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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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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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

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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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

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

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

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

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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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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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

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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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

After having wine and charcuterie for Elite Week at Mana + Pua on a Monday night, we walked around the shopping center and found this place. It had an interesting menu posted outside. We weren't sure it was open at first since there was no host, and it looked like the outdoor patio was closed. It was, after all, President's Day. Another group of customers came when a server finally came out and walked them to the outdoor patio. Oh, this restaurant is open! Our meal was surprisingly outstanding from the first course to the dessert course! We started with Candied Swine that reminded me of burnt ends- hooey! - Talk about sweet as pig candy!!! We enjoyed it, though, with no complaints whatsoever. We shared the Osso Bucco as our main dish, and it was really nice of them to divide it between two plates. Each half portion was big! The meat was so tender that I didn't even need a knife to cut it. The sauce sprinkled veggies on top, and the corn on the side added greatness to its taste. The Ice Cream Sandwich was a wonderful finale to our meal. It was delightful with vanilla ice cream in between two almond wafers and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Plus, they tossed in a few strawberry slices and topped it off with whipped cream. Yum! There was also mint on top, but it was added a nice touch to the presentation. I can't believe we almost turned away from this place cuz we thought it was close! Thank you to those other customers who showed us otherwise. The food here is delicious and would consider dining here again when I'm in the area. read more

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Amazing professional attentive service. Clean , not bright indoor setup; not a chain restaurant feel. TV's in bar area. Free parking in huge shopping center lot. Yummy delicious unique artisanal cocktails. 100% Delicious lentil soup, charred romaine salad w/ chicken breast, fried calamari, & steak. I don't remember the price but I would say average. Definitely recommend ! read more

Better than ever! We are so glad that the Rio Grill is open for patio dining and we can feast at one of our favorite spots in the Carmel area. We chose to go for lunch, hoping it would be warmer than night time. Luckily the patio features one of the best COVID adaptations I have seen, and a gas heater right beside the table provided the necessary warmth for our meal. To get served on the patio, I went to the front door of the restaurant, and a very friendly hostess showed us to a nice table for two. The entire area is screened with hedges and big barrels that provide both space and privacy for diners. The patio wraps around the building, so there is ample space, and both large and small tables. Accessibilty is a concern for my 93-year-old mom, but there is handicapped parking right in front of the restaurant, a ramp, and the patio is nice and flat. Ensconced at our table, a super personable waiter brought out a paper menu for my mom, while I scanned the menu onto my phone. I had looked ahead, and was delighted to find the dinner menu entrees offered at lunch, so we each chose a dinner entree for our midday meal. I got my favorite Shrimp with pasta, and my Mom opted for the Venison Occo Bucco, even though she was advised that it was spicy! We got a side of truffle-butter biscuits to sop up the sauces, and I got a generous pour of Sauvignon Blanc. My lavish order of prawns arrived in ample time, along with my mom's artfully plated venison, which had a spicy surprise cob of elote Mexican street vendor-style corn standing up on the plate! The sauce on the shrimp pasta dish was as velvety as I remembered and the serving was very generous. Mom's venison was perfectly cooked and the bone provided a silky serving of marrow. The mashed potatoes on her plate were redolent of the not-too-spicy meat sauce. We took our time eating, savoring the flavors and enjoying the socially distanced company of other diners spaced six feet away! We even indulged in a deconstructed ice cream sandwich, since our favorite Covid acticity is eating It's It bars by the beach! It arrived piled high with goodness, Two flat waffle cones supporting a nice wallop of ice cream topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and strawberries. We dedeconstructed it in just a few minutes, reveling in the different taste bites we could assemble. We shall all return for more memorable meals in the future! read more

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What appeared to be a very casual restaurant ambiance turned out to be a very expensive lunch. But it's expected since this restaurant attracts a lot of tourist that come to Carmel. The food was mediocre at best, skirt steak was plain and very chewy. The pork chop was very dry and bland in the inside. The baby back ribs tastes like something u would get at Safeway. The service was good and attentive from workers that wasn't our server. read more

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I love this place, and have been coming here for more than 10 years, but our dinner on 4.21.23 was terrible. The calamari for $17 is about 1/2 to 1/3 the quantity that should be served. The brussel sprouts were okay, but the poblano pepper was not very good. I was on the verge of sending it back, but didn't think anything was wrong with it, just that I didn't like it at all if that makes sense. The service was terrible. We ordered a salad that didn't come until we were done eating. The waiter would check on other tables but not us for some reason. He should have told us that our salad was coming in 5 minutes or whatever, but never did. Our experience ranges from a 1-5 depending on what we order and who our waiter is. The live music was great, just one guy with a guitar, but other than that, we wasted $60 on a terrible dinner. read more

