Rio Rico
747 N Val Vista Dr, Gilbert, AZ, 85234
Rio Rico Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Gilbert for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Gilbert for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Gilbert for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
747 N Val Vista Dr
Gilbert, AZ, 85234 - Phone (480) 539-4491
- Website https://rioricomexicangrill.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Chris R.
Never know what the food tastes like, waited for over 45 mins, with 9 open, dirty tables. In the time we waited, the couple ahead of us sat, ordered, and ate.
(1)IB V.
I ate here last week and have to say that it is worthy of three stars with the good attentive service however the entire time I was eating a small child was screaming at the top of his lungs , while mom and the restaurant did absolutely nothing about it. I will go one more time and see if things are better but their camarones a la diabla were not very good and they did not make it nearly hot enough for me. Obviously I will try another dish to see if it is cooked any better than my favorite.
(2)Allie W.
Rio Ricos is a family owned restaurant that has been owned and operated for some time. I myself do not like Mexican food but from all the different Mexican food restaurants my family has dragged me to, this is the one I can admit is delicious. The service is great. The food is both authentic and healthy. If you want to just sit at their quaint cozy sports bar,l and just grab a beer and chips, they are more than welcoming.
(5)J W.
A friend of ours recommended Rio Ricos so we tried it tonight. Wow! Great food. I had the Chipotle cream sauce shrimp and it was amazing. Carne asada was excellent also. Very good service. Gabby was awesome. I will definitely be back..
(4)Janae S.
My husband and I came to Rio Rico for the first time last week. We were even lucky enough to make it in time for happy hour. The house margaritas were delicious! We had the carnitas as well as the chile relleno with beef flauta and every single bite was great. To top it off, we received awesome service by our waiter, Mario. When we return we will definitely ask for him!
(4)Pam S.
1st time here, service was kind of slow but food was excellent!
(5)Johnny S.
Bland, boring, terrible Mexican food... But hey, at least the customer service was good. The salsa and margaritas were the only redeeming quality. And it's hard to screw up salsa and margaritas. We had the combo appetizer (quesadilla, chicken taquitos, potato skins stuffed w red/green chili, and nachos) and the chicken and steak fajitas. The quesadilla was very greasy and it was the first time our kids called quesadilla "gross." The nachos were just greasy cheese and beans. Boring, bland and very greasy. The potato skins were obviously reheated. Also very bland and boring. I've never had a place mess up fajitas, but somehow they did it. I keep saying the word "bland" in my review because its the best way to describe my experience here. The meat was so flavorless and when you're not using a high quality cut of meat, everyone knows seasoning is pivotal. Terrible! If this place could get a new head chef and menu and keep the great customer service, they could be OK.
(1)Ashley M.
We never ventured into this place because it is attached to a veterinary clinic, BIG MISTAKE. If only we knew what we had been missing. I'm a super stickler for cleanliness and I just couldn't get past it. Alas, we met a relative of the owners who told us we just had to try it and she was so right. We were seated within 5 minutes of entering the door. Drinks and chips were on our table immediately. The salsa was just the right amount of spice and not overpowered with cilantro (I hate cilantro and thus I get very picky about salsa). We had to wait about 5 min to order which would give the average customer time to look over the menu. We happened to have gotten recommendations on what to eat before going so we already knew what we wanted. Within 5-7 min the food was on our table, served on hot plates and the food was hot. My husband had carmones chipotle (sorry if I spelled it wrong but it's shrimp with a chipotle sauce). He was immediately in love. He completely cleaned his plate which isn't something he normally does. He couldn't stop eating. I'm a light eater and I ordered 2 beef soft tacos and rice. I took half the rice and a taco home, I was so filled up on the delish chips and salsa I couldn't eat all my meal. We also had a house margarita which was quite tasty and definitely had a healthy amount of alcohol in it. Next time I will try chicken or shredded beef instead of the ground beef to see which I like better. And I will branch out to some combo platters which I don't do until I know I like a place. My husband says he will order the same thing! They have a nice patio set up and the inside is typical Mexican restaurant decor, several different colors of paint on the walls that go together nicely. A cute little bar area where they mix up goodness. We asked about the crabs on the walls and found out the owner was a crab fisherman in Alaska. Gabby was our server and was really pleasant and answered all our questions.
(5)Sandee W.
I love this place. Great food and friendly service! Love the chimi! I have never had a bad experience here.
(5)G W.
This restaurant was recommended to me by a relative. We all think we know about Mexican food so we constantly share new places that we find. I took my entire family here and we all loved what we ordered. The food was so tasty. They make the guacamole to order, it was great! The atmosphere was very pleasant. Not fancy, just a nice homey place. Real good homemade dishes and great value for the money. Today I am taking my old friend here because I am craving some delicious Mexican food. Can't wait to get there.
(5)Jennifer S.
This place is great! I have been here 3 times with my husband. We order something different every time. So far, we have loved everything. The help is friendly and the food is amazing. Also, their fresh made margs are really tasty. I'm definitely becoming a regular.
(5)Jasmine C.
Went with the entertainment coupon- buy one dinner, get one free. It took $8 off our bill. We ordered the guacamole appetizer. The guacamole was very good but you get a very small portion size for $4 and I wouldn't order it again. My husband and son had the Chili Colorado since it was gluten free. The liked it and my son even said the beans weren't bad. He is not a fan of bean. My one daughter who never gets excited about food raved about the chicken taco. I really enjoyed the cheese enchilada and the beans. I didn't finish the chili relleno, it was very blah... to egg tasting. We won't go back only because it is way to far from home for us.
