Rio Tequila Cantina

Wonderful lunch. We had the opportunity to eat in the deck in the early May sun which was the beginning of a delightful dining experience. The wait staff took the time to be concern to see that everything about our lunch was optimal. Now for the food. The chicken enchiladas were the perfect blend of tortilla, cheese and meat. The serving size is plentiful. My husband, who has a good appetite and was hungry, brought home 1/3 of his meal. My guacamole was fresh chucks of all ingredients, and the pomegranates were a delightful surprise. I had the pleasure of trying the special of lobster cemita it was amazing. I have raved about it all day. The lobster was cooked perfectly and had a light adobo mayo which provided light seasoning. There was a bountiful serving of lobster paired with a perfectly ripened avocado. The side of yuca fries were seasoned perfectly. Definitely a special worth trying. We enjoyed our lunch completely

Nice outdoor atmosphere. Food was good, but menu small. We were able to seat without a wait on a Friday evening just before 6.This was a bonus for downtown Portsmouth.

More than a Mexican restaurant: enjoy great Latin food, get educated on tequila, watch the tugboats work, have a great time! Menu is insane, so many ways to try tequila, and prices are reasonable. Be sure to make this a frequent stop!

Food and service is good. Limited menu. Just bowls and tacos. Portion size of bowl is big. Spicy mango margarita is good.

The spicy mango margarita and short rib tacos were out of this world delicious!! Thank you to Kendra for her excellent service! Can’t wait to come back on our next visit to the sea coast!

Molly makes a great skinny margarita...! Friendly relaxed atmosphere. Greeted by Lauren who was very engaging and knowledgeable. .Will definitely be back.

$41 for 2 margaritas that were this big, is outrageous. They were literally the size of an on-the-rocks glass, if not smaller. I never give a bad review, but this deserves one. No drink is worth $20. Period.

My sisters and I went tonight and sat on deck. The skinny margaritas were delicious. 2 of us had the spicy ones. The chicken enchiladas and the shrimp tacos were amazing..especially the shrimp. Kayla the server was very responsive and provided good recommendations. The 3 of us love Mexican food and we all agreed this was some of the best.

So this is a quick review for a quick stop in to this newer establishment on the waterfront of Portsmouth. We wanted to stop in for nothing too heavy and we were not disappointed as we ordered an order of the chips (that they make in house) and salsa that had a more smoky feel than I tend to like but it was still very good. We also ordered two street tacos each as my wife is a vegan and ordered the grilled corn tacos and I ordered two of the pork tacos that had some pickled onions and some fresh crema. The views were great and the server was great as well.

We stopped in for a quick bite at Rio, one of the newer deck restaurants in Portsmouth. We had a very friendly waitress and found that our food and drink was served promptly. This is a very casual spot. I started with one of their classic margaritas. While the drink was good, I had asked for it to be served without salt, I just don't like salty margaritas! Unfortunately, it came salted and I pointed this out to the waitress and she offered to "pour it into another glass", at which point I declined, It was already salty. As mentioned, this is a casual spot, bar food type of spot, so I just rolled with it. The nacho platters looked huge, and so we passed on that and went with the queso dip and chips. It's always a struggle to get the ratio of chips to dip right, and this was another place with a big bowl of queso and a handful of chips. Why oh why? Should you eat the rest of the dip with a spoon? Queso was passable, a bit salty for my taste. Chips were the very hard type and lacking flavor. Tacos are a relative bargain at $5 each, and they have a variety of options. The few we tried were better than we expected, given the prior dish/drink. Again, really heavy hand with the salt. All in all, not sure we would rush back here, maybe for a drink and a taco. Location is great, views are great, but there is much much better Mexican food in the greater Portsmouth area.

One of the best spicy margaritas I've ever had, great views. Service was slow so we passed on food but I'd easily go back for drinks and that view!

Decent Mexican food right by the water. Passion fruit margarita was unreal. The food was good, but not the best Mexican I've ever had

Rio Tequila Cantina in Portsmouth is a hidden gem that offers an authentic and vibrant Mexican dining experience. The ambiance is lively and inviting, with colorful decor that sets the stage for a festive meal. The menu boasts a variety of traditional Mexican dishes, from sizzling tacos to mouthwatering enchiladas. The flavors are rich and satisfying, and the portion sizes are generous, making it an excellent value for the price. What truly sets Rio Tequila Cantina apart is the exceptional service provided by Josie. Her warm and friendly demeanor creates a welcoming atmosphere that enhances the overall dining experience. She goes above and beyond to ensure that guests are comfortable and well taken care of, making each visit feel like a special occasion. Her attentiveness and genuine care for customers make dining at Rio Tequila Cantina an unforgettable experience.

