Cafe Rio Mexican Grill - Chandler

This was our first time visiting this restaurant. We used the drive-thru and ordered a burrito to share. We picked the Sweet Pork Barbacoa, since that seems to be their signature item. We asked for the rice and pinto beans with mild sauce inside. Theywere out of the mild sauce, so we asked for the medium on the side, instead. The employee taking the order was polite andpatient since this was our first time ordering. We didn't know that enchilada-style was included in the price or we probablywould have ordered it like that. Most places charge extra for enchilada style. We drove to the window to pay and our order wasdone really quickly. When we got home and removed the container from the bag, the presentation of the food looked nice with theburrito and a lettuce garnish on the side. When we took the burrito out of the container to split and the bottom of the burritowas completely soggy with juice from the pico de gallo that was on the lettuce garnish. It might have been better if there was apartition in the container to keep the wet lettuce and tomatoes away from the burrito. As far as the taste of the burrito, Iwould have to call it average. We don't live far from the restaurant, maybe 5 minutes, and the burrito was barely warm when wegot home. Maybe if we would have gotten it enchilada style it would have been warmer with sauce and cheese melted on top and wewouldn't have noticed the wet tortilla on the bottom as much. My son liked the sweet pork and I thought it was too sweet. Wewill try it again, though. Maybe next time we will dine inside so we can see the food options better and ask more questionsabout the best way to order. They also have a rewards program called Rio Rewards where you get points and special offers whenyou sign up. You can also order online from their website and pick it up at the restaurant.

Very unimpressed. We?ve been to other Cafe Rios around the valley, and they were great so we were really excited to try the new one near us. Big disappointment. I really don?t think the employees cared about their work at all. The kid making the burritojust sloped stuff in the tortilla. Then when he tried to wrap it the tortilla split on one end and the other end looked morelike an open enchilada. It was a mess. Then he proceeded to throw lettuce along with the water it was sitting in on top. Now asoggy mess. Then after I paid, the cashier just walked away to talk with another employee, while I had to reach over the counterto take the bag off the rack. We?ll give them one more try, but there are too many great restaurants around to keep spendingmoney at one with employees who take no pride in their work. Sad thing is, I was the only one in there.

The staff members appear to dislike their jobs, making communication quite challenging. When I asked the person preparing my order for a slight variation from the usual, he seemed annoyed and ignored my request for extra meat. It seems like the employees could benefit from additional training, as they don't always seem to know what they are doing. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of our issues. Shortly after starting our meal, both my husband and I noticed that the flavors were off. Several items just didn’t taste right. The beans were hard and tasted stale, while the meat had an unpleasant flavor. Additionally, the tortillas were incredibly chewy and appeared undercooked. Now, we're left wondering if we might experience any gastrointestinal issues after this meal. We certainly won't be returning to this location in the future.

I had been going through a tough couple of weeks, and yesterday was particularly challenging, impacting my mental health significantly. That simple note truly brightened my day and touched me deeply. The gentleman had no way of knowing what I was dealing with, so I truly appreciate his random act of kindness. I never expected such a thoughtful gesture from a Cafe Rio, and while I don’t know his name, I hope the management recognizes what a valuable employee they have in him. He truly deserves some well-earned recognition.

I clearly stated my order, and the person serving confirmed that I wanted the pork. It appeared he was checking the meat's temperature on the stovetop while still cooking, which I didn’t mind at the moment. However, when I got home, I discovered that I had been given chicken instead of the pork I ordered. The flavor was nothing like what I expected from the pork barbacoa, and I was extremely disappointed. Additionally, while at the register, I asked about the second coupon and whether the chips would be included as part of the promotion. The girl at the register responded very quickly and curtly, stating that the chips only come with the one entrée I had ordered. She could have taken a moment to clarify that the buy one get one free offer would not apply to that promotion, but instead, her response felt dismissive. I had hoped to write a more positive review, but this experience left much to be desired. The staff definitely need better training in both food preparation and customer service, which was noticeably lacking.