Rio Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Wyoming

I originally had a VERY long detailed review that was too excessive to post. Here is the best summarization:

Despite limited parking, the restaurant offered an authentic ambiance with beautiful decor and live music/Karaoke

Although the ceviche wasn't as expected (reason for the visit), the fajitas, especially the Pina Inca shrimp, were delicious.

My first Paloma cocktail was impressive, but the subsequent ones were disappointing in both taste and presentation.

Our first experience with our waiter, Leonela, was great, but it went downhill from there.

She is not good for business, and her behavior has made us decide not to return for date nights without the kids.

The food and drinks were slow to arrive.

The waitress, Nela, also abruptly asked for payment without offering dessert or inquiring about further needs. My husband noticed this as well.

We still proceeded & ordered three arroz con leche desserts for our children, expecting them to be a typical size.

The rice pudding lacked flavor and raisins, despite being advertised on the menu.

The waitress did not inform us that one serving would be suffice for the children, resulting in wasted food and money.

My children, who typically enjoy rice pudding, disliked this version due to the absence of raisins.

The waitress offered a 50% discount on ONE serving, but we declined and requested the bill.

When it was time for the bill, Nela presented the digital payment machine to my husband, despite me being the one who placed all the orders throughout the evening.

The service was slow, and the waitress did not provide an itemized bill as requested.

We were surprised by the $169 bill and requested to see the bill twice, but the waitress only read off the items ordered.

The total bill for a family of five, including three small children, was almost $200.

After requesting the bill multiple times, we finally received it and discovered a discrepancy (we waited a long time for the paper bill)

Upon reviewing the bill we noticed An 18% "service fee" had been added to our $137 bill without our knowledge. And waitress deceptively got another tip on top of that!. We ended up paying an additional 15% tip despite the poor service and the fact that the bill included rice pudding that was not eaten.

This fee was charged regardless of the age or size of our party of five, which included young children.

Ms. Nela charged an excessive $50 tip on a $137 bill, prompting a complaint to the manager.

The manager (although the young lady did not appear to be in a managerial position) rectified the situation.

An ethical issue arose when the "manager" mentioned a refund shortage of 4 cents, which we dismissed as insignificant but highlighted the importance of accurate refunds.

Despite enjoying our visit for the most part the excessive charge left a negative impression, making it our first and last time at the establishment. Gracias pero no gracias

*En total, la Sra. Nela debe ser vigilada de cerca por la...

Rio Peruvian & Mexican Cuisine, is a disappointment in the name of Peru.

As an aficionado of Peruvian cuisine, I was eager to embark on a culinary journey with a group of friends from Ann Arbor to Grand Rapids, all in pursuit of a taste of Peru at Rio Peruvian & Mexican Cuisine. Promising to be "The Capital of Peru in Michigan," our expectations were set high, but alas, the experience left much to be desired.

To begin with, the prices at Rio are undoubtedly steep. A glass of chicha morada, a beloved Peruvian beverage, set us back a hefty $7, and a plate of lamb with rice and beans astonishingly reached the exorbitant price tag of $27. Even more bewildering was the Arroz con mariscos, priced at $24 and served in a humble bowl, a presentation that deviated considerably from the traditional Peruvian serving style.

As a Peruvian myself, I must express my disappointment in Rio's representation of Peruvian cuisine. It's disheartening to see a restaurant of this caliber fall short of the mark. The flavors, regrettably, do not hold up to the standard one would expect from a self-proclaimed "Capital of Peru in Michigan." In all honesty, the only dish that came close to resembling authentic Peruvian fare was the lamb with rice and beans, but even this dish felt overrated given the pricing.

One can only hope that the chef takes it upon themselves to revamp the menu, infusing it with the genuine flavors of Peru. The potential is there, but Rio falls short in execution. The presentation of the dishes, too, requires attention. While the waitstaff was friendly and accommodating, the hostesses left much to be desired in terms of hospitality.

It's regrettable that we did not have the opportunity to sample the Mexican offerings at Rio, so I refrain from offering an opinion on that front. However, as a Peruvian cuisine enthusiast, it is clear that Rio Peruvian & Mexican Cuisine has a long way to go in living up to its ambitious claim of being the "Capital of Peru in Michigan." Here's to hoping they take the necessary steps to refine their flavors and presentation, thereby offering an authentic and satisfying experience for patrons...

A good attempt at Peruvian cuisine, but with a limited menu selection, average quality and lack of dedication, it doesn't quite hit the mark of its counterparts in nearby Chicago.

Food: The lomo saltado had a tad too much vinegar and seemed like an interpretation from a typical cookbook. The causa was tasty and had a nice presentation. The arroz chaufa had strings of sauce still present in its presentation and was average at best. As said in a different review, the churrasco was a highlight, but it's not even a Peruvian dish, so strange selection. It was nice that they had Inca Kola as a beverage, though this was not mentioned anywhere in the menu. While seafood is abundant, key Peruvian dishes like anticuchos, papa a la huancaína, papas rellenas, ají de gallina and others were missing from the selection.

Service: As this is a recently-opened place, not much to comment on here. Everything was adequate and the food was brought to the table promptly.

Ambiance: The ambiance is mixed as there are two dining areas. The interior portion is cozy and inviting. The area towards the entrance appears good in concept, though the execution is essentially a garage door opened to a noisy 28th Street. This large opening to the outdoors has the result of humidity building up on the pipes overhead and dripping onto while dining, though the weather has been more humid than average.

Overall (3/5): It's nice to see that the Grand Rapids area finally has Peruvian cuisine to offer, though it is obvious that the establishment wasn't one hundred percent dedicated to the idea, especially with the inclusion of the Mexican menu to fall back on. While one can argue that the availability of ingredients is more difficult in Grand Rapids, Chicago and Toledo have no problems with serving great Peruvian dishes. So in summary, if you want to try a small, limited selection of Peruvian dishes, go ahead and check out this place, though you could make a weekend trip to Chicago for an authentic experience with more expansive menu. As for the Mexican dishes, you can pick anywhere else in town for...