Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant

I’ve been coming to this restaurant for so many years that I never thought about leaving a review. I’ve always loved the Rio. The food and drinks have been consistently excellent for years and now that I no longer live in Fort Collins, I had to visit on a recent trip. Everything is exactly as I remembered, but the atmosphere is even better and the food was great.

Excellent service and even better food. Visit Fort Collins from California every other year or so for past 15 years or so and I never miss dinning here at least once and often 2 or 3 times. Get the Big Tex Margarita. It'll get ya right.

The staff was for sure a highlight, our server was kind and accommodating and everyone was so friendly. The chips and salsa was incredible, the salsa was fresh and tasty. However my actual meal left me a little disappointed. The burrito I ordered was a little bland.

Lotta cowboy music…if you’re into that type of thing. Delicious fajitas and chips and salsa, staff is friendly. One of our favorite Mexican places in da Fort

I come for the margaritas, the two drink limit is there for a reason. Always enjoy my visit. Fajita steak was so tender and again the drinks are even better

Want to be real tex-mex? Need napkins and S&P on the table. Need real margarita glasses. Margaritas currently watered fown and weak on orange liquiere. Chips are too healthy and Colorado-y. Fry them suckers! Make em golden! Salsa needs WAY more charring. Your steak meat is undeniably amazing. The rest of the meats...not so much. Learn better marinating for fish and chicken. Bring in more flavors. Don't be afraid of butter and real oils. Prices too high for the flavor. Need to improve flavor or decrease prices about 20%.

I have been going to the Rio for years! The margs were always such a treat, even the house original and then the Big Tex came out and it was an upgrade however over the last couple years the margs have changed and really declined in taste and overall value . They taste cheap and sugary sweet as if the mix is a very inexpensive product, they don’t even look as good as they use to be… I’ve complained multiple times about this… for the price of the margs, better off going to Torchys

Had a surprise birthday party Monday evening with ~50 people in the main level backroom. The service provided by Sam and Aden was exemplary! They managed our large group very well, friendly and efficiently. We had a large sheet cake which the staff stored in the refrigerator. The servers brought it out after dinner when requested. The managers (Sierra, Cameron and Paul) were very helpful and friendly in working out the details on the room setup, allowing adjustment to the group size in the days leading up to the party and they let us hang a banner on the wall. Overall a very fun and memorable experience!

It's been a minute since my last visit to Rio! I've got stories about the margs..... Speaking of margs, that's what brought us in last night. With my daughter in town for a visit, what nicer way to finish a late spring day than with a famous marg from Rio?! We arrived around 5:30 and our timing was good. Seated immediately in a seat by the window, with enough time to take advantage of the happy hour menu before 6. The crowd grew as we dined. The interior part of the restaurant can get loud, but we were seated up front which helped. It's a lively vibe as friends and family gather to close out the day. The back patio is also great if you happen to come on a nice day. Back to food and drinks - I have always loved the frozen "manberry" margaritas- 1/2 mango, 1/2 strawberry. I noticed it's now officially a menu item. Our server was sweet and checked in with us frequently, letting us know we weren't forgotten when the bartender got backed up with drink orders. This marg seemed to have a little less "punch" than what I remember, but I'll have to have another soon to see if this is a trend. There was a reason you used to be limited to how many you could order! Food has typically not been the strong suit of the Rio. This time around we all ordered tacos ($1 off during happy hour!). Each variety I tried was good. Not great, but solid. I ordered the special which has breaded shrimp & pineapple salsa. Grilling the shrimp would've elevated this taco. My favorite was probably the mahi mahi taco. The cilantro lime chicken tasted good, but was slightly lacking in presentation in comparison to the others. The guacamole we ordered was enormous! Great value there. They kept the chips flowing. All in all, we left full and very satisfied with our experience. I felt everything was a good value (and that's saying something these days....)

Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant is a staple in Colorado. I have been going to the location in Fort Collins since I was a little girl and have loved the restaurant since (the difference is now I get to imbibe in their famous margaritas)! We arrived at the restaurant and were seated in the main dining room. The aesthetic of the restaurant was that of a lively cantina; the place was packed, and everyone was having a good time. Our server Mark was stellar - he had great energy and was quick with service despite the busy restaurant. The General Manager was active on the restaurant floor, helping his staff and customers our entire meal. I started off our meal with The Classic Rio Marg made with a legendary mixture of tequila, salt and lime on the rocks. Nothing beats a Classic Rio Marg; each sip was fresh and crisp with the tequila balancing out the acidity of lime juice. The Chile Con Queso was made with a cheese blend and pico-de-gallo. This is my favorite queso in town - silky smooth with perfect cheesy taste. The Guacamole was made with pico-de-gallo, cilantro, & cotija cheese; it had a delicious punch of lime. The diced onions, tomatoes, and cilantro added crunch to the creamy guacamole. The Sauteed Chicken Enchiladas were made with Jack cheese & classic enchilada sauce. The tender & flavorful shredded chicken was stuffed in corn tortillas and smothered in sauce. The Steak Quesadilla was made with onion, serrano peppers, jack cheese, & Mexican spices. The crisp warm tortilla clung to plenty of melty jack cheese & grilled steak. The Crab & Shrimp Enchiladas were made with Atlantic red crab, shrimp, jack, and tomatillo sauce. The corn tortillas were generously filled with sweet seafood and coated in savory sauce. The Ahi Lettuce Wraps were a light, fresh seasonal offering. The cubed ahi tuna loaded the lettuce wraps with a nice citrus mandarin salsa. For dessert we had the Crispy Sopapilla made with tortilla dough, cinnamon, and sugar. The homemade sopapillas were dusted in cinnamon sugar and topped with cold, vanilla ice cream making for sweet bites. The fried, puffed dough was flakey and soft and stood out with a drizzle of honey.

Grab a friend and get your buns down to the Rio for some great food (and their margs always!). The Rio is a consistent positive experience from the food, to the service, to the drinks. Prices feel steep but I promise you it will be delicious (can we talk about those chili rellenos!?) I also think serving are large so don't overlook sharing if you want to cut down on the bill. That way you can buy an extra margarita. Priorities. This place can get popping during peak hours so expect the noise to be on the higher side and there will probably be a wait list. Hope to see you there!

Good atmosphere. I liked the bar area. Very busy. I went just to try the margaritas. $10 each at happy hour. I must say they had plenty of tequila in them.

The fajitas were delicious!! The big Tex margarita was just okay. The fajitas made up for it though, the grilled onion and veggies were sooo good! We were seated in a booth right away with no wait. No complaints!

Our visit was a bit of a disappointment. We were celebrating our daughter-in-law's birthday with my wife, son and grandson. Seating was promptly as was the service. We had to wait for our birthday girl but it allowed us to enjoy drinks and conversation. When I go to the Rio I focus on their fresh chili rellenos. Made fresh with a poblano pepper, breaded and lightly fried they are usually the best. But tonight they only rose to the level of decent. I've had them at the Lone Tree location and their poblanos are twice the size and prepared better. My wife's 2 ala carte chicken enchiladas were quite good as were her Chardonnays. So it was a pleasant evening out but hardly inspiring ... just nominal. I expected more in comparison to Lone Tree and the Fort Collins location is supposed to be the 'mothership'.

I was having a hard time, finding a place for late night dining and I happened upon this Mexican restaurant in old town Fort Collins. The ambience is bright and classy with a wide selection of Tequila's, and New Age, Mexican foods. I sat at the bar and was quite happy because the bartender was very pleasant and knowledgeable about the menu and gave me some great suggestions for later this week on other restaurants to check out. I opted for the steak and enchilada's and was very happy because they were filled with a lot and of steak and we're covered in cheese and sauce. The beans and rice were also quite good and are a staple for every meal served here. When I'm in Fort Collins again I will definitely check out this restaurant.

