FOOD Ok this trumps chipotle x 6 in terms of HOW MUCH FOOD you get for your buck. We all know Chipotle be skimping. And everything tasted soooo fresh as well as the queso. Tbh it's unparalleled ! It was my first time trying it. Next time I'm definitely getting a salad bowl bc like I said, you get full FAST!!! I was craving a burrito, but it looks like I'll have to go to quedoba soon bc theirs are the only ones I've like LOVED. But this was good. $3.50 for a small ramekin of guac tho ‍ They had hortacha, strawberry lemonade, and mint lemonade!!! The real ones know that you always mix the strawberry and the mint lemonade; the healthy ones know that you add water for sure as well SERVICE They were SOOOO SWEET!! Idk I may have been having a slow moment trying to get what I wanted bc I did NOT want too much sauce. She didn't rush my bf and I, made sure we got what we wanted by asking extra questions. AMBIANCE Classic fast food spot, it was clean though ! And they had outdoor seating. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

Starting on my first of the last 5 states represented in my America 250. Going from Qdoba, which started in Denver, CO, we go to the first of 5 western states west of the Continental Divide, Utah. Representing a Utah established restaurant is Cafe Rio. Utah highlights that I never reviewed my very first visit ever to a Cafe Rio. It was a busy Friday night in March 2015 I visited the Seven Corners Cafe Rio. I used to live in Arlington not too far from Seven Corners and had a rough workday on a Friday in March 2015, but it wasn't Friday, March 13, 2015, which was the most rough day in that company where the manager screamed at me even though I was right (see my 3-star Popeye's in Fairfax review from July 2018 which discusses that particular day in more detail). I think it was the Friday before that, but who can remember that 11 years later; oh yeah I have a pretty good memory for that. It was quite cold outside; so it was nice walking in the warm Cafe Rio. I ended up getting whatever the Friday special was at the time because that was the best deal. They had a different special everyday. I double checked with pics posted and found a pic showing the daily specials. Friday was the fish tacos, which it's come back to me now and remember that was my very first Cafe Rio experience. Cafe Rio did away with the daily specials during Covid and now they have a couple of specials, but a lot less than there used to be in the 2010's. The line was long close to 15 minutes to get up to the cashier to pay, but it was worth it! The fish tacos were great, and it was solid comfort food on a cold, rough day. Staff was friendly too. I visited this location at least once more and got whatever the special was on whatever day it was that I went, which I believe was not a Friday on the subsequent visit. Overall, this was a nice memory, and I still like Cafe Rio to this day. It's unfortunate my nearest location is now 17 miles from my home at the Olney, MD one. read more

Any Short Pumpers (RVA) remember @caferio being in the RVA area back in 2015? I was soooo disappointed when they closed, like why do that lol! Welp in our dilly dallying in NOVa we found one (seems to be pretty popular there) and it definitely was a treat and a walk back down memory lane! The space was clean and the staff were friendly! I ordered the bowl with the sweet pork barbacoa (2.9/5 pretty sweet and while being juicy was a plus it made my bowl ingredients really wet) and an array of toppings! Mimi opted for their popular Burrito Enchilada style with fire grilled chicken which she enjoyed (4/5). Both meals were plentiful where we had enough for leftovers! All the ingredients are fresh, we love that the staff took pride in producing a yummy meal and oh they make their own tortillas on a hot comal! If you are near a location they are definitely worth giving a try! read more

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Although I love Cafe Rio, I dread coming in to this location. I prefer online ordering, but their pickup process is anything but simple. You still have to wait up to 10-15 minutes for your order while they're also serving in-line customers. Efficiency could use some major improvements. Would also love to see curbside as an option too to save stress. read more

Came here after my workout this evening and opted to a veggie tostada. My salad was so flavorful and fresh! The green dressing this place offers is so darn good! I wish I could purchase by the bottle. The store was clean and pretty busy for a Wednesday evening. They offer daily specials which consists of a discount counted suggested entree...Wednesday is the Chicken Tostada...so I guess I came on the right day ;) I would definitely take the ride here again! Happy Yelping!! read more

