Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican — Restaurant in Coeur d'Alene

Cafe Rio Staff are incapable of not smothering everything in cheese!

This has been an issue since this location opened up years ago. Unless you proactively tell them "No Cheese" they will smother your food in cheese. In fact, even after telling them there is a 50/50 chance they will still attempt to smother your food in cheese. The number of times I have had to raise my voice and say "Stop! No cheese! No cheese" just to get a dumbfounded, deer in the headlights, stare of shock even though they were told beforehand not to add cheese is astounding.

I get it, plenty of people love cheese, and for those that do they probably never have an issue here. I am also aware that the staff probably makes hundreds of meals a day and muscle memory probably takes hold at some point. However, this is a genuine problem and has been a genuine problem for years.

Today is a snapping point though as Cafe Rio has removed their "No Cheese" option on Grub Hub and instead replaced it with an add cheese option. That, in it of itself, should not be an issue except, as mentioned, the staff have a penchant either through muscle memory or simply not caring to obliterate anything in their path with cheese. The fact you can no longer specify no cheese means you are basically doomed to have all your delivery meals come with cheese regardless of if you can eat it or not.

Normally I would leave this feedback only to Grub Hub as really it's their website. The fact that Cafe Rio has a bad track record of having extreme difficulties not putting cheese on an item however makes this worth saying.

Something needs to be done about the presumed desire or built up muscle memory of dropping a block of cheese on every item instinctively. Not everyone enjoys cheese, many can't eat cheese due to either Lactose Intolerance or a Dairy Allergy.

The food here is good, great even, when it's prepared accurately however the accuracy leaves something to desire. If they could provide more accurate orders without the pressure of watching food preparation like a hawk and frequently having to shout "No cheese!" even though the preparer knew not to add cheese then it would easily be a 5 star establishment.

As it stands, Cafe Rio has a real issue with...

This location is a scam!

I've recently started a keto diet which is greatly limited the locations I can get fast food. As such, Cafe, Rio has become a frequent slot for me because I can get their meat and it's rather tasty and enjoyable and it meets my needs.

I go to several cafeteria locations depending on if I'm working or just going there for myself. Location nearest my work in Spokane valley has always been very friendly, cooperative, and non-problematic. Even with their higher taxes on the meals, my order of four portions of steak, hot sauce, and guacamole always comes in around $24. No fuss, no difficulty, they put it in a pie tin without asking to make it easier to eat.

This location on the other hand just scammed me. I made the same order request, and the bearded gentleman stated that the only way that they could put it in a tin is if they charged me for a burrito or a bowl. Otherwise they would put it in side cups. I explained to the gentleman that I wanted a 10 so it'd be easier to eat as a meal. He would not budge. I relented after being assured that it shouldn't cost extra. When I checked out, at this location with a lower tax rate, my food came out to over $30. How is it that I can get the exact same order at a location with a higher tax on food for cheaper? It's because, this location has made an issue out of something that no other location does. Just to upcharge a customer extra money for something that they didn't even purchase.

This is disgusting and highway robbery, and whoever is in charge should feel ashamed at this location. At this point I would much rather drive the roughly 25 mi to go to the Spokane valley location instead of coming back here. There is no sense of customer service at this location. I do not feel valued for my time, and if employees are going to deploy unsavory tactics just to up charge their patrons then I see no reason to come back to this location.

I'm not sure who is in charge of this franchise location, but this is truly disgusting business practice. Getting a pie tin here cost me 6 dollars just so I could have an easier time enjoying my meal. Is this Cafe Rio on such hard times that it has to actively scam, nickel and dime, over a pie...

Now I don't normally like to give a one star, and I usually try to rate in a more timely fashion. But cafe rio is literally the worst restaurant i have ever been to... my wife and I gave them 3 chances to get A order right, they failed miserably every time. The first time was about a year ago on my birthday where my wife PRE-ORDERED online. They said it would be ready at 7:30 when she got there to pick up the food they hadn't even started... she had to wait 30 minutes for them to cook our food she had ordered hours before, she was devastated becauseshe was planning on doing more for when I got home and didn't have the time to completethe rest of her surprise. Even worse They cooked other peoples food that came in after her first. The second time it was my turn again we tried to PRE-ORDER and again when I got there at the time it said for me to be there again our food was not prepared. I had to wait 45 minutes before getting my food while again people who were coming in after me were getting their food first. I was ignored multiple time by the employees and was told to wait. Even people that were eating there were wondering why I was waiting so long and said that it took them no time at all when they walked in. I even watched other people who ordered online pull up after me and get their food first.. I was ready to give up on cafe rio, but my wife decided to give it one more shot. Again we tried to PRE-ORDER which is our fault for thinking that when they tell us to be there saying that our food will be ready at a specific time that they actually won't even start it until you even get there. This time we walked away from their crock of lies because when they say the food will be ready at a specific time that they should actually be able to deliver that promise. The 2 times we actually got our food it wasn't even that good. A taco should have more than just a wad of meat in it. I can honestly say I will never step foot in a cafe rio again. Terrible service and not so great food. I wouldn't even consider it real Mexican food. Try taco works or a local Mexican food place you will get better...