Local Review: Rio Grande

My family and I have been to dinner at Rio Grande several times and it is a family favorite - they always have great Mexican food and an exciting atmosphere. On Tuesday this week, we found ourselves with only one child *gasp* and decided to take advantage of not needing a school-bus sized booth to feed the brood.

We arrived at around 6:30pm so the dinner crowd was in full swing. The wait was short, though, and the crew at Rio Grande got us in and seated quickly; something I always appreciate (read: impatient!). The chips and salsa were waiting for us and the Chili Con Queso was quick to follow, along with our giant, lime-laced iced teas (you can always woo me with a giant lime-laced iced tea).

Now. If I have learned anything at Rio Grande it is that your best bet is to know what you want when you get there, because if you let your wait-person go after your drinks arrive, you may be waiting awhile before they come back. Much to my husbands' chagrin, I am one of those people that insist that they don't know what they want and need to read the entire menu, only to order the same thing I always get. This time, though, I was determined to order something new so I could bring you all this nifty, helpful review (so it's your fault, really).

I finally settled on Shrimp Quesadillas and the hubs went with the Beef Fajita Quesadillas. That one kid I mentioned? He's only 7 months old, so he settled for the adoring coos of the waitstaff and fellow diners.

Our waitress returned after a longer wait than we would have preferred (even after having read the entire menu) and we ordered. Another lesson I learned from Rio Grande: the portions are large and the food is goooood. No complaints here - we loved our dinners and were happily stuffed at the end.

But wait! Did I say we were happily stuffed at the end? Oh no - my husband thought this review might be painfully incomplete if we did not take this opportunity to order dessert (something we rarely do), and as your responsible and caring reviewer, I concurred.

We asked for a plate of Sopapillas and were not disappointed. I had never been treated to Sopapillas before and was pleasantly impressed.

Overall: The wait to order was a bit long, but the food was great and the waitstaff was friendly and happy. The cost was on-point and the family-oriented & fun atmosphere can't be beat.


You can find the Rio Grande at 560 Hwy 79, Suite A-100 in Hutto (in the same parking lot as Home Depot & Good Will) They can be reached at (512) 759-1449.


**Map graphic created by Community Impact Newspaper