In general, Stevenson has some tasty food choices. Â I guess you gotta be good to make it through the downtime and so only the strong survive. Â El Rio is one of those survivors. Â You might not think of good mexican food when your out in the middle of the Columbia river gorge, but the El Rio Mexican Cafe is making sure you think twice.
I don't really eat meat but there are plenty of really good vegetarian options at El Rio. Â I got a bean tostada and cheese enchilada. Â Both were great. Â The service is very friendly and personable. Â Like all places in the Pacific NW, they have good beers on tap also. Â
I overheard a couple of guys talking about their burritos and saying that the meat is smoked and the bartender confirmed that saying that they smoke their own meat everyday.
Pleasantly surprised by this random Mexican restaurant in the middle of Stevenson, WA.
We were on our way to Mt. Adams and by recommendation stopped in for dinner.
For a Saturday it wasn't the least bit crowded. A few families here and there...but then again you're in a small town.
First thing I noticed was the 'help yourself' wall of hot sauce in the back. Pretty cool.
Overall atmosphere was nice and they had a good looking bar.
I ordered a skinny margarita and it was quite good. Fresh squeezed lime, agave, and tequila...perfect blend.
Chips & Salsa were nice and everything seemed fresh and homemade.
I ordered the Blue Corn Creamy Enchiladas and ate nearly every bite.
This was not like your average "Americanized Mexican" food. This was fresh and all in all a little more on the healthy side I'd say. The enchiladas came with yummy grilled vegetables and some rice. Good and not over sized portions. Plenty of food though and I didn't feel awful afterwards.
I did notice it was a bit more expensive than most Mexican restaurants but then again you get what you pay for. I would certainly recommend coming here if you are in the area.
I adore Mexican food. In fact, my girlfriend recently asked me if I could only eat one food the rest of my life, what would it be? And I replied 'tacos' (and seeing the genius of that answer, Â she immediately changed her answer to tacos as well). So versatile! It's kind of a scam answer, because you basically allow yourself all the food in the world, so long as it's served in a tiny tortilla. Anything can go in a taco. Same goes for it's big brother the burrito. But I digress....
El Rio apparently "used to be great", or so sayeth the friend who dragged me here after a hike in the Columbia River Gorge. The emphasis on "used to" is her's. There's really only one place to go in Stevenson when you're hungry and thirsty, and that, of course, is Walking Man. Unfortunately Walking Man doesn't open until afternoon, so options are limited earlier in the day. If there was decent Mexican available for lunch--along with decent beer--that'd be a pretty sweet addition to my PNW bliss. But alas, El Rio is not this place.
Sad, boring burrito under a dairy helmet, with rice and blando beans. Flavorless salsa. Mexican food is easy. How can you make it so mediocre?
The real crime was the drinks, however. They apparently pride themselves on their top shelf tequila selection and their fancy-pants margaritas. So my friend and I ordered margaritas, which arrived in large, frosty glasses. Then we each ordered a shot of tequila to pour into our margaritas so they'd actually have a bit of booze in them. I shit you not! That made for a pretty expensive and weak marg that wasn't all that fancy pants in the end. Tart sugar water. For shame!
On my 2nd night In Cascade Locks, OR, I headed back over the river and through the woods to El Rio.
This was the best choice in the area. Â
Service was prompt and friendly. Â Natalie was awesome and gave great recommendations.
I ordered the Chips and Salsa and was pleased that I did, since they are homemade. Â The salsa is spicy and I guess people order buckets of this just to take home. Â One couple came in to just order that, but decided to eat as well, before taking their salsa home. Â It was tasty if I say so myself.
I then ordered the Flame Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos. Â Two giant tacos came out and the flavors exploded in goodness.
Overall Rating: 90%
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Price: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Loved the mango margarita!!! Â I slurped it down and offered my husband a drink. Â He said it was strong. Â I didn't realize it as the sweetness covered up the tequila flavor to me. Â Normally I hate tequila.