(3)Gerry V.
We've been eating here for about 10 years now and it has only gotten better! Mario always takes time to visit with us and now that they have become wireless the service is very good plus they now have a full time bartender so that eliminates having to wait for one of their tasty Cadillac Margaritas. The Chipotle Shrimp is our favorite but their Green Chili Pork is quite tasty too!
(4)Jason K.
My wife and I love this place. The family that owns it are super sweet and definitely know how to cook some Mexican food. We moved up here from Tucson 4 years ago and have been trying different restaurants to remind us of our favorites from home and we finally found it. We take everyone we know to Rio Rico. Order home style chicken tacos, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Tony P.
I love this place! Great margaritas and fajitas. I've only been there in the summer and it tends to be a little warm in the dining area. If not for that, I'd definitely give it 5 stars!
(4)Bryce R.
Always fantastic service and great food. This is top of the list when we want Mexican.
(4)Becky A.
This place was ok. Very basic, bare bones, authentic type Mexican restaurant. Good chips and salsa. We each had two margaritas. The first ones took a long time to get to us, but they were good. The second ones were soooooo stong! We could hardly drink them....tasted like pure tequila! I like me a strong margarita, but wow! I had the Chili Relleno. Good but extra greasy. BF got the steak fajitas which he loved! Our server was really friendly though and the prices are very reasonable. I'm sure we'll go back.
(3)Chris M.
I LOVE this restaurant! I've actually been eating there for quite some time, but just now getting around to reviewing them. They are hands down, what you want in any restaurant. Their prices are cheap, portions large and it's majority run by family. Their "mom and pop" atmosphere is what really keeps me coming back. They are always friendly, and their food is authentic and delicious!
(5)Sean C.
Been here once. Doesn't shine but doesn't make me advise to never try. I personally went since we had a coupon and were feeding 5. With a coupon it may be fine but for the better tasting food this isn't the place. The staff were very friendly but that was the highlight of our meal. Even the Mojito was barely good at best. I'll be trying another local business in the future, but may be back for a second chance. They didn't completely drive me away...
(2)Tamsen K.
Ordered a beef and cheese burrito ( once the waitress decided it was time to saunter over) for my son- he got an all beef burrito and an eye roll from the expediter when I asked for a side of cheese. The carnitas ( bland) were to come with guacamole; no one mentioned they were out of avocado, and I only found out after I received my meal without it and over-hearing another table ask where Their's was. Had to ask for refills- from the expediter ( really another waiter who had to take up the slack). Really, really disappointing.
(2)Derek H.
New favorite place for take-out (Used grubhub.com ) Super cheap for the amount and quality you get. Had the carintas tacos and taquitos, loved all of it. Can reccomend them enough.
(5)Jim W.
You know that "off" smell and taste your glassware had when a mouse died in your dishwasher and you didn't notice it for a few days? Yea, I don't either but I imagine the glassware smelled and the water would taste something like the water tasted and glasses smelled here. Ugh. Seriously bad. We all had to order sodas at $2 each. They tasted off too but not as bad. They need to look in to that. I've had tap water in the valley and it didn't taste that bad. If it is your tap water filter it. Now. I don't think it is though. Check that out please. Now. The whole smelly water and glasses was so off-putting that the food would have to be unbelievably good to earn even 3 stars. I ordered the shrimp diablo. The shrimp was good. Not overcooked, it was nice and tender. The sauce was hot. Not much else. Just hot for the sake of hot. It seemed like a finely blended tomato salsa with lots of jalapeno. The rice was light and fluffy...pretty good. The beans were forgettable. My wife had carne asada. I asked how it was. She replied "If you write a review use the words shoe leather." Ouch. My kids picked over their food. One of them ordered a kids enchilada with chicken. They forgot the chicken. Other than that it was reported as "Not very good. The sauce is flavorless." This is a kid that knows Mexican food pretty well. I hate to drop 1 star reviews on independent restaurants because I want the little guy to succeed but this place was just bad. I didn't even get into the service which was passable but no more. Get your dishwasher examined. Now. After you make sure there are no dead things in there run a couple cycles of bleach through that sucker. Further, if you are serving water from the tap install a filtration system. Now.
(1)Audrey W.
Normally I wouldn't review anything my husband, Jim W. reviews. I mean, what's the point? He voices my opinion anyway. But in this case I just had to post. We love Mexican food. We have enjoyed it extensively everywhere we've lived except Boston, where we longed for it and settled for average, albeit overpriced, local chain fare. But of all the places I've lived, no selection of Mexican cuisine is as rich and diverse as what we find in the valley. And now we know, without doubt, whose is worst. We wanted a bite before a movie so, when we arrived at Rio Rico, we told them we were in a hurry and had 40 minutes. They said they could accommodate that. But the service was some of the worst I've ever seen. It was impossible to get anything in a timely fashion and we usually had to ask several times. A couple of times a harried-looking staffer asked if someone else had done something -- taken our order, given us the check -- and then growled when we told her no. The food was absolutely terrible. No one liked what they ordered. I had carne asada, one of my favorite dishes. When it finally arrived I was surprised. When I had those birkenstocks resoled in Boston a couple of years ago I never thought I'd see the soles again but there they were, charred on my plate. The steak was the driest, most burned piece of meat ever set before me in a restaurant. The beans were tasteless and the rice was so-so. My youngest didn't like her enchiladas (which were supposed to be chicken but were cheese) and my oldest couldn't stomach her huevos New Mexico. Jim said his shrimp was okay but the sauce was spicy though utterly without flavor. So much for the food. The water was skunked. It was absolutely undrinkable, which you knew before you tasted it because the smell alone kept your lips from the cup. We ordered sodas, which we didn't intend to get. They were semi-skunked but you needed something to cut the spicy yet flavorless stuff, whether it was the sauce or the bottled salsa. So when you read Jim W's review and he says don't go, listen. In fact, if you want excellent Mexican food in the southeast valley, I wholeheartedly recommend El Ranchero on Chandler Blvd. about a block east of the 10. For $7 or less you will receive a heaping plate of incredible, authentic Mexican food. We went there for lunch today in an effort to erase the trauma of last night's dinner at Rio Rico's. Thankfully, it worked.
