Rio Grill Restaurant, Inc. Review

Excellent food and service! Staff was knowedgable about wine list. An extra plus, we had great seating for our 86 year old neighbor who joined.

Pleasant atmosphere and fast service. Food enjoyed by all. Try the lala berry tart delish

The food is excellent, Latin-American fusion. Butcher paper on the tabletop with crayons for children is a nice touch. Decor is eclectic, featuring Oaxacan style animal statues.

We went for Sunday brunch. Churrasco style steak and eggs with Chimichurri was outstanding, as were the empanadas. Service, however was quite lacking. No table water, even after several requests. Bottles beer took over 20 minutes for delivery. My daughter had soup as an entree; when we requested bread for her to accompany it, the bread was slapped down on the table top without a plate.

Great service, excellent food. Love the bar tables by the cozy fireplace.

Located in the Crossroads Mall, it is surprisingly unique and eclectic. The ambiance is fantastic in the bar area, where there are cartoons of all local and visiting celebrities. Happy Hour food in the bar is a must; tiny tacos, quesadillas, fried artichokes and roasted artichoke with red pepper aioli (main menu item). Love this place!

The service is good and workers are friendly. I usually order the steak and eggs plate because it's delicious. I didn't see much of a breakfast menu on my recent visit, but the food is good regardless.

Had steak and salad. Good value for money, service was good.

Best little Restuarant in Carmel. Great food. Great service. Worth the price of the food. Will be coming again anytime I am in Carmel.

I almost always love this place. Drinks, Wine, happy hour and dinner, I can always find something great. Happy hour gets busy. So not always fun trying to find a place to sit at the bar.

We went for Saturday lunch. Food took quite a bit of time to get to us and our order was simple; a bowl of the daily soup and a shrimp wrap. Plus the waiter poured the iced tea on to us not once-but TWICE. My friend walked out with a wet shirt

The Angus Burger was dry and nothing in anyway worth coming back for.

Pricey, but well worth it. Great food and great service, even for Saturday night when the place was packed with a huge line.

I chowed down the Calamari and the Quesadilla. Both of them were divine.

The staffs are friendly and the eating environment is clean. The place is spacious but they tried to fit in as many tables as possible. So there is very little room between tables. That means, it is unavoidable to hear the neighbours' chat and they hear what you are talking too. The food is yummy but we had a long wait for our dishes for some reason with only few customers in a restaurants at that time. Price wise, with a drink, around 25-35 dollars per person.

Absolutely Wonderful restaurant. The service was some of the best restaurant service I have ever experience. The food - absolutely impeccable for the price point. Tastes as if was harvested fresh that morning in the lush Carmel Valley. Promptly served, amazing 60s decor all over the walls. Also they were kind enough to overnight SHIP my wallet to me after I left it there. PRO BONO believe it or not. DO NOT MISS THIS RESTAURANT ON YOUR WAY BACK FROM BIG SUR!

Always a good meal. Great Cesar salad and good ribs. My wife had the butter lettuce salad with a marinated skirt steak. We'll be back!!

I have been to the Rio Grill many times for a client event over the years during the AT&T Pro-Am and feel the Rio Grill is underwhelming. The server staff is solid. The check in/host staff was fine this year but so-so in the past. My biggest gripe is that I haven t found a main dish/entree that I ve liked especially given the cost of the meal. I have a sweet tooth, too, and none of the desserts wow me either. I d recommend eating elsewhere.

Too Grill is an comic spot and we just recently returned to find the food is even better than I could have hoped for! The pork belly sliders are fantastic and addictive! The wait staff are champions, well trained, professional and friendly! So happy to have rediscovered an old
Favourite! Also thenowners are huge philanthropists and give a great deal back to the local community! Simply exceptional!

Great food. Good selection and something for everyone. My wife and I shared an appetizer of Haystack Onion Rings. The dipping sauce was great- Guajillo Ketchup. I enjoyed "The Works" Burger. It comes with avocado, bacon, mushrooms, grilled onions and a side of fries. My wife enjoyed the Grilled Prawn Wrap. In addition to the grilled prawns, it comes with brie, baby spinach, hatch green chilies, sun-dried tomato aioli and a side of fries.

Super good and there are Mexican people who speak Spanish (Ricardo) who help me in everything ...

