Cafe Rio

Nice egg sandwich & coffee, served up with a smile on a cold, gray, deserted day. A clean, modest place, open in mid-day when the other restaurants on the street are closed.

This is a hidden gem family business! Sara and Roy are absolutely amazing. Friendly, kind, and always make sure I’ve got everything I need when I work and eat there. You MUST try to the BLT breakfast sandwich if you’re there for breakfast. And hot pastrami for lunch. Thank me later. And they are fast!

I love this little place! The couple who own/run it are incredibly sweet (it feels like popping in to see my grandparents!), and they have a great variety of breakfast and lunch foods, drinks, and snacks. Perfect hole-in-the-wall to grab a bite on the way in or to take a lunch break. *** Google's description is off, it is not Mexican food focused. I don't believe they make or sell tortillas, and most of the food is not self-serve***

Andrew Stead

The pastrami sandwich is delicious. Nice place, good snacks, ice cream bars, sodas and a few beers.

Lauren Burch

Fantastic Breakfast of vanilla latte and Ham, Egg and cheese bagel. Staying across the street at Residence Inn and so glad I found this gem!

Rob Atkinson

This is a hidden gem family business! Sara and Roy are absolutely amazing. Friendly, kind, and always make sure I’ve got everything I need when I work and eat there. You MUST try to the BLT breakfast sandwich if you’re there for breakfast. And hot pastrami for lunch. Thank me later. And they are fast!

Eve Edelson

Nice egg sandwich & coffee, served up with a smile on a cold, gray, deserted day. A clean, modest place, open in mid-day when the other restaurants on the street are closed.

Apurva Arni

This place is super underrated. The food is amazing but so are the owners. They are by far the nicest people I met in Berkeley. They also have World Cup 2022 screening at their place. MUST VISIT!

Rachel Nuckols

Breakfast sandwich was delicious. They do put a pinch of salt and black pepper in their eggs, so be aware if you are allergic to either/both.

SeanNow

I've been going to cafe Rio for years now and always they are open and available to people. centrally located near university, Roy & Sara family owners are nice and have cold sandwiches, nice selection on beverages with reasonable prices. RECOMMENDED

Noel Onuoha

I've been a regular at Cafe Rio since 2018/19 and I have not been disappointed. Roy is a family man and he runs his business as such. It's been family operated for over a decade and that warmth is definitely not something I get at other coffee shops (Starbucks etc). If you're a coffee fanatic like myself, the espresso dopio is a great go-to for caffeine. And although the breakfast options are hot n filling, I tend to settle for the doughnut selection; chocolate glazed or regular glazed, to go with my caffeine. Hope you can stop by and support a great local business soon!

Lisa Lim

Very kind man, whenever it was that served us. Made an awesome BLT for me and my sis. Thanks for today. Cute little shop with all kinds of tasty sandwiches, ice cream, smoothies and drinks. Would return!

Mike J.

I love this little place! The couple who own/run it are incredibly sweet (it feels like popping in to see my grandparents!), and they have a great variety of breakfast and lunch foods, drinks, and snacks. Perfect hole-in-the-wall to grab a bite on the way in or to take a lunch break. *** Google's description is off, it is not Mexican food focused. I don't believe they make or sell tortillas, and most of the food is not self-serve***

Andrew Guenthner

Sinple, inexpensive, and good food with friendly service. Counter service with grab n go for all but the entree, this is similar to what you might find in a train station or other remote food outlet. Efficient use of space and a wall bar means there's probably room for you, even when it's busy.

It has the same name and description as the chain restaurant Cafe Rio Mexican Grill. But it definitely is not. I’m not sure why the would use the description literally copied and pasted and be something different. They serve hot dogs and sandwiches in a corner store like place. Not Mexican cuisine.

TaMara Farmer

It has the same name and description as the chain restaurant Cafe Rio Mexican Grill. But it definitely is not. I’m not sure why the would use the description literally copied and pasted and be something different. They serve hot dogs and sandwiches in a corner store like place. Not Mexican cuisine.

The place was closed on Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm. Even though they have posted hours on both google maps and in their window. Maybe that's being Berkeley, they still celebrated May Day.

OVERCHARGED me. I wish I had seen the reviews below before going, because I would have asked for receipt. Their menu says $5.9 for cream cheese bagel. With 10.25% tax, it should be $6.5 for my to-go order, but they did not use a software to calculate taxes and just charged me $7.85. I even asked to clarify but they were vague about it. It's not a good business practice.

