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    Rio Ranch Cafe

    4.5 (164 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 1:00 pm

    Rio Ranch Cafe Photos

    RIO RANCH CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Rio Ranch Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Migas
    James F.

    I'm laying in bed; my preferred hotel suite in Kerrville. Eaten at many places for breakfast along Sidney Baker (main strip). Consulted Yelp and a hmmm moment. The hotel I'm staying at has a breakfast buffet that's number 2 on the list. I can't tell you how wrong Yelp actually is on a recent Sunday. I put my big boy Wranglers on and headed off to sway the internet into a different direction. I've had plenty of Bourdain moments in my life. Eat local, get the cream sauce (no actual cream sauce exists here). Have a drink in a empty bar (they don't serve alcohol). Sent the GF in to secure a table while I found a parking space (PACKED LOT). Once seated in a two top service was pleasant but there were a few flaws. Like, toast without jelly offered. Don't think I've ever seen anyone dip white bread into refried beans as an alternative. I opted for Migas sorta based on our servers recommendation. I mean, they offer Eggs Sardou. And, brisket, Tex-Mex staples, biscuits, and homemade Blue Corn Tortillas??? Plus, sauce game off the charts with unbelievable red and green salsas. Ok, enough teasing here's the deets. My Migas were interesting but missed the advertised Chorizo as the menu described. Also, interesting that they top the dish with an enchilada sauce. GF chose the Brisket omelette with eggs and cheese mixture. Happy girl minus the lack of jelly offered. And this is where it got real. We sat next to many local families; discussing city issues (Ingram proper) which we overheard. Single men dining all the way to just couples like us. We finally threw in the napkins and headed to the counter to pay only to learn that someone had already paid our bill. This IS the restaurant you need to visit!

    Menu - front
    Martin F.

    We're spending the week out near Hunt Texas and went out to go see what the local dining options were and this is an amazing place. It reminds me of a place we went to when I was growing up. That said, if they don't have it, you don't need it. Their menu is 10 pages and they serve breakfast all day I went for the chicken fried steak sandwich and it was incredible. They marinate it for 72 hours and dry spices before they cook it. It was tender. It was flavorful and oh my goodness it was huge. I went for the homemade kettle chips instead of the french fries because the french fries are "seasoned" which means they have some coating on them to make them seem crisp long after they come out of the fryer. But I really don't like those. The wife went for the daily special which was a huge piece of fish, three shrimp and two sides. She had the corn and the potato salad and she thought everything that was on the plate was just amazing. I got to taste the yeast dinner roll that they served with it and it's the real deal. Service is quick and fantastic. Great sense of humor. They knew all the specials and the details and the 10 different sizes they're offering that day. Very friendly. We got exactly what we ordered and we couldn't have been happier. The place is clean and comfortable. I would recommend you not sit underneath or even maybe next to their air conditioner. Other than that, I don't think there's a bad seat in the house. It's strongly recommend that you come give it a try

    Rio Ranch omelette and beans.
    William L.

    Adequate parking, and it wasn't very busy when we arrived. We seated ourselves (standard) and our server arrived quickly. Ordered our drinks, which arrived quickly. Our server didn't seem very friendly or personable, but not rude, just there to do a job. Our food arrived quickly, and first impression was the food looked good but not thrilled about it being served on a chipped plate. Oh well, not a big deal. The Rio Ranch omelet was very good, not great, but I would order it again. Overall a good choice to eat, especially if you're in the area. I do feel as though they've dropped down a notch or two from how they used to be, but maybe it was an off day. Ambience is standard small town diner, nothing special. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and rate 4 stars, but would rate a 3.5 if possible.

    Migas (tortilla strips, chorizo, cheese, pico de gallo) Hash browns Refried beans
    Gregory G.

    I don't know if it's a Texas thing or a Kerrville thing but this is another restaurant that gets tortillas right. Rita's and this place are the best tortillas I've ever had and they both here within a couple miles of each other. I had the Migas and my friends had a two-egg and three-egg breakfast. They were all delicious. Mine came with two handmade tortillas (I asked for a third) and life was good. Our waitress was friendly and quick. The inside of the restaurant looked appropriately Tex Mex. They had ESPN on the TV above us. Plenty of seating. Will definitely return and may need to take some tortillas with me.

