Cantina Rio - Bernalillo

Overall a sort of average bar Cantina lunchroom. The three taco plate is okay. You do have to walk through a smoke-filled casino to get here. The one very notable thing on the menu are breaded deep fried green chile strips. Those alone are worth wading through the smoke.

Do not ever go to Cantina Rio! The service was lousy! Waitress was inattentive and we had to keep going up to the bar to get service. We complained about the waitress and then when we left security ended up stopping us at the door claiming we didn't pay our ticket. Luckily I paid with a card and had proof of payment. My friend had to pay twice because she paid in cash and did not have proof. We were the last ones out the door so the waitress may have taken it then accused us of not paying especially since we complained about her. The band was great, but staff kept walking in front of the stage, where there were no tables, during their show. Nachos were huge, but mediocre tasting. It was very slow on a Friday night which I can only assume is a testament to their service! Get a better restaurant in there Santa Anna!

Prices are unbelievable great, especially drinks. Food portions are good, if not, larger than expected. Only complaint might be drinks. Wish they had larger cups for convince for customers and waitresses, especially with football coming back. This restaurant has a little bit if American, Hispanic, and even Italian food. Plus, free chips and sales where most restaurants are stingy about.

We waited at least 30mins for our order BUT it was delicious. Salsa was awesome. SPICY

The food was horrible. The rice had was bland and the refried beans tasted canned and were way to salty. The enchiladas were topped with a flavorless sauce and the tortillas were not cooked. The chicken tenders were dry and hard. The tortilla soup just tasted of cumin. My husband went to the restaurant hungry and left hungry. Definitely not worth the money. The only positive part of our experience was our waitress and the very kind manager.