We have been going to this restaurant for years. It's name recently changed from Rio Grande but it is the same place (even the menus still say Rio Grande on them). Why did the name change? I don't know. But nothing else has seemingly changed. The chips and dip are gratis and great- we also always get a side of quaquamole to go with it. If the chips come out room temp, ask them for hot ones- it's worth it! We love the fajitas and I always get the Pollo Asado with a side of corn tortillas- yum!! read more

Rio Chico - Mexican Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I just went for happy hour! lol What a great set up this place is--outdoor dining, spacious atmosphere, and a bar set up which could rival any sports pub. So many TVs to watch! I had a margarita and no joke, it was the best one I ever had at a Mexican restaurant in Charleston. It's around the corner from where I live, so oh oh. :) read more

Rio Chico - Mexican Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Used to be our go to spot in amongst many other competitors in west Ashley. Recently adjusted the menu, raised the prices and largely reduced the quality of the meals. Last two times were disappointing, plates were larger and quality was less. Very little seasoning in the Meals. Hopefully they can figure it out. read more

My favorite stop when in the mood for Mexican food. They offer many selections on their multi page menu. I recommend choosing on of their many combination plates to get a variety of Mexican specialties on one plate. Drink specials are available happy hour weekdays 4-7 read more

I usually only write positive reviews because I don't want to hurt anyone's business, but I am making an exception for this place. Coming from California having had authentic Mexican food my whole adult life, I have to say this place has the worst Mexican food I've ever eaten. The ingredients were not fresh, chicken tasted like rubber. My order was doused in fake melted cheese to the point where I couldn't taste anything else. The rice was over cooked. My wife ordered the taco bowl and had to send it back because the beef tasted sour. The server was very attentive so we tipped her over 20%. read more

This is our neighborhood Mexican place. We have never had anything but great food and great service until tonight. Just left so over this place. We sat forever waiting for drinks and chips. Ordered the chicken chimichanga - it came as pork and no guacamole salad , just some shredded lettuce with sour cream and a rock hard tomato. Would have sent it back but she never came back to check on us. Worst meal ever and worst waitress ever, we will not even give it a second chance read more

Awesome authentic Hispanic grub! Friendly staff! Ask for Pancho, he'll set you up right! Only downside, if you find it to be, is they have a very small bar area. But you can always tuck in, belly up, and have at'em! Great place for families! Throw a kick-ass may 5 party! read more

Rio Chico - Enchiladas Mexicanas - Mexican Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Good food, excellent service. We frequent the restaurant for big family dinners and they handle our parties well. Noemi was awesome today during a crazy Cinco de Mayo! read more

Rio Grande is the only Mexican Restaurant that offers Pollo Yucatan; that I know of. It's my favorite Mexican meal of all time. Try it if you like food with a kick! Pollo Yucatan is two grilled chicken breasts (pounded thin) topped with queso cheese, poblano peppers, and chorizo. Check it out in the picture section. The sides included are Spanish yellow rice and a salad (whole avocado on top of lettuce and cucumbers). I've been here numerous times--no less than a dozen. Everything offered is as expected as in any Mexican joint. They do offer margaritas in different flavors, which is fun. read more

Rio Chico - Pollo Yucateco (grilled chicken topped w/chorizo & poblano peppers, smothered w/queso). Delicious! - Mexican Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

It's not Mexican food ,,,,No taste,,,only sour food,,,,with sugar in it .... like it went bad ,,,, No cheddar cheese ....only mottezzrella overload.... I'm from calif. I know authentic,,,mexican food......this place is false advertising Don't go and waste your time and money read more

My wife and I just ate here. The carnitas tacos were great. The service on the other hand was the worse I had seen in a long time. The waiter was rude from the time we sat down. He didn't check on us not even ones even though he pass by several times. We end up asking another person for refills. When he brought the ticket we waited over 10 minutes to pay but never came back. I paid at the cash register and went I explained my experience to the gentleman behind the counter he seemed not to care. We will never return or recommend this place. read more

Generous at two stars. Just wow. Worst flavorless water sauced enchiladas I have ever had. The cheese was thick and flavorless. Watery refried beans, but at least edible. The rice which I usually never like anyway, actually wasn't bad. But still no flavor. The pictures should show you how little I actually ate. I deconstructed the enchiladas to get the meat and chicken out just to eat something. Really disappointed in this place. Won't be back here that's for sure. read more

