I always have loved this spot. I decided since I was in the area to stop by. I went with the limited time sweet pork for my quesadillas. It was amazing. I also saw the churro cookie a needed to try it as well. It was similar to a cinnamon cookie and didn't miss a beat. The service here was nothing to complain about they did exactly what you would expect them to . In terms of atmosphere a lot of their signage and stuff on the walls were very cool. They had their ingredients and videos of people cooking their stuff on the TVs as well read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Churro cookie - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

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Best tortillas ever! Idk what they do differently from every other Mexican spot but I have never tasted another tortilla like theirs. Also the cilantro lime dressing is a need no matter what I get - tacos, quesadilla, salad - it doesn't matter because I need it. *insert dry spongebob meme* I am so glad they added bowls, now I don't have to get a salad and climb through all of the ingredients to find rice. I wish the bowl was a bit bigger but still so yummy. I've been coming here since middle school so I know they rarely disappoint. read more

Taco Tuesday used to be my favorite day at Cafe Rio, but now it's always been Fiasco Taco Tuesday. I ordered online 2 taco entrees with sweet pork, beans, rice, lettuce, salsa, cheese, and sour cream. When I came home, the last 4 items were missing. Don't your employees know how to read? This has happened 2 previous times and it's getting really annoying. Managers teach your employees how to read orders carefully so you won't get more negative reviews. read more

This is a better option than chipote, however the cashier was weird, not sure if he was trying to flirt but it didn't work. Anyhow my nephew really wanted cafe rio and we got it. The quesadilla got soggy right away. The tortillas were good as well. We ordered 6 different meals and it came out to be $80. read more

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Been to this location 3 times now and either placed an order online or ordered in the restaurant. During all 3 visits, staff were friendly no matter how busy the restaurant was. However, the food on the other hand, is a different story. First visit I really enjoyed my queso style burrito with chile roast beef. My burrito came with a generous amount of beef (tender and flavorful) compared to rice and black beans, which I appreciated. Second time ordered the same burrito, but I think they accidentally added sweet pork barbacoa instead of the roast beef as the meat was way too sweet for me. Queso on top of the burrito was also on the side. Burrito was a no go. Tried again a third time since I thought maybe my second visit was a fluke. Wrong. Decided to take advantage of their taco Tuesday special and ordered the two taco special with fire grilled steak(+$1/taco), pico de gallo, jalapeños, and shredded cheese on the side. My tacos came with lettuce and a small amount of meat. Rice was undercooked and beans were tasteless. read more

I gave them a try and noticed a significant increase in quality. The food was much better! I will definitely return in the future.

I had the pleasure of coming here today with my wife and the food was great. Doris and Marixa and the whole staff were very friendly Kudos to you all read more

My husband brought me takeout salad. First off, I like beans as much as the next person but k felt like that was all I was eating. When I looked at the bottom of my salad, all I saw was black soupy mess from the beans. Besides that everything was average. The combination of items was on the salty side. The vinaigrette was nothing special. The website doesn't even tell you what other toppings are offered. Maybe I want to spice up my salad with some tomatoes or corn. Please do better. I would 100% choice chipotle over this place any day. read more

The food is ok. I see that it's supposed to be very fresh. I got the salad with the sweet pork. I liked it. The avocado had a brown layer on top. I was turned off by how dirty the place was. There was just trash in the floor behind the counter, crumbs all over the benches and floors. The tables smelled like mildew and there were boxes on a table up front. They need new management or something. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - pork salad - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

They silently downsized the Tortilla soup, yet the same price. Bad form! If they're so strapped for cash, they should be giving better value read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

Perfect day for soup. I love going to Cafe Rio - their soup taste close to homemade. Very tasty and I love the guacamole in the soup. They never disappoint :-) read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

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I love their grilled chicken salad and the people have always been nice. I will return to the location.

