Rio Azul

Had lunch here with coworkers & never would’ve known it existed had they not been here before. It’s a small place in a strip mall-​style area but don’t let that put you off. This place really is a step above the usual typical Memphis area Mexican places. Absolutely loved the food and the service was by far some of the best I’ve had. Our server fielded special requests with a great attitude and easily handled a couple of semi-​difficult people in our party. A great place for a quick very tasty lunch, I’m definitely looking forward to returning.

One of the best authentic Mexican restaurants in the Memphis area!
The food is always hot and fresh! And the staff is super friendly!

So so good! The service was amazing! The cheese dip was so good. I will come here for the margaritas, cheese dip, and Mexi-​Guac!

Based on the surrounding strip mall, I was kind of expecting to be disappointed. It’s bigger on the inside than I was expecting, and it’s nicely decorated. The service was awesome. The drinks are cheap and delicious. The food is very reasonably priced, and there are multiple veg options. The guac is good, nice cilantro and lime taste. Overall, a very good experience

I came here with a group of friends for lunch. It was an ok place. We were afraid it was closed because no one was there but it must have been an off hour. Anyway, we all took forever to order because we hadn’t seen each other in a bit. Thankfully the waiters were patient with us.
The prices were very reasonable and I even got desert (which I rarely do). I used a coupon from the Memphis City Saver 2015 Book for 50% off a menu item and they thankfully applied it to my meal rather than my dessert.
I will admit my food didn’t taste good as leftovers and that made me sad but it was still an enjoyable experience.
Liked:
— Flan
— Rico Pollo

Great service and an even better happy hour special. $ 1.75 Dos Equis and $ 1.50 Bud light. The shrimp tacos are awesome.

Great menu! You can tell they’ve put their own spin on your typical Mexican. Good prices as well.

My wife and I split the Hawaiian Fajita and it was the best fajita we’ve ever had. It was served in half a hollowed out pineapple and smothered in ham, bacon, chicken, and sautéed pineapple chunks. Service was probably the best we’ve received in the Memphis area and the kids all received free drinks with their meals and lots of refills. Friday drink specials were great. $ 1.49 12oz Dos Equis, $ 5.36 domestic pitchers, and $ 6.76 Dos Equis pitchers all day Fridays!

This is a go-​to takeout place when you don’t want fast food, but also don’t want anything fancy. They have all the typical Mexican dishes in all combinations, so it’s not hard to find something you like on the menu.
I usually go for the enchiladas – good portion with rice and beans, topped with lettuce and tomato (and plenty of sauce and cheese).

I am generously giving these hombres four stars, even though that is a magnanimous gesture on my part. For as I write this, it is winter, and I loath winter, so I am grading on the curve. Like almost every place, this little business is so much better during the summer months… mainly due to the very cheap Dos Equis on draft every afternoon, paired with their simple entrees. (Yes, ice cold beer just provides more satisfaction when it isn’t 10 degrees outside!)
Also, this review may be partly influenced by cilantro. Yes, I love it. And limes too. And the pico de gallo here prominently features both. And what is my favorite item here to help bring the warm island sun of Cozumel to conquer January’s bleak darkness? Yes! The cheesy and primitive looking chile relleno! It is a tasty bargain at $ 2 and along with an order of extra Pico, makes for a light and comparatively healthy lunch. The service is quick, although the well mannered waiters can often seem a bit timid. The chips have improved a lot since a few months ago, and the salsa is acceptable… nothing to get excited about though, IMO.
This place is usually not crowded, even though it should be considering the anemic competition set in this area of Dirty ‘Dova. I suppose a meal that is something more than drive thru franchise is not very appealing to many out here. That is sad, because the folks at Rio Azul are a high step above most in the food desert of far east Shelby county and yes… they serve Dos Equis on tap. Melted cheese. Cilantro. Lime. Mexican Beer. Fast. Good. Cheap.

