Cafe Rio- St. George Utah

I have been off my computer for a few weeks due to my daughter Jessica and JJ coming to visit and we are just finishing up moving. This review actually took place a few weeks ago and I am just getting around to posting it.

Cafe Rio is located at 471 E Saint George Blvd, St. George, UT 84770. Cafe Rio serves Mexican style food.

Cafe Rio is one of those places that I didn't really want to go to. When I eat Mexican food, I want it to bite back with a vengeance. However, I decided to venture in and see what they had to offer.

Cafe Rio is a a family oriented place that is full of energy. You can feel the energy as soon as you enter the restaurant. The food is served cafeteria style. You won't be disappointed by the portions you get. I did find it hard to hear what they were asking when it came to what kind of beans and such I wanted. Thats because it is loud in there, but not in a bad way. You can tell they are enjoying their job and its nice to see a place that lets the employees have fun while doing their job.

On this trip to Cafe Rio's I brought along my daughter, my grandson, my pastor and his wife. I ordered the special of the day which was the Chicken Tamale. This selection came with my choice with black or pinto beans, rice, You can also have your choice of meats. I even had enough to take home. Like I said, the portions are huge, so come hungry. I was hoping there would be more heat to this burrito. But over all it was very good.

Jessica and JJ had the Pork Barbacoa and her exact words was when asked if she was happy with it, she said heck yeah. The Pork Barbacoa is loaded with pork, rice, cheese, sour cream, green sauce and black beans. JJ was very happy with sharing with everyone.

Ruth ordered a Grilled Chicken Quesadilla. When you order this you get your choice of meats, lettuce, Pico DE Gallo, guacamole, fresh hand made tortilla. This was something I could see myself eating. It looked good and the tortilla was grilled to perfection. It was crunchy, but not so much so it would crumble. She would order this again.

I can't remember what Dean had ordered. But he was very happy with it all. This was their first time coming here and they looked forward to trying it.

Sandie's Rating System:

Product Quality- Very Good
Price- Moderate
Location- 471 E Saint George Blvd, St. George
Service- Very Good
Speed– Fast
Cleanliness- Good
Atmosphere- Fun and Energetic

Final Thought: Everything was really nice when we went there. We ate outside and I was happy that the lady cleaning tables helped us with the high chair for JJ. The only negative thing I would say would be that they should have garbage cans outside. Its a pain to have to dump your stuff inside when you have your hands full.

Olive Garden- St. George Utah

Today my daughter Jessica, my grandson JJ and I went to the Olive Garden for lunch. We went to the only location in Washington County and that is 1340 E 170 S, St George. It is located across from Wingers and Cattycorner from Applebee’s. It also shares the parking lot with Target. I wasn’t feeling so great, so this is more of a review from my grandson’s and daughter’s perspective.

First of all I want to say how nice it is to have an Olive Garden finally in St. George. When we moved here from Arizona, this is the place that we missed the most and for a good reason. They have yummy breadsticks, soups and salads. Their pasta and meat dishes we have found for the most part are excellent.

When we first entered the restaurant, the door was opened for us and we were greeted with a smile from the gentleman at the door and we were immediately seated. For the most part the service was good. It was a bit slower then usual. We had to wait to get our drinks ordered. Once we got our drinks ordered and our food ordered. The soup came out first and then not too soon after that, the main course. I wish they would have waited until we had our soup eaten. There isn’t much room on the table for all the food and it gets in the way. Overall, the service was ok like I said, just not what it usually is when it comes to the waitress. But the food was awesome as always.


Today I ordered the Ravioli di Portobello. If you love Portobello Mushrooms you will love this Portobello mushroom-filled ravioli in a creamy smoked cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce. This is one of those dishes that are very easy to eat and you don’t feel like you have over eaten. It’s just the right amount of food and you will have some to take home. Each of the raviolis’ is stuffed with more then enough Portobello Mushrooms. The cost of this dish is $10.95. This dish is topped with green onions and finely diced tomatoes. Enjoy their freshly baked garlic breadsticks and your choice of homemade soup or garden-fresh salad with any entrée. I always go with my favorite and chose the Zuppa Tascano Soup. You will find a good amount of sausage, kale, potatoes, onions and other spices to add life to this wonderful soup. I could go to Olive Garden just for the soup and be completely content.
My daughter Jessica ordered the Tour of Italy. She was very pleased with her selection and had plenty to take home. Here selection came with homemade lasagna, lightly breaded chicken parmigiana and creamy fettuccine alfredo. I think her favorite must have been the chicken parmigiana. That was the first thing she dug into and was gone. The rest came home with us and my niece had a great lunch for after school. Although I’m not sure how it can be homemade if it is made in a restaurant. The cost of her meal was $14.95. She did have a coupon for $4.00 off a dinner entrée. She found her coupon in the Sunday newspaper.