I also had the mahi mahi soft tacos. Â Those were amazing! Â The tortilla was toasted and the fish pieces weren't fried. Â I finished my meal feeling healthy. Â I ended it with the fried apple tortilla and vanilla ice cream. Â Absolutely delicious!!!
The decor is fun to look at and the service is fabulous! Â Definitely eat here if staying in the area.
Whoa, solid 4 stars but oh wait, it's in Stevenson! So I didn't expect much out of it and I was right. Â It was an ALMOST OK Mexican food! Â If this place was in L.A. it probably won't be in business much longer. Â But I will have to give it a break since I did look around and realized where I was.
Service was good.
This is a cute location right on a main road with ample parking nearby. Service was great. There were lots of other customers. However I didn't care much for the food. I'm particular about salsa and this was pretty bland. My margarita was possibly the worst one I've ever had but I did opt for the house option so maybe that is my fault. I got the veggie fajitas veggies were too peppery or something. Rice and beans were dry and dull. Gauc was good. Boyfriend's steak was looking raw despite being ordered medium rare. I wouldn't go back here and debated a 2 star rating but as I said service was good and other reviewers seem to be fans. I did like that they had a wall of hot sauce but sadly I didn't see this until it was too late.
Review Source:A large group of us stopped here on the way back from biking up in Carson. Â We've just had too many bad experiences with the service over at Walking Man, and wanted to try something different.
Our very friendly waitress brought us our margaritas promptly and kept the chips coming. Â My (not on the menu) vegetable enchilada was stuffed with fresh, in-season veggies. Â The pork chili verde was incredible - the pork just melted in your mouth.
They have several specialty margaritas on their drink menu, and I'll definitely be going back to try them all.
We have talked about stopping here many times on the way through Stevenson but this Sunday we actually stopped. Â Great choice!
The food was really high quality Tex Mex. Â The had some great cocktails on the drink menu and the best collection of tequilas I have seen in this part of the state.
It is fun to go somewhere that has new drinks to try and good food to go with them. Â Prices were very reasonable. Â Under $50 for dinner and drinks and desert for two. Â That includes the tip.
Finally made it back to El Rio and this time we hit the place a bit earlier to assure a seat. Very good food and, by the way..the A/C seemed to be working this time! (See previous review) I had the Steak Fajitas and they were excellent. Seasoned beef, not just grilled up like many other Mex joints do. Peppers and onions were cooked just right and not served up in a mushy mess. Still crunchy..Plenty of sides and condiments came to the table with it all. Service was right there and right on. Â The El Rio is definitely on our go-back list of dining when we return to Stevenson for a chill-out vacation.
Review Source:This place is really good. I'd definitely go back when in the area. We escaped here while staying at Skamania Lodge to get away from the horrid food and service at the Lodge.
El Rio is a small place with a friendly vibe and awesome service. The salsa was great, the enchilada suizas were great, and the sangria was so huge I only drank about 1/3 of it. Had we been around for another meal, I would have tried the chile relleno special that other reviewers mentioned. If in or around Stevenson and you like Mexican food, try it.
We loved this place. I knew they made their own sauces fresh each day and that they prepared their own meats but I still was surprised by just how good our meal was. First thing you notice is that your food isn't buried under a half pound of melted cheddar cheese!
When did Mexican food become Pizza? Most other Mexican restaurant's dished all taste the same but not at Joe's! This food was exceptional. The flavors came through wonderfully! We had the Smoked Pork Chili Verde and the Blue Corn Enchilada Suiza. Both were great! I want to go back! I wish it wasn't 4 hours from home. The service was excellent as well. It's always nice to be waited on and not just waiting. I recommend Joe's to everyone who appreciates good food. Go there!
Drove over from Cascade Locks, OR to eat here and wasn't disappointed. Â El Rio is small, very friendly restaurant with excellent service. Â Monday is Margarita night with $2 off, but I elected to have Dos Equis Amber on tap - hit the spot. Â Chips were fresh and hot and salsa was thick and fairly spicy - I liked it. Â I ordered Blue Corn Enchiladas and asked to substitute black beans for vegetables which they agreed to do. Â Food was excellent.
