Very friendly service. Good is good, but I wouldn't say the best Mexican food in town. Their salads are good also. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Interior is nice, but could probably use and update.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This is a good, and popular place for pickup and delivery. read more

I can't believe I have yet to write a review for this place. We come here fairly often. This is like Chipotle but better. They have a similar setup. Customizable bowls, salads and burritos with the usual fixings. However, everything tastes fresher and the tortillas are fresh and actually made in-house. We often get fresh tortillas on the side. So good! This is really a good deal. We go to Chipotle more often only because of the proximity. read more

One of our go to take out places in Issaquah. The food is always consistently delicious and the portions are legit. The people there are friendly if you want to eat there, [[HIGHLIGHT]]the space is clean and decent.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

My wife and I have been longtime customers at your Issaquah location. Tonight, after having ate most of our meal, my wife noticed that we have been eating dirt or mud because the lettuce was not properly washed. This caused us to both feel unwell and throw up. It was a traumatic experience that no one should go through. I don't know if I will ever be able to trust Cafe Rio again. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Muddy salad - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

Man... this was bad. The staff was rude. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The dining room was filthy.. chips on the floor everywhere, trash cans were full, soda machine and their other drinks were disgusting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The sauces and meats were old and crusty looking. I was worried they weren't up to temp/being properly stored. They looked like they hadn't been stirred all day. The drinks are usually my favorite part of coming here, the mint limeade tasted like mothballs and mold. I was horrified. Tried to switch to their passion fruit drink and it was the same. Never coming back here and praying that myself and my family doesn't get sick. Stay away. read more

Great food!!! I've been eating here for many years when I go to Seattle. Always has great food & service.

What timing! Came here on a Taco Tuesday and they had a special on tacos. I ordered 2 tacos, salad, and a burrito. I appreciate the fresh tortillas which they had made at the front. The food was ok. My issue was the rice - it wasn't cooked enough and from the previous reviews, it didn't look like they fixed it. Service was quick and they were not too stingy with the toppings. A salad came out to be over $10. The tacos were $2.69 (special). If you came here everyday, you can get their special. The kids meal came with a drink - the mint drink was good but too sweet. read more

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Listen up Rio cafe management! You guys either need to increase your portions or retrain your employees. We stopped by here at 1pm on a Wednesday afternoon to pick up a taco salad. Mind you we were the only ppl in the place and we now know why with the 2.5 reviews! The 2 tblsp scoop of chicken in our taco salad was sad. The 3 wilted pieces of salad the person added to our bowl should be illegal. Every time we asked for them to add more...his response was that's extra? I'm not asking for extra meat! Just enough meat that I can actually say it's a chicken taco salad. What are you optimizing for? For people to not come back because you've clearly lost me as a customer and I'll be taking my business to chipotle. Who are you trying to save the meat for when the place is empty??? read more

Gosh, wish the newer staff would be trained to give a decent quantity. I went in for my usual tortilla soup today and there were two servers whom I have not seen previously. One of them literally scooped two pieces of shredded chicken and half a tablespoon of Pico into my soup. She also did not fill my soup to the top. I didn't say anything at that time because I thought I'd come home and check. It was worse than I thought. This picture is before I had a single mouthful. Half a bowl of soup, two bites of chicken for $7.70. Cafe Rio, I think you can do better than that. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

I mean the food was just okay and the price was fairly expensive for what you get. This salad bowl was $14 after taxes and it came with a small scoop of meat and an even tinier scoop of guac. I think you can get more for your money at a similar fast food Mexican spot or even a Mexican food truck. I wouldn't go again. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

Disappointing Experience at Cafe Rio I recently visited Cafe Rio, and unfortunately, my experience was far from good. While I appreciate the concept of fresh Mexican cuisine, several factors contributed to a disappointing visit. Firstly, the pricing seems disproportionate to the quality and quantity of food offered. The $8 tacos, in particular, were underwhelming. The fillings were sparse, and the overall taste did not justify the price point. In a market with numerous options for Mexican food, the value proposition at Cafe Rio falls short. Moreover, the staff's demeanor, especially that of the manager, was a significant detractor. The lack of courtesy and general rudeness created an uncomfortable environment. A positive and welcoming atmosphere is crucial in the hospitality industry, and unfortunately, this was severely lacking during my visit. Overall, considering the high prices, subpar food quality, and unwelcoming staff, I cannot recommend Cafe Rio. There are better options available that offer both better value and a more pleasant dining experience. If you want a good experience, at this point chipotle is better. read more

