Nola
I always choose Cafe Rio over the national competitor when possible. While this location was clean and staff were friendly, the bowl tasted off and I couldn’t tell if it was the pollan asada or the green sauce, or what….
I’ll try something else next time I visit. No issues otherwise.
… moreMisa Morreall
My husband and I have been loyal customers of this location for five years. The last 6 months it has gone downhill. Tonight (on a Wednesday evening) we ordered pick up, and the staff unfortunately messed up our order in a major way. We ordered two large drinks and two pork salads. My husband is allergic to cilantro and unfortunately they included it in his dish (even though he did not select it). The salad portion sizes were also comically small. Because my husband couldn’t eat his salad, I combined it with mine and there was still plenty of room left in my tin bowl. I had also asked for extra dressing in my salad but unfortunately it was not included. And the large tortilla then normally include was not included, but rather they put in two smaller tortillas. Lastly, they gave us two medium cups instead of large. Unfortunately this was just not what we ordered. The food still tastes great, but unfortunately the service has been terrible. We will be going to the Arlington Blvd location going forward.
… moreMilo Yani
Guacamole was black and brown especially inside. Tasted horrible and items were missing. Ordered multiple horchatas and only received 1 and you can tell somebody spilled the drink and wiped the cup with a stinky towel. The towel they used made the cup smell like feet. Horrible experience I ended up just throwing everything away. Worst thing is basically I feel like I’m being robbed. I contacted the delivery service and they refuse to do anything and say to contact cafe rio. I have contacted cafe rio but the last time I filled out the form to have someone contact me I never received a response.
… moreSean Petrie
Staff are friendlier recently, and orders are more accurate.
I suspected they weren’t giving us all the sauce we ordered when containers with our meals were regularly half full. I weighed them, and sure enough, the small containers had 1.5 ounces and the large had 2.1 ounces (should’ve been 2 and 4 – the app gives the amounts).
… moreD. H
Excellent! The staff was so friendly and took their time to craft such a delicious bowl! The sweet pork is phenomenal and the house dressing is my favorite topper! Only $11 after tax for a fully packed bowl. Highly recommend!
… moreSean Peiffer
Ordered carryout on a Monday evening a little after 5pm. Our order included tacos and bowl. The portions were very small for the cost (including $5 extra for a small spoonful of rice and beans). All 3 tacos and the bowl were very watery with very little protein. The food was also completely cold, even though it was picked up as soon as it was ready. An overall disappointing carryout experience.
… moreDario M.
Extremelly poor customer service. Since the moment I entered this location, I felt unease and unwelcomed. Too bad I don’t know the names of the skinny, young Hispanic girl at the register who wins the prize for such lack of customer service skills. We missed the chance to use a discount through the app, a duscount that gave us an error when trying to apply on the app, so we paid full price. We went to store and asked if the discount could be used even though we already paid via app before arriving. She said, nope and stood there staring at us and talking to her friends/coworkers and made us feel unease. We are gov employees and will not return to that location and will recommend other coworkers not to go there.
… moreShahzad Saghir
In addition to the series of disappointments I’ve encountered, it’s worth noting the consistent conflicts I witnessed between Cafe Rio Mexican Restaurant’s staff and numerous customers. This recurring issue casts a shadow on the overall atmosphere and indicates a lack of professionalism and customer-focused approach. What’s more, it’s come to my attention that this place has changed ownership at least a few times, which could explain the inconsistency in quality and service.
As a long-term customer, it pains me to say that I believe this will be my last visit to Cafe Rio. With the myriad of problems I’ve encountered, including high prices, subpar ingredients, upcharges, negligent service, and ongoing customer conflicts, I can no longer justify spending my time and money here.
For those seeking a better dining experience, I highly recommend considering alternatives such as the nearby Chipotle or exploring the range of other dining options available in the vicinity. It’s unfortunate that Cafe Rio has fallen so far from its potential and reputation. Beware they start emptying their specialty drinks a full hour before closing and if you ask them to wait they ignore you and continue dumping the drinks. Final comment they’ll even upcharge you on hot sauce which is baffling for already overprice burrito. I spoke to the manager inside the store an hour before closing and he could care less.
Update from last year: Every year I somehow forget why I only come here once—and every year, I’m reminded. The burritos are already overpriced, and yet the staff still skimps on the food, sauces, and toppings like it’s gold they’re handing out. It completely ruins the experience. You’re left with a dry, underwhelming meal that doesn’t justify the price or the wait. For a place that’s supposed to be about bold, fresh flavors, it’s become all about cutting corners. Won’t be making this “annual tradition” again.
… morelil
the employees are not the nicest at all. i also bought a gift card and they never activated it even though i paid for it. the food is good but they’re serving less meat/food per person yet the prices have gone up. fell off tbh
… moreAndi Siegmund
Terrible. I don’t expect much from a Mexican place in Virginia (being from L.A.) but having said that, let me say I never leave reviews on Google except to rave about good customer service experiences. This was NOT that. I was literally told that hot sauce was NOT included with my nachos purchase. I kid you not! I had to pay for hot sauce to be added to my nachos! They were going to charge me for lettuce too- but one guy was like- “eh- let one slide.” TF? Mind you- these nachos were already $15!! I initially asked if they’d be cheaper if I didn’t get meat on them (I’m not a vegetarian, but just wasn’t in the mood) and was told, “nope- same price regardless!” Wow. Meat it is then. Also, please see the accompanying picture of the cilantro- did they bother to prep it at all? It’s full-sized sprigs. Seriously? And the guacamole was brown and sad. I still give this place a star because the hot sauce tasted good and was warm. I liked that. But nachos and an order of “enchiladas” (yes, that’s in quotes because I’m not sure one could legitimately call them that) ran me $31, with the hot sauce upcharge and no drinks or extras. That’s insane!!
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