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Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican

2.7 (274 reviews)
InexpensiveMexican
Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated a few days ago

Order Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican Takeout or Delivery

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CAFE RIO FRESH MODERN MEXICAN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

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Robyn L.

My boys and I come here for taco Tuesday. We like the shredded chicken tacos. The servers are very nice and work quickly. The tortillas are homemade and absolutely delicious. They have a great selection of drinks too and you can even customize your drinks with the flavor pumps they have. They have a chill type of ambiance here too. We really enjoy this place.

The Nachos with beans, pico, salsa, enchilada sauce and green onions
Le K.

Great food and service, friendly employees, clean and organized are the reasons I'll keep coming back.

Drink bar
William S.

Food was pretty good. I had two enchiladas. One with steak in a flour tortilla, the other, shredded beef in a corn tortilla. I also had rice, beans, and nacho chips with guacamole, salsa and Pico de guyo. It was good. Until I noticed the server was touching food, cleaning rags, the register and cash money. WITHOUT EVER CHANGING HER GLOVES! Totally gross. There went my good meal. I read a review that said Cafe Rio Mexican Grill was a cross between Vatos Tacos and Taco Bros. NOT EVEN CLOSE. I frequent both of them. I give them five stars. I would give them ten if I could. I would not give Cafe Rio more than 2.5. I do not recommend this place.

Marlo H.

This is a good spot I would of give it 5 stars but the price is a lil high so I gave it 4 because of the price. But the crew is very nice and just good people. The food taste good as well.

Maricel P.

I literally worked down the street from this place when it first opened up and as much as I drove pass this place many times I was never interested. I saw all the great reviews but it still didn't interest me. We finally decided to give this place a chance and I'm glad we tried it out. This place kind of reminds me of Chipotle. The way they build their food and just the way they do things inside. I don't know if I would say I like this place better than Chipotle, but I do know this place is just as good. I've come a couple of times now and I would definitely come back. They don't skimp on food portions, so if you're really hungry this is a good place to go. I ordered a burrito and it took me 2 days to finish it. The salsas are a hit and miss. I don't like sweet salsas so one of them is sweet. I can't remember which one it was... sorry guys. Their meats were flavorful and I'm still kind of shocked that it was better than I expected. The facility is clean and each time we visited the employees wore masks and I saw them changing out gloves. Parking doesn't seem to be an issue, but we didn't go during rush hours so I could be wrong. If you haven't tried it yet, you should give them a chance. The tortillas taste homemade and I absolutely love homemade tortillas.

Nachos
Chandra D.

I no longer live in Delano/Bakersfield area, but my family is still here. When my husband and I come to visit, we stay at the Hyatt off Coffee, and Cafe Rio is right next door. When I used to read blogs, the LDS/Mormon bloggers who lived in Utah always mentioned Cafe Rio and sang its praises. During this visit I finally was able to try the Utah Mommy Bloggers' favorite "Mexican" restaurant. I came on a Wednesday evening around 8pm. Plus points for being open late (10 pm) during COVID. Many businesses close at 8 or earlier, but I was happy to see that Cafe Rio stayed open late. I didn't realize it was a Chipotle style place. You choose what you want (salad, tacos, burrito, nachos, etc.), choose your protein and sauces, and add your toppings. The wait wasn't too long at all; I ordered nachos. Like Chipotle, you get to watch the staff make your food. Unlike Chipotle, the staff members were not stingy with the toppings. I didn't get charged extra for guac or wanting shredded cheese AND queso. Score! In addition to fountain drinks, there was a range of other drinks to choose from (horchata and teas). I opted to dine-in instead of walking back to eat at the hotel. I was initially skeptical because the cheese wasn't melted and I wasn't sure if the toppings were going to reach all of the chips, but in the end, I worried for nothing! The warm queso, beans, and chicken melted the cheese and all my chips got hooked up with toppings. Yay! While Cafe Rio isn't authentic Mexican, I don't think anyone comes here for authentic Mexican food. I like a variety of options and the ability to customize your food the way you want it. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful, and I was surprised at how well I liked my food--especially the chips, shredded chicken, and queso. The next time I'm in town I will try a burrito or salad. In my opinion, Cafe Rio is about 100% better than its competitor, Chipotle. Sorry, Chipotle! Thanks, Cafe Rio!

THIS fake business manager who responds to everyone's negative reviews never does anything to make up for the bad experience. He is like a robot, just responds with an apology and a promise to provide something to make the customer happy, but never responds again after that to the affected customer. Let's get this shady and petty place out of business where they belong.

Steak salad... feeds two!!
Matt M.

