Great pizza! Hand thrown crust make it even better. My only disappointment was I wanted a Margherita pizza and they were out of basil. I recommend you arrive right as they open at 11:30 a.m. read more

Got our order wrong. Ordered half pizza with jalapeño, one half without. Pizza was covered in jalapeño. As with all restaurants in Ruidoso, we waited forever. Pizza was good but not great. read more

This is our favorite place to eat in Ruidoso.This is the BEST PIZZA ON EARTH!! The employees are so nice. The drinks are a bit off like everyone said & yeah there is no a/c, but the pizza is AO worth it. read more

The pizzas are huge and so good. My family goes to Cafe Rio every time we visit Ruidoso. During our last visit, we ordered a margherita pizza and a build-it-yourself pizza with green chile. They were both very good, but the green chile pizza was my favorite (I am from the south and don't get to eat good green chiles often). Also, all of the toppings were so fresh. The green chiles had the perfect amount of spice, and the tomatoes and basil were so fresh. We order the jumbo sizes and had PLENTY of leftovers! All in all, this isn't my favorite pizza in the world, but it's my family's favorite pizza place when we come to Ruidoso. It's cute and fun, and I would still highly recommend going there! read more

Cafe Rio - Margherita pizza (*this pic is of a slice that is actually cut in half!*) - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Cafe Rio is great! They're always busy and no matter what the quality of food is awesome!! Worth the wait (on busy nights)!!

Excellent pizza! We are in town on vacation. I stopped in the brewery across the street, Lost Hiker Brewery, and they mentioned that since they do not serve food that a lot of people get pizza from Cafe Rio and bring it over. Of course this intrigued me, so I asked someone at a nearby store if they agreed that Cafe Rio had the best pizza in town and they wholeheartedly agreed. Ok, I had to try it. We finally got around to ordering tonight and it is exceptional. It is of the New York style with a lot of toppings and great flavor to the crust. Order some and enjoy today! In fact, I'm seriously considering ordering some, packing the slices in ziplocs, and putting them in the cooler for the trip back home to enjoy in STL. Although I don't know if they would make it that long without being eaten... Enjoy!! read more

Window service (to go) only at this time. Pizza was thin and extra crispy. Tossed salad with signature celery seed vinaigrette dressing was the absolute best thing we ate. Affordable and tasty eats. read more

T-o-u-r-i-s-t TRAP Save time Save money and go somewhere else Or go here read this and say "damn I should of listened to Alex" read more

Horrible H O R R I B L E place. Customer service sucked. I get it. Your store was busy. Doesn't mean you all have to be so rude. Stay away from here. read more

I have eaten pizza all over the country - NY, Chicago, LA, basically everywhere. If rating on the pizza alone, I would give Cafe Rio 3 stars. It's pretty good, especially for a small town like Ruidoso. I have been here many times over the years when visiting family in Ruidoso. What has been obvious for the past few years is that they are in over their depth and need to 1) figure out a way to expand their services to meet the demand, and 2) develop a better process for fulfilling takeout orders. I called ahead this evening; when I finally got through the line I was told my pizza would be ready at 6:00 PM. Due to COVID, they are currently take-out only. I park my car, walk about a block to get to the restaurant, and encounter a line of about 20-25 people waiting in line to order. One single line for people who are placing orders AND picking up orders. There is no employee outside directing customers, and no signage anywhere to inform people of the process for picking up a call ahead order. I go to the front of the line and after the employee working the table at the door is finished with the customer she was helping, I asked if we had to wait in line if we had a call ahead order or if we can just come to the front of the line to pick up. She said "Either way" and asked for my name. I told her my name and she informed me my order was ready. The customer who was next in line said she had also called in an order and had been waiting in line for FORTY minutes. Her order was supposed to have been ready 30 minutes prior. The employee went ahead and checked out the other customer first, and the lady asked her "Are we supposed to wait in line? I've been waiting 40 minutes." Instead of handling the situation with grace, the employee immediately retorted in a rude tone "It's Saturday night!" The customer said "Well I have been waiting in line and other people aren't, so I was just wondering." The employee then says, again in a very rude tone, "I can't control the line." I get that they are busy, we are in the midst of a global pandemic, the place is currently take out only and busy nights are likely stressful, but the young woman who was working was incredibly rude to the customer in front of me. Not only that, but they need to develop a better process for handling takeout orders. To be honest, I have seen Girl Scouts run more efficient lines outside of the grocery store during cookie season. I wouldn't think it would be difficult to have two separate lines or have an employee call out the name of the person with a takeout order to let them know it's ready instead of having them wait in line for over a half hour and serving them cold food. This ordeal has changed my perspective of Cafe Rio, and has also brought to mind an incident than occurred there a couple of years ago. I was with a few other members of my family and we arrived to Cafe Rio about an hour and a half before they closed. We were told we would have an hour wait, so we hung around outside waiting for our table to be ready. An hour comes and goes, and about 15 minutes before their scheduled closing time, an employee comes outside and says they will no longer be able to seat us because they had received a call-in order for 12 pizzas. After we had waited nearly an hour and a half. Someone from my party asked to speak to a manager, who agreed to go ahead and seat us. We got our food, only to discover a SCREW in the pizza. At the time, we chalked this up to a fluke, because the screw had fallen out of the paddle they use to remove pizza from the oven. However, based on the negative service-related experiences I have had here, I will not return. read more