Upon walking in, you are knocked over by a pungent Fabuloso smell. Makes you lose your appetite! Big menu, build your own meal, a little slow if there's a line. Food flavorful and portions are large. Got our meals to go, couldn't wait to get outta there from that smell. read more

I freaking LOVE Cafe Rio!!! My family and I have been eating here for years, even before they remodeled the entire place. Their food is unexpectedly different from other Mexican restaurants I've been too. I used to compare it to Chipotle, but I think it's just too different to compare. The inside is remodeled, clean, and spacious. It's a pleasant, casual environment to eat at with family and friends. The lines move relatively quickly. Parking lot tends to be busy and crowded during peak hours. I always order their salads because of the tasty, addictive ingredients and for the sheer quantity. Guacamole is free with the salads. You have to ask for sour cream; they don't automatically add it when you ask for everything. Their burritos are baked with cheese and sauce on top; if you're looking for a Chipotle-style burrito that you can eat with your hands, then that's not what Cafe Rio serves up here, just warning you. I'm specifically addicted to 3 of their unique foods/ingredients: their handmade, fresh tortillas that go at the bottom of the salad, creamy tomatillo house dressing, and sweet pork barbacoa. That sweet pulled pork is so delightful and unique to this place. Their green creamy tomatillo house dressing is very mildly spicy and I've never had any dressing like it -- I literally keep this dressing afterwards and dip anything and everything I can in it, because it's that good. They also have really tasty and unique drinks that I think are worth trying! Occasionally, you can get free desserts or chips/salsa by doing a survey on the bottom of the receipt. Also, each weekday has a special. On Tuesdays, the salads are cheaper (I think $6) than their original price for example. If you download the app, you can accumulate points and when you hit 100 (which is really not that hard to do b/c sometimes they 2x or 3x the points on special days), you get a free $10 credit. My one complaint is that they've messed up our takeout orders a couple of times, which was pretty upsetting; they'd forget the dressing, add beans by mistake, mix up the meats, etc. One time in my free chips, there was this white/minty blue substance stuck to the chips. I wrote about it in my survey and they contacted me to apologize and gave me a free meal, so no complaints there. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Sweet pork salad - huge portions, amazing taste - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

I LOVE cafe rio. The student discounts used to be better, but that's okay. I always order the pulled pork tacos. The pork is so juicy that it will DRIP out of the wrapper (grab lots of napkins). Extra cheese as a topping costs extra, but the initial cheese that is grilled onto the tortilla is free. Every now and then, a receipt will come out with a survey for a free dessert if you fill it out. I do this in the same visit. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Pork tacos with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

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When ordering online THEY NEVER get your order right. I asked for a regular burrito with simply sweet pork lettuce and rice. And i was served this monstrosity(image attached). This isn't the first time this happened either. I'm assuming its either related to the person on the phone not being able to speak proper english(which is fine, but please consider getting someone who can) or they are just plain dumb. But it's getting out of hand. EDIT: The food was amazing so I will add a star. But still. It was roast beef, salsa , lettuce and rice n beans. NOT What I asked for read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Burrito? - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

This is one of the only places in the DMV that I visit weekly. Every single time, the food is just so, so good. This place always has a line but it moves fast even though everything you order is made and customized to you, which just goes to show you how great the service is. It's a fast casual restaurant so the atmosphere is what it is, but great food always makes a place look better, so to me, this place is a palace. It would be great if they could service the tables if customers are messy, but I never see anyone standing around the dozens of times I've been there so I presume they're busy keeping the line moving. Just thinking about the food to type this review makes me want to drop what I'm doing and get a quesadilla and soup. read more

The service was bad they made me stand in the same place for 10 min I talked to the lady but she completely ignored me I love that restaurant but all the female workers were Js standing there talking first time this happens to me n I hope it's the lady read more