Gotta set my Texas Tex-Mex bias aside and try to rate this Colorado Mexican food fairly. Now normally I recommend getting enchiladas to see how authentic a restaurant is but our appetite was smaller than that so we had 2 a la carte tacos each. Grilled chicken and their special sausage and grilled chicken. They were very good and compared well to what we are accustomed to. Well done! Oh, and the middle afternoon service was just fine.

Very good Mexican option in old town. As with most establishments in old town, Rio is aimed at professors not students. The vibe is definitely aimed at late 30 something's. And it's working. I was here in a Tuesday evening and the bar was packed. The service is competent and not pretentious. It's a Mexican joint, so it's a bit above average for its station. Food was FANTASTIC but sort of Jekyll and Hyde in the experience. First, Everything looks like it was actually put together with an eye to how it LOOKS on the plate. So uncommon for Mexican. However it was also a bit disjointed. The rellenos are amazing btw, but as with most restaurants in this theme it comes paired with rice and beans which are completely tasteless, bland and horrific. I mean really really bad. By bland I mean NO FLAVOR. Why? Why are you putting things on a plate that have terrible texture and no flavor? It's so confusing because the entree itself was amazing. Clearly they know how to cook - so why the awful sides? Do you just not care? "Well I can't JUST have rellenos on the plate so I'll throw these dingle berries on the plate." But, other than 2/3 of my plate being inedible I still recommend Rio. Thats how good the ambiance, service and entrees are.

Wonderful food, great service, all-time best margaritas! The crab and shrimp enchiladas are so good!

Great drinks and good flavors. Loved the space and service was reasonably fast! I had the mahi mahi taco and the shishito relleno and would get both again.

Our group of 9 enjoyed our lunch thoroughly! Our waitress was really nice (and unflappable), and the food was great! Fresh-tasting. I especially loved the grilled/pickled red bell peppers that had been mixed in to the Caesar salad. I never would have thought to do that, but they added so much flavor to the salad!

Finally found time to check this place out Good service. Good food - everything seemed fresh and made with attention to detail Guac was solid. Carnitas Tacos and tostadas were good Excellent back patio - large, inviting, fun atmosphere, nice outdoor bar and fountain

I was EXTREMELY disappointed with the horrible food. This is a turd of a restaurant. No thanks! gross meat and premade guacamole from a grocery store it tasted like absolute shit I hate this restaurant. Thankfully our server allowed us to send back our dishes and only had to pay for the shitty goddamn fucking guacamole. Very sad to say the least. Will not be revisiting this establishment in my lifetime.

Always love the Rio! The "new " atmosphere was fun and new menu also great from when I was there last. Happy hour was great!

Sat on the rooftop porch this weekend and had a lovely meal for a bridal shower. Group of 11 of us and the service staff always made sure we were taken care of. I didn't have any margaritas this time around but I have before and they are amazing. Had the Mahi Mahi tacos and a steak taco. The fish was amazing, perfectly cooked and had the right sauce and Mango salsa to pair with it. Steak taco was simple and delicious. The steak was cooked great and well seasoned. The charro beans was a nice side for the tacos, everyone around had never ordered them before and all wanted a taste. Overall great Saturday lunch on the roof!

We did a takeout order to go tonight for our family. I called into order and the Rio staff was super helpful customizing our order slightly. My order was quickly ready - 25 mins for 7 entrees. Impressive! Easy pickup and parking on the street in front. I was out the door with in a 2 mins and top it off even help bring a couple bags out to my car... a Smooth process and felt very safe. Highlights for me was the guacamole & chips - the guacamole was excellent and chips where great as well! Next up margaritas - I had the Double Big Tex Marg... good stuff and everyone else liked the other margaritas. I would recommend giving it a stir for Togo's when you get back from your pickup. I got the Crab & shrimp enchiladas. This was a great combo and really really liked this! Excellent! Great experience over all -except one thing which I had to drop a star for. They forgot one margarita. That was kind of a bummer but wasn't going to drive back and they were going to credit me.

