Cafe Rio is located in a busy part of Ruidoso. It's currently takeout only and I'd recommend calling ahead of time to place your order unless you'll be expecting a wait. I had to wait around 30min for my pie. I ordered the Rio Classic ($16) which comes with pepperoni, mushrooms, bell peppers, red onions, and Italian sausage. Their pizzas aren't that large and pricey for what you're getting. One pizza was only able to feed me and one other person. The pizza was really tasty and featured a load of toppings, but the pie is pretty thin. TLDR: Takeout only pizza joint that features quality toppings, but small portions. read more

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

This chef-owned restaurant always hits the mark. Great food, great service. You can also eat at the bar to watch your favorite team.

This is our favorite spot in Ruidoso. We had to get the food to go this time and it was just as good!! Service is great! The restaurant is cozy! A must when in ruidoso! read more

A beautiful huge slice, served up hot with plenty of Parm and pepper. Server was friendly. Atmosphere is non-existent since management continues absurd COVID measures. Only one star less. With pizza this great I'm not sure why there's an interior. read more

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

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This was excellent pizza! We got the "meat" and it was huge, plenty of meat and a good chewy/crunchy crust. We got it to go and it was ready exactly when they said it would be. We go to Ruidoso several times per year, this was our first time at Rio but it won't be our last! read more

As always, the pizza & Greek salad are absolutely the best! Very generous serving per slice as well, it would count for two in most places. Great service too! read more

I'm surprised to see I haven't already given this Ruidoso staple it's well earned five star review! Of course their pizza is the best by far in town, but their service is always superb as well. What I love most though about Cafe Rio is their dedication to the local Ruidoso community. They're frequently providing freebies to the local residents at events and doing fundraisers and giving back to the village. I will warn you, they are often very, very busy especially during the weekends when lots of tourists are visiting. Your best bet is to call your order ahead. Since they have closed their dining room due to COVID, all business is conducted at the front door. I hope that at some point they'll have two windows set up; one for taking orders and one for picking up. It's frustrating to stand in line behind others who have not placed their order when you're just trying to pick up your phone order. I fully realize this is a COVID specific issue, but by this long into the pandemic, some longer term solutions should be considered. read more

Cafe Rio - Half Brisket Half Pepperoni jumbo size - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

I'm back and Cafe Rio is also back in full swing. The pizzas and Calzones are as good as ever and the ambience is rootsy with some awesome music selections and cool ephemera from a long and storied history in Ruidoso. The marinara is tangy and a bit spicy and the crusts are excellent by any measure. The staff is cheerful and attentive. Really it's one of my favorite establishments up here and I'm so glad they survived and thrived over these recent tumultuous years. Looking forward to many happy returns. read more

You could smell this pizza place blocks away! Once you're close you have to know that you are in for a treat. It was always packed with people but you can order at their little window to go. Definitely worth the wait and time. Walk down the street and shop while you wait. read more

Y'all this pizza was SO good. We got the meat lovers and the connoisseur and they were both delicious! read more

Cafe Rio - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Fantastic experience all around. Thank you Gloria for sharing your wonderful stories of your family with us. The eclectic ambiance speaks the right welcoming tone for ALL! A unique surprise we're the restroom door signs. There were none. If you get the point, enjoy. If it offends you, well that a bonus to the experience too. Looking forward to coming back for that amazing balsamic vinegar salad dressing that is made fresh there. Hint to CR... BOTTLE AND SELL IT!!! Sign me up first. Until the next episode CR... RAGE ON! read more

Delicious, high-quality food, great service, and cozy vibe! The celery vinaigrette on the toasted salad is especially amazing.

Pizza was take out only due to COVID, we pick up a regular pizza Rio and took it back to our cabin. It was fun watching them spin the dough in the window while we waited. Thin New York style pizza was excellent with fresh pork, pepperoni, peppers, tomatoes, onions, just excellent and 8 pieces, which was perfect for 2. The price was very reasonable as well! I would definitely go back here! read more

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

i love this place! i had the cheese slice pizza, and chef's salad with a ginger ale it was so good!!

We called to check when they closed not realizing they were takeout only. We were planning to walk from our cabin down there, have a warm bite to eat, and then walk back to burn some of it off! We were a bit surprised when we got there to see you could walk up to place your order, but not in. It would have been nice for them to mention that on the phone and we would have driven. Regardless we still gave them a shot. We got two personal size pies. We did "the white," and built one with pepperoni, mushrooms, and green chille. The white was phenomenal! Super good and light. We both ate two pieces right there in the cold in front of the store, because it was so good we couldn't wait knowing we had an uphill 2 mile walk ahead. The other pizza was not great at all. I'd definitely be back for the white, but not for the regular pizza. We threw more than half in the trash. The marinara wasn't too tasty, and the dough/crust was nothing special. read more

Slow service. Food meh. Pizza dough like cardboard ... if they added yeast and let the dough rise before baking, it would taste OK. Pizza toppings were good. Ambient Music strange blend of techno rave loops and country standards ... bizarre. read more

A must in ruidoso, great customer service, everything you order is delicious from the pizza to the salads, and appetizers.

