Le Rio

I cant believe I have not reviewed this place before. This is a Gem of Sainte Sauveur. I have been going to this place for almost 2 decades and as long as ive been cottaging in the sainte sauveur and tremblant area. The first time I tried it my cottage was over an hour away and it was worth every min. The ribs are fantastic. I have lots of confidence in the rest of the food but I personally always get a full rack. The staff are also absolutely wonderful. Even today they made a point of reminding me that calling in my order would have saved me some money vs placing it online. I highly highly recommend. It is worth the trip.

We visit this restaurant annually. We live in the Ottawa region and every year, they never cease to amaze us. We always have the ribs and every time they have been great and the service has always been amazing. That is why we return every year. It's clear that the owners takes pride in the food and services they offer. We will be back!

We had a large family dinner at Rio (9 of us) and everyone was very happy with their chosen meal. The chicken supreme was delicious, the ribs were amazing and the steak was prepared perfectly. Staff were very friendly and funny which added to the enjoyment of our evening. We look forward to returning in the summer :)

We were looking for great tasting baby back ribs and this place did not disappoint. Their take on it was very flavourful and tender. It comes with sweet potato fries which is also great (ask for the spicy mayo dip). Don't forget to order the french onion soup too - it was delicious too! Shoutout to our server Arianne who took really good care of us despite how busy the restaurant was.

It was a nice place, very quint Nd cozy. The service was very professional without being stuffy. A great place to bring the kids and have some good barbecue. I would have liked some portions to be bigger, while at the same time some were too generous. If you are going as a couple, try one sampler meal and just take a main course on the side, will be plenty. I would like to see a few more calimars. They have a great selection of craft beer if you are into that. Deserts are not house made, I think this is very important. I would have liked to see some authentic cornbread. Just a nice place.

Still the best ribs around, yes it’s 45 minutes from Montreal out in St Sauver, but worth the drive anytime even on a night like tonight (Snowing in Jan who would have thought) as always Lauren and Isabelle are the best! And once you’re there grab a jar of the secret sauce:) for home……

The food was really not good and we tried a lots of different things. The ribs, Dore and shrimp were maximum ok. The mocktails were also not good, way to sour for what these are usually. The brownie as a desert was the best of the whole evening 😅 so I would rate it on a foodscale as pub food, that usually focuses on drinks but also served food, but it's nothing compared to really good restaurants that you can find in St Sauveur and this is why I can't fully understand the 4.4 stars rating. Sorry 🙁

We are 2 seniors that dine together often, and we split our meals because we do not eat the same amount of food as in our prior years. This allows us to try many restaurants in the St Sauveur area. We went to Rio to try the ribs on Sunday night. There was only one other table occupied. Sophie was a very pleasant server, and very polite. We explained to her that we would be splitting a rib meal together. She said it’s not normally allowed, but for this night she would accommodate us. The ribs were excellent, but thrown on top of the French fries, and there was a minuscule amount of coleslaw. For the fact alone, that we are not allowed to share a future plate, we will not be going back. St Sauveur is loaded with senior people, and trust me, we are your marketing agents!

What a great hidden gem in St Sauveur village! We originally had a reservation down the road, but we walked by and it just smelled so good and looked so inviting, that we had to walk in. We were seated immediately by a friendly waitress. I got the Tom Collins drink, which was great, and my husband was recommended a really great red wine (I don't recall the name). He got the 4 course dinner (fantastic deal for the money) and I ordered a half rack of ribs. My ribs were very good, but a bit fatty. His dinner was incredible. It started off with one of the best french onion soups I have ever had. It was the perfect appetizer for the cool winter. His main course was filet mignon, which was tender and perfect. Dessert was delicious - apple crumble with ice cream. Loved this place!

In town for the week with our kids for a ski vacation. Extremely happy with our choice for dinner. Service was friendly and helpful. Great atmosphere in the restaurant. LOVED the Elvis music all night! Kids had the Poutine, Pulled pork sandwich and ribs and ate every single bit! Husband and I had fish and chips and Rio burger which were AMAZING! Portions were extremely generous and no one was hungry after! My pickiest son said they were the best ribs he's had. We will be back!

