Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

First off I love cafe rio, and I think it’s amazing they are in the airport at SLC. I’m leaving this low rating for the “ordering online it’s fast and easy”. A tad bit misleading to say the least. I had some extra time and the line was a good 30+ people (so far back it was past the drink station almost to the pick up windows) so I decided to gamble and order online and see how much faster it was. Well the actual ordering online was easy to follow to order the food. It wasn’t until I actually hit confirm payment that it told me I was going to wait 25 more minutes. Then of course it’s too late to cancel the order and wait in line because my credit card got charged, now I get to play the waiting game and see if it really will be faster than what it says. Nope I got to wait the entire 25 minutes staring at the tv monitor and watch my name just sit there and sit there with no progress while the clock ticks closer to my boarding time. It’s particularly enraging to watching the people I was standing behind in line originally get there food and almost finish eating it before I got mine. Then of course the order was incorrect. Now I’m not allergic to any of the food but when I ask for something not to be on it and it comes on it (pico de gallo) it really pushes my temper to the limits especially after I already made a bad decision to order on line when I saw the long line and a stupid sign saying “Order online, it makes pick up fast and easy”. Of course if it’s just the pick up that’s fast and easy I guess they are correct, being in the airport and knowing that everyone is in a hurry that sign is slightly misleading. Also I didn’t get my drink cup in the bag so now I have to fight the crowd of people trying to leave with their food and talk to the cashier and get a stupid drink. And while I’m complaining I’ll add that there are no napkins at the stupid table where you get your utensils, I guess we aren’t allowed to get those by ourselves so you get to fight the crowd again to pick up a few of those too FYI.

To end the story, I’ll still eat their food because I like it. I’ll probably still go to this location because I like it more than the other vendors, but if I do I’m standing in line, they are usually fast enough your max wait time should only be 15-20 minutes, but I might give it another go and order while I’m standing in security for the convenience of ordering ahead, that will be the only way I’ll use that online system again and maybe I’ll update this review.

Sorry about the blurry picture I didn’t want people to get weird ideas about me taking pictures in the airport. You can see that the line had died down by the time I had left, so stay in the line it’s faster...

When hunger strikes during a layover at the Salt Lake City International Airport, Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican is a welcome sight. I always appreciate finding a familiar and reliable option, and this location certainly delivers on its promise of "pretty good Mexican food." On my most recent visit, I gravitated towards my absolute favorite: the "grilled chicken salad." The chicken was tender and flavorful, perfectly grilled, and the fresh greens and vibrant toppings made for a satisfying and relatively healthy airport meal. The dressing, with its signature tang, really brings the whole dish together. They also offer a variety of other staples like burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, all prepared with that characteristic Cafe Rio freshness. The aroma of their freshly made tortillas is always a bonus. One of the pleasant surprises about this Cafe Rio, especially for an airport establishment, is its pricing. While you will not find street taco prices, their cost is "almost decent prices compared to any other airport restaurant." This is a significant factor when you are trying to make smart decisions about where to spend your money while traveling. It feels like you are getting good value for the quality of food you receive, which is not always the case in airport concessions. The service is usually efficient, which is crucial when you have a flight to catch. The lines can get long during peak hours, but they move quickly. The dining area is clean, and while seating can be limited, I have always managed to find a spot. If you are craving fresh, flavorful Mexican food at the Salt Lake City International Airport, Cafe Rio is a solid choice. I highly recommend the grilled chicken salad, and you can feel good knowing you are getting a tasty meal without completely...

Ordered a lunch burrito, in short avoid the burrito. They have no clue how to make a burrito that doesnt fall apart completely and turn into a burrito bowl.

I love Mexican food. And I ordered a burrito, they proceeded to load it with the first few ingredients, then was going to put it in a filling toaster, I asked they were going to put the vegetable that were on the other side of the toaster as well in the burrito, he just replied "yes yes" then the next lady takes the burrito (in its plater) and asks me what other thinks I want, so I asked for leturlce and they procede to put it beside the burrito, so I asked to have it in the burrito and then she replied to me (in limited english) that I should have me toned that to the first young man, otherwise it will make a messy burrito. So they converse in Spanish (mumbling something) and the young man proceeds to come and add things to my burrito, and i ask wont this make it soggy as the lady said and he just mumbles something, they then complete my order and charge me. I proceed to sit down in the dining area and the burrito just falls apart, it was improperly rolled together and is not edible with hands alone. So I go back to the counter and asks for them to use a new wrap (they t all me to throw out my old one and they will make me a new one, this time everything is added and no toaster is used and I ask if it will hold up this way and they say yes.... welll it doenst, still poorly rolled and just completely falls appart. Typically at other Mexican places they use a penny ni press or something of the likes to harden the pita. So in short order a bowl or something easy. Otherwise the food itself as the...