I was SOOOOOO excited to come cafe Rio since I've had it back home in California. I drove over 30 min to the nearest one and walked in and NO line! How wonderful. Got in line and started ordering my normal sweet pork burrito and the lady who was adding things to my burrito was so rude and hasty. She really wasn't listening to me about wanting any extra scoops of this and that (always get extra cheese). I finally gave up and let her continue at her pace of things. Got to the register to pay and take my food to the many empty tables to sit down. First bite into the burrito and I'm crunching. Why is it crunchy???? I realized a couple bites in it's the undercooked rice! How sad that it wasn't up to par from the one in California. I'm debating if I want to come back to this one read more

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Catering order for a family party -- the order was ready on time but the tortillas and dressing were missing, so we had to go back to pick them up (they would not deliver, even though it was their mistake); the store reimbursed us for what they forgot but the food was cold by the time I returned. Also, the amount of meat they provided was very skimpy --- not enough for the number of servings we purchased -- some of the guests did not get meat in their tacos. I know lettuce is cheaper than meat, but no one wants a lettuce taco. I would reconsider Cafe Rio for your catering order. Even though the food is tasty, the customer service was sub-par. read more

Whoever was working tonight at 6:30pm - 5 stars!!! Not only were they quick and efficient, but also friendly and smiley. I love a good customer experience!! In and out in less than 5. So excited to devour these tacos. read more

Normally I have nothing but glowing reviews for Cafe Rio--it has great pricing, great food and great customer service. But in this newly reopened restaurant in a pandemic world, I am struggling to find something good to say. Markers are placed on the floor but are not followed. In fact, the staff almost encourage people to get closer than six feet to move the line along. I stood on the marker and refused to move, and the employee trying to build my salad kept motioning me down. I refused and chose instead to yell my order. However, through the mask and plexiglass barrier, he struggled to hear me. Also, multiple employees were wearing their masks below their nose. I understand it's hot in the kitchen, that your mask slips and it's difficult to breathe, but protocols are in place for a reason: to keep yourself and others safe. While I understand it's only "recommended" to wear a mask while ordering (per Cafe Rio's signage), no one recommended to the customers in front of me to wear a mask. In fact, one wasn't wearing one at all. And when your line snakes, there's no way to appropriately distance yourself when all that separates you is a metal railing. In terms of safety in a Covid world, Cafe Rio absolutely failed. I can only hope it gets better once it's been reopened longer, otherwise I will not be returning for awhile. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Just a bunch of people not wearing masks properly - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

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I got some chicken tacos with cheese. The place was nice and clean, there were not very many people at this time. Some of the customers had masks as did some of the staff. The food was good . Even tho some of the juice ran down my wrist. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

We ordered a catering order and everyone loved the food! Arrived in time and everything was so good! So happy with our order.

This is my second visit here, and being from SoCal, I had high expectations. I was deeply disappointed both tries. Salads are always my go to. The first salad had shredded chicken, and the rice was undercooked. I also ordered a drink, but sadly found out they hadn't made the ice tea for that day. I inquired about it? And they were I unapologetic about it and didn't offer to refund my drink. Rather than argue, I settled for tap water. The second try I did the grilled chicken. I asked for a wheat tortilla, as I always do, and the lady said, "You want a tortilla WITH your salad?" (It should always come with a tortilla on the bottom of the salad). I said yes, but please no cheese, so she laid it in the container without warming it on the grill. The second girl who built the rest of my salad was grumpy. I asked her if they had ice tea today, and she simply said no. I used to love the ice tea at CR. It is clear this staff is poorly trained in prep and customer service. I am giving 2 stars because the salad itself was good like I remember, but I don't think I will be back. The Mexican restaurant next store seemed to have a lot of customers there, so I will have to give them a try instead. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - The ice tea brewer is available? But no one is making it here. - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Every table was dirty.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The floors and the bathroom were filthy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The woman behind the counter put stuff on my salad I did not ask for, and I wish there was some warning on the wall menu that said asado meant spicy hot. I threw most of my $15 salad out. The best thing was the homemade tortilla. Disappointing. read more

