Thursday, June 15, 2006

Rio Adobe, Cupertino

A while back, my hairdresser -- a Cupertino native -- proclaimed that Rio Adobe, a Mexican/Southwestern restaurant, is her favorite place to eat out in the area. With such an enthusiastic review, I had to give it a try.

Yesterday, the co-workers and I walked in just before noon. There was no line at the counter, and a handful of people sitting at the tables. Within half an hour, the line would be consistently long and most of the tables (inside and out) would be full.

Even though we got there when it wasn't too busy, service was still a little sluggish. (My advice is to go around 11:30-11:45am to avoid the lines AND get your food faster.) I went with the Taco Plate (two tacos, rice and beans for $6), while everyone else at the table ordered the chicken quesadilla.

When my plate (finally) arrived, I was shocked by the quantity of meat. There was a generous helping of steak on each taco, which was good (more meat!) and bad (hard to eat). I like that the tacos don't come with a lot of extras -- just the meat, cilantro and onions. There's a salsa bar in the corner of the restaurant, so you can easily add some heat to your meal. The rice and beans were decent. The chips piled on top of my plate were great (fresh, warm, lightly salted).

Team Chicken Quesadilla LOVED their choice. They could not stop talking about how good it was. And I admit, looking at the crispy quesadillas on their plates, I wish I had also ordered the same. Oh well... There's always next time!

Rio Adobe
10525 S. De Anza Boulevard
Cupertino, CA
(408) 873-1600