Cafe Rio

The food is good, as always. This location not so friendly or clean.
Since living in Vegas I have really come to love Café Rio. This location is extremely convenient because it is located so close to the university and because of that I have eaten here the most of any in Vegas.
I find the food to be as good here as in most locations. The PORK BARBACOA IS SIMPLE AMAZING! I never get anything else! My favorite is the quesadilla, but I usually go for the healthier tostada option. Don’t be fooled, this is not even close to a traditional tostada, it’s more like a salad but a hard corn shell hidden somewhere at the bottom. The tostado, starting from the bottom: hard shell, meat choice, melted cheese, A LOT OF LETTUCE, pico, cheese, cilantro, chips, sour cream.
This particular location is definitely lacking in cleanliness and customer service. The floors are usually dirty and the trash cans are almost always overflowing. The employees don’t act like they want to be there and are usually holding conversations with the other employees instead of the customer. They are nice enough but definitely lack in customer service skills.
All-​in-​all I stop in frequently not because of the customer service, but because the food it good, cheap, fast, and the barbaco pork is so dang amazing!

Their quesadillas are sooo good, so is the salad, you can’t go wrong with any combination of meats and sauces. I recommend the mint lemonade, I get one every time I stop in. They have frequent diner stamp cards so pick one up and get started :)

The first time I had Café Rio, I didn’t care much for it. I think I got the grilled chicken in my burrito and it was too chunky for me. After giving it a second shot, I tried the shredded chicken burrito (enchilada style, of course). DELICIOUS! I’m from Cali, where I was able to get delicious wet burritos from practically anywhere. This is about close as close to home as I’ve gotten. Also, I will say from a super Mexican standpoint, their horchata is amazing! Not my mama’s, but still delicious!

I don’t know why I keep ordering café rio! everytime I order I am always disappointed but today was beyond horrible. our office ordered thru postmates and café rio forgot to give a bag of food to the driver… but the driver states that he asked if there was any more food and the café rio told him no. regardless nothing was done to fix the mistake. I had to call at least 4 times to get someone to correct the issue. I called about 12:45pm and was told the postmates driver had already shows up and now its 1:36pm and nothing!
THE FOOD was half decent, one of the chicken salads was horrible and the chicken was dry and hard! NEVER WILL I ORDER FROM THIS PLACE AGAIN!

This is one of my favorite Café Rio’s, especially since it’s so close to school. The staff is always so friendly and accommodating. Once, a group of my friends and I sat in the restaurant for 3+ hours as we collaborated on a project, and the staff was nothing but pleasant. The food is always fresh, and I have yet to have a meal here I didn’t enjoy!

Café Rio is by far one of the best Mexican fast food restaurants out. I love everything they have there, the shredded meats to the grilled meatss. Services fast, food is good.

Café Rio is like a partner in a co-​dependent relationship that keeps you coming back for more abuse. Many things are great and some are not so fantastic. For example, their Horchata drink is amazing. True to the original recipe, they use condensed milk to add thickness and sweetness. Unfortunately after two 30oz refills, I found out how lactose intolerant I really am. Their drink mixing machines seem to always be broken (at every location in Vegas) so here’s a PRO TIP: Ask an employee to manually stir the mix in the the container so you get the best ratios of cinnamon, horchata mix, water, and sweet milk.
The menu is a little bit sneaky. You think you’re ordering the $ 8 dollar burrito but then the cashier asks you for $ 12.75 and you wonder if you have entered the Twilight Zone. She then explains with a smile that you ordered the steak which has a $ 1.50 up charge. You also ordered it «Wet» which adds another dollar or so. She backs up her claim by pointing at the very tiny print on the side of menu.
You pay the penalty knowing that you’re gonna get your frequent purchaser card stamped that day. After 10 entrees, you’re going to redeem yourself with a free meal. That meal will consist of the very item that you are too cheap to order normally. Victory!
I normally get the Shredded Chicken Burrito «Wet Style.» They place your choice of hot sauce and melted cheese on top. It’s run through the oven and comes out like a big enchilada that’s ready to eat. I usually overstuff it with all they free items. Beware guacamole and sour cream trigger extra charges. For $ 1 they give you a small teaspoon sized portion.
Café Rio is very tasty compared to the dog food that they serve at Chipotle. But it’s not as good as a genuine Mexican Restaurant. However, you feel safer here than in a hole in the wall place. They offer a good balance of franchise corporate place with the feeling of a family owned restaurant. You don’t feel like your food is being made with old or expired ingredients.
BEWARE: their restaurants only seem to have one restroom per gender & only one toilet each. Not a smart move for a Mexican food place in America. Especially since their locations seem to be around high schools and colleges. Those youngsters are still developing their digestive systems. 4 ounces of melted cheese, sour cream, beans, and salsa will create problems in most sophomores.
I will continue to visit Café Rio but I will avoid the horchata. I will also make sure that I’m near a commercial toilet that provides a powerful vacuum flush. It won’t be onsite because their restrooms are usually occupied by employees or newbies to the world of Mexican inspired cuisine. Their young palate is still developing. On a final note, the staff is generally nice and will serve you with a smile. They choose locations with plenty of parking.