Now, for the most important person in our dinner party, let me introduce my grandson JJ. JJ ordered Spaghetti and had a good time eating my raviolis. He loved it… As you can tell by the look on his face, he was having a good time with each noodle. He loved the soup too and he even took a few bites out of a Black Tie Mousse Cake.
Sandie's Rating System:

Product Quality- Very Good
Price- Somewhat Moderate - Expensive
Location- 1340 E 170 S, St George
Service- OK, Not Great Though
Speed– Started off Slow, but got faster
Cleanliness- Very Clean
Atmosphere- We love the atmosphere at Olive Garden

Final Thought: If you are a tea drinker, then you should try the Peach Bellini. It is very good. I didn’t have it today, but 9 times out of 10 I order this drink since they serve Coke Products. I must warn you that it is sweet enough without adding sugar. I made that mistake the first time, yuck and double yuck.

Red Robin Hamburgers- Washington Utah

On Friday my friends Jen, her husband, her mom Donna and her cute little baby Zuriah went out to Red Robin. We chose Red Robin for a couple of reasons: 1. We needed to discuss business and 2. To have a good lunch... Both were accomplished... Scott and Jen helped out with the review and I would like to thank them for their input and their company.

Red Robin is located in the Cotton Mill Shopping Center by Kohl's, facing Telegraph (Red Cliffs Drive), directly across from Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

When we first arrived at Red Robin we were greeted very fast and seated. The first thing you will notice when you arrive at Red Robin of Washington Utah, is that is it very family friendly. They will embarrass your friends or family member when it is their birthday as well. Expectations are mostly fulfilled. Decor is as one would expect--shiny, clean, kid-friendly.

I ordered the All Natural Burger- It comes with your choice of fresh fruit (cantaloupe) or bottomless fries, pickles, tomatoes and I ordered jalapeno peppers for the side. I do wish they offered cottage cheese as an option, but they don't so I won't carry on about that one, lol. I also had water to drink. But they do offer Pepsi products, which is good. Overall, I was pleased with my selection.


Scott's A-1 peppercorn burger with jalapeno's added.

Good balance of taste. One bite of heat the next bite smooth and cool and back and forth.
Meat had good texture and was cooked to order, special order was correct and abundant.
Good presentation and speed of service.
Fun plating and design.
Groovy Smoothie was delicious and inviting. Smoothie was a wonderful blend of taste. Glass was fun and decorative.

If you like the heat of a good pepper ask for jalapenos to be added and ask for extra if you really like the heat.


Jenn's Gourmet Cheeseburger.

Meat had good texture and was cooked to order.
Bun was toasted and light.
Plating was fun and accessible.
Good presentation and speed of service.
Ordered a Dr. Pepper. Was asked if I wanted a refill a couple of times and was grateful for the attention.

Bottomless refills on most drinks. A real crowd pleaser for those who like to sit and chat after your meal is the bottomless french fries. As long as you want to sit and relax they will ask you if you want more fries or drinks.

They have a No-rush attitude if their customer wants to relax while eating, which is a good idea for those impromptu lunch meetings.

As you enter the restaurant they greet you with a smile. If there happens to be a small wait they have seating along the windows with a TV in the floor and a small arcade for the kids. They try to seat you to best fit your needs and they do it quickly.

As you leave they send you off with a smile, a balloon for the kids (if they want), a thank you and a please come again. They always ask how was your food and love to hear your comments.

Since your waiter/waitress is your cashier there is no need to wait in line to pay. In your check there should be a comment card. If you fill it out you can receive emails from them possibly for coupons for your next visit.

Price: moderate. you get what you pay for- Average Price is $8.00 on up....
Atmosphere: good
Speed of Service: good even on busy days.
cleaniness: good

Hours of Operation and Location:

640 W Telegraph St
Washington, UT 84780
Sun-Thurs: 11a-10p; Fri-Sat: 11a-11p

Final Thought: This is a fun place to go with the family and they have good food. It isn't cheap, but if you want cheap go to McDonald's.