An institution for decades. I lived in Monterey from 1985 to 1999. I ate here dozens of times. Always a reliable delicious meal was presented. After a long absence returned to again enjoy a delicious and creative meal. I told my lovely wife who has no Monterey bay experience that the Rio Grill is where locals eat. Leave all those places on Ocean ave in the village to the tourists. Besides there's always available parking at Rio Grill. Patio dining only November 2020. Only 10 tables available. Reservations mandatory. Friendly & efficient staff. read more

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The portions are huge, so come hungry! Cute outdoor seating areas with heaters at night. Staff wears masks. Our server was really nice. Can't remember her name, but she was really nice. Food and drinks were great. Hubby got the ribs and they were flavorful. My Chinese chicken salad was delicious! Super filling with plenty of chicken, noodles and greens/veggies. We got the quesadilla appetizers, not realizing how big the portions were. Really good tho. The blood orange margarita was smokey and refreshing. read more

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Really enjoy our dinner the other night, I had the lamb shank and my wife had the roasted beet salad with butter nut squash with gnocchi. Also ordered a IPA beer from the tap. read more

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

My MUST go to spot when I'm in town visiting my sister. The food is always fabulous AND Laurie especially made our experience tremendous read more

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

Great restaurant in Carmel Crossroads. Favorite of the locals. We go whenever we visit Carmel. Friendly professional service. I had an albacore almost raw tuna special and it was melt in your mouth amazing. My wife had a steak cooked perfectly. Quiet early in the evening but it gets busier as the locals show up. It's been in the same place serving great food since 1984. We split a creme brûlée for dessert. Very creamy and refreshing. read more

Excellent food! Excellent service! My waiter, Mata was outstanding!!! The price was right for an extraordinary meal! A "chef's kiss" salute!

COVID-19 review Open for outdoor patio dining Service ok, a bit slow Menu variety is good, especially the dessert selection. 4 star for that. The inside is closed off, the path to the restroom is clearly marked and labeled. 4 star. Staff wear masks and gloves. The food look good in general with good portions . Some of the items are a bit spicy, the herb truffle bread is a bit spicy, the Mediterranean mussels is spicy of both the broth and the fries. The mussels' broth was too salty though. 3 star. read more

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we were pleasantly surprised by the different menu and tasty treats. The art work displayed is very enjoyable in a beautiful setting. Service was very good. read more

1-food wasn't the greatest nothing special 2-guacamole was not fresh 3- service was below average ( I didn't get a refill , I had to chase them for a fresh guacamole because it didn't look fresh 4- overall it tasted and felt like Denys but higher prices read more

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

Stopped in after picking up some point shoes. Happy to see social distancing, hand sanitizer, lots of cleaning and friendly staff! Everything we had was delicious. The empanadas were amazing!!. The grilled prawns pasta was tasty and the Osso Bucco was really yummy with a delicious side of corn, with a tasty spice I couldn't quite figure out, and cream and cheese (?) on it. Reminded me of Mexican street corn. It went great with my meal. So excited we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!! Wish we were hungry enough for dessert!! ... bread pudding is what I would have picked read more

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Amazing service! I held my grandmothers funeral reception dinner here and it was wonderful. Very sad occasion but the restaurant made sure to take care of my family, for which I'm extremely grateful. Our two servers were awesome and so beyond sweet and patient! Will definitely recommend to anyone needing to host a private dinner/event. read more

We were on vacation and ate here twice because we liked it so much. The atmosphere, food, and location are excellent. Our server, Lori, made us feel like locals. We'll be back the next time we are in this area. read more

Had a wonderful Mothers Day Brunch today at Rio Grill. Food was great and service excellent

Very nice food - great service - nice wine list! Fun art throughout! Loves the celebrity and local caricatures on the walls in the bar. First, the wine list is stellar and we happened to stumble upon it on a Monday where all bottles were half off so we scored our Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast pinot for retail versus restaurant price (bonus!). Another bonus? Crayons and butcher paper to "draw on the table" - kids / teens were kept busy with art and hangman. We started with potato skins with different salsas because we had kids and it was the only thing we could all agree on. Great presentation and nice flavors. Kids all chose the risotto with ratatouille (hoping it would present like the traditional layered art and it didn't, so while there was the presentation let-down) - the flavors were nice and the pesto base was interesting and tasty (to us parents ;). The hubby got the deviled eggs and grilled Caesar, and I had the Chinese chicken salad, which were lovely. We recommend giving them a try! read more