(1)Robert M.
My family and I have been to rio Rico's many times. Every time I'm pleased. I have lived in AZ all my life and I've had a lot of Mexican food. I like it. A lot of Mexican restaurants are pretty much the same to me. The only difference ends up being how crazy and loud the decorations and music are. Rio Rico's is nice and quiet and the service is good and the food is good. They don't knock my socks off but they are reasonably priced and I keep coming back even with all the many options around here.
(4)Angela M.
Food is good but service is terrible!!! We are regulars here and service has never been good but this time it took the cake. We waited 1/2 hour just to order. After 1.5 hours, three people in our party finally got there food. Then the rest of our good trickled in. Worst part was owner never once even apologized. In fact she seemed annoyed and put out the entire time. That will be the last time we patronize their restaurant.
(2)Michael Z.
WOW! We absolutely love this place! I've had a gift card for this place for 2 years now and hadn't used it. We pulled up in the lot (behind a gas station and next to a Vet office) and it looked empty, so we turned out noses up and left and went to Serrano's instead up the street. BIG FRIGGIN' MISTAKE as we found out 2 years later. The food in this place is outrageously good and authentic. My wife is Hispanic from New Mexico and she was speechless about the food. What caught my eye first was the picture of the Mexican Shrimp Cocktail on the back menu cover - no doubt to order that baby up and it didn't disappoint whatsoever - just the right amount of heat and flavor. Superb. Now I've ordered this twice. Both times the flavor was consistent. The first time it lacked a bit on the shrimp volume from what I would expect but the 2nd time it was full of them. We also ordered the appetizer platter. We usually liek to order this as it sampel many of the featured appetizers. Many times, in Mex Restaurants, this comes out/tasting rather generic looking. This plate was the real McCoy. Everything was authentic and home-made; nothing boxed here. The most unusual aspect were the potato skins. Fresh potatoes hollowed out and filled with...ready...one with home-made red chili beef and the other with green chili pork. My eyes nearly popped out and the taste buds validated it. Whenever I go to a new joint, I always ask what the best thing on the menu is and on this occasion I was told, "Well, the best thing actually isn't on the menu. It's a special order chipotle cream shrimp dish." I felt like I snuck into a foodie speak-easy...sign me up for that one! Big fat plump prawns in a zesty cream sauce - this is now on the monthly rotation; hands down. No rice, sub-veggie, along with re-fried cheesy beans completed the plate. Veggies were a surprise of fajita veg mixed with peas and mushrooms - awesome! My wife raved about the home made sopapillas too and can't wait to bring her mother to this place. Here's the knock and most likely why this place isn't burning busy with customers - the service is bad - consistently bad. You're either waiting un-godly amounts of time, or being inundated with courses. The first time we went was on a Tuesday I believe. Place was a bit busy but certainly not off the rails - but the staff was. They were truly in "the weeds." Took forever to order and forever + eternity to get a bar drink. I wised up the next time and ordered 2 beers instead of one ($2 Negro Modelos - yes that isn't a typo). Issue here was it was a school night and our 9 year old was with us and teh Sloooooooooooowww service was know making a time pinch as there's school tomorrow. It was painful HOWEVER the owner Mario is so charmingly nice, and with the food being so good, it warranted a repeat attendance. The 2nd time was the opposite. The waitress took our order and I specifically said I wanted the Mex Shrimp cocktail first, then we would like the app platter before the meal. You guessed it - EVERYTHING on the table within 5 minutes of each other. 3 dinner plates and 2 appetizers along with chips and salsa. Inundated table. Hopefully Mario can address the service issues. If he does, this restaurant would definitly run off the charts. My other suggestion would be to add Sunday Mariachis. We'd be there every week if they did.
(4)Hilary C.
I visited Rio Rico with my family in Arizona recently. I was not excited about the place when we arrived because my family is drawn to mediocre Mexican-American restaurants. I figured this would be another in a long list of similar places we'd been to. We were a group of seven. We were seated right away at a long table. The service was excellent in this family-run restaurant. The server, who is the owner's son, called my brother and his whole family by name, and was gracious and welcoming to my elderly traveling companions and me. The menu is nothing special--just what you'd expect to find. From my meal, here's what stood out: I ordered chile verde. The green sauce was excellent. It was as good as mine from home, perhaps a little better! It had a sharp herbal taste and was thin, bright and flavorful with no thickeners or fillers. Very nice. the pork was tender and flavorful and perfectly paired with the interesting sauce. The other standout was the flan. Absolutely delicious and much better than the flan I make at home. It was tender, fragile and creamy (more milk, fewer eggs) in a nice caramelized sugar sauce. Deeeee-licious. I always use too many eggs and often overcook it (when you get the bubbles), so this flan was a treat. The rest of the table ordered the usual numbered combos and and didn't have much to say about any of them. The bottom line: Come here for the friendly, attentive service and try the chile verde and the flan.