Disappointed ! We are rio fans. We were Rio fans now! New restaurant is totally acceptable. Food has gone way down hill, margaritas more expensive and I'd venture to say not the top shelf tequila of the past. Still excellent service and wait staff. If you don't have a reservation you will probably Not Get In. We had a reservation and we're seated promptly. I will Not recommend rio grande any more.....unfortunately.

Absolutely 5* experience tonight at The Rio. A total contrast to the last time I was here! This place, despite being in their pop up location, has made some awesome improvements! The vibe was still as good as the old spot and it was easy to make a reservation online. I love the new paper menus, the food was delicious, and the staff was so attentive and great. I got the veggie fajitas made vegan and my friend got the chicken quesadillas. I forgot to take a pic of our meal because we dug into it right away! Our waitress was Kylie and she was 5 stars. Jacob also brought our food, chips and salsa, and he went above and beyond too. We will definitely be back more often now, I think this is the best Mexican food in FoCo now.

I normally love going to the Rio, and everyone was very excited to come for a drink. However, our server was extremely put out to serve us and rushed us out. I was definitely very disappointed with our service.

We have a long history of being Rio fans and we were looking forward to going back to the patio when it opened. We made it last night. We heard the renovations were a little plain and the colors and spice of the old Rio had been whitewashed. I thought the renovation was clean and artsy. The bigger patio was nice, the giant flower pots were fun, but we came for Margs and dinner and that is where we felt a sense of dissatisfaction. The chips were mostly broken in the first bowl, when we asked for another, it was much better. The margaritas don't seem like the same recipe and tasted watered down. The tortillas that are still homemade seemed dry, even though they were wrapped in foil. The prices have increased and the tacos we ordered were like street taco size with much less filling than places right around the corner. Everything has gone up in price, but this evening seemed like a price increase with a quality decrease. The wait staff were still kind and definitely hustling; we always had full water glasses. Even if we wanted to, I'm not sure we could afford to return as our 2 margs, one shared app, 1 coke, and 6 street tacos, plus the automatic surcharge and a tip came to close to $90 for three of us.

I don't live in Ft. Collins any more. However when I come up here I love to grab Lunch. I forgot how great this restaurant is. Love it. Today I had the shrimp and crab enchiladas. Delicious. What makes it better was Lily my server. Kind, Attentive and friendly. Makes this visit 5 + stars. Thanks Lily see you soon.

I have always liked this place. And I love it now, I don't know what's changed. There's something about Rio Grandie. Really fun vibe! Cool art and architecture, and they play 70s rock music for you to hear... perfect with your perfect margarita. They make any kind of margarita imaginable, even ones without alcohol, for the kids! But best of all is the food. Everyone can find something they like. And, their entire menu is GF, except the flour tortillas! If I could give them TEN stars, I would!!!

The food was excellent, which it always is. The atmosphere and the service were great as well. The skirt steak fajitas are amazing!!!

I feel like the food at this location is better then the Denver one where I frequented a few times a month in my 20s. I had a great dinner here with a gal pal. We each got a manberry frozen marg and a classic on the rocks because of course you CANNOT go to the Rio and not get a margarita or two. We split the fajitas and the portion was actually laughable- in a good way! It was seriously so much food it looked like we hadn't eaten any by the time we were full. I love their chips and salsa too. It's hard to find parking but that's the same for any other spot in this area especially on a weekend night. Servers were great!

