OMG, their food is so delicious and portions are good size compared to Chipotle. I will never go back to Chipotle again. I will continue to drive 6 miles out of my way just to go to Cafe Rio. The manager is really nice as well. I placed a mobile orders d went inside to wait for it as I placed it while sitting in the parking lot, manager even offered me a drink while I waited which I thought was very considerate of him. I have tried their Shrimp Tacos & Steak bowl and both were so goodddddd. read more

This place is awesome! Best fast-casual Mexican around. Way better than Chipotle. Sweet pork salad was amazing and their house dressing is super good, service is quick and super polite. Clean place and tons of options for beverages like lemonades and horchata. All their protein options are awesome and there is something for everyone. Give it a try you'll love it! read more

Bottom Line: Quick serve Mexican inspired cuisine. Any new restaurant in SP is a very welcome addition and that includes Cafe Rio which serves salad, burritos, tacos, quesadillas and such. The concept is similar to Chipotle or Qdoba but what I like about Cafe Rio compared to other quick serve Mexican spots is the spinning tortilla griddle. Ultimately the tortillas are a bit thicker than I prefer but I enjoy watching them puff up and get cooked on the spinning griddle in advance of placing my order assembly-line style. So far I've only had the salads at Cafe Rio but one day I might branch out and try daily special or the nachos. Specials include things like shrimp tacos. If you order nachos they'll sing Nacho Man (a variation on the Village People's Macho Man) which is a bit much for me being I'm an introvert! I've been to two different Cafe Rio locations (SP and San Diego) and I found them to be consistent. Cafe Rio has Coca-Cola fountain products, iced tea and various other non-alcoholic beverage options. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Cafe Rio in Severna Park - Mexican Near Me - Severna Park, Maryland

If you haven't had the fresh, homemade flour tortillas, you're missing out. Can someone please explain to me how Chipotle is more popular? I don't get it... read more

I have been a Cafe Rio fan since it's humble beginnings in Utah. I HAVE to have it whenever the opportunity arises! This particular franchise is exceptional! SO clean! The people working were so friendly! There were 5 of us dining and we had a steak burrito, 2 sweet pork salads and 2 original chicken salads. All were delightful. Ingredients were fresh and stuff that was supposed to be hot, was hot and the stuff that was supposed to be cold, was cold. Love the tortillas! They are SO good! And the creamy tomatillo ranch (the house dressing) is good enough to drink! read more

Other Cafe Rio restaurants are generally pretty good but my experience with the Severna Park location has made me come out of Yelp retirement just to leave this garbage level review. We ordered using the app to make sure everything would be accurate. The order looks correct and when it was time to eat, we couldn't be anymore wrong. Wife ordered the Nachos with the sweet pork without beans. Expected to get the guacamole, pico, and sour cream but nope, all we got was a tiny amount of sweet pork and queso on top. Next was the enchilada burrito. Everything looks ok until I start eating, and it's missing the sweet pork and the habanero sauce! I can live with it missing other things but you cannot forget the main ingredient! I wouldn't have written this review if my burrito had the sweet pork. We drove over 30 mins away so we couldn't easily complain, and we couldn't just leave since we are both teleworking. Stay away from this place! We will gladly drive further to other Cafe Rio's rather than order here again! read more

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If you don't get the sweet pork here, you're crazy! This restaurant is one of my favorites. Their sweet pork salad with everything in it is absolutely unbeatable in flavor and texture. Expect to pay about $10 for lunch here but the portions are gigantic and it's hard to finish one entree in one sitting. The restaurant is always clean and the staff is pretty nice. I like all the natural light that flows in from the windows. They also play music, which is nice. They do 50% off for military on Mondays which is a MASSIVE discount!!! Taco Tuesdays and Salad Thursdays are also really good deals. I LOVE THIS PLACE! read more

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I come here about once a month bc I really love their ranch dressing with cilantro. I like the tortilla under the salad too. The lettuce is always wet and that really bugs me. They either don't have ice tea or it tastes terrible. Today I think they mopped the place with something that has a lot of fragrance and it smelled like cheap cologne. I wish this place was better bc my son likes it. read more

