Best place around for brunch and bottomless mimosas.
(4)
Connie L.
Food: If you come here you HAVE to try the crispy chicken rolls as an appetizer. The rolls themselves are pretty good but their chili mango sauce is freaking delicious. It also comes with another side of yogurt dill tasting sauce which is pretty refreshing. Aside from this appetizer however, the rest of the food left more to be desired. I got the chicken park and my friend got the chicken pot pie. The chicken in both dishes was a little bland and the size of each piece was too large. Service and Location: I really have to compliment the service here. Our waiter was very friendly and accommodating and the manager was walking around making sure everyone was having a good experience. This place is also right next to the water at Rio, which is a great backdrop to any meal. Definitely be sure to ask for outdoor seating if the weather permits!!
(3)
Faithful N.
I love eating here. When I never know what to eat I go here and feel satisfied and happy. I love ordering their mussels with curry Thai sauce and the steak. But I think on Sunday's the service is not as great as the other days. I'm currently eating here and never had worst service here before. But go on any other day, the meal should be perfect. However, I'm just disappointed about my meal tonight.
(3)
Gail R.
Joined a group of folks for lunch/brunch one Sunday. They offer Brunch for most of the day. They also offered unlimited mimosas and one of the ladies in our group had asked if she could make her decision later and was told yes (she did). I decided to wait as well and went with just 1 glass for the moment. I decided to go with a brunch and ordered French Toast. Based on the description in the menu, it says "Corn Flake Crusted Challah Bread Topped with Powdered Sugar with Spiced Maple Syrup and Fresh Fruit". However, I did not like the taste of this french toast - took one bite and didn't want the rest (and this was after waiting a while to get the maple syrup that was supposed to come with my meal). The Fresh Fruit is not on the side, but plated with the french toast (included blueberries, a few pieces of blackberries and a little piece of a strawberry). I also passed on doing the unlimited mimosas because the folks that did it at our table had their glasses empty for too long (not refilled quick enough when you have to wait for 5 to 10 minutes between refills). I may try the place for happy hour one day (they do have happy hour on Sundays), but I am not sure I am coming back for brunch.
(2)
Sean O.
The greatest croak di monsieur this side of the bermuda triangle. Im 73 years old and the white bald manager was such a nice little frenchman.
(5)
Lauren C.
Great dining option in the Rio. What I love about this place is you can go for brunch, happy hour or dine for dinner and never be disappointed. What makes this place stand out is their amazing patio. Great for a nice day! Perfect location for a good view of the lake or people watching. Brunch - they have an unlimited mimosa deal! They have great Benedict options and even a tasty oatmeal if your keeping things simple! Happy hour - the hummos and flatbread are my go tos here :) The prices are affordable and the food is good. Be sure to join their free loyalty program for occasional perks in your email!
(4)
Micco R.
The turkey burgers are fresh and full of flavor. I like the bar service is full of flavor. Great view of the lake.
(4)
Samantha L.
During Happy Hour, Cafe Deluxe offer both drink and bar bites specials. Tonight, my coworkers and I came here for Happy Hour. Happy hour happens in the bar area. For bar bites, I'd recommend the Crispy Chicken Rolls or Prosciutto Mac & Cheese for $4, Apple / Brie / Melted Leeks / Candied Walnuts Flatbread for $5, and/or 1/2 lb of Mussels in Classic Belgian for $6. The Crispy Chicken Rolls consisted of chicken and shredded vegetables wrapped in phyllo dough and deep fried. It was served with two kinds of sauces (cilantro mayo and chili sauce). The Prosciutto Mac & Cheese consisted of cavatappi pasta cooked in gruyere cream and garnished with chives. It was extra cheesy. The Apple and Brie Flatbread consisted of green apples, brie cheese, candied walnuts, and melted leeks. The crust was thin and crispy. It was flavorful - sweet and milky. The mussels consisted of mussels cooked in a white wine broth and garnished with parsley and other herbs.
Nate and CJ were too concerned about Louis washing their dishes. They went out of there way to ignore the patrons of the bar and made it quite clear that they had no interest in serving. Another patron was even taking pictures of their demeanor. After it was clear they would not serve me, i asked for there names. Nate and CJ gloated their names and found it humorous that i was disappointed in there lack of service. Obviously i asked for the manager, explained my complaint and left. I plan to wait for this place to go under and get replaced with something else.
(1)
lisa y.
Went here for brunch. I had ordered the blueberry pancakes with eggs and bacon. The scrambled eggs were a little "hard", I tend to like mine soft scrambled. Bacon was tasty! Pancakes...well I was enjoying mine until I realized I was chewing on something that was neither pancake nor blueberry. it was the produce stickers that come on the fruit containers. Not one, but 3. We mentioned to manager and he offered to make me some more and was apologetic, but I didn't want anymore. Later we did see that they took my breakfast off the bill. I will go back and give them another chance.
(3)
Secret C.
Stopped in for dinner after a movie. Restaurant was busy but not crowded, and service was slow. Our server was pleasant however provided food to two tables who were seated after us. We received our appetizer with no plates or place settings. I had to find someone to bring those items to the table since our server forgot. Food was average; don't order your burger well unless you like the taste of burnt beef. Will not return, neither the dining experience or the food are worth a repeat visit.
(2)
Uzi S.
Overpriced, small portions.. Decent service.. Some items on the menu are so good! The lamb Shank is delicious!
(3)
Mimi C.
We initially went to Guapo's but the wait was too long. We were debating on whether to return the beeper and go somewhere else or just hang tight until they beep us. We decided to call Cafe Deluxe to find out what their current wait time was. The gentleman on the line said he had to check with the hostess and when he came back on the line he told me the wait was 15 to 20 minutes. So we decided to return the beeper to Guapo's and head to Cafe Deluxe. We all walked into the restaurant (my husband, mother, two daughters, son, cousin, and his husband). I put down my name and gave the hostess my number to text me when our table is ready. Before heading back outside I asked the hostess how long the wait was between indoor and outdoor dining. The hostess told me 15-20 minutes. I asked her for a table of 8? She then corrected herself and told me for a table of 8 it would be 45 minutes. Ok, I'm not sure why it would take 45 minutes just because there are 8 people in my party as opposed to 4 but I can let that slide. What I could not let slide was the fact that she had made the assumption that there were only 4 people in my party without asking me, not once but twice. Once when I called to verify the wait time and then when I was there IN PERSON! Had I known that it would take 45 minutes for table I would probably stay at Guapo's as I had already waited there for some time. Furthermore, I don't know why the policy to inform a guest that their table is ready is via text. Text costs money! I don't know why they could not invest in some beepers to hand out to the guests when they're waiting. In any event, we stood outside the restaurant in plain view of the hostess. I checked my phone frequently to see if she texted me...time ticked by...no text...more time passed, my kids are getting hungry at this time...no text...even more time passed, kids are extremely hungry and tired! So I told my husband to go inside and find out when we are next. To his shock and amazement the hostess, again assuming things, did not jot us down as she thought we had canceled our slot! One word came to mind...UNBELIEVABLE!!!! To top it off she then told my husband we would have to wait as there are two other parties in front of us. To that my husband vented his frustration...at which point, she was able to miraculously get a table together for us. What a miracle it was...really...we no longer had to wait...I wonder why then would she even tell us we needed to wait longer for our table. So she came back to walk us to our table...did I hear an apology from her for her lack of attentiveness??? No! For making us wait and wait and wait and forgetting about us??? No! Even when we stood right in front of the restaurant in plain sight of her...did she ever wonder why we were there for that long??? No! Instead we received a rather cold, unrefined, a bit abrasive hostess walking us to our table. I especially did not appreciate the coldness and attitude for which was oozing out of her. That made me question my ensuing experience at the restaurant. Would it improve or would it spiral downward further??? The waiter came to take our order. I ordered the fish of the week (Mahi Mahi), bison burger (medium), shaved prime rib sandwich, proscuitto mac and cheese (proscuitto on the side and request that the mac and cheese be made an entree), and filet medallion plus 3 orders of belgian mussels, 1 order of the arugula, proscuitto flatbread, 2 orders of the crispy chicken rolls, 1 order of the soup du jour which was the onion soup and 1 order of the tomato soup in addition to 1 root beer kid size cup (initially ordered a coke but then changed my mind), 1 apple juice kid size cup, 2 regular coke, 1 diet coke, 1 sprite. You might be wondering why I listed all the items I ordered and here is the reason why, our waiter took our order without ever writing it down. Was I nervous that he would forget this extensive list? Yes! Did he forget any of our food? No! I was completely amazed by our waiter's ability to memorize our whole order. To top it off, the food was, as always, consistently delectable and exquisite. The fish was cooked to perfection. It was cooked through but was not dry or chewy...perfect texture and perfect consistency. In addition it's mild flavor played well with the butternut squash risotto. And that is just my dish. Overall, our waiter service was good and the food was good. I would hope that the owner of the restaurant would read this review and make an effort to work with their host staff so that they can bring the same level of attentiveness, professionalism, and friendliness as they are the first point of contact for the guest. How the guest perceive the restaurant and the other people who work there is directly impacted by how well or not well the hostess represent the restaurant through their communication and demeanor.
(3)
Michael F.
Cafe Deluxe is a solid 3 star with the potential for more. It's biggest challenge might be the abundant of restaurants competing with it in the Rio. Wanting to try something different on my last trip into our HQ in Gaitherburg, I walked over. I was promptly sat for dinner, but didn't see a waiter (or menu) for a few minutes. I started with a drink while evaluating menu choices. The Prosciutto Mac & Cheese quickly caught my eye and the Lamb Shank followed shortly. With my order set, I again waited a bit for my waiter. The restaurant wasn't empty, but it didn't appear that busy either. Once my drink and app arrived, I dug in. The portion seemed a little light, but was top notch. I was surprised by how much prosciutto was included. I didn't have to wait long between app and entree. The Lamb itself was decent, but the accompaniments (Garlic Spinach Mashed Potatoes) were disappointing. Since I was still a bit hungry, I ended the night with Creme Brulee. While it was nondescript, it wasn't bad (or great, hence nondescript). Overall, an A-OK / average experience possibly worth checking out when you are in the mood for something different.
(3)
Kandace B.
Horrible horrible customer service. My boyfriend and I went to try it out and they sat us outside immediately. However, we sat there for almost 15 minutes without a waiter or waitress coming to our table. All of the waiters passing by saw us with no drinks, no nothing and didn't even ask if we were okay. So we decide we've had enough and get up to leave. Before we left I stopped at the hostess table to tell them and the same hostess that sat us saw us come back and looked at me multiple times and didn't even think to ask if everything was alright. I finally told the manager about their horrible service and left before he could even get his full apology out. Won't ever go back there again.
(1)
Justine K.
Its been a while since I have dined here. My other visits were mediocre at best. This time around was pleasantly surprised. My steak frites was cooked perfectly. The the crust on the chicken pot pie was delicious. We were completely satisfied with the chicken flatbread that we ordered as well. The service was great!
(4)
Christina D.
Shit hole of a place that wouldn't give me a glass of wine because my CALIFORNIA ID is vertical. By the way, I'm almost 24 years old. Never. Coming. Back. No one keeps me from my wine. NEVER!!!!!!!!
(1)
Mary T.
Went Sunday night 5/17/15 for a delayed Mother's Day dinner hoping to satisfy four different palates, but we were ALL disappointed with our main courses. This is nothing like the Bethesda location where we have always been happy. The only decent item was the flatbread appetizer. The service was friendly but slow. The prices are way too high for the poor quality of the food. Will never go back to this location.
(1)
Theresa W.
Pretty mediocre. This place can't decide what kind of restaurant it wants to be. Our server lost our order ticket so we had to wait forty minutes for a flatbread and a burger. Then their kitchen caught fire and we had to evacuate. Management didn't comp our bill after we were allowed back into finish our cold food. Won't be patronizing this place again.
(1)
Derek H.
It's been years since I've been to the RIO. Wow, how things have changed! I was surprised to discover Cafe Deluxe is where the Hamburger Hamlet used to be. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed my dinner. I had the shaved prime rib sandwich with caramelized onions, mushrooms, peppadew relish, provolone cheese, on a hoagie roll, with a side of shoestring fries. It was ridiculously good. The sandwich was pretty sizable, the roll was perfect, and everything in between was savory. I can't get over how damn good it tasted! It was a perfect balance of flavors and seasoning. I would easily order it again. The desserts and coffee weren't that memorable but I swear I'll have dreams about that sandwich tonight.
(4)
Michael B.
Their deviled eggs are very good as are their muscles
(4)
Sonia C.
Love brunch menu. Crab Benedict's is so good!!!! Bloody Mary's are made so well and are unlimited on Sundays for a period of time. Had few other dishes such as burgers, pot pie and salads. All fabulous.
(4)
Cynthia L.
I wasn't terribly impressed when I had the Cafe Deluxe in Bethesda, but Mont Co Humane Society was having a benefit there, so who could resist? Blueberry pancakes w/ eggs & potatoes: the 2 pancakes tasted a little too dry and doughy for my taste. The scrambled eggs were well-seasoned and not overdone. Likewise, the potatoes (I was supposed to get bacon rather than potatoes) came out in small cuts, crispy ( I Like crispy and not mushy), hot, and well-seasoned. Waiter service was ok (a little slow and inattentative). For what I got, the price if $12 was not bad, plus it was for a good cause. Plus was that I sat outside in perfect weather with my pup and good company. For Rio, it's not bad. Don't expect this amazing wow-defying food and you'll be ok.
(3)
John M.
Not bad for the money. Poor service. Had the Grilled Salmon. Was cooked well. Nice outdoor dining and sat outside. Unfortunately had the bartender also serve as my waiter - service was unacceptable slow. The fresh bread never did make it to my table. If uou dont like eating surrounded by dogs, this place is not for you. I won't be back.
(3)
Boris S.
Crispy Goat Cheese $9 (4/5 NOMs) Whaa we eating a salad? Crazy world, but it does happen sometimes. Its time to try some very light and healthy sounding. very light fresh mixed veggie salad with cherries and corns nuts. LOL NUTS! Just love the slightly fried crispy goat cheese thignies. Waiter highly recommended to add Crab Cake and it was an excellent choice. Portion was just right that filled me up without overdoing.We had one of the nicese, most entertaining and attentive waiters ever. Great salad that you just have to try.
(4)
Starrlina S.
Decor is nice and the service was good. Someone ordered the beet salad that could have been a larger serving with beets you didn't have to look for. Deviled eggs with crab were good. I had the chicken pot pie that was tasty (phyllo dough crust on top only). The sauce inside was thin which is fine for some, but I prefer a creamier sauce). The visit was nice for the first time, but from reading other reviews it's a hit or miss type of restaurant.
