El Rio Grande

01/16/09

Don't do it. Just Don't.

by nyfoodexpert07 at Citysearch

Had an awful experience here. You can find much better mexican for half the price. Beware: This is big time B & T.

• Pros: None I can think of
• Cons: Food, Service, B & T crowd, decor

12/09/08

Margaritas - Chips - Salsa

by DLover at Citysearch

The food here is soso but its a great place to go for drinks after work - For some reason, this place always has flies around the bar area which bothers me a bit but during the warmer months the outdoor space is bumping - Margaritas arent bad and creep up on you -- my girlfriend likes the chips and salsa

08/17/08

I LOVE THE CHILE CON QUESO!!!

by andigayle21 at Citysearch

This is by far one of my favorite mexican food spots in Manhattan. I am from Texas (land of Tex-Mex), and I haven't found chile con queso this authentic anywhere else in the city. The frozen margaritas are really delicious and strong with many flavors to choose from, the tortillas are homeade, the steak is tender and julicy and the guac is to die for. The service is decent and the prices are reasonable.

• Pros: Awesome queso and margaritas

07/30/08

Oh mickey you're so fine!

by Euphoria at Citysearch

Was sitting outside when I saw mickies chasing each other under the tables. They were running all over the place. That alone was enough for me to get the hell outta there. I know this is NY, but to see them in plain sight, outside the subway tunnel, was enough to nix my appetite. How do you report this place?

The margaritas were served in a plastic cup and no one gave a damn about salt or no salt. Food was average, who knows if it's been blessed by the mickies. The waiter did not come to check on us. We had to walk through the kitchen and get to the bathroom, and was "greeted" by the entire male staff. WTF???

Will not return, ever.

06/26/08

Steak Sensation!

by janeegibbs at Citysearch

So my friend was moving to Miami and we decided on lunch there. We all order different meals and they were all very good. The Carnitas were tender and the sauce was delicious. But The Fajitas I had were to die for. Perfectly flavored, and the meat just fell apart in my mouth. The tortillas were warm and soft. And the Strawberry Margarita I had was creamy and super strong but it was very good. The only bad thing is the waiter kept forgetting stuff we asked him to bring. But coupled with the atmosphere and food, it wasn't a big deal.

• Pros: Delicious food and strong drinks
• Cons: Tell your waiter twice about the need for jalapeno's

06/17/08

Best margaritas!

by freya7 at Citysearch

I love El Rio Grande.. I always have a good time. I have to say to the review below me.. he's never worked in a restaurant quite obviously! Your review is ridicuous..

05/23/08

Inconsistencies. So much room for improvement, but not awful.

by mattmm13 at Citysearch

I booked a dinner at Rio Grande to meet two friends last Wednesday at 7pm. FIRST THING I NOTICED was how busy the bar areas were. The bars (there are two) were PACKED with happy hour revelers. There are two (yes, also two) dinning rooms. The square sided tables in both dinning rooms were crammed right on top of each other where the corner of one table was nearly touching the one next to it. The whole dinning room looked like a huge checkerboard. I was so glad I made the reservation for 4 knowing that there would only be 3 of us. The outdoor seating was open, but too cold that night to eat out there. It did look lovely, though. AS YOU HAVE READ in some of the other reviews, the floor manager was weird. He was just ?one of those guys? that within two seconds of the conversation, you knew he shouldn?t be working in customer service. I?ll put it to you this way; I always appreciate it when a restaurant manager decides NOT to wear his dirty cargo pants and an army jacket at work. But really, it had not impact on my night at all. As for the rest of the staff, they were efficient, very busy and oblivious enough to interrupt almost every conversion we were in the middle of. But they still have to do their jobs--I understand. THE FOOD WAS the most inconsistent thing about the whole meal. The appetizers were great. We had a couple other small dishes & the guacamole which is every bit as good as Rosa for less money. The main courses were another story. Stay away from the quesadillas! The tortillas were soft a mushy, the filling bland and boring. Every table that ordered quesadillas (you can?t help but notice) didn't like them. We also ordered a salad with grilled shrimp, and that was very good. I only got a sip of the drinks and they both tasted good. I don?t know if they were overpriced because I don?t regularly order margaritas. THE BILL CAME TO $100 plus tip for the three of us & we were there for about 2 and a half hours. Always add one to the reservation!

• Pros: Fair meal at reasonable cost, good location, outdoor seating, you can listen in on other tables
• Cons: Entrees are only "so-so," too many tables packed in to the space

04/11/08

Bad food and overpriced

by brett02 at Citysearch

Went to Rio Grand last night and it was packed due to the fact it was the first nice day of the year. I was ok with this, however our waiter had a bad attitude and was bitter that he had to work on a nice day and actually serve people. The food was not good, its hard to mess up nachos and guac. We had ordered shots of patron, and they were $14 a shot. I am ok with paying that when i am out at night at a nice bar or lounge, or a club. But not at a joke of a place like this. They weren't even large shots. I actually liked this place before last night. I will probably never be back. The margaritas were good but thats about it.

• Pros: margaritas
• Cons: overpriced shots, service, food, overall expierence was bad

12/13/07

The Best Service & Steak Nachos

by e10025 at Citysearch

This place represents the very finest in Tex-Mex. I prefer going in the winter on an off night when it is much less crowded. Usually reservations are not necessary.

It is an upscale place that has good ambiance for a date as well as a low noise level for a business meeting. The margaritas are awesome and service is impeccable.

I highly recommend the sliced steak nachos, cooked to order! --E

• Pros: Good service- great food that's consistenty good
• Cons: --

08/14/07

Best Margaritas!!

by lilyflower326 at Citysearch

I went to El Rio Grande with friends this past Saturday night. I was able to make a last minute reservation and even push it back with no hassles. The margaritas are strong and awesome!! The Orange ones ROCK!! Did i mention that they were super strong?? The food was good and well priced. I ordered the Steak Burrito which was really good. My friend got the swordfish tacos which he raved about! DEF TRY IT OUT!!

• Pros: Margaritas
• Cons: nothing