(4)Brett H.
The food was great, I had the Mole, the service was a little slow with the food but I expect that when its made fresh not scooped from a container then nuked. This will now be the go to place for Mexican food for my family. Our bill for a family of 5 (three kids) was $35.
(4)Josh C.
After reading some positive reviews we decided to give this one a shot. Ordered Beef Tacos and Chili Colorado and a couple of Corona's. We found the service to be genuine and considerate. But unfortunately the food was just okay. Certainly not bad but nothing real memorable. We continue to struggle finding good Mexican food in the East Valley. Just nothing that is really worth hitting up as there are alternative options that win out over a so-so dinner.
(2)Robert S.
Great service and their Chili Colorado is a must. Enjoy a margarita as well. Very tasty!!!
(4)Ben S.
Hands down a great lil joint! Gotta get the guac, staff is awesome, way cozy and great food!
(5)Marcy O.
Our first visit was a pleasant surprise. Very friendly service. The food had good flavor, and the shrimp was cooked to perfection. Vegetables were not over-cooked which was a huge plus. Generous portions. We did have quite a wait however, but the restaurant was full of other hungry patrons. I wish they had more salad choices. We will definitely be back to try more.
(4)Tanya W.
Great chips and salsa, delicious generous portions, and very nice staff.
(4)Joe I.
I have been going to Rio Rico's for years! Maria and her family do a great job of offering up some fantastic food at very very reasonable prices. The Verde green chili is very good as well as many of the other dishes Another cool part of this restaurant is the fact that it's not a one hour wait on a Friday or Saturday night. All-around great food great prices!
(5)A Z.
Have been a regular since they opened. This is a family owned and run restaurant and they are friendly, the food is always good. I stick to my usual order but have had many friends and family try other dishes with no complaints. Service is good; I never had to wait for a table on a weeknight. I can get a full meal for two with fountain drinks and chips, etc for about $17. i can order a couple of margaritas and leave for under $30.
(4)Lindsay P.
The first visit was awesome. The service was alright, but the food made up for it. I ordered their shredded beef soft tacos and couldn't get enough. I craved them for a few weeks until we finally went back. Our second visit was nothing like the first. The waitress recommended crunchy tacos, as it was a new option, so I took her up on it. We waited over an hour and a half (not an exaggeration) outside, while being ignored by our server. The restaurant was slightly busier than the last visit, but there seemed to be adequate staffing. A very large party arrived 30 minutes or so after we were seated and long forgotten. They were seated outside next to our table and tended while we were ignored longer. The food finally arrived and tasted awful. It was a tasteless, flavorless fried mess. The freshness of the soft corn tortillas was burnt away with the new method. We weren't offered an apology for the long wait and left without tipping our server. I personally didn't want to pay for the meal at all. After waiting over and hour and a half to be served a simple meal and then having it taste the way it did, we haven't been back. I'd like to think it was a fluke because I'd really enjoy those soft tacos again, but I've found that Filiberto's Soft Shredded beef tacos are very comparable and just as inexpensive.
(2)James D.
Wanted to try this place for a while now and finally went tonight for dinner I had the Crane asada burrito my wife had the carne asada tacos the food was good steak could have been a little more medium but good. The wife had a Margarita that was pretty good not over kill, however our waitress was very cute but young, she seemed to be new or not very with it but she was very slow. So it did ruin it a bit but the food was tasty...will go back
(4)Victoria S.
Ya..this place is nothing to write home about. Very small place. No music, strangely quiet. The guacamole,chips and salsa were amazing but the rest of the food was rather bad. I had the Shrimp Enchiladas and they came out with some kind of sauce not resembling enchilada sauce at all. The shrimp was fishy and the rice and beans were bland. Maybe I should give it a second chance before I write it off all together.
(1)L L.
I ordered "take out" from here and was impressed with the staff that took my order over the phone and how attentive they were when we got there. At least 3 employees asked us if we had been helped. We ordered the cheese enchiladas, rice and beans and the green chili pork burrito, rice and beans. The green chili pork burrito was awesome!! The red cheese enchiladas were not spicy enough so none of us would order that again, but we would order it again with the green Chile Verde sauce. The chips and salsa were also fantastic. I liked the beans but not so crazy about the rice. The kids did like the beans and rice but mostly because when they sent it to go, the container actually separated the beans and rice from the enchilada and burrito. Their complaint was that there wasn't enough beans and rice. I will go back and try anything with green Verde Chile on it. Great food for a casual place with a nice atmosphere. The outdoor patio would also be nice around this time of year.
(4)Joe G.
I love this place! Nothing fancy, just good food and great service. Also, I have never had to wait for a table.
(4)R B.
This place is a hidden Gem; the only reason it does not show up on reviews is people don't know it is there. The place is hidden behind a vets and a gas station. But the food is REALLY good and very inexpensive; everything is freshly made to order and is very authentic. The test for me of a really good Mexican joint is the Chile Relleno, theirs is the best I have tasted, I have to have them at least once a week from here. It is not greasy or mushy, has just the right amount of heat, real Mexican cheese inside and a lovely soft batter, they do not smother it in cheese but instead cover it in a nice rich sauce yummy. Please give this place a try, you will wonder how you stayed away so long.
(5)Dana M.
