Delicious food (don't skip the roasted/ grilled artichoke), bright restaurant, and great service. Ask for Lori to serve you......she is the best: native to the area, informative about local happenings, but most especially, she is not only interesting but kind as well. Think I get why the locals return here for great food repeatedly!! read more

Great food. We had the turkey sandwich and the salmon BLT. First time there found by chance and it was great. Great service as well.

Omg have we had great food here!!! Starting with fried calamari or a delicious roasted artichoke! Outstanding service & our waiter helped us with selections. Beautiful restaurant Tried the Stuffed Poblano Pepper! Omg can't wait to go back & try again. -Branzino was delicious! -Seafood Pasta great! -shrimp, pea, creole cream sauce Fresh, hot, must try read more

Nostalgia for me as this place, the dining room at the Beach and Tennis Club, El Topo for taco , the Tap Room for artichoke soup and burgers and the Thunderbird every Thursday night (book talks over Prime Rib and popovers )were where we had our family meals out. This establishment and the Tap Room recreate my childhood memories from the early 80s pretty accurately. They still serve my favorite Sport Tea as their house iced tea. The roasted artichoke is still on the menu and is a must order! I miss the butcher paper and crayons where our family of 6 would write messages, play hangman or tic tac toe. ( We were gamers not artists. ) Occasionally my mom would institute a Chinese fire drill when she was sick of eating her salmon or salad and we would raucously and not without protest move three chairs to the left so she could finish up my chicken or my brothers burger because parents paid the bill and made the rules. My childhood order never wavered from the pounded double chicken breast with avocado salsa- I have tried to recreate at home because alas, no longer on the menu. Several items still are however and it is worth a gander at the caricatures in the bar. Also Rio Grill has always had the best Happy Hour in town. Sorry for the ADHD tangent- miss you mom and dad! i am so lucky to still have my brother and his growing family in Carmel! My son and i were here for brunch after our family Thanksgiving weekend. He ordered the sweet potato and smoked tenderloin hash and I got the Chinese Chicken Salad with soba noodles and their yummy Tahini dressing because it is a classic that is still on the menu. I love that they serve the salad with almonds instead of peanuts, the marinated carrot shreds and the soba noodles have a nice chew to them. Giovanni is a great server. He made sure no detail was overlooked, refilling my tea and bringing out toast when I mentioned missing the sourdough and sweet butter. A yummy classic yet updated nod to Sunday nights circa 1985. Family friendly, with a nod to southwest flavors! Comfort food for locals and visitors alike and a reasonable price point away from the tourist trap that is downtown Carmel. Make your reservations though! Rio Grill never disappoints! read more

Rio Grill - Chinese Chicken Salad and Smoked Tenderloin Sweet Potato Hash - American Near Me - Carmel-by-the-sea, California

Received a warm welcome, seated immediately, waiter provided Excellent Service, very friendly staff and nice environment. Enjoyed all the art displays too. Food was so delicious and presented beautifully. read more

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Locals favorite, Great food, Great service, consistently quality food at a reasonable price

The appetizer price for portion was unexpectedly high . The quality was extremely disappointing. Opt for the dinner menu which is excellent! read more

This casual family style joint in a strip mall was a nice surprise to find a decent selection of seafood and local favorites. Cioppino- this bowl of ocean favorites was a great lunch to off set the cold day as it was filled with mussels, fresh crab, clams and salmon. Well balanced broth and seasoned enough to pack a punch. More charred bread would put this as a 5 star dish, but still very satisfying. Very welcoming staff and the ambiance with all the animated art made it a really fun place to be in. read more

Rio Grill - Ocean in a bowl - American Near Me - Carmel-by-the-sea, California

Long time customer of Rio, my husband always make the right choice to have our early dinner when we're in Carmel. Today we had the pleasure of having once again another delicious dinner. BBQ ribs yum. Husband had chicken over asparagus sauce outstanding. Our server Gino was very attentive, Rio has the best servers. Thank you and we'll be back. read more

Had the special Cuban sandwich and it was great. Service was perfect. A little pricy but that's common for the area. Highly recommend. The bar was well-stocked with high end selections. read more

Stopped in for lunch on Friday with a couple of old friends, and just had a fantastic experience. The atmosphere in this place is just Carmel distilled. It's low-key, high class. They took care of us from the minute we walked in. Awesome service from Marley. While all the food was great, the chicken with the chile butter was practically phenomenal. No notes. Definitely returning. read more