A quaint, welcoming corner bar with an impressive tequila menu. The fireplace and couches make you feel at home upon entering. The staff is upbeat and helpful. Although I think the primary focus of this establishment is serving alcohol, the food my group ordered was all excellent. In particular, the calamari appetizer was outstanding. It was prepared with a Mexican flare. The rice bowl was huge and was enough to satisfy any appetite. All the taco options were enticing and the ones ordered delivered lots of bright flavors. Our waiter, Liam, was excellent and handled our group with speed and grace.

Cool spot to enjoy tequila on a cold night. Comfy couches and chill vibe. Our server took great care of us.

Tasty margaritas and delicious tacos. I had a coconut lime margarita and husband had the classic. Both good. The queso was good also but could have used a little more heat, though that wouldn't be for everyone. Plenty of chips served served with it. Thick chips. I prefer thinner but these were fine for the queso. I had the street corn tacos and husband had the shrimp. They were both very flavorful! We left feeling very full. The menu is small but the food is great! And it's not as pricey as others say. It's almost like they haven't been out to eat recently. I felt prices were fair, especially for quality.

Pretty view. Shrimp and pork tacos were excellent, margaritas decent. Server was very prompt and kind. Great spot!

I had the rainbow flight did not like that all the flavors were similar and it was very tart! did not give me a flight vibe but overall service was good. We also had guac and nachos which were okay

Family of four for early dinner. Entrees were all covered in a spicy red sauce that was unexpected. Rice bowl was under seasoned with the exception of the spicy red sauce. Water was served room temperature. Had to ask twice for a cup with ice and another two times for my son's lemonade. We ate outside which was ok. Plastic chairs that while not great were ok. Felt a bit crowded, tables too close to each other. Had to go inside to use the bathroom which I hope they are not using for dining service as the bar was a mess and tables and chairs scattered. Empty boxes stacked near the bathroom on the floor. Food was mediocre at best and portion sizes were small.

Great spot in a quiet street with partial views of the water at the outside tables. I ordered the mango salad topped with shrimp. The shrimp was fried and a bit tough. It would have been better grilled. Still though it was delicious. My son ordered carnitas tacos and he said they were delicious. My daughter ordered the corn salad with chicken and loved it. Big portions! I definitely recommend.

Back in the early 2000s, Poco Diablos became Poco's, which is now Rio. It's now a place that has pretty much only Tacos, salads, and cocktails. On the positive side, and the reason it got 3 stars-- The tacos were quite good. Great flavor and good execution. The cocktails on the other hand- egad. Terrible. Pure sugar water. It's like a 19 year old in college was trying to make a mixed drink using tequila and fruit syrups, and they left out most of the tequila by mistake. Come for the food and location, and have drinks elsewhere in town.

Food was bad. Kids meals were so bad. went with a group of 12 girls and 6 adults. Grilled cheese was barely eaten by the 4 girls that got that, 1 girl refused to touch the hot dog because it was bright red. Mac n cheese was KRAFT and clearly old/microwaved. The waiters refused to add chicken to the quesadillas and the chicken tacos came out with pulled pork instead of chicken? like what? Not only that it was a small tortilla with a slab of what looked like american cheese and some bbq pulled pork. upon further request for some veggies and sour cream they refused but brought out salsa which wasn't even salsa. The service was slow, the waiters were not helpful and incredibly forgetful. For some reason they weren't allowed to give certain requests. Overall with 16 hungry people after a day of driving we were NOT impressed.

We arrived early for dinner so it wasn't too busy, but still, our server Kendall (sp?) was very attentive. She took care of all our needs/wants/desires she was witty and personable. Drinks from the bartender were tasty and composed with care (they DO have quite a list of Tequila and Mezcal!) Our food arrived hot and aromatic and were like works of art. Artfully decorated and were quite tasty! My only complaint was that the braised short ribs were a bit dry but by the flavors were definitely southwestern! The rice bowl had a lot going on, pickled onions, avacado, Spanish rice, seasoned black beans, grilled corn and your choice of proteins, all in all, (americanised) but tasty! Our server was very good though.