Highly recommend this restaurant if you're in the area.
My wife and I had an uninspired meal here this past weekend.
She: Shrimp quesadillas. Â The small pink bay shrimp had the ammonia-like smell of seafood well past it's prime. Â She ate a portion of one slice and we tossed the rest. Â I should have sent it back.
Me: beef Fajitas. Everything was overcooked, with the veggies a soggy mess and the meat tough and dry.
Plusses: Â decent decor, good chips, nice service, good selection of authentic, hard to find hot sauces to liven up your food, good margarita, and as a previous review noted, "fast, edible and open." Â Dining options in Stevenson WA are few, and perhaps my expectations should have been lower. Â We will not be back. Â (El Rio owner, if you read this, please stop overcooking your fajitas.)
and, since everyone here seems to love the chile rellenos, consider adding them to the menu as a regular item rather than a special. Â Those ingredients are easy to get all year. Â They had just sold our of the rellenos as we were seated, bummer for me.
On our way home from a hike in the Indian Heaven Wilderness, we stopped at this Dan H. recommended spot. Way to call it Dan!
Someone in the kitchen knows what they're doin'.
Fresh chips, great salsa.
The Chile relleno special rocked. The house smoked pork in green chiles was amazing, Dos X's on tap. Classic Tex-Mex, really well done.
We ordered take out from here as we were staying just down the road at the  Columbia Gorge Riverside Inn and wanted to eat on the deck.
Six dinners in 25 minutes & 70 bucks, not bad huh?
The food was a Tex Mex style & very hearty. No one was left hungry.
The Gigante Burrito was one of them all in one things; You want rice? It's in there. How 'bout some black beans? There in there too. Beef? Fugeddaboutit! Loaded with it.
Having spent a weekend at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson WA, I did not expect to have many choices of cuisine outside of the lodge itself. El Rio was a great, casual restaurant to go to for lunch or dinner.
The food is excellent. I had the fish tacos once and the pork chili verde another time. They start you with good chips and salsa, and though I did not try any drinks, it was a pretty busy bar, as well.
For taste, service, and atmosphere, I give this place excellent value. If you are looking for something more romantic or formal, this is not the place. The dessert menu is also lacking.
Took a day trip to Stevenson, WA with a few friends. Â They had been to this restaurant before and really liked it. Â I had never been to Stevenson or this restaurant. Â I love little adventures.
Service was really friendly, they had a wall of hot sauces that you can choose from and the food was very fresh.
I'll post some pics here that I took once I figure out how to do that.
They started us out with a basket of chips and fresh salsa. Â Full of tomatoes and other goodness, the salsa was super good. Â The chips were nice and warm. Â One person in our party ordered a sangria which I had to take a sip of. Â A bit too sweet for me, but the presentation was nice. Â Photo soon.........hopefully.
I ordered the Smoked Pork Chili Verde. Â This is how the menu describes it: Â
Succulent chunks of house smoked pork in a mildly spicy green chili & tomatillo sauce. Â Nobody makes Chili Verde like this! Â Served with warm tortillas.
If that doesn't make your mouth water, you aren't human. Â The pork was as described. Â Succulent. Â I like that word so much I'm going to type it again. Â Succulent. Â Ok, I'm done. Â All plates come with a side of mexican rice and your choice of black or pinto beans. Â Standard stuff, true, but everything was really good.
The portions were huge and as I said, the food was very fresh. Â Cool little place in a cool little town along the Columbia River in southern Washington State. Â Worth the drive.
Had the special -- Chile Rellenos -- and they were great. Really, never had better. Been all over California, in fancy restaurants and taquerias and everything, and there are the best Rellenos I've ever had. Service was really good (the waitress put up with my drunk father and drunk old family friend, bless her tolerance of us), and the atmosphere was really good, too. The three of us ate and drank for about $60, but then we had a couple drinks.
Review Source:
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