So annoying just went into Rio Grill and no host there which is odd cause they're usually as a host stood there for five minutes ignored by the Bartender and the staff after five minutes they told me they're closed at exactly 8 o'clock so they couldn't serve me what kind of restaurant closes at 8 o'clock first of all and you've got a Payne customers standing in there for a few minutes if you didn't take their order what a joke read more

Holy moly! We were cold & tired travelers and wandered into the most heavenly restaurant!! 5 stars isn't enough! The atmosphere is fun & light with cartoons of their favorite locals & cartoon characters on the wall. For an appetizer I started with the special Pumpkin bisque soup. It was so smooth and creamy and it was topped with candied walnuts which added so much to it! For dinner my hubby had the shrimp scampi and he was so happy! He loved how the peas popped and the bacon mixed in I was blown away by the candied pork belly. which goes through a five step process. Dry rubbed Smoked Baked Flash fried Tossed in Apple cider vinegar & brown sugar and finished with jalapeno powder! My mouth and stomach both were SO HAPPY!! I can't recommend this place enough!!!! How could I forget to mention that I ur waiter was fantastic read more

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We came for appetizers and drinks. What a great, unique selection of appetizers! So yummy! I had the artichoke and the octopus. Both were beautifully presented and tasty! The service was spot on. Cool history of the devoted and loyal customers over the years. But I really loved the artwork in the main dining areas with art deco animal art. Especially the cow! read more

My wife and I were just simply looking for a crab cake to eat and chose Rio Grill as our final dinner night here in Carmel. We were greeted by the hostess and sat down very quickly. The place had a very peaceful atmosphere and a simple and delightful menu to choose from. Nick our server greeted us and took care of us without missing a beat with his other tables. Geronimo as well deserves a shout out for his efficiency and attentiveness! Another honorable mention is Mak. We didn't get to converse with her as much as the other two, but the eager smile bringing out our food was contagious as the plating and presentation for our meals was beautiful! We started off with crab cake, and garlic and goat cheese dip appetizers. Moved onto our entrees being the ribeye and Wood Grill Pork Chop, and finally ending the night with a birthday candle lit on a molten chocolate lava cake for my wife's birthday. This is our first time traveling up the coast as well as our last night before our journey back to the city so needless to say we will definitely be returning back to Carmel and Rio Grill for our next vacation. Thank you to the staff for making our final dinner and night one to remember. read more

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Nice place with an excellent food and service. Cool design with customers portraits on the wall. Big portions. Another thank you for Chelsey who is the manager and was able to mail my wife's glasses which we left in a cafe. Highly recommend this service. read more

Rio Grill - American Near Me - Carmel-by-the-sea, California

Come here to eat! We loved it here! The cocktails are great and the food is outstanding! Berry bliss cocktail was delicious! Great balance of vodka, strawberry puree and sparkling wine. The Bloody Mary was also very good! We absolutely loved the fire roasted artichoke appetizer. Yeah it's a bit pricey at $17 for 1 artichoke but IT IS OFF THE HOOK! The calamari app was great too. Hamburger, mushroom risotto, eggs benny and tri tip sweet potato hash were all great! We really should have gotten 2 artichokes and maybe 3 entrees. The artichoke was THAT good! I'm looking forward to coming back the next time we're in Carmel. read more

Another lovely lunch at Rio Grill made most enjoyable by the excellence of our service team of Laurie and Andreas. They are professional, welcoming and caring. Yes, the food is always good, but it is people like them that keep me coming back. Rio is so lucky to have the quality of service and the high standards of a top notch restaurant. read more

We have dined at Rio Grill for many decades. Our most recent 2 visits this year have been disappointing. The food is usually consistently good but they have really priced themselves into a category that only tourists can really enjoy. We used to go for lunch and dinner and the dining areas were always packed. Now the last 2 times we have been there the dining rooms are just lightly occupied. Our light lunch included 2 small bowls of soup, 2 artichokes and a quesadilla with a couple sodas for a whopping $100 price tag. The food was lukewarm, the $19.95 each artichokes arrived cold and had to be sent back (remember this is artichoke country!!). Overall, very disappointing for such a great legacy and we probably will not ever return read more

I had a nice lunch here. The restaurant is much larger than it seems. There's several different space, with slightly different vibes. I enjoyed the cocktails I tried. Service was very welcoming and friendly. I enjoyed the roasted artichoke. It was a fun and yummy dish to share and the balsamic vinegar worked well with it. The ribs were just OK. A bit on the dry side and served warm, not hot. I would definitely come back. It's spacious enough for larger groups, but also works for a date. It's not too loud so it's great for a slow, relaxed meal with plenty of conversation. read more

