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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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Recommended Reviews - Café at Rio

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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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1 year ago

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8 months ago

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7 years ago

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3 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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15 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

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Michael H.

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500

15 years ago

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12 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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Deseo Coffee Shack

Deseo Coffee Shack

4.7
(419 reviews)
5.0 mi
$$

I am so glad we randomly ran across Deseo! Such a cute, clean coffee "shack". They have a unique…read morehot food offering, coming from the off-site kitchen next door, as well as quick bites like vegan (and regular!) banana bread, danishes and coffee cake. Inside + outside seating. We ordered a mocha, canelita and potato, breakfast and guava empanadas. 10/10! Definitely skip the Starby's and swing by Deseo!

My son and I were waiting for someone at the airport and had some time to kill, so we decided to…read morecheck out Deseo Coffee Shack. There's a large parking lot, but I could see parking being a challenge during peak hours. The "shack" is charming and the interior is vibrant and inviting. Seating is limited inside but there's more outside. The staff was friendly and helpful. The menu had a variety of enticing options, but I went with the staff's recommendation of El Paisano sandwich and my son ordered the El Chicano sandwich. I also got an iced almond milk latte with honey and cinnamon powder and my son got an iced Americano. My El Paisano was very tasty. It usually comes with chorizo, but I requested it without. Without the chorizo, the only protein left is an egg, which isn't enough for me so I should have asked for an additional egg on my sandwich. My latte was solid. My son liked his sandwich and Americano as well. We enjoyed sitting outside, taking advantage of the lovely patio weather we had back in May. They have a complimentary water station which was a thoughtful touch.

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Indoor seating
Indoor seating
Inside view
Inside view
Wall mural

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Wall mural
FUTURO

FUTURO

4.4
(190 reviews)
6.5 mi
$$

Came to this coffee shop on a Sunday morning and it was busy!…read more Love the interior design - very minimal and futuristic. A lot of their coffee were Mexican inspired. I got the lechera latte and it was delicious. It was rich and not overly sweet. Would love to visit again and try more drinks next time.

Futuro currently takes the cake for my favorite coffee shop in Phoenix currently…read more I've tried their matcha two ways: 1. as an iced latte, unsweetened. The first time I ordered it unsweetened was accidental, but trying it without sweetener or flavor was what made me realize that their matcha may be the best I've ever had. I've also had their Mas matcha latte and it is also absolutely delicious and simple and still allows me to taste the matcha through the vanilla and sweetness. I've been to other places that serve Kettl matcha, but none have tasted nearly as rich as Futuro's. The atmosphere itself is true to its name. It is futuristic, simple, and beautiful. It is full of unique art pieces of all types, and they sell their coffees and teas as well. I feel at peace inside and they always have vibey music playing at a perfect volume and incense lit. The service itself is one of a kind and makes me feel like I'm at a 5-star restaurant. They bring your items out on a beautiful tray and will always serve your drink with a cup of water on the side if you order it for here. They will even package your food up for you, which I would never expect from a coffee shop. It can be busy at times with a bit of a wait because the drinks are all made one at a time, but it's always worth the wait. The place isn't very big but has plenty of seating given the space. For working from home, they do have wifi but limited outlets. Their pastries served from a local bakery are also delicious.

Photos
Chia: chia, agua de coco, lime. So refreshing!
Chia: chia, agua de coco, lime. So refreshing!
Calabaza: roasted kabocha squash cake topped w/caramel apple. Romanian culture treats with a love for French pastry. Beautiful and tasty!
Calabaza: roasted kabocha squash cake topped w/caramel apple. Romanian culture treats with a love for French pastry. Beautiful and tasty!
Espresso

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Espresso
Songbird Coffee & Tea House

Songbird Coffee & Tea House

4.6
(507 reviews)
6.3 mi
$$

I love the ambiance of this Cafe. It does not even feel like downtown Phoenix. It feels like a…read moresmall quaint village in the north east. The decorations are beautiful. The theme is (as one might suspect) songbirds and the entire Cafe is decorated with small songbird items. As a detail oriented person, I was in heaven noticing all the cute decorations. I ordered the matcha latte and it did not disappoint. My friend ordered an iced americano. Both are classic items and they delivered well. There is plenty of seating inside and outside (weather permitting) and it seems like it would be a peaceful place to study or work. The baristas were sweet and patient and helpful with the menu.

Songbird Coffee & Tea House is a cute coffee house in downtown Phoenix (more specifically near the…read moreRoosevelt Row Arts District) and the shop is located in a historic house built in 1904. Apparently the shop sources coffees and teas from local businesses. For example, coffees = Infusion Coffee Roasters in Tempe, loose leaf teas and chai = Maya Tea Company in Tucson, kombucha = Milly Moon Kombucha in Phoenix, and breakfast burritos = Lua Lua Catering. [Parking]: Mostly metered parking and I ended up parking few blocks away from the shop (plenty of metered parking spots near the intersection of E McKinley St & N 5th St). [Atmosphere]: Inside of this historic house, the wall features the work of local artists. The shop also has a cute outdoor patio area with tables. [Menu]: Apparently Matcha Latte is one of the more popular drinks here. The shop offers 12 black tea options, 9 green tea options, 8 herbal tea options, 4 white tea options, and 3 oolong tea options. *** Matcha Latte (16 oz, iced - $6.25): I was surprised that my drink was sugar free by default and I probably say yes when the staff had asked about adding sweetener. The drink was not as creamy as I thought and it was honestly a fairly mediocre drink. The drink also came with a paper straw. *** A great spot for a casual 1st date due to great vibe, but matcha latte just didn't hit the spot.

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Sitting area
Sitting area
Indoor seating
Indoor seating
Songbird Coffee & Tea House

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Café at Rio - coffee - Updated July 2026

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