Cafe Rio
776 Terminal Dr, Salt Lake City, UT, 84116
Cafe Rio Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Salt Lake City for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Salt Lake City for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Salt Lake City for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
776 Terminal Dr
Salt Lake City, UT, 84116 - Phone (385) 282-5400
- Website https://www.caferio.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :6:00 am - 11:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
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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Nick W.
This location is never open when I land in SLC. It is as though they think there are no flights after 9pm. Oh, your flight lands at 9:05, tough shit.
(1)David A.
We'd heard great things about Cafe Rio and decided to eat here when traveling through SLC. I ordered the Salad with Barbacoa Pork and loved the flavor of the meat. It was tender, juicy and had a sweet flavor that I don't typically associate with barbacoa. The servers were also extremely generous with the portion size, which I always appreciate. The meat was really the highlight of the meal. I wasn't crazy about the tortilla strips or the fresh tortilla as the base, and I'd leave those out if I get a chance to eat at Cafe Rio again. I also thought the salad tasted better without the dressing. For airport food, this was one of the better meals I've had. I'd also be interested to compare it to other Cafe Rio locations in Salt Lake City.
(3)Bill S.
Awesome flour shells that are freshly made. In fact, these are the best of any fast food Mexican restaurants anywhere. The pork has a nice sweet flavor that is unique to Cafe Rio. I am glad this restaurant in in the SLC airport.
(4)Adam M.
Best breakfast burrito in Utah. This is the only cafe rio open for breakfast so if you happen to be anywhere near the C terminal you should make the effort. Everything is fresh, cut or cooked right in front of you including the tortilla that is rolled out & pressed as you wait in line. Cafe Rio is a Utah original for you out of staters that the locals line up for in droves around town. It's not uncommon to find a line 30-40 deep at any given time. I live out of state now so every time I visit Cafe Rio is a must stop.
(5)Steff T.
I tried this place when they were first open and noticed bad food handling practices (which I reported to the manager) and never went back until today. They need to QA their lettuce! I can't believe they're serving lettuce wilted like this. They are in too big of a hurry to notice. Food is quickly thrown together. 2 stars because it tasted decent (but not great).
(2)Kim S.
Great treat, especially for a layover meal! Portions were huge. Mint lemonade is delicious, and very fresh. Loved the fresh tortillas. I had the vegetarian enchiladas with black beans. They tasted good, I think the tomatillo sauce was a little salty. I would have liked a little more spice too. But, like I said, good food!
(4)Brandon A.
Awesome! This place puts chipotle to shame. They're not stingy with the serving size, and it's delicious!
(5)James P.
This and Smashburger are my two favorite places to eat at this Airport. I've come many times. Good quality every time! They have a fantastic Tortilla Soup (on my items I replace the Pico with the hotter Fresco). Some of my other favorites are the Steak Tacos, Smothered Burrito and the Steak Salad (I prefer the oil based dressing over the creamy). These things keep me coming back.
(4)Samantha R.
This place is as good as it gets for Mexican food in an airport. First of all: homemade tortillas. I don't know about you, but tortillas can make or break a meal for me. I got the vegetarian burrito, and my only wish is that the rice would've been cooked a little more. It reminded me a little more of southern rice, instead of Spanish rice cooked with less water. Everything else, though--the tortilla, the beans, the homemade salsa--was amazing. Everything is made in-house, which is a breath of fresh air after a long day of travel. It's also pretty reasonably priced. My husband and I split a burrito and chips am salsa for about $12, and we were both full afterward. Finally, it was QUICK. Everything was made in an assembly line, similar to Chipotle. This allowed for customization, which is rare in the hustle and bustle of airport lunch traffic. We were in and out in plenty of time to spare to make the next connecting flight. I highly recommend this place!
(5)P N.
Don't waste your money here! Go to Mcdonalds. It was not worth it.
(1)Brandon S.
This is solid airport food. I was happily surprised as my expectations at airports at very low. It is relatively affordable and quick. I ordered the Barbocoa enchiladas. The meat was tasty and sweet. The portions were adequate and the ingredients seemed pretty fresh.
(3)Darren D.
Great consistent food. I eat it in Idaho Falls, and just ate here- same process, same meal. Love that I get consistent great good, and it's fast!! My usual is a shredded beef burrito, smothered enchilada style with black beans, no rice! Good stuff!
(5)Mike H.
No Starbucks Zombies!!! I travel A LOT! I see people getting crap drunk, swallowing sweets, and of course Starbucks Zombies... This place was none of that! Food was great! Fresh tortillas in an airport and you give it 1 star? You should be slapped with a tortilla. This is my new favorite place in the SLC hood! Heck, they even yelled in Spanish... I was just waiting for a kid to come and offer me chiclets!!! Go, you won't be sad you did.... FYI, you don't only give 5 stars to restaurants that "scrape your crumbs"... It's based on more than that, so these gets get 4 stars, plus 1 for fresh tortillas in a freakin airport!
(5)Heston Y.
I like Costa Vida better, but Cafe Rio is great too. I love the sweet pork in the burrito or in the salad. Expect to pay $10.00 for anything you order here. It is very filling and satisfying. So, the $10.00 goes a long way. Oh, don't every forget to have the cilantro ranch sauce to go on top of your meal. The food would be average if it goes without the sauce.
(4)Mrs B.
In SLC on a layover at breakfast time. Not a lot to choose from really, McDonald's, Greek and Mexican besides Cat Coras extreme priced sandwiches. I had chicken burrito with enchilada style upgrade plus reg soda $12.77. It wasn't bad it's a big burrito very filling. I made it thru 2/3's and carrying the rest on my flight to ATL. Is it great Mexican, hell no, is it a decent meal in an airport sure, I'd do it again. It's no Chipotle but the same "style" of food. Not that Chipotle is really Mexican anyway.
