The staff amazing and the food is even better. Authentic Mexican cuisine at great prices

We stopped for a quick lunch after reading the positive Yelp reviews. The menu looked delicious and we were not disappointed. My chicken quesadilla was fresh, large, and filled with mushrooms, onions, and cilantro. My husband enjoyed his nachos and friends their tacos. The restaurant was filled with locals, many were taking food to go. The owner was very friendly and personable. Service was efficient. This was a very nice lunch stop. read more

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I have to admit this place is great! The food is fresh, nothing comes from a can and it is just delicious. Quality is the number one priority, then portion, price and service. The owner is very kind and works hard to bring you a great meal. read more

We stopped in While passing through. The first problem was we didn't specify ice tea and when he brought hot tea we had to send it back. Then the guy said they didn't have unsweetened tea so we said ok sweet tea. The tea didn't look like what we have in the South (Florida) but it was good. We ordered guacamole and soft tacos. The salsa and chips we not what we expected either. The chips were very hard and very small serving. The guacamole was ok and the tacos were ok. In the South USA we get a good serving of salsa and more chips than you can eat. He NEVER came back to refill my tea or even ask if there was anything he could get. Awful SERVICE Food was ok just not like we usually get in the southern states. read more

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My husband and I travel almost across Alberta a few times a year to see family. Sometimes we get lazy with the journey and stop somewhere quick or on the hwy, but today we weren't in any hurry and wanted to try someplace new and we lucked out big time! We stopped at Rio Alto after reading some great reviews on Yelp. All the reviews spoke of authentic Mexican cuisine and they are spot on! The food is all made in house from scratch with so much love you can actually taste it. The owner is so friendly and loves sharing stories about his home and his food! He even humored us with practicing some Spanish - were terrible but he gave some good pointers too! The food service was quite fast but a bit slower to have our dishes cleared/ order dessert but all well worth any wait time! They also seemed a bit shorter on staff- we blamed Covid. There were also quite a few pick up orders that came and went while we were there too! We will definitely be back and highly reccomend checking this place out! read more

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I love Rio Alto's! Wonderful food, friendly staff, good service, and great atmosphere. Their cactus, bean, and beef soft tacos are amazing.

This was a great place to go with friends for dinner. I don't get out to High River much but I will venture out for dinner here. Although service was a little slow due to not enough staff the place was packed and all that worked there did their absolute best. The food was really good and authentic and I can't wait to try more of the items. read more

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We were very happy with our experience here. The food was really good -- we got amigas enchiladas and the impossible cake. Yum! Order dessert. They all sounded delicious. Really friendly staff. Would come back here. read more

Absolutely love this place! My mom and I stopped for the night in High River on our way to Banff. We drove around looking for something other than McDonalds or pizza and found Rio Alto. We walked in as the kitchen was closing, but they were very accommodating. Since the kitchen was closing, they said they would bring us a small variety. We had the chips and salsa, chorizo queso, chicken soft tacos, pork soft tacos, and hard tacos. Everything was phenomenal!! Not super heavy like the typical authentic Mexican food we are used to in the States. The owner even came over and talked to us about his recipes and ingredients. Very cool! The staff were incredibly helpful in recommending places to see in and around Calgary and Banff. We have a full and exciting itinerary thanks to them! The location is new, clean, and modern. We are re-routing our drive back to the States to stop in for lunch because we were so impressed! read more

Rio Alto - Mexican Near Me - High River, Alberta

This is real deal Mexican food, in High River of all places! Today I had the Alhambra special, which came with a side salad. It was absolutely delicious and was a large portion. The chips here are also incredible the definitely homemade. I've eaten here a few times now and it's worth the drive from Calgary. read more

Rio Alto - Mexican Near Me - High River, Alberta

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Just wonderful and right accross the road! I've had a couple late nights developing my new space, so I have been ordering take out a few times... It is like being back in Puerto Vallarta, right in the heart of High River. Can't get enough, always looking forward to ordering there again! read more

Rio Alto - Enchiladas to go... - Mexican Near Me - High River, Alberta

We drove in from Calgary today after hearing such good things from my daughter, who frequents this restaurant regularly. My partner is Mexican and, I lived in Mexico for 7 years. This is the real thing and, beautifully done. Excellent tacos for only $3 each! The decor and ambience is very nice. The service was attentive and kind and we completely enjoyed every bite of our meal. We will be back again and again. Gracias !! read more

