They reopen to the public for another season starting October 2nd 2022.. what a great opportunity to have them for years to come read more

El Rio - Live band. - Barbeque Near Me - Las Juntas, JAL

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Wow! Such an awesome place. Just outside of town but we'll worth an Uber or Didi ride. I've been in Texas and lived in Kansas City, El Rio BBQ is legit!! El Rio BBQ is a huge restaurant that's all outside. You can sit upstairs or near the river. They're known for the ribs which are a must!! They taste like they've been slow grilled over charcoal all day. So moist and flavorful. The quarter potion is perfect for one. The watermelon salad was great. The staff is friendly and accommodating. I will be back and next time might order extra for lunch the next day. read more

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Okay guys, coming from Texas I didn't expect PV to have quality BBQ but I decided to take a chance on El Rio to cure my craving. Boy did they not disappoint! I didn't get a chance to physically visit (I'm tired, sue me) but they do offer delivery so I decided to take advantage. They came about 10 minute prior to expected delivery which was great! I ordered a quarter rack of ribs which came with beans and cole slaw for $350 peso. ($15UD) The ribs taste amazing! It has that bbq charcoal flavor and the BBQ sauce isn't piled with sugar. It's the perfect balance. The beans are good and I would give the slaw a 7 out of 10. It could use a dash of seasoning but again my Bumba sauce helped with the flavor. So if you're in the PV area craving ribs this is the spot to visit. read more

El Rio - Quarter Rack of Ribs and my favorite pepper sauce - Barbeque Near Me - Las Juntas, JAL

This is a bit out of town and not your typical bbq restaurant. To start, the place is huge and frequently holds hundreds of people. It's all outdoors with one covered area. When we were there they had live entertainment from 2pm-4pm, not exactly what I would consider prime time. The service wasn't very fast however it was accurate and attentive. We had a pitcher of lemonade and they brought a bucket of ice out half way through our meal. Like previous reviewers, we enjoyed the sweet potato chips as an appetizer. I ordered the smoked beef sandwich with bbq beans and the wife ordered 1/4 rack ribs which was enough to share a bit with me. The smoked beef sandwich was good, there is no warning that they slather both sides of the bread with mayonnaise, I would have much preferred bbq sauce. The beef has a good flavor however it was pretty tough. The feature of this place is the ribs and we enjoyed that best of all. The flavor was there, the meat was tougher than I would like. I thought the beans were ok, if a bit too sweet. read more

I really hate to leave this review. I've been coming out to Paso Ancho to enjoy El Rio for years. Both of the owners are nice people. But this trip was less than impressive. The food: Pulled pork sandwiches were dry as a bone. Friends salad was just a head of Romaine lettuce, no other veggies. Nachos had a very small number of chips to go with the cheese and beans. The price: Already felt like some of the pricing out here was inflated but then they tacked on 30 pesos for extra pico (the nachos had about two table spoons on them) and 55 pesos for some extra bbq sauce (the sandwiches were WAY under sauced. Add to it that the sandwiches don't come with any fries or chips and I'd say that we paid too much for just mediocre food and drink. The service: All the employees were upstairs chatting around the bar area and kitchen. There were only 3-4 groups in the restaurant and yet none of us got service. Our extra sauce and pico came after we finished our food. read more

Nice place! Its a bit out but worth the trip. uber was under 6 bucks round trip. the setting is beautiful next to a deep spot on the river. there was a lot of kids playing both locals and guests. The food and drinks were good, live music. In all a great afternoon! read more

If you're in La Cruz or in Puerto Vallarta and like BBQ (and are a decent person, cause don't come mess this place up if you aren't) you should find a way to visit here for a few hours. There's music in the afternoon and the river is clean and beautiful (I jumped in!). Be careful the large margaritas are delicious but strong! read more

El Rio - Quarter rack! And dunked a fry in, oops - Barbeque Near Me - Las Juntas, JAL

A wonderful Beyond The Beach experience and enjoyable day & afternoon of Food, Drinks, and Nature. Huge RiverFront outdoor & palapa covered lunch and dinner. BBQ, meat, fish, and vegetarian selections. Beers, mixed drinks, and generous margaritas. The restaurant and bar are river front and face a mountain and flowing river that keeps you cool & fresh. The little town is festive and the kids and folks swimming in the river are part of the Joy in sharing with the community. El Río provides Live Music performers and often Bands. Very entertaining and a space to Dance if you really feel the beat and vibe and want to join in. The restaurant is an excellent Large Group Venue and caters to Parties and Events. Easily accessed on the Blue Bus, Cabs, Ubers and ten minutes from Old Town by auto or a fun thirty minute stroll through the neighborhoods. It's really a delightful treat and not the so typical beach front or tourist scene of Old Town. Locally owned, operated, and staffed by Community. When dining you support all that Live, Work, and Vacation PuertoVallarta. read more

Very fun place to go and listen to music, have wonderful drinks and eat a great BBQ dinner!