My family and I went to Cafe Rio twice in three days, and it was just fantastic! We got the calzone, the meat pizza, the spicy bread sticks, and the garlic bulbs among others and everything was superb. And as if the great tasting food wasn't enough, the service was absolutely top notch. Our waiter was super helpful, super friendly, and our only regret was our vacation being over so we couldn't go again! Highly recommend!! read more

This little blue gem was amazing!! We had salads but their pizza looked awesome! We ordered and picked up. You can park around back, street parking is rather congested! read more

Great spot. After a disappointing restaurant experience down the street we decide to put in a to go order and eat at home. So glad we did. The connoisseur pizza and Greek salad were amazing. Fresh ingredients, great crust. Highly recommend. Only reason i didn't give it 5 stars was because it's take out only and the line winds down the sidewalk. If you're not local you wouldn't know how or where to order exactly. Call ahead to order to save time. read more

Pretty sure this place doesn't know how to use their phone. Called about 45 times and it was either busy or someone would pick up the phone and then set it down while they went to rip cigs or do god knows what. They obviously don't care about their customers at all. I sat on the line for about 15 minutes and had an entire conversation with myself and no one ever said anything. I think their strategy is to either have a busy signal or just leave the phone off the hook so they don't have to take any more orders. read more

Where to begin...we came here with a large group, around 20 people, and when the first few of us walked in the door and told them how many were coming the girl behind the counter looked at us like we just ran over her dog and were attempting to have lunch in celebration. They weren't very inviting at all. They made us stand outside while they reorganized the tables even after we told them we were ok with just sitting 4 to a table. Of course since they dont take card for some reason, a few of us decided to go down the street to the bar that had an ATM at its entrance and get some cash. When we made it back we sat down and started looking through the menu, there were several comments printed on the menu that just seemed unprofessional like "order comes with 4 item choices. Dont even think about asking for five." I could do without the sarcasm when I am trying to order my food. They also seemed to have an aversion to ranch dressing with a pack hanging above the register area that said "Want Ranch? Make your own for the low low price of $14.95. Buttermilk and Sour Cream not included." Whats the point in that? Trying to be funny? Is it that hard to make the customer happy that you have to ridicule the way they eat their food? The menu was a bit scatterbrained with several appetizers that didn't seem to fit into an Italian Pizza Place like a couple of greek items and Jambalaya? I ended up ordering the Calzone with Beef Brisket, Canadian Bacon, Peperoncini, and Red Onions. Once again...Beef Brisket? Sounded ok so I tried it. It came with Mozzarella and Ricotta cheese in it all stuffed into a nicely baked shell and it was quite delicious. Perfectly cooked, not really that greasy, and the ricotta was probably the best Ive tasted. I did ask for a bowl of marinara on the side...but that never made it to me. All In all I have to say that the food was excellent but the service was subpar. I would give more than 3 stars, but it didn't seem like they wanted us there. So Caveat emptor. Im not saying don't go. If you must have Pizza, it is quite good. But Im sure there are other places in town that would be more than happy to have your business. read more