Coming Soon- Cafe Rio

Made in Brazil Brazilian Steakhouse- St. George, Utah

My brother in law and I were thinking about going out to dinner last night. Since we had the Dixie Direct Card we decided it was a good time to try something different. Since a number of people have asked me to do a review on the Brazilian Steakhouse, we decided the time was now… So off we go wondering what to expect. We have never had Brazilian food before and this was something different for sure.

The Made in Brazil Brazilian Steakhouse located in the Phoenix Plaza on Bluff and Sunset. The exact address is 929 West Sunset Blvd. The Brazilian Steakhouse is not your ordinary steak house. At some restaurants, by the time you get to eat your cut of meat, the meat has a tendency to fail to deliver the right amount of flavor and may not be hot. That is not the case here.

The giant skewers of meat are rotisserie-cooked meat The giant skewers of meat are rotisserie-cooked meat; all cooked over a mesquite charcoal pit. they are carved and served directly from fire to your plate.; they are carved and served directly from fire to your plate.

We started out with the salad bar, which I loved. They had a good variety to choose from. You will find some interesting and tasty choices. I really enjoyed the black beans with beef. It had a very pleasing flavor to them.
Guests of Made in Brazil, Brazilian Steakhouse will use a wooden cue to let the servers know when they are ready for the next skewer of meat. Place the green side up, and the servers will continue to bring skewers to you. Place the cue on the red side when you are too full to eat another bite! This makes it nice to set your own pace and relax.

When you are finished eating and had your fill, turn the cue to the flat side to let the waiter/waitress staff will then bring your check.

A bit of advice -- Try a little at a time or you will run out of room before you have gotten a chance to try all the varieties of meat. I was so full, I didn't get to try them all. And don’t forget to turn the wooden cue over of they will keep feeding you and you will need to loosen that belt.

Some of the Meats Offered Are:


* Prime Rib
* Ham- My Favorite
* Chicken wrapped in bacon
* Tenderloin w/garlic
* Top Sirloin
* Lamb
* Chicken
* Pork Sausage
* Pork Loin
* Chicken hearts upon request (Dinner Only)
* Pineapples


More Information: Lunches are priced at $11.99 , kids 5-11 are $5.99 and Dinner is $18.99, kids 5-11 are 9.99 .... If you have the Dixie Direct Card, they offer a buy one get one free. But if you go for dinner, they will discount your bill for the $11.99. They also offer more meats on the dinner menu, its is a meat lovers delight, lol. They serve Pepsi products and have a variety of other choices as well like limeades and alcoholic drinks. We didn't have any dessert, but they looked yummy.I was too full after we ate to get desserts.

There are many, many options, check out The Phone Book for more information and menu items. You can find it on page 788.


Sandie's Rating System:

Product Quality- Very Good
Price- Moderate - You pay for what you get
Location- 929 West Sunset Blvd, St. George, Utah
Service- Excellent
Speed– Pretty Fast- Sometimes too fast :)
Cleanliness- Very Clean
Atmosphere- Fun and Inviting, Something Different

If you have come here via The Spectrum, thank you for visiting us, and your comments and suggestions are welcome

Looking For A Great Breakfast and A Good Cause

All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast


Usually I do food reviews on this blog. But this time I am gonna tell you about an awesome deal before it happens. At Lin's Marketplace on Saturday, February 21st from 8am-12 pm. Lin's will be sponsoring an All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast. Lin's is located at 1930 West Sunset Blvd in St. George. Offer is good only at the Sunset Location...

Cost:

$20.00 per family or $5.00 per person

All of the proceeds are being donatated to Lin's Bakery Employee Char Barton and Family in memory of her loving husband and father William Barton.

I work at Lin's and have gotten to know Char and she has two young daughters and she is very kind and loving. Char is the kind of person that will do anything for anyone, even though she has nothing. The loss of her husband was and is devastating to her family. he ws uninsured and was on disability due to his medical problems. He will be deeply missed by his daughters and Char. My thoughts and prayers go out to her. She has a long road ahead of her. I know that God will be looking out for them and she will be ok. But if you don't have any plans for Saturday, February 21st, come over to Lins and have a great breakfast and at the same time, you can help out a family in need.

P.S. If you have kids under the age of 13 or so. There is a Kids Club Activity that day from 10 am-2pm. It's free and you are never asked to buy anything. Just look for the table that has Kids Club Balloons...