Hot tip! Get the app and sign up for rewards, that's the best way to get the best value here because it can get quite pricey with multiple orders. After going here more here are some of the perks of hitting up a Cafe Rio. Their queso dip is my favorite of a fast, fast causal place like this. Sometimes it can be a little thick, but the flavor is always good. Their drink station has plenty of premium Monin syrups that you can use to create your own personalized drinks. If you like the salads like me, consider getting your beans and rice on the side if you want your salad to be lighter. Also keep in mind it can get pretty busy here which makes ordering take a long time. So plan your trip accordingly or be ready to wait a little. Overall customer service is always good here. They're consistently quick and kind which I appreciate. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Chicken salad with grilled chicken that was tough and dry. - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

I'm really disappointed with my experience at Cafe Rio tonight. I came in around 7 PM and ordered two salads along with a large side of chips and guacamole. When I received my order, the guacamole container was barely filled -- maybe 15% full. For something I paid extra for, that's unacceptable. I also asked if more horchata and prickly pear would be made, and I was told they weren't going to make any more for the rest of the night. As someone who has worked in food service, I understand that evenings can be busy -- but going the extra mile and replenishing popular items makes a big difference for customer experience and repeat business. Simply refusing without offering any alternative felt dismissive. On top of that, the restaurant itself appeared unsanitary. Tables were not cleaned, and the overall dining area did not look maintained. That only added to the frustration. I paid full price for a full experience and did not receive it. I would appreciate either a full refund or a meal voucher to make this right. Very disappointed. read more

See all

i only got one taco for here today for the xtra salad dressing they charge a additional .69 cents i think..... but it is worth every single cent!!!!!!!!!!!!! they were hella busy asf long lines bc it was taco tuesday; dddddddduuuuuuuuhhhhhh read more

See all

I am actually surprised at the score Cafe Rio is currently receiving, being how busy they were when we came here for lunch. The restaurant was packed and the staff were efficiently running things behind the counter. Cafe Rio is a made-to-order restaurant much like Chipotle. I love that you can see someone make fresh tortilla right in front of you! All the food in the bar looks delicious and everything is constantly getting replenished. I would love to come back her to try one of their burritos but on a hot summer day, we opted with shrimp tacos with a sweet mango salsa and steak nachos. It was all delicious and came in generous portions. Ambiance is casual, family-friendly, and low key. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

See all

Won't be back there was a hair in my burrito we were there at 10:30 , when they opened, and the drink bat was all sticky and not clean. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Hair found in Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

Gave this place two chances and wasn't impressed either time. They definitely have potential but they're missing the mark with the small meat portions and lack of flavor/fresh ingredients. The first time I ordered a salad and it was decent, but there was barely any steak. The rice also tasted undercooked and not very fresh. The second time I tried a bowl and even paid extra for steak, yet there was still hardly any meat. Both times I ordered for pickup, so I'm not sure if they just skimp on portions when you're not dining in, but it's frustrating to pay an extra $4 for steak and still barely get any. The rice again didn't taste fresh, although I will say they're generous with the other toppings. The house sauce was the highlight and really carried the food because without it, everything would've been pretty bland. The inside looked a bit chaotic and could use a good cleaning, but my order was ready on time. Overall, I don't think I'd return since the portions, especially the meat, just aren't worth the price. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Salad - barely any meat - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

See all

I wish we had a Cafe Rio close by! Their steak and pork are delicious and their tortillas are amazing!!

The portion size was ridiculous. I cant believe anybody would think its acceptable to serve this (pic included). Went for their Taco Tuesday shredded meat special for $2.99. And what i got was the tiniest bit of meat and cheese. Really the employee that served this should have been embarassed. I should have walked away but didnt want the confrontation. I basically paid 3 dollars for a tortilla. Never coming back. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Portion size for a Shredded Meat Taco $2.99 (1/5) - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

Review based on take out experience*** I placed my order online and it gave me a time to come for pick up and my order was ready at the time promised. The girl who took care of my online order was very kind. My order came out perfect, presentation and taste wise. I love their freshly made flour tortillas. I ordered the shredded chicken enchiladas with rice and half pinto and black beans. Everything was very tasty! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Chicken Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

