Why you should be eating at Café Rio + a Giveaway!

In my pre-mother life, I loved to cook and experiment with food. And I actually had the time and sanity to do it. I’m talking pretty much everything from scratch (no, I didn’t make my own chocolate, but it does sound fun!). Not because I’m a food snob, OK I am, but because I just plain don’t like the way boxed mixes and seasoning packets taste. I can taste the difference. I enjoy making it taste better than that. (Note: that I do not believe this is not the only way to be, it is just the way I am.) It was relaxing to me to come back home after being at grad school and work all day and make something new to eat. Rarely was anything beyond my ambition and rarely did it disappoint.

Oh, my! Have things changed dramatically. While I adore my scrumptious little ones, they are kind of major time, and limb, thieves. Every now and then, Karma, and like 5 adults, swoop in to help and I pull off an incredible meal, but honestly, my days of getting down in the kitchen have been replaced with much simpler meals, that still manage to be ruined…and often. Sad face. It’s extremely frustrating for obvious reasons, but more so because even restaurants routinely disappoint me, or are expensive, and because kids in a restaurant. You know?

But then I learned that Café Rio was opening a new location in the Richmond and I got to take a behind the scenes tour and watch the food being prepared in the back and then assembled while in the line and then EAT that same food. And I said to myself, “Self. At least once a month. This. Will. Save. Dinner!!!”  Because…

 

 Nothing is frozen.

EVER. I never even found a freezer or freezer room. Therefore, freezing or storing frozen foods is impossible. It’s science.

Nothing is microwaved.

EVER. Same situation as the freezer; there wasn’t a microwave to be found! That’s straight up crazy. Even nicer (read: pricey) restaurants have microwaves…I’ve seen them when I worked as a waitress!

The produce.

It’s delivered every single day. In addition to adding some color to the decor, it is actually fresh and it will be used. As in 1000 limes squeezed a day, used.

 

It’s all from scratch.

The tortillas, and their drink bar delights, and their salsa, and their meat, and their tres leches cake. Like, ALL OF IT. By wonderful human beings, too. Seriously, their people are happy!

Their USDA choice and prime meat.

It’s marinated and grilled/stewed on site. They even make the marinade on premises. The only “mystery” ingredient in this restaurant is what exactly is in the marinade spice blends that come from headquarters and are then mixed with other ingredients to create the final marinades.

Choices.

It’s all about what you want. Pinto or black beans? Both? OK! Corn or wheat or whole wheat tortilla? Pico or salsa? Hot, medium, or mild? Oh, all three? OK! I love how many choices you get to customize your entree. It kind of feels like I’m cooking my dream Tex-Mex meal without anyone getting in my way. And it comes out perfectly, every darn time!

Price.

Where can you eat for less than $8 (or even $15) a person where you are getting everything I have mentioned? OK. Moving on!

ONLINE ORDERING.

Yes, no more waiting in line (Even though their line moves faaaaast. Too fast for this brain-dead mom, sometimes!). Just place your order for your location here and go pick it up mere minutes later at the To-Go counter. Spare the line and spoil the child, I always say!

 

BUT, if you want some quiet…

for a half hour, because the kids’ mouths are so happy with Café Rio’s delicious offerings–seriously, the “kid” quesadilla is way better than fake cheese on a crappy tortilla. It’s filled with a few types of cheese and comes with meat, stuffed inside a homemade (rolled, tossed, cooked) corn tortilla that tastes like love wrapped up and grilled–then maybe you should stick around and eat in a festive, casual atmosphere where you won’t be mortified if your kids should speak loudly, or dance randomly, or spill some drink, or generally act like a child

I could go on and on (about a secret menu item that is emerging, the specialty items they only make certain days of the week, etc.), but I’m going to let some of you find out for yourselves how awesome Café Rio is, because we’re giving away a free individual meal and drink each to 5 lucky winners!
a Rafflecopter giveaway