Pretty good food for being in a little town. Towns population is 1,222 people so it's limited in restaurants but this nice Mexican restaurant has pretty good food. It's a very clean restaurant with friendly wait staff and located near Walsh's meat market and they sell excellent meats. I ordered the big burrito, taco, rica and beans. The portion size is enough for two people to split. The nice thing about this area of Michigan is it's always about ten degrees lower in temperatures so on hot summer days it's a much cooler get away. We definitely will be back and try more of the menu and the small towns population is so much more laid back and polite than big cities. It's a huge farming community and they act very different than big cities. read more

El Rio - Big burrito combo meal comes with a taco, rice and beans. - Mexican Near Me - Pigeon, Michigan

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Wonderful ambiance and atmosphere! Staff are super friendly and the food is delicious and quick to arrive. Definitely worth driving out of your way to eat at! read more

Very good food, tastes like its homemade when you order. I always love going here and the people working are very nice as well.

I come here every once in a while and the food is always good and of good quality, but they are more expensive than other restaurants. The portions are just about perfect for me but maybe not for some people. As you would expect for an establishment located in a small town named "Pigeon", the menu is rather basic. One thing that doesn't sit well with me is that you have to actually request chips and salsa to start, whereas every other Mexican themed restaurant usually brings them out as something that is just expected, complimentary. The service has always been good when I have visited. Overall I would recommend stopping in if you are stuck in the Thumb area and really want Mexican style food. read more

El Rio - Mexican Near Me - Pigeon, Michigan

Possibly the worst "Amerxican" I've ever had. We sat down around 7:10 on a Saturday. Place was dead with maybe 8 customers tops. Both waitresses were very, very nice. Very professional, unfortunately that's the only good thing i can say about El Rio. We noticed a sign out front that said "Chicken fajitas are back!" After a day spent drinking Corona Extra on the beach in Port Austin, chips, salsa and chicken fajitas sounded perfect. Alas, it was not to be. We placed our orders and they brought us chips and salsa that were honestly the worst I've ever had and considering I've been to On The Border in Dearborn, that's saying something! It was obviously jarred salsa, not what you'd expect at a "Mexican" restaurant. The waitresses continued to visit us to check on our drinks and offer more salsa (for free, even!) Finally, almost an hour later they finally brought our chicken fajitas. They tasted as if they were fresh out of a fajita kit from GFS. Totally over salted, over cooked. This place is horrible, you been warned. read more

We have been vacationing in Caseville for years and one of our stops is always El Rio. Glad they moved back to the original location. The new one just wasn't the same. Margaritas are excellent. the salsa and guac are house made and very good. Chips are always warm and work well with the salsa or guacamole. The tacos are a staple. Very good!!! The fried burrito (think chimichaga) is a personal favorite. Serving sizes are excellent. Fajitas are average but still very tasty. Probably the best item on the menu is the fried ice cream for dessert. I could skip everything else and just eat that. Reminds me of the fried ice cream at Chi Chi's, when they were around. They are small, and wait times do exist. Suggestion is to get there early, especially during tourist season, or later than the usual dinner rush. Never really had to wait for more than 30 minutes, but I can imagine it could get longer than that. We'll be back when we're ice fishing and this summer. read more

Used to be a must stop for us! Sorry stale tortilla chips, cheese wiz really disappointed! Taco Bell would have been far better! No wonder why the place is empty and we are the only people in here at dinner time! Would have been one star if it wasn't for the steak fajita making up for the stale chips and cheese wiz! Sorry after having the steak fajitas with the under cooked crunchy rice had to go back to one star! Great service though! read more

Had dinner there tonight and was really disappointed. Had to order chips and salsa for 5 bucks. The chimiunga I got was 2 1/2 inchs x 2 1/2 iinchs.with a tablespoon of rice and a tablespoon of bean paste. The beef salad was about 1/2 the size of a salad at good mex restaurant. One pop and one water.. Was not worth the $28 we spent. read more

Great food and service! I had the steak taco and the meat is delicious! Cute patio and great music! The owner came to introduce himself. Great guy! read more

El Rio - Patio time - Mexican Near Me - Pigeon, Michigan

Don't know much, checked hours online and called. We got there at 5:30 on Saturday and they were closed, there for they suck.

