Cafe Rio is alright but not good enough to spend

[Ute_reprobate]

I like Red Iguana and think it is very good but feel like I got better stuff in Texas and CA. I know that is not a popular opinion here. To each their own I guess.

Red Iguana is all right, but the line is absurd. Drive 3 blocks west to El Asadero just south of the Fair Grounds entrance. Best molcajete around.
And say “Hi” to Margerito for me.

[Steggys_Mixtapes]

Bunch of food snobs. You all probably don’t even like Hires.

Hires is good.

Crown Burgers is too. Overrated though, and too much food.

Cafe Rio is unremarkable. I’ll eat it though. Yes I am a snob. I think you already know that though.

[Utahute72]

Red Iguana is all right, but the line is absurd. Drive 3 blocks west to El Asadero just south of the Fair Grounds entrance. Best molcajete around.
And say “Hi” to Margerito for me.

Or go to the Rio Grande Cafe, or up to El Matador in Ogden. There are a couple of good ones up in Park City. All in all Utah is pretty underrated for Mexican food.

[rcarapezza]

Not to sound sexist but it seems like Cafe Rio is more of a lady’s idea of Mexican food. I usually see a lot more groups of women than groups of men there. My wife knows better than to suggest it.

My wife loves it

[LAUte]

Mexican-themed comfort food is what you get at Cafe Rio. There’s a lot of that stuff in Utah. Does anyone remember Casa Melinda in Bountiful? My in-laws loved it. Lots of melted cheese everywhere. It was about as Mexican as The Lion House.

[UteBrave]

My in-laws loved it as well. They lived nearby so they went there. A lot.

We called it Caca Melinda.

[CamInTheSLC]

Or go to the Rio Grande Cafe, or up to El Matador in Ogden. There are a couple of good ones up in Park City. All in all Utah is pretty underrated for Mexican food.

Rio Grande is awful. I’ve never understood some people’s fascination with it. Mainly my wife’s grandmother.

[PugetUte]

Mexican-themed comfort food is what you get at Cafe Rio. There’s a lot of that stuff in Utah. Does anyone remember Casa Melinda in Bountiful? My in-laws loved it. Lots of melted cheese everywhere. It was about as Mexican as The Lion House.

My in-laws LOVED Su Casa for the same reason. It was basic plate of meat and shredded lettuce in a thick tortilla, smothered in bad refried beans, and cheap, orange, melted, cheddar-ish/Jack-ish cheese. But it was good to them.

[chrisrenrut]

Mexican-themed comfort food is what you get at Cafe Rio. There’s a lot of that stuff in Utah. Does anyone remember Casa Melinda in Bountiful? My in-laws loved it. Lots of melted cheese everywhere. It was about as Mexican as The Lion House.

In the immortal words of Landpoke, “Shut your whore mouth!” about Casa Melinda. Great childhood memories there, and great homemade salsa. Ok, their food wasn’t authentic Mexican, but in Bountiful it was there or El Matador (and El Matador is worse). I can still taste the Casa Melinda cheese enchiladas, mmmmm!

Remember, in Bountiful, fine “Italian” dining is Robintinos, and the best steak is at Kitty Pappas. Other than the Mandarin and maybe Vitos, it isn’t a culinary hotbed.

[salUTE]

Red star for the Kitty Pappas reference…

[LAUte]

…da. Great childhood memories there, and great homemade salsa. Ok, their food wasn’t authentic Mexican, but in Bountiful it was there or El Matador (and El Matador is worse). I can still taste the Casa Melinda cheese enchiladas, mmmmm!Remember, in Bountiful, fine “Italian” dining is Robintinos, and the best steak is at Kitty Pappas. Other than the Mandarin and maybe Vitos, it isn’t a culinary hotbed.

It’s comfort food. Nothing wrong with it. I enjoyed it when I went there. It’s sacred to my wife too! In fact, it’s important to us historically, because that’s where my wife met her former boyfriend to break up with him when she realized things were getting serious with me.

How about Carmack’s? I’m not Bountifulese, but I recall that the food was good there. Like Hires, but with a bit less mass production.

[61_Shasta]

I guess the OP will live on in LA’s response but response deleted, notifications turned off.

[LAUte]

@61_Shasta

Since I learned copy editing in a Journalism class once many years ago and have never up until this day used it in any way other than that and subsequent classes, allow me to edit your headline, old-school style.

Seriously, I don’t hate on Cafe Rio, and if you like it fine. But to call it Mexican is like calling Kraft Mac & Cheese Italian. Take it for what it’s worth. OK semi-fast super-Americanized Mexicanish food straight out of St. George, Utah.

The guy who owned the chain during its big expansion period was Spencer Hill, a Utah grad who was ASUU president. Very nice guy who sadly did of cancer in his 40s. I Googled Cafe Rio and it now has 133 restaurants in 12 states.

Like I said, it’s not a place we go to more than once a year for takeout when we need something fast but decent. I think those here who are so vehemently opposed to a chain restaurant remind me of the Northern Californians who feel the need to tell me and others that they could never live in Southern California. I always respond that in light of their feelings they have made an excellent choice in not living there.

Hey, it’s Mexican-themed comfort food. It’s no more Mexican than Domino’s is Italian. But a lot of people like it, and that that’s not a moral issue.

Maybe we should move on to a fiery debate over one or two spaces after a period. I prefer two. Fire away! (I’d suggest the pineapple on pizza debate but I don’t want to start a war.)

[NewbombTurk]

Two spaces. This is not up for debate.

[Scratch]

I don’t believe these words have ever been uttered in the history of mankind, but here goes: Newbomb is 100% correct.

[Smack]

Maybe we should move on to a fiery debate over one or two spaces after a period. I prefer two.

Two spaces between sentences?

You’re a monster.

[Steggys_Mixtapes]

My in-laws LOVED Su Casa for the same reason. It was basic plate of meat and shredded lettuce in a thick tortilla, smothered in bad refried beans, and cheap, orange, melted, cheddar-ish/Jack-ish cheese. But it was good to them.

That place sucks.

[LAUte]

Two spaces between sentences?

You’re a monster.

I accept that designation. I can’t help it, however. It really is just a matter of what you grew up with. It is such an ingrained habit for me that I know I will never be able to change it. Kind of like my golf swing.

[Smack]

I accept that designation. I can’t help it, however. It really is just a matter of what you grew up with. It is such an ingrained habit for me that I know I will never be able to change it. Kind of like my golf swing.

I can believe you about the golf swing. I have no choice, since I am not a golfer. But that’s as far as I’ll go.

[LAUte]

I don’t know Mexican restaurants in SLC (yet) but there is a real, honest-to-goodness Salvadoran place called El Viroleño. I lived in El Savador as a missionary, and I can tell you this is the real thing:

El Viroleno Salvadoran Food

I know Guatemalan food too but haven’t found a Guatemalan eatery in Salt Lake.