It was ok. You can't ruin Filet Mignon. Veggies were minuscule, salad was meh. Server was polite and efficient. I would give 4 stars but I have an issue with the patio. We were a party of five and we had dinner on an evening when the restaurant was very slow, so there were available tables. The tables were tiny and the staff was unwilling to put two tiny tables together. One of us ended up eating at the corner of our table. Also, the deck is not level, which is fine, but then management must ensure that tables don't rock up and down for paying customers. We put the drink menu under one of the table legs and that was a no-no as per server. If you don't like our amendments then perhaps you need to provide a solution.

Unexpected treat north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Le Rio is a small unassuming restaurant on the main street in Saint Sauveur. My family and I arrived on New Year's Eve without a reservation. Probably never a good idea. But Lauren (co-owner) was able to fine us a table. The building is rustic with well worn wood floors and a small bar. Very warm and inviting. I was expecting the usual poutine, fish & chips, burgers, etc. that we had seen at other restaurants in Quebec. I was totally surprised when I saw waitresses delivering plates of baby back ribs. The smell filled the small dining room. This made our choices from the menu pretty easy. Our waitress Caroline was super nice and friendly. She showed us the menus and made a couple of suggestions including the ribs. My wife and I decided to share a full rack of baby back ribs. Our daughter chose the poutine topped with pulled rib meat. We started with the calamari which is one of our tests of restaurant quality whenever we eat out. The calamari was lightly breaded and perfectly fried. It was very tender (not rubbery) and had a good flavor. The poutine was piled with pulled rib meat and cheese curds. A lot more than expected. The brown gravy was thick and flavorful. The barbecued rib meat was a perfect compliment to the richness of the poutine. It was more food than my daughter could eat. If you have never experienced poutine, this is the one you should try first. It will hook you. Caroline brought an extra plate so my wife and I could share the ribs. Many restaurants frown on this practice as they feel that could have sold another plate of food instead. The ribs were glazed with a sweet slightly spicy sauce. Reminds me of ribs I've had in Tennessee and South Carolina. They were cooked perfectly to my taste which is where the meat falls off the bone. I know 'competition barbecuers' want more texture where you leave a bite mark in the side of the rib. El Rio is serving the what the public wants and what the judges are looking for. El Rios baby back ribs are in my top 5 of ribs I have eaten across the U.S. and now Canada. Caroline and Lauren checked on us sever times during the meal and made us feel extremely welcome. At the end if our meal, Ryan (chef/co-owner/Lauren's husband) took a few moments to come out and speak with us. He was truly interested in our opinions of his food. I've only had this occur a hand full of times. Many chefs are so arrogant they expect you to just love whatever they serve regardless and if you didn't love it something was wrong with you and not their food. I could tell from talking with Lauren and Ryan that they are passionate about what they are creating for their customers. El Rio is definitely on my 'Keepers List'...

I think the word that best describes this place is "solid." Good food, decent prices, excellent service. Highlights: escargots appetizer, very nice. I've had escargots before that were very chewy...these were not, which was a pleasant surprise. Although the cheese was interesting, and I'm not sure if I like it that way. Fish and chips: these were OK, but they absorbed quite a bit of the frying oil, so they ended up being a little heavy.

What a surprise hidden gem! Covid measures aside (which unfortunately ruin the ambiance of this cute little quaint restaurant) the food was AMAZING!! Best steak I've had in years!! Moist and delicious, vegetables were grilled to perfection, fries, rice - everything!! 5-stars! The service was awesome, great server, friendly and kind We've found our new place to celebrate life's milestones! We will return Cheers Sonia and Guy

Read the reviews on Yelp and decided to try this restaurant. We were a group of 8 people on a Friday night, and were seated near the door, early December. I recall being really cold and having to wear my winter jacket for half the meal at least. Most of us ordered the ribs, and it was good, without saying that it was the best ones I ever had. We were served in a timely good manner, even though we were a big group. Reserve in advance, if not you may have surprises. I liked that it was not a chain, but a family-owned business in a homey-feeling wood-based restaurant. You get home-made salad that is included, which was crisp and good. The service was friendly too. If you go there, have either the ribs or the chicken, I guess you cannot go wrong (one of my friend had the chicken and said it was really good).