(3)
Gerry B.
We were one of the first to arrive for Sunday brunch, around 11 AM. Seated quickly and drink orders taken, pretty standard brunch options, eggs, pancakes, etc. Food came out in expected time, but had to send back potatoes as they were cold, the next batch were hot. Deducted a star because they took my entire plate back instead of just bringing out a new plate with potatoes, my eggs are now getting cold because you took the whole plate. Service was so so, did not seem to be a popular shift to work, a few other customers had to also send someone to find their water. Star added because they are a dog friendly restaurant, which is something I can be loyal too.
(3)
Sarah L.
I give the food here 3 stars, but I give the restaurant 4 stars because of the service! The food is pretty standard and won't blow you away, but is definitely reasonable for the price. However, if you want to be treated well and really feel like you are eating out, ask for Josh. He customizes your order exactly to your liking, is attentive without hovering, and definitely seems to genuinely understand the true meaning of customer service.
(4)
Adam L.
They should call this place Cafe Disappointment. It comes as a side for every entree and dessert on the menu.
(1)
Catie C.
Food was decent. Wait staff inexperienced. Hostess was oh so lovely and had a wonderful sense of humor. Fish tacos were too spicy. asked for extra Chipotle mayo to have it come out after I ate two of the tacos. Will order a burger next time.
(3)
Juan J.
I'm mostly giving it 3 stars because of the great service. The crap dip and sourdough bread was very appetizing. However, as great as the lamb shank looked, I was disappointed by the bland taste. The mash potatoes tasted as if it was out of a box and the spinach they mixed in with it did not help at all. I would visit again but I'd be more mindful of what I order next time.
(3)
Farah K.
Let me say the food is always good. I had the chicken pot pie on this occasion and it was great. The problems are: 1) the food is overpriced. 2)And the wait staff is not always the best. Although the managers always walk around asking if the meal is alright. 3) the wait time for the food is usually long. It'll be interesting to see how this place does when Union Jack's opens up on the boardwalk.
(3)
Alex S.
I'm impressed with waiter's (Brian) performance and Manager (I don't know the lady's name) attitude. They were so generous to give discount for my main course after they realized the food wasn't cook at the right temperature. I really enjoyed my time there and their hospitality was outstanding. Would recommend this place to everyone especially newcomers to this area. It's really nice place to visit just next to the lake and the staff are very charming courteous people.
(5)
James G.
I love places that allow me to bring my pooch "buddy" they always provide a water bowl for him. Their weekend brunch is my favorite thing at Cafe Deluxe. Also the staff is very accommodating. I you have a special request, they will make it happen.
(3)
Shahryar M.
After my first visit, I was a bit reluctant to go back. I felt like the food was bland on my first trip and was doubtful that my mind could be changed. But since my last visit was for brunch, I felt like having dinner would be a better test of the quality of food. Also, I returned to Cafe Deluxe because the manager invited me back for another try plus offered me a gift card to use. We ordered the Filet Medallions and a Mahi Mahi with crabmeat special. I was in the mood for a good steak and the waiter told me they had a filet mignon. I was a a little concerned that the waiter didn't ask me how I wanted my steak cooked, but when it came to my table, it wasn;t what I expected. I should have read the menu closer but when they say medallions, it means they serve you three pieces of meat about the size of medallions. I had the assumption that a fliet mignon would about 4 to 6 ounzes and was not expecting something as small. I was delightfully pleased when i took the first bite. It had a tender juicy pink color, cooked just right, which is surprising for a smaller piece of meat. I was thinking it would be drier and It was not at all. I really enjoyed it. My wife could not stop praising her Mahi Mahi with crabmeat so i had to try that too. Both meals were very tasty, and I was left quite full, to my surprise. And not just the main course, the sides as well came out fresh, hot, and very carefully garnished. I finished that meal, feeling like the chef took his time to make that dish, and that to me is quality. I am bumping up my review an extra star because, well, the food was that good. But I can't give it five stars because of two things, well three actually. The waiter left my drink empty and did not offer to refill it. Also, they made a mistake with my side order of substituting mashed potatoes for vegetables. Then, when i received my bill, they tried to charge me extra for vegetables. They were honest mistakes and aside from that, the service was very friendly, we were seated promptly and greeted at the table very quickly. I didnt notice a long wait for our entrees to come out and that might have been because we enjoyed the free bread appetizers. However, I did feel this place is pretty price. The food is good, but at twenty five dollars a plate, i have to hesitate recommending it. to my friends, but then again, that was a pretty good steak.
(4)
Eddie K.
The happy hour specials are great. All draft beers are $4. Can't beat that. The food specials are decent. Wish they had wings, nachos or some dip. Ate here several times as well. Burgers are pretty good as well as their Croque Monsieur. Not as good as Paul bakery, but passable. The Crab Benedict is described as Sourdough Toast Topped with Lump Crab Cake on their menu. Lump crab cake - I don't think so. These are pretty thin and not much meat to them. They are using backfin crab meat. I would rephrase their description so it's not deceiving.
(3)
Nima K.
I have eaten here (at this location) over the years a few times and it's been good. However, I've noticed recently that it's gone downhill and won't be going back. The service is good but the food is terrible! Raw meat served in burgers and roasted chicken that looks grey and isn't seasoned. The other locations aren't like this so something is definitely wrong here.
(1)
C J.
Went for brunch for the first time. I loved the oatmeal and fruit. But my boyfriend's blueberry pancakes wete sweet and artificial. But overall was a nice brunch.
(3)
Arthur K.
The food is good for it's role as a sit-down/wait-staffed option. It's a great upgrade over Hamlet (AKA Hamburger Hamlet). Came here for a private party recently. I was surprised at the quality of the eats in the large-group setting. It was tasty and filling. Good portions. Also, came with my family once. They were very accommodating of the kid. The kitchen unfortunately burnt my crab cakes. The waiter noticed, and even though I said it was no problem, he let his manager know, who had the kitchen prepare a new one. I was surprised when a much better cooked crab cake showed up at my table. I really appreciated the good service and it bumps up the place to a 4 star.
(4)
Clark G.
Do not get the mussels. Most aren't open, and those that are are gritty. You will feel like you got cheated. I sure did.
(1)
Robert C.
Holy crap, I haven't been to a restaurant this crappy in awhile now... I went here for brunch with my family & it's pure crap. For Ham & Cheese Omelette ($8sh), it's sooo bad that I could def make a better one at home. The omelette's only seasoned in certain areas & the ham's way too salty. On top of that, the biscuit's so dry that I couldn't even eat it... The only good thing here's the customer service; They're nice & attentive. But the food's horrible & pretty expensive as well...
(1)
Sam W.
My general expectations are that restaurants in close proximity to hotels and movie theaters should all have pretty standard food and service. I'd argue that this place fits the bill. This is 1 of 3 restaurants (could be 2) in the same local area restaurant group - not a chain, but looked to be growing. We had a party of 6 and decided to check out the place. We put our names in a little after 6 PM on a Saturday and it was one hour to get seated for a one hour dining experience. I saw enough open tables once we were seated to make me wonder about staffing, and a reserved section that was just getting filled just as we were leaving, so three hours of seating under-utilized, or from my perspective, delaying my feeding! From the menu we went for some comfort food and tackled the burgers, meatloaf, chicken pot pie and Mac 'n cheese. Deviled eggs (with crab meat - nice Maryland touch) and salads to start. Can't say that I was disappointed or amazed with the entrees. Pretty vanilla flavors and portions that looked ample, but didn't quite seem to fill. For the cheeseburgers, at almost $10, you may want to go to the specialty burger joints to satisfy a true burger craving - it wasn't bad, just without the wow factor. Same for the desserts-brownies, sundae's and cobbler. Good, but not spectacular. Taken all together, the food was ok, the pricing in line with the market and service ok. Solid offering especially for visitors - decent meal that doesn't break the bank.
(3)
Braden J.
Cafe Deluxe has a nice outdoor area that is my main attraction to it on a nice day. If you come I definitely recommend sitting outside and watching people paddle boat around in giant swans and dragons. Besides that I had the turkey Reuben and the chicken rolls (appetizer) and they were both good, but nothing to go out of your way for. The best part of the meal were their crispy fries. If you order something there make sure you get them. Besides that I thought it was a little overpriced for your run of the mill sandwiches. I would go back there but I was glad my boss was paying for my $13 dollar sandwich because I didn't think it was worth it. The reason I give this place 3 stars is because the outdoor area and friendly service not because the food was particularly good.
(3)
Massiel G.
Manager contacted me and made the situation better this place really cares about there dissatisfied customer .. Will be back thank you
(3)
Ana P.
BP and I were really excited to try Cafe Deluxe and finally got a chance to do it! He ordered a Chicken Pot Pie and I chose a Turkey Burger. -5 Stars for the burger and fries. It was awful! The Turkey meat was heavily spiced and overwhelming. Even the yummy onions and tangy Chipotle Mayo were not enough to make the meal edible. Luckily, BP traded entrees with me or else I would have had to send the meal back. The Sweet Potato fries were overcooked and tasteless. Not even ketchup could revive them... Very disappointing. +3.5 Stars for BP's Chicken Pot Pie. It was really good. We were both really surprised with the flaky crust of the pot pie. It was also a large portion of food. Very satisfying. The flaky crust was delicious. BP thought the gravy in the pie was overwhelming, but I really enjoyed it. The pie had a generous serving of cubed grilled chicken. It was simply divine. +.5 Star for our wonderful waiter, Billy! He was super sweet and very attentive.
(4)
William Q.
Horrible restaurant do not even consider going here. My family ordered the meatloaf it came out burned we asked for another one and were told to keep the other parts on the plate they will just bring new meatloaf. My brother ordered a burger which they said was burned so they made a new one and then forgot the bacon and randomly brought it when he had already eaten the burger. The chicken pot pie was a soup with chicken and vegetables very watery it has only a very thin crust at the top. It was not a conventional chicken pot pie with a crunchy flavorful crust all around. To make things worse there were people in the kitchen yelling and disturbing guests. My family has two young kids who ordered kid apple juices and we tasted the apple juice it was warm and extremely watery to sum everything up I will definitely cross this restaurant off my list and will never return!
(1)
Kevin C.
Staff was exceptionally rude when we called to make a reservation, service was slow, brought the wrong drink, and food took so long that my diabetic son's blood sugar had time to drop to a low. Also the crab cakes are over cooked and bland. If you are at Rio, go to CPK or Tara Thai instead.
(1)
Melody C.
I have been here for dinner once, and while the good was good, the service was very slow. I am here for a second time for brunch, assuming that that night when we went to dinner was an unusual night, but were met with the same sluggish service. We put in our orders for drinks, and had to tell our orders again because it was a good 20 minutes that passed. The bottomless bloody marys is a good idea, but they did not have enough to keep up with the supply! We had to wait for them to make more. Its Sunday brunch. You should have enough for brunch. Pretty unacceptable. Been waiting 45 minutes for our food to come out. The brunch food was alright. They forgot to cook my scrambled eggs with my blue berry pancakes, so I had to wait a few minutes for that. coffee was bitter, the biscuits were cold, and the pancakes were a little stiff. Overall and underwhelming experience.
(3)
Nancy O.
My hubby and I love this place. We go for date nights and I've been for the occasional brunch. Never had an issue with slow service or sub par food. The ahi tuna is so darn tasty and so is the fire roasted tomato soup!! And the recommendations from the service staff are always great. We get seated quickly and service has always been great, and the management always checks to see that we are well taken care of. I don't understand what people are complaining about. If you don't want to pay for the service of someone else preparing and serving you the meal, then stay home.
We were seated quickly and service was great. The low rating of two stars is for the food quality. We started with the crab dip. The dip itself was great but the chips that came with it were so incredibly over salted it was impossible to enjoy the taste of the dip! We both ordered the Turkey burger and we both agreed the burgers Were flavorless and tasteless. The taste was boring at best. Lastly for desert the brownie was burnt on the bottom! We didn't stay for drinks we just wanted to leave after the disappointing meal.
(2)
Bill S.
We went there today. The service was excellent. The food was good, albeit on the pricey side. It's a white tablecloth restaurant, but they cover the tablecloth with paper. That seems tacky to me. For their food prices, they ought to be able to afford to launder the tablecloths. I've never seen this before.
(4)
Nick S.
I've been to Cafe Deluxe a few times over the years and never really been impressed with it. That being said, I actually had a good meal this past visit. They have bottles of Dogfish Head 60 min. IPA, and the chicken quesadilla is actually quite good. Sadly, this location is a bit chaotic. It's a lot like Silver Diner with a varied menu, but being next to Rio means it's always full of kids and families.
(4)
Susan Y.
Cafe Deluxe seems to be a bit out-of-step with the fast-casual and/or national chain vibe in the immediate area, which is probably why it was my favorite of the dinner spots I tried when I was staying nearby on business for the week. Service was quite good, especially considering that I was a women dining alone. I asked my waiter what they're known for, and went with his recommendation for the chicken pot pie. It was honestly the best chicken pot pie I have had. Ever. It was a ridiculously large portion, had a nice, flaky puff pastry crust, lots of cubed chicken breast, interesting vegetables, and a savory rosemary gravy. It was also one of the more reasonable entrees on the menu. Give it a try!
(4)
Jack W.
I got a burger and club sandwich here and it was OK. I liked it better when it was the Hamburg Hamlet. I thought everything was kind of pricey for American fare.
(2)
Christine E.
For 'burb standards, this could be a pricey happy hour for the fancier cocktails. Beer and wine are cheaper. $6 for my cosmo and $4 for my short rib spring rolls. Both my cocktail and appetizer were yummy, so I was not disappointed. Service was excellent and if the weather is nice, sitting outdoors in the patio overlooking the man-made lake at the Rio isn't all too bad! I'd probably come back here since the location is very convenient to where I live...and again, since it's located at the Rio and you have a view of the lake, it could be a nice spot to hang out.
(3)
Miyuki L.
I did not want to eat here because of all the poor reviews but my husband really wanted to.. I was not noticed by the hostess to be seated unti someone else cut in front of me and got seated.. nice. We were walked to the outdoor seating which is nice. The waiter while a nice guy spilled (large drip) gin and tonic on my 1 yr old which she was not happy about and even as I was wiping her off, he never acknowledged it... maybe he was just clueless. The wait is long, we got our drinks and he never brought my daughter's drink which luckily I had brought her own cup out of the stroller. My drink the straw had a salty taste and all I can think of is dirty sweaty hand put my straw in YUCK! The food was just okay, nothing special.. crab dip and toast was okay. My meatloaf was barely warm as well as my daughter's mac/cheese. My husband's steak was pitiful but okay. For some reason my husband wanted to take home their homemade cobbler... it was okay we think they forgot the sugar... I would have much rather spend our money elsewhere .. boo.... I will stick to the side of the rio near Uncle Julios...