If you haven't been to Rio Grill, what are you waiting for!? 5 Stars across the board. Service was outstanding, food and drinks was amazing and The staff was always attentive and helpful. They always have great suggestions on drinks and food. The ambiance is perfect for a date night/family dinner night or even if you're looking for a drink and/or dessert after work. We will definitely be back. Thank Rio Grill. read more

Let me start with best local place ever. Food is great. Sean the bartender knows what you want when you sit down as a local. I miss the summer music where it? As a local that doesn't want to go downtown with the tourists you live crossroads, and steakcraft closed night time and it's music night. Please rio bring it back. read more

Wasn't as good as I remembered it from the old days. I requested a lemonade, love their handmade lemonade drinks. I asked the waiter if they are still as good as they used to be. He said, it's the Minute Maid from a dispenser. What? No thank you. Minute Made from the Rio Grill just sounds wrong. read more

Went to the Rio Grill many times- years ago with the family. Always enjoyed the atmosphere and food. Since I was in the area I thought I'd give it a try again I admit my sample size was small- just lunch for two. Nevertheless the food they turned out that day was pretty mediocre. Don't know who owns the operation today but they need to upgrade the kitchen skills. Nice friendly service at least read more

Great wait staff. Looking at you, Linda! We had grilled artichoke. Delicious. A burger with the works and their salad of the day with grilled chicken and walnuts. The smokey grilled flavor of the meat was excellent. Off the beaten path, so mostly locals eat here. read more

Fabulous food every time. I am addicted to their onion rings. If nothing else, I would return just for the onion rings Cut nice and thin, and fried to perfection. They have an extensive menu of many items not seen elsewhere. I love the ice burg lettuce. Soo good. The crab cakes are out of this world. And the carpaccio is heavenly. The burgers are gourmet. You will truly love this place. read more

Been coming here for 30+ years. Today was a different experience. Arrived around 4:45, bar was empty. We sat near the fireplace ordered a glass of wine. Server never introduced herself. Ordered a wedge salad to split, it was half the size of what it used to be. Then ordered a burger which took forever to come out of the kitchen. Fries were Luke warm. Server never checked on how we enjoyed our meal but did after an extended amount of time ask if we wanted more wine. We declined paid our bill and left very disappointed. This bar used to be standing room only on a Sunday afternoon. Not the same Rio Grille anymore. read more

Rio Grill is the second of the Coastal Roots Restaurant Group (Montrio Bistro was the first). My expectations were high based on my experience at Montrio and Rio Grill did not disappoint! We made a reservation since seating is limited to outside due to COVID restrictions. We arrived a bit early, but we were easily accommodated and sat at a lovely table out of the wind. We dined on a Thursday and I say that because I imagine they are quite busy over the weekend. I would highly recommend making a reservation if you plan on dining on the weekend or in the evening. We started with a glass of wine and an appetizer of empanadas. Four perfect little empanadas stuffed with smoked New York steak, jack and cheddar cheese and topped with avocado crema were served with a delicious smoked chile BBQ aioli. So much flavor in these little bites and the perfect small plate to share. For lunch my husband ordered the Almond Wood Smoked BBQ Pork Back Ribs (1/2 rack). These were served with fires and a horseradish - poppy seed slaw. The ribs were tender, but not fall of the bone. They still had a satisfying chew to them. If you don't want to get messy at lunch, do not order these. They were generously slathered with a delicious BBQ sauce. My husband's only criticism is there might have been a bit too much sauce. However, they were served with two warm damp cloths to clean up with. I ordered the Mediterranean Mussels. I was torn between those and the quesadilla of the day (smoked chicken), but I had not had mussels in quite a while and our server, Britney, commented that although she had not tried them, they smelled amazing. Decision made! The broth for these mussels was so flavorful - little chunks of Spanish Chorizo, Leeks, Shallots and IPA-Creole Butter. The mussels were tender, well cooked and served with a couple of slices of crusty bread and Chipotle-Lime Fries. The fries were delicious - I loved the tang and slight bit of heat. However, with that delicious broth I would have forgone the fries and enjoyed with just the bread to soak it all up. Truly some of the best mussels I have had. For desert, my husband and I shared the Mocha Flan - Chocolate Espresso Custard topped with a house made Caramel Sauce. It was the perfect sweet treat to end our meal. I am not lying when I say after the first bite, I wanted the entire thing to myself. The staff was exceedingly friendly and professional. Britney, our server, ensured we had everything we needed to enjoy our dining experience. Paco stopped by a few times to help bus the table and chat a bit. We met Spartacus (manager) on the way out. This was truly a five-star experience and I can't wait to go back!! read more

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