Thank you for the acknowledgement. HQ addressed the issue as well and I look forward to giving CR another try very soon! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - $15 pollo asado burrito, 1.7oz of meat.... - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

Beware if you're on your lunch break and ordering online, there is a very good chance it will not be ready by the pickup time. The people working said they "prioritize walk-ins" with no good reason as to why. I ordered my meal about 20-30 minutes before my requested pickup, I feel there was plenty of time to put my order in the flow before I got there. I ended up having to wait an extra 10 minutes since they hadn't started my order, defeating the purpose of ordering ahead. Unfortunate since the food is good. read more

Whoever owns this place should really look at how slow the line moves. Your employees are turtles! Uber driver nightmare too! U have to wait for ur uber order for least 20min! Dont come! read more

Wow just the worst. We went there around 5pm, there were about 8-9 ppl working just standing around sipping on their drinks and just doing nothing. No one is in line either, we got to the front, waited for ppl to greet us and no one said a word to us. We keep waiting for someone to serve us and to talk to us. The workers made eye contact with us and then said nothing and keep doing their own thing. We said hi and still got ignored. We end up walking out bc no one served us. I don't get it, do you guys just not want business or is your business motto, get out of here we don't want to serve you? Glad we got bad service bc the place next door is way better anyways. Everyone reading this, go next door to taqueria. They are a way better than this lame place. read more

Cafe Rio is a household favorite - quick service and flavorful food. I much prefer this over Chipotle or Taco Bell. The prices aren't necessarily cheap but the portion sizes are decent - plus the fresh ingredients. This location was clean when we recently dined in. The chips and queso were great in addition to our burritos and enchiladas. I enjoyed the carne asada in my enchiladas. I thought it was odd that they had closed down the specialty drink dispenser considering it was 7pm...they don't close until 10. They had two of the drinks behind the counter that we could have asked for. read more

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Tried cafe rio for the first time! Kinda crazy we haven't been here yet. It was a little overwhelming at first but I think we've got how to order down for the next time we go. The food was good, however, I would not get the sweet pork again. It was wayyyy too sweet and even overpowered all of the sauces and other ingredients. We ordered the tacos and the burrito with sweet pork. We also ordered a side of the chips, guacamole and salsa. I tried the ranch sauce also which was reallly good!! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

This place is absolutely horrible. Almost every time I go in, make a mobile order, or anything, there is a problem. Often the rice is hard, and dry. It is completely inedible. If you get cheese on nachos, frequently it will be not melted at all, which defeats the entire purpose of nachos. Prices are outrageous. I get up charged for a small cup of sauce!! If you order anything, make sure you specifically ask the people on the line and on cashier if a given item is an up charge. Not to mention the portion sizes, which are so minuscule that this place is not even worth batting an eyelash for. If you ask for any more than they give you the woman behind the counter will argue with you about the portion sizes and then charge you for extra meat. The online order system is awful as well. I ordered 30 minutes in advance and my order was still being made when i got there, and I showed up late! Me and my wife will not be coming back. read more

Edit - Response from below asking me to reach out. I did contact customer service immediately after leaving the store at 888-660-1643. They have the information and I requested a call back. They refunded my money. This place needs severe training in customer service. I will never step foot in this restaurant again. Read other reviews, I should have before I went. I believe the cashier needed more training, and the quote manager or shift lead needs an attitude check. Food Ok. Service - absolutely the worst. Overcharged for something I didn't order or receive. Went back to ask for a refund. Girl ringing cash register said ' I don't know how that happened ". I waited for her to finishing ringing up a customer. After two more customers, I said are you going to do my refund? She says I can't stop ringing up people in line, go eat your food first. I come back and ask to speak to the manager. She says the manager is busy. (By the way I can see the manager). I said so you're not going to get the manager? I ask for her name. She refuses. She goes and gets the manager and I said can I speak to you on the side. She accuses me of making the employee cry and tells me I must of been rude to her. She was not there and was not aware of what happened. I ask for her name. She refuses. Left store, being overcharged and called corporate. read more