Do you want a great touristy outdoor place to dance andWhat a great outdoor venue for great food and awesome entertainment. This restaurant is snuggled on the banks of a beautiful river in a little mountain town outside the main pueblo of Puerto Vallarta. The BBQ is amazing with giant beef ribs stacked on each other with tons of scrumptious finger licking good bbq sauce. The tacos are also delicious. What a great way to spend an awesome mid afternoon day in Mexico. read more

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Very cool place to hang out for the day along the river the food there is great the service is very good except for one waiter when you would ask him for something one server always forgot what I would ask for but other than that the band is fantastic and will definitely go back read more

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We heard alot of hype about this place. The music was mediocre. The ribs not the best. You should think they would take credit cards for being so out of the way. Hassle. Also do not go if you are in a wheelchair. The bathroom ramps aren't designed well and hazardous read more

Let me preface this review by stating that I'm completely revolted by eating meat with skin and bones. A sweet friend brought me here after our original plans fell through. Thank goodness for that because this off the beaten path restaurant is in such a beautiful setting it would have been hard to beat! You walk through a small gate to a courtyard. There are tables under a palapa to the left, another smaller palapa on the right, and a bar. We walked past these, down some stairs, and it opens up to a sandy beach like setting along the river facing a huge rock wall. There are tables under sun protection, and a bean bag toss area. We ordered a bucket of beers while we browsed the menu. I'm not a big bbq water so I let my friend order for both of us. He chose a large shareable platter that consisted of ribs, wings, arrachera, nopales Salad, beans, guacamole, shrimp and chicken skewers, and fresh homemade tortillas. I couldn't do the ribs on the bone but thankfully there were 3 boneless ribs so I had those and he ate the 2 mammoth sized bone-in ribs. I was challenged to eat a wing. Can't turn down a challenge, so I had skin and sucked meat off the bone. Holy moly the dry rub on those wings was delectable. I ate darn near every one of them!! The whole meal was fantastic. Could have fed 5 but we powered through. After lunch we played a few games of beanbag toss (or cornhole for some of you). I'd never played so had to learn the rules. Lost but had a great time! Then we ordered another bucket of beers and watched kids rope swing into the river. This is more than a restaurant - it's an experience. read more

Food is decent but the wait to get it is not. Took over an hour for order to arrive and then finally had to chase down the waitress to get the check. There was a band playing and the place was quite crowded on a Thursday night. The band was good but extremely loud making conversations difficult. Flagging down transportation to return was also a challenge given the number of people trying to leave at the same time. read more

Fun place hidden away. We had a rental car so it made this stop worth going. Bus or taxi otherwise. Good food, friendly staff, and live music! Also beautiful location right along the river! read more

It's a hidden paradise with great food, entertainment, and ambiance. We spent the day eating great food, enjoying the river and great music! I highly recommend this place for a day excursion! read more

Ask for Kurt or Hollis. Sit in the shade on the river and start with a shot of tequila, beer and margarita. Have some wings and pulled pork nachos. Then some ribs and BBQ. Go down to river and enjoy the water. Live music also. Awesome location. read more

El Rio - Barbeque Near Me - Las Juntas, JAL

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We went out there on a Sunday to listen to music. Very peaceful and enjoyed to group. The food looked great! Will definitely return.

The ribs are to die for. Had the pork sliders as well. So delicious! They come on a slider banquette that melts in your mouth. The Jalapeño Poppers wrapped in bacon and stuffed with pork are a must have. Great place on the Rio Cuale in Paso Ancho. Staff is great and the ambiance is fabulous. read more

Excellent barbecue in a lovely setting. The ribs are the best I have had. Highly recommended.