After having food from Cafe Rio on numerous occasions, I've always found most everything from here to be fresh, tasty and reliable. But this last meal from them, my order of their chicken salad bowl; was extremely disappointing. Bland and even a bit watery. With the chicken much drier than usual. A real letdown. read more

See all

we love the food at Cafe Rio. However, the last three times we have gone to this location. They have been out of all the specialty drinks, such as mint limeade, strawberry lemonade, etc. they have been out of ice each time. And the store is absolutely filthy. Tables are not bussed or washed. The drink area is full of syrup and a mess. The bathrooms are disgusting. The trash cans are overflowing. read more

Food was amazing! Customer service exceptional and plenty of space parking and ambiance is chill read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Omg this Pico and salsa is so fresh!!! The customer service is exceptional - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

The food is decent but the outside patio was a pig sty. Please clean it so we'll have the appetite to eat the rest of our food. read more

See all

I'm thoroughly disappointed with the service at Cafe Rio in Valencia. The food itself is good, and honestly that's been the only reason I've continued coming back -- but after today, I won't be returning again. The service is consistently terrible. The waits are long, it's uncomfortably hot inside, and the work area looks messy and unorganized. On top of that, they're constantly out of key items -- sometimes no rice, no beans, no chicken, or even no tortilla strips. The employees seem disengaged and indifferent toward customers, and most of them don't wear name tags, which makes it impossible to identify who's helping (or not helping). At one point, my food nearly fell off the line as it came through the oven, and none of the five workers standing nearby noticed -- I had to shout to get someone's attention. It's really disappointing to see such poor management and lack of care, especially since the food itself has potential. Until the service and operations improve, I won't be returning. read more

Cafe Rio provides an open food ordering concept! You can pick your options and build your meal. I love the fresh tortillas made to order! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Chicken Salad with Creamy Tomatillo Dressing and elote - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

My wife came here to get lunch and also asked if I wanted something from here. I had their quesadilla before and it was not my favorite so I looked at their menu online. I decided to go with the grilled chicken burrito with no bean, add rice, add cheese, no wet burrito and salsa on the side. My wife got her chicken enchiladas. The store got rid of their self serve salsa bar so you have to ask for any toppings or sides. I wanted extra pico de gallo so they give it to her in a decent size cup and 2 red salsa. When my wife got home, we started eating her food. I cut my burrito in half and saw there was barely or little amount of grilled chicken in there. Maybe that's why they don't cut it in half for you so you can't see how much meat is in there. They put way more rice than chicken so I know it's a way save on cost because another place similar to here does the same thing. I didn't taste or see any cheese in my burrito but my wife said she saw them add someone so I believe they just added a little bit. I did not like the red sauce either so overall my grilled chicken burrito was not that good. My wife thought her enchiladas was okay. read more

See all

This location always forgets items and even half of the order. Today I ordered the double tacos meal, there's hardly any meat, with only 2 of 5 toppings requested. It's basically 70% tortilla and they didn't give either sides of rice or beans. I've always liked Cafe Rio but you definitely should only order in store to make sure of what you're getting, otherwise this happens consistently with deliveries. read more

Cafe rio offers a varied menu. I can customize my order. Ordering is speedy with pleasant individuals. Food was tasty.

Love Cafe Rio but several times they forget to put the house sauce on deliveries, I've had to eat my entree dry more than half the times I've ordered delivery lol. read more

Since when did ultra Karen decide to work at cafe rio? Haven't had cafe rio in Santa Clarita in a very long time and it's definitely a good thing I won't be there any time again. Anyways, there was this mediocre disengaged white lady working near the cashier tonight and she was terrible. She took forever to prepare the orders and it took her 10 mins to prepare a simple cake/pie and a drink. This job isn't rocket science lady. It's mediocre fast food for goodness sake. Disengaged, lazy, miserable, and mediocre employees are the best way to describe the people at this location. The bar is set super low to be an employee here, so no surprises. The ambiance was dirty too. Then again, Santa Clarita is never known for top tier food. And this definitely is one of the restaurants in this valley that is straight low tier/mediocre tier with the most low quality people ever to exist. read more