Had a really nice lunch date here today...I can't believe I haven't eaten here before. We shared a platter and had the lime margaritas. Looking forward to another meal here. read more

Found this place randomly while spending a cold winter night in High River. So glad we did. I had an enchilada platter with rice and beans. Wife had the 'Aztec Lasagna'. We shared our meals and both were beyond thrilled with both plates. Service was fast and friendly. We were not drinking but the place has a decent selection of Mexican beers and tequilas as you might expect. Food was just amazing. Can't recommend enough read more

A real find in High River. Open only 8 months the formula works. Be warm and inviting, make everything fresh and price it so it is accessible. Every salsa is worth a taste so don't be shy to try. Don't forget to try the Chorros for dessert even the ice cream is fresh and who doesn't love Dulce con Leche. read more

Rio Alto - Authentic and natural. Even the bread is made onsite. Think authentic Mexican with fresh organic ingredients. - Mexican Near Me - High River, Alberta

Visiting friends in Okotoks and they took us to this restaurant last night. I love Mexican food so we all agreed readily to the idea. The owners and staff were wonderful and made us feel at home. They gave us lots of time to chat and linger over margaritas....mmmm lime or mango flavour available. I had the lime and it was a great drink, really well presented and made. We had the 5 layer dip to share with the table as appetizers and it was very nice. Maybe a little bit too much cheese but I'm being picky...it was very good. I had the soft shelled tortillas with mild sauce and stuffed with pork (option to have chicken or beef) I enjoyed them very much. Just the right amount of spice and my fiancée, who likes spicy sauce was given a side of spicy sauce to add to her tortillas. She had chicken in hers. Some at the table decided to have dessert and two ladies shared the ice cream sandwich which they declared was superb. We had fun laughing with the owner about washing dishes at the end and she said "well you know I can always use the help." Much laughter and fun. Highly recommend. read more

Omgosh. Soooooooo good. First time visiting, based on Yelp reviews, and it was amazing! We were seated promptly by the owner, who then brought some complimentary chips and explained items on the menu to us!! We ordered the 5 layer dip with chips as appetizer. Delicious!! Refried beans made it so good. We each ordered the platter with empanadas, enchiladas, hard tacos, soft tacos and 1 other thing I can't recall the name of! Well worth the $24 each. We would absolutely visit again if in the area! read more

I was just in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I wanted that Mexican feel again so I went to Rio Alto. It felt like Scottie beamed me back. The food was just as in Mexico - NOT Taco Time or Taco Bell - real Mexican food. Hand made chips and guacamole, Chile Relleno, and for a little bit of everything, Rio Alto Sombrero Platter. The same ambiance, and of coarse .... Dos Pacifico with lime. If you love Mexican food, you will love Rio Alto. read more

Oh my goodness I'm in Mexican heaven. Ordered the little tacos. $3.00 each. Delicious. Mango juice with sparkling water is super yummy for my daughter and jalapeño lime margarita is amazing. Would come back to high river just to eat here again. Little shop across the street olive and finch has super cool things too. read more