The newly renovated Rio just ain't what it used to be. The decor is sterile and STILL no sound buffering. It looks and feels more like a large chain than a locally owned TexMex restaurant. The food has taken a decided downhill plunge after their previous, 2018 move towards "fresh food." The black beans tasted canned. There was no lettuce and the cheese was fairly rank. The prices feel like a massive price gouge, far beyond the standard for many other, similar restaurants. (The margs are now $9!!!) I wouldn't mind if the extra cost was going towards better pay for staff but the Rio now adds a hidden, 5% gratuity to all checks, supposedly for staff. The service was fine but we won't be back again. $50+ for a basic, two/person lunch is ridiculous.

Fantastic food and love the remodeled Rio after the fire. Margs are as great as ever...plan for an Uber if consuming them though! I have never been disappointed with the food or margs. Iconic FoCo Mexican!!

Everyone here is always so friendly and nice especially Morgan and Amanda they always make it such a joy to eat here not to mention most of the menu is gluten free and delicious!

The Rio is open for business.. just make a reservation .. the steak burrito I had was absolutely wonderful .. with spicy green hatch chili sauce on it .. now that is hard to beat! But then .. there are the Portobello mushrooms they put on the salad - that are absolutely to die for .. so yeahh you really can't go wrong with the Rio. Killer food.. killer atmosphere and friendly service .. just great!

Food was you run of the mill texmex that wasn't great. Decor is nice and it was very lively and busy but, the food was a dissapointment.

We used to like going to the Rio but the new place is just not good. The food is subpar, over priced and the service was terrible. We won't be going back.

This was delicious. We were greeted with warm chips and fresh salsa. Erica was our super attentive server. She was amazing and kept our drinks full. All the food was fresh, authentic and delicious! Thank you!!!

Terrific food. Lovely large patio with wonderful fountain. Service was great. Can't wait to go back!

Never eating here again. Wife found a dead fly in her spanish rice. That's disgusting by itself, but they only took 10 dollars off the price of her meal, and the worst part is the manager couldn't even be bothered to address it. No thanks. We are done.

I visited FC recently. My group really enjoyed our meals and the patio in back. I would return.

Always a good time, bring all your friends and get plastered on ManBerry margs. Fill up with their queso and be on your merry way.

Was staying in Fort Collins and asked where good Mexican food could be found. This was it, great food, drinks and service.

2 tequila floor..... wow great margaritas!! Service and food was fantastic. This place is a great find. There are others in the area but when you combine the service with the quality of food, Rio Grande is best of the group. Our table ordered 4 different items and they all were exceptional. Make this a go to stop if you're downtown!

Cute decor, friendly service but subpar food. The carne was low quality and depending on what entree you order they'll load it up with rice and beans.

The food just keeps going down hill. Portions just got smaller, the food is overcooked. Even the nachos are underwhelming. Good thing the drinks are strong.

Its been a 25 year tradition that we go to the Rio for a birthday. At this location. Although the menu has some what changed the food is still the same. Every dish that has steak is delicious. We had a table for 10 and the service was fantastic. Having been to other locations, this OG location is by far the best!

Went here for the first time in years for Cinco de Mayo with a fairly large group. It was packed and it was their pop-up location, but I thought they did a good job of handling such a large group. I liked the interior and the food was good, typical Mexican selections.

What is 625 miles away from Mexico? Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant. But not to worry, they know how to make and serve superb Mexican dishes. We stopped by for lunch and were totally delighted by both the offerings, Shrimp Tacos, Chile Relleno, Grilled Chicken Fajitas and Fish Tacos, and the professional/personal service delivered by Laurel. The beverages are terrific and I highly recommend the Frozen Margarita. The dishes are plated so that they look like pictures, the sides that come with them are awesome. I mean what can you do with rice and beans right? NOT! Man the rice is to die for and the beans deliver the great taste you look for and are surprised to find. Next time you find yourself in Ft. Collins I highly recommend that you find your way to The Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant and avail yourself to Great Food and Superior Service.