We had a reservation and were told that we could not sit outside, that was for walkins only. That sat us in a pretty bad location and saw that we were annoyed and move us to another inside spot. Then they moved us again to the downstairs patio. The manager was initally pretty rude about seating us outdoors. The food was pretty average but the spicy margarita was good.

Come for the strawberry margarita. 10/10 Coming from California to New Hampshire, I was skeptical but wow! Strawberry margarita was on point! Lobster ceviche was 7/10. Good, but (somehow) had too much avocado compared to lobster. Overall, I'm coming back for the strawberry margaritas.

Not sure if it was just a fluke, but went this weekend for drinks and apps and had the absolute worst service of my life. Waited probably 30 minutes for watered down "special" margaritas to come out without any rims or garnishes. Our waiter had a terrible attitude and seemed extremely unhappy to be there. Seems like they slow down their service purposely during happy hour and serve half prepared drinks. Very disappointing for a place with such a nice location/view.

Tried out this new Mexican restaurant that is in the building that housed the old Poco Diablo for years. The atmosphere is nice, it's in a nice area, the service was good, but the food is mediocre. I had some pork Carnitas tacos. The pork is cut in chunks and it was so dry that I had to take a gulp of water with each bite just to get it down. It came accompanied with the most ridiculously small piece of Elote street corn I've ever seen. Mimsy on the Pollo tacos. Same thing, dry, bland. Just not that good.

Walked in to a gorgeous balcony seat at sunset on a Saturday just after they opened. So happy to see the old Poco Diablo space grabbing new life under new owners. We didn't try much, just nachos and margaritas, but they were spectacular! Seriously upgraded next-level nachos. Will be back to try more. Cannot beat the view! And service was lovely.

Stopped in for a quick bite to eat while visiting Portsmouth. It was a more limited menu than we expected, but everything we ordered was decent. A little overpriced for what it is.

Tacos were delicious and margarita was excellent. Love their happy hour deals. Been in a few times and always enjoy the food.

The server Kate was awesome and so friendly! For my picky people, the corn taco is a must I loved it! I am a tough tequila critic and these margs were delicious! we sat by the window and have a beautiful view of the water! 100% recommend! Assistant AGM Mario was so friendly and did everything to make the dinner perfect!

Happy hour margaritas, excellent drinks, attentive service from Marcelo! Queso was really good... now!! The place is filthy, plates had previous food chucks on it, wall under TV is disgusting ...if you want college kids who don't care to pay these prices then have at it!

The Mussels are delicious! The margaritas are fabulous Liam our server was AMAZING The couches by the fire are a cozy spot for a beverage. Definitely give this place a try, you won't be disappointed.

terrible service, management was unacceptable... very dirty and overall a terrible experience for my family. wouldn't recommend anyone tries this mistake of a restaurant. TOURIST STAY AWAY!!!

Sunday Lunch. Waitstaff was great and super nice. But it took forever for someone to greet us once we were sat and took even longer to get food and drinks. The food was good but we were charged 10 dollars for about 5oz of guacamole

Our son just got engaged! We celebrated this past Saturday night. Rio hosted our private event in their tequila lounge. We had 25 people. The space and setting were ideal. The food was great. The bartender was excellent! (...as were his many margaritas!) We were so pleased with everything!

Rio was able to fit us in with a last minute reservation for restaurant week. Our Waitress Ashley was 4 days with Rio as a server in training and she was an absolute pleasure!! She made our experience amazing and we will be back because of her! Thank you Ashley for a wonderful time!! 10/10 service and great food as well!

Let's be real, this place isn't going to last long in Portsmouth unless they have some major improvements. Very limited menu, mediocre margaritas, everything is overpriced. Paid $7 for chips and salsa (free, as it should be, at barrio and la caretta), and it was some of the worst salsa I've ever had. The tacos were decent, but not compared to barrio right down the street. This is not a better restaurant than pocos, which it replaced. I had high hopes as a tequila and Mexican lover, but was sadly disappointed. This place is simply not the same caliber as other restaurants in town.

The food was good. They definitely have a good selection of tequila which is always a score for me. I just was flabbergasted at the management. I do have to say first that our server was on point and I feel awful for forgetting her name and I wish I could rate her service separately because that would have been five stars hands down. I'll attribute my forgetfulness on the simple fact that I was so absolutely distracted by the manager, Mario's, abhorrent behavior. Witnessing him yelling at and seemingly berating the staff made me and my friend so wildly uncomfortable, we couldn't get out of there fast enough.