(2)
Melinda V.
The hubby and I decided to try this place on our way to watch a movie. I'm so glad we did! The service was awesome...our waitress was so happy and did not hesitate to make suggestions when we asked for them. She recommended the Prime Rib sandwich, and I took her up on that, while the hubby had a grilled cheese. While we waited, we were treated to the most awesome view! It was too hot to sit out on the patio, but the giant windows allow any seat in the house to appreciate the lake and green spaces just outside (but from the very pleasantly cooled inside). I loved it...found it extremely relaxing and a wonderful place to have lunch. The food arrived so hot you couldn't really touch the plate. My prime rib sandwich was as good as promised...the steak tender, juicy, flavorful...like a Philly cheesesteak but with more substantial meat. The cheese was just right, melted and gooey, and the mushrooms a nice earthy kick. I left off the peppers...I'm not a bit pepper girl though I did try one tiny piece. If you like that sort of thing they're fine...I thought the sandwich was more than okay without them. The hubby's sandwich was sourdough bread with two kinds of cheese melted over tomatoes...and he pronounced it excellent. If you're in the mood for grilled cheese, this one will soothe your taste buds and take you back to childhood. It's more than enough sandwich to satisfy. I enjoyed everything about this restaurant. The food, the service, the view...everything. The prices might be just a tad over (My sandwich was $14 and hubby's was $10)...but then they are that way at every restaurant in the area, and even higher in Rockville or Bethesda, so I figure they are about average. If you're looking for cheap, go to McDonalds. If you're looking for a nice, tasty meal in a pleasant location with a great view...try this one. Sit outside if it's not too hot.
(5)
Hanh N.
It's a chain restaurant in one of those faux walkable shopping centers that litter suburbia now. So of course the food is just going to be okay. I've eaten here several times now when visiting home and the service is fine, the price is about what I expect for a slightly "nicer" chain sit-down restaurant. The food is just average. It's nothing amazing. I had the eggs benedict and the sun-dried tomato hollandaise sauce was really sour and tangy (it was gross), and the poached eggs were more like soft-boiled eggs. The yolk was cooked though instead of runny. Our server was very nice though, and they were willing to accommodate my substitution request. I've had a few other menu items and they were nothing spectacular. Very telling that on a Sunday during prime brunch time (around noon) that the restaurant was half-empty.
(3)
Moco's Chubby C.
At cafe deluxe Gaithersburg, food is decent bit the service was horrible
(2)
Katie D.
So after finally convincing my boyfriend to go back, I kind of wish I hadn't. it took awhile for the food to come out. We sat around for about 20 minutes until we finally asked about it. Our waiter went to check and came back with our food. The food was terrific, just wish it didn't take so long. All in all, it was better than our prevails visit.
(3)
Teresa L.
Years and years ago I wandered into a Cafe Deluxe in Virginia and had lunch there. It was good enough (some pasta dish) that I remembered it (which is sort of unusual for a chain restaurant). So when some friends and I were looking for a place to have dinner before a movie we stopped in at the new Cafe Deluxe at Rio. It's where the Hamburger Hamlet used to be. It was a pleasant evening so we sat on the patio outside. We ordered the crab dip to start and it was pretty uninteresting. There wasn't enough bread with it, so we had to finish it with our spoons. We also ordered the wild mushroom arancini, which was somewhat more successful, although the "herb tomato sauce" tasted like it came out of a jar. They were out several of their bottled beers and nothing they had on draft was compelling so I ended up ordering something from Dogfish Head (can't go wrong there!). I've never seen a waiter pour a beer so ineptly. Honestly, half the glass was foam. When we went to place our dinner order they were out of all our first choices (salmon, lamb). I ordered the tilapia club sandwich without the pancetta and was very pleasantly surprised by it. The fish was fresh and nicely seared, the potato roll it was served on was fluffy and chewy, and the aioli was just the right amount of lemony. The fries it came with were inoffensive but if I ordered it again I would ask to substitute one of the other sides, perhaps the mac and cheese. My friend had that and it looked really good. Service was kind of iffy. The waiter alternated between hovering over us and forgetting all about us, but he was friendly enough and very apologetic about being out of so many things. He really needs to work on his beer pouring skills though. So, bottom line, this is a nice enough place to eat if you are going to eat at the shopping center. The patio is nice and there are things on the menu that should please just about anyone. They offer a gluten free menu but the entree and sandwich choices have nothing for a vegetarian. You can do pretty well off the appetizer, soup and salad, and flatbread menus, though. I gather they have a nice happy hour during the week as well.
(3)
Seth G.
The definition of a mediocre dining experience. This was my 2nd trip to Cafe Deluxe. My first experience was very good. The 2nd was less thrilling. The service was good, The food had the feeling of industrially planning. I had an omelette where it feels like the eggs were cooked separately from the filling. It tasted good, but it felt liked it could been made at 7-11, I had the Brownie ala mode for dessert. The brownie was more like a chocolate muffin. It was too light and fluffy. There was more whipped cream than ice cream. A dissapppointing experience.
(2)
Matthew S.
I just recently tried this restaurant and was more than pleasantly surprised. It has a great atmosphere and provides outstanding food and is located right on the water. The food was spot on, the wait staff knew the menu from front to back and described everything in great detail. The service was excellent and they completely catered to everything we needed. The chefs executed our dishes to perfection. I'm looking forward to having our next corporate event here. Thanks again!
(5)
Sue G.
I first went to this restaurant to check out an event that was being held there one night during the week. It was called Paint Nite, & I wanted to see what it was all about, since I was going to participate in one at another location the following week. So I met a friend there for dinner at around 7pm. The place was practically empty, so I pretty much could pick & choose where I wanted to sit. But I decided to wait for my friend, she was running a little late. But by the time she arrived, the place was beginning to get crowded, & we had to wait in line to get a table. Once we were seated, the waitress came up to our table & gave us our menus. She was very pleasant, & smiled a lot. My friend & I took a look at the menus, but I wanted to see what was going on in the other room where the event was taking place. So I left the table to explore. Once I returned, we decided to both get the same thing on the menu, Salmon. But I had to tweak my order a little bit because I'm on a gluten-free diet, & I can only eat certain things. Plus I can't have any dairy, & a few other restrictions. I know! Tell me about it! If my doctor takes anything else off my diet, I'm going to disappear! Anyway, we first ordered some drinks, because this was the first time that my friend had been out in a long time, so we really needed to celebrate! Hell, it was the first I had been out in a long time, too! Then my friend ordered the salmon just as it appeared on the menu. Then it was MY turn! I told the waitress my diet concerns, so I told her that I couldn't have the rice that came with the salmon, but I would have the sweet potato fries, & I didn't want the sauce that came with the salmon, so I just wanted plain salmon. Then I asked her what the seasonal vegetables were, & when she told me, I told her that I would take those. WHEW! So while we were waiting for our order, I went exploring AGAIN! When I came back, our drinks were on the table. I took a look at my drink, & I knew there was a problem. There was whipped cream on the top of my drink. UH OH! Remember, I can't have dairy! But I thought, how much damage could it do? We made a toast, & I took a sip of my drink, & YIKES! It was SO STRONG, I thought if I drink this whole drink, I'm going to be on the floor! So I put it aside. Then shortly thereafter, our dinner arrived, it looked amazing! I immediately went for the sweet potato fries! They were delicious! I couldn't stop eating them! OMG! Then I tasted the salmon, it was cooked perfectly, & it was delicious! The seasonal vegetables were underneath the salmon. They were great, too! We were so stuffed that we didn't have room for dessert! NOW, I was so impressed, that I decided to go back on a Saturday night, with another friend! But I made a reservation, & it's a good thing that I did, because it was jammed! And we still had to wait in line! And people were getting antsy! But they seated us outside on the patio. I ordered the exact same thing as I got before. But this time they overcooked the salmon! And the funny thing is, we had the same waitress, & she remembered me! But it was nice out on the patio! It was a nice night to sit outside. So, I was a little disappointed that my salmon wasn't as good as the first time. But I definitely like this restaurant, & I would go back there again!
(4)
Lisa I.
The service was slow, the food was kind of expensive and really not that great.
(2)
D M.
We started at Union Jacks but due to the horrible management and service we ended up here. Strangely enough, the family next to us also left Union Jacks because they didn't get served. It was happy hour (even on Sunday) and wet had drinks in perhaps 2 minutes. We had the happy hour food specials (flatbread and risotto) which they changed for us to make them vegetarian since we needed something quick as we were going to a movie. The food was great, service was fast and even with all the changes she didn't miss one thing. Since wet had the happy hour specials ($5 flatbread with steak, onions, peppers, and cheese was one of them) very reasonably priced. We sat at the bar, so I cannot comment on the main dining areas; but I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience.
(4)
David M.
My review is based mostly on an experience working with them to handle a huge group of kids me and a colleague brought for lunch on a book club field trip to see Hobbit! First, I called into the restaurant. I also had to speak to Emily at their catering department in DC. I explained that this was a last minute trip and that we had no real "catering budget" to speak of, and that our students would pay on their own. Not a problem, they said. They set us up with a table for 25 and the check and ordering process were fantastic. They took care of everything in advance and were ready for us when we arrrived. Managing a table of 25 6th graders is tough enough when we, the 2 school staff who came, know them. So I was hoping we'd get competant service. We got more than that. Our guy (and dangit, I forgot his name) was GREAT with our kids. The food came fast and warm. I see a lot of low reviews on here, but I did enjoy my food (as did our other adult chaperones). The kids loved their food, too. I had a benedict. My wife had an omlette. And one of our chaperones had fish tacos. That's the only "adult" food I remember from our trip, and we all liked it. I enjoyed it enough that I will go back. We will definitely look to Cafe Deluxe again for any future book club trips to the movies since they took such great care of us.
We went with high expectations to this place. Certainly because the name tries to refer to the French class in terms of cuisine and serves. One thing I can tell the roots of the owner were not really French. Service especially from the manager were below expected hospitality and professionalism. Though need to confess diner tasted well, not excellent but well.
(1)
Alex S.
Replacing the venue of the previous restaurant--Hamburger Hamlet--is the new American restaurant called Cafe Deluxe. Situated inside the same building as the AMC Loews Rio Cinema and offering a great view of the boardwalk and the lake, it's a good location for local residents and workers to have a casual lunch or a nice business meal. The restaurant opened just a week ago, so as I walked inside it was absolutely spotless. I was greeted warmly by the hostess and was shown to my table. Along the way, I saw a bar with a large assortment of wines and beers, several televisions hanging throughout the restaurant, and even a private section of the restaurant isolated by two sets of doors and large glass windows. I sat down and I was immediately greeted by my waitress. She gave me my menu and started describing the soup of the day and the day's special. I ordered a glass of unsweetened iced tea while I perused the menu. Unlike some restaurant menus that seem to try to cater to everyone's whims by listing every kind of dish thought of and resulting in a 6+ page menu, this restaurant's menu was just one page, although the font size used to list the dish might pose some trouble for people with bad eyesight. Their lunch menu consisted of appetizers, starter salads, main salads, sandwiches, main dishes, soups, extra sides, desserts, and beverages. There were no more than 14 choices to choose from for the sandwiches and main dishes, which I thought was a reasonable number. I started off with a starter salad of mixed green salad with teardrop tomatoes and shaved parmesan. The bed of mixed greens was tossed in a little bit of balsamic vinegar and oil, topped with half slices of small tomatoes, and fresh shaved parmesan sprinkled on top. It was pretty good! The greens were fresh and the parmesan had a nice kick to them, which for me means they used real parmesan and not those fake ones found in grocery stores packaged inside small pouches. But for a starter salad, I thought it was a fairly large portion. My main dish was the hanger steak with peppercorn sauce, asparagus, and mashed potatoes, but I substituted the mashed potatoes for sweet potato fries. All the elements of the dish were arranged neatly. The 6-7 pieces of the steak lined the bottom half of my plate over the peppercorn sauce while the fries were on the top half, with the three grilled asparagus spears lying on top of the bed of fries. I cut into the steak and saw it was medium-rare, exactly how I ordered it. The steak was tender, and the peppercorn sauce made it delicious. The sweet potato fries were also cooked well. My main complaint is the grilled asparagus. Although they were grilled perfectly, they were very salty. They tasted like they were soaked in salt water for some time before being cooked. Another issue was the steak. Although they were cooked well and were juicy and tender, the steak in combination with the sauce made it very salty. Perhaps other people might not mind or sense the saltiness, but I felt the chef who made this could have been less heavy-handed with the salt. Pepper I'm fine with, but if something is too salty, it really takes away from my enjoying meal. Overall, the service was good. One of the managers came up to me while I was eating and asked if there was anything I needed or if I had any suggestions. I suppose that was a good sign. The food, however, has some room for improvement. The salad was good, and my main dish was okay overall, but it would have been better without all the extra salt.
(3)
Rasha B.
Came here with my husband, got served by Tracy, she is the most helpful ever, love the place love the food, and we got great server.
(5)
Nikki A.
Realllllyyyyy wanted to like this place because I've heard such great things about the one in Bethesda. Unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype or my expectations. Came here with some relatives who flew in from Los Angeles and were starving after a delayed flight. The server never told us her name and the service was incredibly SLOW! Food wasn't amazing and portions were TINY. Review for the food goes as follows: Free Bread The first basket took FOREVER to arrive and the crust was really hard. Only enough slices for four people and one measly pat of butter. Really? And for a table of six?... whoever was in charge of portions wasn't thinking. The second basket again took forever and this time the bread wasn't even hot. After the really hard crust on the first round, we were preparing our teeth for battle... only to get soft, cold, not so good bread. Appetizers Ahi Tuna Tartare only had 4 slices and some weird salad that no one liked. Decent but I've definitely had better. Mac and Cheese was really salty and kind of an odd appetizer. Appetizers are for sharing and a kid's size portion of Mac and Cheese is just weird to share with everyone's forks poking into the plate... Entrees Starter salad of argula and roasted beets lacked more flavor and was decently sized. Steak Cobb Salad had almost no steak. My husband even dug to the bottom of the shredded lettuce hoping that there was some hidden below. The spareribs were as big as my hand (which is really small...). The roasted lamb shank was fatty and kind of bland and gross, but the mashed potatoes and asparagus were good. Goat cheese omelet and salad was slightly larger in portion than other entrees but the taste was just so-so. Desserts I love desserts so I was hoping that this would save the meal. Sadly it did not. Apple crumble lacked flavor. The crumble had too much flour and was bland instead of sweet. Bananas Foster Bread Pudding sounded so good. Was really disappointed when a small round of "pudding" came out and had only a slight hint of banana but was doused in sickeningly sweet caramel. :( so sad that it didn't work out this time. If I ever come back I hope the service will have improved and the food will taste a lot better.