I am a US Military Service member. We love this Cafe Rio for its Monday Military discount. My daughter loves their mint limeade so today (Monday) when we were in the neighborhood we decided to swing by for the limeade. At the counter I ordered the drink and showed the gal at the counter, Katherin, my military ID and right there in front of other customers she mocked me, rolled her eyes and chastised me for using the military discount "just to buy a drink". It was humiliating, and honestly, as a service member, I've never been so poorly treated. When we left she proceeded to mock us, roll her eyes, and bad mouth us to the people in line behind us. I was shocked. She was very young, maybe 17 or 18, very, very immature, clearly lacking appropriate customer/social interaction skills, and absolutely clueless as to the sacrifices service members make for her freedom to mock us. Corporate Cafe Rio and Cafe Rio Manager of this store- she is ruining your brand and customer experience. read more

Recently visited Washington and needed a quick bite... stumbled upon cafe rio... similar to chipotle but way fresher!! The meat was well seasoned and the toppings were very fresh. The portions are huge! Definitely recommend. The service was excellent... it was a quick in and out experience and the place is very clean read more

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I recently discovered Cafe Rio and I must say I have been missing out! It came highly recommended from my friends so I decided to finally try it. I ordered the beef barbacoa burrito with various toppings and all I have to say is WOW! The meat is so juicy and seasoned spectacularly! I wish I could it it forever because the meat combined with the soft tortilla is just amazing. I love how they also give you the option to melt cheese on top of the burrito, which I love. The service is super quick, they build it in front of you. The restaurant itself is a pretty big space with outdoor seating as well. There is lots of seating and usually a pretty good amount of people there. read more

Came by recently midday and saw the horchata was completely empty, the napkin/plasticware station was a total mess, and several drinks at the soda fountain were out of commission. I turned 180 and went to Chick-fil-a next door. If you can't keep the front-of-house in good order, I can't imagine things are in proper shape back-of-house either. Leaving a comment in that I see a business rep is replying, and hopefully action can be taken to tighten up operations. read more

A good go to spot for a quick meal! This reminds me of a restaurant I used to go to in college that I loved. The ranch is delicious and I love that there's the option to make burritos enchilada style. I put the hot salsa on top along with some shredded cheese which was then topped with their ranch. It sounds weird but it goes so well together. I think the chicken was ok, it was a little dry and not too flavorful. Instead of the fire grilled chicken I'll come back to try their pollo asado. The quantity is pretty big so I was able to have leftovers for another meal. Overall a solid spot for dinner on the go. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Fire grilled chicken burrito enchilada style with ranch on top - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

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Best nachos in northern VA. Chips are crisp. Beef is fresh. Guacamole and sour cream never fail. You can get it without any of it being spicy. read more

This is really a 3.5 but you can't give 1/2 stars. I finally got a chance to visit and I'm not disappointed. My first impression is the set up reminded me of Chipotle/Qdoba. It was a little hard to hear the staff preparing my food. I ended up getting 2 grilled chicken tacos, w/Pico and cotija cheese, black beans, rice and a small side of queso. I asked for salsa but had a hard time hearing the staff's response so I decided not to get it. My total came to about$15 w/o drink or tip. The grilled chicken was not as moist or flavorful as I would've liked. But once I added my salsa (from home) and some of the queso on it, it was tasty. The portions were filling for me and I ended up with a little bit of left over beans and rice but it would've been nice to have a fountain drink included at this price. I would like to try a few other menu items so I'll give them another try. read more

Decided to get take out today: ordered chicken taco with half half beans "delicious and it hit the spot@. Move over chipotle, Cafe Rio has one over on you. I also ordered the nachos with steak pinto n cheese, looks really good-haven't tried yet. I also ordered guacamole n chips w/queso and all sour cream, pico, etc on the side. Decided to put down my salad and save for another meal-it's huge. Was going to get some chips n dips but NO chips!! Biggest bummer, I have already notified the restaurant but that means I need to drive n get. Traffic here in VA is ridiculous. 2.3 miles takes 15-20 minutes if traffic is good. 4stars for service n quick response on changing up order before picking it up 3 stars for getting order correct/wrong (no chips). Went back 4+ hours later, explained what happened and was given large bag of chips and a side of green sauce. Thank you, much appreciated that I got the chips. 5 stars for fulfilling my order later that night. Ty-definitely will be back. read more

