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We had the ribs, coconut shrimp and jalapeno poppers and they were top-notch. The river was great to cool off in after dancing!
Great music and location. Food portions for pulled pork were terrible. Should have sent it back. Will never order food there again. Date of visit was Wednesday November 23, 2022
Incredible food, fun times, great tequila selection, amazing staff. I can’t say enough good about this place.
What a surprise. The restaurant was recommended to use. It is out of the tourist area. Good BBQ, located on the river. A extra plus was the band that played.
We loved our recent afternoon at El Rio. It is a causal and laid back place. The restaurant is a large open area next to the river. It has clean facilities. The staff were very friendly. There was a band playing most of the afternoon….There were people swimming in the river and a local kid diving off the rocks. Local dogs wandering through, they must know the eats are good! The food was good. We liked the stuffed jalapeno peppers. We shared a 1/2 rack of ribs, it was tasty and a lot of food. We also tried the pulled pork and are looking forward to trying more of that on our next visit. When we go back we will work out return trip transportation because it is a bit off the beaten path. We arrived by taxi . When we left at closing time there were kids in the street offering to find us a taxi but there were none. We ended up getting a ride from an Uber driver who spotted us on his way up the hill. Another review somewhere talked about smoking. There is still smoking but it did not bother us on our visit. We will definitely return to El Rio on future trips to PV.More
We have been going to PVR for many years and just found El Rio BBQ, word of mouth, for first time this year. We were met by Chef Hollis Harris and as my wife and friends were lead to our table Chef Harris was able…to take the time to show me the custom made smokers he had, how they worked and described the technique he used to perfect the process. Great learning experience. As I joined my group the band “The Gecko Band” started to play. They were really good and a lot of fun. We ordered drinks and staggered out food throughout the afternoon. I could not believe the quality of the ribs compared to what we get at home. One recommendation, confirm a reservation before going so you are guaranteed a table as it is very popular. I fully expect we will return in 2023. Great experience.More
We went to see the band the B34st. Very entertaining, awesome service from Sue, and fabulous food. We had their smoked ribs which are huge. Will definitely go again.
We have been coming to PV for many years. This is the first time to El Rio bbq. Sunday afternoon we decided to go to this place because an afternoon out in a different venue with live music seemed appealing. It is A little out…of the way from where we were staying. It didn’t take long to realize we were surrounded by smokers. That was not expected. Though an outdoor restaurant, it is still a restaurant. I was put off my food by the stench of cigarette smoke. We moved our table only to encounter more smokers. YUK. We ate but did not stay long after that. It could have been a great afternoon but it wasn’t. The food was good the drinks passable. The music was good but most of the band were also smoking on stage. I guess this place is not for us and unless the management changes it’s smoking policy we won’t return.More
We make this one of our annual afternoon outings when in PV. The location is georgous. We usually go to see a band, and while waiting play a few game of bags. Iit’s also fun to watch the kids (and some adult patrons) try swinging…out on the rope that is attached to a tree over the river. Drink and food prices are reasonable and the food is quite good. It’s an easy cab ride to get here.More
Beautiful setting by the rushing river. Unbelievable service… now let’s talk food… sooooo good!!! Had full rack of ribs for 4 people and was perfect! Really good bbq and kept bucket of beers ices down the whole time!!! Will definitely come back…. And, saw 13…yearl old jump from rope swing into river… can’t by that experience…::More
We try to make El Rio one of our go-to places each year. Fabulous place by the river with great music & fun especially on Friday with Bob & Gilberto! The BBQ chef, Hollis from Portland, OR is over the top fabulous as is the…owner, Kurt; also an entertainer. The food / the bbq is excellent and definitely worthy of a delicious dinner. Great place – don’t miss it! Get there early as it closes on dusk!More
I was really looking forwards to eating here after reading all the reviews. Be booked in for their opening day at 3pm. They showed us to the table and then after 20 minutes I had to call a server over to order drinks. There was…a lot of staff running around. We ordered half a rack of ribs, fries, beans and coleslaw. As time went by the server kept coming and saying your food will be out in a minute, it never turned up and then 1 hour and 20 minutes later we got it. It wasn’t busy at all so I don’t know what the hold up was. I had to keep nagging her to get our food. The ribs are big and chewy, definitely not tender, the fries were just frozen fries. For the money I was expecting better. We’ve eaten in a lot of bbq places over the years and this wasn’t that good. I think it was average but my wife said it was poor, I wouldn’t come back!More
Open air and tables well spaced. Food is good and the service has improved greatly. Very good Live music 6 days a week. Awesome location. Good price on buckets of beer. Marg’s pack a punch.
Wow! If You like 70’s 80’s rock and roll music outside in a canyon, like ribs and meat dishes by the river this is the place to be on a Saturday afternoon. I had jalapeno cream cheese and pulled pork for starter. My wife had…half roasted chicken for meal and I had pork ribs. The band playing was just amazing. All of us had a great time. The owner came to see us at the end of supper to thank us. Great atmosphere great place to enjoy a day out. El Rio bbq place not to miss in beautiful Puerto Vallarta.More
Boy this place is a diamond in the rough! The ribs the ribs so good and such a huge order ! They had to have the best jalapeño poppers ever wrapped in bacon delicious !! Also had the watermelon and jicama salad sooooo refreshing and…tasty! To top it off they have live music with the band called The Zippers! They so rocked very laid back 70’s appeal so much fun! Will make this place one of our go to places to visit each time we come down!!More