I was in the area and starving. The good is that the visit here was pretty tasty.
The tacos were good but need attention focused on draining the meat from the juices before plating. The rice was severly undercooked but had great flavors. The beans were perfect with just a hint of spice.
The chips and salsa were a miss. They are generous with the portion but I would not have bought it if I knew it was literally the size of a bag of chips from the store. It would be okay if you were with a group of people, but as a single diner there should be a smaller option so I wouldn't have wasted the food.
I found out they just opened. I will definitely be back after the kinks have been adjusted.
Inés Carolina Munguia (Carolin Briana)
+5
Absolutely love this place! Everyone is super nice! They sing to you if you are a first timer and the burritos are amazing! 12/10 will come again!!!
We actually discovered cafe rio in Ontario Ca and we were so excited about its opening in SD. Food was great as always, price super reasonable and they took a buy one salad get one free that I found on FB so we spent 10 bucks on diner. Service was ok, employees were randomly screaming and singing, it was kind of awkward.
Cafe Rio puts Chipotle and all other fast-casual Mexican chains to shame. The freshly made (literally in front of you) tortillas are far superior to anyone else's, the meats are better, the menu choices are better, and the house ranch for the salads must be laced with crack. Kids 6 and under eat free (small quesadilla and an orange slice). There are daily specials that come with a drink. My favorite menu items are the barbacoa salad, the tamales (when available), and enchiladas. My wife loves the barbacoa quesadilla.
This particular location is brand new so they're still getting the process down so have some patience. It was fine when my family went and we had a big order - fast and accurate. Great for to-go orders too.
Kenneth Zuniga-Diuguid
+4
The parking for this place is kinda crazy. The staff also seems understaffed and they are kind slow, but the quality of the food is good and it taste great!
Large portions and very good food for $10
A lot of things are home made
If you have only had California/San Diego Mexican food, this is not the same. It's really tasty, but it's different from what you may be used to. Regardless, you get a lot of food for not very much money. I personally love a pork burrito enchilada style, or a pork salad. The quesadilla with grilled chicken is also fantastic. This location is not as speedy as some I have visited in Utah, but still great.
I like that every taco is custom-made, just like a sub-sandwich. You can pick and choose what you want on your taco and they offer corn tortillas as a gluten-free option to their amazing, fresh, handmade flour tortillas. Highly recommend Taco Tuesday as the most affordable day to visit. There is usually a long wait in line to order...which is a result of the ability to custom-order every taco, so I would call it a fair trade. Downside is that Loma Square is a very busy shopping center, so parking can be competitive during the lunch hour.
This place just opened up in a plaza notorious for crowded parking. Even during a slow time the staff seemed a bit overwhelmed. Lunch rush starts around 1130. However, the food is Good, they serve you more than you know what to do with, and the staff are incredibly pleasant and helpful. they have a well stocked condiments and drink station away from the serving counter. Mondays are military 50%off and Tuesdays are cheap tacos day. For two full meals with drinks we paid around $20.
We'd love to see more of these places open, especially one close to us. Everything is very fresh, but the real stars of the show are the tortillas they make fresh from a ball of dough. The best I've had period. Moderately priced, I always have some to take home. The tortilla soup is also wonderful, loaded with fresh stuff.
These guys are all over it... fresh tortillas made on the spot, a great choice of meats and toppings, tasty, unique beverages, and unbeatable military discount of 25% off everyday (50% off on Mondays!). The tortillas were so good I bought a bag of them to take back to Hawaii!
I hit this location up twice in four days, and I'll definitely see them again. Don't forget to download the Cafe Rio app for even more deals.
So happy to have a Cafe Rio in San Diego! I love this place, but DO NOT come here expecting authentic Mexican food. This places offers a delicious, rich, crazy calorie-dense, heavily American influenced take on Mexican food. The sweet pork is crazy sweet and addicting, and the Cilantro ranch is tangy and divine. Great horchata. But it will leave you in a bit of a food coma if you're not careful. If you're looking for something healthier skip the tortilla and go for the yummy steak. Also, I love that they offer a free kids cheese quesadilla.
The enchiladas taste great and the portions are just right. The service is also very kind, energetic, and helpful with anything on the menu or to do with promotions on the app. I do agree that the $1 extra for a golf ball size worth of sour cream is a little excessive.
Rachel Anderson Arnold
+5
Cafe Rio is my fav, and I am so happy that there is finally a location in San Diego county! The staff at this location is especially friendly and helpful.
**The creamy house dressing is my obsession (I always order an extra one)
**The tortillas are thick, the most scrumptious ones I've ever eaten, and made in-store
**There are great vegetarian options!
Food is good there, but if you're planning on grabbing a late bite there, and dine in, don't bother. The staff starts "closing" up shop around 9:00pm even though they don't close until 10:00pm. We got there a little after 9:00pm, and they had already closed one of the food stations and the specialty drink stand.
I understand people want to get home, but trying to get home as soon as 10PM hits????
We love Cafe Rio! Our cashier was awesome, and the guy who prepared our food, Nick, seriously deserves a raise! That guy has customer service down to a "T." He was super enthusiastic and friendly, which was just what we needed at the end of a super long day at work. If I ever start my own company, I'm gonna come back and recruit Nick to work for me!
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