My friends and I decided to dine at cafe rio looking for a nice meal out. We encountered a server named Mirium who was so incredibly rude to us. She told us she's out of the main meats and rice, so we asked if there was any discount we could get because my gluten free friend wasn't satisfied and I myself couldn't even eat. Rolling her eyes, being snippy, and giving us a dirty look when we asked, she said there was nothing she could do. She ruined our meal out and we are very dissatisfied with our experience tonight. read more

Cafe Rio is located in the Kohl's shopping center with plenty of parking although it is a busy area. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I ordered two of the Tuesday specials for lunch which was a tostada and a drink. In hindsight I should have ordered a salad because the tostada shell was too soggy to eat. Luckily we ordered a side of chips. The grilled chicken was very flavorful and juicy (not dried out or over cooked). The lettuce and pico de gallo were both very fresh. We skipped the rice but the pinto beans were a bit bland and dry (maybe over cooked). The creamy cilantro salad dressing was yummy. Overall the meal was good but not something we will order again. We may be back sometime to try a salad or tacos. They offer many different Mexican dishes with different protein choices. The beverage station is extensive with two different iced tea choices including a hibiscus tea. If your looking for a tasty fast food type place with plenty of seating inside and out and restrooms, I do recommend this spot. It is clean, the staff are helpful, and the food is fresh. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Grilled chicken tostada special to go! - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

Staff is friendly, food good. Unfortunately the kitchen serving area, fountain drink area, and utensil area was filthy along with the overflowing trash can. It was 5:00pm and not busy yet. Staff just hanging out. This has become an issue every time we come. Not sure who owns this franchise, but it needs attention. Love Cafe Rio, but it needs to be cleaned up. Palmdale's is spotless when we visit family and eat there. Sorry :( read more

The food was amazing and their employees are always helpful and knowledgeable. Highly recommend the food. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Veggie taco - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

I ordered here on the recommendation of a friend. He gave the enchilada style burrito high praise so I went ahead and ordered that. The Sweet Pork Barbacoa Burrito Enchilada Style with sauce and cheese on top. Yeah that's a mouth full, but so is this burrito. It comes loaded with rice, your choice of beans; I chose black beans, and lots of shredded pork. The sauce is a tad sweet but it goes with the barbacoa so well. The burrito portion was a good size and I even had some left for later. If you are hungry it satisfies, although you could most likely split it with someone or have a second meal later. I was very satisfied with this plate and the recommendation from my friend, and so now I send this recommendation on to my Yelppers! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Barbacoa Burrito Enchilada Style - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

*After reading further reviews I see the issue we had has been an ongoing one for a couple years. DO NOT EAT HERE. I haven't been here in years but there's been a huge fall off. After telling my girlfriend how good this place is, she placed a mobile order for 2 Sweet Barbacoa Burritos. Our excitement went to immediately being disappointed. There was BARELY any meat in our burritos. It was 80% RICE! We ate it because we were starving, but for how much money we spent, I'll never recommend or order from here again. Should of looked up the reviews. We were gonna treat our colleges to this place until we realized how disappointing our dinner was. Unless they improve and compensate us somehow, I definitely wont be buying our office of 30 this for lunch. Quality control.. Oddly enough Chipotle is better.. Sad. read more

If you wanna feel most slow service just come here. I'm waiting for my order 35 minutes and when you telling them something they answer very rude. They have not professional staff.. read more

Fire grilled chicken salad is highly recommended. They grill tortilla with cheese as a base. Large portions and guilt free eating. Highly recommended for quick lunch. read more

The food has always been good at Cafe Rio. I am a frequent customer at many Cafe Rio's. They are not all the same across the board when it comes to what they will charge you for. There is this one guy there who just absolutely insists that they are now charging extra for either rice or beans on nachos. You get one but not both. He also really pressed in not the most polite way by saying you'll get it free this next but next time you have to pay for it? Excuse me! He then said I saw you got extra cheese on there and that's also extra. I'll tell you right now this place needs the Chipotle treatment. I will say that there is a manager I saw there who is polite but the employees need to check themselves before someone gives them their attitude right back. I'll be recording my interaction next time and show the tiny portions and how stingy this location has become. read more