Super cool place. Walking around 3:45 the place was slow. The temperature was a perfect 70 degrees. I sat in the shade and my wife sat across with the sunlight shinning on her through the glass. Very clean. Ynnuen was polite and nice. We ordered the steak salad with tortilla with melted cheese as our bowl. The salad dressing was amazing! We order another dressing for $1 and it was worth it.

Zoey M.

No good service and they should let the customer know of what they are getting charged for!! Also, pay more attention to what your customer is asking for not what you want to put in the meal remember that the customer is the one paying for that so if they say extra give them extra! I said more cheese light on lettuce he did the totally opposite.

Nicho S.

I give Cafe Rio a solid four stars. They are definitely and upgrade from Chipotle. The homemade tortillas just compliment whatever meal option you are going to go with. I went with a carne asada burrito with green salsa and melted cheese on top. Very good food, fast service, great friendly staff, good prices and great location.

Salad! With sweet pork barbacoa

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4 months ago

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8 months ago

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22 days ago

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1 year ago

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2 months ago

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10 months ago

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2 months ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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5 years ago

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1 year ago

Temu version of chipotle. Orders are never on time. Tastes bad. I will never eat here again.

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5 years ago

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1 year ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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5 years ago

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1 year ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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6 years ago

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6 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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6 years ago

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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9 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

First time here wife and I. Luis helped us. Very friendly and helpful. Food was amazing! Will be coming back for sure.

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Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican Reviews in Other Languages

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We came in to celebrate my 38th birthday today. I was on the mood for some shrimp fajitas…read more We'd been to the other location and didn't have as good experience as this. First off it was a steady flow of customers for a Wednesday evening. Many birthdays! We were sat immediately and waiter came to take our drink order. I had a mango chamoy margarita, while my husband got a roasted chili cucumber margarita on the rocks. His drink was SPICY! I ordered the shrimp fajitas and my husband ordered the chicken and steak molcajete. Our food was brought out super fast! The portions - humongous! But the food is so good! My husband is super picky when it comes to Mexican food, and he said this molcajete is his favorite so far compared to other Mexican restaurants we've been to. The bright colorful colors and great music selection really make it joyous and fun dining experiences. Highly recommend.

Stopped here after work. We sat at the bar area but got a table back there. The service was lacking…read morejust a bit, the girl seemed overwhelmed and didn't check on anybody for a min. Some showed their displeasure. Since I was willing on a drink I was just watching. I ended up getting the chile verde plate and my wife got the chicken quesadilla. My chile verde was ok, the beans were cold. The quesadilla was not great at all. The ambiance in the room was good with the decor and natural lighting.

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Ay Mi Pa

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Me and my best friend decided to meet Monday night for dinner and she choose this spot. I called to…read moresee how long the wait was and It's was recommended that I make a reservation and so I did but when we walked in the restaurant it was empty. The server was patient and we tried to decide what we walked to drink and eat. The restaurant had a quiet atmosphere even though they are located at the Valley Plaza and it was the beginning of spring break. We both ordered the same drinks and food. Both drinks and entree (it was actually a shareable plate) tasted great but the salsa that came with the chips was a bit ordinary with no spice. Another staff member brought out two more salsas and jalepenos torneados. These salsas had more bite to them.

My bartender was cool until I asked for my bill and he decided to entertain the ladies on the other…read moreside of the bar. I couldn't really taste the difference between the Paloma and the margarita ‍. The place is decorated really nice but what they should've focused on was making agood food. I'm so glad I only ordered appetizers because had I ordered food I would've wasted so much money. Birria tacos simply taste like red beef tacos, no real authentic flavor. Shrimp skewers I was told was okay but even that had more veggies than actual shrimps. The rice wasn't cooked all the way. The presentation on nachos was excellent but the nachos were gross. No flavor in guacamole. Beans were plain beans bland af. The chicken wasn't seasoned and had an awful charbroiled taste, just awful! The salsa weren't spicy or tasty. I can only recommend this place for a good happy hour spot because prices are outrageous for drinks. Once again they should've focused on the food than the decor.

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Full Beautiful Bar
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Sancho's Tacos

Sancho's Tacos

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I feel as though Sancho's Tacos has been coming up in my feed, or I hear about the place from…read morefriends. I finally had an opportunity to stop in myself and was not disappointed. So good! The place is pretty easy to find on the corner of 18th & R. There isn't a lot of seating for more than parties of 4. We were a party of 6 and we all smooshed into a horseshoe booth inside. There are only 2 of these booths available and they indicated they are not able to place additional seating at the booths. I imagine you might be able to put tables together outside for a larger party. We were greeted warmly, and while I felt overwhelmed by the amazing choices, the gal taking our order put me at ease by walking me through the menu board. We got amazing carnitas quesadillas and tacos and another dish that came on top of a mound of delicious fries. It's the kind of place where you order, then sit down and they bring you the food. We were well taken care of. Our drinks were refilled and they brought us 'to go' boxes. Their portions are generous and just tasty. And the iced tea was perfect! We ordered a full order of chips and salsa. That is extra. It was $6 for a full order ($5 for half) and these chips were well worth the cost. We will be back!