(3)Casey K.
Stopped here to get a tostada to-go while making my way to my flight. The food was a nice healthy-ish alternative to the other restaurants I was passing. My worst nightmare is to be full on just crap greasy and carby airport food (nooooo bueno!). I ordered the tostada, decided to not do the salad b/c I just didn't want that ginormous tortilla they put as the base, so I opted for the smaller sized tostada with ingredients stacked on top. Got half black beans, half pinto beans, with pulled chicken breast. I was then passed onto the lettuce and other toppings station, all I put on top was the pico de gallo and some guacamole. So now that you know what I ordered, here goes my assessment of the quality. The lettuce needs to be spun a little harder after it is washed, it was a bit too wet still. I wanted to put some guacamole on top and was told I would be charged extra (totally used to this from chipotle), what I was not used to was the laughable amount of guacamole they put on it (think a melon baller full of guacamole). Take a page from Chipotle Cafe Rio and make your patrons feel like they are actually getting what they pay for...it was a joke (unless they are rallying to keep avocados off the "in danger of becoming extinct" list). This restaurant is mind boggling to me. Why on earth would you make a salad and a tostada with all the ingredients UNDER the lettuce. Maybe they are trying to change up the general idea of these dishes, however, for the first half of your meal, you are just eating lettuce until you get to the beans and meat at the bottom...am I the only one that finds this bizarre? As a Mexican Italian girl, I am used to my fair share of tostadas and salads, so it is not for lack of knowledge on either dish, this place is just bass akwards to me. As for service, the workers here need to go to Chipotle school. They are SLOW and they don't pay attention. The girl that was in charge of lettuce was looking all around laughing and talking to other employees about absolutely nothing. "Um hello chick, this is a line full of people that have flights to make!!!". She asked me what kind of dressing to which I said vinaigrette, then she smiled at me and said, "we're out"....smh...great. Go here if you happen to have a layover in Salt Lake City (not if you're really pressed for time b/c this is not a meal worth missing a flight for), like I said, it is a healthy by comparison alternative to the heavy and junky airport food. Just be prepared for a long line and no order behind the counter.
(3)Shayna B.
Had a 2 hour layover in Salt Lake City. I overheard a couple get super excited about the airport having a cafe rio, so I decided to try it out. Chipotle style ordering, start with the type of dish, meat, fixings & so on. I went with their "award winning" taco salad with chicken, pico de gallo, guac, crispy tortilla chips served on top of a really delicious soft tortilla. I had a choice between a creamy tomatillo dressing or a cilantro vinaigrette. I went with the cilantro. Overall, it was pretty tasty. Everything was fresh. The portions were huge... But what restaurant portions are small anymore? The service at this location wasn't anything special. But other than that, good food!
(4)Nat W.
Love their tostada and taco salad!! This place always has a long line but moves pretty quickly, so the food runs out quick and fresh comes out. Probably one of the most affordable and best airpot food I have ever had. The place could be nicer to give discount to airport employees!
(4)Satnam B.
I had a short transfer connecting flight from SLC to SJC. There was only one person in front of me, I had only 20 or so mins to get to my gate. I ordered 4 burritos to go for my family to have a bite to eat on the plane vs the over priced, under whelming airplane food. The start out with a warm tortilla and put in white rice, your choice of beans, I went with pinto, mild pico de gayo salsa, cheese then put it through a hot rolling oven then top with chopped tomatoes, chopped lettuce and guacamole. They do put a cover on it to keep it nice and warm and just grab your napkins, cutlery on your way to your gate, for under $8.25 its not a bad bite to eat vs the over priced cold sandwiches you'll see at other restaurants for $9.99. 4 stars
(4)Ec N.
Airport food isn't generally too exciting but every time I go thru Salt Lake I go out of my way to stop here and get the salad with creamy tomatillo dressing, with a side of dressing. They make the tortillas in house. Love it.
(5)Yohan N.
the location is in the airport in a food court type area. there is a McDonald's and a Greek place next to it and at 9pm, there was a line at Cafe Rio so I thought it was popular/good so decided to get my dinner here. Menu is simple. They had a symbol next to their burrito and salad item so I decided to try their burrito. Tortilla - hand made flour. they make their own on the spot and its actually pretty good. nice and soft and just the right amount of chew. Shredded Roast Beef - tender and decent. Here's where it fails.... As you can see in my picture I posted, they wrap the burrito with rice, beans, cheese, meat, and hot/mild sauce. then they send it through a conveyor belt top either heat it up or to melt the cheese. By this point the burrito is already wrapped and the cheese is now gooey and stuck to the tortilla... then comes the "sides". I was looking forwarding to eating a nice big burrito with my hands but the way they added the salsa, corn, lettuce, sour cream, etc is just on the side. Don't attempt to open up the burrito to put your toppings in... the burrito is not tightly wrapped. So now I have a burrito bowl that I have to great with a fork and a knife. boo... I would just ordered a salad if I knew this ahead of time. Lastly, the rice was old and I could taste the staleness. Wasn't impressed Cafe Rio....Next time I'll hit up the Greek place next to it.
(3)Julio J.