    Gary W.

    While staying between Kerrville and Fredericksburg, I saw a great review for Rio Ranch Cafe's Chicken Fried Steak and decided to try it for breakfast with eggs. The steak lived up to the hype, with excellent breading and tasty gravy. I didn't sample other menu items, as this was my first--and likely last--visit, being from Seattle. I'd recommend it if you're closer to Kerrville than Fredericksburg.

    Chicken and waffles
    Missy S.

    When we arrived, the place was packed. It was our first time eating there, and the atmosphere was comfortable. After sitting down and getting our drinks just right at 1 PM, the manager unexpectedly put up "Closed" signs on the doors. This surprised me since I had checked online, and it stated the restaurant closes at 2 PM. Be aware that the posted business hours can be misleading--be sure to arrive at least an hour before closing. The food was delicious! The chicken and waffles, chicken had about 30% fat that was too tough to chew, which I wasn't crazy about. However, the eggs were cooked perfectly, the bacon was just the right crispiness, and the toast was good. The fruit wasn't bad either. The menu can be a bit overwhelming as it includes a variety of options like Mexican food, sandwiches, seafood, breakfast items, and even pies. Next time, we'll definitely try a slice of pie!

    Joe L.

    Stopped in for breakfast at a spot that looks to be a staple for the area. Consuela was my server and even though they were busy she greeted me with a smile and made me feel welcome. I ordered the Three Eggs with Meat and a coffee. I must say, this place serves up a STRONG and very hot cup of coffee...it will supercharge your day! The breakfast was a standard fare and overall was hearty and good. Solid food and excellent service from Consuela!

    Kids pancake meal
    Andrena F.

    What a great little gem out in the middle of nowhere (I'm a NYer) friendly service, lots of options and large portions of quality food! If you're out this way. Stop by and get a really good meal at a GREAT price.

    Rachael J.

    For a diner cafe, this meets all the expectations: Fast service, good food, extra large menu, & big portions. They also had warm syrup and the staff was sweet. We came here when staying across the street at Jellystone. This is our second visit to Rio Ranch Cafe and we will definitely be back (possibly this afternoon).

    Runner-up winnings... good job Rio Rancho Cafe!
    Linh Y.

    After I checked out of WorldMark Hunt Stablewood Springs, I drove to Rio Rancho Cafe in Kerrville, TX, for a quick bite before heading to my next resort stop. OMG... I had the BEST SEAFOOD basket ever! It came with 3 lightly battered fried catfish strips... deliciously moist and delicately textured... so yummy!, 4 standard sized fried shrimp... also lightly battered and was not overcooked which was good... love my shrimps!, 1 stuffed crab which was really salty IMHO... my least favorite item in the basket, seasoned french fries were the B*MB!... very crispy and just tasty... I wanted to get some to-go, but ended up not getting any to-go since I had some driving to do... didn't want my fries to go soft LOL, and coleslaw that had very light dressing... it was okay. Of course, I had to order another item besides the basket... David's Tacos. I got them in flour tortilla per recommendation from Priscilla (the server)... she says they hold the ingredients better. The other choice was the blue corn tortilla. It came with 2 tacos stuffed with blackened salmon filets, salad greens, guacamole, shredded cheese, pico de gallo and their house dressing, served with two sides... I got rice and beans. Tacos were of good portions, but the salmon filets lacked some flavor... I don't know how much more flavor can blackened be, but maybe some good marinate would have been nice. Vegetables were very fresh. Rice was a tad tough IMHO, beans were good though. Overall quick bite turned out to be a big lunch and I had leftovers... never fails in my foodie book! LOL Priscilla was pleasant and friendly. She was very attentive throughout my dining. Restaurant had a very country style feel to it... lots of tables... they even have special dining area for larger groups. Prices were very reasonable for great tasting Southern foods. Please open a restaurant out in So Cal... we would love to have you! Thank you Rio Rancho Cafe for a fabulous lunch! Happy Dining!