Cafe Rio - Calzone - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

The pizza was good I'll admit and the workers were nice a little slow but they were busy so I understand, they only had off brand diet coke which tasted super weird like as if It was coke zero, I got a salad that had vinegarett but when I asked for ranch they said they didn't carry any, what place doesn't have ranch? If you go there and plan to get a salad but would want ranch, bring your own read more

Our first time to Ruidoso and this is where we had dinner. The service was good and the pizza was great. We had the spicy breadsticks. (With cheese, duh) and a half n half pizza. My half was a simple margarita, the flavor was phenomenal, I wish I would have gotten an entire pizza that way. My husbands half was the kitchen sink. Way too many toppings for me, but he really enjoyed it. Bonus- 25% discounts for military. Which is a phenomenal deal. We will definitely be back! read more

Cafe Rio - Half margarita half kitchen sink. - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Pretty good place for Pisa. My hubby and I smelt the place walking by on a Friday, and had to come back for it two days later. The inside decor is awesome!!!!! Very military friendly. It is a small place, so be prepared to wait on busy days. The pizza has a different taste, that's a good thing. Everyone seemed to work as a team, a guy would check on us to make sure we were ok when our waitress was busy. Worth checking out for the decorations alone!! read more

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very average pizza. when we ordered the guy at the window told my pregnant wife, when she asked for ranch, that "ranch only belongs on bad pizza." I guess ranch belongs on your pizza. no better than a digiorno. PS: when a pregnant woman asks for ranch, don't patronize her. you douche. read more

Great pizza! Handcraft root beer is fantastic! I'd definitely wanted to dine in, but due to COVID only take out is possible. read more

They have awesome Pizza and great service! I have been in Italy many times in my life and this is the closest to a real Italian Pizza you can get here! We had a large pizza half and half and shared a big Greek salad. The salad was very good as well and the pizza is the best you could find in town. Super nice service! This place seems to be pretty busy during the day but we went there around 07:00 pm and got a table right away! read more

Cafe Rio - Double pepperoni and white pizza - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Town is busy so plan ahead and don't let the long line at the front door scare you. They are just people waiting for their orders that probably didn't call it in (highly recommend). Ok?/pricey pizza is what you get. I've worked at family owned pizza joint so I can tell you I've had better. Last time I eat here the dough was better but they are cranking out these pies so fast they aren't letting the dough do it's thing. We love our pizza but do we love it this much? My kids are grown so I have options. Good luck. read more

Best pizza ever !! We drive from el Paso just to have it, at least twice a year. This how delicious it is

Credit where it is due. You see, I am from Connecticut. We are without exception, the pizza snobs of America. Pizza as Americans know it was invented here, and our pies (mostly from New Haven) are regulars at the top of the "101 Best Pizzas in America," published annually by The Daily Meal. As of October 2017, we hold the #1,#3, and #8 spots, and eight total pizzerias on the entire list. By far the most over-represented state. Long story short, I'm pretty freakin' critical about this type'a shit ;). But Indeed, I found very good pizza in Ruidoso, New Mexico. If I have a minor complaint or two, the slices we got were just a hair undercooked on the bottom, and $4.00 for a pepperoni slice is a lot. But we were on vacation in a vacationing town, so it's okay. I'd call it New York style more than anything else. Big, thin, floppy slices with plenty of cheese. Pepperoni choice was good. And they send you out with little to-go cups of red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese. I'm a garlic powder guy myself, but hey, it's a really nice touch. Places like this make a community. I'm sending you guys a license plate for your wall ;). read more

Food is decent but customer service is the worst . You are advised to call several hours ahead of time to place order and they never never never answer the phone. I even emailed to see if I could place order or see if phones were down and I was just told it's a busy time and would have to do on phone . I tried from 4:30pm and never could connect . Finally I was in area and walked to restaurant and they had sign on paper plate that they were not doing to go orders and they stopped the phones . They need a better system. read more

You know those hole in the wall places that are so good, you're afraid to tell others about it for fear it will become too popular? Cafe Rio is one of those places. Don't let the ambiguous name fool you. From the moment you walk by the window and see people tossing pizza dough in the air, you will quickly look around to make sure you are, in fact, in Ruidoso. Push your way through a pair of old double doors and you're greeted with a low-ceilinged fun little out-of-the way place. And the pizza is just as amazing as the ambiance! The dough is homemade, thin and crispy so you can taste the great sauce and the right amount of cheese and toppings. After your third slice, you look down and wonder what happened. How'd my family eat the whole thing? You don't want the experience to end! So you pop the last bite of crust into your mouth, hear the crunch and savoy the last taste. You take one last drink of coke, wipe the grease from your face, lean back and feel completely and wholly satisfied. If you are in town, and have a craving for pizza (or even if you don't) make sure and pop in to Cafe Rio. You won't be disappointed. But do me a favor. And don't tell too many people about it. ;) read more