My husband and I drove past Cafe Rio when we were on our way to Ocean City and he insisted we come try it soon. Glad I listened to his suggestion - this place is legit! It's similar to Chipotle/Qdoba in that you get in a line and decide on your selections along the way. One key difference is that they top your burrito with queso and run it through a little oven - yum! I personally chose the shredded chicken burrito and it was phenomenal. The portions are enormous (and very fairly priced in my opinion)so knowing that now next time my husband and I will share a burrito! The employees are friendly, the place is super clean , the prices are reasonable and the food is delicious! read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Shredded chicken burrito... YUM! - Mexican Near Me - Severna Park, Maryland

This was my first visit to Cafe Rio. The routine is similar to Chipotle where you que up and go through the line pointing out your selection of ingredients. They are marketing fresh, hand made etc etc. The line moved very slow, but it was fascinating to watch all the activity in the kitchen. They load up the entree and I mean load up, huge portions and run through a small conveyor pizza oven. I can see this being a bottle neck when the place gets crowded. Line staff was friendly and helpful. They broke into a song when the guy in front of me ordered nachos. LOL. The food is very American style Mexican, definitly not authentic Mexican, like a particular establishment in White Marsh or the one by the airport. The meat is more on the BBQ side and lacks the Mexican spices and oinions.Prices for the amount of food served was impressive. Split your dish because it is large. This is not the place for authentic Mexican but there is a big market for this style cooking. Overall you get a lot for your money. read more

Very delicious food! The quantity is great and everything is so fresh. The salsa and the lettuce feel like they're made fresh. All the meat also taste healthy and great. Definitely recommend. read more

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Fresh tortillas, grilled meats, always delicious! Also love orchata, limeade, lemonade, Tres Leches for dessert, so so good.

Always the friendliest people working and such a clean restaurant. Food is so fresh and delicious too, way way way better than the other place you can create bowls that starts with a "C" and ends in hipotle :) Was even offered a free drink while I waited today. Love this place so much!!! read more

Felipe is the best! i just went in close to closing time and he welcomed me with a bright smile and a great attitude. we need more people like him! read more

Reminded me of Chipotle, but better! The service was quick and the food was fresh. Not much more I could want from a restaurant.

Look out Taco Bell and Chipotle! A new Cafe Rio is in town! Delicious food! Friendly staff! Fun, fresh , and fantastic food! Limeade bar is to die for! Family friendly, plenty of parking! I love this restaurant! read more

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Went for the first time with my son during a thunderstorm. They had people at the door helping us in and making sure it was not slippery. Walked right up ordered very easily. Some of the staff were not speaking loud enough to be heard over the counter but the food made up for it. I'm from Texas and I am super picky on where I get my Tex-Mex from. My only complaint is what they consider spicy it's not really spicy. read more

Wow can I just say how great this mexican restaurant is, I cant even put it in my own words how good this place is. You definitely have to try this place out. 10/10 Staff is a little messy but overall the food was great we dont have this in canada(but we definitely should) read more

Delicious, fresh, and great service at affordable prices. I had the Nachos with beef, salsa verde, pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole. The portion was huge. My husband had the shredded chicken quesadilla with a side salad and it was also a big portion. The restaurant was very clean inside and outside (we ate outside). Overall, we had a great experience. read more

Welcome to Severna Park! Solid Tex Mex with a lot of options (including great condiments/toppings for food, fresh options, etc.) The queso is also delicious. I was a little weary to see another Mexican style fast casual come to the area, but Cafe Rio is definitely different and has more options than some of the other spots. Shout out to the Manager, Alexis, who is so nice, helpful and a great face for the Cafe Rio brand! read more

Came here at 12:30 on a Saturday. Ordered through the app and requested curbside pickup. Easy process. Got to the store. Tons of signs on all the windows and doors but none explaining where to go for curbside pickup. I pulled in the "to go" parking spaces (I was literally the only car parked in the lot) and waited 5 minutes before I gave up and attempted to call the Cafe Rio phone number. After listening to their garbage automated phone prompts giving me information not related to my call, I just gave up and went in. Not a single customer in the store and my bag was sitting on the counter. When I asked an employee what the deal was with curbside, he told me "Oh, I was doing inventory". I WAS YOUR ONLY CUSTOMER during a lunch "rush". Why couldn't another one of the employees that were standing around notice my car outside for the 5 minutes I waited? read more