Can’t get enough of the jalapeño and cheese tamales here. They are tender and flavorful, and served with a delicious salsa verde-​I should ask for more to dip my chips in! They do have delicious salsa, also, and their house margaritas are no joke! Glad this place is so close to home, but I’d drive a little further if I had to!

This is very decent Mexican food. I think most would describe it as «authentic».
They have drink specials everyday — jumbo Margaritas on Saturday for $ 5.99.
Salsa is very good and portions are large. Fajitas is very tasty but my ribeye steak strips were a little tough on our last visit.
Atmosphere is typical for a small strip center restaurant — nothing fancy. We eat here about once a month.

Impressive professionalism. Great food presentation that is reasonably priced and the service is exceptional. My favorite menu item is the chicken taco salad… YUM!

This another of my farewell reviews. I’ve eaten and drank there may times and all but one meal was good. That was 5 – 6 years ago before the buy-​out/​name change, and I think it was steak colorado. May be wrong on the name but it was inedible to me with the chili powder piled on. Had to scrape it off.
Besides that, it’s good little Mexican restaurant. Good tacos, ect, and good drinks. It’s survived in the strip mall where others have perished. Attentive help and always lots of salsa. Ha! When I was there a week or so ago the woman at the next table complained that the salsa was not spicy enough for her. Well you know what happened — it came back with loads of pepper… She asked for it.
I liked the salsa and my meal was fine. Good place for tex-​mex.

I can’t say enough great things about Rio Azul. The employees are incredible, the food is fast, good and reasonably priced and after going there over 50 times, I look forward to my next visit.

This is our local, around-​the-​corner Mexican joint, so we’ve eaten here loads of times. Love the salsa, the premium margaritas are great, and we gobble up the chimichangas, chile rellenos, carnitas, tacos, nachos, carne asada, and just about everything. My two year old boys won’t eat any other Mexican restaurant’s beans and rice but they can’t get enough of Rio Azul’s! We just love this place.

Great food! Great drinks!!! Wonderful service. I would put this place up against any Mexican food restaurant around. The drinks are very affordable as is the food. You walk away feeling as though they care about you as a customer. I take my twin boys who are 2 there quite frequently. Family friendly. The chimichangas and chile relleno in particular are very good.

Ok, after reading all the other reviews it just would not seem fair for me to base my complete judgment on just one trip. My kids and several of there friends visit here often so I jumped in as a tag along (also bill paying daddy warbucks) for a late night dinner run to the Rio. We got in around 9:20 and were were seated while all around they were shutting down. Really courteous service and made us feel welcomed the entire time. The chips are of the heavier version corn tortilla so they pack a big crunch and strong corn flavor. The salsa is smooth, without any chunks and packs a nice punch in the flavor department. My wife and daughter split the chicken fajitas and the portion was smaller than what most other local Tex Mex places serve. But the portion size is not what hurt them so much. It was the taste and texture. The chicken had no distinct Mexican flavor, nor did the small amount of oils on the skillet plate that was not served to the table smoking hot. For that matter it was more like warm. The chicken just tasted like cooked chicken, and rather rubbery. I had the pork burrito with Verde sauce. The Verde sauce just didn’t pass with me as having any specific flavor. I’m use to a mildly spicy sauce with just enough tart flavor to off set the heat, but sadly disappointed. The rice had good texture and was not sticky but again, lacking in the fiesta in the mouth department. I promise to come back to Rio Azul soon to give it another try. It could have been that my crue rolled in after the kitchen was shut down, and the nice folks there took care of us and quickly prepared our meals.

LOVE the salsa here and the fajitas were right on the money. Could definitely become a regular here. My daughter cleaned her plate and started in on mine, saying it was the best Mexican she’d ever had. I don’t know how authentic it is, but it’s 100% tasty.

I’ve eaten here probably 30 or 40 times. I used to live nearby and now when I travel to Memphis for business and want Mexican, I make the drive over here. It has to be the best Mexican food in Memphis. The food has always been very good and the service excellent. I wish they had chunkier salsa, but I’m very pleased with everything else I’ve had here. For Memphis this place really can’t be beat.