Old reliable..... food was great, ambience still warm.... good thing is it is not as loud as it use to be..... service was good

Extremely average and we ve tried twice. Maybe dining in is better - take out is NOT.

We didn't experience that excellent service people write about. The food was good not great.

Service was very good ,food was excellent, the price doesn't matter... cause the food was very good ,served in a timely manner. I go again and again

Delicious food. Wait attentive. Accommodated our food preferences.

Visited this place during the Covid-19 breakout. Their safety protocols are up to mark. They made every one sit in corners away from other groups which was great.
The food is tasty beyond words. Their vegetable risotto is a must try! The staff is also very quick . If you're in town donot miss this place !

I have been eating lunch and sometimes dinner here for over 20 years and have found the service to be exceptional and the employees to be very kind. Prices are very reasonable, compared to other Carmel restaurants.

The short ribs were so good. Everything they do here is first class. Highly recommended!

We made reservations through OpenTable and were greeted by name when we walked in; the host seated us almost immediately. We were quickly greeted by our server Hannah who had recommendations and shared the specials for the night. We started with the Pork Jolly Rancheros which was smoked / candied pork belly- it was almost like desert!! Two old fashioned cocktails were a great paring with the sweet pork appetizer. We ordered entrees of the pork shank and the mixed grill which included several small portions of many of their meat plates. Everything was well prepared, and tasted awesome! Hannah came by often to check on us and was genuinely friendly!! Thanks for a great meal!

Have been coming here for 20+ years, has always exceeded expectations. Great place for biz dinners or just social events. Will return again and again

The food is really good! And the service is exceptional! Cool spot to eat if you're in the area. More of a fancy modern version of "TexMex" but even the burgers are good!

Good atmosphere and nice staff and service. I ordered the half-rack ribs with fries and coleslaw. The food was decent but the ribs had way too much barbecue. Other than that, it was a good experience. I was at the hotel in front of the restaurant so we just waked to the restaurant. Fun experience and will be back if we go to Carmel-by-the-sea again.

A great spot if you are in the Carmel area and want food that is a cut above!

The food is pricey and tastes okay. It's also very loud inside. Perhaps I didn't order the right stuff. Worth a try I suppose.

Excellent eatery with inventive, mouth wateringly good food with Central American influences. Attentive and efficient service complimented by a small but well chosen wine, cocktail and beer selections.
Personal favorites:
The Candied Swine appetizer and the Pork Shank..

The best resraunt in Carmel, service very tentative, food was amazing, everything was very clean.

We enjoyed the most wonderful meal at Rio Grill. Not only was our smoked chicken delicious our Margarita was equally tasty. The service was on point and all the staff was very friendly. I would recommend the smoked 1/2 chicken to anyone that was undecided as to what to order. We ll be back again very soon.

Yee it's pretty good... but get the steak, not the salmon (I tried both and the steak wad the superior food item here.... but that's just MY opinion, ya know what I'm sayin?) Waiters/waitresses are pretty cool too, so that's a plus.... yaight this review is over bruh

Great outdoor service. Food was very good, I enjoy a skirt steak salad.

Fun spot . I like that it is the perfect place to bring our friends when they come into town . The service here is really good as well as the food.

I came in by chance thinking this was your basic shopping center restaurant where I could get a passable burger or something. I was wrong. Upscale southwestern food, I guess, if I had to classify it. Excellent selection of bottled beers. The crispy pork shank was unique and out of this world, perfect mixed green salad to start, and my waiter was personable and just the right amount of attentive. Great sourdough bread too. Oh, and the banana cake with coconut ice cream will put you under the table, but it's worth it.

The duck was pretty good. But the prices are WAY too high.

Service was slow. Very slow. Food was not good. Portions small for the price. Will not be going back.

I don't reccomend. Over-priced food and stuffy crowd. The several times friends have treated me to this place, I was always greatful, but we never went back. Downtown Carmel has plenty of restaurants with foods full of flavor.
And they are now taking up the walk ways around their restaurant with outdoor seating. How do they think this is okay? So not only are they putting their staff at risk, but with each table being inches from each other, I imagine just walking by puts you at risk. It's like these Carmeleons don't understand we are just over the hill from Salinas, a major COVID-19 hotspot. Or they just don't care.