I haven't been to Cafe Rio in years and decided to go last night. I went around 7pm so I'm not sure if it was because they were closing in a few hours but I felt rushed. They almost put the wrong things in my bowl a few times, and I feel like I was missing something's I wanted because they were rushing me. There wasn't any one behind me. I got the pollo asado bowl, wasn't all that. nachos were decent. Wouldn't go back since it was a 30 minute drive for me read more

I still love Café Rio, which is one of the best fast casual restaurant around this area. The food is much better than Chipotle for the same price or less. It's much more fresh. But I've been repeatedly disappointed by their curbside options, which is why I'm removing a star from my review. Their website allows you to put in the make and model of your car to get curbside pick up. But on several occasions I've pulled up to their designated waiting area and sat in my car 15 or 30 minutes without food. One time a nice patron picked it up for me, because I had a sleeping child whom I couldn't leave unattended in my car. Another time I was the only patron waiting, and the food was waiting on a counter inside, so I walked in to pick it up. Because there are still patrons ordering and hanging out in the restaurant, I prefer not to go in. Café Rio, please improve whatever needs to be done with your staffing to make curbside work! Or remove that option and make it known that it's pickup inside only. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Nachos ftw - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

I recommend ordering on the app instead of ordering inside. My order was completely wrong. Queso is fantastic. Though.

It was good and cheap no complaints I'd come again for a quick lunch. Service was great too

The food here tasted very good! It was a bit pricey in my opinion, especially with the add-ons and I found the ordering process to be a bit confusing, but the food was nice. I ordered the tacos and I found them to be too soggy on the outside of the shell, BUT that did not take away from the fact that they tasted great. The horchata tasted great as well! read more

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I got all the way to the register before I was rold they were not accepting cash. I jate to waste food but I could not pay. They really should post this if it is a permanent policy or even a temporary situation. read more

Cafe rio has been okay, but online ordering here has always been meh, this time, order ala carte enchiladas, was driving home with fam and saw i only got 1, one sad looking enchilada that looked like it was kicked in a wwe comp into the container, beware DO NOT order online from here EVER. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - One sad ass enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

A really good fast casual Mexican restaurant. Really good amount of food and food options to customize (A)

Our order was embarrassingly inaccurate. The enchiladas did not contain any cheese, and our chips were not included in the bag. Unfortunately, inaccurate orders and missing items are typical of this store. Edit (5/28): Following the business manager's response to my review, I'd like to add that I've contacted corporate customer care on multiple occasions to seek reimbursement for order issues. However, the corporate team is not the one with the ability to resolve these issues -- that responsibility rests with store management. They should take responsibility for, and seek to correct, these ongoing issues (not defer to corporate). read more

My wife and I are from the west so we are very familiar with Cafe Rio. That being said, the food here is hands down much worse quality than any other Cafe Rio we've been too. The staff is friendly and the place is clean, but too many times have we been burned by our meals just not tasting good. Tonight for example, my burrito was dry and the rice felt almost stale. My wife's salad dressing tasted like sour cream. It's just not worth the gamble to come here any more, we'd rather wait till we're out west to get actual Cafe Rio quality food. read more

My wife and I used to be huge Chipotle fans, but the quality of ingredients in the Chipotle burritos have fallen off over the years. The only time we really go to Chipotle is when they have chorizo, because the chorizo is really flavorful. The food at Cafe Rio is fresh and tastes amazing in every bite. Every ingredient from Cafe Rio is as fresh as can be, whether it's the lettuce or beans or avocado, every ingredient is crisp and fresh! The portion sizes at Cafe Rio are great! The salads are ginormous and come with a fresh made tortilla and fresh made cilantro dressing! The burritos are very big as well, just as big as chipotle, if not bigger, and they come with lettuce and pico de gallo on the side! The salmon tacos are really good as well! We didn't like the shrimp tacos as much, but that's because we're not fans of fried fish tacos, we prefer the fish grilled! The horchata is yummy and so is the mint lemonade! We love going her for dinner and would recommend it to anybody that likes food like chipotle. The queso dip here is amazing as well, if you like nachos, definitely get the nachos, we really love the queso dip here. You may have to request the queso dip if you order the nachos, because they usually just load it up with a ton of shredded cheese. The also have a chips and queso selection if you don't want lettuce, beans, chicken and guacamole on you nachos. The customer service at this location is great too, they always seem to have a lot of energy. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Barbacoa burrito, enchilada style with the sauce on top of the burrito! - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

