Counter-serve eatery dishing up Mexican classics including hand-rolled tortillas, burritos & tacos. Based on 875 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.1 stars. Price $$
Address:
12090 Jefferson Ave, Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: (757) 249-0004
Website: http://www.caferio.com/
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Reviews
Caleb Nielson
I grew up in St. George Utah eating Cafe Rio from their original restaurant since the day the opened. I went into this restaurant with high expectations and it did not disappoint. It was exactly as I remembered and they made it to order just like I like it. The service was quick and professional and the food quality was just like the original. Thank you for opening a store here on the east coast. Only thing that could make it better is if it was a little closer to Virginia Beach, but I will make the 45 minute drive.
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Sam Sachs
This is a favorite place of ours to go for counter serve Mexican food. They have all the usual suspects such as burritos and tacos plus some rotating unique options like tamales. They have plenty of options for both meats and toppings, and the fresh made tortillas are a huge plus. I do feel that their flavors can sometimes lack compared to other Mexican options, but overall the food is still very tasty. They also do a great military discount of 25%, and 50% on Mondays! Only drawback is they are a little slow at times, but the wait is worth it.
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Rebekah Snyder Purkiss
Idk why they continued to serve food tonight. It’s 5/5/2020 I love Cafe Rio. I used to eat it a lot when we lived in Las Vegas. My go to is the sweet pork barbacoa salad. I have been to this location a few times since we moved to the area. It’s about 30-40 mins from us but for Cafe Rio I was like I’ll make the drive. Tonight I ordered food through the app, I tried to call but was unable to speak to anyone. It went to a voicemail. Anyways, I ordered my usual salad and added extra meat which is a $2 up charge. When my husband got there to pick it up, there was a massive amount of people waiting outside to get their food. We had our order scheduled for pickup around 7:30 ordered originally at 6:15. And he waited almost an hour to get the food. When he finally got home there was absolutely no pico de gallo, no tortilla strips, no lime, and no cotija cheese. I legit cut up a tomato and put it on it to try and make it closer to the salads that I know and love. Honestly that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that as I’m eating it I’m wondering why it doesn’t taste right. I mean yeah it’s missing a lot of the toppings that make it a salad, but it just tasted off. Upon more searching I find that the barbacoa has absolutely zero of its traditional sauce that it is supposed to be cooked/sitting in and marinating in. It was so bland. Normally the tortilla has soaked up some of the sauce and it’s very flavorful. But there is literally nothing. I ordered a couple tacos a la carte too for my husband and when I looked at them I could very clearly see there was NO sauce. Literally the only thing that makes it “sweet” pork is the sauce. I couldn’t even finish it. I can understand that there are issues with getting product. But if you’re going to charge people and not be able to give them the food they ordered then close your doors until you can. I wasted money and my sweet husband’s time and I don’t even want to eat this. Back pedal to a couple weeks ago when I went and got the same thing and had a completely different experience. That order was complete and minus a sad amount of meat and lettuce tasted great. Tonight was not even close to being on par with Cafe Rio standards. I’m sorry but if you can’t fulfill the orders you’re getting then stop accepting them. Absolutely ridiculous. I was so hungry and looking forward to eating this and it’s just not even remotely good.
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shanay Nurse
The restaurant was nice and friendly in atmosphere. First time here I live in Norfolk great first impression.
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Brandon Taylor
Really great tasting food! This place is usually pretty busy however and the line can be substantial but I believe it worth the wait. They have awesome Taco Tuesday deals and Military Mondays where you can get 50% off, which is a very generous discount in my opinion. I’m not a huge fan of their pork because it is very sweet but the steak and chicken are incredible!
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Johnathan Benton
This place has great food….however not so much on service. The way you order and pay is flawed when they get busy. At times, the process takes way too long and their staff tends to fumble over each other while completing orders while starting others. There seems to be no communication or efficiency between the staff which makes for a longer wait time placing and paying for orders. Not to mention that the line that you order is the same line that you pay for, which when busy, and combined with the staff issues and prep of food can be lengthy. Otherwise, the food is good and reasonably priced. At times, food has been a little lukewarm, but when brought up, it’s taken care of. Cleanliness is an issue when they are busy, but there is plenty of places to sit down and eat. If they can fix their internal issues, I think they could be a lot better.
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Shyy S
This place used to be one of my favorites. Tonight, I ordered 2 chicken tacos with double rice through curbside pickup. The total was around $11, not a bad price for what you’re supposed to get. However, when I got home I realized they didn’t give me any rice at all. So I basically paid $11 for 2 tacos that weren’t even that good. I won’t eat here anymore.
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fluttershy mlp
The good news is the food consistently tastes very fresh. The food portions are large. The bad news is the business needs to work on its customer service. I don’t think the servers know how to move the line quickly and remain polite as customers are trying to order. The design of the line is confusing because almost identical items are on two different parts of the line but you are told they are only for the salads…doesn’t make sense and they charge extra for some items, such as dressing and cheese. The way the line food items are organized is confusing and frustrating when ordering. I think streamlining the options in one place would be less frustrating and more efficient for workers and customers. In addition, they run out of grilled chicken frequently and state it is a 45 min. Wait.Please fix this!
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RebelSol
Great food! I ordered the Salmon Taco! Delicious! Great portions! Service could be a little more friendly. More customer engagement, smiles. But it’s not so bad that I wouldn’t go back. Cafe Rio is my new favorite place to eat!
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J Low
Food was alright. Quesadilla not really grilled and kind of soggy. Ordered the spicy pork and it tasted sweet. I’m guessing someone else got my spicy and got a surprise. A lot of better places, but the 5 dollars off the app can make it worth it for one meal
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