Tired of the mistakes. I've been a loyal customer since the day they opened, but I can't anymore. The last 3 online orders had missing items. Jalapeños and salsa first time, then Jalapeños and avocado corn salsa, but yesterday, all of the aforementioned plus the tortilla and habanero sauce. Mistakes happen but this is a pattern at this location. Customers should get what they paid for. I'm one order away from reaching the $10 credit if reward points, but at this point, I'll just take the loss. Olney has a Chipotle and Cal Tort across the street, I'll give them my business from now on. read more

How do you screw up nachos? No cheese!!!!! I ordered nachos and they didn't even include cheese. Just chips and steak cilantro jalapeños and sour cream is what I got They missed the beans, cheese, hot sauce I paid extra for, extra sour cream. I called to complain and was offered a refund so I appreciate that. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

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****My 300th Yelp review!**** I was enthusiastic when I realized there was a 2nd Cafe Rio in Montgomery County. Germantown is pretty far. I live in Wheaton; so Olney is my closest location. And actually I just looked it up and forgot they opened one on the far west side of Rockville (past Shady Grove Hospital); so, it's a little further from where I live than Olney. I went here twice in 9 days. Both times I had $5 off deals from the app that I needed to use. ------- Sunday, July 22: I came up to Olney for a date at Starbucks in the same center, but I wanted to eat dinner first. I'm not a doctor; so it would be unfair of classify that woman that I went on the date with as an 11-letter C word, so I won't. She also ended up being a 5-letter B-word in the end. I will give her only ONE positive: she was early for our date. But I digress. When I walked in the Cafe Rio on 7/22, I realized it was nice & cool in there. The last time I went to one (The one in Germantown in June), the A/C wasn't working. Also, the Olney location is much bigger, but they were busier than the two times I went to the Germantown location. When I looked at their daily specials, Sunday was some weird thing called Fideo. This was only my 4th visit ever to a Cafe Rio. The first was a Friday in Seven Corners, VA; I got the Friday special. A Saturday in January 2018 in Germantown; I got the Saturday special. A Monday in June 2018 in Germantown; I got the Monday special. I came in with the thought I would get the Sunday special, but not knowing if it would be enchilada, tostada, tacos, etc. But the Fideo was a pasta dish! A person ahead of me in line asked to try a sample. She opted for something else. I asked to try it, thought it was pretty good, but more importantly, a significant price margin off their regularly priced items. I did have a $5 off, but I still went with the $5.89 Fideo. Sunday is only one of two days with a daily special less than $6; Tuesday is the other day. I paid like $1.30 for my meal with the $5 off. I just drank water because I was going to be getting a drink at Starbucks right after. One interesting thing, the cashier asked me to turn up the brightness on my phone because it wouldn't take the $5 off; so I had to turn the brightness to full blast. I was blinded since the cashier needed my phone brighter the Sun, but as long as I got my $5, it was fine...haha The Fideo was pretty enjoyable. I like some of their other items a little better, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I would get this again if it was on a Sunday. Straight from the website this is what Fideo is: "Freshly prepared Mexican pasta topped with fire grilled steak or chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, cotija cheese, cheddar cheese, tortilla strips, cilantro, Pico de Gallo and sour cream." For the record, I got the steak. There wasn't a higher price for getting steak like at Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe's, etc. -------- Tuesday, July 31: Cafe Rio was off my radar on Tuesday morning until I got an alert on my phone Cafe Rio app about another $5 off deal I had. It would expire on 8/14/18. So, I thought I would need to go back to Olney or whichever location in the next 2 weeks. Then like an hour later in the late morning, I got another alert from Cafe Rio, and I was like geez...leave me alone; I already know I have $5 off. But it 4x points on burritos today only. Now, I was thinking I will go for dinner kind of on my way home from my office near Baltimore. After work, I drove on several crappy back roads in Howard & Montgomery County from 95 to get over to Olney. I'm aware I could've taken the ICC and might've gotten there 5 minutes faster, but I wasn't in a hurry and my GPS has avoid tolls. The line was long because this is the single best business in all of Olney...haha. I got the burrito with the barbacoa enchilada style. It was excellent, and it was part of the Tuesday special. So, it was $5.99, but subtract $5 off for my deal. I got the Horchata drink as well. Both the burrito & drink were excellent. In summary, I highly recommend the food at Cafe Rio. Be patient; the line can be long, but it's so worth it. read more