(2)
Sajid S.
Service/Management is terrible. This place is not at par with other Cafe Deluxe locations. Having been to several other Cafe Deluxes (Bethesda, DC, Tysons etc), I had high expectations but both the food (meatloaf, chicken potpie) as well as quality of service at this joint was disappointing. Tried more than once thinking may be it was an off day for them the first time around. But the same story every time. We have stopped going since then.
(2)
Keren S.
The food here is consistently good. My fiance and I are very happy that this restaurant took over from Hamburger Hamlet. The bison burger was very good, cooked exactly as ordered and the chefs were very accommodating of our special request for veggies steamed without butter or oil. The Oreo cheesecake, which wasn't your traditional cheesecake, was delicious and a great end to the meal. We also had excellent service last time we went. Taylor S. was very attentive, not overbearing, checked right away on our special requests with the chef. He made sure our drinks were refilled before we needed to ask and we had everything we needed without feeling like he was hovering. We plan to ask for him again next time we go to Cafe Deluxe, which will definitely be soon.
(4)
Sandra J.
My 2 stars are based upon service and not the food. Up until recently my husband and I, have enjoyed coming to Cafe Deluxe over the years for the food and the service. Unfortunately, after our visit this past Saturday, this view has changed for us. Upon arrival around 12:30 p.m. we were greeted by the hostess and were seated right away (outdoor area). We waited for almost 10 minutes and we just kept seeing the waiters pass by us. No one greeted us to let us know they would be right with us. Finally, my husband and I, decided to just get up and leave. As we were leaving we asked to speak with the manager (Sean Gentry) to let him know our experience. He seemed very annoyed that we were describing the situation and did not once apologize for the lack of service. He did however, offer us free lunch but as you can imagine by his tone and demeanor, I decided it would be best if we took our family elsewhere. He proceeded by giving us his card and said to my husband "if you want to blame someone, I guess you can blame me since I am the shift manager". Again, he did not apologize and was very arrogant about the situation. You will lose business like this with that type of management. I feel very disappointed with this interaction, as I usually enjoy my experience. I would say go for the food since it is delicious but watch out for this arrogant manager.
(2)
Salma M.
The food is ok the service was ok nothing great I got the Cobb salad with crab cake, the crab cake cake is the best part and the avocados were good too but everything else was just ok oh yeah my frozen margarita was ok too, but what does it matter what I say this f***ing yelp just filters my reviews like I have time to write bs about restaurants I'm just telling the truth
(2)
Chelsea C.
I am genuinely surprised by all the negative reviews about this place. I have ordered out and dined in about a dozen times since they opened earlier this year and have always had a pleasant experience. Last night a group of us got together and we had a great time. My boyfriend ordered the steak frites and was given a decent sized portion of steak that was cooked to a perfect medium rare; he said if he had he been starving the portion would have been too small but for what he wanted it was great. I tend to stick to dishes under the "Sandwiches" section and opted to try the tilapia BLT. I don't usually like tilapia, but it was flavorful, nicely seasoned and very moist. The lime-caper tartar sauce was delicious. The service was the best part. We were well taken care of by Daniel who was extremely friendly, helpful, and ready to recommend cocktails and dinner items. He showed up practically unnoticed with drink refills at just the right times and my friend looked over at me at one point and jokingly said, "I think our waiter is also a ninja." :) On a final note, Cafe Deluxe has a frequent dining program that's free. Every dollar spent is a point earned and when you've reached a certain number of points you earn money off future visits. Why not, right? Just another reason to keep coming back...
(4)
Philip R.
I wanted to have dinner here tonight with my family to celebrate my birthday. Not because I am in love with their food, but because it is an easy place to make sure everyone can find something they like (with a large group there are always picky eaters and we have 4 children in my family). I also wanted to check out their newest spot. I called about a week ago and asked if I could make a reservation. The person who answered the phone said that they are not taking reservations, but with the size of my group (14) I could call the day of in the morning and they would have no problem accommodating my group. My wife called this morning and she was assured that although they do not yet take reservations, they would put a table together for us at 6 pm. My wife asked a second time: "are you sure you will have a table for us? I don't want 14 people getting there and you tell us there won't be a table." She was assured that they would accommodate us. Before heading to the restaurant we called ahead a second time, an hour before our 6 pm arrival. We were again assured there would be a table for us. I guess you can see where this is going. We got there a little before 6 and were told that they would be unable to accommodate us in one table. The manager said that based upon the design of the seating, they are unable to seat a group of our size. Funny thing is that there was a row of tables and they had just seated a 2 top in the middle of the row. This row of tables could have easily accommodated our party. It became clear that they were unwilling to seat our party. Someone might read this and say "hey, the place made a mistake, which happens." Well, there were two other larger groups behind us that were given the same story as above and the management wouldn't honor their reservations either. Finally, and I know this is a bit long winded, but they have a whole room in the rear that the manager was unwilling to open. Maybe they are just new, maybe the management is bad, maybe they had miscalculated the staffing needed for tonight, but if they had just told us up front this morning that they couldn't accommodate us, we would have found somewhere else to go. Its really hard make alternate arrangements though at 6 pm for that sized group. Furthermore, the manager was unwilling to apologize. I will never be back!
(1)
Monica R.
Went to Cafe Deluxe a week after they opened, and the place looked gorgeous! My friends and I stopped by the bar just for a couple drinks. The bartender was the rudest bartender I've EVER ENCOUNTERED. He threw the menus in front of us, didn't even say hi, and refused to give some people shots. I could overhear him talking about our group to other people at the bar and he was giving us sideways glances. Okay mister rude bartender. Yes, we were a group of six sitting at the bar. Yes, all we wanted was one drink. Yes, only one person wanted food. And for those wondering, no, we were not being rowdy. The bartender simply wanted to get out of there. He saw our big party come in at 9pm for an after hour drink and apparently we ruined his evening. Do not go to Cafe Deluxe and if you do, PLEASE do not go to their bar area! Edit: 12/13/11: My mistake. They didn't deny us shots. They denied us MIXED DRINKS. W.T.F.
(1)
Kelly P.
The menu can be a bit pricey, and they have interesting rules pertaining to what they will serve you at the bar versus at the tables. For example you cannot get a Dale's Pale Ale except at the bar during official Happy Hour hours. If you are within the hours but in the dining room, they will not serve you this beverage. That said the ambiance is as good as you would hope, and the bar is comfortable to sit at for extended periods of time. Most recently we were served by Dorian. I recommend asking if he is working, and requesting his section. His attention and service was stellar.
(3)
D W.
I was surprised at such a low rating. The service was good and the food was very good.
(4)
Sam L.
Went to Cafe Deluxe with a bunch of my friends and ordered the chicken pot pie - as per reviewers here on Yelp. It was delicious! The pie top was flaky and buttery while the inside of the pie was a delicious mix of vegetables and generous portion of chicken. My friends ordered the hanger steak and it tasted average - as did the regular fries. Great service, good chicken pot pie and the food came out fast and hot.
Gave Cafe Deluxe a second chance this past Sunday afternoon. It was Father's day, so we didn't expect to be seated immediately, but we were. The weather was perfect so we sat on the patio. I tried the grilled meatloaf - rocked. The mashed potates were pretty good, but the accompanying green beans were not very good (maybe had been frozen???) My wife ordered the buffalo burger and she liked it. The sweet potato fries were crispy and done "just right." We had capuccino and espresso w/ a salted caramel sundae. Espresso was one of those filter packs, I think - not a very good cup. However, the wife loved her capp. The salted caramel sundae was off the hook good. Finally, service this time around was far better than my first visit. I think they've smoothed out some of their service problems. Lauren was our waitress and she was on time, appropriately friendly - just the right balance of presence w/ letting us eat and enjoy each other. I'll be back.
(4)
Steve D.
Been a regular every few months at their Tyson's location and been to this Rio location 3 times now. You can count on consistency with food and service, and that's what we tend to look for -- count-on-ability. Yesterday, my wife and I had their Crab Benedict and it was really good ... but I always enjoy their food. Their staff is professional, friendly and well-trained. Solid place.
(4)
Jeanine K.
Still not my favorite...third time trying this restaurant and second time I played it safe and ordered the mussels. The service was good but wouldn't recommend this one too frequently. I hear the turkey burger is good but I'm not sure I will go back.
(2)
Harris H.
We were at the Rio in Gaithersburg, md and stopped in to grab a bite at Guapos, and they had a 90 minute wait. We decided to go to Cafe Deluxe, which is the biggest mistake ever!!!! The waitress was awesome, and we truly felt horrible she had to deal with it. My wife and a friend ordered the hanger steak, while myself and my friend's girlfriend ordered the meatloaf. When the food came out, 3 of the 4 dishes were not even luke warm. My meatloaf was an inch thick, while the other plate with meatloaf was 2" thick. She cut into the meatloaf and when realizing it was cold, sent it back. They brought her back out her same piece of meatloaf, reheated, which is a health code violation in itself. Both of the hanger steak plates were cold, and the steak itself was completely raw. My wife's broccoli was completely raw as well. The serving size is small as well. 3 asparagus, 2 tablespoons of mac and cheese and a below average size of meatloaf for $12.95. The hanger steak had the same small portions. 5 small pieces of steak, 1 broccoli spear and same size for mac and cheese for $17.95. We will NEVER go back as we are not picky eaters, but even this was a horrible experience.
(1)
Roslyn W.
To was really disappointed. When the a waitress greeted us and to,d us about the specials, she actually said she was having trouble speaking due to the excess saliva in her mouth! Totally grossed us out. Two of the five items were delivered wrong...had to be sent back. She to,d us the burger was not char broiled and it was . Never brought us read....really beyond poor verging on pathetic overall. This place needs training and better hiring.
(1)
Shawn G.
I had a horrible experience here. Cafe Deluxe in Gaithersburg, MD isn't worthy of another visit. The wait staff was very rude, the food was below average and the ambiance was ok. I have had much better experience in Cafe Deluxe in Mclean, VA. I visited this facility (Cafe Deluxe, Rio-Gaithersburg, MD) in mid June with my brother and a friend on a Saturday evening. At the reception nobody even bothered to guide us to a table...they just told us to go to the patio (based on my preference) and find a table ourselves. We did that and then the "fun" part began. We sat for 20 minutes and nobody bothered to come and ask for water/drinks. I waved at the waiter and then he reluctantly came. After serving the water/drinks he rushed us to order then I said we need 2-3 minutes. And then he didn't bother to come for another 15 minutes. He didn't bother to even bring us some bread which he did to some of the other tables. Once he came and took the order...I mentioned about the bread and he was displeased (showed a weird and mocking face). After a while he brought the bread. We asked for some extra butter and an extra plate (because he gave 2 plates for 3 people)...he rudely kind of "shouted" ..."I'll bring it to you...OKAY !!??!!". But he NEVER brought those!! The food arrived and it was horrible. The appetizers were average...the lamb shank tasted bland (and I love the lamb shank of Cafe Deluxe in Mclean, VA)....the desserts were just ok. Our server didn't even have the courtesy to ask how the food was. Then a manager was passing by (nice guy asking around customers about the food and experience)....I mentioned the situation/rudeness (which I think was purposeful) of the server to him and he apologized on behalf of the server. However, the server didn't bother to apologize even if he was standing nearby and overheard the conversation. Then another interesting part began....I gave my credit card to pay for the check.....after 10 minutes the server came back and asked me "are you sure you gave your credit card to me"???? Then after searching for another 15 minutes the server and a senior manager returned to apologize...mentioning they don't know how did the credit card reach the bar area on another side of the restaurant. Instead of apologizing the server cracked another joke- "probably your card has legs"!! (still didn't apologize! even if his senior manager did!) I don't think I'll EVER go back to this restaurant again after this horrible experience - below average food and very RUDE behavior of the wait-staff. I'm a foodie and I love exploring restaurants in the area with my friends...but I'm saying - NO to Cafe Deluxe in Gaithersburg, MD (Rio's). I'll convey the same to my friends. There are other good restaurants in Rio's ... I'd say try one of those unless this place improves its ambiance, behavior of wait-staff and quality of FOOD.
(1)
Dirk P.
So - unlike those above my family and I had a very nice experience here. I ordered nothing from the bar so I cannot speak to that..but: Server was friendly and helpful and happy to recommend things. His recommendations were helpful and tasty. Service was fast enough - we told them we had a movie and we made it out in under an hour. Shrimp and grits were remarkable. Chicken pot pie crust was light and flaky. All the other dishes were on par with anywhere else I have been. It was a good eating experience. Give it a chance.
(4)
Kathleen C.
Food is good, but not superb and definitely not as good as Cafe Delux in Los Angeles or Florida. The service is fairly attentive and adequate, the restaurant itself reminds one of the former Hamburger Hamlet. A renovation would be helpful and the menu could use some tweaking as the food choices should stand out amongst the competing restaurants of which there are many.
(3)
Michael W.
What an extremely pleasant surprise this place was. We walked by her before, in the summer time, place was always crowded, but never spiked an interest. This past Saturday, before we headed to the movies, we decided to have a quick bite. Service was great, very professional, knowledgeable but surely not overbearing. Food selection very nice. Their specials are actually a try out for their new menu....worked for us....Mrs got their half chicken (on the bone). She could not stop raving about it......cooked to perfection. I ordered the mussels, and was too, pleasantly surprised by their taste. Plates were served hot, and wine selection was good. Prices are very decent. Highly recommend this restaurant.
(4)
Bob C.
I just had dinner there with my adult son. It was an awful experience. 1. The service was terrible. 20 mins to get an appetizer 2. The food was awful tasting. My son's burger (if they can't make at least a decent burger than why bother) was tasteless as if it were pre-frozen the bun was soggy. His Fries were cold. My pasta was barely warm, the pasta sauce may have just come from a supermarket jar, actually I have tasted better from some brands the shrimp were obviously also from frozen. 3. The prices for what you get were very high 4. I felt the food was no better than if I was eating at an airport restaurant. I suggest do not waste your money especially in this economy.
(1)
Jose E.
Can't say I enjoyed my first visit to Cafe Deluxe. I really thought the food was overpriced for what you get. Poor presentation and poor quality. The staff needs lots of polishing from the hostess to the wait staff. Our waitress was not nice at all and her smile just seemed to be forced and not genunine. I decided to only give 10% tip. To my surprise when I got my credit card statement someone at the restaurant had increased their tip to 20%. Really?????? The dishonesty just lost you a customer.
(2)
Dalton P.