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Came in due to dying for a Mexican food fix. Overall I would say the food was good but the cleanliness of the restaurant could have been better. It is the only reason I gave three stars. Dirty glasses, dirty silverware, dirty salsa bowl... After asking for a new salsa bowl and silverware the second set was fine. Could have just been bad luck. What I liked was how quickly the food arrived, the flavor of the food and also the convenience of check out. If the restaurant was a little cleaner I would have given 4 stars read more

I knew this place before it went to Rio Chico and had always loved it! It's difficult to find decent Mexican when you're used to going to Mexico or Southern California so I am very spoiled on good "Mexican" food. So I have course placed my order online and was able to have it brought out to my car, to avoid people walking in to pick up there to go orders, because they didn't call the restaurant to let them know they were there for pick up. Food is fabulous! I actually could not believe the portion sizes that I had gotten from them this time! I always get a quesadilla or fajita burrito always with steak. I really enjoy their different salads they offer but this time I was going more for the comfort foods, refried beans and rice quesa dip! And as always they did not disappoint! This was from the West Ashley restaurant on Magwood Drive, if you haven't tried it definitely give it a shot if you've been there before this is your friendly reminder to continue to help our local restaurants during this unusual time in our lives where we can't conjugate in large groups. read more

So I will start out by saying it cost about $42 with tip for 2 people to eat and have sodas. That is high for a Mexican restaurant especially since the food was in my opinion below average. There was nothing memorable about the food. It was lacking any flavor or anything that would single it out as a place to go to. I definitely regret going here.. we only stopped out of convenience after leaving Magnolia Plantation. After we ate I felt bad wasting that much money here. Everything taste like it come out of a can. read more

Great food and fast courteous service. Fajitas and large burrito very good. Chips still warm and fresh salsa!! read more

We've eaten there 3 or 4 times and there has been one consistency. Very good food and bad service. It's very disappointing because we really enjoy the food and margaritas but almost all the servers we've had act like they'd rather be somewhere else doing something else. We usually get there around 7 on Fri or Sat and the place is practically empty and everyone working there acts like they can't wait to go home. Can't figure out why they are all so unfriendly. It just makes for an unenjoyable meal. If the service was better, this would be a twice a week place but as of now, we have no plans to go back to this location (Magwood). read more

My "go to" Mexican place. The queso with chorizo in it is my favorite! The salsa is great- not too spicy like some other nearby places. Huge menu, so there is bound to be something for everyone. I usually get a burrito of some kind and they are always yummy. Huge mugs of beer and really good margaritas keep me coming back almost weekly. Love it! read more

Rio Chico - Can't go wrong with queso, burritos and margaritas! Yum! - Mexican Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

The last two visits have been slow service, no one checks on you for drink refills, etc. and I have to track someone down to get my check and a take out container. No longer my favorite Mexican restaurant. read more

Terrible. I ordered what I thought was going to be a chicken burrito and that gave me some skinny broke mans version of an enchilada in red sauce. The tortilla was generic at best and just had chicken inside with no other filling. We also ordered two servings of pozole which was average. I should have known better than to order Mexican food in South Carolina. It shouldn't matter, if you are going to be a Mexican restaurant, do not cut corners and do it right. Not going back. It is 2020 now and restaurants as a whole need to up there game!! read more

Rio Chico - "Chicken burrito" - Mexican Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Little hole I'm the wall restaurant that packs a big punch... food was quick, fresh, and staff was very helpful with questions regarding the menu. I asked for a margarita on the rocks not premixed and bartender was nice enough to oblige... the service was fabulous and efficient. Location was kept clean as soon as a patron left dishes and area were disinfected and wiped down with disposable towels. read more

Rio Chico - Great portions!!! Wonderful staff - Mexican Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Stopped in on a Thursday night for dinner. Margaritas ordered then glanced over the extensive menu. I settled on a trio of enchiladas, fiancée went with the fajitas. The enchiladas were good, very flavorful. The accompanying rice and beans were okay, nothing to rave about. The fajitas were good, shrimp and chicken were seasoned and cooked perfectly. However, the beef was lacking in flavor very bland. I'd repeat for the enchiladas, but not order the fajitas again. Forgot to mention the margaritas...we order a pitcher of the house margaritas. Something was off, maybe overly sour. Might try something else from the bar on the next visit or at least not do the house blend. Service was spot on, our waiter was attentive throughout the evening which makes me want to visit again. read more