I ordered a breakfast burrito with steak. The menu clearly states the price of the burrito and advertises that it comes with your choice of meat. When I paid, I was charged an extra dollar for steak. How can a business charge extra for steak when it specifically states that it comes with your choice of meat? When I brought this up to the cashier, he pointed out a separate section of the menu that states steak is extra. If a business wants to charge extra, that's fine, but at the very least put an asterisk next to the "your choice of meat" or ever better, state that additional fees apply for different meats. Cafe Rio knows they can get away with deception to bring in extra revenue at this airport location since most of their customers are in a hurry and with not be back for repeat business. I spend 2/3 of every month in and out of airports and this was the most I have ever spent for a breakfast burrito. It was hastily made and I needed a fork to eat it since it wasn't wrapped properly. SLC has made huge improvements in its dining options, so I'll plan on patronizing another business next time I fly in there. The one positive thing I will say is the food tasted good enough.
(1)Jeffrey S.
The good news: Cafe Rio is based here in Utah, so it seems natural that they have a presence in the airport. I'm not sure it's exactly representative of the state, but I'll take it over a BK or somesuch any day. The best news: Where most businesses crank the prices through the roof at the airport, there's not much of that going on here. That makes the price-to-portion proposition one of the best--if not the outright best--in the entire airport. If you're starved and want the most bang for a nearly reasonable buck, look no further than this Cafe Rio. The bad news: I had their breakfast burrito. Granted, breakfast ain't exactly their jam. But I knew I'd be flying all day long and wouldn't eat for nearly 12 hours, so I crammed that bad boy in my gullet. Lots of things going on. None of them particularly outstanding, and the whole turned out to be less than the sum of the parts. Still, I have a soft spot in my heart for the smothered burritos (if they weren't so sugary sweet) and can't vouch for how lunch or dinner would hold up against non-airport counterparts. Breakfast was an adventure that put lots of food into my stomach for around seven bucks. I will not be trying to reproduce the egg, potato square, and grilled chicken thing at my own house. The parting news: For Cafe Rio fanatics, here's a chance to get it when you first land or when you're flying out to where the Rio Empire has not yet reached. If you've never had it, give it a try. It's one of those places your displaced Utahn friends will ask you if you tried when you were in Utah for your visit. You can bond over how much you like it or how much you may not. You won't be getting hosed on price and you'll get plenty of food to fill you up.
(3)Marc P.
Total disappointment. Burritos are 90% rice and most options cost extra. There was also no children's option, or out of the box thinking to create something smaller. Two burritos cost $25. Total rip-off.
(1)P B.
4 stars when compared to other fast food choices in an airport. Hand made flour and corn tortillas. I was there early for breakfast and server said they were out of corn tortillas but the guy making them stopped, got the stuff out and made me one corn tortilla. Good customer service. Not so common anymore. Decent food, nice change from Starbucks and McD's.
(4)Taylor M.
The food is pretty good but the service is horrible!! I'm in SLC airport constantly and every time have been treated poorly. There is only one guy there that's very nice. It's extremely frustrating to get attitude when ask a simple question.
(2)Celeste T.
I came here for breakfast one morning during a layover. I had huevos rancheros with pico de gallo, black beans, a corn tortilla, guacamole, "hot" sauce, and sour cream. It was all quite tasty, the tortilla was very fresh...My only complaint is that I asked for hot sauce and it wasn't spicy AT ALL. Very fast line, efficient yet pleasant service, pretty much all you want in an airport terminal.
(3)Jacquelyn T.
Decent airport food. Always very busy. I do usually eat here when I'm in Salt Lake City.
(3)Ruthie S.
Here is a 2, only because you had whole black beans. On my two hour layover, I wanted a vegetarian meal that wasn't fried or a falafel. I saw they had black beans so I ordered a side. The first lady I ordered from asked me more than once to clarify that I didn't want a burrito, tortilla, or meat in a rude tone. Then she looked at me like I was crazy. The lady next to her shrugged her shoulders and prepped a side of beans for me. The cashier was nice and didn't make a big deal out of only wanting beans. $1.08 later I was happily stuffing my face with beans before my flight.
(2)Lauren C.
Pork tacos and the pork salad. That's the way to go. I go to the one on 17th Street in Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and have even been to the one in Utah. I was so excited to find this one in the airport! Made my trip so much better! Best taco chain around!
(5)N L.
This plqce was so horrible, it was almost comical. First off, they don't keep anything hot. They build your dishes and then send them through an oven on a conveyor belt. There was nothing going on while we were there. 5 of the 10 employees were LITERALLY doing nothing while my burrito bowl was pushed up against the oven exit for a full 5 minutes. Ok, so someone grabbed my bowl. What else would I like in it? Lettuce please. Well management obviously decided to note different zones of work along the counter for productivity reasons. Someone not at the neighboring zone at this time, as zero productivity was happening. So, even though the lettuce was one foot from the gal with my tray, she set it on the counter to wait for whoever was supposed to be working that zone to return to their station and put lettuce on it. It sat ARM reach away from her while she stooped at her station doing no work. After a few minutes she finally decided to reach over and top it with lettuce. Ok, my food is ready, but somehow my boyfriends taco, heated in an entirely different place, is not. Ok, we wait while mine gets cold. His finally comes out. There are two people at the single checkout counter. To the best of my knowledge, the only reason for person no 2 is to shoot the shit with person no 1, not ringing us up while we stand there and wait. Finally checking out. The cash register gal wipes snot from her nose directly on her hand. I was praying she didn't hand my credit card back to me with that hand! So, service and hygene aside, how was the food? The ice machine was empty, with a giant pile of ice under the machine. I guess no one is assigned to clean and fill the drink machine. The food was cold. Rice and beans were ok. I had the pork and it was so sweet and dripping in sauce, I could hardly stomach it. Take home: going hungry would be a better option.