My wife and i have been regulars at the Cleveland Park location for years so we were very happy to find out that they were opening a location in Gaithersburg. When they first opened, things were chaotic. Wait staff was unprepared, food was unpredictable but that have finally caught their groove and are a decent not-too-expensive place to grab dinner. Tuna Nicoise salad very nice and i always love their petit filet.
(4)
Lisa G.
I've been to other Cafe Deluxe's which have been great. This one leaves A LOT to be desired. The food was meh at best. The service was horrible. We had a table of 12 and our server couldn't get drinks in a timely fashion, never cleared plates, and our entrees took for ever. I will not return to this CD.
(1)
Sunshine W.
This place was horrible! We ordered drinks that tasted like pure rubbing alcohol. The food had no flavor and was cold. The service was slow. There are plenty of other good restaurants to go to in Rio. The only reason this place gets business is because of the location.
(2)
Karen W.
I really appreciated that they let me create my own meal. They offer a grilled tilapia sandwich with fries or a salad. I wanted the tilapia as an entree with two vegetable side dishes. Not only did they make that for me but the waiter commented on how "creative" I was with the menu. It was so delicious and everyone was so pleasant. I look forward to going back!
(4)
Oscar S.
Meh..meh..meh. Well what can I say about Cafe Deluxe. When we first arrived everyone was very nice. They greeted us and sat us at a table. Our waitress was very nice as well and seemed to suggest real good items off the menu. We placed our order w/ an app to start. The appetizer came out at a decent time was very good, we ordered the eggrolls. The problem started when our food came out. First my eggs were done not they way I had ordered them. So she took my plate back but then it took forever for them to make egg, 'sunny-side up'. Not sure why. Then my g/f's food came out. The wrong soup came out w/ that. Our server didn't came back to check to see how our, well her food, was. No 5 min/5 bite rule. We had to ask another server about the soup, so he took it back and came back w/ the right soup. Once we saw our waitress back, we let her know that we had the wrong soup. All she said was sorry and then left. My g/f was halfway done w/ her food when mine finally came. Overall, we did not have a good experience and were never offered a discount or free desert or anything. We didn't complain, just asked for our check. As we were paying we noticed that the table next to us had the same thing happen to them, lol. Never the less, we will not be going back to vist. Not much 'Deluxe'.
(2)
Elizabeth W.
I have been here a few times and the food has been consistently good and the service has been excellent. Bartenders are always friendly as well as the waitstaff. I have enjoyed all of my experiences at this establishment and will most definitely be back.
(4)
Brielle N.
I was excited to go here for dinner, having heard good things about the other locations. I should have stayed home and heated up a frozen pre-made burger though, I would have had the same quality of food and service. Never going back.
(1)
Kevin S.
First time visit. I had great service at the bar. Got a delicious Bison Burger with yummy sweet potato fries after a hearty bowl of black eye pea soup. Started with some hot coffee then switched to Paulaner Hefeweizen beer on draft, then Flying Dog Raging Bitch IPA. Very tasty, just the right temperature on the brew and all that was served. Food and drink served promptly and courteously. Recommend it highly!
(5)
Amy A.
I've been to this location a couple of times. The first time was in January for lunch on a Thursday and there weren't any tables open in the dining room so we ate in the bar. The food was great but the food and service were so slow. It took almost to two hours for lunch, which was incredibly inconvenient when you are looking to get on with your day. It would have been nice to have a couple of soft drinks on the house for the long wait but nothing like that was offered. We went for brunch last Saturday and it was very quiet since the restaurant had just opened for the day. We had a great experience - the service was good and the food was also very tasty. The only thing I could complain about was the side of berries that my husband ordered for $6 and I think about 6 berries came out - ridiculously over-priced. The prices here are a bit high but the quality of the food and the ambiance are the highlights.
(3)
Wendy V.
I am surprised to.see all the bad reviews. I had a great time at Cafe Deluxe. my food was great and my sever was excellent. the chocolate browney was srumptious. I also appreciate the fact that the manager took the time to mix my drinks and chat for a bit. great job by all.
(4)
Muge A.
This place has amazing food!!!! I love the location to which makes it even better and their pomegranate margaritas are delicious. If you have not ate there yet, I recommend you do so.
(4)
F P.
We were a party of five. As the last to arrive a little after 7 on Tuesday, I spent a minute in the bar. Our waitress, Heather, was excellent. She kept checking back with us to make sure we had what we needed. The chicken egg rolls were tasty, but extremely small for the price. One of my friends was outraged by the high--150%--markup going from bar to dining room. Low marks for prices. High marks for bar staff, who were great to my friends, and waitress. Because of prices and no concessions to friends, am unlikely to return. At least one other member of my party feels the same way. BTW, why have small plates out to share minuscule portions?
(2)
Georgina T.
I normally love coming to Cafe Deluxe but this Saturday night was a real disappointment. The food came out very late, though it was one of the first warm evening of the season and the place was packed. I ordered the shrimp camadoro and wish I would have stuck with their yummy salads. The shrimp was over cooked, as was the pasta and the it was all swimming in an over salty red sauce. I'm not one to send food back, but if I was ....
(3)
Kelly O.
I took my 4 children (ages 8 and under) out to lunch on a Sunday and it was perfect. The hostess greeted us warmly when we walked in and immediately recognized that I needed a highchair. Our table was in a nice open location which gave the children lots of things to look at as we ate. The food came out as ordered and my sandwich was delicious. I would like some more variety within the children's menu (maybe turkey burger sliders) although I did appreciate the berry substitution for the fries. The berries were ripe and firm- perfect. Our server was friendly and attentive. The manager stopped by to check on our meal which was completed in under an hour. I will definitely be back and recommend this restaurant to others who are planning to visit Rio.
(4)
N D.
I came by here once in December for drinks, which were good and we had great service, and recently for their weekend brunch. The brunch ambience is nice, with the restaurant open to the patio on the lake, and the food is really good. Outside of the brunch menu, there aren't a lot of vegetarian options, so this is not a place that I will be able to come back very often.
(4)
Phillip W.
Poor service. Had to ask for refills. Spill went unnoticed for 10+ minutes. Waiter not seen even though the place was not busy at all. Food arrives luke warm and is nothing special.
(2)
David L.
My wife and I recently dined at the newly opened Cafe Deluxe. Wanting to catch a quick bite to eat before catching a movie, we sat at the bar. Though everything in the restaurant was new, it seemed that not much effort was made into renovating the inside since the takeover from the past occupant "Hamburger Hamlet". I ordered a burger which came with a measly ten fries (I counted). My wife ordered the chicken pot pie. She said that it was the worst she's ever had (and could better by purchasing one from the frozen food section of the grocery store). The chicken pot pie at Copper Creek Grill, right around the corner, is superior in quality and taste. When the bartender asked my wife about her dish, she said that was just OK and had too many onions. Instead of apologizing about the dish, the bartender said "there were also alot of leaks in the pie as well". With the demanding clientele in the area, this restaurant better step up its game or it will be a short stay in the Rio complex.
(1)
Stacey L.
Good solid american food. This place has gotten a bad rap for some reason. All restaurants experience growing pains but the reviews here have been somewhat brutal. My husband and I have been here a handful of times either for brunch or dinner since they opened and only one time did we experience anything other than an enjoyable time. One time we went here for brunch with my family and my brother's bagel was really bad and his girlfriend and my eggs Benedict were not runny. The polite and friendly server immediately got the manger and rectified the problem. Having worked in the restaurant business in dc and NYC for a long time in the past, I can understand a new restaurant having a few problems but nothing to warrant 1 or 2 stars. I guess I'm a little more forgiving than most. I think this place will only get better over time and they deserve a second chance. We are moving soon and will definitely miss coming here for Sunday brunch.
(4)
Richard B.
worst muscles ever, do not order. small portion and they were old and dried up. commented to manager but they did nothing . go someplace else if you're waiting to see the movies at Rio.
(1)
Jen W.
My husband and I have been here twice. The first time we went for dinner. We had high expectations because we liked the Cafe Deluxe in Bethesda. Unfortunately, my husband's meal (Penne with chicken, red peppers, asparagus, spinach and light cream sauce) was inedible. The chicken was hard, the "light" sauce heavy, and the vegetables were sparse--more like a garnish. My Ahi tuna was fine, but we left quickly because my husband really couldn't eat that meal. Our second try was when we decided to have a pre-movie appetizer, with the intent of going back after the movie for the whole meal. We had a bit of a wait for the table, which was understandable. However once we were seated no one came to ask us if we wanted a drink. We were just about ready to leave after 15 minutes of waiting, when a server who was bussing a table at the time noticed we were unhappy and came over to take our order. This time the food was fine but the service was poor. We won't be giving them a 3rd chance.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Garage Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Chris C.
Best place around for brunch and bottomless mimosas.
(4)Connie L.
Food: If you come here you HAVE to try the crispy chicken rolls as an appetizer. The rolls themselves are pretty good but their chili mango sauce is freaking delicious. It also comes with another side of yogurt dill tasting sauce which is pretty refreshing. Aside from this appetizer however, the rest of the food left more to be desired. I got the chicken park and my friend got the chicken pot pie. The chicken in both dishes was a little bland and the size of each piece was too large. Service and Location: I really have to compliment the service here. Our waiter was very friendly and accommodating and the manager was walking around making sure everyone was having a good experience. This place is also right next to the water at Rio, which is a great backdrop to any meal. Definitely be sure to ask for outdoor seating if the weather permits!!
(3)Faithful N.
I love eating here. When I never know what to eat I go here and feel satisfied and happy. I love ordering their mussels with curry Thai sauce and the steak. But I think on Sunday's the service is not as great as the other days. I'm currently eating here and never had worst service here before. But go on any other day, the meal should be perfect. However, I'm just disappointed about my meal tonight.
(3)Gail R.
Joined a group of folks for lunch/brunch one Sunday. They offer Brunch for most of the day. They also offered unlimited mimosas and one of the ladies in our group had asked if she could make her decision later and was told yes (she did). I decided to wait as well and went with just 1 glass for the moment. I decided to go with a brunch and ordered French Toast. Based on the description in the menu, it says "Corn Flake Crusted Challah Bread Topped with Powdered Sugar with Spiced Maple Syrup and Fresh Fruit". However, I did not like the taste of this french toast - took one bite and didn't want the rest (and this was after waiting a while to get the maple syrup that was supposed to come with my meal). The Fresh Fruit is not on the side, but plated with the french toast (included blueberries, a few pieces of blackberries and a little piece of a strawberry). I also passed on doing the unlimited mimosas because the folks that did it at our table had their glasses empty for too long (not refilled quick enough when you have to wait for 5 to 10 minutes between refills). I may try the place for happy hour one day (they do have happy hour on Sundays), but I am not sure I am coming back for brunch.
(2)Sean O.
The greatest croak di monsieur this side of the bermuda triangle. Im 73 years old and the white bald manager was such a nice little frenchman.
(5)Lauren C.
Great dining option in the Rio. What I love about this place is you can go for brunch, happy hour or dine for dinner and never be disappointed. What makes this place stand out is their amazing patio. Great for a nice day! Perfect location for a good view of the lake or people watching. Brunch - they have an unlimited mimosa deal! They have great Benedict options and even a tasty oatmeal if your keeping things simple! Happy hour - the hummos and flatbread are my go tos here :) The prices are affordable and the food is good. Be sure to join their free loyalty program for occasional perks in your email!
(4)Micco R.
The turkey burgers are fresh and full of flavor. I like the bar service is full of flavor. Great view of the lake.
(4)Samantha L.
During Happy Hour, Cafe Deluxe offer both drink and bar bites specials. Tonight, my coworkers and I came here for Happy Hour. Happy hour happens in the bar area. For bar bites, I'd recommend the Crispy Chicken Rolls or Prosciutto Mac & Cheese for $4, Apple / Brie / Melted Leeks / Candied Walnuts Flatbread for $5, and/or 1/2 lb of Mussels in Classic Belgian for $6. The Crispy Chicken Rolls consisted of chicken and shredded vegetables wrapped in phyllo dough and deep fried. It was served with two kinds of sauces (cilantro mayo and chili sauce). The Prosciutto Mac & Cheese consisted of cavatappi pasta cooked in gruyere cream and garnished with chives. It was extra cheesy. The Apple and Brie Flatbread consisted of green apples, brie cheese, candied walnuts, and melted leeks. The crust was thin and crispy. It was flavorful - sweet and milky. The mussels consisted of mussels cooked in a white wine broth and garnished with parsley and other herbs.
(4)Connie M.
I had been here once after Hamburger Hamlet left the Rio but it was to grab a drink before a movie. Looking at the menu, I thought that it was an overpriced restaurant and never went back....until tonight. When I am wrong, I am willing to admit that I am wrong. I'm WRONG!!! What a delightful restaurant that not only welcomes your dog (outside on the patio) but has a Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosa and bloody marys! Did I mention that in addition to happy hour Monday through Friday, they also want to make you happy almost all day Sunday (noon to 8pm)! Never thought I would start a restaurant review discussing their ice tea. Not sure the brand but it is not Lipton (no one knew). Can't even tell you why it is different from other teas. Just refreshing. Light. Yum. (I usually prefer ice tea made from Lipton). I take mine unsweetened. Another good choice would be an Arnold Palmer. Lots of temptations on the starter menu but as soon as I saw goat cheese, I knew I was having a salad. One that was uninteresting to look at and belied the delightful sweet flavors. Pitted cherries (if I had to make a guess, reconstituted dried cherries...delicious!) and homemade corn nuts add texture and crunch. A sweet vinaigrette made from maple syrup and sherry is very tasty with the little deep fried log of goat cheese. The tangy of the cheese, the tart of the cherries, the crunch of the corn and the sweet of the dressing was a mini dance in my mouth! For $6.50 this is a little more I would normally pay for a side salad but sometimes you have to splurge. Next time I am ordering the prosciutto mac and cheese from the appetizer menu for $8. Sitting at the bar, I took the opportunity to ask Stephanie, the bartender, what her favorite item on the menu was. Before, I could even finish my question, she blurted out "chicken pot pie" before she mentioned braised short rib and the mussels. I love me some chunky chicken immersed in a creamy bowl with veggies, but tonight I was in the mood for beef. The short rib ($18) was very tender and the vegetable risotto was cooked perfectly. I found a small scattering of carrots, onions and mushrooms mixed in so was very glad I had ordered the seasonal veggies ($4) which turned out to be some yummy yellow squash, butternut squash, zucchini and carrots sautéed in olive oil and butter. Partway through my meal, I ended up pouring the veggies onto my risotto. Two very minor complaints (to be honest, I just came back from New Orleans where service is impeccable, so my standards are still set very high)...I wish they had served the short rib with a steak knife and the cheese seemed to be sprinkled on top of the risotto instead of being mixed in. While most of it had been incorporated throughout the dish, there seemed to be a few clumps of cheese (still delicious though!). How is that for a list of complaints? Seriously, this was the only thing wrong I could find with my meal. :) While waiting for my dinner and before my phone died, I had read a Yelp review that desserts were just "ok" so I had not planned on eating anything else...but it doesn't hurt to look at the dessert menu. :) Stephanie took the opportunity to recommend the berry cobbler before I even had a chance to ask her, but I had already heard the restaurant manager say how much he enjoyed the crème brulee. The perfect ending to my delicious meal could only be a rich, creamy custard. Once we all agreed that even if you are stuffed, there is always room for ice cream, jello and crème brulee, it was much easier to succumb to temptation. So glad I did. For $6, I enjoyed the most delicious custard with zero regrets. Mmmmm...I love it when I have to eat my words. :) I seriously cannot wait to come back because there are a few items on the menu that I am anxious to try...lamb shank, shaved prime rib sandwich and of course, the chicken pot pie!
