Cafe Rio Mexican Grill

If they are a cafe rio fan, then they know how to eat. However, there are some differences between the original restaurants in slc and the CA locations. ultimately, they are no longer competitive. if they live on the beach, this location is not so convenient because it is over the street from home depot on warner, but it suggests to costa mesa.

You pay a bit more but your meal is made custom just for you. They put a little butter on the tortilla before they warm it up on the grill, this tastes good. They have an assembly line system like Subway, where you start off with your choice of Trotia... and then meat, and then stuffings. The line does not move fast like other restaurants so if you are in a hurry, this might not be your place. OverPriced? It seems like it costs a lot for what you get. I got two tacos and a scoop of cold rice, and the price was 11.50$. you eat off these disposable metal trays and the food is wrapped in aluminum foil to keep it warm while you are in line. But by the time I got to my table, my food was room temp. Just seems like and expensive way to serve the food compared to paper plates. At their locations in Las Vegas, they actually grill the meet, here it's pre cooked and they just warm it up on the grill.

Overall the flavors and tacos we ordered had ok flavor and a little on the sweet side. We're not sure if it was the pico or meat that brought that flavor since we ordered grilled chicken and grilled steak tacos. We'll give it another shot.

I came to cafe Rio because I remembered they had great flour tortillas. Was not the same as my memory serves me. Got the pulled pork with guacamole. The guacamole was only a Tsp so it was comical that I was even charged extra for it. Also the pork tasted to have been sweetened with lots of brown sugar. Didn't even eat half of my food and just threw it away. Won't be back

The good is that the place is clean. Some other locations are ridiculously dirty. But the rest is mediocre to bad. While the food tastes the same as any other Cafe Rio, the portion sizes are smaller and it was barely warm. Oh and the tortilla was chewy. If I wanted a chewy tortilla, I'd go to Pet Smart. The employees... Let's just say organization and customer service are not a priority in the least bit. They must have been trained at the Costa Mesa location. I'd say they could use red noses, but clowns are friendly or sometimes evil. This crew is indifferent. Wait... Am I ghost? Is that why only one employee seemed to see me? Hmm... Honestly, don't bother stopping by. I haven't been to the Tustin/Orange location since covid hit, but it was always the best in the area. They have fresh tortillas, hot food, and employees that at least acknowledge your existence.