Huge portions and dining areas. Beautiful, fun decor. Can get really crowded at times but waiting time is minimal. Great for large get-togethers! Food is better than average Tex Mex. Salsa in my opinion is just average. read more

I've been through Lufkin twice in 5yrs as a truck driver and ate here once as it's conveniently located across the street from the Pilot truck stop. I would have definitely ate here again the second time but I actually flew into Houston and had a late flight plus an Uber ride up from the airport to pick up a truck parked at the Pilot. You can't really get bad Mexican food in Texas if you hail from the northeast as I do because it's all delicious compared to most of the places I have to choose from back home. The service was quick for my take out order and the hostess was very nice. I ordered a taco plate and it came with a big bag of chips and salsa for under 10$ so I wasn't complaining. It was pretty busy in there also so to get my take out so quick was nice. All in all I'd give it a solid 4 stars. I would also definitely pull off and stop at Pilot to make the trip across the street again if I'm ever back through Lufkin and it happens to be open! read more

Never would have believed it...the crawfish enchiladas are fabulous! This place has a tortilla factory...awesome! Very busy but worth the wait. We'll be back! read more

this the worst excuse for Mexican food Ive ever had the misfortune to try... WORSE than HOSPITAL FOOD! nothing homemade, all super crappy low end institutional food. The effort put into the food is also super low... try a beef burrito with 1 tiny little chunk of beef on the inside... try fajitas for 4 that wouldnt feed 1... Horrible place, Horrible food. even the margaritas are poor excuses. read more

We brought the family here following my son's graduation from SFA. Seemed like a great place to celebrate a wonderful occasion. First, after a 25 min wait, the hostess seats our party of five adults (2 men, 3 women) in a booth. We were crowded and saw a table unoccupied across the way a bit. Asked the hostess if we could move there. She rudely said, "If you want a table you'll have to go to the bottom of the list". We obviously declined. By the way, that table sat empty for 20 minutes. Our waiter comes and is friendly, and took our drink order, however that's where things started going sour again. He forgot one of the drinks but promised to come right back. We ordered the grande guacamole to have with the chips as an appetizer. He didn't come back with the appetizer OR my daughter's drink until our entrees were being brought out. We had to ASK for utensils and napkins. The food was good, but by this time we were rather frustrated and still crowded in that booth. We needed refills and two of our party wanted dessert. Our waiter never even looked our direction. I had to literally wave him down to get his attention. Finally, we managed to order dessert, ask for refills, to-go containers and the check all at once since we didn't know when we'd see our waiter again. He brought the dessert, the check, the to-go boxes but forgot the refills! Ugh! The other thing that was disappointing was the lack of masks by servers. The food was good, but not worth suffering through a rude hostess and inept waiter. read more

The lunch service was fast and the staff was on top of everything, however they only get one star because this location charges for the same white sauce that other locations provide with your chips for free. I have attempted to contact Cafe Del Rio's corporate office multiple times about this and they apparently either are to busy to answer customer questions or don't care. read more

Never again! My lunch I ordered was wrong. I told waiter so that it was supposed to come with guacamole and sour cream. He said let me check. Was told it didn't come with that. Never offered to fix it. Told him never mind. Taco had no taste at all. Pour service and I would have been better off eating saltine crackers. Too bad these businesses don't reach out to fix the incompetence of their stupid employees. read more

Always a family favorite place to eat!!! The new location is beautiful, amazing drinks and fajitas! Don't forget the queso!!!!!

Pretty good food but nothing special. I expected more for the price. Even if you don't order anything they charge for chips and salsa or maybe a random tortilla which will still cost around $5-8. Clean and family friendly, though. Service is pretty decent. Overall 3 stars. read more

We placed a 2 Go order for a dozen hot tamales, and some rice. This was a dry mess of food that we couldn't finish. Quality seems to be declining at Cafe Del Rio, don't know if its the food they are buying or the cooks. Have eaten in there several times and the beef in street tacos was tough. Their ffajitas used to be the best ib Lufkin, but not any more. Think we'll try a different Mexican place. read more

I came through Lufkin this evening and popped in for an early dinner. It seemed to be a popular restaurant, as the parking lot was huge and there were quite a number of cars in the lot. The good: Tasty chips, fresh tortillas, excellent queso dip and re-fried beans. The bad: Bland, bland, bland. Nothing we ate was spicy. The salsa was served cold, it was more mild than Mild Sauce at Taco Bell. On the menu they had two symbols that they put next to a variety of dishes. One was a "Local Favorite" symbol, the other was "Spicy - Very Hot". My wife ordered supposedly spicy fajitas.. Needless to say they were not. My meal was OK, I guess I am just spoiled by the great variety of Mexican restaurants in Houston. read more