(4)Katie H.
Mediocre food, mediocre service. I'm pretty sure they only had two servers on the floor last night (thursday) & we were told there was a 10-20 minute wait. We were hungry and it was pouring outside so we didn't wanna walk over to another restaurant. Plus we haven't been to a CD in years so why the hell not. Started off with the prosciutto Mac & cheese app to share - wasn't bad, wasn't fantastic. It seemed more like pasta with alfredo sauce with chopped up prosciutto slapped on a small plate. It lacked presentation. For entrees I ordered the bison burger which was probably the best part of my meal although I could only eat half! My friend had an "entree salad" & added steak but it was honestly underwhelmingly small. Lastly we ordered dessert - creme brûlée & a salted caramel sundae.... Don't waste your time. The brûléed shell was super thick and chewy & the sundae was literally just Heath bar ice cream, caramel sauce from a bottle & whip cream from a can. The service could use a little more improvement as well, we ended up having to ask the other server for things such as sauce, boxes, dessert menu & the check cause ours was nowhere to be found. But when he did come by to drop the check it was wrong. Our bill was added on to someone else's. I get it, there's a lot going on for having only two servers on the floor but it wasn't even that busy.... Oh well All in all it was OKAY but I probably won't go back anytime soon. I do hear they have good happy hour specials though :)
(2)Andrew R.
Nate and CJ were too concerned about Louis washing their dishes. They went out of there way to ignore the patrons of the bar and made it quite clear that they had no interest in serving. Another patron was even taking pictures of their demeanor. After it was clear they would not serve me, i asked for there names. Nate and CJ gloated their names and found it humorous that i was disappointed in there lack of service. Obviously i asked for the manager, explained my complaint and left. I plan to wait for this place to go under and get replaced with something else.
(1)lisa y.
Went here for brunch. I had ordered the blueberry pancakes with eggs and bacon. The scrambled eggs were a little "hard", I tend to like mine soft scrambled. Bacon was tasty! Pancakes...well I was enjoying mine until I realized I was chewing on something that was neither pancake nor blueberry. it was the produce stickers that come on the fruit containers. Not one, but 3. We mentioned to manager and he offered to make me some more and was apologetic, but I didn't want anymore. Later we did see that they took my breakfast off the bill. I will go back and give them another chance.
(3)Secret C.
Stopped in for dinner after a movie. Restaurant was busy but not crowded, and service was slow. Our server was pleasant however provided food to two tables who were seated after us. We received our appetizer with no plates or place settings. I had to find someone to bring those items to the table since our server forgot. Food was average; don't order your burger well unless you like the taste of burnt beef. Will not return, neither the dining experience or the food are worth a repeat visit.
(2)Uzi S.
Overpriced, small portions.. Decent service.. Some items on the menu are so good! The lamb Shank is delicious!
(3)Mimi C.
We initially went to Guapo's but the wait was too long. We were debating on whether to return the beeper and go somewhere else or just hang tight until they beep us. We decided to call Cafe Deluxe to find out what their current wait time was. The gentleman on the line said he had to check with the hostess and when he came back on the line he told me the wait was 15 to 20 minutes. So we decided to return the beeper to Guapo's and head to Cafe Deluxe. We all walked into the restaurant (my husband, mother, two daughters, son, cousin, and his husband). I put down my name and gave the hostess my number to text me when our table is ready. Before heading back outside I asked the hostess how long the wait was between indoor and outdoor dining. The hostess told me 15-20 minutes. I asked her for a table of 8? She then corrected herself and told me for a table of 8 it would be 45 minutes. Ok, I'm not sure why it would take 45 minutes just because there are 8 people in my party as opposed to 4 but I can let that slide. What I could not let slide was the fact that she had made the assumption that there were only 4 people in my party without asking me, not once but twice. Once when I called to verify the wait time and then when I was there IN PERSON! Had I known that it would take 45 minutes for table I would probably stay at Guapo's as I had already waited there for some time. Furthermore, I don't know why the policy to inform a guest that their table is ready is via text. Text costs money! I don't know why they could not invest in some beepers to hand out to the guests when they're waiting. In any event, we stood outside the restaurant in plain view of the hostess. I checked my phone frequently to see if she texted me...time ticked by...no text...more time passed, my kids are getting hungry at this time...no text...even more time passed, kids are extremely hungry and tired! So I told my husband to go inside and find out when we are next. To his shock and amazement the hostess, again assuming things, did not jot us down as she thought we had canceled our slot! One word came to mind...UNBELIEVABLE!!!! To top it off she then told my husband we would have to wait as there are two other parties in front of us. To that my husband vented his frustration...at which point, she was able to miraculously get a table together for us. What a miracle it was...really...we no longer had to wait...I wonder why then would she even tell us we needed to wait longer for our table. So she came back to walk us to our table...did I hear an apology from her for her lack of attentiveness??? No! For making us wait and wait and wait and forgetting about us??? No! Even when we stood right in front of the restaurant in plain sight of her...did she ever wonder why we were there for that long??? No! Instead we received a rather cold, unrefined, a bit abrasive hostess walking us to our table. I especially did not appreciate the coldness and attitude for which was oozing out of her. That made me question my ensuing experience at the restaurant. Would it improve or would it spiral downward further??? The waiter came to take our order. I ordered the fish of the week (Mahi Mahi), bison burger (medium), shaved prime rib sandwich, proscuitto mac and cheese (proscuitto on the side and request that the mac and cheese be made an entree), and filet medallion plus 3 orders of belgian mussels, 1 order of the arugula, proscuitto flatbread, 2 orders of the crispy chicken rolls, 1 order of the soup du jour which was the onion soup and 1 order of the tomato soup in addition to 1 root beer kid size cup (initially ordered a coke but then changed my mind), 1 apple juice kid size cup, 2 regular coke, 1 diet coke, 1 sprite. You might be wondering why I listed all the items I ordered and here is the reason why, our waiter took our order without ever writing it down. Was I nervous that he would forget this extensive list? Yes! Did he forget any of our food? No! I was completely amazed by our waiter's ability to memorize our whole order. To top it off, the food was, as always, consistently delectable and exquisite. The fish was cooked to perfection. It was cooked through but was not dry or chewy...perfect texture and perfect consistency. In addition it's mild flavor played well with the butternut squash risotto. And that is just my dish. Overall, our waiter service was good and the food was good. I would hope that the owner of the restaurant would read this review and make an effort to work with their host staff so that they can bring the same level of attentiveness, professionalism, and friendliness as they are the first point of contact for the guest. How the guest perceive the restaurant and the other people who work there is directly impacted by how well or not well the hostess represent the restaurant through their communication and demeanor.
(3)Michael F.
Cafe Deluxe is a solid 3 star with the potential for more. It's biggest challenge might be the abundant of restaurants competing with it in the Rio. Wanting to try something different on my last trip into our HQ in Gaitherburg, I walked over. I was promptly sat for dinner, but didn't see a waiter (or menu) for a few minutes. I started with a drink while evaluating menu choices. The Prosciutto Mac & Cheese quickly caught my eye and the Lamb Shank followed shortly. With my order set, I again waited a bit for my waiter. The restaurant wasn't empty, but it didn't appear that busy either. Once my drink and app arrived, I dug in. The portion seemed a little light, but was top notch. I was surprised by how much prosciutto was included. I didn't have to wait long between app and entree. The Lamb itself was decent, but the accompaniments (Garlic Spinach Mashed Potatoes) were disappointing. Since I was still a bit hungry, I ended the night with Creme Brulee. While it was nondescript, it wasn't bad (or great, hence nondescript). Overall, an A-OK / average experience possibly worth checking out when you are in the mood for something different.
(3)Kandace B.
Horrible horrible customer service. My boyfriend and I went to try it out and they sat us outside immediately. However, we sat there for almost 15 minutes without a waiter or waitress coming to our table. All of the waiters passing by saw us with no drinks, no nothing and didn't even ask if we were okay. So we decide we've had enough and get up to leave. Before we left I stopped at the hostess table to tell them and the same hostess that sat us saw us come back and looked at me multiple times and didn't even think to ask if everything was alright. I finally told the manager about their horrible service and left before he could even get his full apology out. Won't ever go back there again.
(1)Justine K.
Its been a while since I have dined here. My other visits were mediocre at best. This time around was pleasantly surprised. My steak frites was cooked perfectly. The the crust on the chicken pot pie was delicious. We were completely satisfied with the chicken flatbread that we ordered as well. The service was great!
(4)Christina D.
Shit hole of a place that wouldn't give me a glass of wine because my CALIFORNIA ID is vertical. By the way, I'm almost 24 years old. Never. Coming. Back. No one keeps me from my wine. NEVER!!!!!!!!
(1)Mary T.
Went Sunday night 5/17/15 for a delayed Mother's Day dinner hoping to satisfy four different palates, but we were ALL disappointed with our main courses. This is nothing like the Bethesda location where we have always been happy. The only decent item was the flatbread appetizer. The service was friendly but slow. The prices are way too high for the poor quality of the food. Will never go back to this location.
(1)Theresa W.
Pretty mediocre. This place can't decide what kind of restaurant it wants to be. Our server lost our order ticket so we had to wait forty minutes for a flatbread and a burger. Then their kitchen caught fire and we had to evacuate. Management didn't comp our bill after we were allowed back into finish our cold food. Won't be patronizing this place again.
(1)Derek H.
It's been years since I've been to the RIO. Wow, how things have changed! I was surprised to discover Cafe Deluxe is where the Hamburger Hamlet used to be. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed my dinner. I had the shaved prime rib sandwich with caramelized onions, mushrooms, peppadew relish, provolone cheese, on a hoagie roll, with a side of shoestring fries. It was ridiculously good. The sandwich was pretty sizable, the roll was perfect, and everything in between was savory. I can't get over how damn good it tasted! It was a perfect balance of flavors and seasoning. I would easily order it again. The desserts and coffee weren't that memorable but I swear I'll have dreams about that sandwich tonight.
(4)Michael B.
Their deviled eggs are very good as are their muscles
(4)Sonia C.
Love brunch menu. Crab Benedict's is so good!!!! Bloody Mary's are made so well and are unlimited on Sundays for a period of time. Had few other dishes such as burgers, pot pie and salads. All fabulous.
(4)Cynthia L.
I wasn't terribly impressed when I had the Cafe Deluxe in Bethesda, but Mont Co Humane Society was having a benefit there, so who could resist? Blueberry pancakes w/ eggs & potatoes: the 2 pancakes tasted a little too dry and doughy for my taste. The scrambled eggs were well-seasoned and not overdone. Likewise, the potatoes (I was supposed to get bacon rather than potatoes) came out in small cuts, crispy ( I Like crispy and not mushy), hot, and well-seasoned. Waiter service was ok (a little slow and inattentative). For what I got, the price if $12 was not bad, plus it was for a good cause. Plus was that I sat outside in perfect weather with my pup and good company. For Rio, it's not bad. Don't expect this amazing wow-defying food and you'll be ok.
(3)John M.
Not bad for the money. Poor service. Had the Grilled Salmon. Was cooked well. Nice outdoor dining and sat outside. Unfortunately had the bartender also serve as my waiter - service was unacceptable slow. The fresh bread never did make it to my table. If uou dont like eating surrounded by dogs, this place is not for you. I won't be back.
(3)Boris S.
Crispy Goat Cheese $9 (4/5 NOMs) Whaa we eating a salad? Crazy world, but it does happen sometimes. Its time to try some very light and healthy sounding. very light fresh mixed veggie salad with cherries and corns nuts. LOL NUTS! Just love the slightly fried crispy goat cheese thignies. Waiter highly recommended to add Crab Cake and it was an excellent choice. Portion was just right that filled me up without overdoing.We had one of the nicese, most entertaining and attentive waiters ever. Great salad that you just have to try.
(4)Starrlina S.
Decor is nice and the service was good. Someone ordered the beet salad that could have been a larger serving with beets you didn't have to look for. Deviled eggs with crab were good. I had the chicken pot pie that was tasty (phyllo dough crust on top only). The sauce inside was thin which is fine for some, but I prefer a creamier sauce). The visit was nice for the first time, but from reading other reviews it's a hit or miss type of restaurant.
(3)Gerry B.
We were one of the first to arrive for Sunday brunch, around 11 AM. Seated quickly and drink orders taken, pretty standard brunch options, eggs, pancakes, etc. Food came out in expected time, but had to send back potatoes as they were cold, the next batch were hot. Deducted a star because they took my entire plate back instead of just bringing out a new plate with potatoes, my eggs are now getting cold because you took the whole plate. Service was so so, did not seem to be a popular shift to work, a few other customers had to also send someone to find their water. Star added because they are a dog friendly restaurant, which is something I can be loyal too.
(3)Sarah L.
I give the food here 3 stars, but I give the restaurant 4 stars because of the service! The food is pretty standard and won't blow you away, but is definitely reasonable for the price. However, if you want to be treated well and really feel like you are eating out, ask for Josh. He customizes your order exactly to your liking, is attentive without hovering, and definitely seems to genuinely understand the true meaning of customer service.
(4)Adam L.
They should call this place Cafe Disappointment. It comes as a side for every entree and dessert on the menu.
(1)Catie C.
Food was decent. Wait staff inexperienced. Hostess was oh so lovely and had a wonderful sense of humor. Fish tacos were too spicy. asked for extra Chipotle mayo to have it come out after I ate two of the tacos. Will order a burger next time.
(3)Juan J.
I'm mostly giving it 3 stars because of the great service. The crap dip and sourdough bread was very appetizing. However, as great as the lamb shank looked, I was disappointed by the bland taste. The mash potatoes tasted as if it was out of a box and the spinach they mixed in with it did not help at all. I would visit again but I'd be more mindful of what I order next time.
(3)Farah K.