(1)Alex M.
If you are a vegetarian Cafe Rio is a complete rip off. The "vegetarian" burrito is just rice and beans - no vegetables and it costs the same amount as a regular meat burrito.
(2)Steven T.
What exactly was that I tried to eat?????? Before I get to the food, let's talk about the experience, the menu is confusing, other yelpers have mentioned it, people in line were confused and it seemed even the people that worked there were confused, you really need to look at making it more customer friendly. Second thing is that management needs to get involved and streamline the ordering and food preparations process, right now the poor employees are frazzled and people are crossing over each other, constantly asking the next employees what's this or that. it's a organizational nightmare and it slows down food preparation speeds greatly. On to the food I thought I ordered a burrito (don't usually order them but they had no bowl options so I though what the heck) what was served to me as a gummy tortilla soaked with juices that had a lame attempt to fold it over so that all the fillings inside fell out when they placed it into their to-go sacks (which are the wrong ones for what they are serving.) Also in the bowl they placed some shredded romaine, I guess they thought it was a salad but got mixed into the fillings that fell making the whole mess look disgusting. OK OK, so how did it taste, this is where it really sucked, I ordered the pork Barbocoa and it was SWEET, not sweet like sweet and sour but sweet like CANDY sweet, it was disgusting. Even their hot salsa (which would be a medium to medium/mild in California or Mexico) couldn't balance out this dessert burrito. In the end 10 dollars down the drain as I tossed the plate of gummy tortilla, plain beans and dessert pork away. I wasn't enthralled by the Greek food that I had next door but after trying this culinary disaster they offer what appears to be a food orgasm. Save your money, your time and your frustration and go somewhere else.
(1)Tonie L.
Food is ok. But I am giving them one star due to service. The girls serving are rude. Awful customer service skills. I saw the same girl being impolite to several customers. Do not go there. The service ruins the meal.
(1)Etta H.
I normally wouldn't review a place we stopped briefly to refuel at an airport... but I felt the need to comment that Cafe Rio is actually pretty good! We weren't looking for anything fancy - and I assumed that Cafe Rio is probably a basic mexican chain fast food restaurant much like Baja Fresh or Taco Time. And they are - I think... but we were really happy with our breakfast here. The service is great - I loved that they didn't go all nutso with the sodium content in their product and everything tasted pretty fresh. I loved that the eggs were made on a skillet (not microwaved or pre-cooked).
(3)Kevin S.
I travel a lot and this is some if the best airport food I have ever had. I had the three tacos and tried the beef, chicken and pork (all shredded). Very good and at a very good price.
(5)Nick B.
Okay, I know what you're going to say, "Dude, you ate at an airport terminal, what did you expect?" Well good Lord something more competent than this! I write this so that you all can be as smart as my wife and go to the Greek place next to this disaster, but alas, I couldn't leave a chance for a burrito! As other reviewers have noted the "flow" was NON-EXISTENT! There was one poor lady working ALL of the condiments. I waited a good 20 mins (I had a long layover so whatever) but it got so bad! So they use the Quiznos thing where they have a conveyor belt oven that they put your food through to heat it up. Well the plates were stacking so much on the end of the oven because the poor girl couldn't keep up with the growing mounds of irate customers who wanted their food! So what happened? The plates ending up getting pushed off as they piled up. Imagine irate customers, in a hurry seeing their food hit the ground. Yeah... And the worst part? There were 3 or 4 A-hole EMPLOYEES!!! just STANDING around. Why do I call them A-holes? Because they had the audacity to LAUGH, CLAP and POINT at the poor lady!!! Ugh what a disaster. This place needs to be shut down or all those jerks fired.
(1)Dirk M.
I like Cafe Rio, but this airport location kind of bugs me. They're the only restaurant at the airport that I know of that doesn't give airport employees a discount, which I think is bullshit and will probably keep me from eating there very often or at all. The food is okay, but a tad pricier than at regular locations. The line is really slow, so don't eat here if you have a short connection. If you have a long connection eat somewhere better like Squatters, they have a better burrito and you might as well eat there if you're going to spend $8 on one.
(2)Sean B.
Slow service, pricey burritos, average taste. Why the hell do they put lettuce, salsa, and guac on the side?? Yo Cafe Rio, we're at an airport, we need to get all that shit in our burrito all right? Lot easier to carry just a burrito onto the plane instead of a whole plate full of crap. Are you trying to distinguish yourself from every other taqueria place in the world? Hint: don't do it that way. Instead you might want to work on distinguishing yourself through your ingredients. Just my 2 cents.
(2)Bill W.
Fresh tortilla's + good ingredients + nice style of preparation = amazing food! Don't forget to get the herbal hibiscus raspberry iced tea...yum!
(5)Brad S.
YES!!! Café Rio at the airport. You heard it, Café Rio is now that the SLC airport. Don't believe me, take a trip and before boarding your plane stop by and grab a bite, an awesomely-delicious bite to eat. I love this new addition. They are just as fast and friendly here as at other locations and the food is just as good. By the way, I'm in no way affiliated with Café' Rio - I just like great food, so there.
(5)Keith A.