This place is a must go too!!! I actually had a good time, great environment, amazing staff they were very on point, music is great & fun. Food is delicious. You can never go wrong with with good BBQ & yummy slides! We order the BBQ ribs & chicken with Baked beans, coleslaw & potato salad everything was delicious! I recommend the fried bananas w/ice cream after for desert! This spot is hidden tucked away in the local neighborhood. You will not go wrong with this place. Fridays are the best days to go! We will definitely be back! read more

AKA El Rio BBQ- Features Flintstone-Size Pork Ribs; I'm not kidding! Pork Spare Ribs are butchered differently here in Mexico, so you get the whole thing! Huge pork ribs, and if you order the Whole Rack (as opposed to the half rack) you get all the extra trimmings and tips on the plate as well! The Jicama Salad is awesome for a side-dish to complete the meal. And all of this at the river-side along Rio Cuale, a beach atmosphere, live music most afternoons from open 'til closing. Bring your swimsuit and a towel! Call for reservations and plan on going EARLY, they close right before sunset, so you can get back to town in time for the night-life in PV. Take a Taxi up there so you get to the right location - You will think that you have been Hi-Jacked - following the river up the canyon - but before you know it, it seems like you have arrived in a small Mexican Village lost in time. Once you enter Rio BBQ you will see a beach themed open-air restaurant with a friendly wait-staff and tons of perfectly smoked meats, delicious sides and refreshing cocktails! Everything is perfectly prepared from the Pulled Pork Sandwich and BBQ Chicken to the Behemoth Ribs. You will want to stay from open 'til close to see the Live Music! Tip: Take the bus back to town, they stop right in front, spin around thru the edge of Gringo Gulch, and have a stop at Insurgentes two blocks from Los Muertos Brewery; it's a wild ride that should not be missed! read more

Love this place! Great music and food!!! Drinks are ok... but you can't go wrong with beer!

Killer strawberry margaritas and the staff are very friendly. Property is tropical and inviting.

Fun place up river... great music and novel atmosphere. Some of the Best Smoked BBQ ribs North or South of the border.

Our first night we ate with family members, we took a taxi there for about 100 pesos. (Just is two) BUT it's a really fun walk if you'd like, only about 20 minutes and well worth it. We walked back after dinner. The dinner was mouth watering. Their watermelon jicama salad is a wonderful start to cleanse your pallet and prepare for the copious amounts of meat you're bound to order. Full rack of ribs that feeds more than 4 is priced incredibly and really delicious. My boyfriend and I made the mistake of not bringing our suits, as it's directly on the river with steps leading down to it. We loved this place so much we made the walk back up the next day, brought our suits and were able to be seated in the chairs right along the river. Watching the local children play in the river and jump from the highest branches and going swimming with them was a real treat. We tried the pork tacos, THEIR DRUMMIES (a must), pork sandwich and their homemade pickle. To diiiiiiie for. Please go, please walk and enjoy your time. You will not regret it, and you will want to spend all day there. :) enjoy. read more

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As always el rio delivers both literally and figuratively. Ordered large slab of ribs and margarita. Delivery was awesome. Food of course the best. Yep margarita too. Sooo reminiscent of better times. Wish they could have included the river, music and sand. Next year!!! read more

A fantastic place that is off the beaten path. We took the bus for $7.50 pesos however you can get there by cab as well. It is a great location. A small river runs along the sand bar and there is a huge rock wall (cliff) for a backdrop. I highly recommend this place for an afternoon of beer and great food. read more

discovered it taking a walk around PV today. the smell of the smoked deliciousness drew us in. we had the excellent ribs and sliders. the fries were done perfectly. read more

El Rio - Barbeque Near Me - Las Juntas, JAL

Everything we've had here is wonderful! The BBQ is especially good. About 15 minutes from PV.

What a great place for a restaurant, up the hill along the Rio Cuale. It was warm but threatened a shower so the staff moved a dome over us. They were incredibly attentive but not annoying. The BBQ was terrific and there was plenty to eat. We really enjoyed the watermelon and jicama salad. We stayed for awhile with drinks and the beautiful scenery and then caught the bus (stops at the front) back downtown. read more

our friends brought us here. we walked from downtown. ( romantic zone ) . took about 45 min. easy walk, but watch every step you take in this country. the food and the service was excellent. we shared a half portions of ribs, the chicken wings, a side of pickles, and it was very very good. with one beer, one pop, and tip our bill was 400 p. its a nice walk. the place is very unique. they have live bands . we took a dip in the river after lunch. which is weird, sort of, cause its the source of the drinking water for PV. thank god for water purification ! this is a very good spot to go, the portion are HUGE ! the Ribs are , fall off the bone good ! I give this place high marks. read more