Let me say the food is always good. I had the chicken pot pie on this occasion and it was great. The problems are: 1) the food is overpriced. 2)And the wait staff is not always the best. Although the managers always walk around asking if the meal is alright. 3) the wait time for the food is usually long. It'll be interesting to see how this place does when Union Jack's opens up on the boardwalk.
(3)Alex S.
I'm impressed with waiter's (Brian) performance and Manager (I don't know the lady's name) attitude. They were so generous to give discount for my main course after they realized the food wasn't cook at the right temperature. I really enjoyed my time there and their hospitality was outstanding. Would recommend this place to everyone especially newcomers to this area. It's really nice place to visit just next to the lake and the staff are very charming courteous people.
(5)James G.
I love places that allow me to bring my pooch "buddy" they always provide a water bowl for him. Their weekend brunch is my favorite thing at Cafe Deluxe. Also the staff is very accommodating. I you have a special request, they will make it happen.
(3)Shahryar M.
After my first visit, I was a bit reluctant to go back. I felt like the food was bland on my first trip and was doubtful that my mind could be changed. But since my last visit was for brunch, I felt like having dinner would be a better test of the quality of food. Also, I returned to Cafe Deluxe because the manager invited me back for another try plus offered me a gift card to use. We ordered the Filet Medallions and a Mahi Mahi with crabmeat special. I was in the mood for a good steak and the waiter told me they had a filet mignon. I was a a little concerned that the waiter didn't ask me how I wanted my steak cooked, but when it came to my table, it wasn;t what I expected. I should have read the menu closer but when they say medallions, it means they serve you three pieces of meat about the size of medallions. I had the assumption that a fliet mignon would about 4 to 6 ounzes and was not expecting something as small. I was delightfully pleased when i took the first bite. It had a tender juicy pink color, cooked just right, which is surprising for a smaller piece of meat. I was thinking it would be drier and It was not at all. I really enjoyed it. My wife could not stop praising her Mahi Mahi with crabmeat so i had to try that too. Both meals were very tasty, and I was left quite full, to my surprise. And not just the main course, the sides as well came out fresh, hot, and very carefully garnished. I finished that meal, feeling like the chef took his time to make that dish, and that to me is quality. I am bumping up my review an extra star because, well, the food was that good. But I can't give it five stars because of two things, well three actually. The waiter left my drink empty and did not offer to refill it. Also, they made a mistake with my side order of substituting mashed potatoes for vegetables. Then, when i received my bill, they tried to charge me extra for vegetables. They were honest mistakes and aside from that, the service was very friendly, we were seated promptly and greeted at the table very quickly. I didnt notice a long wait for our entrees to come out and that might have been because we enjoyed the free bread appetizers. However, I did feel this place is pretty price. The food is good, but at twenty five dollars a plate, i have to hesitate recommending it. to my friends, but then again, that was a pretty good steak.
(4)Eddie K.
The happy hour specials are great. All draft beers are $4. Can't beat that. The food specials are decent. Wish they had wings, nachos or some dip. Ate here several times as well. Burgers are pretty good as well as their Croque Monsieur. Not as good as Paul bakery, but passable. The Crab Benedict is described as Sourdough Toast Topped with Lump Crab Cake on their menu. Lump crab cake - I don't think so. These are pretty thin and not much meat to them. They are using backfin crab meat. I would rephrase their description so it's not deceiving.
(3)Nima K.
I have eaten here (at this location) over the years a few times and it's been good. However, I've noticed recently that it's gone downhill and won't be going back. The service is good but the food is terrible! Raw meat served in burgers and roasted chicken that looks grey and isn't seasoned. The other locations aren't like this so something is definitely wrong here.
(1)C J.
Went for brunch for the first time. I loved the oatmeal and fruit. But my boyfriend's blueberry pancakes wete sweet and artificial. But overall was a nice brunch.
(3)Arthur K.
The food is good for it's role as a sit-down/wait-staffed option. It's a great upgrade over Hamlet (AKA Hamburger Hamlet). Came here for a private party recently. I was surprised at the quality of the eats in the large-group setting. It was tasty and filling. Good portions. Also, came with my family once. They were very accommodating of the kid. The kitchen unfortunately burnt my crab cakes. The waiter noticed, and even though I said it was no problem, he let his manager know, who had the kitchen prepare a new one. I was surprised when a much better cooked crab cake showed up at my table. I really appreciated the good service and it bumps up the place to a 4 star.
(4)Clark G.
Do not get the mussels. Most aren't open, and those that are are gritty. You will feel like you got cheated. I sure did.
(1)Robert C.
Holy crap, I haven't been to a restaurant this crappy in awhile now... I went here for brunch with my family & it's pure crap. For Ham & Cheese Omelette ($8sh), it's sooo bad that I could def make a better one at home. The omelette's only seasoned in certain areas & the ham's way too salty. On top of that, the biscuit's so dry that I couldn't even eat it... The only good thing here's the customer service; They're nice & attentive. But the food's horrible & pretty expensive as well...
(1)Sam W.
My general expectations are that restaurants in close proximity to hotels and movie theaters should all have pretty standard food and service. I'd argue that this place fits the bill. This is 1 of 3 restaurants (could be 2) in the same local area restaurant group - not a chain, but looked to be growing. We had a party of 6 and decided to check out the place. We put our names in a little after 6 PM on a Saturday and it was one hour to get seated for a one hour dining experience. I saw enough open tables once we were seated to make me wonder about staffing, and a reserved section that was just getting filled just as we were leaving, so three hours of seating under-utilized, or from my perspective, delaying my feeding! From the menu we went for some comfort food and tackled the burgers, meatloaf, chicken pot pie and Mac 'n cheese. Deviled eggs (with crab meat - nice Maryland touch) and salads to start. Can't say that I was disappointed or amazed with the entrees. Pretty vanilla flavors and portions that looked ample, but didn't quite seem to fill. For the cheeseburgers, at almost $10, you may want to go to the specialty burger joints to satisfy a true burger craving - it wasn't bad, just without the wow factor. Same for the desserts-brownies, sundae's and cobbler. Good, but not spectacular. Taken all together, the food was ok, the pricing in line with the market and service ok. Solid offering especially for visitors - decent meal that doesn't break the bank.
(3)Braden J.
Cafe Deluxe has a nice outdoor area that is my main attraction to it on a nice day. If you come I definitely recommend sitting outside and watching people paddle boat around in giant swans and dragons. Besides that I had the turkey Reuben and the chicken rolls (appetizer) and they were both good, but nothing to go out of your way for. The best part of the meal were their crispy fries. If you order something there make sure you get them. Besides that I thought it was a little overpriced for your run of the mill sandwiches. I would go back there but I was glad my boss was paying for my $13 dollar sandwich because I didn't think it was worth it. The reason I give this place 3 stars is because the outdoor area and friendly service not because the food was particularly good.
(3)Massiel G.
Manager contacted me and made the situation better this place really cares about there dissatisfied customer .. Will be back thank you
(3)Ana P.
BP and I were really excited to try Cafe Deluxe and finally got a chance to do it! He ordered a Chicken Pot Pie and I chose a Turkey Burger. -5 Stars for the burger and fries. It was awful! The Turkey meat was heavily spiced and overwhelming. Even the yummy onions and tangy Chipotle Mayo were not enough to make the meal edible. Luckily, BP traded entrees with me or else I would have had to send the meal back. The Sweet Potato fries were overcooked and tasteless. Not even ketchup could revive them... Very disappointing. +3.5 Stars for BP's Chicken Pot Pie. It was really good. We were both really surprised with the flaky crust of the pot pie. It was also a large portion of food. Very satisfying. The flaky crust was delicious. BP thought the gravy in the pie was overwhelming, but I really enjoyed it. The pie had a generous serving of cubed grilled chicken. It was simply divine. +.5 Star for our wonderful waiter, Billy! He was super sweet and very attentive.
(4)William Q.
Horrible restaurant do not even consider going here. My family ordered the meatloaf it came out burned we asked for another one and were told to keep the other parts on the plate they will just bring new meatloaf. My brother ordered a burger which they said was burned so they made a new one and then forgot the bacon and randomly brought it when he had already eaten the burger. The chicken pot pie was a soup with chicken and vegetables very watery it has only a very thin crust at the top. It was not a conventional chicken pot pie with a crunchy flavorful crust all around. To make things worse there were people in the kitchen yelling and disturbing guests. My family has two young kids who ordered kid apple juices and we tasted the apple juice it was warm and extremely watery to sum everything up I will definitely cross this restaurant off my list and will never return!
(1)Kevin C.
Staff was exceptionally rude when we called to make a reservation, service was slow, brought the wrong drink, and food took so long that my diabetic son's blood sugar had time to drop to a low. Also the crab cakes are over cooked and bland. If you are at Rio, go to CPK or Tara Thai instead.
(1)Melody C.
I have been here for dinner once, and while the good was good, the service was very slow. I am here for a second time for brunch, assuming that that night when we went to dinner was an unusual night, but were met with the same sluggish service. We put in our orders for drinks, and had to tell our orders again because it was a good 20 minutes that passed. The bottomless bloody marys is a good idea, but they did not have enough to keep up with the supply! We had to wait for them to make more. Its Sunday brunch. You should have enough for brunch. Pretty unacceptable. Been waiting 45 minutes for our food to come out. The brunch food was alright. They forgot to cook my scrambled eggs with my blue berry pancakes, so I had to wait a few minutes for that. coffee was bitter, the biscuits were cold, and the pancakes were a little stiff. Overall and underwhelming experience.
(3)Nancy O.
My hubby and I love this place. We go for date nights and I've been for the occasional brunch. Never had an issue with slow service or sub par food. The ahi tuna is so darn tasty and so is the fire roasted tomato soup!! And the recommendations from the service staff are always great. We get seated quickly and service has always been great, and the management always checks to see that we are well taken care of. I don't understand what people are complaining about. If you don't want to pay for the service of someone else preparing and serving you the meal, then stay home.
(5)Michael H.
If it were just the food, I'd give it a 4 star. However, the service pushed it over the edge. My lunch entree was my go to - roasted chicken with haricot verts and spinach. The chicken is *always* done right: moist with really crisp,well seasoned skin. The veggies are ok, not great not terrible. Nothing special, but good. However, my server was very knowledgeable and accommodated my high maintenance substitutions. And, the manager, Ian, was very friendly without being overbearing. He stopped by a couple of times, asked about the food and chatted. He may have been bored, as I came in towards the end of the lunch service, but he was affable nonetheless. At the end of the meal, for no good reason (I didn't complain, the food was right, they had absolutely no reason to do this) he brought out a creme brûlée, his compliments. He basically said, "you're eating, enjoying your lunch, I thought you might like a dessert. The creme brûlée is my favorite. I hope you like it." Hats off to Ian and Café Deluxe. In a world where people are more and more overlooking the service aspects in the restaurant business, Ian gets it. I'll be coming back!
(5)Devin L.
We were seated quickly and service was great. The low rating of two stars is for the food quality. We started with the crab dip. The dip itself was great but the chips that came with it were so incredibly over salted it was impossible to enjoy the taste of the dip! We both ordered the Turkey burger and we both agreed the burgers Were flavorless and tasteless. The taste was boring at best. Lastly for desert the brownie was burnt on the bottom! We didn't stay for drinks we just wanted to leave after the disappointing meal.
(2)Bill S.
We went there today. The service was excellent. The food was good, albeit on the pricey side. It's a white tablecloth restaurant, but they cover the tablecloth with paper. That seems tacky to me. For their food prices, they ought to be able to afford to launder the tablecloths. I've never seen this before.
(4)Nick S.
I've been to Cafe Deluxe a few times over the years and never really been impressed with it. That being said, I actually had a good meal this past visit. They have bottles of Dogfish Head 60 min. IPA, and the chicken quesadilla is actually quite good. Sadly, this location is a bit chaotic. It's a lot like Silver Diner with a varied menu, but being next to Rio means it's always full of kids and families.
(4)Susan Y.
Cafe Deluxe seems to be a bit out-of-step with the fast-casual and/or national chain vibe in the immediate area, which is probably why it was my favorite of the dinner spots I tried when I was staying nearby on business for the week. Service was quite good, especially considering that I was a women dining alone. I asked my waiter what they're known for, and went with his recommendation for the chicken pot pie. It was honestly the best chicken pot pie I have had. Ever. It was a ridiculously large portion, had a nice, flaky puff pastry crust, lots of cubed chicken breast, interesting vegetables, and a savory rosemary gravy. It was also one of the more reasonable entrees on the menu. Give it a try!
(4)Jack W.
I got a burger and club sandwich here and it was OK. I liked it better when it was the Hamburg Hamlet. I thought everything was kind of pricey for American fare.
(2)Christine E.
For 'burb standards, this could be a pricey happy hour for the fancier cocktails. Beer and wine are cheaper. $6 for my cosmo and $4 for my short rib spring rolls. Both my cocktail and appetizer were yummy, so I was not disappointed. Service was excellent and if the weather is nice, sitting outdoors in the patio overlooking the man-made lake at the Rio isn't all too bad! I'd probably come back here since the location is very convenient to where I live...and again, since it's located at the Rio and you have a view of the lake, it could be a nice spot to hang out.
(3)Miyuki L.
I did not want to eat here because of all the poor reviews but my husband really wanted to.. I was not noticed by the hostess to be seated unti someone else cut in front of me and got seated.. nice. We were walked to the outdoor seating which is nice. The waiter while a nice guy spilled (large drip) gin and tonic on my 1 yr old which she was not happy about and even as I was wiping her off, he never acknowledged it... maybe he was just clueless. The wait is long, we got our drinks and he never brought my daughter's drink which luckily I had brought her own cup out of the stroller. My drink the straw had a salty taste and all I can think of is dirty sweaty hand put my straw in YUCK! The food was just okay, nothing special.. crab dip and toast was okay. My meatloaf was barely warm as well as my daughter's mac/cheese. My husband's steak was pitiful but okay. For some reason my husband wanted to take home their homemade cobbler... it was okay we think they forgot the sugar... I would have much rather spend our money elsewhere .. boo.... I will stick to the side of the rio near Uncle Julios...
(2)Melinda V.