Been routed thru and stuck in Salt Lake City airport more times than I care to remember. After some recent layovers in less desirable places, my feelings about Salt Lake are changing. It's really a rather nice airport. That being said, I was delighted to discover this new restaurant the other night while waiting for our next flight. Reading the reviews, I'm amazed at how awful everyone thinks it is. Did I miss something? I want to scream, "Hello fellow Yelpers: Is your memory that short not to recall real airport terminal food?" I can remember the days of one restaurant charging an arm & a leg OR you could get your coffee, cigarettes and week old tuna sandwich from a vending machine. That was it. Maybe this Cafe Rio doesn't meet up with your expectations for ones on the "outside" but dang...my salad was fresh and tasty. Way better than the salad I had just a few short years ago in the afore mentioned lounge. Yes, the management does need to step in and supervise a bit. As good as the salad was, I did notice a bit of disorganization in the assembly line and some grab assing going on. But I thought the fresh tortillas and the sweet pork was good. And what's more, is that I saw most of the patrons eating Cafe Rio as opposed to McDonalds or the Greek options also available for this common dining area. And they all seemed to be enjoying their food. Which is another reason why I went with Cafe Rio for supper. I dunno fellow Yelpers. Sticking my neck out here, but I say go for it. Lower your expectations a bit and enjoy it for what it is. Decent, fresh, Mexican food at the airport.
(4)Tim L.
Sorry. I had a barbacoa taco and I really enjoyed it. I barely touched the beans'n'rice. I've spent the last 4 hours feeling like there's an octopus punching match in my stomach, and I'm making banshee poots uncontrollably. Never again.
(2)James U.
Unfortunately, this Cafe Rio does not meet the same standards as other Cafe Rios. Nobody seems to do quality checks of the food and they charge an extra premium to people just because it is in an airport and they can take advantage of people. Unfortunately, this Cafe Rio could easily be the only exposure thousands of potential customers could get of this restaurant and they are unlikely to ever go to another Cafe Rio again because they will expect same the poor quality as this one. Hope they make some changes soon and don't ruin their brand.
(2)Christy R.
I really like the food, but the service prevents me from returning. The cashiers are always disinterested in the customer. The assembly line food production goes so fast that there is no time to change details about what you do or don't want on your salad. Somehow the wait in line is always long. Seems like they don't have enough workers. They are always out of stuff. Usually out of ice. Frequently out of grilled chicken. By the time I pay for my meal, I usually feel angry. But, the food is consistently delicious.
(2)Nick R.
I wanted to like Cafe Rio, I really did. It had all the looks of being of being promising airport food, but nothing they did made any sense. Pros: + Fresh ingredients in the airport. + Well seasoned, tasty burrito fare. Not quintessentially Mexican or Tex-Mex, but unique in a sea of Chipotles and Moes. + They make their own burrito shells fresh. Cons: - ... And then promptly ruin the experience with sauce all over the fresh shell that makes a leaky burrito - Service is slow - The menu is confusing, and the less than helpful staff don't make the experience any easier. Overall, for an airport, it's decent, but as a burrito place, it's upsetting. Perhaps I ordered wrong, but I'm positive that a burrito is not supposed to be a leaky, soupy thing.
(2)Liggy C.
3.5 really but rounding up for exceeding expectations for airport food. Tasty pork taco salad and friendly staff. Works for me - and rather inexpensive for airport food as well.
(4)Opie J.
Fast and fresh. Disappointed that most food contained gluten. Very unusual for a mexican place. I told GF when i ordered, but they way they manage the food service line... The folks at the end did not get the message and I had to ask to remove some things. I am only sensitive, but if you are celiac or have an allergy you could not eat here. Good good for an airport with decent pricing. I had a salad bowl with shredded chicken and salmon. Very Nice.
(3)Josh T.
Cafe Rio at the airport?!? Hells to the yeah! I'm a big fan of the salads, but here's a good tip, especially since you're presumably flying if you're here and might not want to take salad leftovers on the plane: get the tostada, it's basically half a salad but they sub the guac w/ sour cream which is no bueno if you ask me, but hey. The food here is just as good at any other Cafe Rio so I can get my Mexican on before heading home!
(5)Andy C.
Okay, so I love Cafe Rio generally, but the one at the airport is a fiasco. The service is slow and inattentive and I kid you not in my last bite of a good taking salmon burrito I found a fingernail clipping. I'm done with that location.
(1)Kim F.
Great fresh taco salad with cilantro, guac, rice and beans, cilantro lime viniagrette and fresh made tortillas. They roll and grill the tortillas right in front of you. Also have fresh horchata and mint limeade (think mojito), way beyond what I expected in an airport and veg-friendly.
(5)Paolo N.
OK food - I ordered the tacos. They were served in fried tortillas, not taco shells. Wrapped in foil, the liquidy pico de gallo they used had no place to drain so the tacos became soggy messes and fell apart when I tried to eat them. I gave up eating them as tacos and opened them up and used a fork to eat the filling. 2 tacos and a drink came to $11, quite expensive really. The salads looked better as did the other options looking back. Service was fast, cordial and efficient, no complaints there. Try other options when you're at the airport unless you have a semi Mexican craving since you have a good chance of leaving disappointed.
(2)Devin L.
So very disappointed tonight. Arrived to counter at 845p and except for the kind lady making tortillas, no one at counter. She asked what sounded good and I told her knowing full well she was not the right person to take the order. She looked around at the team members in the back and said loudly, "you'll like our enchiladas" but no one picked up on her subtlety. Finally a young man came to the counter and asked what I wanted. Gave him my order and he literally started throwing the food together and told me "I hope you don't want hot sauce because we are out." Due to his total disregard I asked if he was ok and told me he was so tired and it had been a bad day. Alrighty, then. Sorry I asked. After he threw the order into the conveyor oven he left the line. Still no one else on the prep line. Order came out of the oven and waited. Finally a young woman came and pulled the order and asked for my sides...prep counter was almost empty so just asked for lettuce. No one at cash register. Waited another minute for a guy to call me "boss" 10 times then marvel that Vancouver, Canada was only two hours away by plane. At least he tried. Ordered a regular drink, machine out of ice and both iced tea dispensers empty. After a few people tried to make an order and they were told 'we are out' they closed the gate at 9pm. Used to be my favorite place at SLC, but the total disregard for customers, inability to fill simple orders, and seemingly no management presence, I won't be back and customers should be warned. BTW, posted closing time is 11pm on Yelp
(1)Joyce F.
tried this place for the second time and i should have stuck to the pork but this time i got the steak and didn't think much of it. price same as other airport food. they are super fast so don't be scared of the long line. got the horchata and liked it. will be back.