After the new owners took over a few years back Rio Rico's has become one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants. The food is excellent, two staples of Mexican cuisine that too many get wrong are guacamole and beans. Rio Rico's has fresh, homemade beans and the guacamole is made to order. My family and I have tried many of there dishes and have never been disappointed, their giant quesadilla with shredded beef, steak, or chicken is simple yet delicious every time.
(5)Az V.
Excellent food, service and value. Friendly staff
(5)Jeff B.
Rio Rico's is our every Monday hangout for softball. I grew up in Tucson, and definitely know what good Mexican food is. Rio Rico is not the best that I have ever had, but it is definitely good! It is always nice to see the people that run the restaurant taking personal interest in how their food is. I say give it a shot, Maria is always willing to bring you a cold one!
(3)Brian B.
Great food. Family dining. Good service and price.
(4)Stew K.
5 star Guacamole!!!!
(5)Jason H.
We went here for the first time over the weekend upon a friends recommendation and just the fact the this has been here for so long and we'd never tried it. The place smelled strongly of cleaning chemicals, which was a little off-putting at first. On the other hand, at least we knew it was clean :) The atmosphere is about the same as when this was Guedo's, so nothing to complain about there. The food was decent, but I wouldn't say I was blown away by it. The Chile Relleno was fine: I've had better and I've had worse. The carne asada tacos were good. The salsa was very good: just the right amount of heat. All in all, I would return and try a few other things on the menu.
(3)Candice S.
As a big fan of ambience, I was a bit disappointed when we first walked in. However, that quickly disappeared. While the table arrangement was plain and decor not fancy, the overall feeling was warm, friendly, and cozy. It's a small restaurant and quickly filled up. Service was excellent! Not only were our servers attentive, but I was able to make my own combo plate that was not shown on the menu. We began with some of the best guacamole all four of us had ever had. For almost $5, it was a smaller portion than expected, but so good we were fighting to lick the last bits from the tortilla shell. The tamale (my favorite dish) gets a 5-star rating. Moist, flavorful, and with a delicious green sauce, it was gone much too quickly. Should have ordered two. The server said that the restaurant was known for its guacamole (we agree) and chiles rellenos, which my husband ordered, along with an enchilada. Since he's Mr. Picky, I wondered how it would rate, but at the end of the meal he told the server that this was now his favorite Mexican restaurant. Our friends ordered a fajita mix (good-sized serving) and a combo plate that included a real crab enchilada. We had planned on trying the deep-fried ice-cream or the flan, but no one had an inch of tummy room left. Prices are average for a Mexican restaurant in this area -- $7.95-$13.00 for dinner, less for lunch. Rio Rico offers a good list of seafood entrees and is open for breakfast.
(4)Michael G.
Great food, great drinks, great people. Quiet, low key, very friendly.
(5)Ralph P.
Dr. E and I ate at Rio Rico's last night after returning from downtown Phoenix events and I wanted to update my review... First of all, this restaurant is remarkably and refreshingly free of corporate operating style people... Entering Rio Rico you are greeted by people who may not have been trained in the chain restaurants schools of management, but who are genuinely happy to see you walk into their establishment. Seating is approached like match making, based in what is right for YOU, rather than a seating distribution chart. Appetizer recommendations such as the guacamole are based on what is fresh and in-season rather than the most profitable sale. I ordered the #11 combo plate with a Chile Relleno and a Tamale, along with an Arnold Palmer to drink. Everything wad served promptly, in the right portion sizes and was muy delicioso! I highly recommend Rio Rico because it is simply the real deal... You've got to try it!
(4)Matt K.
Took my family here & everyone loved it. I was initially leery about eating at a restaurant that's right next door to an animal clinic but I was shocked at the great food here. We'll be back!
(5)Joe M.
We have lived about a mile from rip Rico's for 4 years now and we just tried it. It was fantastic, great service great food reasonable prices.
(5)David K.
A really nice, family-owned restaurant. Solid shrimp fajitas, perfectly seasoned. Friendly and attentive service. A great answer to cookie cutter corporate mexican food. Will return soon.
(4)Adrienne C.
I am very sad to see such bad reviews for such wonderful and lovingly prepared food. The restaurant is very clean and the food is always fresh. I love the green chili omelet, the Chile Rolleno is exceptional, and the shrimp dish with vegetables (it is not spicy like the diablo--hmm like the devil). When they offer happy hour priced drinks they really are a great value. We try to support family owned businesses in Gilbert. Yes, the service is slow, so avoid the typically peak dining hours.
(5)Mike S.
Worst carne asada I've ever had in my life! Being the first time visiting this restaurant, I figured I'd try something familiar to compare to other places we've eaten. My first impression of the food was not favorable due to the stale chips they served us. Then the service. About 20 minutes after we arrived we finally ordered-not due to indecision but due to lack of attention from the server. We waited about a half hour for our food to come, and it was lucky we only had two ordering because the family of four next to us ordered before us and still hadn't received their food by the time we left. Once we recieved it, the food was bland, very underseasoned and as mentioned before, horrible carne asada. The one shining point of the entire night was the guacamole dip, which was good but not worth $4.75. Don't waste your time or money.
(1)D G.
Food is not that great & the service is extremely slow. We ordered a burrito here & the meat inside was half frozen. Salsa is the only thing there thats good.
(1)Fyak U.