This place is meh, I have experienced better! but hell it's Lufkin... not like there are many choices. read more

People giving Cafe Del Rio 1 Star reviews because they don't like Tex Mex or that their service wasn't up to par on their one visit drive me crazy. I'm aware that Del Rio is a chain restaurant, but there's just something about the Lufkin Cafe Del Rio I love so much. I've been enjoying Cafe Del Rio since I moved to Lufkin 16 years ago, and will continue to make Cafe Del Rio my "go-to" destination for special nights when I want to treat myself. Even after they move locations to East Denman Ave. (Hopefully nothing changes other than location) It is a bit dark, but each booth and table are well lit enough that you feel like you are alone with whoever you're dining with, but you might always spot a friend there too. The pinatas and lights on the wall keep my child looking around in awe, allowing me brief moments to eat in peace. (lol) There will be bottles of honey, butter, chips, and tortillas if you ask for them. 1. Crush some chips onto a tortilla 2. Lightly glaze the crushed chips with butter and honey. (Add Salsa if that's your thing) 3. Roll it up like a baby taquito 4. Enjoy! By the time your food comes out, you'll be full enough to get a carry out box, and NOTHING is better than remembering you have leftovers from Del Rio in the fridge. I have eaten just about everything they have and it's ALL good. The fish tacos are perfection, with just tender enough tilapia that you can tear into. The flavor is exactly what you would want/expect when you order fish tacos. Drink a beer while you scarf them down, and you're in Heaven. For a while I would challenge myself to eat an entire Botana Platter by myself, but nowadays I order it, eat the nacho portion (Chips don't reheat well as leftovers) and take the Quesadillas, jalapeno poppers, and taquitos home to eat whenever I get hungry again. In the entire span of time that I've been going to Del Rio, I might have had to wait a bit longer than I would have liked, but it was on a super busy night, which was totally understandable, and the food is so delectable, they always get a pass with me. The staff is helpful, nice, and at times funny, but I honestly wouldn't care if they were rude. The food is that good. read more

Never disappoints the swirl margarita is amazing it's a must every time I go the chips and food to the yummy tortillas I love y'all cafe del rio read more

Cafe Del Rio - Chicken enchiladas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lufkin, Texas

See all

I travel back and forth very frequently to East Texas from Austin to visit aging Dad. I wanted to do something good for my dad (86) and take him out to eat. He's pretty much home bound because it's hard for him to get around. Upon arrival to Cafe Del Rio, there were about 12 people standing and sitting in the lobby. The wait staff was having a hard time sitting anyone. It was 4:00pm in the afternoon - maybe it was a shift change...either way it DOES NOT make a difference. Customers are there to give you MONEY for services and they should be sat immediately if seats are available which they were. Your wait staff by the way are immature silly young kids who lack training in being professional. The food: Let's get this one going. First of all, the cheese enchilada platter that arrived to me, although platter was hot, the food was cold. Cheese enchiladas were chilled to the core and slapping on some warm sauce/gravy over them is not going to automatically heat the enchiladas up. My dad's platter, which was chicken enchiladas were tough, bland and just not worth eating. We also ordered guacamole as a side and it was SO SALTY you could not eat it without first popping blood pressure tablets prior. If Lufkinites and passing travelers are expecting good food....keep driving. I expected more out of this "NEW" location with all of it's neon but looks like neon is where the owners/management put their money and not in the food quality, flavor or service. Avoid this place by all means! Get your staff TRAINED!!! One final thing, you have so much metal art work (which is for sale - very tacky) all over the place one has to maneuver around it. Get it out and the tacky gift shop that hits your face the moment you walk in....get that out as well. You should be wanting your customers to come into a nice cool environment where the food and drinks are the star....not some tacky gift shop - maybe use that space for seating while customers wait for an available table. read more

Picture in your mind the best Tex-Mex you have ever had in your life. Now take whatever you pictured and completely dismiss unless it was Cafe Del Rio. With friendly service and shockingly great food you cannot hold a light to this place. Everything the serve is top notch quality and well priced on top of that. My favorite thing to eat there is the cheese enchilada platter. This is served with 2 cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans. I get the refried beans exchanged for the charro beans which is a full bean dish cooked with bacon and served hot (for no extra charge). In addition, I always order the "green sauce" because it is the best. Another great thing about Cafe Del Rio is the tortillas. They are made fresh to order and are always steaming hot. The chips are also made there and are always very tasty. I love the fact that this restaurant does not over season the food as well. Most Mexican restaurants pour so much spice into all the food that you cannot really enjoy the flavors. At Del Rio they add just the right amount of spice and flavor. I highly recommend this place to anyone traveling through Lufkin. It is well worth it! read more