Best ribs I've had in a very long time. Loved everything at this restaurant. Excellent service.

Excellent service from a caring and attentive server. Covid spacing done like pros. Cheap pitchers and good microbrews. Best of all were the plates. fried mushrooms, baby back ribs and fish and chips. I've been out to eat a few times in St Sauveur, and this is the first restaurant that I'm looking forward to going back to. Great value and experience, thank you!

Location: In the heart of St. Sauveur village. Street parking only. The place: This family-owned business offers up a cottage vibe, with lots of wood accents, low ceilings and a cozy atmosphere. The space is small and can feel a bit cramped but hey - that's part of its charm. Oh, and everything is home-made (but probably not the dessert). Food: These guys specialize in chicken and ribs - emphasis on ribs. If you're a fan of the baby back, this is the place for you. You can order à la carte or take advantage of their Table d'Hôte. I went with the Table d'Hôte. To start, Rio offers home-made soup or tomato juice - I skipped this part of the meal. Two at my table had the soup and I snuck a taste - it was delicious and included lots of veggies in addition to the flavourful broth. Given a choice of appetizers, I went with the escargots gratiné. The snails were plump and to my liking. There was a little too much cheese for me and I had to dig through it to get to the snails. Luckily for my mom, this meant she got to pick at all my leftover fromage. She quite enjoyed this appetizer. Before the mains were served, our waitress brought over fresh house salad (this is included with all meals regardless of whether you choose à la carte or not). The salad was crisp and fresh, and the dressing, though creamy, was super light and tasty. Great way to prepare my belly for what was coming! Since I'm not really a meat eater, I ordered the butterfly shrimp with vegetables and rice. The shrimp were perfectly grilled and the accompanying garlic butter added that perfect touch to complete the foodgasm experience. The vegetables were perfectly cooked - from what I could see, these were fresh and not frozen. The rice was good - I would have liked a little more flavor but no complaints. My only comment about the overall dish is that the veggies and rice could have been hotter. Two members of my party had the ribs and home fries, and all I kept hearing was how finger-licking good the ribs were. I snuck a few fries and they were equally great. Not at all greasy - perfectly crisp on the outside. Another person at my table ordered the rib steak and sung its praises. You can't go wrong with any meat dish! The only thing that didn't blow us away were the desserts. The selection that came with the Table d'Hôte was pretty ordinary - the cheesecake seemed a bit dry and it lacked flavour (I had the blueberry variety). The cheesecake that my brother ordered looked stale and it was visibly dry. I think the dessert selection could have been refreshed for New Year's Eve. Price point: Considering portion sizes, what was included with each meal, and food quality, I think Rio's prices are very fair. For about $30, you'll get the soup + appetizer + salad + main + dessert + coffee/tea on the Table d'Hôte. A full rack of ribs with home fries and salad will run you $32 and this includes the $5 surcharge to share the dish. Final thoughts: Rio is a great place to check out if you love ribs and chicken. Book in advance if you want to go on a weekend because these guys are popular in these parts! Also, a quick shout-out to Rio's owner, Mitchell, who is nothing short of awesome. He wasn't there when we went for dinner, but I had the opportunity to meet him when I was checking out the menu a few weeks ago. All smiles and welcoming attitude. Love it.

Great hospitality and amazing service. We enjoyed our experience and the ambiance was fun and relaxing despite covid restrictions. Portions were great and food was just right! I highly recommend trying this place out!

They messed up our 3 week long reservation. We were celebrating 2 anniversaries and they told us we have 1 and a half hour to eat and then we have to leave. They called us the day of to tell us our restriction. We asked for more time to eat and they would not accommodate. We left without eating. Very unprofessional for them to tell us the same day this.

Great Baby Back Ribs, very tender meat, it fell right off the bone. The steak was good as well and the staff was really friendly. Highly recommended!

