Taco Rio — Restaurant in Chicago

The food at Taco Rio on the Chicago Riverwalk is good — I’ve enjoyed it on past visits — but unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to that this time. It would really help to bring back the option to order at the counter for those who prefer it, and to ensure price transparency. What really disappointed me was how disorganized and confusing the overall experience felt.

First, there’s a 15% service fee automatically added to your bill, supposedly to give employees a living wage according to the owner. That sounds nice in theory, but maybe consider earning less profit and paying employees properly instead of sneaking in hidden fees and leaving customers confused. The customer ahead of me didn’t realize the fee was already included and tipped on top of it — the cashier’s only response was, “Oh, I’m sorry.” There are no clear signs warning you about this fee.

Trying to order food was another mess. I went to the counter and was told by the manager they only sell drinks there, so he directed me to the food counter. I proceeded to the food window and was told I couldn’t order there either — I had to use the QR code at the tables. That’s not only inconvenient, but honestly exclusionary to customers who aren't tech-savvy or just want to place an order the normal way.

On top of that, the prices listed on their menu board don’t match what you’re actually charged. A 16oz margarita is advertised for $20, but I was charged $25.

Overall, the customer service was lacking, nobody seemed to know what was going on, and the hidden fees combined with inconsistent pricing make it feel like they’re trying to take advantage of customers. I expected a better service for the price point and location.

UPDATE: Hi, thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate the detailed explanation — as a business owner myself, I know how much work goes into running a place and I understand the challenges, especially with staffing and rising costs. I also respect that you're trying to get ahead of Chicago's wage changes — I fully support fair wages for employees.

That said, I did speak to a manager at the time — a young gentleman who was taking orders at the main counter that day (Saturday, June 28th). Unfortunately, his response was simply that he couldn’t do anything, which is why I didn't push the issue further. I always prefer to resolve things in person, but in this case, it didn’t seem possible.

As for the QR code ordering system, I understand the reasoning, but I still believe businesses need to consider inclusivity for all customers, especially those who may not be tech-savvy. A backup option to order at the counter is a simple way to accommodate everyone and avoid confusion.

Regarding the service fee — I respect your transparency here, but I still feel the signage could be made more prominent. If a customer standing at the register can miss it and accidentally double-tip, that’s not really on them. It should be clear as day, no room for misunderstandings.

Lastly, I hear your point about how the service fee saves customers taxes. But respectfully, that still puts the burden on the customer. If the goal is to take care of your employees, which I fully support, what about also adjusting profit margins on your end — even slightly — rather than relying entirely on customer fees? I don’t think most customers are against a living wage — I certainly am not — but it's reasonable to expect businesses to share in that responsibility too.

In the end, my review wasn’t meant to tear anyone down — just to share my honest experience so other customers are aware of how things work here. I wish you the best, and I hope these points are helpful from one small business...

The atmosphere along the river is great! But let’s talk about the service…

Two separate lines for food and for drink. Theres a long line for food and one cashier. Took 12 minutes to order food. They give you a buzzer to let you know when it’s ready.

I then went to go order a pitcher of Strawberry Margarita. It took them about 20 minutes to ge that pitcher of Margarita out to me. You could tell this drink staff was inexperienced at handling the orders. They were making one order at a time, no ability to multitask.

By the time I got the margarita pitcher, the food still wasn’t ready. I ended waiting in line to cancel the food order because this place doesn’t deserve the money.

Cute spot but it’s run really badly.

Edit: Please don’t let the owner’s response to this gaslight you/fool you.

I was 100% aware of when my Strawberry Margarita pitcher was ready. The staff made one order at a time. That’s why it took so long. The guy trying to put ice in each of the cups was struggling to do that.

You never ran out of Strawberry Margarita. When it came to my order, they simply just turned around and poured the drink into the pitcher.

You never ran out of things ever. Your staff was ill-equipped to handle today. I can understand the kitchen being overwhelmed but the bar staff was truly...

Wasn’t cool that they charged a service charge. Usually by most restaurant industry standard, you can request for it to be removed & they did not when I requested to. I decided not to eat here to that reason alone. I was getting some nachos and brought my total to $20. This isn’t even a restaurant.. it’s a food stand.

Updated Response to the restaurant : Appreciate you responding , yea There are not any waiters or waitresses …just someone standing behind a stand, To take the orders and the cooks taking so I’m not understanding where the tipping would make sense at. The staff didn’t have the friendliest attitude either. The 15% wasn’t posted anywhere either. So it would be nice for you guys to Respect them and customers request for it to be removed. The food is a bit overpriced as well. Of course, you are welcome as an order to do whatever you want from a customer perspective there’s plenty of actual restaurants around in the city where I can get a better experience , waitress, and service for the same amount of money and...