I've eaten many steaks, this is one of the best I've ever had. Worth the $35 price. If you want the steak, but less of it, the steak salad is a good value.

The food was good but not the best. The meat wasn't cooked nicely. The atmosphere was nice. Probably won't go again.

Extremely disappointed! Had a reservation for 7:45, called and asked if we could move it up to 7:15. The host said yes, we arrived at 7:15 and we're told that we could not be seated until 7:45. Poor service! Can't trust what they tell you and they did nothing to try to make it better.

We came here for lunch and were happy with the food and service. I ordered the hamburger and it was cooked according to the my request for medium rare; the side salad was fresh. My friend ordered the chicken salad and that was good as well. Their menu has a good list of choices that should work for small or large group.

Your waiter said it was sprite cranberry but it was just a sherily temple

Delicious food, interesting decor, nice and friendly staff and fast service :)

Delicious turkey sandwich and sweet potato fries -- generous portions, and the leftovers were just as good the next day. Friendly, quick service made for an enjoyable lunch.

Great food excellent service. This place has a new cuisine feel and also the variety of food makes it a special place for everyone. Checkout some of our places close by at LUXEVACA COM and have dinner out on the town. Rio Grill!!!!!

We ve been coming here for 22 years and it remains our favorite first night dinner. The pork shank was outstanding (added the haystack onion rings to kick it up), and the fire roasted artichoke was delicious as always. Please, please, please bring back the pork tenderloin dish!

Awesome place and best fish and chips around don t waste your time or money on sea food at the warf this place is legit

The food and service were ahead of my expectations. I really enjoyed the ambience of this restaurant. Nice place to take the family out for dinner.

Good service. Good dishes. Prices slightly higher. Pork ribs bad.

Duck and salmon are long-time favorites. Consistently excellent.

Everything perfect!!!
People who like to eat well and are willing to pay a fair price should go to the Rio Grill. The steaks were great! Also the appetizers and dessert were delicious. And affordable, delicious wine is also available. The service was absolutely friendly.

Held my son's rehearsal dinner here. Kailey was amazing. The food was exceptional and the service was impeccable.

I have enjoyed the food, ambiance and service at Rio Grill for over 19 years. It is still as good as the first time I visited. This is one of thise places that is popular with visitors and locals alike.

Rio Bar and Grill in Carmel Valley has been open for roughly 37 years and still going strong! I have been a customer since it opened in the Crossroads Shopping Center. Personally I prefer this location v/s their other Carmel and Monterey locations Montrio and Tarpy's Road House. Rio Bar and Grill in Carmel Valley serves upscale Tex Mex and BBQ which is open for lunch and dinner. Locally sourced Meat, Fish and Wild Game dishes which are excellent along with vegetarian options. Nice eat in bar area and white table dining area. This is a busy restaurant so definitely make reservations. Quirky local artists adorn the Mission Pueblo style interior filled with locals and tourists Exceptional staff add to a wonderful dining experience.

Those NY Steak empanadas are the bomb! Bartender Taylor is super!

I ate there last night and had an excellent meal, the SouthWest Seafood stew. my husband had the Mixed Grill which he seemed to enjoy very much, he devoured all of it quickly, the ambience is lovely with brilliant wooden statues of desert animals that were fantastic along with several framed pictures of a South Western and Chili theme. There is a lively bar, the service was impeccable. Great restaurant.

Very good restaurant. The seafood was great . I like their mussels, grilled prawns, pasta. The outdoor sinning is quite nice . The live music Was very impressive

Everything was good. The food was delicious and the clerk was very friendly.

A real Carmel classic. In the 30 + years we have been coming here we have never been disappointed. (The onion Strings are back by popular demand.) This is less of a tourist spot and more a local destination. Close to the mission, and right of Hwy One.

We were there for spring break. Had a wonderful evening, food was excellent wait staff was outstanding. Had some confusion later when we realized we left a bag there, but owner went way beyond his duties and made everything good. Thanks Tony. Hope to visit again. Keep up the excellent service.

Not as good as it used to be. Fair service steak only fair salmon not tender. Sauce for calamari awful and very hot. And not right for calamari. Desserts not good since different owner or chef.