Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican — Restaurant in Woods Cross

Wow. Just wow. Not sure of the complete direction change this Cafe Rio took here, but it is JUST. NOT. WORTH. IT.

Been going to Cafe Rio since they opened and the complete hot mess of a train wreck this store has got going on is nearly a 180 from the founder's original vision...There is ZERO human interaction. Matter of fact when I walked in, I thought I had mistakenly gone in the back door--couldn't see an obvious counter/cashier through the racks of shelving across the service window, holding the to-go orders.

Then there's the giant screen TV overhead, looming down on you like something out of Orwelleian nightmare, with names of orders and where they are in 'the lineup.' For a minute, I thought I was at Salt Lake International airport picking up someone, but the funk/pop music was SO loud, I dont think I could've heard even Maverick himself buzzing the tower.

I mistook this new look and kiosks as a beacon of efficiency, accuracy and speed. More on that, later...

But let's get to the food. I had plenty of time to think about it as I sat there, since somehow my order was re-routed though GREENLAND. (Have I mentioned I nearly slipped into hypothermia due to the sub-arctic lobby temps?) Fortunately for me, a benevolent band of Emperor penguins saw my plight and encircled me with loving warmth (and flippers) to prevent me from freezing to death.

I digress--back to the food. I had ordered shredded lettuce, but upon opening it, five giant, brontosaurus-sized pieces of lettuce fell out, yet no sign of guacamole, one sprig of cilantro, cupped in a tortilla that was so old, I swear it was carried around in Pancho Villa's saddlebag when Gen. Pershing was chasing him across Mexico...Where on earth did those warm, delicious tortillas go that customers used to watch them make, as you stood in line--?

The horchata machines were drained as if Kiefer Sutherland's Lost Boys had finally gotten ahold of the last living person living in Santa Carla, yet it was only 7:15 pm.

Finally an employee who was not smoking outside right next to the drive thru noticed me and new aquatic flightless friends who had been huddled in the lobby for 25 min, and expedited my order despite there being only 8 people in the joint.

At home I opened what was a bland, wet 'clump' of unrecognizable beans, huge lettuce leaves which could be easily mistaken for palm fronds by indeginous tribes in Borneo. A mere shadow of the delicious and robust salads I had grown to love.

What happened to you, Cafe Rio? Seriously?

I've read the reviews before posting my novel of grievances, and on each one 'management' says they 'hope to impress me next time' and ''strive to give me an exceptional experience'...yet here we are.

The seemingly prophetic words of the guy next to me pretty much sums it up; "these guys ain't gonna make it."

I dare say you are...

I would like to tell you about my abusive relationship with this establishment. (Edit of old review, DOWNGRADE.)

Cafe Rio was once the crown jewel of quick Utah dining. Cafe Rio ranch sauce flowed through everyone’s veins, the whole town congregated for shrimp tacos on Thursdays. Our lips would sting from the soup, our eyes blinded by vibrant limes and lemons, and our ears would ring with the tune of “FREE MEAL!” Cafe Rio was a special occasion available every day.

Now, Cafe Rio is a disappointment. A shadow of a shell of times gone by. The special sauce was lost in its attempt to scale. The service is poor; it’s impossible to get your extra sauce or tortilla or modification to your dish through the all but mandated drive through, despite the upcharges paid for (impossible to confirm because they don’t issue receipts as default!). Returning to your cave with your sack of soup to find the container is half full, without a lime, chips, or side tortilla; or your Sweet Pork nachos lacking the critical sweet pork or the additional cheese type you paid $1.29 extra for.

I just can’t quit it. Cafe Rio is so sweet to me, I say as they swipe my card. Cafe Rio won’t hurt me this time. Cafe Rio told me they had changed, they were better, and wanted another chance (check my review history!!).

I’m done being punched in the gut by this poor establishment. You’ve changed, Cafe Rio, but for the worse. Nostalgia isn’t enough to hold us together.

The last time I went to Cafe Rio, I told my wife, I'd set my own house on fire before I ate there again because they were the most logistically challenged organization that I'd had the misfortune of dealing with. That's saying a LOT because I was in the Marines. A new Cafe Rio location opened and my wife tricked me into Grub Hub'ing from the new location. I ordered a Carne Asada burrito with EXTRA meat because I'm toxically masculine and I'm out to destroy the Earth. What I got was a vegetarian burrito. WTH! I drove to the store and asked for a manager because I'm also a closet Karen. After I watched him make at least SIX MORE TO GO ORDERS another employee asked if she could help. She went and told that manager - with more force than was absolutely necessary - that I was still waiting for him. He finally came out sputtering something that was not in English and then I realized that I was double screwed. I just asked him to make it right and after much unnecessary conversation about whether I wanted to keep the vegetarian (dirt) burrito, I got him to make me another one. He did, but instead of extra meat he just over-stuffed it with rice and. Convinced that God was out to get me that day, I just left with my new garbage burrito. On a side note - I watched the woman who told the manager to come talk to me RUN THE ENTIRE STORE for at least 15 minutes. In my opinion, SHE should be running that store. Because I'm willing to wager that my order wouldn't have been screwed up twice in a row if she'd been watching the children who they had making burritos that night. I don't know what her name was, but I'm fairly certain that she, and at least half the staff, would know EXACTLY who I'm talking about if they read this review. Do...