I'm new to Arizona and originally from Chicago so i'm use to the Mexican style of food (Barrio Style). I've tried several restaurants in search of something that comes close to the flavors of barrio style and not the southwestern/baja mexican fusion i've been running into. I may have gotten lucky but my first experience was truly delightful. First, the service was slow but we were in no hurry. Our waiter was kind and pleasant to my family along with the rest of the staff. I asked for his recommendation between the Shrimp w/Diablo sauce and the Chicken w/Mole sauce. It's always difficult to turn down Mole but i followed his recommendation to try the shrimp. It came with 8 Jumbo shrimps with this incredible diablo sauce. The sauce was well balanced with tomato's, onions and spices and with a squirt of lime, the flavors just burst in my mouth. It all came together with the rice and beans and had to take a moment with each spoonfull to enjoy all the flavors that were in each bite. The spicy sauce, the acidity of the lime and the sweetness of the shrimp, the perfect combination. Usually most places do not give enough sauce but this dish was drowning in this unblelievable sauce. It was spicy but not overwhelming, perfect for my palate. To complete the dining experience, you have to try the fried ice cream. A sweet sugar dusted fried tortilla bowl containing a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream covered in corn flakes and fried, then drizzled with chocolate and caramel.....ingenious concoction! I'm am looking forward to going back and trying the Chicken w/Mole and hoping to get the same experience.
(5)Natalie W.
Rio Rico is kind of a glorified taco stand. And I usually LOVE taco stands. Only Rico's has the prices of a fancy-smancy sit down restaurant. In Scottsdale. They had a cute patio but it smelled like the car exhast from the nearby AmPm. Our carne asada tacos were pretty tasty, but nothing to brag about. I'll stick to Guedo's or Elmer's.
(3)Michael D.
TL;DR: Food and Service were excellent. Get the Guacamole, worth the $4. Food is well spiced but not spicy at all. My wife and I came in for the first time on Sunday evening because most of our normal Mexican food spots were closed. The sign said please seat yourself but our server was just coming out of the kitchen and showed us to a table before we could even look around. He took our drink order before heading off to bring us some chips. The high quality and speedy service continued the whole visit. The chips were fresh and warm and the salsa was tasty but on the mild side for us. When our Guacamole arrived we were immediately pleased, clearly made in the last 5 minutes, it was great and a good size serving. I ordered a number 2 combo with a cheese enchilada, beef taco and chile rellano. The enchilada was extremely tasty and the taco was well spiced and served with generous amounts of very tasty white and yellow cheese. If you are a chile rellano fan you know there are 3 types, 1 is just egg wrapped, 1 is a very crispy deep fried batter and the third is a very spongy, eggy batter that is prone to get greasy. This rellano was of the latter type, but was done extremely well and wasn't greasy at all. Generously filled with cheese. If you are looking for the really crispy type of rellano, I would order something else, but it was very good if you like this type. My wife ordered the mini chimi combo with 1 beef and 1 chicken. It was a great choice because choosing between the 2 would be really hard. They were both delicious. The rice was well seasoned traditional Mexican rice and the beans were niceley prepared refried beans but only very lightly mashed, preserving a great bean texture. Overall, excellent food for a very reasonable price. Nothing is overly spicy (we like it hot, like Los Dos Molinos hot), but everything was well spiced and flavorful. Will be on our new list of favorites.
(5)Amber F.
Great little place for dinner. Service started out horrible, but after being seated Gabby our waitress turned that around. She was nice and truly cared about her job. Food was delicious! The burritos were stuffed with all ingredients ordered, not just the typical rice & beans. There was plenty of steak. Price for 2 people was $22. Not bad for both of us getting full combo meals. I will most defiantly return.
(4)Stuart P.
I would've given three stars if not for the neglected, dust covered ceiling around the fans and vents. That's not a good sign of cleanliness. The food: my chili relleno was spongy, the tacos were soggy, and the enchilada had a weird taste. The rice was bland, but the beans were great. The service was lackadaisical. Wow, I guess I actually didn't like this place. Too bad. It's been here a long time, and this is the first time we've tried it. Oh, the chips and salsa were really good, and the place has an authentic ambience.
(2)Sheena C.
This was actually a ptetty good mexican restaurant. It seemed like nothing impressive when you walked in, but the salsa was pretty good and I enjoyed their chicken burrito their chicken tacos are very good though especially smothered with salsa. But my husband is very picky on mexican food and said it's some of the most authentic mexican food he's had. He loved the carne asada tacos. He had to go back for more a couple days later lol. Friendly staff, seemed like a family owned place.
(5)Amy W.
This is my go-to for Mexican. I love going in and seeing the same faces every time. Food is consistently good. Always enjoy the family feel there.
(5)Anne M.
From the service to the food to the made-from-scratch margaritas, this is our go-to spot for Mexican food. Don't be fooled by the lackluster appearance, this place is worth visiting again and again. I recommend the carne asada, carnitas, or mole. Delish.
(5)Karen B.
We love this place, especially the chile rellenos.. The service is always excellent, and the food is wonderful!
(5)Matthew G.
Had to come back again! Love that we found this place. The service is amazing, and they are so friendly. Can't wait until my family visits so I can take them. Found our new Mexican spot.
(5)Michael C.
I love the fresh tortilla chips. We all enjoyed our lunch; Guacamole for the table, beef burrito, asada burrito, cheese quesadilla, shrimp tacos and Camarones Al Moja De Ajo (hold the chimp). Rio has a relaxed atmosphere and the service was good.
(4)Kevin V.