(3)Reina B.
I have been to a location outside of the airport awhile back also and its almost the same as the airport. It reminds me of chronic tacos and Freebirds but doesn't quite meet the portions in the protein and the prices.
(2)Colin M.
Great huevos rancheros, but watch out for the barbacoa pork.... It's sickly sweet and turns an otherwise pretty good burrito (/taco/salad/enchilada/tostada) into something that more closely resembles a strange (and not very enjoyable) desert.
(3)Steve S.
Pretty good for an airport burrito bar. Had the chile roast beef burrito with verde enchilada style. Very tasty and very generous portion. Only knock is the temperature was not that hot. Definitely a step up from Chipotle but not a Free Birds (TX).
(3)Garner M.
Food just so-so, and the flow is just a disaster. My food took about a minute, but the whole transaction took ten as we stacked up in front of the register. People were tripping over each other trying to work. Worse, I counted over a dozen employees, but apparently only one was trained to use the cash register. And he got called to the back for something, so the whole line just stopped. Four of us were stuck while our food got cold. As for the food, it was just OK. VERY sweet enchilada sauce (no hint of spice that I could taste), and everything was pretty bland. With all the fresh ingredients, it looked like it had real potential. Not a fan. Doubtful I'll try it again.
(2)Fred L.
Food is decent but it is extremely slow and the customer service a mixed bag. It's also expensive. For similar prices in the airport you can find better food and friendlier service. Disappointed.
(2)Ann C.
Greatest thing to happen to SLC travel, Cafe Rio in the airport. Can't go wrong grabbing their salad to go! I heart Cafe Rio.
(5)Ex L.
My travelling family of four ate here on Aug. 4. The wait was long - we had to wend our way back and forth to get up to the front to order (note to mgmt: long lines scares other hungry purchasers away because in an airport situation they have to grab food and run). Even my husband couldn't quite figure out all that what going on behind the counter except that it seemed to be a Mexican restaurant trying to act like a Subway's. But, once, after getting our food, it was great! Really .... ..great. I had the tacos - imagine, real chunks of lean beef/steak instead of Taco Bell ground meat - with salsa fresca and FRESH crunchy lettuce. My husband loved his enchiladas w/ chicken and guacamole. The best were the home made flour tortillas - the best I've ever had in my life (and I come from So. California). Wish there were a Cafe Rio in my state (No. Virginia). Definitely stop by if in SLC airport.
(4)Ang S.
Going for breakfast avoid the eggs.. I have got eggshells in my eggs every single time. All of the food is cooked to perfection. Any of the meats are moist and cooked to perfection. And it's nice to be able to taste flavor and not over seasoned food. If you get a chance, spoil yourself and get a few tortillas. They are hand made and delicious. The orange juice is made fresh daily and well worth the price.... Just Avoid the eggs!
(4)BoredYelper R.
After a four hours drive, we were glad to find a Mexican restaurant inside the airport. Would give 3.5 stars for food. Plus 0.5 for providing relatively healthier food options inside airport. A good place to get a quick meal!
(4)I.J. F.
I ordered the sweet pork burrito, enchilada style. I really liked the freshly rolled tortilla, the fresh salsa, and the way it was prepared. The service was fast and courteous. I thought the insides if the burrito were just gross. It tasted like someone poured 1 cup of SUGAR into the burrito. This is the only thing I've tried from the menu. Avoid the sweet pork burrito. Otherwise it seems like a suitable place to eat while waiting for your flight.
(2)Eric N.
Don't listen to the negative reviews! (Who orders Salmon at a fast casual Mexican joint anyway?? I would advise against that!) All the other items I've tried are great (Especially their salads)! Fast, affordable, and the meat is seasoned well. The dressing for their salads is awesome and I recommend a mint lemonade to drink. They have great breakfast too until 1030 am. I travel over +250 days a year and I skip other airport meals to eat at Cafe Rio. Don't listen to the haters!
(5)Narciso A.
Well since I am here for another hour I might as well write this review. Here it goes: I'm struggling to give this place a 3, it's more like a 2.75. Fast casual Mexican where you build your own burrito isn't new, but we all know (whether you are a fan of it or not) who owns this industry: Chiptole. I got super excited about the tortillas as I approached the queue line. Here they are doing something so much better than Chipotle, going that extra mile to make their tortillas from scratch, rolling them out, and heating them in the same manner I've seen in East LA, the Mecca of Mexican food in Los Angeles. But, just as quickly as I became excited at the prospect of a delicious burrito with all the flavors of our neighbor in the south, I became sadly disappointed. I had their pork barbacoa. It was more like a drippy, sweet, wannabe mole sauce. They added beans and cheese and potatoes and eggs (breakfast). They then ran it through the "quiznos" sandwich toaster to toast the outside. When I dug into the burrito it was cool even after it had run through that tanning booth. The barbacoa juice made the burrito difficult to handle and I had to eat the thing with a fork and knife. Bummer. Even the tortilla didn't taste very good. Take a look at the pics, I think you'll get it. Star for free refills (that never happens at airports), star for good (not great) horchata as well.
