam

The food here is great. But it’s always so crowded and only getting worse. They’re trying for a Chipotle or Subway assembly line but they have way more options and food is fresher and tastier so it’s just slooooow. Pork Barbacoa is a standout. But what’s really key is their flour tortilla skins that are pressed right there. They have a great drink bar machine too (the limeade!)

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