Food was decent but a little high priced for what what it was. The horrible part was the service. 2 tables in the entire place and 2 waitresses yet we waited 15 minutes to even order and that was only after we got up to find the waitress! Waitresses were too busy loudly spreading the town gossip on the other side of the wall to be bothered with customers. She never even checked on the quality of our meals or asked us for refills. Again, we were one of two tables (5 diners total) in the whole place! read more

Americanized Mexican food which is the way I like it. So yummy that we go often. We just get take out however. Since we have kids and don't like the alcohol signs everywhere or the televisions. You must try it. read more

Hidden gem in the middle of the thumb. Don't be fooled by the exterior...inside is clean & traditional Mexican decor. Food is amazing and the staff is friendly and very accommodating. So happy to have discovered this restaurant. Well worth the ten minute drive from Caseville! read more

Every time we visit the Pigeon / Caseville area El Rio is on our restaurant list. The food is very good Americanized Mexican and the service is prompt and friendly. The owners are usually out serving tables and you clearly can see a pride of ownership. For this visit I had the enchiladas dinner, my wife had the taco salad and the kids all had cheese quesidillas. Mine was just right, not a huge portion but more than plenty. Flavor was great with just the right amount of enchilada sauce. My wife's taco salad was delicious with the shell being not too greasy. The littlest loved the rice and ate a few helpings. This visit was another great visit and we'll definitely be back in the area! read more

I guess I expected "not-so" traditional Mexican food from the get-go. They don't serve the free chips and salsa like other places you have to pay $5 for them. The salsa is a fire roasted tomato salsa which is just "ok" and the chips are warm but, they taste exactly like a tortilla at any store. I prefer mine in the traditional style, thin and crispy! I ordered a sampler platter where the chicken quesadilla was seasoned with store bought fajita seasoning which would be acceptable I guess if the chicken hadn't been drowned in it. The tacos tasted exactly like a Taco Bell soft taco. The little burger was a regular burger. It was supposed to have some special sauce on it but I'm sure it was just salsa and there wasn't much on it. The best part was the pepper jack ravioli's! My husband said the beef tacos he had were better than the chicken (made with the same chicken as the quesadilla). The rice and beans were really dry as you should be able to tell from the picture. The staff was friendly and the decor was somewhat scattered in its theme. I believe it's overpriced for the quality! read more

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Really good Mexican grub in an area I'd never think to look for really good Mexican grub. I've ordered from here twice and both times the food was great. I had the enchiladas with rice/beans and some chips/salsa. It's all cooked to perfection, not much else to say about that! Only giving 'em 4 stars though because my last to-go order was promised in 10 minutes and took about 25. I sat around the restaurant for about 5-10 minutes just waiting until it finally came out. read more

Only been here once but was pleasantly surprised when visiting the Thumb area in Michigan and we are here one night. The outside looks rustic and the gravel lot makes you wonder about the inside but be prepared to be amazed. Inside has a very cool Tex-Mex vibe going and it's very clean. I ate with nine people and no one disliked their meal. We didn't have reservations but still got a seat right away at five o'clock on a Saturday. I ate the burrito and taco. It was excellent and came with a side of beans and rice. Only disappointed when the beans turned out to be pinto and not black beans. read more

El Rio - a rusted door with a sign on it - Mexican Near Me - Pigeon, Michigan

I've only eaten here 2x but I have yet to be disappointed. The owner will come by and chit chat with you which I think is cool, and the staff is always friendly. And the food is great! read more

What a fun place!! Great fajita and chicken pizza! The guacamole was amazing!! The owner was so fun to chat with!!

Just to clarify, this is NOT Mexican food that they serve. Everything is strictly Tex-Mex. I wish they would take "Mexican" as the type of food they serve off of the description. They do not use white queso cheese in any of their dishes; they use a cheddar jack blend that ruins any chance for an authentic Mexican flavor. Chips and salsa are not complementary either. I was disappointed because I wanted authentic Mexican food and am not a fan of Tex-Mex. They rest of my party was satisfied with their meals. The margaritas and daiquiris were ok, not great. Wait staff was accommodating and quick to fill any special requests we had. read more

Fantastic!! Never been a huge fan of Mexican food but this place changed that in one bite, perfect price for perfect food WOW! Friendly staff, very entertaining place all around! And oh can't leave without trying to their fried ice cream! read more