Cafe Del Rio dishes out some solid Tex-Mex. It's family friendly (make sure your little one uses the little door ...), and offers up something you'll know from just about any establishment that purports to be Tex-Mex. Things that I noticed: some sort of sour cream/guacamole sauce. It's green, it's thick, and it's not bad, but it has an unusual taste. Someone was getting creative in the kitchen, but I'm not sold on the texture. Chips were fresh. Portions: Mondo, grande, extra largo, etc. Service was very good. Our gal made sure to check on us, and was always there with a refill. read more

This is the best Mexican restaurant experience ever. It's kid friendly, family oriented, and best food with excellent customer service. read more

See all

Was spending the night here on business and decided to have dinner. This is a big restaurant with a huge parking lot. Inside the decor is typical tex mex themed which means colorful. Chips and salsa were good. I ordered the chicken fajitas. They came with a lot of veggies which I liked along with pico, sour cream and guac. The tortillas were good too. Chicken was very tender and came with a cup of butter for dipping. Charra beans were only average. All in all it was a good meal. Service was good. read more

Cafe Del Rio offers your regular Tex-Mex fare, but could probably beat out any Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston or Dallas. The food is tasty, portions are generous, and everything is freshly made. My favorite is the Chile Relleno dish, with a nice crispy taco, a cheese enchilada and a meat-stuffed poblano chile covered in queso and pico. I love the fact that the crust on the poblano chile still crispy, despite being draped in queso. Whenever I'm in Lufkin I make it a point to stop by Cafe Del Rio. Wish they had a location in my hometown of Houston. read more

See all

I wouldn't say that this restaurant is the best Tex Mex I've had, but it's certainly one of the best around this town. Cafe Del Rio seems to be a favorite for most Lufkin-ites, so be wary that it could be crowded on weekends. However, in my experience, I've never had to wait long and parking is never a problem. The restaurant is colorful and fun (there's even an awesome mini door for kids), and the food is good 'ole Tex Mex. Their chips and salsa are good, but the fresh, hot tortillas served with honey and butter are what EVERYBODY really likes. My favorite thing to order are the cheese enchiladas, but I'm addicted to all things cheesy, so no surprise there. Oh and there's free soft serve ice cream for dessert (unless something has changed since I last went). Now, who could say no to that? Overall, Cafe Del Rio is a decent place to go for Mexican food. It's not my first choice (I prefer more authentic Mexican food, rather than Tex Mex), but it's still a good choice. :) read more

I live in the land of Tex-Mex in Houston, and travel frequently to San Antonio and El Paso, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. I got the Juarez and Six Grilled Shrimp as a side with a drink for about 25 bucks. Everything was tasty, but I think the beans come from a can, and they dress them up a bit. All in all, seems like a great place. read more

Extremely slow service . I didn't receive a single refill on tea my entire stay until the very end when the check was brought . The chips were burnt . The burrito Was so greasy and wet I couldn't take more than two bites without gagging unfortunately. I really wanted to like this spot as my parents enjoy eating here . Hopefully this was a one off visit . I'll give it another chance but as it stands today 2stars . The only reason it's not getting a one is because the manager did apologize for the slow service since he did clear plates off our table and he offered me another burrito which i declined . Also the free ice cream . read more

We often stop here for lunch on our way to or returning from Beaumont when we go to visit there. The food is consistently good and the service is good as well. We were there last Friday as we drove back home from Beaumont. We both had the lunch enchilada special with beans and rice and our food was very good. The only issue I have with this restaurant is that they allow patrons to enter and walk by others without wearing masks, in violation of the order by the Governor that all persons wear masks when they are not at a table in restaurants. We were seated at a table where we could see people enter and many walked by our table and the vast majority were not wearing masks. It is such a small thing to do to keep all of us safe from disease to simply wear a mask until you get to your table and when you are walking to the restroom or leaving. Our server was wearing a mask but not properly--her mouth was covered but her nosed was exposed. This disease is real and we need to take it seriously. read more

Decent Mexican but other than a few things I'll mention here, average. So...think average chips and hot sauce, average house-made flour tortillas (a little thick...you may like them that way), average tasting fajitas (too heavy on the pepper seasoning). Stand-outs: tasty queso, fabulous green sauce (both may be had for an extra charge), and the mixed fajitas came with 8 shrimp (wow)! Service was pretty good and friendly. If we were local, we'd eat here again. On a road trip, we'd try another place. read more

Great food! Awesome service! If was pretty packed yet they managed to get our food out quickly. Our waiter was very attentive! The rice was a let down though, very bland. Would definitely recommend it! read more