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Don't pass by Cafe Rio because you fear it's just another casual fast food joint. The tacos are amazing, and on Tuesdays they're only $2.49 each! Their line doesn't move as fast as a Chipotle, but that's because they are grilling your rice and beans (and meat, for you carnivores) before the toppings are added. So delicious! read more

No matter what you order from here, whether its a taco, burrito or nachos, get the pulled pork barbacoa meat. Literally one the best meats I have ever had. They do specials for tacos on Tuesdays as well. read more

I was the very first to review this Cafe Rio location and, for a number of reasons, the review was not exactly glowing. Many of the aspects of my first visit, over a decade ago, caused me to stay away for most of the intervening years. Over those same years, I have seen the product of my other favorite burrito place, Chipotle, become inconsistent, at best. All of this caused me to give the Olney Cafe Rio another try, and I'm glad I did. Much of what I disliked about the place, originally, has changed, particularly the loud, over-enthusiastic work environment. Now the update... I don't like everything Cafe Rio has on their menu, or, necessarily, the way in which their items are prepared. Having said that, I have learned that the counter staff is flexible and will, as much as possible, prepare things as I might request. I think the thing I like most about Cafe Rio's offerings is the sauces. That was the primary attraction when I finally decided to give this place another try. Since then, I've become a fairly regular customer, as I mess around with their options and decide what I like and what I don't like. The fact that their tortillas are handmade is a really nice touch, and the corn tortillas are particularly excellent in the enchilada choice. Enchiladas have become my focus. For protein, I've found I am not very fond of the sweet pork. Somehow, I tend to want my proteins to be savory. The steak is really good but makes the enchiladas difficult to cut. That led me to the chili beef... Excellent flavor, and, being shredded, more manageable in an enchilada. That brings me to the sauces. The first sauce I tried, in this new era of eating at Cafe Rio, was the (hot) red chili sauce and I haven't tried anything else since. This is SUCH a good enchilada sauce, I think they should offer a side that is just rice and sauce. Never mind that. Maybe they should offer it as a drink because I could just gulp that stuff. They have an (even hotter) habanero sauce, but I haven't had my fill of the red chili sauce yet. In the end, there's so much going on with the Cafe Rio menu, not everything they do is perfect, but awareness and suggestions can overcome that. My example would be the one order of nachos I have had, so far. Every item on this plate was tasty and of high quality, I just think the end product would be better with a slight change in the process. Rather than add the queso after the chips, with meat (and maybe some shredded cheese) are run through the salamander, the next time I'll have then put the queso on first. The current process means the queso goes over the top of the meat and doesn't necessarily run down through the chips. It's not a big problem, but I'll bet they agreeably do it my way, next time. read more

It's hit or miss at the café Rio. Some days the food and service are excellent, while others, everything is subpar. Overall the atmosphere is really cool and spacious. Lots of hot sauce choices; although to be honest the bottles look like they need to be cleaned. However, last time there was mistake in our order. When we went back up to ask for it to be fixed, the woman behind the counter demanded our receipt, scrutinized it, and told my daughter that she didn't know how to order her food. When she explained that their menu was a little bit confusing, the woman scolded her and told her that she should have asked better questions. Although it was an easy fix, this employee made her feel interrogated and begrudgingly fixed the food after a lengthy and humiliating process. For those reasons, only go to Café Rio if you are really familiar with the menu or if you have thick skin. read more

food looked so nasty and the employee that helped me was so sloppy, i was embarrassed to eat there with my mom. Fountain drinks, the machine was so nasty looking and the gauc was turning black.. read more