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    4 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    4 months ago

    awesome breakfast, great lunches. The Philly Cheesesteak is huge and delicous. Great chicken fried steak & many others

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    6 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Excellent food with huge portions. Breakfast is served all day. Very tasty brisket served a variety of ways

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    1 year ago

    Wonderful food. Locals eatery with large portions and delightful wait staff. Best breakfast and fabulous desserts...

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    1 year ago

    Great service and good food. Many menu options. I highly recommend it. Lots of variety on the menu.

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    1 year ago

    Amazing Food and Amazing People that work there. You can't Go Wrong with this Hidden Gem.

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    10 months ago

    Chicken fried steak was huge. Never had straight broccoli without cheese but ok. Filling meal. Good service.

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    10 months ago

    Great home cooking! Service is great! The waitresses will jokingly pick on you! Fun atmosphere. Try to go often.

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

    If you like Tex-Mex or chicken fried steak, home cooked style, this is the place in Kerrville.

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    5 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Food is consistently great. Service is good, too. This place stays busy because it's that good.

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    Mamacita's Restaurant

    Mamacita's Restaurant

    3.7
    (323 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    OMG - so good! We…read morecome to Hill Country once a year and our visit isn't complete without a meal at Mamacita's. While I wish there was a Mamacita's location in the DFW area, it would be too dangerous for me to :) Today, four of us met for lunch. As always, we were started with their thin crispy tortilla chips with their red and green salsas. And man - that green stuff is so dang good. For my meal, I ordered Soup and Salad. The soup was Tortilla soup and it was great. Good and hearty with a lot of shredded chicken in it. My salad was also great. It was served with grilled chicken and avocado slices on top. It came with a tasty dressing on the side. I also added a big spoon of the green salsa. Our server, Chris O was excellent. Super attentive to our needs and very pleasant. I'd recommend Mamacita's to anyone and I look forward to our next visit.

    We were told "you pay for the atmosphere. The food is okay." But our food was fantastic. I had…read morethe sour cream chicken enchiladas and they were so flavorful. The chips and salsa were good and that green sauce was so unique. We got the queso flameado. The waiter set it on fire, let it fizzle out, and then served each of us individually a fresh tortilla with queso rolled up in it. I've never seen service like that. My kids loved it and their quesadillas. Afterwards, I thought I was too full for any dessert but my kids talked me into going to the ice cream room with them, and that's when I saw the Huckleberry ice cream! I immediately somehow had room and it was delicious! Oh yeah, and the atmosphere WAS pretty fantastic. Very cool and would recommend over and over for someone with kids.

    Photos
    Inside dining area
    Inside dining area
    Tortilla Soup and Caesar Salad Combo
    Tortilla Soup and Caesar Salad Combo
    Ice cream parlor

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    Ice cream parlor
    Francisco's

    Francisco's

    4.3
    (117 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    My son and I love to try a new restaurant every time we go into Kerrville. Today we tried…read moreFrancisco's in the historic downtown. Loved the old building and numerous paintings on the wall! We were attended to promptly and after reviewing the menu we placed our order. I ordered the Caesar salad with chicken and son ordered a ham and cheese sandwich. We watched some regulars come in and hug their favorite wait staffers (which seemed to be everyone on duty!) and check on other patrons to say hi before settling back at their table. The vibe was people on business lunches, retirees meeting up with friends, and a few tourists. I really loved the "homeyness" of watching everyone being familiar with the patrons and the overall friendly vibe. Our order arrived and I loved that the lettuce was cut into small bite size pieces rather than larger leaves which always look like someone grazing when eating off the fork. The bite size pieces were a nice surprise and also loved the grapefruit slice! I love grapefruit so this was so nice to see!! First bite was great! I tasted a hint of mustard in the dressing - not for sure if there was but it was a tangy change of the usual Caesar dressing. I liked it! I had as much as I could and my growing son finished it off for me after he finished his sandwich. I asked him about his sandwich and he said it was the best ham and cheese he's ever had! Hey...I said...what about mine!!?? Oh well. He loved the bread and the Swiss cheese. Different flavors for him and he approved. We didn't do dessert since we had shopping to do. We paid the bill and readied to leave. I noted to the lady group sitting next to us about one of the ladies purse. It was super cute and not the standard luxury fare. They were so friendly to my remark I swore if I commented more they would have told me to join them! Super friendly people, restaurant, and great food!! We'll have to try it again sometime after we try all the other restaurants in town!! You won't be disappointed if you try this place!!

    We had lunch at Francisco's in historic downtown Kerrville the last time we were exploring the…read moretown, and had a great visit. The building itself was built in 1890 initially as a mercantile store, then cycled through a number of other businesses over the years until settling on Francisco's. Besides indoor tables, they also have a number of seating options outside on the sidewalk if the weather is agreeable. There isn't a river view, but it could be good people watching on a busy tourist day. The interior is a single space with high ceilings and tons of art on the walls. It's small but feels intimate not tight. I wouldn't call the place fine dining or upscale, but it's a step above casual. We were there for lunch and I felt fine in shorts and flip flops, but wonder if dinner is a different story. The lunch menu was mostly simple cafe sandwiches, salads, soups, and a couple different nachos/chips and salsa/chips and queso appetizer options. The Mexican food were primarily the daily specials the waitress rattled off for us. Speaking of, service was very friendly prompt, and helpful. Our waitress did a great job helping us figure out what we were in the mood for, offered substitutions and chatted us up on where we were from and what we were doing around town. Great staff. Overall if you're in town and looking for a sit down meal keep Francisco's on your list of options.

    Photos
    Lunch Menu
    Lunch Menu
    One of the daily specials. Enchiladas.
    One of the daily specials. Enchiladas.
    Ham and cheese sandwich

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    Ham and cheese sandwich
    Acapulco Mexican Restaurant

    Acapulco Mexican Restaurant

    3.6
    (144 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$

    Stopped by Acapulco's Mexican Restaurant while traveling for work. The vibe is a nice Tex-Mex…read moreatmosphere and we were seated immediately, even during the busy lunch rush. Service was quick, prompt and attentive, so i definitely appreciated that as I had limited time for lunch. I ordered the 2 beef fajita taco lunch special (7/10). The plate arrived fairly quickly and had good seasoned fajita beef with onions on a flour tortilla. A good portion of rice and beans were also included. The server even asked us if we wanted the green sauce which had a little more spice and it was a perfect addition to the meal. I would say I wished I had a little less onions and a few more strips of fajita beef with the meal. Overall, it was good lunch spot for a quick meal and the food was pretty decent and service was great! Prices were very responsible for the lunch specials at a little more than $.

    Very much a mixed bag. Great, friendly service. Open and bright and fun interior with some fun wall…read moreart. Fairly reasonable prices. My wife really enjoyed her grilled chicken salad entree. I agree it was good, and the portions generous (including the avocado, a favorite of ours). My chile relleno... was disappointing and downright odd, honestly. I know the pepper is supposed to be fried, and that's cool. But it was heavily breaded... and I mean, there was at least half an inch of BREAD around the whole pepper. Not what I wanted. At all. After removing the fried BREAD exterior, what appeared to be a massive chile... was kind of flat and small and pitiful. And the cheese filling was very minimal. So I was very disappointed. So the place has potential, but the chile relleno recipe needs a total redo. Also, the Jesus welcoming the Camp Mystic young girl campers picture in the entryway really rattled me. I know its intent was in the right place, but we were in town during the flood last year and our daughter was at another camp... and that picture was like a gut punch. I couldn't believe how powerfully it affected me. Brutal. Definitely rattled me for the entire visit.

    Photos
    Bread around the chile relleno. Weird. Did not care for.
    Bread around the chile relleno. Weird. Did not care for.
    Chimichanga
    Chimichanga
    Fajita Taco Lunch Special

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    Fajita Taco Lunch Special

    Rio Ranch Cafe - mexican - Updated July 2026

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