This used to be one of the destinations to go to, that was many years ago the Rio Grill is looking tired, the bar was busy as I understand they have a very good happy hour. If ONLY we'd known ‍ Our server was fine, polite and the menu had abalone which I hadn't seen ANYWHERE else in the peninsula!!! Our dinners were fine, the ribs were plentiful in the presentation with a dark sauce & easy to chew off the bone, the abalone was good not to chewy and was enjoyed & the halibut also good just nothing to write home about or make me want to return in the near future~ read more

Couldn't tell if it was just me or not but I'm a big burger connoisseur and to me the burger was on the smokey side/charcoal side. Didn't really get a good taste of the meat as it was mostly smokey flavors I was getting. Fries were good tho and strawberry lemonade. Definitely recommend ordering something else read more

Rio Grill - American Near Me - Carmel-by-the-sea, California

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We loved this place and are planning to come back asap! Since we live about 30 minutes away and went on a day hike we were hungry and decided to try something new on the way home without much thought. We arrived around 3:30pm on a Monday so was only one table occupied in the area where we were seated. The decor is really cool with the walls painted with iconic people, to include Miss Piggy lol. Luckily we found out we were within happy hour so my Rabble red blend was only $9 and my guy's Mai Tai IPA $7. Both were good choices. The best part of all, and I don't say this because we were starving, was the food...OMG! Pricey..yes, but is Carmel so we expected that. However, the price you pay here is for quality food with in house made ingredients. We decided to each order a meal and share the Salmon BLT subsituted with a house salad and Works Burger, blue cheese option with onion rings. Both were phenomenal to put it lightly! I'm one of those who can always find a way this or that could taste better, but this place does everything right. Our server, Nick, was great where he was able to answer all of our questions and discussed future recommendations as we already decided we would be back for dinner sometime. We walked out saying wow this was unexpected and what a great meal we stumbled upon as a quick decision. Hands down, best late lunch we've had since we could remember. Aparently this place has been around since the 1980s and are doing something very right. I highly recommend and we will definitely be back! read more

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Love, love, love Rio Grill. Been coming here for years. Always delicious. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Shann, the bartender, is amazing!! Hey, Rio Grill! Please consider adding a cheese or charcuterie board to your happy hour menu!! read more

Rio Grill - Shann, one of the bartenders. - American Near Me - Carmel-by-the-sea, California

This place was great for a date night. The cocktails were on point, the food was good and there is a dog friendly patio with heating lamps. Best of all there was a special doggy menu where each meal bought goes to support a local charity. The service was great and the look on my dogs face when his food and meal came out was priceless. Sadly, I didn't get an action shot of that. read more

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I had an incredible dining experience at Rio Grill! The highlight of the meal was the Stuffed Filet - absolutely phenomenal. Perfectly cooked, tender, and bursting with flavor. It's easily one of the best filet dishes I've had, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the service was attentive and friendly without being overbearing. Rio Grill blends upscale quality with a relaxed Carmel vibe. I'll definitely be coming back! Manager is super nice and cute too! lol read more

The food was very good! And service exceptional. We had the fish and chips the batter was light and the French fries were garlic tasty, also the pork belly was so sweet and very good and the quesadilla very good. We found this place on this on Yelp and are so happy we came here. read more

Friendly service Great food. Chill atmosphere. Favorite dish of the table of was the crispy wonton ahi. We just apps assortment for lunch and we'll return in 2024 for dinner. It's giving Tarpy's quality (same restaurant group), where we usually go but something different. read more

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We recently went to Carmel and when arriving decided to get some lunch. We stopped at the Rio Grill as they were just opening, so we were quickly sat. Server was friendly, we ordered the Charred Romaine Heart with chicken and the Works Burger with Fries. My wife really really liked the chicken with her salad, so much that she ate the chicken basically by itself lol. She liked the dressing as well, but did have to ask for a bit more. I really enjoyed my burger, perfectly cooked as asked, tons of flavor with onions and mushrooms. My wife also ordered a Mocktail, the No-Jito, she loved it. Atmosphere was great, place super clean, service was great and fast. Definitely will be here again when we pass through. read more

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Reliable place Excellent service Crab salad is generous and delicious Ditto for crab cake Minor complaint: the ice cream sandwich should just be a sundae- the crispy almond 'cookie' just keeps the chocolate off the ice cream, and makes it hard to eat :( read more

