Took the kids for an evening meal whilst visiting the area. Great service, there when needed but not overly attentive. Fabulous food at a not too expensive cost. Highly recommend.

We've dined here once before, but it was night time and we were seated inside. We remembered their lovely patio and went back to enjoy the friendly atmosphere and lunch outside. The patio menu is a bit limited, but I hadn't had Fish and Chips for a while so made that my choice. The fish was cooked perfectly. Tender and flaky on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Not greasy or heavy at all. Chips are chips. They were as expected. My daughter ordered the same. We were both happy with our choice. Cafe Rio is right across the parking area for Aptos beach and there is lots of activity, but the patio is comparatively quiet. We like this place.

We had a very good dinner at Cafe Rio -- it is trendy and had a romantic atmosphere as it was a little dark in side.

Our meal was excellant -- even though I thought it was a bit expensive

We went here many years ago and then it changed ownership and wasn't very good so we crossed it off our list. We recently found out that the Manager of the first owners had purchased the restaurant and the place is good again. We were excited to hear this and now have been back 3 times in the past month.

The first two times were for Happy Hour on the patio. Great drink prices, $5 for really good house Margaritas and Appetizers at great prices too. The patio is dog friendly which is also nice. The servers are friendly and the new owner will come by and see how you are enjoying the food.

The first time we ordered the Roasted Garlic Hummus, Grilled Marinated Artichoke & Seared Ahi. Everything was very good. I am Vegan. I didn't realize they sprinkled Feta cheese on the hummus. I was able to pick off the cheese and enjoy the hummus.

The 2nd visit was just me. I went for a couple of Happy Hour Margaritas & the hummus on the patio while my husband was working. This time I ordered it without the Feta.

Last night we took my Mother-in-law after a movie. We missed Happy Hour so we ate in the dining room. We were a bit full of popcorn so my husband ordered Soup (Fishmonger) and Salad, MIL ordered the Fried Calamari Appetizer, and I ordered the Hummus and Sides dish of Green Beans.

Here's the Vegan warning. When I ordered the Hummus without cheese, the waitress (who turned out to also be Vegan) said, "Did you know we put Sour Cream in our Hummus?" I was shocked. Silly me, Hummus is "naturally Vegan"...or so I thought. I had never heard of anyone putting Sour Cream in Hummus. Of course at that point, I said "Oh my, I've eaten it here twice and never knew that, no, please bring me the Artichoke instead". The Green Beans were AWESOME.

On the way out I spoke to the owner about the Hummus. She said they use Sour Cream instead of Tahini. She was very receptive to my concerns and said she they had already talked about changing their recipe (though not because it wasn't Vegan). I suggested they at least tell folks who order it without cheese that it contains Sour Cream. I'm guessing most Vegans would assume it is Vegan. Lesson learned, I guess I can't assume anything is Vegan...even things that should be naturally Vegan. Crazy!!

Happy Hour on Mon, Tues, Thur, & Fri is 3-6pm and on Wednesday's they have a special 4pm-7pm Happy Hour with music. We haven't gone to the Wednesday HH yet but plan to very soon!

Cafe Rio is definitely on our list of places to go! A must go for Happy Hour for sure.

My daughter, Grand baby and I dined at the Cafe Rio our first evening in Aptos. The Lamb Meatballs and Brussel Sprouts immediately caught our eye. Unfortunately they were out of both. We opted for Clam Linguine. The dish was flavorful with just the right amount of sauce and a generous portion of clams. Additionally, we ordered Brocolini in lieu of Brussel Sprouts. Our server was very attentive to us and our one year old baby. She made sure our dining and comfort needs were met. We would eat here again.