My boyfriend and I walked into this location on the fourth of July. We immediately were called an awful derogatory name by one of the staff members. Referring to homosexual people starting with the letter F. I don't think this app will allow me to even type it in here. It doesn't allow hate speech in these reviews even though that's exactly what happened The two Hispanic ladies helping the Hispanic gentleman with a cross tattoo on his neck were all extremely unprofessional. They realized that I understood him after they all three had a good laugh at our experience. She told him Shhh and to be quiet. Realizing I was very upset and rightfully so.. We immediately filed a police report and spoke with the manager about the conduct going on at this location. I couldn't believe this happened to us on our holiday trip. We left very hurt feeling and felt way too uncomfortable to sit and eat at our restaurant of choice. read more

A lot of foot traffic for flavorless food, the cilantro like rice didn't taste like lime or cilantro. The hotter sauce was not spicy at all. Spend the extra $3 and go across the street to chipotle , the service was decent. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Pollo asado bowl - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

Not sure why this location doesn't have a better rating. I've had nothing but good experiences here. The prices arn't cheap, but they're reasonable for what you get! I mean, the portions are BIG!!! My orders usually turn into a two-meal excursion. The service has always been good every time I patron. COVID precautions were in place each time I patroned. I used the bathroom once and everything was tip top as far as I can tell in regards to cleanliness. I've been here several times and always have a good experience and the food is always DELICIOUS! read more

Tasty food served here! Staff was very friendly and helpful. Overall it's nice to have some good fast alternatives in the Mexican food space. Large dining area. Prices seems on par. Pork is very delicious. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

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I love Cafe Rio but this location is not great. We ordered ahead on the website with the same order I get, and love, from all the locations I've visited. From Provo to Lynnwood they get it right except here. Go somewhere else. If you order ahead they'll probably just give you a random meal like they did us but if you go in the store you can be entertained by an employee's mother berating the staff over scheduling, so take the 2 hours and head north so you can get what you want. read more

To be honest, this was not a place that caught my attention. A friend had given me a coupon and even then I was still debating on whether or not I would try it out. But I'm so glad that I did! This is one of those "cafeteria" style restaurants where you see all the ingredients and walk down the line choosing your options for whatever you ordered, similar to another popular burrito place. Of course, many people will use said other place as a baseline for comparison. In my personal opinion, I like Cafe Rio better. I ordered a Fire Grilled Steak Salad. During my order, I noticed that not a lot of cheese was sprinkled on. I asked if I could have a little more and they were more than happy to fulfill my request. The portion was very generous and I probably shouldn't have finished the whole thing in one sitting, but it was so delicious that I couldn't stop. The steak itself was very well seasoned and flavorful. It went really well with all the other toppings. The sour cream was a nice complement to the savoriness of the meat and the tortilla strips added that nice texture to the meal. The tortillas are made fresh in-house and they are absolutely delicious. The only thing I would change is to request for it on the side rather than sitting underneath the salad because it was a little soggy in the middle. I appreciate that they offer a wide variety of hot sauces ranging in different levels of spiciness. I did notice that napkins and juice drinks ran low and wasn't refilled fast enough. I understand that it gets busy, but these are items that shouldn't get low for long periods of time. Definitely give this place a try! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Fire Grilled Steak Salad - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

I've had the taco, salad, burrito, and quesadilla, the best I have ever eaten, it was huge and juicy, and the drink selection was great too. i love the pork barbacoa read more

Well where do I start? We were in line with nobody in front of us for almost 10 minutes. While they filled the mobile orders. Food was like a cheap Chipotle. Bland and been sitting out for a while ... Tables are dirty. Dirty bathroom are just dirty. Only one specialty drink at the drink fountain... It's too bad because This used to be a good little chain restaurant. Wh read more

I've eaten at this restaurant for a few years now, and had them cater a few work events as well. I'm wondering if there might be a new manager now though, and I'm not a fan. I stopped to pick up dinner last Friday. The whole time I was ordering, answering the usual questions, the man kept interrupting me, shouting to someone in the back asking about additional supplies. When I was at the cashier it was apparent the pleasant young man was clearly training. The man I assumed to be a new manager made fun of him when he made a mistake ringing my order, pointing to the menu wall in front of him and saying, "See? It's right in front of you, barbacoa p.o.r.k" I felt bad for the kid. Then the condescension was directed at me when I was unsure about a section of the app. He was rude, insulting and sarcastic. When I got home and began eating my salad, the guacamole was so spicy hot my mouth was on fire with the first bite. I hope this was a one-off experience but I'm not sure I'm willing to give it another try. So disappointing! I hope that trainee is choosy in deciding what he wants to learn from his boss. read more