If you want yummy food for a decent price, come to Cafe Rio. I only come on Saturday for the special- shrimp tacos for $7.99. The tortillas are fresh, the shrimp is cooked well. My only complaint is that they don't cook them long, I understand they don't want to over cook the shrimp, but I like my tacos piping hot. It comes with a side of rice and pinto or black beans, which are delicious as well. I am always full and satisfied when I chose to dine here. Lastly you can't go wrong with their queso and chips, super yummy! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Best use of my cup holder, a cup of queso - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

Came to this place to pass some time and decided to get something to eat. Checked out their menu and it seemed a bit confusing, so it took me a while to figure out what to order. The beginning of the menu shows: Step 3 - Choose your add-ons (taco, guacamole, etc.); The middle of the menu shows: Step 1 - Choose Your Meal (burrito, salad, enchiladas, taco meal, quesadilla or tostada); The end of the menu shows: Step 2 - Choose your Fillings (chicken, steak, beef, etc.). There were other items below the menu as well. I thought Step 1 would be first, then Step 2 and Step 3 (hence why I was a bit confused of the order in front of me). I decided to get the two tacos meal with sweet pork barbacoa and pinto beans and rice (you can get black beans if you want). They take the meat and warm it up on the stove with the tacos, then place it on 2 pieces of foil, add it to a circular foil container and then add your beans and rice in that same container. You also have the option of adding toppings to your tacos, so I added lettuce which they put on and tomatoes which they put in a separate container (not sure why). You can add appetizers with your email or a drink as well. They have drink machines so you can choose what you would like. I do not know where the foil came from, that they put my tacos in, so knowing that the outside of this foil was touching my beans and rice that I was about to eat, I quickly removed that from the pan as I sat down - something I will remember to ask them to keep separate on my next visit. The sweet pork barbacoa was delicious but messy at the same time. You will need plenty of napkins when eating this as you will end up with lots of juices from the meat, in the foil afterwards. The rice was okay...the pinto beans, not so much. This was just a quick pick me up meal on this visit. I will check them out again. Parking is free and there is more than enough spots for folks to sit. As it got later in the evening (on a weekday), the place got more folks coming in. Something to note. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Both tacos removed from container (before eating anything) - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

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Nice people, really. It's a great, fun, environment. The food on the other hand isn't very authentic. The pork's too sweet, the steak doesn't really have much, if any, seasoning, and the enchiladas I got were cold inside( they run the meats over the grill, but cheese and onion just can't get warm enough). I asked for a microwave- none. The redo was still just lukewarm. The guacamole is fine, the chips fine. The rice- not close to authentic. No refried beans. And if you're green, you'll run screaming from here- no recycling, and they toss more aluminum than anywhere I've been. In fact, Cessna should buy the place. They could make a 172 out of the thrown out aluminum every month! To sum it up? If you like the taste, fine- just don't call it Mexican food. read more

****3.75 stars***** Woke up on a Tuesday morning and asked myself what am l having for lunch. I wanted something different. Taco Tuesday it is! I had to try several times to place my order online due to timing out and there was no place to pick the type of drink you ordered which was frustrating and l almost gave up. Glad I didn't give up. Cafe Rio provides curbside service - parking spaces directly in front of the restaurant. I opted to get out since I was working from home and wanted some fresh air and vitamin D. The gentlemen doing the curbside service was professional and quick which made my experience go in a positive direction. This was my first time going here so didn't know what to expect. The tacos are big with thick flower tortillas and lots of meat - ordered a steak and shredded beef taco. Both were good and come with pico de gallo, lettuce and sour cream. I ordered extra sour cream and guacomole for $2. Wish it came with cheese. Rice was good. Mint limeade was a tad too sweet for me but l figured that would be the case so l just kept adding ice to water it down. I would definitely go back here. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Take out order for lunch with a mint limeade. - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