I’ve always liked this place for a quick burrito or quesadilla. The shredded pork is my go to meat here and the tortillas are delicious and fluffy not like the typical tortillas. Service is great but can be slow so I usually place an online order which is quick and convenient.

First timer and most likely last timer. Came in around 1pm. I wasn’t familiar with the concept so felt a bit lost. I asked a worker how it worked and rudely responded «can’t you see the menu behind you». Secondly I started ordering a quesadilla with their new meat. Same worker rush me threw the line avoiding questions I had. Payed $ 11 for a greasy cheese quesadilla with spirits of meat. Another restaurant claiming to be Mexican when it isn’t.

Did not like this place. I thought maybe it would be better then chipotle, I was wrong. I got a steak burrito, they put the meat in my burrito and started rolling it up before I chose my veggies. I stopped them and said «wait I didn’t choose my veggies yet». They said «sorrt burritos don’t come with veggies». I told them it was my first time and I didn’t know. So they put veggies in for me this once but were mad at me and giving me looks because they had to reduce the burrito. Uh, where’s the food customer service? Not here. I don’t eat rice so they put the meat and started rolling my burrito. Did they think that I wanted meat in a tortilla and that’s it? So ridiculous. Not coming back.

Bad customer service at this location. There were nearly 10 employees, 3 customers and the 2 girls at the register were talking and not making eye contact or helping me. I stood there for 2 minutes and they didn’t acknowledge me. Disappointing, guess I’ll go to Chipotle next time.

1^st timer. Service is EXCELLENT food is good however I will have to down rate due to the fac t that ALL the tables were dirty. Even the few wiped down. They are so HORRIBLY grimy someone had carved initials in the grime… NOT GOOD

One of my friends swore by this place, so I decided to check it out.
I ordered a few steak burritos and steak salads for my friends. I personally ate the steak salad and it was pretty darn good. The salad was put on top of a flour tortilla that was baked with cheese. I chose black beans to go with mine. There was rice, lettuce, pico de gallo, guac, tortilla strips, cilantro, and cheese. For salads, the dressing selections were a creamy tomatillo dressing or a cilantro lime vinaigrette. I opted for the creamy one and it was DELICIOUS. I am really picky when it comes to the quality of my ingredients. For example, if I see wilted, browning lettuce in my salad; I will not eat it. The lettuce here was very fresh and I did not have an issue with the produce. The dressing though made the salad! You MUST get the tomatillo dressing! I was just sad that they charged extra for more to-​go containers of the dressing.
The prices here are very reasonable. I believe my steak salad was about $ 9-​$ 10? I just wish Café Rio was located closer to the Strip! It was quite a drive to get here! The customer service here was pretty decent. I felt so bad for the worker who was taking my 5 item order haha! I will most definitely be coming back here when I am in the area. They also have a stamp card :)

Service just isn’t helpful or friendly. Girl at the cashier needs to learn how to smile. My salad wasn’t that great and they didn’t even toast the tortilla like it looks in the picture… blehg.

The food at Café Rio is good, very good. The atmosphere is nice and well executed, and feels kinda indie and cool for a chain restaurant.
However, The place is always packed and the service staff is probably one of the rudest staffs I’ve encountered. I’ve probably eaten there 20 times in the last year. and I have only ever had one friendly experience with staff, they hate giving suggestions or answering questions about the food.
It’s rather frustrating. The staff at similar restaurants that are just as busy in the area are quite a bit friendlier and open to giving suggestions and answering questions.
I made the decision not to return a few months ago due to the long wait to be treated poorly.

