Friday, June 26, 2009

cafe rio. in english, cafe rio.







hoy, los hombres y yo decidamos a comer en la fabulosa y muy popular destino de almuerzo el CAFE RIO.

que mal un idea.

ok, it wasn't that bad of an idea, it was just, well, disappointing on a few levels. and the SIX of us all left feeling a little like, "was that really cafe rio we just came from?"

you know what to expect when you order at this ubiquitous cafeteria-style mex fest: fast talkers behind the counter, asking pinto or black, and even faster foil containers of burritos, tacos or salads shooting down the line for the staff to stuff. unfortunately, it can become loud, and sometimes can be confusing on both sides of the order bar.

to whit: friend gary was in front of me and ordered a veggie burro, and then i ordered a barbacoa pork burro. these bad boys flew efficiently through the line, into the warming oven and then to the salsa stop like a well-oiled assembly line. problem is i requested the burrito sans enchilada sauce. but that's how it was prepared. ok, i can live with that. (for the record, they did offer me free chips or dessert for the oversight.)

but my very meaty order showed up first in the line, which gary took to the table. did i mention my friend's vigilance to the art and science of vegetarianism? luckily after we both took small bites, we discovered the error, and after gary assured us all he wouldn't immediately blow chunks post digesting shredded pork, we resumed dining our proper plates. (hope the golden habanero sauce wasn't too much on that veggie burrito, buddy!)

but because of the mass quantity of enchilada sauce, my sweet and savory barbacoa flavor was muted and overpowered. and for the record, no one does barbacoa like the eatery with its namesake. while city weekly plaques and awards adorn cafe rio touting this style of burrito, i think it's a cheap knock-off of the barbacoa real. i digress. no qualms on the quality of food, but sometimes, smothered isn't always better.

overall, the food at this lunch stop to cafe rio was above average, and the ingredients fresh and satisfying. others in the crew, however, complained of soft, crumbly tacos, and the overpowering enchilada sauce previously mentioned.

on the plus side, i now have another frequent eater card to add to my collection at home. yay.

Man-up possibilities: 7 (burros are huge, salads are grande and it appeared the tacos were stuffed)
Food quality: 6.5
Fizz-o-meter of Coke: 8 (from GPaK)
Service: 6.5
Overall: 6.75-ish

4 comments:

  1. I normally love Cafe Rio. Most weeks I could probably eat there twice and be completely happy, but Friday's venture left me wanting.

    I was one of those who ordered up two shredded beef tacos, which is what I ask for more often than not at Rio. For whatever reason my meat was extra, uh, wet. Maybe our server didn't allow the beef enough time to drip dry before it made it to the guy at the taco and quesadilla station. I dunno, but by the time I got to the table and dug in, my tacos were swimming in beef "jus" and the tortillas became soggy. A big letdown.

    I normally would give Cafe Rio an overall rating of 9 or so, but today only 6 or 7.

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  2. Everyone take a gander at Greg Kratz's "George Costanza" wallet. I wish this blog site would let us do polls, we'd see which was deemed freakiest, Greg's wallet or Chuck's elongated caterpillar of a soul patch.

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  3. cafe rio has always been at near the top of my list for burrito consumption. Today, it took a step backwards. I dined free of charge, thanks to my completed frequent eater card and went for the max on my meal (you pay extra for enchilada style on a normal day, but because a drink and "manning up" are included with the freebie, I went for it).

    But as Mark noted, extra sauce does not necessarily mean it's for the better and while I left full, I left wishing I could have tasted all of the meat I consumed.

    A return trip will surely come at some point, but to enjoy the sweet taste of barbacoa flavor that I am used to, enchilada style will never be happening for me again.

    On the plus side, the humor at the table was very good today. On the plus plus side, Greg's wallet appears to look like it could substitute as a burrito with extra meat.

    Man-up possibilities: 9 (don't forget you can ask for extra meat)
    Food quality: 7 (just say no to extra sauce)
    Service: 6.5
    Overall: 7

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  4. OK, enough with the wallet comments already! I know it's big, but I really need all of that stuff. Who knows when people might want to see a photo of one of my kids? Or when I might need an obscure department store credit card? Or one of the many frequent diner cards I now possess?

    Speaking of which, I was glad to get another stamp on my Cafe Rio card today. One thing I like about the place is its consistency. I get the pork barbacoa burrito, enchilada style, every time I go there. I've always enjoyed it in the past, and it was pretty much the same today as it always has been: meaty, cheesey and delicious. That said, I can see SuperScrunch's point about the enchilada sauce overpowering the flavor of the meat, so I'm going to go out on a limb and NOT man up next time I visit Rio, just to see whether I like it. I'll be sure to post an addendum to this review to let you know.

    Or maybe I'll just take Scrunch's suggestion and eat my wallet. Mmmmmmm. Sweet, tasty leather, paper and plastic!

    Man-up possibilities: 9
    Food quality: 8
    Service: 7
    Overall: 8

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