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    Café at Rio

    4.3 (15 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Café at Rio Photos

    CAFÉ AT RIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Bonnie G.

    First off, this is a college cafeteria and it makes no qualms about that. Secondly, this is an amazing lunch place for foodies on a budget. Not only is it based on sustainable, local produce sourced daily, their prices are insane. I bought a huge plate of salad, fruit cup, large iced coffee and a coffee cake for barely 8 dollars. And it was all huge servings and delicious. The atmosphere is crisp and clean and decidedly modern without being too cheeky or smirky about it. You still have all the food stations you remember from state run institutions like the salad bar, the pizza bar, the hot meal bar and the deli counter. The baked goods and coffee stand is a little across the ways. I rode my bike from work, excited after reading about the cafe in Edible Phoenix that I could finally have a quick lunch place to go to that wasn't fast food. There were helpful signs around the driveway but hard to find parking for my bike. I was overwhelmed by the set up when I first got in and probably freaked out the poor employee ordering a Greek Salad at the salad stations b/c I was overwhelmed by the size of his entree. However, for $3.25, I got a huge half salad that had: quinoa, flax seed, sunflower seeds, local goat cheese, fresh cut peppers, tomatoes and spring mix with a just made cilantro dressing. Incredible. The fruit cup I bought for $1.75 tasted like real fruit, they had plenty of soy milk for my iced organic coffee and the coffee cake was delicious and huge; I shared it with 3 co-workers! It tasted truly home-made too, you could actually taste the egg, butter, milk, brown sugar, etc that made the silky textured dessert hard to resist. The phrase is over-used a lot, but considering very few people know about this place, it is truly a hidden gem and worth you getting to know it and their admirable mission. After all, you gotta love a lunch place with compost-able plates and cups!

    Tuna melt and fries.

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    Photo of Donna B.
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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great potato soup today!! I didn't have enough room for a burger. The burgers here are the best.

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    2 years ago

    We are so lucky to have the Cafe @ Rio. The food is always great and their is a nice variety.

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    2 years ago

    Great food at great price! I love supporting a sustainable kitchen on a college campus!

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    16 years ago

    Helpful 12
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    10 years ago

    Helpful 3
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    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
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    5 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Michael H.

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    Photo of Yolie C.
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    15 years ago

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    13 years ago

    There are many better places than this for anything. Poor hours not very good don't eat here unless you have to even than maybe just wait

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Café at Rio

    We are so lucky to have the Cafe @ Rio.

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    Perfect Pear Bistro - Lemon garlic linguine + shrimps

    Perfect Pear Bistro

    4.4(1k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    We ordered a blackberry mojito and pear martini. The mojito wasn't to our taste, so the bartender…read morekindly swapped it for another pear martini. Afterwards, he mentioned that he tasted it and agreed about our comments- I appreciate that level of attention. Shortly after, the food arrived. Spicy pork tacos for me, and BLTA for my wife. The tacos looked a little overdressed. I was so wrong. Flavor and texture were balanced perfectly. The tortillas were firm, but again, perfectly suited to the juicy pork, that had a teriyaki vibe. Sprouts, carrot and cucumber toppings worked well, despite my expectations. The BLTA was HUGE. Great flavor. Both entrees were ordered with sweet potato fries. Unusual cut to them, but seasoned perfectly. I paired mine with chipotle aioli and ate every last one. My only complaint is that I'm only spending one evening in the Phoenix area, and won't be back soon. I would eat this food three times a week without hesitation.

    I would say this place is very yummy for people who like healthy food haha!…read more It wasn't my absolute favorite, but it was definitely good for being on the healthier side! I got the strawberry salad as a wrap, which was pretty refreshing. I think next time I'd probably try the pasta instead haha! But the sweet potatoes were deliciously great! The spinach dip was yummy! And the Alex mocktail was SO tart and delicious! It tasted just like those fruity fruit rolls haha! I added a photo because reference! Haha The restaurant was a little smaller, so seating was pretty busy. The girls working were dressed pretty casually in T-shirts and gym shorts. I guess that's the style they're going for? It was a little odd to me, but okay haha! Overall, it was a good place to grab lunch, especially if you're looking for something on the healthier side!

    Photos
    Perfect Pear Bistro - Interior

    Interior

    Perfect Pear Bistro - Tomato Basil (Soup of the Moment)

    Tomato Basil (Soup of the Moment)

    Perfect Pear Bistro - Pear mule

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    Pear mule

    Café at Rio - coffee - Updated September 2026

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