Now Open!!!
Rio, is a modern Mexican cantina rooted in traditional slow cooked flavors with extensive tequila and festive cocktail selections. Rio offers scenic views of the iconic tugboats from inside and on our balcony and deck. Enjoy a craft Margarita or cocktail at one of our 3 bars including our tequila tasting room.
Based on 182 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.0 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ No delivery
Address:
37 Bow St, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Phone: (603) 433-8655
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
11:30 AM–10 PM
Hours might differ
|
| Tuesday | 11:30 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:30 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 11:30 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 11:30 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 11:30 AM–10 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
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Reviews
Kim Koenig
Wonderful lunch. We had the opportunity to eat in the deck in the early May sun which was the beginning of a delightful dining experience. The wait staff took the time to be concern to see that everything about our lunch was optimal. Now for the food. The chicken enchiladas were the perfect blend of tortilla, cheese and meat. The serving size is plentiful. My husband, who has a good appetite and was hungry, brought home 1/3 of his meal. My guacamole was fresh chucks of all ingredients, and the pomegranates were a delightful surprise. I had the pleasure of trying the special of lobster cemita it was amazing. I have raved about it all day. The lobster was cooked perfectly and had a light adobo mayo which provided light seasoning. There was a bountiful serving of lobster paired with a perfectly ripened avocado. The side of yuca fries were seasoned perfectly. Definitely a special worth trying. We enjoyed our lunch completely
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Karen C
My sisters and I went tonight and sat on deck. The skinny margaritas were delicious. 2 of us had the spicy ones. The chicken enchiladas and the shrimp tacos were amazing..especially the shrimp. Kayla the server was very responsive and provided good recommendations. The 3 of us love Mexican food and we all agreed this was some of the best.
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Greg Clinton
Service was good and the various margaritas were tasty. However… the food was a total miss, unfortunately. Nothing seemed fresh. Took a long time to get the food, and when I received my tortilla salad with seared tuna, it was obviously “off”. The salad portion was tiny, mostly dry tortilla strips (seemingly from a bag) and pickled jalapeño slices (from a jar, not fresh), and a tiny amount of lettuce. But the tuna was close to rancid. It appeared to have been frozen, placed onto a flat pan for a few seconds, and then left under a heat lamp to dry out. I’m pretty sure that if I had eaten it, it would’ve made me sick. It was one of those moments from the TV show where Gordon Ramsay orders food from really bad restaurants and then confirms that indeed, the kitchen is dysfunctional and dangerously negligent. I’m sorry the server has to work at a place that would put food like that out on a table — upon sharing my assessment with our server, the absent manager removed the charge, but didn’t come speak to us about it. Thinking about it later, I felt a clear review online is the only responsible thing to do. All the food was underwhelming but rotten fish and nothing fresh is way across the line. Maybe hire Gordon Ramsay to come save it? 2 stars for the margaritas and the pleasant server, but lack of manager presence and bad food make this actually a 1 star experience. Sad!
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Lynn Mo
Molly makes a great skinny margarita…! Friendly relaxed atmosphere. Greeted by Lauren who was very engaging and knowledgeable. .Will definitely be back.
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Megan Dodge
I’m so confused about the lower rating because we had such a great experience here tonight! Went with our bachelorette group, and even though they told us they were short-staffed, the service was great, and the food was excellent. Definitely would recommend and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house between the deck, downstairs lounge, or patio. Thanks Rio for a great night!
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Tara B
Long time local here. I am surprised this place has so many good reviews. My husband and my friends thought the food was awful. The margaritas were all sour mix and ice (expensive to not even taste tequila too!). The chips tasted burnt, even though they weren’t and the pureed brown salsa was bland. These are basic staples that a Mexican restaurant should do well, at bare minimum. We tried once more to be fair (and out of hope!) and had the same experience. The staff was very friendly, though. Also, it’s a pretty location.
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Ashley Solares
Jacob was amazing!!! We had a large party and he got every single order right and was the friendliest ever. It was beyond impressive how well he handled our large party. Food was mediocre but the drinks, music and Jacob were great
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Irene
First night was great, second night was a totally different experience.
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Princess Lexi
My boyfriend and I were in the area the other week and stopped in! Good eats, great atmosphere but what really made the meal, was the positive welcoming service from our waitress, Lauren! 9/10 would recommend the place but only 10/10 if Lauren is serving!! ((Give her a raise ))
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Jennifer Pittroff
Nice outdoor atmosphere. Food was good, but menu small. We were able to seat without a wait on a Friday evening just before 6.This was a bonus for downtown Portsmouth.
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