Cafe Rio - Pepperoni Pizza! - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Amazing pizza!!!! We had to wait about 30 minutes!! But definitely worth the wait!! Big and tasty pizza!!! Great service!!! And asked us if we were military!! They gave us a discount too! read more

Cafe Rio - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

This pizza place is our absolute favorite, and we've been to a lot of pizza places. Their crust is quite thin, which we love, and they're always generous with the toppings. A medium pizza could feed around 3 people, and a large could feed around 5-6. Their calzones are also amazing, and we always get their Greek salad. The atmosphere of the restaurant is great, but the takeout service is great too (even during COVID times). I would definitely recommend this place! read more

the place is really small and loud, not somewhere you wanna go if you wanna have a relaxed chat but the pizza is really good and the costumer service is great read more

We love this place! I haven't had any issue with the staff - at all. They don't hang around and chat, but they are working at top speed to make sure everyone gets their food! Bring cash! Great prices and fantastic, mouth watering pizza. The ambiance is casual; the walls are filled with enough license plates and dollar bills to entertain anyone while they wait for their tasty food. Service is quick! From start to finish our lunch took 40 minutes! read more

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Pizza is awesome. Love that it's a hole in the wall. Staff is all really nice. Everyone works together. Worth the wait. Best pizza in town. Might be the only pizza in town....? read more

Cafe Rio - Half cheese half pepperoni regular size - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Simply put: one of the best pizzas I've ever had. And I eat a lot of pizza. Huge pies for a reasonably price, incredible crust, and delicious and generous toppings. Cheesey bread is great too. Plus their covid service is awesome - super fast carryout even on busy days. read more

The food was very good! The cheese is freSH and pizza is nice and hot. But the service was horrible. Our 2 waiters would never attend us to take our orders of drinks until I went to the front and asked. The building was DISGUSTING. It needed to be swept, moped and the walls were FULL of dust and grease. I experienced the most disgusting thing ever... while I was walking to the restroom, the ceiling was dripping and dripped on my head. Thank God this didn't happen before I ate because I would've just walked out of the restaurant. All the flags put up on the ceiling had stains of water. This place need to be remodeled and cleaned. Not to mention, THE RESTROOMS WERE DISGUSTING What a shame that this place was good and for It TO be this dirty? Was a no. read more

Ordered the Pepperoni and Margherita Pizza and the Greek salad. Food and service were great. Cute little place

This is the best pizza my family has ever had. We have tried many places, but for 10 years now, we keep coming back to Cafe Rio. The White pizza and the Connoisseur pizza are our favorites. read more

Shockingly great pizza!! Who knew Ruidoso was hiding such a gem. The service and vibe was also great.

HAVE AGAIN: the kale soup was good, a bit spicy for some, but very nice. NOT HAVE AGAIN: the margherita pizza was mostly cheese, no tomato sauce and very little basil and tomatoes. One star for this. The Greek Salad was ok, but not worth having again. However, the service was friendly and polite. read more

This review is only for the pizza. My friend recommended I try the pizza here and omg it was one of the best pizzas I had in my life! I ordered slices to go, but I didn't know the slices were gonna be so big! It was sooooooo good, it reminded me of ny style pizza. This place is small, so expect a line. If you order to go they will call out your name, I did not hear mine since I was sitting outside. The cheese slice was $2 and the pepperoni slice was $3, but so worth it! read more

Cafe Rio - So good! Reminds me of NY style pizza - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

They get two stars because the food smelled great. Unfortunately, the check in system and lack of training left a group of people outside and waiting for far too long. Other families were marked off the list and skipped and others came and were seated ahead of those waiting. Just get it to go and don't expect too much from the physical location. read more

Best pizza like... ever! The staff is extra amazing and the restaurant is always so willing to help out in the community! Kudos to you guys!! read more