Urban Rio Cantina & Grill

I booked a party in their private room. I can’t say enough good things about Urban Rio! I have eaten there many times before, but their coordinator for this event, the service, and the food was absolutely great! We will be back again!!!

Very nice ambiance! The bar is located on the 2^nd floor and has great views. During nice weather, they open it up and the whole place is nice and breezy. They have drink specials every day and their food is very tasty!

I have been to urban rio on a few occasions. I have had great experiences on all. I normally go to the upstairs bar for drinks, but the food is excellent as well. I recently had the brisket enchiladas with the sour cream sauce and it is currently one of my favorite at the moment. Service is quick and attentive.
Will definitely be coming back.

Food was mediocre at best, service was horrible! We went at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon, place was ¼ full. It has the potential to be great, but needs good management overhaul. Probably won’t be back.

Mike was fantastic! Sevice was excellent! The moral of the stroy is real niggas do real things! Keep ya head up! Ya heard! The thug life is all I know! Yuhhhhhh!

I love Urban Rio! Why? Specifically for the staff that remembers my usual order. They have the best queso, and it is paired perfectly with a frozen margarita!

Good food, but the snide remark by the hostess as we left soured our experience. She commented on my daughters’ ultra casual attire (sweat pants, shirt and sandals). «Keeping it relaxed, eh»?
We stopped here on our way home from volunteering making food for the Rowlett tornado victims, (1,900 warm sandwich lunches packed) so we didn’t have energy to go change before eating lunch.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but better than I anticipated. The first floor is your family friendly floor.
The second is more lively with no shortage of TVs. It’s open seating and the high tops have small TVs mounted to the wall and there a huge screens above the bar. I think there is a rooftop but I visited in December so did not venture up there.
Our waiter was great! He was nice, to the point with good recommendations but didn’t loiter.
The chips reminded me of El Fenix, the salsa was mild but good. A black bean dip was also served.
I ordered the chicken stuffed, grilled avocado drizzled in queso. It was as good as it sounds! The Mexican Mule was served in a copper mug and went nicely with my entrée. My friend had the gluten free chicken enchiladas and enjoyed them.
The acoustics are great on the second floor. As the night went on, an entertainer was singing and playing the guitar. It seemed like a regular crowd (30 – 50 age range) ruled the patio side of the bar and enjoyed the entertainment!
I look forward to visit # 2 and enjoying what looked like a gelato fridge.

Updated my review after learning more about their menu.
Brisket Quesidillas are tops!
Tinga Chicken Enchiladas with Queso Fuego runner up.
Adobe Chipotle Beef skewers to round out the apps.
Wednesday night Happy Hour dominates!

This place has a great location for groups. Especially happy hour or small parties. It’s easily accessible from the train and has plenty of parking near by. I’ve eaten here a couple times and while I enjoy the food I wouldn’t say it’s anything spectacular. It’s about what you’d expect from a venue of this size. If you’re looking for mor authentic Mexican you can go down the street and find plenty of better places.

Located in the heart of downtown Plano, Urban Rio is a great place to go for happy hour. However, I find the food to be subpar compared to other Tex-​Mex places.
First impression: As with any other Tex-​Mex place, the chips and salsa are extremely important when rating the food. While the salsa was ok (3 stars), I found the bean dip they offer to be off-​putting. It had a strong herbal taste and was not very appetizing. Maybe I’m getting too critical, but I also didn’t like the containers that the salsa was served in. They were small, so it made dipping difficult once you got close to half-​way.
For my lunch entrée, I ordered 2 enchiladas. One of the things I did enjoy was the ability to mix and match their different enchilada sauces. I opted for one tomatillo-​poblano verde and one Mexican crema. Both were disappointingly bland. If you look at my photo, the Mexican crema looks like they just lazily ladled crema on top of the enchilada when it came out of the oven. A garnish of some sort like a pickled jalepeno would go a long way.
As I alluded to earlier, the one redeeming quality of the place is they do have a decent happy hour. Last time I was here, we ordered some queso which was pretty good. After washing it down with a tasty/​strong Mexican mule, I was feeling pretty content. Bottom line, I wouldn’t come here for lunch/​dinner, as they are tastier options nearby, however, it’s not a bad place to get a drink after work.