FRAUD! HECK NO! I paid $16 for a croissant and an Italian soda. When a asked for a receipt after I ate, the price came to $13.83. WHAT??? I'm so confused. FRAUD ALERT! FRAUD ALERT! FRAUD ALERT! It's $1.75 for cheese and $1.75 Avocado; I was willing, about there was barely any avocado on it. Too bad ZERO stars isn't an option. CHECK YOUR RECEIPT!! The man in the below picture was terrible and has terrible customer service! Also, why wear a mask if you're gonna wear it on your chin?? Not wearing the mask properly which is beyond me🙄

Pasha Gleyzer

The place was closed on Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm. Even though they have posted hours on both google maps and in their window. Maybe that's being Berkeley, they still celebrated May Day.

Geetika

OVERCHARGED me. I wish I had seen the reviews below before going, because I would have asked for receipt. Their menu says $5.9 for cream cheese bagel. With 10.25% tax, it should be $6.5 for my to-go order, but they did not use a software to calculate taxes and just charged me $7.85. I even asked to clarify but they were vague about it. It's not a good business practice.

Asia Noel

FRAUD! HECK NO! I paid $16 for a croissant and an Italian soda. When a asked for a receipt after I ate, the price came to $13.83. WHAT??? I'm so confused. FRAUD ALERT! FRAUD ALERT! FRAUD ALERT! It's $1.75 for cheese and $1.75 Avocado; I was willing, about there was barely any avocado on it. Too bad ZERO stars isn't an option. CHECK YOUR RECEIPT!! The man in the below picture was terrible and has terrible customer service! Also, why wear a mask if you're gonna wear it on your chin?? Not wearing the mask properly which is beyond me🙄

Single most WORST cafe i’ve been to at berkeley. The owner was very rude and the service overall was terrible. Atmosphere and food is not that good either, would never go to this place in any incarnated life or multiverse

Ordered a Veggie Burger, the pattie was dry and tasteless, just like a piece of wood. I gave it back once to have it heated up properly. Part of it was still not eatable. I told the waiter / owner (?), and he just shrugged his shoulders.

Horrible! Ordered a cheeseburger with no bun. As I waited, I heard a microwave warming and was praying that it wasn’t my burger. When I got my burger , It was a dried thin overheated patty with no cheese and some old lettuce, in which I was charged $11 for. I asked him where was the cheese, he threw a cold piece of chese on it and didn’t even bother to melt it, Then when I asked him to melt it , he melted it in the same microwave that he made my burger. This was horrible , took one piece and almost threw up! I did even bother to argue, I just politely took the burger , said they can have $13 in total I spent and told myself that I would never , and I mean NEVER EVER return ! I don’t even write reviews, but it was no way I could LET THIS SLIDE!! I Pray they see this too !!

I asked the employee if I could purchase a cup of hot water, and he said he couldn’t sell it to me. I then noticed they sold tea and asked if I could buy a tea—just without the tea bag. He agreed, but then charged me $4 for what was essentially a cup of hot water. That kind of customer service is disappointing and not justifiable. Hence, the 1-star rating.

Matthew Ramirez

I asked the employee if I could purchase a cup of hot water, and he said he couldn’t sell it to me. I then noticed they sold tea and asked if I could buy a tea—just without the tea bag. He agreed, but then charged me $4 for what was essentially a cup of hot water. That kind of customer service is disappointing and not justifiable. Hence, the 1-star rating.

thug angel

Horrible! Ordered a cheeseburger with no bun. As I waited, I heard a microwave warming and was praying that it wasn’t my burger. When I got my burger , It was a dried thin overheated patty with no cheese and some old lettuce, in which I was charged $11 for. I asked him where was the cheese, he threw a cold piece of chese on it and didn’t even bother to melt it, Then when I asked him to melt it , he melted it in the same microwave that he made my burger. This was horrible , took one piece and almost threw up! I did even bother to argue, I just politely took the burger , said they can have $13 in total I spent and told myself that I would never , and I mean NEVER EVER return ! I don’t even write reviews, but it was no way I could LET THIS SLIDE!! I Pray they see this too !!

Ashley

Single most WORST cafe i’ve been to at berkeley. The owner was very rude and the service overall was terrible. Atmosphere and food is not that good either, would never go to this place in any incarnated life or multiverse

Hans Kirchner

Ordered a Veggie Burger, the pattie was dry and tasteless, just like a piece of wood. I gave it back once to have it heated up properly. Part of it was still not eatable. I told the waiter / owner (?), and he just shrugged his shoulders.