We finally tried this fast food. One of the things that was a bit difficult was finding descriptions of the food on the website. We wanted to order ahead and pick it up. Just no idea what was in the salsa, no description of the level of heat in sauces (their "mild" & "hot" are subjective, tell me what peppers are in it, and if it's acceptable for kids. My kids love "spicy" but not "hot".) I'm not a fan of lots of cilantro, so I'd choose one of the salsas without it. Couldn't find any description. Then no description of what kind of "shredded cheese" they offer. So, we went ahead and ordered with our fingers crossed. Well, it was edible. But it wasn't memorable, not even close. First, the order wasn't ready, and it was 4:30 in the afternoon. No customers in the place. Next, the staff was nice, and started my order as soon as I asked for it. I watched the entire process. The person prepping the food would get an enchilada almost ready, leave it sit there while she answered questions from other workers, refilled sauces, welcomed another customer wanting to pick up an order etc. I knew that enchilada would need to be reheated when I got home. My husband enjoyed his food, he isn't a fan of Mexican. My kids said it was like school food. My corn tortilla was thick, and soggy from the sauce. It tasted more like a flour tortilla than corn. The beef barbacoa was good, lean and not greasy. The cheese was a little sprinkle, they should really offer extra cheese for an upcharge, and I still don't know what kind of cheese that was suppose to be. The "mild" tomatillo sauce was VERY mild, nearly flavorless. Not even an after taste, so if you want a little spice, choose another. And the "queso"....was powdery & chalky, "queso" means cheese, but I can't tell you what kind that was either. Do they make that from a mix or something? And there are no fresh tomatoes offered except in the salsas. Why not offer tomatoes for customers who don't want salsa? All in all, if you want something different, OK. But if you want Mexican food, this isn't the place. It's Mexican food that is "re-imagined". And if you cook Mexican at home, if you're experienced with all the peppers/spices/etc. you won't get any idea of what you're ordering by reading the menu. read more

HUGE. RED.FLAG. AT. THIS. LOCATION. BEWARE! Food: 5/5 Staff: 2/5 Cleanliness: 0/5 I posted a photo of the red sanitize bucket at the fountain machine. What I didn't take a picture of if the guy who was filling it and using it to wash the tables down. Yes, I completely lost my appetite after seeing this. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Sanitizing bucket being filled using the water from the fountain machine. I watched the gentleman fill it up and use it to wash the tables. - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

I have eaten at a different Cafe Rio in the past, so I had expectations. They were not met. I ordered a Chicken Quesadilla, as I have elsewhere. Here it was flavorless. The shredded chicken was bland, the pico tasted like water. The restaurant was busy, which signals a good healthy business. However, it was over run with young children. As the decor is kinda converted warehouse look, the noise of the screaming preschoolers was deafening. People gotta take there kids out, so really just sharing so you have a heads up. No quiet conversations are going to happen here. Considering the level of business, there was only one cashier, and when the young couple in front of me decided to redeem about 4 different coupons and gift cards, the line backed up badly. The poor cashier kept cool and friendly, just seemed like the management needs to look at the kitchen to cashier ratio. There was plenty of staff for someone else to jump in and help ring people out. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Quite the line. Too busy to have just one cashier. - Mexican Near Me - Issaquah, Washington

We love Cafe Rio but this location is hit or miss and lately it's definitely been lacking. I always get the pork burrito enchilada style or the pork salad. I love how you can personalize your order and the employees are often nice. And let's be honest, they have the best napkins! The overwhelming problem is the consistency in what we get. This time I ordered the burrito and the pork wasn't shredded and there was no cheese on top. The pork was mostly in the second half so I had a rice and bean burrito for half and a pork only burrito for the other half. The burrito was poorly folded and was starting to unwrap. Still yummy, but disappointing. We love ordering takeout on their app, which had a nice new update recently but the problem is their system allows for curbside but there's no way to get in touch with the store once you're parked and waiting. I'm sure we'll keep coming back but we may also consider spending an extra 10 minutes driving to another nearby location. read more