Went out of my way because of a second-hand recommendation the other note. We were at The Lights of Magnolia, (so-so). I heard it was national Margeritta day...... so! OUTSTANDING in all categories, starting with the host and a nice hello. Barely seated, we were asked a drink order..... not a difficult choice! The best Margaretta I've tasted. Both of us enjoyed our dinner and prompt service. We decided, even though it's a 3/4 hour drive, it's our only Mexican Restaurant from now on! read more

Bare minimum Mexican restaurant. If you're not looking for much, go here. The staff is flighty - never around, and when they ARE around they are pushy and rude. On several occasions our waiter left without taking the entire table's order. For drinks, he completely skipped/didn't ask for my order. Then for food, he skipped a friend. The food was okay, really nothing special. I ordered a beef quesadilla and a Large Margarita. The Quesadilla was small, thin, flavorless and greasy. The Margarita was a sugary neon-green mess. It tasted like Gatorade Sugar Water. No fresh flavors, no tequila or lime taste. It must have been a mix. When we asked for our checks they were wrong. It took THREE tries until they were accurate and the entire process took an additional 20 minutes. Awful. I don't come to West Ashley very often now that I've moved to North Charleston, and don't plan on visiting this place again. read more

This is a hard review. I was hungry and staying at a friends apartment nearby. Knowing only downtown restaurants, this was a gamble especially knowing that my Mexican food knowledge doesn't reach further than Taco Bell. The atmosphere when I entered was pretty cool which made me switch from take-out to dine-in. I ordered a large beer and large it was. For food i first ordered fajitas which i had mistaken for quesidillas. So i changed it against the feeling of my waiter. I must say... This was the best choice ever! Savery, juicy, awesome! When the bill came though, i saw they charges my first order so i told the cashier and she went to ask the waiter. My spanish might be not existing but i do know body language and once again the waiter was rolling his eyes. I did got the right check but nobody was happy with me changing my thoughts all the time. Might been my bad... But i did liked my choice! read more

I was very pleased with my experience here. I've only been once, but I will come again to sample more dishes. Location to my house is key, because I do not want to drive all the way to the peninsula from West Ashley for Mexican food, but I'm also not going to settle for any Mexican restaurant. This location was easy to find and we were seated promptly and waited on accordingly. Nothing spectacular, but the wait staff did their job effectively. The food was really tasty, as I ordered the tortilla casserole dish with chicken, and it was very good. Probably the best re-fried beans I've had. My wife ordered the chimichanga and my son had the quesadilla. He didn't like it because of the onions, but I did my fatherly duty and ate the rest of it and really liked it. read more

Good food for a good price... Always quick and food is always hot. Haven't been disappointed in anything that I've ordered. Chorizo Grilled Taco is one of my favorites! Been coming here for a while now and we'll continue to keep coming back. read more

Rio Chico - Grilled Chorizo Taco and 2 beef tacos... A La Carte - Mexican Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Solid Mexican restaurant. Cheese dip is tasty and not too spicy which makes my kids happy. The chicken soup is amazing and even better the next day for to go orders. The restaurant is clean and the servers are friendly. Worth a visit! read more

This restaurant is conveniently located in a shopping center with ample parking. Seating is quick and service is friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is family friendly and upbeat, which is pleasant. The food and drink are a hit or miss. We got margaritas with our meals as we were there for our friend's birthday. They were large but not very strong. It's awesome that you can get any one of them frozen or on the rocks, though! And they are pretty inexpensive for what you get in size--I just don't think there is much alcohol in them (or at least the frozen ones). For food, we first got the nachos "supreme" which literally just added lettuce tomato and sour cream. They came in a "supreme-ly" small basket. They were soggy and incredibly hard to eat. Also--not very flavorful or tasty. I was really disappointed with these. We also were started with the chips and salsa (every table gets this to start) which was really good, in my opinion. Be careful when you pour the salsa though, it comes out FAST. The fajitas were definitely the best thing on the menu. Our friend had the enchiladas which he said he enjoyed. The portions are decently sized (minus the nachos) and came out VERY quickly. I'd go here again with the knowledge I gained from that first experience, but the first experience was not very good. read more