We were driving home from Lethbridge to St. Albert and wanted a good meal instead of highway fast food, so we yelped and saw Rio Alto. It was a very short detour off Highway 2 into High River, and was it ever worth it. I'm not a Mexican food expert, but the ingredients were fresh-tasting -- nothing processed here -- and very tasty. We tried the mango juice with sparkling water for a reasonable $3 instead of a typical pop/soda, and it was great (I was driving or I would've had one of their amazing looking margaritas or Mexican beers). For dinner, the girls had tacos -- they had pork and Hector noticed that it was ordered by my daughters, so he put two different types of salsa in for them to try -- and in case they didn't like one or the other. (He came to the table to explain in his broken English. Great guy.) Pineapple in one and salsa verde in the other. They enjoyed both, but preferred the pineapple. My son had the Azeteca Lasagna -- and he loved it. He's not the most adventurous, but he couldn't get enough. A good amount of feta and smoked gouda but not overwhelming...caramelized onions, roasted corn, and a wonderful mascarpone creme sauce. See my photo -- couldn't snap it before we tried it. I had enchiladas with beef brisket and it was very flavourful and filling. For dessert, we tried their daily tart (creme cheese with fresh berries in a great, light crust) and I watched Hector plate and decorate it very carefully in the kitchen. This fellow is meticulous. It evaporated because they brought out a few forks. We also had a few Choncas (Mexican sweet bread) that Hector had baked that morning. We noticed his friend had ordered them at the next table and had to try. When I asked about them, Hector again came to the table and explained that Mexicans eat them every night before bed. We now want to start the tradition. The interior is great - stone fireplace, tiled floors, great wood counter around the prep area. Some easy chairs near the fireplace in addition to dining tables all around. Some high top tables too. Check out their own website for good pictures. Last, I spoke with Hector's wife Veronica when paying, and she said that she was a dental hygienist who wanted a change, and since Hector had always loved baking, they decided to take a risk. Luckily for us, they did, because the great, fresh ingredients,authentic recipes mixed with interesting twists, and careful attention to preparation makes for an excellent night out. Meal for four with no alcohol but with shared dessert came to just over $80 including tip and tax. That's excellent value, in my view. read more

Rio Alto - Azteca lasagna - excellent - Mexican Near Me - High River, Alberta

From Houston, TX and this was awesome Mexican food!! Had the Chicken Empanadas and WOW!! Great flavor!! My husband loved the green sauce!! Came to High River to eat at Maggie's Diner (which was closed) and found a gem of a Mexican restaurant!! Service was great!! read more

Rio Alto - Mexican Near Me - High River, Alberta

Great place! Amazing tacos (best I've had) and they are only $2.50 on Mondays. The atmosphere is really nice, upscale casual. Though the menu is small'ish, they do what they do really, really well. read more

Great Mexican food and great service. My wife is a vegetarian and I'm not, and we both loved it. She had the Guareche and Quesadilla, and I had the enchilladas. We tried the desert special - poached peaches in a syrup with ice cream, and it was way better than it sounds. We'll definitely stop by here again the next time we're in town. read more

Absolutely delicious food, great service, very clean and timely and authentic. My stepdad is Mexican and my mom and I found the food to be very good and flavourful, not expensive and the bathrooms and whole establishment was extremely clean and beautiful. Recommended to us by family that lives in town. read more

Waited for a long time for this place to open, It was definitely worth the wait. I've been twice for dinner and once for lunch. Excellent food and great service. If you are wanting a nice dinner in High River this is a great choice. The building has a nice ambiance and is very clean. Service is excellent and everyone is incredibly helpful. There is even a decent amount of parking out front which is a huge plus in high river. I recommend giving this place a try, you will be impressed read more

My husband and I happened on this gem of a restaurant by chance. We were delighted with the menu selection and decided to have the mixed platter to share. Delightful servers, even though it was crazy busy. We will be back!! read more

Exceptionally poor service. The server was extreamly unprofessional and had no regard for dietary restrictions. I will never go back to this restaurant. To his credit, the owner apologized for our experience. The good: - The food was better than your average authentic Mexican restaurant - The restaurant was clean. - The owner apologized for the service and did not charge one member of our party for the meal. The bad: - Our party of 4 was placed at a couch and coffee table instead of a dining table. One of our party is pregnant and was unable to bend forward to reach the table. We eventually moved ourselves to a dining table. - The bean dip we ordered did not come with enough nachos. The ugly: - One of our party ordered a particular meal. About 20 minutes later our food was served, but the meal that she was served was completely different than what she ordered. She had requested a chicken meal and instead received a mystery meat and salad sandwich. - They where out of ingredients needed to make the ordered meal. Instead of returning out our table, the waiter elected to arbitrarily pick something else to serve. He completely disregarded client choice or dietary restrictions. - The waiter avoided our table for the rest of our stay. An acknowledgment of the mistake would have satisfied us, but he did not return to our table and he avoided even making eye contact (even though her periodically walked past our table to reach the kitchen) - We had to go to to kitchen to ask for our bill. - While waiting to pay we noticed that all other tables received a complementary sample platter. We never received this. - I politely informed the cashier and co-owner (the wife) of our dissatisfaction with the poor service. She made no effort to rectify this. Bottem line, do not got to this restaurant. Particularly if you have any specific dietary needs. read more