One cannot go to Ruidoso and not have pizza from this place. It's the perfect thickness. More on the thin side which I love. After walking the shops a little lunch goes perfect at Cafe Rio. I have on other occasions tried the Greek salad, the other pizzas My go to is the Rio special. It's so delicious. We also ordered the spicy cheese bread and that's the perfect prelude to the meal. My only gripe was not being able to sit down and enjoy because of the state mandatory no dining law because of covid. But even that didn't put a damper on the meal. Great food and even better company. read more

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

Pizza and service was great. they had a full house and still got to us quickly. the drinks are bottled sodas! read more

Cafe Rio - pizza slices - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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Update: excellent pizza place. More a dive than a fancy restaurant but the pizzas cannot be beat. They had been carry out only after Covid but their dining room is now open. Highly recommend. read more

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Shrimp Jambalaya: not bad, but the focaccia bread was a big, dry crouton. Calzone: the 4 items that we selected were in evidence, but the baseline mozzarella and pizza sauce were undetectable. So, not a calzone. Disappointing. read more

I'm giving them two stars and I'm not sure why. Maybe pure hope. This was one of my favorite foods for decades. We'd drool over the thought. This time we ordered to go (ala COVID19). Told it would be ready in 45 minutes. Took nearly 2 hours. Zero social distancing outside with dozens of people everywhere. It was late afternoon and very hot to where my 12 yr old became sick and dizzy. We had ordered 2 pizzas and asked them not to be cut. One was rio special which tasted ok. One was a large pepperoni. It was ice cold and hard. The crust on both was hard as in over worked hard. Chewy but not in a good way. We anticipated having to heat them up hence we asked not to be cut. Well the pepperoni was so bad it wasn't edible really. The kids nuked a few pieces because it was dinner and the rest went into the garbage. The medium rio special was fresher but still had a funkiness about the dough. We've been ordering dominos the last year more and more. I've been here 3 solid months and normally this would have been a once a week to every two week order but no longer. I wish the old Rio would return. Please. Like seriously begging for you to get it together. read more

Cafe Rio - Good Greek salad - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

If you're in ruidoso, cafe rio is def. a place to go! We showed up at 7:30 they close at 8, they had our pizza out in 15 minutes! The workers all had super great attitudes, and answered all of our questions. Who ever was working 6/23/2020 the closing shift, should be rewarded for being so up spirited and friendly! Our pizza was literally so great, we went back the next day and ordered 3 jumbo pizzas! You can tell everything is home made, you can even watch them make your pizza through their window! 10/10 recommend this pizza joint for sure!! read more

Cafe Rio - Pepperoni regular (12") pizza - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Great pizza and good cold bottles of root beer. Try the Rio classic pizza! Takeout is always good too.

Our final night on the road, we decided to stay in Ruidoso. We decided we wanted to try a local pizza place and Cafe Rio looked to fit. Initially I thought we were going to have to pass it up. This part of Ruidoso is not blessed with abundant parking, but we managed to catch a spot and went in. The dining room (currently open only during the week) is not huge. I have family members who probably couldn't deal with the assault on your senses from the décor but it certainly provides character. We had a small pizza, cheese bread, and I had a tossed salad. I enjoyed the salad, especially the house dressing. My wife didn't like the dressing and they don't have creamy dressings so this was expected. The cheese bread was good and pretty large, with five good size slices and served with their delicious marinara. The pizza is thin crust and a perfect balance of sauce and ingredients for my taste, light sauce. We had leftovers to take back to the hotel and enjoy for breakfast. An added bonus after seeing the less than appealing breakfast offered there. Final ratings. Parking available- poor, interior - not everyone's choice but I liked it, service- good, food- very good. read more

We live this place! We have dined in and gotten take out and it's always amazing. We love the meat pizza and have had very few others come close to this level of goodness. Only complaint is long waits at times and their closed random days even though their site says otherwise read more

This place is always so good, food wise nothing comes close to it. I am happy that this place has done what others weren't able to do and survived the pandemic. The take out business model it created is flourishing, unfortunately it's claimed valuable dine in space. read more

Best pizza ever! Every time I am in Ruidoso I get it! i have never had a bad pizza here!