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I enjoy Cafe Rio. If I'm hungry, I'll pop in (or order ahead) for a salad or tostada, both of which are filling and fresh. If I'm not too hungry, I can get two meals out of them. I like ordering on the app because it makes customizing your meal option. It's not really Mexican food so I wouldn't go to fill a craving but it's great for a grabbing a fast and tasty meal. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Tostada - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

was looking forward to try it. I asked for corn and she was about to give me flour tortillas. the pico de gallo had so much water that it softened the tortillas. when I ask at the register if I can add salsa she said those were at the beginning. i told her i was never asked. she said that's why they have tags with the salsas names. had flavorless tacos drenched in liquid from the pico de gallo. will probably not comeback. read more

Fast casual Mexican food. My favorite meal is the tostado with sweet pork. It's satisfying and a good portion. The chips and queso is also delicious. The restaurant has mobile app ordering (which works pretty well) and is fast at making food! Lots of parking and two gender neutral bathrooms. read more

I have had wonderful ordering at experiences at Cafe Rio over the past few years, but I will never be going back after finding a roach in my salad this evening. I contacted customer support and was refunded (thank you!), but I felt it necessary to post this photo so others know that the restaurant is not clean and bugs end up in your food. This is not ok - no one should have bugs in their food! Such a shame - I'll never return. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Roach on chicken in salad - disgusting! - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

I'm leaving this review more for the business than future customers. The establishment was clean which was nice, staff was initially nice however after checking out one of the ladies said "pendejo" and to be frank I can't speak Spanish well enough to know if she was talking about me or someone else but regardless just didn't feel good hearing it as I walk away. Your shredded chicken soaks in water which i think is the least safe way to store your chicken on the line, additionally it looks disgusting and unseasoned when served. The most upsetting part of this experience was the salsa. I got a scoop of tomatillo sauce and a scoop of habanero salsa on my burrito, could taste the tomatillo but I mean where was the spiciness from the habaneros? Like I swear a two year old would eat it and think it was watery. Anyways maybe just work on not saying curse words in Spanish when customers are near as they are easily misinterpreted and you need to figure out your salsas cus they are straight garbage. read more

I only come here on Saturday's since thats the only day they have their special shrimp tacos. It is sooo good! I have had their beef and chicken as well and those are also good but my favorite is the Cajun shrimp! They also have coconut shrimp as well. I like that their ingredients are fresh. They are usually packed during lunch time but they tend to move the line fast. They have a variety of drinks at their drink bar (the pic is attached). I haven't tried their specialty drinks as of yet but I do plan on it soon! The interior is very nice and the staff is friendly. They have plenty of seating available. They are located in a shopping center off route 50 and they have ample outside parking. Tips: Download the app, you get a credit and earn rewards and you get updates on their specials and promotions If you come during lunchtime, I suggest getting here before 12pm. read more

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7/6/19 This place has its moments of good and bad. Today; however, I noticed a few things. Mist of the crew I have seen here before has changed. The attitudes have changed too. The dude who greeted us seemed friendly at first, but seemed to have his mind elsewhere. I thought his focus could use more focus. Especially when I saw his grill. The grill was caked with dried and burnt food and it was sticking to new food being cooked. The dude did not want to cook the food the way my wife had requested. It was a small request that took effort, but for whatever reason, he did not seem to want to do it. A young girl who looked like she was in tenth grade took my wife's food for the last few steps. She seem to have a bit if an attitude, but got worse when she took my order. Not sure what's bugging her, but I did have different words about bugs to use in a sentence. I will keep it nice. Aside from that, the good was good, but I don't know if I will be back here anytime soon. read more