This place is almost always busy and for good reason! The food is really good and the atmosphere is great! Is good for adults and kids, but can get a little pricey when feeding a big family. read more

Clean restaurant, nice waitress....but the food is not good. We ordered steak nachos. It came with 7-11 nacho cheese from a can. The nacho chips, while decent, would not however be worth the $4.00 they want to charge for a separate order. It kind of looks like a Mexican restaurant, but the food is not. Ugh. read more

My wife and I found this mexican place a couple of years ago. They have AMAZING authentic mexican food. The owner is usually there and walks around greeting guests. VERY friendly staff! The food is delicious and I have not found a dish I don't like. Only downsides are you can expect a wait on weekends (although they offer a comfy waiting area) and it is just a bit pricy. Great place for a great date night once in a while! read more

Outstanding service, wonderful food. Definitely not a mainstream chain type Resturant, which is what we sought! One of a kind, fun to be in decor. Will make the 45mi drive just to eat there again. Isn't a refined place, furniture is different from table to table. Fun. read more

Great food, atmosphere and service. When you just need a Mexican fix, this is your place!!

Sure, I could complain about how the food isn't exactly Mexican but I think it would be a great loss to the community without this themed restaurant. We need this place as it is different than the regular burger places and at least has some great decor. I love the drink selection and they accommodate large groups very well. Favorite is the classic enchiladas. read more

Chelsea was absolutely amazing and was so great at giving us drink suggestions. We had the mango strawberry margarita and it was so good. Go there and ask for Chelsea!! read more

If you enjoy quality food and above and beyond service, you will not be disappointed by this establishment. My boyfriend isn't a meat eater, and we both LOVE Mexican food, so we were extremely happy we decided to check this place out. A total hole in the wall in a small town, but don't let that deter you! The inside was clean and spacious. I had the fajita quesadilla without meat and it was delicious- zero complaints. My boyfriend had a bean burrito with avocado and he loved it as well. All the waitresses were so accommodating and friendly, even though they were slammed! We were told not to hesitate to ask any of the servers for assistance if we needed anything- you don't get that kind of hospitality everywhere you go. I love eating out and trying new places, and I don't often leave reviews on Yelp (guilty, I know), but I couldn't not give this place the recognition it deserves. Awesome experience! :) read more

Very Americanized Mexican food. Have eaten there a few times and am realizing a pattern. Anything you order is exactly the same. Chicken enchilada, chimichanga, taco, quesadilla etc... It all tastes the same, just displayed in a different format. Enchiladas are on flour tortillas, should be corn and burritos and chimichangas are half the size of that at a "Mexican" restaurant. The salsa has no cilantro in it whatsoever and you must pay $4.00 for chips & salsa! Margaritas are way too strong to enjoy. Only gave them 2 stars because their saving grace is the fried ice cream. read more

My wife and I ordered burritos. They were pretty good, but served a little on the cold side. The server was great. Worth another visit.

Been to El Rio about 5 times and will be back again. Good value, very clean, nice decor, excellent deserts. Food has been fresh and good portion. read more

We loved this place, there was a line up waiting to be seated. The owner asked if we wanted to get some drinks and go to the patio which we did. It was a little chilly outside and the owner fired up a heater for our table. When we were seated the food and service was good. The owner also gave us a complementary mini Corona which was nice. The fajitas were great, three of us got steak and chicken fajitas and we all liked them. Plenty of food and it all tasted great. My wife had a chicken chimichanga, and she loved it and the sauce it came with she said was excellent. I look forward to returning, but there aren't a ton of tables so you may have a short wait, but it is worth it. read more

Service was very good and friendly. The food is Americanized Mexican. There is no cilantro in the salsa and they use flour tortillas for the cheese enchiladas (should be corn). The house margaritas are very good hosever. Very clean and very nice atmosphere but dont't get your hopes up If you are looking for true Mexican food - you will get the Michigan version of it. read more

Authentic taste of Mexico is accompanied by friendly staff and attentive service. We discovered El Rio only a short time after they opened and have been weekly regulars since. The Fajita Pizza and Quesadilla are world class. Kelly and Jeff make you feel right at home. If you want to feel like you're in Cancun, take your margaritas on the patio in the summertime. read more