Vibe 10/10. Caliguey burrito 10/10. The salsas too. These were made with heart…read more Love

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Comfortable seating.
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Burrito bowl (i think this was a burrito with tri tip, but he was able to make it without the tortilla)
Burrito bowl (i think this was a burrito with tri tip, but he was able to make it without the tortilla)
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El Puesto Cocina y Cantina

El Puesto Cocina y Cantina

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We went to El Puesto Cocina y Cantina without a reservation and it seemed pretty crowded. I don't…read moreeven know if they take reservations. We had our order to go and went back to our hotel. It was just the best. Next time we will eat there. The place is spotless and really pretty. It is festive looking and ever so comfortable. We loved everything about it. Parking is easy. The prices are super fair. The food is amazing. We had burritos that were just packed with meat. We had chicken and beef. We also had chips and coffee to go. I have to say, their coffee is great. The service is so nice. This was our first time here so they were so helpful with the menu. We also took Papa Tacos and wow were they great. We loved the rice and beans. The rice was perfect, not dried out like some places. We will be back. Try it.

I came in expecting a relaxed dinner where I could actually sit and catch up, but the experience…read morefelt rushed and poorly handled from the start. Before my guest even arrived, I was told the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes, which made it impossible to plan or order properly for both of us. About 30 minutes after being seated, the waitress asked to close out my tab and mentioned they were closing an hour and a half early, something that should have been communicated when I walked in so I could have chosen to go elsewhere. To make things worse, about 10 minutes before closing, they turned the lights all the way up and shut the music off, which made it very clear we were being pushed out. No one came by to offer boxes for our food (I had more than half my meal left), and my guest didn't even get to finish her drink. We were essentially rushed out before the already early closing time, with no proper send-off. Overall, the experience felt very unprofessional and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, I won't be returning.

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Eating area
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Not your regular Chips and Salsa. YUM
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Buena Vida Tapas Lounge

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We came here for breakfast with my parents and my husband, and every single dish was amazing!…read more I ordered the Flauta manana, and they were hands down my favorite. They were stuffed with chorizo, potatoes, and eggs, then fried to perfection so they were crispy without being greasy. The salsa on the side paired perfectly with them, and I even dipped them in the consommé from my mom's meal, which took them to another level! My husband ordered the A Huevo Que Sí and it was packed with flavor. The birria was incredibly tender, and the combination with the eggs and sauce was absolutely delicious. My mom isn't usually a breakfast person, so she ordered the quesabirria tacos, and they did not disappoint! The tacos were cheesy, flavorful, and the consommé was rich and perfectly seasoned. I definitely stole a few dips for my flautas! My dad had the Huevos Rancheros, and they were also excellent. Everything tasted fresh, the portions were generous, and every plate looked just as good as it tasted. The service was friendly, the food came out hot, and you can tell they put a lot of care into every dish. The photos speak for themselves, everything was fresh, colorful, and absolutely delicious. Highly recommend!

Buenas Vidas Tapas Lounge has always been one of my favorite spots when I'm in Bakersfield for…read morebusiness or spending time with my son. The food was absolutely delicious, which is why I'm leaving this review, but unfortunately the service missed the mark during our most recent visit. We ordered our steak medium rare, but it came out well done. When our server took our order, our appetizers arrived quickly and then our entrees followed, but we had to remind him about the Starry soda that was ordered and never brought out initially. The biggest issue occurred when the Aguachile Ribeye was brought to our table. One of the plates was broken, causing food and sauce to spill all over me and the seat. While the server acknowledged something happened, there wasn't much concern shown about the spill on my shorts, and no replacement plate was offered. A simple apology and a little more attention to the situation would have gone a long way. Later, when we asked for a box for the leftover steak, it took quite a while and I ended up having to remind our server again. Overall, the food was fantastic and is the reason I continue to come back. The kitchen clearly knows what they're doing. However, the service could use some improvement, especially when it comes to attention to detail and handling issues when they arise. I'll still be back because I genuinely enjoy the food, but I hope the service experience improves on future visits.

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Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - mexican - Updated July 2026

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