I got this recommendation from friends that live in Vegas. They liken this place to a Chipotle and I love Chipotle so I thought I give Café Rio a try.
Located near UNLV and a close drive from the airport so you can hit it up on your from picking up friends from the airport as you head your way towards the Strip. The décor is nice. Not as modern and clean as Chipotle or Baja Fresh but this place has more of a real Mexican restaurant feel instead of a fast food chain.
I ordered the Barbacoa Burrito with some enchilada sauce on the sauce. My friends were raving about the barbacoa but I was a underwhelmed. Even though the meat was very tender and they packed quite a bit of meat in the burrito, the meat was WAY too sweet for my liking. It was overwhelming and it pretty much took over all other flavors within the burrito. My other friends had the chicken and they really enjoyed it because it was very moist. Beside the burrito is a bed of lettuce and pico de gallo. It is a very filling meal for being just a burrito with some veges on the side and for around $ 8.
The staff were cordial and efficient. There were tables all around so you should not have problems looking for a seat. I think this place is worth another try but with another meat.
Also remember to grab a stamp card if you are going to be a frequent visitor to Café Rio.

Just like all the rest.
There was a time when Café Rio had it going on. We knew it, they knew it and things were really good.
The flavor is still there but things seem sloppy and the staff give off a «don’t give a shit» attitude now.
I’m no restaurant chain consultant but I think if you pay managers enough to care and staff well enough that they know they’re making a very competitive wage, value follows and customers come back.
Then again, customers might not care about anything other than consistency and this chain has found that sweet spot of product and price.
Guess that leaves the door wide open for someone else to do what they used to!

*** Unilocal 100 CHALLENGE 66/​100***
I have not dined in so I can’t comment on customer service nor do I even know what the place looks like as I have not set foot in the restaurant. We have ordered from this place about 4 times and what I do know is I like the taste of the food I have tried so far. Their concept is likened to Baja Fresh but offers more meat variety. Also offered on the wider range menu is a fire grilled salmon for the non meat eaters and desserts like Tres leches and Flan to top off your meal. Taste is by far superior compared to the likes.
I’ve had their enchiladas which were very tasty, with chicken and comes with rice and beans and your choice of hot, medium or mild sauce. Their fire grilled chicken tacos are superb as well. The sweet pork barbacoa is not one of my faves though, it has a certain sweetness that doesn’t appeal to me.
Yesterday I had their shredded chicken breast burrito enchilada style ($ 1 more to get it enchilada style) and it was humongous! It was delicious and made even better by adding their creamy tomatillo sauce on top. It may not be the best Mexican food you can get but it tops my list when it comes to Mexican fast food and way better than eating McDonalds for sure! Ask for a side of their creamy tomatillo sauce and you’ve got a fiesta in your mouth.

Currently:
Sitting at my desk pouting because all day I was craving Mexican food and when everyone decided we were going to order from here for lunch I was so excited! Unitil I got my burrito and took that first devastating bite…
I got the Pork burrito and it was absolutely disgusting. Like wow. Im so grossed out right now…
Instead of the beautiful blend of Mexican spices and flavors I got a sickly sweet burrito mess.
Now it could just be me. If you like really sweet burritos than this might be your thing. Its definitely not mine and i will sadly not be returning.
I knew we shouldve ordered from Chipotle…
*Insert sad face here*

Great location right by UNLV. Was here for a class and was looking for a change from the usual phở place and stopped in here. We stopped in and the place was not too busy, just a small line at the cashier. I noticed everyone was getting everything made to order and the ingredients were really fresh. The ambiance was cool, colorful and very welcoming. Staff was also friendly and this is an easy place to spend an hour and hangout.
I got a chicken quesadilla and it was delicious. It was large, filling, and made with fresh tortillas and cheeses. Chicken was tender and shredded and they were generous with it. You do need to wait a little more time here since they make all the meals to order, but I think its worth it.
Also the lime mint drink and homemade strawberry lemonade mixed together were awesome! I would come back just for that! I will be back for more chicken quesadillas.