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    Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican

    3.3 (268 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican Takeout or Delivery

    Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican Photos

    CAFE RIO FRESH MODERN MEXICAN ATMOSPHERE

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

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    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

    pork salad
    Janay M.

    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.

    Mara D.

    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 :-)

    Burrito?

    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

    Sweet pork salad - huge portions, amazing taste
    Ashley Y.

    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.

    Pork tacos with rice and beans
    Janine T.

    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.

    Joe K.

    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.

    Awesome that Cafe Rio supports the military with 50% off on Mondays

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    2 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

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

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    Brittany B.

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    13 years ago

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    2 years ago

    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

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    They overcharged me on my la carte enchilada. Was supposed to be 4.99. Rockville location didn't overcharge me on it but this location did

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    8 years ago

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    Page 1 of 7

    Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican Reviews in Other Languages

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    I've ordered here quite a few times over the past several months…read more My go-to is the Birria Tacos which is their specialty. It comes with consommé which is a delicious Mexican (presumably beef) stew seasoned with guajillo Mexican peppers and other things. My last order which fed the whole family was the Taco Tray which is 15 Birria Tacos w/ cheese and toppings and four consommés for $58. It's now available to order online. It's a large, complicated order and it takes a bit of time to put it together, so be patient. You get the tacos and also a split sauteed onion and a few grilled serrano peppers laid on top of the tin foil tray sealed tight. The sliced cold toppings which include a huge number of really juicy lime quarters are in a separate container and then the four hot consume containers with plastic spoons are separate as well. There is also a container of chopped red onion & fresh cilantro. Also, homemade chilled red and green hot sauce packets. The tacos and consume are piping hot and stay hot all the way home. The chilled toppings stay chilled. Everything sealed tight, no spillage. So you get home and spread everything out on your table. Tacos and consume are still steaming. Grab a taco, add the chilled toppings to the taco and also some of the chopped onions & cilantro, add a healthy squirt of fresh lime juice, add some hot sauce if you wish, add a grilled onion slice or grilled serrano slice if you wish, then dip the taco into the consume (birria stew). Then bite into the dripping taco. It's a kaleidoscope of flavors that seem to come to you in waves. Each flavor is distinct. Every bite is a thrill. You've never experienced anything like this. Better than sushi! It's a happy feast for four people, three people, or even five people! Highly recommended. See photos. Please see my prior review below...

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    Overall: small Mexican spot with welcoming and kind service, good food, fair prices, bright and fun…read moredecor, has a single stall inclusive restroom, a baby changing table, and high chairs I felt super welcomed by the employees here. They were all sweet, kind, and happy to help. The kids got cute kids cups with silly straws. Chips and salsa were not included. The chips and salsa were the only things we weren't impressed with. Everything else was delicious. My shrimp tacos were full and had great flavor. They fell apart while eating them, maybe if they had less sauce or the tortilla was grilled a little more it would have held up but they were so good I didn't even mind it. Our kids and my partner loved all of their food as well.

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