What a cool space!!! We were in the tequila room in the back. and if you go up the stairs, there is a cool bar with live banjo music! Parking is decent since we were in dt Plano… free of course. As a Tex-​Mex place. it surprised me that they had a gelato bar in the back which we ate after dinner.
The food for me. was not that good. It’s hard for me to really like Mexican since I live in California now. Tried several things. but it was pretty much make your own fajitas. I tried the chicken and veggies. Not much more impressive than a Chipotle. I didn’t like the heavy sauces it was served with. I did like the grilled corn with cheese. yum! The queso was amazing as well. So I guess this restaurant is better at the cheese part. maybe not so much the other stuff.
For the drinks. tried two types:
— Grapefruit juice with tequila: Interesting version on a greyhound. Deliciously refreshing.
— Guava margarita: Too much sugar. Meh.
It was more good company and of course good service.

Claire, I wrote on the comment card you gave us that I would be writing a review and here it is.
From the first time I came to Urban Rio I’ve always been in love with it. This location is awesome! I’ve been here multiple times including my birthday back in January, however this last time was amazing.
We decided to sit in the downstairs section despite the lively atmosphere upstairs, sometimes a girl just wants to be able to hear her fiancé without having to lean over every time he wants to say something. Best decision ever. Our server, Claire, was absolutely amazing! She was the right combination of friendly and attentiveness without being annoying, never once interrupting us and always having a Dr. Pepper refill for the fiancé without him even having to ask. The food was great as well, I opted for the chicken quesadillas and was secretly jealous of the fiancé’s brisket quesadillas.
Love this place. Ask for Claire, she’s amazing!

Rootop patios are far and few between in the Plano area, except for in downtown Plano there are a few. This is one of our favorite places to patio or hear live music. The first time we came here our hearts and eardrums were stolen by Chet Stevens. He is one helluva talent I tell ya. Fun, upbeat music. We would try to come here when he was scheduled to play. Although one night we went, the event schedule on the website said he was playing and he most definitely was not — not sure if that was an error on the bars behalf or his… but we were a tad disappointed.
Other than that, the menu is great and moderately priced. The quesadillas are tasty, generously portioned and presented nicely. Happy hour specials are hard to beat. Patron, Fireball and some other liquors are always $ 5. The guava habanero margarita is my favorite. The chips, salsa and bean dip are good. Not many places do the bean dip. This is a usual place we like to go especially when the weather is nice. Lots of room for big groups. If you haven’t been here, it is definitely worth it to see for yourself. Much different than any other tex mex place in town.

How sad that such a fun establishment with so much potential could LET GO the only decent bartenders working there… Your remaining bartenders are mere children with know-​it-​all attitudes and very little experience. How many times have my husband and I come to your establishment and you still make zero attempt to learn our names? Even after you let go of our favorite bartender 3 months ago for a hypocritical and below the belt reason, we still gave you guys a shot because your food is excellent. But after a while, it’s just negligent as a bartender to not pay attention to your customers. Remembering your guests and making them feel important is a high priority, and any one who’s ever worked in the industry will tell you likewise.
Listen — We are not high maintenence, nor are we needy individuals. We are patient, laid back, tip exceptionally well, and are usually fun to interact with. We are also very loyal customers. Customers come back see YOU personally — they know your names, they expect you to at least TRY to get to know theirs. There is a reason certain bartenders have a huge following. Their regulars will follow them because regulars are LOYAL — not to the establishment — but to the person. YOU are the main face of your place kiddos. Not your food, not your atmosphere, not even the music… it’s you.
You guys have officially lost 4 regulars (plus the large crowds of friends we bring in) simply because your service is impersonal and indifferent. We miss the sweet and attentive girls who made that bar worth going to. When one of your best girls left months ago, we followed her and this is why — It’s a guarantee that when I walk into her new place of business she greets us with a huge smile and a hug, and doesn’t have to ask what we’re drinking because she’s made a point to already know. We continued to come back to Urban Rio because it’s close to our home and you had one decent bartender left… Now she’s gone too? You guys are really dropping the ball here on your staff. What a sad day for your management. We’ve finally given up on your staffing and lack of leadership, and are sorry to say we will not be returning.
When you let the good ones go, the good business usually follows.