First timers very impressed with food and service. The enchiladas with red sauce were first rate, full of flavor with rice and beans. Salsa had the right amount of kick and the poco de gallo couldn't have been any fresher. Topped it all off with fried ice cream, likely the best I've had ever here in the valley. The business is family owned with a personal touch in service making it a perfect dining experience. A++ grade for sure.
(5)Lindsay O.
So good! Authentic Mexican food, everyone loved their dishes. Guac was great and I'm a guac snob! The bad reviews are people that like places like Chipotle.
(4)Julia A.
This is our favorite little neighborhood Mexican food place. Family owned and staffed. Indoor and outdoor seating. Lots of available parking. A couple TV's with sporting events always on. Good chips and salsa and really tasty guacamole! Nothing fancy but always clean, comfortable, and friendly. My husband rates a Mexican food joint on the strength of its bean burritos and after searching far and wide, has decided this place makes one of his favorites -- which he always gets with chile verde sauce. He also likes their chile rellenos. Being vegetarian, I like their quesadillas and enchiladas...but when I was still a meat eating kinda gal, liked their chicken chimichangas and shrimp tacos. They are closed on Mondays but open every other day from 11am-9pm (8pm Sundays). They also offer stamp cards for frequent diners -- pick one up, rack up some stamps, and get a free meal!
(4)Chris B.
We went here for the first time on Tuesday night. It came highly recommended from my director so I was excited. We went around 5:30 so the place wasn't packed yet. We were seated immediately. I liked the chips & salsa but Nichole didn't. She thought it was bland & flavorless (she's the Mexican so she should know). She had the green chilli burrito while I ordered the chipotle shrimp. Nichole didn't like the burrito. She said it was like green chilli pork out the can (I liked it but then again, I'm black). My chipotle shrimp were pretty good. Jumbo shrimp cooked in chipotle sauce with rice & beans. I'll agree with Nichole here; the rice & beans needed salt & some love. I liked the food but will I drive from Chandler JUST to eat here? Probably not.
(3)Eric M.
Rio Rico is a very friendly plsce to dine. With young children, they are very accommodating. Aside from a friendly wait staff, the food is very authentic. My mother who is a great purveyor of Mexican food even approves. Very friendly and hospitable owners. Definitely a return visit is in order.
(4)Kimo K.
Went with family last nite again. Reduced my rating by two stars due to a few things that irked me. 1) Made reservations but when we got there, they did not have table reserved for us. So they put two tables together to accomodate my party -- one table had wobbly legs and was unevenly matched to the other table. 2) Then they screwed up our drink order -- got the plain and frozen strawberry margaritas reversed. Also got the cadillac margarita without salt reversed with the regular one with salt. 3) Forgot to serve one of our appetizers. 4) and lastly, one drink arrived after we had finished eating. No offer to exchange the drinks to make them right, and no comp from the bill as a token of apology --- did not expect them to take a meal off, but they could have at least taken one drink or one appetizer off the bill.
(2)Laura L.
Their food is always delicious and tastes homemade. Guacamole is to die for and my sons absolutely love the mild salsa, which you can request. The service can be a bit slow at times, which is why I'm not giving 5 stars. We just know not to go there if we are in a hurry.
(4)Rich P.
Food is really good. The camarones a la diabla is AWESOME. It's probably the spiciest thing I've ever had at a restaurant (they warn you), and the flavor is great. A little small on the seating, but it's a solid Mexican spot if you're in the area.
(4)Papa U.
Service could be much better but, the food is good and affordable and across the street from my house. Their green chile pork is pretty bomb!
(4)Imelda M.
For anyone looking for a great authentic mexican food this is the place. We came in on Cinco de Mayo and they were pack but the customer service from the entrance to when we paid the bill was 5. Totally recommend this restaurant to everyone:)
(5)Benjamin S.
Great chips and salsa. Their guacamole is awesome too. Very reasonable prices, large portions, and friendly waitstaff. It has the feel of a small Mexican joint in a little city, that is run by family. The margaritas are perfect, nice and strong. My favorite dish is the shrimp/chicken/steak fajitas. We try and come here on a regular basis.
(5)Jeff F.
Hey, if the star rating was for guacamole, it would be a 5! Fresh and creamy, seriously good guac. Green chile's tomatillo sauce, fresh and tasty. The place has improved a lot in the last three years. No longer ordering at the counter...nice change. Warm and friendly local owner.
(4)Ed C.
Great little "hole in the wall" place. The atmosphere is laid back and inviting. The wait staff is fantastic. The food is authentic and fresh. The salsa is awesome, not too much heat but if you're looking for that extra kick just ask, they've got it. My favs are the Chilli Colorado and the Verde or The chimi with the pork carnitas. This is a definite go to place for my family.
(5)Bill M.
Good not great Need a better lunch menu and Taco Tuesday special I will go back if in the area, but won't go out of my way
(3)dennis s.
We stopped since we were at Freestone Park. I had the Chile Verde burrito and it was delicious. The salsa was also good. I liked the atmosphere. There is an outdoor patio though we sat inside. I would go back again.
(4)Dee C.
Fantastic, as always! Service, food, greeting - always A+. This family owned gem is the best Mexican in AZ!
(5)Alan H.
Rice was bland, the salsa boring (their table salsa) refrieds were okay. I would give actually 2.5 stars overall. Service was good. Environment slightly leans more "TACO STAND" it would be a toss of a coin as to my return. Victor was great! Ordered ranchero tacos was suppose to be strips but was small cubes of meat very tough and chewy. Brought the one described - was tender but oily and lacked taste.
(3)Erik G.