The only good thing about our dinner were the margaritas. I never ever write bad reviews because I've been a server for 7+ years and I get that it gets busy, but our experience was inexcusable. Our server, Sophie, did not check on us at all throughout our meal (I wish she did because I would've sent my burrito back). It was the WORST burrito I've ever eaten in my entire life. The only thing inside of it was wet uncooked meat. No rice...no beans..no salsa.. nothing. A total disgrace of a restaurant and completely overpriced for what you get food wise and service wise. Shame.

We came in for an early dinner on a Saturday night. Seated at 5:10 pm. It took 10 minutes for a waitress to come to our table and tell us she would be with us shortly. 10 minutes later, she came back and brought us water and chips and took our drink order. The chips seemed to come from the bottom of the bag; as half of the basket were broken crumbles and not edible We waited another 10 minutes and still no drinks. We had to flag down a busboy to get more water. I finally got up and asked the hostess to check on our drink order. Meanwhile, the server was in and out of this section of the restaurant, giving much attention to a table of 6 by the window, who were now receiving drink refills, while we still waited.... We finally got our drinks after being at a table for 30 minutes. Decided not to have dinner as we were disappointed with the service.

This Rio is always reliable. We came in on New Years Eve and the food and service were great! We come here every few months and are never disappointed.

I have been going to the Rio since they were on north College and was anxious to see the new decor. Not good. Absolutely no character and looks like a chain burger place. In addition they have switched to some seriously uncomfortable seating - apparently to squeeze in more customers. You know the tall tables with tall stools - the ones that expose way too many butt cracks. And I really missed the beautiful geraniums And unfortunately the service was really slow. I think it will be awhile before I go back.

This used to be my favorite spot and always love the vibe, steak burrito, and queso. Over the years it's become way too expensive for what you get. I used to think their $5 margs were expensive but worth it. Now they cost over $9 for a marg, their salsa portion is much smaller and their steak burritos are over $15. My wife and I went there for a date night and happened to be there during happy hour between 3-6. We both opted for the chicken quesadilla since they were $7 during Happy hour. When we received our bill we were amazed our bill was $63 for 3 margs, happy hour queso, and chicken quesadillas. We noticed we were charged $13.95 for each chicken quesadilla and asked our waitress about it. She explained that the happy hour quesadilla is smaller than regular quesadilla. I guess we are supposed to specify which quesadilla we are ordering before getting the discount? How come she didn't ask if we wanted the $7 quesadilla or the $13.95 quesadilla. Needless to say we felt ripped off but paid and left agreeing we will no longer have a date night there. I have fond memories of the old Rio but now it's just not worth it the price of admission.

We took friends to the new location of the Rio Grande Restaurant on 10/29/21, a Friday evening. Of course, it was the busy hour, and wouldn't have a table for 45 minutes. But, they would text me. Then a first come first serve bar table became available fairly soon, and we sat there. The waitress was very accommodating and sincere in our satisfaction. The house margaritas were good, but on the small side. They brought us chips and salsa, and we added the guacamole. The guac was fresh. The chips - I'm sorry, seemed to be from the bottom of a dollar store reject package. More like crumbs. The waitress brought us an additional serving of the same crumbs. The tostada was good, the chicken enchilada/relleno combo was good, and the taco plate was good. My prefernce, of course, pintos not black beans. The atmosphere of the new location really lacked the intimacy and familiarity of the old location. The back of the bar was a real work of art, though.

The good ol Rio. A Fort Collins and Colorado staple. If you've never been to one of the Rio locations, do yourself the favor. Whether it be for their famous margaritas or their home made tacos. The space itself is huge! You can sit inside or on their outdoor patio in the back which is also a pretty decent size. The second floor is used for events (weddings, business meetings, etc). But the real buzz around the Rio for me personally is their tequila and tacos. Interestingly enough, the Rio purchases the most José Cuervo In the entire United States (all six locations combined) which is cool. They also offer a point plan based on the total amount of money you spend at their restaurants and if you earn more than 10,000 points, the Rio will pay to send you to Mexico for a tequila excursion. Be sure to tell your server for your chance to win.