(2)Richard N.
If you travel through SLC Airport, this restaurant has excellent mexican dishes. They make the tortillas right in front of you and they are fantastic! A flight attendant recommended this place to me and they were spot on with their choice.
(4)Nora S.
Maybe it was because we were on our way back from a week in Disney World where all the food prices are jacked up, but this place turned out great! Prices were very reasonable and the food was fresh and healthy. We ordered a salmon taco salad and it came with a very generous portion of fish that was decently cooked. We were impressed. Plus, they make their own tortillas. Crazy to find that at an airport restaurant. Much better quality food than the Greek place next to it. Although that place was cheaper.
(4)benny r.
Had a burrito bowl at the SLC airport. Food appears fresh and tasted just ok. Portion is very small for the price. Don't feel that I got my money's worth!
(3)Janelle D.
I love Cafe Rio and was thrilled to find it at SLC! Lots of tables and chairs for seating. There's a counter area with outlets to charge your electronics. They make fresh tortillas. The food is here is just as good as the restaurant. Fast service means sloppily put together dishes but appearance doesn't affect the taste so it doesn't bother me. The pulled pork salad had a generous amount of pork. Their dressing is delicious! If you have a chance to stop here you won't be disappointed. They pack up the food in aluminum containers so it's easy to take with you on the plane.
(5)Adam R.
So good. I will book every trip from now on with delta so that I can be routed through SLC and eat here.
(5)Heather R.
Cafe rio is the bomb! The salads are probably the best thing on the menu. Creamy tomatillo dressing is heavenly. Anyways, if your in the airport with some time to kill or ravenously hungry.....go here. You won't be disappointed!
(4)Suresh D.
A very average place for Mexican food. Have seen way better ones than this one. Maybe being in airport makes it this quality I guess with traveling public and not repeat client mostly. The chicken in the burrito was cooked well but lacked flavor. The hot sauce was not hot or was not added enough. Way too much cheese hot inside and on top of the burrito making the cheese take over your pallet. It wasn't like eating Mexican food. The staff making the burrito was throwing stuff in there with no proportion. Bottom last minute resort
(3)Jackie S.
Yuck! This is one of the worse Mexican food that I've eaten. I ordered the salmon tacos with guacamole, and it came with rice and black beans. The salad with the tacos were sour and didn't have the Mexican flavor and spices. The salmon was pre-cooked, so it was pretty dry. Eating the tacos was a chore.
(1)Lee L.
SLC AIRPORT: Britney Spears is a good metaphor for Cafe Rio. Both were at their prime in the late 90's, both are still pretty good today, both are beloved by teenage girls and the teenage girl at heart. Order the burrito enchilada style and the salad with house dressing.
(3)Butch K.
Do not get the breakfast burrito you would think there is a shortage of the cheapest thing out there eggs!!! And then a bowl full of beans no comparison to chipotle or qudoba pass and go to the next place
(1)Greg G.
If you like being charged for items that you are led to believe are included, then this is the place for you. FYI, your $6.99 breakfast burrito will be over $9 before tax. Management was not sympathetic, and therefore neither am I with this review.
(1)Courtney S.
Normally this is my go to stop when going through the Salt Lake City airport. However tonight the cash register broke down minutes before we arrive. Plenty of hot food waiting to be sold but no way to ring it up. I'm angry because there are two options here the way I see it. #1 customer service allow me to pay cash. I'm sure the math can't be that hard on two burritos. Happy to not receive a receipt. #2 they don't feel comfortable taking cash on something they can't prove I bought. They have a ton of food that will go to waste tonight if they have no way to charge people tonight. Why can't you just chalk it up to karma and allow a few orders for free? It may go to waste anyway. Waited 20 mins. Still not fixed. I'm angry I can get my cafe rio fix and now will leave hungry. Was really looking forward to getting it twice this week too with all our traveling.
(1)Lindsay S.
Breakfast until 10:30am so we got in right before that! Huevos Rancheroes was great / very easy to personalize your order to suit your needs - I got my meal with no tortilla no cheese. They were very accommodating and the food tastes great.
(4)Daniel Q.
Everything is always fresh here. Our favorite is the cafe rio salad. They make their own tortilla fresh everyday.
(5)Jake W.
Started my breakfast burrito with the soupiest pinto beans I've ever seen, then boiled chicken meat and they don't have grilled chicken as the menu stated. **the worst part is the fountain drink machine!! Went to get ice and the strongest smell of moldy mildew came from the machine** Handmade tortillas can't change the fact that this place is dirty, gross and the women making my burrito could careless on quality. I strongly urge anyone to go elsewhere! Barf!
(1)Jet F.
Could easily be 4 stars except the service is lacking. Stand in line and order and they'll instantly make you feel like your in the middle school hot lunch line. No greeting, no eye contact, justs heads down yelling questions at you. The food was very good. I had a steak burrito enchilada style. Excellent steak and plenty of it. Probably go back a second time to see how consistent the service is.
(3)Gregory A.
If you like your burritos with a hint of sweetness, you'll love this place. I ordered a fire chicken burrito...nothing "fire" about it. The chicken tastes like it's been sitting in sugar water!
(1)Jim S.
For airport food this is a pretty good place. It is reminiscent of Chipotle. I had barbacoa tacos and they were really good. My wife and daughter had the carnitas quesadilla; it was very sweet and neither of them finished more then half of it.
(3)Mike R.