Okay so here's my go to pie here... Consider yourself lucky, just don't tell anybody... Black Olive, Chopped Garlic, Red Onion, Basil and Feta. "Well done" for a bangin', slightly charred, crispy crust. Great people, busy, and likely to be the only thing open in the immediate are for chow. Call it in, they'll tell you when it's ready. When it's ready they'll call your name. There's usually a gaggle on the sidewalk because it's takeout only. Many have just placed walk up orders and are waiting. If it's past your pickup time, ask the others around you if you can jump up to the window for a pickup. Everyone's cool, meet some other pizza lovers and enjoy the pie. The salads are good too! read more

Cafe Rio - All that's left. Nvm, down the hatch! - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Well, my New York self was impressed by the quality of this pizza, so I'm surprised at some of the lower ratings for this place. It tasted like I got it straight off a back block in my city. This is street-style pizza, large, hefty slices, DELICIOUS, tasted fresh, good grease ratio, and the peeps at the cafe were mad cool, and still masked up! I love visiting local places, and I would absolutely come here as a go-to for pizza again. Soda prices a tad higher than I'm used to. read more

This place is wonderful. I cannot eat there due to no gluten free, but my husband and our daughter love it! They go once every trip for take out pizza. read more

Good pizza,good friendly service,and nice honest people. I accidentally left my glasses and went back by the next day and they had them in a safe place just waiting for me to show up! read more

The one thing to know about THIS PLACE is that they have amazing New York style pizza. And by that, I mean this is the best pizza I've had outside of New York and tops many of the pies I've had in NY. The second thing to know about RUIDOSO AND MOST OF THE COUNTRY is that many (most) service establishments are facing a massive staffing shortage. The people behind the counter and in the kitchen are grinding, just trying to keep up with orders. The reason why other reviewers have given this place has a less than stellar rating is due to service... so I continue. Have a little situational awareness and compassion. Was the girl at the counter rude to you? Maybe. But if you're so entitled that you take it personally; don't realize that there's a massive line of people behind you, all trying to talk to her; and that she's the only one manning the front... you definitely deserved it. Furthermore, quit posting reviews strictly based on service and folks not answering the phone. Descent places to grab food in Ruidoso are few and far between. Most of us would rather find edible food served by a grouchy server or cashier, than eat the microwave crap served at most of the joints around here (looking at you caliente) by a server with a smile. Pro tip: take your pizza to list hiker across the street to enjoy it as you should, with a beer. read more

Best Pizza I've had since moving to New Mexico 6 months ago!!! It's a busy place so come early or plan to wait. And while you're here definitely get the milk shake. Worth every single calorie. Sadly I have to update my review. While we love the pizza the last three times we've been up here for pizza we haven't gotten to eat it. We've driven up from roswell and there's been a minimum of an hour wait. The hostess has been so rude we've decided it might be better to eat someplace else. While the pizza is great the few times we've gotten to eat it too often we don't get to eat at all. I guess we won't be coming back since it's a waste of a 90 minute drive. read more

Cafe Rio - Kitchen Sink Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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Evidently Mexican food is hard to come by in Ruidoso, New Mexixo. My wife was hungering for some fajitas and directed us to a restaurant called La Hacienda, only to see "the best burgers in town!" on the front. We told my wife to try again. She did, sending us to her next best "Mexican" pick - a place called "Cafe Rio," in downtown Ruidoso. With my mouth watering, I made my way down the sidewalk, anticipating fajitas, only to smell... Italian. Pizza. Hungry, and because it smelled really, really good, I immediately changed my mind on what I wanted for dinner, and a few minutes later I was happily munching on one of the best pizzas I've ever had. (And I've had a lot.) The pizza crust was seasoned and tasty, the toppings fresh, and the service great. But it was the restaurant atmosphere and decor that TRULY made the night. Playful, funny, and filled with things to keep the children playing Eye Spy for a good thirty minutes, Cafe Rio is a definite go to pizza spot in Ruidoso. Forget Pizza Hut. read more

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Always has good pizza! This last time we were craving bbq pizza and we were about to order from dominos but decided to try to support a local restaurant and was not expecting the bbq pizza they offer. It was ok, just not what we expected. So if bbq pizza is your thing I wouldn't recommend getting one from here!! But Other than that, we still love the regular pizzas from here and service!! read more

The pizza at this place was amazing and the staff were exceptionally friendly. My only complaint on this restaurant is that they could do to expand with the amount of business we saw coming through. read more

The pizza is pretty good. I think I would have done ok with just ordering the 2 pieces of pizza. I ordered the smallest cheese pizza which was too much and only ate half. My wife and mother in law ordered a hot sandwich which they liked. For local pizza, this is the place to go. read more

Amazing pizza, sandwiches and food hands down!!! One of my favorite places to eat in midtown

Still not open for a sit down meal! Pizza was good but the Greek salad not so much, the salad dressing was pretty much unflavored oil. Prices are a little high for what you get. read more

Cafe Rio - Large Greek salad and loaded pizza- small - Pizza Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico