Cafe Rio - Thoughts on food

Tried Cafe Rio for the first time ever the other night. I love Mexican food, but I don't like Mexican food that is swimming in a bowl of green sauce and drenched in lime juice. If they're going to advertise "grilled steak", then serve "grilled steak", not roast beef! Wife, who doesn't usually complain about her food even when it's not good, had nothing good to say about the chicken quesadilla. I don't see us going back!!!
 
I'm holding out for the Mexican grill that will soon be opening in downtown Leonardtown... love a traditional Mexican grill!
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
I'm holding out for the Mexican grill that will soon be opening in downtown Leonardtown... love a traditional Mexican grill!

Sad to say we don't have honest Mexican food around here. It's Americanized "Mexican" food. That's why every "Mexican" place basically serves the same dishes.
Cafe Rio and Chipolte are not much different, just no table service. Food at all the "Mexican" restaurants is done the same way, precooked, put and assembled to order.
Last minute browning / melting is done under the salamader just like Cafe Rio.
 

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
Sad to say we don't have honest Mexican food around here. It's Americanized "Mexican" food. That's why every "Mexican" place basically serves the same dishes.
Cafe Rio and Chipolte are not much different, just no table service. Food at all the "Mexican" restaurants is done the same way, precooked, put and assembled to order.
Last minute browning / melting is done under the salamader just like Cafe Rio.

The one on GMR boils its cow heads fresh. Most people would not like authentic Mexican food if they had it.
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
The one on GMR boils its cow heads fresh. Most people would not like authentic Mexican food if they had it.

Depends on the region and the class.
Class as in very poor or modest incomes.

Went to a little hole in the wall in Pasadena, the gentleman cooking was very proud to serve his mother's recipes.
Very good food. Also have visited some off the track cafes in Cozumel and Costa Maya. Also not boiled cow heads type food.
 

LightRoasted

If I may ...
If I may ...

You have not had true Mexican food until you have had true homemade tortillas from scratch taken off the griddle then right into your mouth. I'm not talking that restaurant cooked type crap either. I'm talking fresh corn flour tortillas made with lard. Ooooo the smell wafting from the kitchen will get you drooling fast. Along with the tamales cooking and maybe some enchiladas as well.
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
If I may ...

You have not had true Mexican food until you have had true homemade tortillas from scratch taken off the griddle then right into your mouth. I'm not talking that restaurant cooked type crap either. I'm talking fresh corn flour tortillas made with lard. Ooooo the smell wafting from the kitchen will get you drooling fast. Along with the tamales cooking and maybe some enchiladas as well.

Had them in LA area for lunch. The caterer had a big flat top and he cooked all the tacos (corn tortiallas) then put your meat in and you took care of the rest.
 

wubbles

Active Member
It was good enough that I will be back. The beef nachos will be an easy choice during the MLB season.
 

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
Is this a pick-your-ingredients-type restaurant, or can you order items from a menu?

looks alot like chipotle's cafeteria style line to me

Cafe-Rio-2.jpg
 

ltown81

Member
Café Rio is fine. Basically Chipotle with a little better tasting food and a ton more choice. I have been there 3x with no issues. In a town where Texas Roadhouse has a 3 hour wait on weekends it will be okay. The Mexican places around here are all the same. Food looks the same, tastes the same and comes out in 3 mins. I don't think the new place will be any different..run by the Monterrey people.
 

LightRoasted

If I may ...
If I may ...

Just think of how much more life would be stress free if people took their own homemade lunch to work. Not having to stress to rush to get to the food troth, speed stuff the crap down their throat, then rush back to their desk at work. Wouldn't it be more enjoyable to just pick a quiet spot with a few friends maybe and enjoy lunch at a picnic table under a tree and a bit of conversation, a minutes walk from the office? Or a small eating room in the building? What's the point of spending all that time, gas, and money, just to get away for 30 minutes to an hour?
 

tipsymcgee

Active Member
If I may ...

Just think of how much more life would be stress free if people took their own homemade lunch to work. Not having to stress to rush to get to the food troth, speed stuff the crap down their throat, then rush back to their desk at work. Wouldn't it be more enjoyable to just pick a quiet spot with a few friends maybe and enjoy lunch at a picnic table under a tree and a bit of conversation, a minutes walk from the office? Or a small eating room in the building? What's the point of spending all that time, gas, and money, just to get away for 30 minutes to an hour?

But it's not cool to sit in the office. It's not cool to check into a small local place. It's not cool to have stress free time. They have to take pictures and check in on social media so everyone knows where they ARE and you ARENT. If someone put up an authentic Mexican place on 235 it would still do less business than any of the Chipotle/Taco Bell/Café Rio or any other chain. That's the times we're in. But I'm with you, I take my lunch most days and play Sporcle!
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
If I may ...

Just think of how much more life would be stress free if people took their own homemade lunch to work. Not having to stress to rush to get to the food troth, speed stuff the crap down their throat, then rush back to their desk at work. Wouldn't it be more enjoyable to just pick a quiet spot with a few friends maybe and enjoy lunch at a picnic table under a tree and a bit of conversation, a minutes walk from the office? Or a small eating room in the building? What's the point of spending all that time, gas, and money, just to get away for 30 minutes to an hour?

That assumes we all like the people we work with enough to give up the 30 min to 1 hour we have away from them to eat lunch with them under a shady tree while Jim from the warehouse plays his ukulele while Jennifer from Marketing talks about her cat's weird medical condition.
 

terbear1225

Well-Known Member
As someone who has no choice but to eat at my desk every day, it would be damn nice to have the option to go out to eat occasionally. I can completely understand those who choose to do so.
 
Real Mexican food

The one on GMR boils its cow heads fresh. Most people would not like authentic Mexican food if they had it.

You many be right. Spent a lot of time in southern California and loved going to out-of-the-way Mexican restaurants that were truly authentic. I had never had a taco with boiled ground beef until I moved to St. Mary's. Seems all these Mexican restaurants serve it that way; no seasoning and no taste!
 

stgislander

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
I would drive past any of our local Tex-Mex (or whatever the hell you call it) joints to get to anything else.

Now I did see a show about Oaxacan (southern Mexico) cuisine on one of the Food Network shows. That looked very interesting and nothing like we get here. I'd love to try that.
 
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