Ode to El Gringo

Café Rio. Restaurant? Or heaven-on-earth with Mexican décor? Why, both of course!

No matter what Café Rio meal you choose, the first bite is like a tiny fiesta in your mouth. One classic, the salad, is a perfectly crafted feast – a blend of zesty rice, black or pinto beans, and your choice of tender meat, topped by crisp lettuce squares, strips of tortilla chips, spoonfuls of spicy pico de gallo and creamy guacamole, and a sprig of cilantro, with a cup of their special house dressing on the side. This is exquisite meal, as with each of their incredible entrees, is not only inexpensive, but so large and hearty that it’s practically two meals in one. In anticipation of their patrons’ need to take the rest of their mouth-watering meal home, Café Rio creates each confection in its own tin dish, perfect to reheat in the oven, and provides covers for refrigeration purposes.

But it isn’t only that the food is the nectar of the gods. The establishment itself is magical. You find this magic in the rustic Mexican furnishings – the terracotta tiles, the pottery and peppers hanging from fraying rope, the splashes of tangerine and sky blue, yellow and bright green. You find it in the workers – if you have a frequent buyer card (the tenth meal you buy is free), there’s nothing more satisfying than a roomful of people yelling “FREE MEAL!” with the enthusiasm found at a small fiesta. You find it among the patrons themselves – friends and families, completely contented and full in a way that only Café Rio can fill a person. So move over Disneyland. Café Rio is the happiest place on earth.