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Cafe Rio has, unfortunately, gone downhill. For some reason, they've stopped offering shredded chicken in their enchiladas. I got the Carne Asada and Grilled Chicken instead (both were at an upcharge). Both meats were dry and tough. All I could taste was salt and lime. The corn tortilla's were soggy and tasted microwaved. What's going on? read more

Mistakes were made. I wasn't in the mood for Chic-fil-a next door so figured to give this place a try. I got a enchilada style burrito. The wrap and presentation just were not there. The employee did not care when I asked for just a little bit of the beans and proceeded to put a full scoop and all the bean gravy inside the burrito. So it was literally bits of beans and beef swimming in sauce under a tortilla cover. I should have gotten nachos because the burrito was not the appropriate vehicle for how the food was served up. read more

My family always shops in the seven corners shopping center and we pass by this restaurant. One day we decided to meet up with a close friend that was headed to the restaurant for dinner. So impressed with menu and pricing. We got the mangers special and our daughter got kids quesadillas. Plenty of food and it was very delicious! Service was great, staff was very friendly. Perfect for a weekday dinner spot. read more

Love the lunches here. Can get very, very crowded, so be warned and plan ahead, but the food is great. Staff at this particular location are great as well. Very friendly, helpful with the menu, and very fast. Plenty of seating inside, and a few tables outside as well. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

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I come here once a week because I love the food. The customer service is TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!! God, every time I come here there's a customer service issue. Who is managing this place? read more

This place has pretty good Tex-Mex, large portions, and decent prices, and good for satisfying a Mexican food craving. It's kind of like Chipotle style where you order how you want your food (burrito, enchilada, salad, tostadas, tacos, quesadillas), and you pick what kind of meat, sauce and beans you want inside. I got the smothered burrito, which has enchilada sauce inside the burrito, and on top, and it was huge. Inside, there was rice, black beans (or pinto beans), cheese, and meat - I got the fire-rubbed chicken, which was $1 more, but probably tastier and better seasoned than just the shredded chicken. The burrito was made and heated/toasted so that the cheese on top was all melted. It was served with some lettuce and tomato/pico de gallo. My husband got the sweet pork barbacoa and it was a tad too sugary/sweet for his taste. The burrito was $9.78, which isn't bad for something you'd probably get at a Tex-Mex sit-down restaurant for $12-13, or more. If you download the app, you can get $5 off, and they also have a special every day - you can check the website for what the daily special is. Overall, this is a good place to come get a burrito and a ton of food for a good price. I'm looking forward to coming back anytime I get a hankering for Mexican food. Parking is ample, as it's in the same lot as Safeway and Target. read more

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The food here is absolutely delicious. We're new to the DC area, and this place is way better than Chipotle, Moe's, etc. The fresh made tortillas make a big difference. Customer service is meh, there's a big language barrier. The 3 times I've gone it's mostly Hispanic women working, and typically the one taking the order has to get another coworker who speaks English a little better if you have a special request. Not a huge problem, but because of that my wife's order has been wrong before. Also, it's pretty pricey. For my wife to get two tacos a La carte, and me a chicken quesadilla, no drinks or sides, was $27. I would rate this place a 3.5 star if I could, but the food is so delicious that I rounded up instead of down. read more

These amigos know how to make some mexican food. Got the pork salad with house dressing, which was HUGE and hugely delicious.Very wisely chose the carne ascada as my meat of choice which came with piles of lettuce, salsa, black beans, thin tortillas. It was so good, and only for $6.95! Also got the taco and enchilada grilled combo with grilled pork and grilled steak, which I thought was equally tasty and a good sized portion for $7.95. Factor in the outdoor seating, which is a little odd that you're sitting in a busy shopping center in Falls Church but still a nice option nonetheless, and you get a solid 4 stars. Me likes! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Salad w barbacoa and carne asada enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia

Great food at reasonable prices! We ordered the shrimp tacos (Saturday special) and a sweet pork burrito both of which came with rice and black beans. Both were delicious! We also tried the horchata beverage (rice milk with cinnamon) and mint lemonade I really like both! There were a few other handcrafted beverage options that I'll have to come back and try sometime in the near future! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mint lemonade and shrimp tacos with black beans and lime rice of the side! - Mexican Near Me - Seven Corners, Virginia