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Rio Grill Restaurant Review

Crossroads Shopping Center
101 Crossroads Blvd. (Rio Rd.) Send to Phone
Carmel, CA 93923
831-625-5436 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu
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Cheerful, busy place serving Southwestern-style eats.

Cuisine

Open

Lunch & Dinner daily, Brunch Sun.

Features

Wine

Great Wine List

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Dining room at Rio Grill, Carmel, CANow 25 years old, the Rio Grill hides its age well, especially with chef Cy Yontz’s Southwestern creations lighting up the low lit dining room. Come for the notable wine list and the artful presentations that utilize fresh and creative ingredients. A smoked corn soup with prawn and chili plays with textures; it’s at once creamy, thick and bold. A scallop garnished with pea shoots remains delicate, even with a brash slice of bacon wrapped around it. Liberty duck breast sports a side of squash “chilaquiles” (a casserole of sorts) with a miniature duck confit tamale. Rio is just as much a family-and-friends affair: there’s a juicy, oak-grilled Angus hamburger, and children can be seen contentedly dipping short ribs and corn quesadilla pieces into cinnamon sauce. The professional and friendly service (one server has worked there for more than 20 years) adds to the warm and hospitable Southwestern spirit. Groups or anyone celebrating a special occasion can order a photo, listed on the menu under "side dishes"---the waitstaff will take a digital shot of your group for a memorable end to the meal.

User Ratings & Reviews for Rio Grill
Average rating    5
Reviews 1 - 2 of 21
Outstanding Cuisine
by Marconopolis on 01/12/2011
 
Rio Grill features an amazing and creative menu with tastes unparalleled in most places I've ever eaten. Moreover, the staff is generally friendly, knowledgeable, and themselves enjoy the menu items, which is evident when they discuss it. My personal favorites on the menu include the pumpkin-seed crusted salmon, the pork shank, and the grilled prawns on penne pasta. That being said, I cannot say the other items on the menu taste any less better. Perhaps it would be better to say that my favorite changes depending on what comes to memory at the moment.

This restaurant is an absolute must for anyone visiting the Monterey Peninsula; you will not be sorry you went. It has been open for 27 years and is a favorite among the locals.
 
Rio Grill Review
by CT on 01/11/2011
 
We've been going here for many years and it's always great. I think the Chef's name is Cy but I do know he puts out rockin' food. There's a good menu that's been stable but we usually go with the additions of which there seem to be about 5-6 every time we go in. I've never been disappointed. Food is creative and very tasty, there's a bar and extensive wine list and the service is professional and usually very comfortable. I'm a big fan.
 
Reviews 1 - 2 of 21



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