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    Café at Rio

    4.3 (15 reviews)
    Closed • Closed

    Café at Rio Photos

    CAFÉ AT RIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Bonnie G.

    First off, this is a college cafeteria and it makes no qualms about that. Secondly, this is an amazing lunch place for foodies on a budget. Not only is it based on sustainable, local produce sourced daily, their prices are insane. I bought a huge plate of salad, fruit cup, large iced coffee and a coffee cake for barely 8 dollars. And it was all huge servings and delicious. The atmosphere is crisp and clean and decidedly modern without being too cheeky or smirky about it. You still have all the food stations you remember from state run institutions like the salad bar, the pizza bar, the hot meal bar and the deli counter. The baked goods and coffee stand is a little across the ways. I rode my bike from work, excited after reading about the cafe in Edible Phoenix that I could finally have a quick lunch place to go to that wasn't fast food. There were helpful signs around the driveway but hard to find parking for my bike. I was overwhelmed by the set up when I first got in and probably freaked out the poor employee ordering a Greek Salad at the salad stations b/c I was overwhelmed by the size of his entree. However, for $3.25, I got a huge half salad that had: quinoa, flax seed, sunflower seeds, local goat cheese, fresh cut peppers, tomatoes and spring mix with a just made cilantro dressing. Incredible. The fruit cup I bought for $1.75 tasted like real fruit, they had plenty of soy milk for my iced organic coffee and the coffee cake was delicious and huge; I shared it with 3 co-workers! It tasted truly home-made too, you could actually taste the egg, butter, milk, brown sugar, etc that made the silky textured dessert hard to resist. The phrase is over-used a lot, but considering very few people know about this place, it is truly a hidden gem and worth you getting to know it and their admirable mission. After all, you gotta love a lunch place with compost-able plates and cups!

    Tuna melt and fries.

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    Photo of Donna B.
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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great potato soup today!! I didn't have enough room for a burger. The burgers here are the best.

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    2 years ago

    We are so lucky to have the Cafe @ Rio. The food is always great and their is a nice variety.

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    2 years ago

    Great food at great price! I love supporting a sustainable kitchen on a college campus!

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    16 years ago

    Helpful 12
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    10 years ago

    Helpful 3
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    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
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    5 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Michael H.

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    15 years ago

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    13 years ago

    There are many better places than this for anything. Poor hours not very good don't eat here unless you have to even than maybe just wait

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Café at Rio

    Review Highlights - Café at Rio

    “We are so lucky to have the Cafe @ Rio.”

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Cartel Roasting

    Cartel Roasting

    4.1(471 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    •$$

    I never review airport food, because it always seems like it's a scam, we all know it's waaayyy…read moremore expensive than food anywhere else, and the taste tax is pretty intense. Basically, I cringe at having to pay for any food or drinks at the airport. I'm making an exception for this place, because it's literally the best airport café I've ever been to in any part of the world. But as a disclaimer I have never been to any of the chain locations outside the airport. The service is great, the atmosphere and small corner feels removed from the intense activity in the rest of the airport, and service was great and quick. I was super surprised at how tasty the tea and chai were. And the egg and potato burrito airport, priced and size, but so tasty I would absolutely buy again. Drinks are so good, we actually went back to buy refills.

    Posted to all my social media accounts- AVOID. Employees…read moreare stupid here. If they can't handle a glass of ice, they certainly can't handle your coffee order. Went to this coffee stand at the airport. Told the lady "I would like a cup of ice please." She said "no we have to buy our ice." So I said "ok I would like to buy a cup of ice." She said "no we can't do that." So I said "I'd like to buy a cup of ice water, hold the water."And she responded "no we can't do that either!" WHAT??? Cartel Coffee I keep hearing over the loud speaker "PHOENIX, AMERICA'S FRIENDLIEST AIRPORT" I'm not seeing it!!

    Photos
    Cartel Roasting
    Cartel Roasting - Cold brew

    Cold brew

    Cartel Roasting

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    Deseo Coffee Shack - Chocolate covered strawberry latte

    Deseo Coffee Shack

    4.7(421 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    •$$

    My son and I were waiting for someone at the airport and had some time to kill, so we decided to…read morecheck out Deseo Coffee Shack. There's a large parking lot, but I could see parking being a challenge during peak hours. The "shack" is charming and the interior is vibrant and inviting. Seating is limited inside but there's more outside. The staff was friendly and helpful. The menu had a variety of enticing options, but I went with the staff's recommendation of El Paisano sandwich and my son ordered the El Chicano sandwich. I also got an iced almond milk latte with honey and cinnamon powder and my son got an iced Americano. My El Paisano was very tasty. It usually comes with chorizo, but I requested it without. Without the chorizo, the only protein left is an egg, which isn't enough for me so I should have asked for an additional egg on my sandwich. My latte was solid. My son liked his sandwich and Americano as well. We enjoyed sitting outside, taking advantage of the lovely patio weather we had back in May. They have a complimentary water station which was a thoughtful touch.

    Coffee shack is the perfect name for this. It's a hidden gem under a cute little house that is cozy…read moreand small. I ordered a small iced Canelita which was tasty and some empanadas. Apparently there were some issues in the restaurant's kitchen that make the food which impacted food service being slow but Alfie took care of the situation and me which I truly appreciated it. The empanadas were delicious. Due to the latte, food and customer service being good, I plan on returning. Thank you for taking care of me.

    Photos
    Deseo Coffee Shack - Indoor seating

    Indoor seating

    Deseo Coffee Shack - Inside view

    Inside view

    Deseo Coffee Shack - Wall mural

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    Wall mural

    FUTURO - Cajeta (~$7)

    FUTURO

    4.3(195 reviews)
    6.5 mi
    •$$

    I am so, so glad that I finally made the visit to Futuro because it definitely met and even…read moresurpassed my expectations! I've only heard great things and it was such a pleasure to make a visit. The interior is ultra modern, and art-centered. On a Wednesday morning, there was one staff member holding it down and a wait/line with about 5-6 people, so the wait was about 15-20 minutes in total-- including ordering and waiting for drinks. There was mainly only paid street parking options, but it wasn't hard to find any right in front of the shop. I got two drinks: Más and Abeja, to try their matcha and coffee, and really thoroughly enjoyed both. The matcha is a little bit on the milkier side, but I did enjoy that it was completely unsweetened, and leaned on the vanilla cold foam for a light sweetness. I think I enjoyed the coffee more personally, as the honey paired super well with the espresso and oat milk. The espresso is very good. I would come back if I was in the area, I just wish the parking situation was a little different!

    Came to this coffee shop on a Sunday morning and it was busy!…read more Love the interior design - very minimal and futuristic. A lot of their coffee were Mexican inspired. I got the lechera latte and it was delicious. It was rich and not overly sweet. Would love to visit again and try more drinks next time.

    Photos
    FUTURO - Chia: chia, agua de coco, lime. So refreshing!

    Chia: chia, agua de coco, lime. So refreshing!

    FUTURO - Calabaza: roasted kabocha squash cake topped w/caramel apple. Romanian culture treats with a love for French pastry. Beautiful and tasty!

    Calabaza: roasted kabocha squash cake topped w/caramel apple. Romanian culture treats with a love for French pastry. Beautiful and tasty!

    FUTURO - Espresso

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    Espresso

    Café at Rio - coffee - Updated October 2026

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