The best thing about this restaurant is that they give complimentary chips with salsa and refried beans. But the refried beans was too salty for my taste. Eh.
The chicken quesadilla was yummy but the sour cream was a little different. They include chopped jalapenos on top which had my mouth on fire but you can easily take those out.
My friend on the other hand ordered this tamale pie and it was GREAT. I wish I ordered it. It came in a skillet and it was HOT. It had a chowder-​like texture and she dipped her chips in there, which was a good idea. I’ll probably get it next time.

Urban Rio is a great venue for a group happy hour, which is the reason I was there. The happy hour margarita special was a definite winner — just $ 3 for frozen or on the rocks and I’m not talking an overly-​sweet premixed glass of nasty stuff.
The chips were good, while the salsa and black bean dip were not my favorite. Both tasted slightly sweeter than what I prefer. The rest of my table enjoyed them, so I’m sure this was just a matter of personal preference.
I stuck around and had dinner with a friend. I ordered the three taco special — mix and match any three you’d like from their menu. I went with fish, al pastor and vegetarian. All were tasty and (after chips!) were the perfect amount of food.
I loved the space and felt the service was attentive and prompt.

Yes! This place was awesome. The food was unexpectedly more unique and flavorful. The menu offered a twist on your normal tex-​mex favorites. I can’t wait to come back and try their brunch.
It’s also a great bar and hang out spot. There is a roof top bar and ice cream salon on bottom. My group loved it and we will be back soon and frequently.

Love to come here with my family. If I didn’t live across town I’d be a regular. Great space on the corner of the street in downtown Plano. The interior is beautiful with ample booths and tables. The kitchen is visible, but classy. We like to eat upstairs where there is a second full bar with patio space. Plenty of TVs upstairs to watch sports. It’s a really smart way to divide the restaurant for those who want a quiet meal and those wanting to drink, listen to upbeat tunes and watch ESPN.
Cilantro fries and queso are great appetizers. The salsa and bean dip are complementary, and the flavors are great in both. Stuffed avocado chicken has all these great flavors and textures in each bite, from the avocado and pulled chicken, to the drizzle of queso on a bed of rice and beans. The brisket quesadillas are worth trying as well.
They also have daily drink specials! Certain drink for each day of the week. They have this margarita with guava juice in it that is TO DIE for.
The service is usually fantastic. We came
here today, and they brought out my stuffed avocados with the shell still intact. I didn’t think anything of it, and it didn’t bother me, but Kim noticed it as she picked up our plates. She stated it was unacceptable and quickly offered to comp it from the meal. She even offered a free dessert on top
of it! Stellar, stellar customer service. (If it weren’t so close to bikini season, I’d have been all over the gelato lol). Thank you for taking such good care of us, Kim!

I went and checked out Urban Crust’s little sister, Urban Rio for a Saturday night meal. There was a bit of a wait. about 15 minutes, but they have a nice lounge area up front where you can have a drink and just relax while you wait. They also have daily hh specials which is nice too even on the weekends. The hit of the night was definitely the homemade s’mores and they give you your own little fire to toast them on! I also enjoyed my meal… split the fajitas and the chicken was a bit on the charred side but I enjoyed the rice and black beans with feta that came with it. I am looking forward to trying more dishes here in this relaxed and modern atmosphere.