I found this place a few weeks ago. My wife and I stopped in for lunch. We were both so excited to find a place with such good salsa and customer service under the same roof. I liked it so much I had my company Christmas party there last night. We had 23 guests and the service was amazing. We were all talking about how well they took care of us. The food all came out hot and fresh. I highly recommend this place. I'll tell all my friends. My new spot for Mexican food.
(5)Chris K.
Some of the best Mexican food you will find in the valley. Oh, and chicken soup to die for. The flavor is amazing, and accent any dish with the homemade strawberry margaritas. It's like my second kitchen.
(5)Bill S.
In my opinion, better than the chain restaurants. This intimate, family owned business is exceptional. It's located right on Val Vista but set back from the road so look carefully, you could miss it if you don't know it's there. Really friendly and personal service. The Chile Verde is my Wife's "must have" but I would highly recommend La Grande, a little of everything that adds up to a LOT of satisfying Mexican food. The chile rellenos are the best I've had anywhere. I honestly can't find anything we don't like! If you're a local you probably already know about Rio Rico but if you're a tourist you should definitely make the effort to find this place, you'll be really glad you did.
(5)David W.
very good food. everything else...... im not sure. orderd food for carry out. was told 20 minuses got there in 20 minutes, food not even started. why F order ahead if you don't even think about making it till i get there. people lined up out the door to sit down but the place was 50% empty dirty tables. everything seemed very confused. it was like everybodys first day working in a restraunt. food was so good i want to go back but im afraid it will just piss me off.
(3)Jason R.
Wow, I rarely feel compelled to give a restaurant such a bad review but Rio Rico earned it tonight. We came for Cinco de Mayo which we expected to be busy so we showed up around 5 pm. There weren't many people waiting but those that were had to figure out for that they had to sign themselves in to be seated (no greeter on Cinco de Mayo??). The wait wasn't bad but once we sat it took nearly 10 minutes for a server to show up and ask if we had ordered drinks. At that point we hadn't even met our server, received water, chips, salsa, menus...etc., so no, we hadn't ordered drinks. Ordering was a total debacle. Our server appeared to have never taken an order before. We finally got through that ordeal only to wait nearly 45 minutes for our food. To make matters worse, the tables near us, all of which were seated well after we were, had received their fajitas long before we did. The server noticed that ours still hadn't arrived and assured us that they'd be right out...and they were, completely uncooked. The peppers and onions couldn't have been more raw. They clearly forgot our order and then tried to rush it. Whatever, we just wanted to eat and get the heck out. Then the bill came and surprise! We were charged full price for the happy hour drinks and of course no from the server or on the receipt that our night was a total disaster. The food was sub par, the service was horrible and the staff seemed completely oblivious to the fact that we were being ignored. We definitely will not be back and i would highly recommend that any prospective diners spend their time and money elsewhere.
(1)Cherie A.
Fantastic food, great friendly service! Authentic and truly delicious! I felt like I was at one of my relatives homes with one of my aunties in the kitchen. The atmosphere was clean, warm & inviting. Our new family favorite for sure! Thank you Rio Rico, we also love the fact that you are family owned & operated! See you soon!
(4)Melanie S.
Wonderful, I'm a native to AZ have been back for 1 1/2 years but I haven't found a Mexican restaurant that I love, and that I remember as a kid, until now. Excellent!! Great salsa, margaritas and perfect blend of heat and spices. Authentic Mexican the way it should be. I will definitely be returning!
(5)kathy j.
Great food! The salads are the best! Everyone at my office loves your salad dressing.we get lunch here often and it is always fresh.
(5)Cheryl B.
I love a family ran establishment, ran by such a sweet family where it is apprarent that they love and take pride in what they do! Gabby one of the family members/co-owners took great care of our table. I asked her what her recommendation was since it was my first visit. She recommended the Chipoltle Shrimp dish(which you can also get with chicken), came with cooked to perfection rice and beans. The sauce was spicy and full of flavor, had mushrooms which I thought was unusual but the taste was amazing. Once my daughter and her dude tried the sauce they ordered a side of it to dip their food in. They are regulars that come at least once every few weeks and now I can see why. I can hardly wait to return to try their crab enchiladas, my daughter's favorite and hopefully save room to try dessert. This is definitely the place to go for authentic and great mexican food with fabulous service!
(4)Max L.
I was concerned. I mean, it's next door to a veterinarian facility. Think of the jokes man! But wait... what if it's not a joke? What if those poor, terminal pets... Anywhoo, I suggest putting that thought out of your mind and repeatedly visiting this place. It is delicious!! The crab enchiladas are ridiculous. So are the beef tacos, the nachos, and every one of the kids items :) And pair any menu item w/ one of their margaritas... You won't even remember the puppies!!! :)
(4)Jeska W.
Absolutely great! The food is ridiculously fast even when it's swamped and is always delish!
(4)Dana B.
We really appreciate successful family run restaurants and this is one of them. They were very friendly, accommodated special orders and you could tell they were making the food to order and not just re-heating pre-made food in the back.y husbAnd thought the carne asada was flavorful. Chicken in Mexican restaurants sometimes seems like it's made with whatever meat is leftover but this appeared to be all white meat chicken, not dry or flavorless. This was our first visit. We will be back and I'll be willing to try something more unique now that I trust their kitchen.
(4)Nick S.
Great food! Great atmosphere! Fast take out time. I love this place. Good prices too!
(4)Nicole P.
This place is close to my work. Guacamole tostada is delish. Flauta plate was also good. Friendly staff and family owned.
(4)