Highly recommended, even for breakfast. Cannot go wrong with fresh tortillas. Sauces are great too. Definitely still a feel of authenticity among many mediocre chain and other restaurants. Line usually moves rather quickly as well.
(5)Katherine X.
Had a 2 hour layover in this airport so I decided to grab some food. Ordered the chicken enchilada with a side of rice and beans. With the medium drink, total came out to $9.53. The dish was extremely filling and the portion was generous. However, rice was undercooked. Drink was pretty nice, you get the choice of horchata, blood orange ginger lemonade, or mint limeade on top of the usual fountain drink choices. They seem pretty chill on refills too. All in all, mediocre food but decent in terms of price and taste for an airport.
(3)Gretchen F.
Not very good and not very fresh. Pinto beans were hard. Their hot sauce was literally warm and spicey like warmed up Bloody Mary mix blended with ketchup. Yucky corn tortillas. Pathetically low quantity of meat in my grilled steak enchilada. Everything has gluten in it, the beans, the corn tortillas, the corn chips, the rice and I don't know why? If you want to eat gluten free you have to special order a tostada and its quite small. You can't have the dressing ( has gluten too ) but they will give you extra pico de gallo to compensate. I would ask for two tostadas...pricey but they have a buy 10 get one free card if you are in the SLC often and like their food.
(1)Rachel S.
Went here on 05/27/13 to kill time before my shuttle picked me up to take me to the hotel. It was about 8:15 PM and it was BUSY. There was a line. Cafe Rio is a Cafe Rio is a Cafe Rio. The food is consistent. The problem was, was that they were out of EVERYTHING: Pico De Gallo, Chicken, Drinks, Rice. They needed more people making more of everything in the back kitchen. I ended up with a pork barbacoa salad and a tortilla soup for $15. I was going to purchase a drink, but the horchata container looked gross and it was nearly empty (see picture.) I asked the guy making my food if it was always this busy. He said it was usually way busier, that this was nothing. If that's the case, I'd hate to see what all you're out of when it's considered "busy!" Cafe Rio is delicious and they have some of the cheapest priced food in the airport (which is saying something. The place next door has a $22 salad...) but this location needs to step their game up. Make sure to ask to have your rewards card stamped because they won't ask you if you have one!
(3)Cosmo W.
I look forward to connecting at Salt Lake City airport for one reason- Cafe Rio. The food is consistently great, the service fast and fairly priced. There are several options and I enjoy watching them "assemble" my food right in front of me. I also love the Chips and Salsa, it's too much for one person, but perfect to share with another. I have had the Enchiladas (my preference is the "hot" sauce), the Quesadillas are huge and the Tortilla Soup is great, especially for a fast food restaurant. The Salsa is good as is the Pico de Gallo. I generally prefer a sit down restaurant with table service, but my layovers never seem quite long enough to do that- so Cafe Rio is perfect!
(4)Lindsay A.
First of all - I LOVE Café Rio! It's one of my favorites and I look forward to being in towns where it exists. Second - this was not a great Café Rio experience. it was definitely the B-team on duty. It seemed like nobody knew where they were supposed to be. Service was slow. Breakfast - not nearly as good as lunch/dinner. Adding eggs to your regular menu items isn't necessarily a slam dunk. Speed - typically when people are eating at the airport time is of the essence...it was super slow for 'fast' food. The barbacoa was still awesome, the medium sauce was still awesome. I still LOVE Café Rio, but it wasn't what it usually is.
(3)Tylor W.
I eat at a different location quite a bit, so the first time I realized there was a CR in the Salt Lake City airport, I was excited to get the usual Saturday special...and was rudely told it "wasn't ready yet!". I changed my order to two pork tacos which tasted similar to what I usually get from my location, but they were a far cry from my typical CR experience. Maybe I'm spoiled because of the fast friendly service I usually get, and this location is in an airport. If you're used to a good location, don't come here, you'll be overcharged and underserved. I am very disappointed.
(1)Antonio M.
Good pricing, big portions and fresh tortillas. I got the burrito enchilada style to go since I had a short layover. The service is quick and friendly. The tortilla are made fresh, most of the times you can see the lady rolling dough cooking the tortillas. The food isn't true authentic Mexican food but for being an airport place it'll do.
(4)Tony L.
This was probably the worst Café Rio locations I ever visited. They placed this store at the new food court they built between terminal C & D next to the Sky Club. Being at the airport and all, you would think they would put on an A-game for SLC visitors, but nope. The menu looked simpler and more confusing compared to the standard stores. If you tried the same items from a regular store, then the same here, it would taste like day and night. Quality control was terrible here, the burrito shells did not taste fresh at all, and everything else tasted a bit old inside. I thought I walked into a Costa Vida or something... The staffs all seem low in spirit and lack of motivation... with a very sad look There were a manager figure running around like a chicken with its head chopped off. They also serve breakfast here, but I doubt I would get food from them again especially there are countless choices at the airport.
(2)Mitch K.
Great addition to the SLC north terminal. In fact, the whole food court has been re-done and is now excellent. Cafe Rio offers substantial burritos and tacos for reasonable prices. A little slow, as it is popular and the lines can be long, it is worth the wait, if you have the time between flights to order and enjoy them. I do and am amazed at how much flavor there is for a fast food joint. I especially like the "made to order" assembly where you can see what the options are and select what and how much you want. The veggie people can get exactly they want, without hassle. Not a lot of chatting or personality with the employees, as they are busy and moving with purpose. Suggest you know what you want so you can fire in your order and move on. Plenty of seating as there are four facilities in this mini-food court. I am a regular here and with the Greek place next to it.
(3)