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Great fresh Mexican fast food. The pork is sweet not like standard Mexican pork, but it is so delicious. The shredded beef is the closest to what you would get in CA and pretty amazing for MD. The shredded chicken is quite good. I Haven't really tried any of the grill meats because it doesn't make sense to pay extra when the three above meats are great. The tacos with corn tortillas are my favorite. The salads are a close second. My kids like the nachos, flour tacos & salad-all pork, I can't get then to try a different meat. Give this place a try, it is a fresh take on Mexican food made fast. read more

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This place used to have such great food. The taste has declined, I'm not sure if the recipe to the green dressing has changed recently. Today I ordered the new birria tacos and was very excited to try it. But with each bite there were these large peppercorn things that completely ruined the experience. These hard rock like balls taste horrid when bitten into. I picked out Atleast 10 of them per taco. I only had about two bites and couldn't eat the rest getting past these. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

If it was possible to leave zero stars I would. I have ordered from this place three times and each time I have gotten the worst food poisoning of my life. I suggest staying away or eating at home. Not worth the physical health risk. read more

This place has amazing food. I've been there countless times and it never disappoints. I've also gotten catering from there which is a crowd pleaser. They're definitely slower around lunch and dinner times, but the food is always worth the wait. Workers are very nice too! Highly recommend any quesadilla and the sweet pork (it's very sweet). read more

I sat beside someone at work who was eating tacos from Cafe Rio, and it smelled so good, I vowed to make it to Cafe Rio ASAP, and so I wandered in on a Saturday night to find the daily special of shrimp tacos calling out to me. Deeelicious! Two soft tortilla shells filled with crispy, fried shrimp, some lettuce, pico and sour cream, wedged into a foil bowl alongside some rice and black beans. Every bite was full of flavor and spice, different textures, and total yumminess. I give Cafe Rio a big thumbs up as it's one of the tastiest places in Olney. read more

A good staple in Olney. Sad some dishes are only on select days- like the salmon fish tacos on Friday (come as combo of two with rice and beans for only 7.99) and the shrimp tacos on Saturday - love the fried coconut shrimp with the mango salsa (you can't get the mango salsa during the week either). Anyhow you can slice and dice it up however you want it- we get the nachos and so half and half with the meat, as well as half and half with the beans, then add lettuce and tomatoes - because we enjoy some hearty nachos and usually split it. Specialty drinks are hit or miss and sometimes you get a mouth full of cinnamon with the horchata and sometimes it's perfect. Overall quality and taste with price point and portions (download the app for rewards and special offers) are a win! read more

food was good but service was slow as hell... don't say my order would be ready at 6:20 and i'm waiting here well past that

We placed an online order. They forgot our drinks. I drove back to get them. Then realized when I got home again that they forgot one of our entrees also. They offered a refund but still, one person in our party is eating something else tonight, I guess. read more

I can't really say to many great about this place it's probably good enough for the moment if ur in the area.. The bad though smh. Very slow which was frustrating and of course they would run out of meat once it became my turn. But with my frustrations I'll probably still come back because the salad wasn't bad.. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Olney, Maryland

I've come to Cafe Rio with my family for YEARS--before the renovation. While I've always loved the food, the service is so inconsistent that it makes me hesitate to patronize this establishment again. After enjoying an exciting evening with my family, I asked the cashier if I could have a bag and a lid for my food, he brusquely said "They're over there by the straws." Mind you, the lids were RIGHT NEXT TO HIS HAND! Was it that difficult to reach two inches and grab one? So I went to check and didn't see them (they had no napkins out earlier so I'm not surprised). I went back to ask him for a lid and he looked at me as if I was bothering him and said, "They're right there," and turned to his coworker and rolled his eyes. I asked him if he could just give me one that was right there, and he threw his hands up and grabbed one and said, "Here." This is so disappointing because I was excited to have the establishment provide the food for an event, but this poor service has shown that this establishment isn't consistent in training it's employees. I would be curious to know what the management team is doing to train its customers, because although this instance was the worst that I've seen the service, I've had this experience more times than I care to count before. read more