When our hosts during a recent visit to Calgary suggested we make the trip from Calgary to High River for mexican food, we were quite hesitant. Seemed a little odd. However, we are always up for a good meal and we were on vacation so ... what the heck. Turns out they knew exactly what they were doing - we all had enchiladas that were exceptional - some of the best we've had, anywhere. Fresh and clearly homemade. Absolutely fantastic in every way. We were, in fact, lucky to get a table as it was packed and I can see why. Even the chips/salsa to start off were most excellent. You wouldn't think this place is anything special to look at it from the outside. But you'd be wrong. read more

Amazing, authentic Mexican food made fresh with many locally sourced ingredients and most dishes are gluten-free. Great place in High River, was definitely worth the short drive from Okotoks for the friendly service and flavorful dishes that had good portions. The owners have made the place warm and inviting and the dishes we tried were all wonderful - the dinner appetizer platter is great to start with for it's variety and their sauces are incredible! 5 star recommend! read more

Killer Mexican food! Amazing! Went into High River to drop our kids off and have a little date night. This place was a last minute decision. The owner was friendly and explained the menu. read more

Excellent good and excellent service! I am a big Heartland fan and wanted to see Maggie's Diner. As we were looking for Maggie's it was getting past supper time so we were looking for dinner. We saw Rio Alto right across the street from Maggie's. We were not disappointed! I would recommend anyone who wants authentic Mexican food made with the best quality ingredients in a clean environment and a friendly atmosphere to go to Rio Alto! We had hard and soft shell pork and chicken tacos along with a small salad. We also enjoyed chorizo with chips made in house. After dinner the owners helped us with our sightseeing plans for the rest of our stay in the area. We were so impressed with their help. Go ahead and treat yourself! read more

Excellent Mexican food and staff. My enchiladas and my wife's sandwich were most tasty. Savory without being too spicy. Good Mexican food doesn't need to be spicy to be good. Despite my misgivings, my wife ordered the churros for us to share. Was the first time I've enjoyed churros. Fresh and tender with ice cream, a most pleasant surprise. My wife and I enjoyed our lunch and look forward to having dinner at Rio Alto in the near future. read more

Worth the drive out from Calgary. Authentic Mexican, $2.50 tacos on Mondays. Newly opened, nice renovations, right in Downtown High River!

The food is exceptional. Everything home made and very tasty. Just unbelievably tasty. Owner came over and visited with us. He's very proud (as he should be) of his food. We'll be back against and pass the word on to others about how good the grub is here. Nicole (waitress) did and exceptionally good job at service as well. read more

My boyfriend and I went to this restaurant when it first opened. It was excellent. The server was very efficient and pleasant. The food was amazing and we received a complementary platter. I was so impressed with the service and food that I took my friends from Edmonton to this restaurant when they came to visit me in Calgary. When we got to the restaurant we were left standing at the door waiting for someone to help us. They were very disorganized but eventually sat us. The waiter came over and took our drink orders and I had said that we also know what we want to eat. His response was "ok I'll be back later to get that, let me just get your drinks first". About half an hour later he comes by with our drinks. Then I ask if we could order now. We ordered the 5 layer dip to start and I asked if we could get extra chips because I've had this before and I know we will need more chips. His response was " no, I'll bring you the dip and when you've finished the chips then I'll get you more". Very unprofessional. We ordered and waited for almost an hour to get our food. When we finished our drinks and our appetizers ( we did need more chips so I ended up having to go to the kitchen to ask for more) the server never came to clear our plates or glasses (we didn't have enough room so we ended up putting dirty dishes and cups on the floor). Then the server came by and gave us our food. We noticed that our one friend got a meal that was completely different from what she ordered. We tried to get the waiter (who would look at us but would avoid us) so I eventually went to the kitchen. The owner informed me that they were out of the ingredients to make the meal my friend ordered. So instead of the server coming back to us and telling us this so she could change her order, he put in some other random order without my friends knowledge. During our entire time at this restaurant the server never once came by to clear plates or to ask us how our food was. To pay, we ended up having to go to the till and ask for our bill. We informed the owner and his wife how displeased we were but they didn't seem to care. My first visit was great but my second visit was horrible. I am so embarrassed I took my friends there. read more