Well, we meet again Rio Grande. When I lived on Hwy 61 this was my go-to mexican restaurant. I was there visiting this past weekend and couldn't resist lunch since we were so close. This may have been my first visit here without an alcoholic beverage! Too much stuff to do to get a good buzz going. I ordered the beef taco salad and my sister ordered the same with chicken. I am usually never(and I mean never) dissatisfied with mexican food. This was a first. The beef had been cooked into a slush. That's the only word for it. Well maybe soupy. I've never had a "wet" taco salad. Even my sister's was runny. She said she was having a hard time finding the shredded chicken? What? It didn't keep me from rating half of it though... But don't get slack on me, Rio. read more

If I lived W. Ashley I would come here more often...great atmosphere and service. Food is very fresh and portions are ample. Clean and serene restaurant. Definitely have to make another trip back! read more

Hidden away in the corner of a strip mall. You don't expect good things from strip mall places, but Rio Grande is one of my 'go-to' places for some good US-Mex. I order the same thing every time I go now, look on the back of the menu and get the side taco carnitas. They're less than $4 each and very tasty. The carnitas are pork, which is slow cooked and then pan seared so the meat gets a little crispy, but still tender and moist on the inside. There's not much more than a pork confit taste to them, so you do need to ask for cilantro and onions on the tacos. The tacos are served with a small side of pico as well, which brightens the flavor considerably. The only down side is the corn tortillas they're served on - bagged and rather bland, but for less than $4, what can you expect? The chips and salsa are pretty damned good here with warm, light and crispy chips and a fresh, light salsa, which didn't taste like it came from a can - very nice. My favorite Charleston US-Mex is still La Nortena, but Rio Grande is doing a very good job at keeping some simple, tasty, and well priced menu items. read more

We have been eating here for eight years. It was one of our favorite go to prior to COVID. It has changed and the last three times for eat in has been really off. Tonight, we finally experienced enough and will not go back. THe place was almost empty for dinner. Waited for our food for more than 25 min, when it arrived it did not look like we typically get. The flavor was off and I found something like a piece of wood in the meal. That's it......hopefully they can get whatever is ailing them fixed. read more

The first thing I noticed after walking into this restaurant is the extremely detailed murals. Many of them take up an entire wall and depict characters with "Rio Grande Takeout" and tequila or martinis. Many are being chased by wild dogs, some are cow tipping in a distant field, and cows are getting loose from the herd only to get caught in a river. Regarding food: I ordered a chicken tostada and it arrived hot and delicious. My husband ordered a chicken fajita quesadilla platter. Not typically being a fan of Mexican food, I was pleasantly surprised to find he was very pleased despite his review of how quickly his food was prepared. Regardless, he loved it and had no repercussions later. Thanks oodles for the amazing food, Rio Grande. We loved it! read more

We love Rio Grande. It's our new favorite fast and affordable Mexican restaurant. A must try is the Pollo Yucateco. I found this from another Yelp review and order it almost every time. Haven't been able to find it at any other restaurants. Grilled chicken topped with grilled peppers and chorizo with flour tortillas to wrap it all up. Go for it! Chorizo grilled tacos and carne asada are delicious! I also love the chicken soup. This is the closest Mexican restaurant to our house, but a little hard to find. It's located on the side of the Food Lion shopping center. I'm sure gald we saw the Yelp reviews and gave it a try. We will keep coming back for more. read more

Good food, good prices, quick service and the horchata is amazing!

Being from Texas, I am not easily impressed with Mexican restaurants but this one was impressive. Some of the names of the dishes are different but the salsa and chips were right on. The "cheese dip" aka chilli con queso was a bit thin but had good flavor. Both of our meals were excellent so we were very pleased with this place. Recommend it for pretty authentic TexMex food. read more

I enjoy lunch here 2x a week and have yet to be disappointed. Quick service to my table and food is always hot and great quality to the palate. Give it a try if you are in the area! read more

This is the best Mexican restaurant ever margaritas are amazing the food is even better and to top it off it's super affordable I'd give it 10 stars if possible read more

Food here is no frills. And that's fine. Price point is good too. Pretty good tacos, ceviche, and shrimp cocktails. Not the best, but it certainly hits the spot, and miles better than Sr. Teq nearby. Too bad it's tucked away by the side of the shopping complex so it's hidden, but glad it's on the way as I leave the gym so I can negate the benefits of my workout. read more