Just like going to Mexico Food and service is great. Fresh tortillas. read more

Cafe Del Rio - Great place. Great food. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lufkin, Texas

The chips were good, thin and crispy in classic TexMex style, but the salsa was sad. Tasted like canned tomatoes thrown in a blender. Better to order the creamy avocado dip, which is very flavorful (but also not spicy at all). We ordered the 3 Gs margarita, which is supposedly just premium tequila, Grand Marnier, lime, and sugar, and it was good but it tasted a little watered down to me. The service was reasonably attentive and the place is decorated in kitchy TexMex style. I ordered spinach enchiladas which came smothered in a sour cream sauce. Again, no spice at all. So I added pepper and Tapatio picante sauce and it perked it up nicely. The charro beans were bacony and smoky. The rice was standard. Hubby ordered enchiladas con carne and it was meat and onions in a corn tortilla with chili on top (TexMex beef and bean chili). It was ok but nothing special. Overall, if it's after 10 pm and everything else in Lufkin is closed, it's not a bad meal. read more

It was ok.....salsa tasted like spaghetti sauce.....the service was ok....the green sauce was too salty....and fajita jad an ok flavor...and i always come here when i come to Lufkin read more

Beautiful restaurant. I will say that, and that will get people in the door but what's going to keep people coming back is good food, drinks and friendly servers that pay attention and know what their doing. My husband has been passing by while working and wanted to try it out so we drove from Livingston and we're very disappointed. The salsa tasted like Pace Picante Sauce, my margarita tasted like a virgin margarita, I drank maybe 1/3, my fajita salad was basically a big plate of lettuce, sour cream and beans with a taco bowl on the side and fajita meat that tasted like it came out of a bag already marinated from the grocery store. Jalapeños were soggy out of a can. The waitress and food runner forgot stuff and when I was ordering (in the middle of a sentence) the food runner interrupted to ask her where her food went and she just stood there staring at him like for like 30-45 seconds before she figured out where HER FOOD was supposed to go. Mind you it was not super busy. It just seemed to me like they put so much time and effort making sure the place looked good and just threw together a menu, cooks and waitstaff last minute without training or anything. Or maybe food and service just isn't their top priority like it should be. But needless to say we won't be back. I've worked in restaurants for years and I'm very understanding when it comes to being slammed and doing the best you can to get thru a shift but that was not the case tonight. And the food.... well I don't even know what to say about that. -AS read more

Love the food and the service is usually good . I would say this is more Tex mex restaurant over a Mexican restaurant but I have no complaints! read more

Alex let's do a review. "I thought we did." The decorations are like Christmas. The food was delicious and made me full. I did a little bit of chips. I like the tiny door. The taco was meat and cheese and good really good good. The ice cream was really good and there's a tiny door. And the parrot (he means piñata) is great. and the car running over the cactus (that's a painting on the wall) it looks like it's about to get a flat tires. The clown peyana (piñata) is creepy. It's creepy. The lights on the ceiling looks like a fancy place. And over there the lady on the painting looks like a painting. And I like to glowing pine trees read more

Amazing flour tortillas! Great queso. Totally yummy! Thanks for the suggestion Yelp!!

Love love love! Great good! Great drinks! Great place for a quick lunch too if you only have an hour!! Will recommend-will return! Even had them cater our Christmas Eve! If they could match the green sauce at Casa Ole-this place would be perfection! read more

So...tasty...gotta love tex-mex. One of the best in my book..hands down great. No matter what you order you will enjoy every bite.

Chose this place as I was told that it was the TexMex spot that locals flock to. Friendly and relatively quick service, but the food was pretty meh. The chips for the salsa were bland and not very crunchy. I got a combo with a chicken enchilada, a beef tostada and a tamale. Nothing bad per se, but very lacking in flavor. Had to go to heavy salt shaker usage plus the jalapeño side to get anything out of it. Not bad portion size but not a good value for the price. read more

Cafe Del Rio - The El Paso - Tex-Mex Near Me - Lufkin, Texas

The salsa here is nasty. Food is ok. Nice new restaurant. I am just not that pleased with the service here or the food.

Food was mediocre or less. Service was....ok. Decorations and atmosphere beautiful, but everything else is a let down. I honestly don't even remember what we ordered but upon the first bite we knew it would be the last time we would come. read more

Server apparently was not having a good day. No personality whatsoever. My friend asked for more ice and she slammed a cup full of ice on the table and kept walking. Also must have forgot that tortillas come with the fajitas, because we had to ask another server. Food was a bit pricey for the quality. Oh, the severs name is Kinder. read more

First time at this location. Excellent service and very clean restaurant and bathrooms. We ordered a fajita salad and an enchilada dinner....excellent! Met one of the managers, Joe....very nice guy! read more