This review is not about the food, the food is good here. I love eating here with friends and family despite it's uncleanliness. This is about their online ordering service. My family and I ordered from their app and I kid you not, they've gotten our order wrong not once, not twice, but 5 TIMES! They will either short you on portions or forget items entirely. Check your bag before you leave because it will be wrong...guaranteed. It's really one of those establishments you can't trust to get it right. They won't. It's unfortunate because the food is great but not worth the frustration of missing items and wrong orders. ORDER ONLINE AT YOUR OWN RISK! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - A quarter filled cup of queso. Paid full price for this. More chips than there was queso - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

Called in to place an order yesterday, got a central hub that sends the order to the location you want to pick up your order at. 1st complaint is the girl was not friendly, like she was going out of her way to help you. 2nd complaint is with the company. I wanted one of my items to be a bean and cheese burrito. Well they don't let you order a burrito unless you add a protein to it, like chicken or steak. So I didn't order at all. I didn't want to go inside the store because it's a very slow process if there are 3 or 4 persons ahead of you. read more

I really love the food but the restaurant isn't clean. It's kinda nasty so I always have a backup place to eat in case I go there and they haven't cleaned ‍ read more

See all

The food was just ok, rather pricey. My big issue was how dirty it is. The windows were dirty, the floor needed a good mopping. Even the tables were dirty, especially out on the patio. No one ever came out to the patio so we had to clean it ourselves with just water and napkins. The outside trash was completely full. read more

There's this dude name Jared. He's fucking jacked with the sickest tattoos I've ever seen. He's also the chillest dude, he made us guac... FRESH, (bc they were out) at 9:50 pm. If he's not the boss man, he better be soon. I haven't seen this type of service in all my years. PROMOTE HIM, Get him a raise!! There's no way this dude is single, and if he is, LADIESSS... he's there Sunday nights read more

Good grief where to start?!? the line was overflowing with discarded old food at least 3 inches high, the restaurant was filthy, the beverage station was not clean at all & four employees were outside smoking weed openly, if negative stars were an option I would have chosen that If corporate of a health inspector seen this today I would imagine they would be shut down. read more

I got food poisoning. Space isn't very clean. Service was a bit chaotic. Got sick soon after I finished eating.

The food was great! I had nachos with their sweet pork barbacoa and it was exactly what I had been craving. The problems were with the service. We were behind someone with a big order and the employees were not listening and looking at the customer. They lost her tacos and had to remake them at the last step of the line. This led to a backup and my hot nachos ended with a bit cold with congealed cheese. They need to be looking at the person to see more facial cues. I know it's hard with all the masks on to hear and understand, but when you're a factory line of food, you have to make an effort to get it right or learn how to take things offline and let the line move. I'd come back just to try more things on the menu since this was only my second time coming here. My sister loves this place. She gets the tostada. I might go for that next time. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Nachos!!!! THey hit the spot! - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California

Used to be really good but they don't give any meat anymore. Used to come here when I was young and they would load my burrito with meat but now I get a burrito with rice and beans and a pinch of meat. read more

I love Cafe Rio's food, but the cleanliness and customer service at this location is HORRENDOUS. The serving line was covered in old, dried food and looked like it hadn't been cleaned since they opened in the morning. There's trash all over the floor and cooked chicken left unattended on the grill for over 30 minutes. Definitely a health safety risk... To add, most of the employees do not wear hair nets with long hair. They were allowing customers to reach over the glass and point to food, nearly touching it. Also, they were serving customers samples of salsas, then serving another sample in the same exact cup and contaminating both the ladle and salsa. This place definitely needs new management.... read more

Manager and her employees just hanging around for 15+ minutes of me waiting for my curbside order. The bag to the left of em was my families order. They looked outside, clearly saw my car, they either didn't want to break up their conversation they were so into that enabled them from doing their jobs properly, or they couldn't connect the dots that my car was the same make and model as on the curbside order. It's frustrating when they offer curbside orders but don't respect the time of their customers who try to utilize it. It's upsetting. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Valencia, California