Had a nice but expensive lunch here when I was down visiting my mom. We started with the potato skins which came with pork belly and a really good guacamole. I then had the wedge salad with adding skirt steak to it. It was pretty good though I feel like they upcharge you a LOT for putting about 2-3 oz of steak on the side of the salad (it was like $13 to add it). I also felt the wedge salad wasn't as great as some other places I've had it at - and it did seem a little expensive. My mom got the risotto and she really liked it. I did feel like that also was a bit expensive, about $30ish dollars. My friend got the gnocchi appetizer which was a decent sized portion, and the gnocchi was really delicious. She added a couple of scallops and they were $8 each! I am sure they were good but that just seemed like a lot. I did feel like the service was pretty good though they did bring out the two hot meals and took a little while with my salad for some reason. The staff overall did seem friendly and helpful. Easy to park right nearby as well. This place was easy to find. read more

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Well, I've had many great meals here. I am surprised that here we are in the heart of artichoke country and they serve such a small spindly artichoke. There is no excuse for that. read more

The menu has something for everyone and our server Lori was amazing. This was our first visit and I honestly don't know why! Will be back soon. The decor is fun also. read more

Wonderful service and amazing food. The crab cake for starters is big enough to share with someone. We both ordered the Atlantic Salmon Pumpkin encrusted . It was cooked perfectly. Great atmosphere! read more

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We went to Rio Grill for brunch on Sunday right after they opened. It was a very pleasant experience, with great service and ambiance. I ordered the 4-flavor mimosa flight and the Smoked Tri-Tip Sweet Potato Hash. I loved every part of the meal and the drink, and the portion size was perfect. The only flaw was that the meat was slightly underseasoned, but since I prefer my food less salty, it wasn't a problem for me. read more

Rio Grill - 4 Flavor Mimosa Flight - American Near Me - Carmel-by-the-sea, California

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Great food. Great service from all staff and beautiful artwork. Try the artichoke and smoked chicken!

Excellent happy hour menu. Fun little bites at affordable prices. The cocktails are super delicious as well. The girls and I tried a few different bites. The calamari was fried nicely and not greasy at all. The dipping sauce that came with it, was very spicy. My ribs had great flavor but were could have been cooked a bit more. The two ribs were served over a yummy coleslaw. One of my friends ordered the shrimp which came over a turnip purée. The ahi taco looked amazing and I will order that next time. Ahi served inside a won ton taco shell. I didn't try them, but my friends reported they tasted and very fresh. Live music played which was perfect for the overall vibe of the place. Cons, sticky table which our server blamed on constantly having to sanitize. He did bring us a table cloth which was nice. Service was slow as heck. The food came out in pieces separately. Not a huge deal, but definitely slow enough to notice. Overall, this is a good happy hour and I recommend it. Loads of parking and fun drink and food specials. Just don't be in a hurry. Lol. Cheers and happy dining. read more

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My, how good things have changed over the years. My prior visit here was probably in 1993. This visit in 2025 was a pretty spectacular disappointment. The service here was beyond the pale. our drinks were dropped off including a bottle of rootbeer that required an opener. Upon drop-off, our waitress simply said "i don't have an opener haha" and then left. So we both laughed too because that seemed like a funny thing to say. She came back with waters and no bottle opener. I asked her to check in the back maybe!? She seemed annoyed at this and it really set the tone for the rest of the meal. She didn't take our order down correctly in the first place and never visited our table again. We were instead served by a nice man who seemed to be covering for her. The food here was mediocre and not what I remember. from our family outings in the 90's. I wasn't expecting perfection, but more than this. It felt like we weren't in the Carmel club. Oh well, maybe for the best. Will not be back. read more

Nice place in Carmel off PCH 1 with an outside patio, Super friendly staff. Only place I found that actually has a separate pet menu!! Happy hours from 330 to 6. I would recommend a mai tai IPA beer which is called citrus notes, perfect for a warm sunny day on the patio! read more

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Oh my goodness - I love this restaurant! I have dined here twice now, and I wish I could eat here weekly! Many entree choices have a southwestern twist. I ordered the fresh salmon and it had a tangy and spicy crusted sauce that was so delicious. Hubby ordered the pork chop and after tasting it I have to say it is the best pork chop ever served to us. It had been brined and had a slightly smoky flavor (not much, just enough). Juicy and tender. So many restaurants try to turn out a pork chop like this and it is normally not possible! Service was fantastic, they were very busy but they took excellent care of us. Will always visit Rio Grill when in the area. So much better than many of the touristy Carmel restaurants. read more

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