This was my first time here at Cafe Rio and it was so delicious!!! I had the grilled chicken tostada and it was fresh and packed with flavor. I really enjoyed my lunch. Also, great service. They were very patient with me as this was my first time ordering here and the menu was unfamiliar to me. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Severna Park, Maryland

Ordered from here twice recently via door dash (try to pick up as door dash charges $6 for a delivery fee! Absurd!) very pleased with the food. Much better option than the nearby chipotle and qdoba who are constantly leaving things off the order that was paid for or sending burnt cold food etc. I got the steak quesadilla and chips and quest which were both tasty. Will order again. One suggestion and reason for the 4 star rating rather than 5 stars- whoever is making the drinks for the to go orders needs to keep in mind that when customers order and pay for a drink, they expect a drink. I could have gotten a cup of ice from my freezer. read more

Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Severna Park, Maryland

Worst food ever! Went when they first opened. Not much of a choice for non-vegans! Meaning no vegetables or salad or .... why is I so hard to get meat and cheese all by themselves?? read more

Phenomenal food/service quality. Anyone who gives this place less than 5-stars is crazy. They have quick lines, outdoor seating, plenty of drink choices, and amazing food options. Chipotle and QDoba are shit compared to this place. The staff is friendly, and inviting. I would come back here every single day if I could afford to. The food is also extremely affordable, and you get so much of it. They sing if you're new, and if you get nachos. Everything is made from scratch/made fresh everyday, and the tortillas are made right in front of you. Places that make made-from-scratch food are rare, and I'm so happy there's one close by with affordable meals. read more

Since my first review I've been back four times. Probs no 5th time, tbh. Whoever owns this place has it understaffed with untrained kids. Which isn't fair to the people working there, they're set up for failure. This place/company/franchise needs a way better onboarding process for thier employees. You can tell managers are overwhelmed and employees are beaten down. Food quality has been steadily declining and my order has never been right (even on my original review). Lettuce was wilted and slimy, chicken smelled off on most recent visit. I gave two stars because the tortillas are good when not floating in pico juice. read more

Always my favorite. Has been insanely consistent since they have upped their game. Fresh food, don't expect chipotle. This is better. I recommend the pork salad! read more

I have been eating at Cafe Rio for 26 years and normally love it. I got the same Grilled Chicken Salad I always get and it was disgusting! Both the chicken and tortillas were burnt. The lettuce tasted weird... like it hadn't been washed. The horchata tasted watered down. Complete waste of money! Very disappointed in this location. If this was the first time eating here I would never go back. I wish I could make them eat what they just served me, maybe then they would think twice about serving food this gross! read more

They just opened, food was okay. I was shocked they don't have guacamole! Very few veggie choices which is disappointing. At least at the other Tex Mex chains they have guacamole and peppers/onions. I would say that there are a few very easy things that they could do to make themselves more competitive in this area.. otherwise I wouldn't be surprised if they don't stay open. At this point they wouldn't be my first choice :( read more

Muy Delicioso. Great Food! Order the Pork Burrito enchilada style or the Nachos with Queso! You won't go wrong.

I wasn't sure of what I was walking into curiosity brought me in and I went in the que to see what it was all about went with the owners recommendation which was a grilled chicken spicy burrito the employee asked if I wanted it spicy I said medium and he put a brown sauce int the burrito asked if I wanted cheese on top and rice & beans inside which I did want black beans. I added guacamole. The burrito was put through an oven that melted the cheese on top. I added a soda & out the door was $16.00. The burrito was good and something different. The guacamole had great flavor. All in all it came out to a very tasty pricey lunch. read more

Have tried the new Severna Park location a few times and I'll admit they are consistent. The food just doesn't sit well in my stomach. Cafe Rio is an over priced Chipotle. The employees who work the service line rush you and don't explain what comes with the items you order. I'll continue to eat Chipotle or Qdoba and save the extra money. The quality of the food does not meet the higher prices compared to the competitors in the market. read more

I've been here twice. We've had burritos, salads, nachos, and enchiladas as well as guacamole, chips, salsa, and queso. They also have rotating fresca and horchata flavors. Foods good, however there is NO A/C. I stood in line both visits with sweat pouring down my face and spine and watched the employees drip. I feel terrible for the employees. Several told me there is no AC at all, and since the kitchen is open to everything there is steam and grill heat on top of the 100* day. I won't be back until they treat employees better and I don't have to sweat to eat. read more