Rio Grill - Monte Verde St, Carmel

We brought our son and two of his friends here for dinner. It was bright and cheery inside, the bartender was wonderful, our waitress was great as well. The food was interesting and very good. You didn't feel rushed and it was a lovely choice for people who wanted to sit and chat and get to know each other. Just a very pleasant environment with a nice ambience.

Recommended by two sisters who used to live in the area, they were spot on saying their artichoke is the bomb and to go have dinner there. Rio Grill is just NE of Carmel-by-the-sea in a strip center. Don't let that fool you. The decor and waistaff were both pleasing, and the food quite good. It was one of the better dining experiences we had in the Monterrey, Pacific Grove, Carmel area this week. (For lunch, Toro Sushi was perfect quite nice another day.

Always love coming here. The outside seating has unfortunately disappeared, at least for the time being.

Food was very well presented. My Asian inspired salad was great. Friend said Risotto w/salmon was great. Husband said Ribs flavor was good, however, the meat was VERY DRY. *He wouldn't order that again*. Coleslaw and Sweet potato fries were good. The pork chop with the smashed potatoes was good. The Chardonnay was ok. Kids butter pasta was very bland, and the parmesan given was PUNGENT would not order that again* Atmosphere was nice. The Celsius Sauvignon Blanc was good ordered 4 glasses total at our table. The bread pudding was ok. A few Gluten Free choices. Busy but comfortable. The prices were high. A woman had an emergency and was on the floor, behind my chair. The paramedics came, so we were trapped in, near the end of our meal together. We left sooner than we wanted oh well. We did all wish her to be well again. Dietary restrictions: Gluten Free choices. Parking: Easy access and very close to the restaurant.

Very friendly staff willing to accommodate not being able to have gluten. We were with a large group so it was a limited menu. The half chicken was delicious, would have been better with green beans or something similar just to cut the richness. It was very loud in the room with 25+ people, but that's the only complaint. Will have to go back for the risotto .