Being from Kansas City and St Louis, our BBQ expectations are high. Le Rio can complete with any of the top BBQ places we've been. Great food and great service!!

I figured that we'll never get in at the last minute on a Saturday night at 8:00 pm. I was wrong. I called, they said it was no problem, and my son and I were seated immediately upon arrival. Our waitress was very friendly and quite charming in her effort to accommodate our need to communicate in English. We ordered the calamari, caesar salad, and each ordered a plate of ribs. The food was very good, except for the ribs... which were simply outstanding. We'll be back.

Life is full of surprises , specially when it comes to falling in love , yup today I fall in love with Rio restaurant , as we all know most of the restaurants in the area are not that good most of them they are average restaurants, but not RiO you have to try there ribs it is one of the best in Quebec it's so tasty so tender omg dream come true, owner is very polite servers are very professional , the owner is generous person he served homemade fries to our 4 years old twins did not even charge, restaurant it self is cozy , only thing we did not like is the table covers ( sticky) but that's ok portions are big and service is great , when it comes to ribs most of the time we go to Barbie barns on peel street if I have to compare my opinion RIO has a better ribs , so I suggest when you r up north go to RIO and have a Fiestaaaaa

Just enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Rio. Literally the best ribs I have ever had. Finished with a great dessert. All delivered with Outstanding service.

Probably one of my top five dining experiences in my life so far. Having lived in Baltimore MD and frequently visited DC restaurants, that's a big statement. The food was fantastic. Best wings I've had so far in Canada, and in the top five of my life (and I'm a big wing guy). The ribs were delicious, with great texture. There was not a single fry left on my plate, if that means anything to you. The owner was one of the best hosts I've experienced. Very friendly and entertained the entire restaurant. Even if the food wasn't as good as it was, I would still go back just because of the service. Don't rob yourself of this experience. GO HERE IF YOU ARE IN TOWN.

Found this place on Yelp shortly after arriving in town. Only 3 reviews but they were positive and I like BBQ so gave it a shot. Great tomato soup and decent salads. Had the ribs, really good. Amazing flavor and a great sauce - I bought two jars to take home! The ribs themselves were too mushy for my liking, I don't like "fall of the bone" but if you do then you'll love these. I prefer chewier ribs I have to rip off the bone. Brisket sandwich was good too, small portion compared to the ribs but it is half the price. Both came with tons of fresh fries. My vegetarian daughter loved the Brie/asparagus quesadilla which came with a big salad. Overall a very enjoyable causal family restaurant.

Best ribs and atmosphere you will find! The food is fantastic and the owners treated us like we were family. This was one of the best dining experiences we have had. Do yourself a favor and go! Get the ribs and french fries!!!!

The ribs were delicious. The fries were dark and crispy. Very friendly staff. I would have liked a larger serving size, but otherwise we were satisfied.

Everytime I go up north I love having dinner at the Rio, the ribs are delicious and I also love the soups, they are hearty and taste homemade as opposed to most restos where they taste like they are from a can. Such a warm atmosphere, would definitely recommend the Rio

Best ribs in town! Tender, smoky, not too spicy sauce. Fries were nice and crispy, perfect golden color. This is where the locals eat so it is always packed. On the negative side : a bit pricey, and service is a little slow. Overall a nice place.

We chose this restaurant because it was close to St Sauveur ski hill and we heard they had great ribs. A few from our group did order the ribs and home made tomatoe soup and loved it. The service was top notch and the restaurant felt like home. Highly recommend and special thanks to Francine R who was exceptional. She went out of her way to ensure our group was comfortable and taken care of despite it being super busy. Would definitely go back the next time we are in town.

Great food with great service at a good price! Had the ribs & fish & chips & both were delicious!!! Definitely going back when in town next.

Meilleurs cotes levées de St-Sauveur.

It's real good food. However, customer service is not their strength. Waiting to be seated is extremely difficult. If you are two, you won't be seated on a larger table (table of 4 per se). The boss prefer make you wait standing on the side walk for 30-45 minutes than loose their larger table.