I hate that I have to give this place a 3 and not 4, however the drinks were the best part of the entire experience. The drinks are incredible I recommend any of their speciality margaritas. However, the queso was bland and did not have a big flavor. The chorizo and roasted poblano pepper was the highlight of the dish, however the actual cheese didn't have much to it. The short rib tacos had a good flavor, however only came with 2 for $16. The mango salad was pretty good, however you could tell that the mangos were originally frozen and not fresh, and the added shrimp were few and not of a large size. I think if I ordered the nachos instead of the queso as an appetizer I would be more likely to post a 4 star review.

Wow... our family had an amazing visit to Rio! We started our visit being greeted by a wonderful host who promptly took us to our table. We were quickly greeted by our server who showed us their creative flavored salts. We started with the nachos that were to die for. And let me tell you the cocktails (marg and martini) were top notch. Our meals arrived; kids meals were awesome, street corn taco, short rib taco . We were visited by management who checked to make sure everything was good and we were happy to say from start to finish we had a great meal.

Fast,quick and efficient service got us in and out of Rio quickly. Food is good and reasonably priced. Skinny Margarita was OK not great. Great view from deck area and a fun lively spot. Tacos were good.

Pleasant, tasty and good views . In Portsmouth for the afternoon. Preparing for a metric century bike ride tomorrow.

The $7.00 chips and salsa are a disaster. Burnt flavored chips and possibly the worst salsa ever. When I first tried making salsa at home in a blender it was a trainwreck and that is what you can expect here. We were presented with multiple salt options to rim a margarita. No idea that the upcharge was $3.00 per margarita to put SALT on the rim. The menu is minimal, the corn tortillas are apparently not just corn tortillas they have 10% wheat according to a server that has celiac informed us the other employee vomited after trying a taco. We decided to bail on this place after having the server tell us about another employee puking after eating the food. This place has zero management, zero integrity and terrible food. $46 for two margs and chips and salsa that we did not even eat. There is terrible and then another level below terrible and this place is worse than that. It is like marinated squirrel in a port a potty level of horror. $50 bucks to just leave the place and escape.

We used to visit this location when it was locks and rio has outdone pocos! My margarita was amazing and their fire roasted salsa can't be beat! We will be back to have dinner!!!!

This restaurant was closed when we came to Portsmouth in the winter. We were glad to see it reopened under a different name this summer. We sat at the bar on the outside patio. We were just looking for a couple of drinks and something to pick on before getting a meal somewhere. We chose a margarita, a beer, and chips and salsa. The margarita was terrible, one of the worst I have ever had. The color was brown, never before have I had a margarita that color. I wanted to switch to a Pinot Grigio, they do not have any on the menu. I had to settle for a Rosa which wasn't bad. The beer menu is sort of uninspired, a lot of the usual suspects. I see a couple of other reviews where people are complaining about paying for the chips and salsa. I have paid in the past at other Mexican restaurants so that doesn't bother me. But like the margarita the salsa was also terrible. I do not mind paying if the salsa is good. The unfortunate part is that by the looks of it you can tell it isn't out of a jar. There actually seems like a lot of work went into preparing it. Unfortunately it was tasteless and bland. It needed salt and some zing, it had zero flavor. The chips for a lack of a better description reminded me of pita chips more than the usual chips that accompany salsa. I see where the restaurant opened not long ago. So hopefully things will improve. It has a prime location as the first restaurant and outside bar on the strip of places located on the waterfront.

drinks were amazing! our server manny was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and gave great recommendations!

Our experience at Rio was awesome! To start, the host was so happy and cheerful upon greeting us. Once we were seated we were offered a tasting of different salts to choose for our margaritas...this was such a unique experience! I love the cilantro lime! The margaritas were delicious and refreshing! The food is flavorful...we ordered nachos for an appetizer, which had fillings on each layer (no pile of plain chips on the bottom) and they were so good, the chicken tacos were tasty (my husband liked the short rib tacos) and the rice bowl was delicious and so filling (add their hot sauce for some extra zing!). You can't beat the location...right along the water with a view of the sunset and tugboats. The service was prompt and the waitstaff was friendly, as well! We've already been back a 2nd time and will continue to eat here and bring our friends and family. I highly recommend Rio!