The hubby and I decided to try this place on our way to watch a movie. I'm so glad we did! The service was awesome...our waitress was so happy and did not hesitate to make suggestions when we asked for them. She recommended the Prime Rib sandwich, and I took her up on that, while the hubby had a grilled cheese. While we waited, we were treated to the most awesome view! It was too hot to sit out on the patio, but the giant windows allow any seat in the house to appreciate the lake and green spaces just outside (but from the very pleasantly cooled inside). I loved it...found it extremely relaxing and a wonderful place to have lunch. The food arrived so hot you couldn't really touch the plate. My prime rib sandwich was as good as promised...the steak tender, juicy, flavorful...like a Philly cheesesteak but with more substantial meat. The cheese was just right, melted and gooey, and the mushrooms a nice earthy kick. I left off the peppers...I'm not a bit pepper girl though I did try one tiny piece. If you like that sort of thing they're fine...I thought the sandwich was more than okay without them. The hubby's sandwich was sourdough bread with two kinds of cheese melted over tomatoes...and he pronounced it excellent. If you're in the mood for grilled cheese, this one will soothe your taste buds and take you back to childhood. It's more than enough sandwich to satisfy. I enjoyed everything about this restaurant. The food, the service, the view...everything. The prices might be just a tad over (My sandwich was $14 and hubby's was $10)...but then they are that way at every restaurant in the area, and even higher in Rockville or Bethesda, so I figure they are about average. If you're looking for cheap, go to McDonalds. If you're looking for a nice, tasty meal in a pleasant location with a great view...try this one. Sit outside if it's not too hot.
(5)Hanh N.
It's a chain restaurant in one of those faux walkable shopping centers that litter suburbia now. So of course the food is just going to be okay. I've eaten here several times now when visiting home and the service is fine, the price is about what I expect for a slightly "nicer" chain sit-down restaurant. The food is just average. It's nothing amazing. I had the eggs benedict and the sun-dried tomato hollandaise sauce was really sour and tangy (it was gross), and the poached eggs were more like soft-boiled eggs. The yolk was cooked though instead of runny. Our server was very nice though, and they were willing to accommodate my substitution request. I've had a few other menu items and they were nothing spectacular. Very telling that on a Sunday during prime brunch time (around noon) that the restaurant was half-empty.
(3)Moco's Chubby C.
At cafe deluxe Gaithersburg, food is decent bit the service was horrible
(2)Katie D.
So after finally convincing my boyfriend to go back, I kind of wish I hadn't. it took awhile for the food to come out. We sat around for about 20 minutes until we finally asked about it. Our waiter went to check and came back with our food. The food was terrific, just wish it didn't take so long. All in all, it was better than our prevails visit.
(3)Teresa L.
Years and years ago I wandered into a Cafe Deluxe in Virginia and had lunch there. It was good enough (some pasta dish) that I remembered it (which is sort of unusual for a chain restaurant). So when some friends and I were looking for a place to have dinner before a movie we stopped in at the new Cafe Deluxe at Rio. It's where the Hamburger Hamlet used to be. It was a pleasant evening so we sat on the patio outside. We ordered the crab dip to start and it was pretty uninteresting. There wasn't enough bread with it, so we had to finish it with our spoons. We also ordered the wild mushroom arancini, which was somewhat more successful, although the "herb tomato sauce" tasted like it came out of a jar. They were out several of their bottled beers and nothing they had on draft was compelling so I ended up ordering something from Dogfish Head (can't go wrong there!). I've never seen a waiter pour a beer so ineptly. Honestly, half the glass was foam. When we went to place our dinner order they were out of all our first choices (salmon, lamb). I ordered the tilapia club sandwich without the pancetta and was very pleasantly surprised by it. The fish was fresh and nicely seared, the potato roll it was served on was fluffy and chewy, and the aioli was just the right amount of lemony. The fries it came with were inoffensive but if I ordered it again I would ask to substitute one of the other sides, perhaps the mac and cheese. My friend had that and it looked really good. Service was kind of iffy. The waiter alternated between hovering over us and forgetting all about us, but he was friendly enough and very apologetic about being out of so many things. He really needs to work on his beer pouring skills though. So, bottom line, this is a nice enough place to eat if you are going to eat at the shopping center. The patio is nice and there are things on the menu that should please just about anyone. They offer a gluten free menu but the entree and sandwich choices have nothing for a vegetarian. You can do pretty well off the appetizer, soup and salad, and flatbread menus, though. I gather they have a nice happy hour during the week as well.
(3)Seth G.
The definition of a mediocre dining experience. This was my 2nd trip to Cafe Deluxe. My first experience was very good. The 2nd was less thrilling. The service was good, The food had the feeling of industrially planning. I had an omelette where it feels like the eggs were cooked separately from the filling. It tasted good, but it felt liked it could been made at 7-11, I had the Brownie ala mode for dessert. The brownie was more like a chocolate muffin. It was too light and fluffy. There was more whipped cream than ice cream. A dissapppointing experience.
(2)Matthew S.
I just recently tried this restaurant and was more than pleasantly surprised. It has a great atmosphere and provides outstanding food and is located right on the water. The food was spot on, the wait staff knew the menu from front to back and described everything in great detail. The service was excellent and they completely catered to everything we needed. The chefs executed our dishes to perfection. I'm looking forward to having our next corporate event here. Thanks again!
(5)Sue G.
I first went to this restaurant to check out an event that was being held there one night during the week. It was called Paint Nite, & I wanted to see what it was all about, since I was going to participate in one at another location the following week. So I met a friend there for dinner at around 7pm. The place was practically empty, so I pretty much could pick & choose where I wanted to sit. But I decided to wait for my friend, she was running a little late. But by the time she arrived, the place was beginning to get crowded, & we had to wait in line to get a table. Once we were seated, the waitress came up to our table & gave us our menus. She was very pleasant, & smiled a lot. My friend & I took a look at the menus, but I wanted to see what was going on in the other room where the event was taking place. So I left the table to explore. Once I returned, we decided to both get the same thing on the menu, Salmon. But I had to tweak my order a little bit because I'm on a gluten-free diet, & I can only eat certain things. Plus I can't have any dairy, & a few other restrictions. I know! Tell me about it! If my doctor takes anything else off my diet, I'm going to disappear! Anyway, we first ordered some drinks, because this was the first time that my friend had been out in a long time, so we really needed to celebrate! Hell, it was the first I had been out in a long time, too! Then my friend ordered the salmon just as it appeared on the menu. Then it was MY turn! I told the waitress my diet concerns, so I told her that I couldn't have the rice that came with the salmon, but I would have the sweet potato fries, & I didn't want the sauce that came with the salmon, so I just wanted plain salmon. Then I asked her what the seasonal vegetables were, & when she told me, I told her that I would take those. WHEW! So while we were waiting for our order, I went exploring AGAIN! When I came back, our drinks were on the table. I took a look at my drink, & I knew there was a problem. There was whipped cream on the top of my drink. UH OH! Remember, I can't have dairy! But I thought, how much damage could it do? We made a toast, & I took a sip of my drink, & YIKES! It was SO STRONG, I thought if I drink this whole drink, I'm going to be on the floor! So I put it aside. Then shortly thereafter, our dinner arrived, it looked amazing! I immediately went for the sweet potato fries! They were delicious! I couldn't stop eating them! OMG! Then I tasted the salmon, it was cooked perfectly, & it was delicious! The seasonal vegetables were underneath the salmon. They were great, too! We were so stuffed that we didn't have room for dessert! NOW, I was so impressed, that I decided to go back on a Saturday night, with another friend! But I made a reservation, & it's a good thing that I did, because it was jammed! And we still had to wait in line! And people were getting antsy! But they seated us outside on the patio. I ordered the exact same thing as I got before. But this time they overcooked the salmon! And the funny thing is, we had the same waitress, & she remembered me! But it was nice out on the patio! It was a nice night to sit outside. So, I was a little disappointed that my salmon wasn't as good as the first time. But I definitely like this restaurant, & I would go back there again!
(4)Lisa I.
The service was slow, the food was kind of expensive and really not that great.
(2)D M.
We started at Union Jacks but due to the horrible management and service we ended up here. Strangely enough, the family next to us also left Union Jacks because they didn't get served. It was happy hour (even on Sunday) and wet had drinks in perhaps 2 minutes. We had the happy hour food specials (flatbread and risotto) which they changed for us to make them vegetarian since we needed something quick as we were going to a movie. The food was great, service was fast and even with all the changes she didn't miss one thing. Since wet had the happy hour specials ($5 flatbread with steak, onions, peppers, and cheese was one of them) very reasonably priced. We sat at the bar, so I cannot comment on the main dining areas; but I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience.
(4)David M.
My review is based mostly on an experience working with them to handle a huge group of kids me and a colleague brought for lunch on a book club field trip to see Hobbit! First, I called into the restaurant. I also had to speak to Emily at their catering department in DC. I explained that this was a last minute trip and that we had no real "catering budget" to speak of, and that our students would pay on their own. Not a problem, they said. They set us up with a table for 25 and the check and ordering process were fantastic. They took care of everything in advance and were ready for us when we arrrived. Managing a table of 25 6th graders is tough enough when we, the 2 school staff who came, know them. So I was hoping we'd get competant service. We got more than that. Our guy (and dangit, I forgot his name) was GREAT with our kids. The food came fast and warm. I see a lot of low reviews on here, but I did enjoy my food (as did our other adult chaperones). The kids loved their food, too. I had a benedict. My wife had an omlette. And one of our chaperones had fish tacos. That's the only "adult" food I remember from our trip, and we all liked it. I enjoyed it enough that I will go back. We will definitely look to Cafe Deluxe again for any future book club trips to the movies since they took such great care of us.
(5)Mike K.
Not a regular here and came to Rio to see a movie and it was happy hour, so we wandered in. Happy Hour apps didn't impress me so we asks about specials. We took their advice and shared the lamb, béchamel, spinach,roast pepper and cheese flat bread. Then shared the pan roasted Corvina with butternut squash risotto. Very pleased with both and told the manager. Frozen Margaritas were powerful yet a bit too sweet for me. Brownie was light like cake and didn't taste like a brownie, and told server they can do better than that. I would highly recommend the specials on the menu and will be back.
(4)Sjoerd C.
We went with high expectations to this place. Certainly because the name tries to refer to the French class in terms of cuisine and serves. One thing I can tell the roots of the owner were not really French. Service especially from the manager were below expected hospitality and professionalism. Though need to confess diner tasted well, not excellent but well.
(1)Alex S.
Replacing the venue of the previous restaurant--Hamburger Hamlet--is the new American restaurant called Cafe Deluxe. Situated inside the same building as the AMC Loews Rio Cinema and offering a great view of the boardwalk and the lake, it's a good location for local residents and workers to have a casual lunch or a nice business meal. The restaurant opened just a week ago, so as I walked inside it was absolutely spotless. I was greeted warmly by the hostess and was shown to my table. Along the way, I saw a bar with a large assortment of wines and beers, several televisions hanging throughout the restaurant, and even a private section of the restaurant isolated by two sets of doors and large glass windows. I sat down and I was immediately greeted by my waitress. She gave me my menu and started describing the soup of the day and the day's special. I ordered a glass of unsweetened iced tea while I perused the menu. Unlike some restaurant menus that seem to try to cater to everyone's whims by listing every kind of dish thought of and resulting in a 6+ page menu, this restaurant's menu was just one page, although the font size used to list the dish might pose some trouble for people with bad eyesight. Their lunch menu consisted of appetizers, starter salads, main salads, sandwiches, main dishes, soups, extra sides, desserts, and beverages. There were no more than 14 choices to choose from for the sandwiches and main dishes, which I thought was a reasonable number. I started off with a starter salad of mixed green salad with teardrop tomatoes and shaved parmesan. The bed of mixed greens was tossed in a little bit of balsamic vinegar and oil, topped with half slices of small tomatoes, and fresh shaved parmesan sprinkled on top. It was pretty good! The greens were fresh and the parmesan had a nice kick to them, which for me means they used real parmesan and not those fake ones found in grocery stores packaged inside small pouches. But for a starter salad, I thought it was a fairly large portion. My main dish was the hanger steak with peppercorn sauce, asparagus, and mashed potatoes, but I substituted the mashed potatoes for sweet potato fries. All the elements of the dish were arranged neatly. The 6-7 pieces of the steak lined the bottom half of my plate over the peppercorn sauce while the fries were on the top half, with the three grilled asparagus spears lying on top of the bed of fries. I cut into the steak and saw it was medium-rare, exactly how I ordered it. The steak was tender, and the peppercorn sauce made it delicious. The sweet potato fries were also cooked well. My main complaint is the grilled asparagus. Although they were grilled perfectly, they were very salty. They tasted like they were soaked in salt water for some time before being cooked. Another issue was the steak. Although they were cooked well and were juicy and tender, the steak in combination with the sauce made it very salty. Perhaps other people might not mind or sense the saltiness, but I felt the chef who made this could have been less heavy-handed with the salt. Pepper I'm fine with, but if something is too salty, it really takes away from my enjoying meal. Overall, the service was good. One of the managers came up to me while I was eating and asked if there was anything I needed or if I had any suggestions. I suppose that was a good sign. The food, however, has some room for improvement. The salad was good, and my main dish was okay overall, but it would have been better without all the extra salt.
(3)Rasha B.
Came here with my husband, got served by Tracy, she is the most helpful ever, love the place love the food, and we got great server.
(5)Nikki A.
Realllllyyyyy wanted to like this place because I've heard such great things about the one in Bethesda. Unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype or my expectations. Came here with some relatives who flew in from Los Angeles and were starving after a delayed flight. The server never told us her name and the service was incredibly SLOW! Food wasn't amazing and portions were TINY. Review for the food goes as follows: Free Bread The first basket took FOREVER to arrive and the crust was really hard. Only enough slices for four people and one measly pat of butter. Really? And for a table of six?... whoever was in charge of portions wasn't thinking. The second basket again took forever and this time the bread wasn't even hot. After the really hard crust on the first round, we were preparing our teeth for battle... only to get soft, cold, not so good bread. Appetizers Ahi Tuna Tartare only had 4 slices and some weird salad that no one liked. Decent but I've definitely had better. Mac and Cheese was really salty and kind of an odd appetizer. Appetizers are for sharing and a kid's size portion of Mac and Cheese is just weird to share with everyone's forks poking into the plate... Entrees Starter salad of argula and roasted beets lacked more flavor and was decently sized. Steak Cobb Salad had almost no steak. My husband even dug to the bottom of the shredded lettuce hoping that there was some hidden below. The spareribs were as big as my hand (which is really small...). The roasted lamb shank was fatty and kind of bland and gross, but the mashed potatoes and asparagus were good. Goat cheese omelet and salad was slightly larger in portion than other entrees but the taste was just so-so. Desserts I love desserts so I was hoping that this would save the meal. Sadly it did not. Apple crumble lacked flavor. The crumble had too much flour and was bland instead of sweet. Bananas Foster Bread Pudding sounded so good. Was really disappointed when a small round of "pudding" came out and had only a slight hint of banana but was doused in sickeningly sweet caramel. :( so sad that it didn't work out this time. If I ever come back I hope the service will have improved and the food will taste a lot better.
(2)Sajid S.
Service/Management is terrible. This place is not at par with other Cafe Deluxe locations. Having been to several other Cafe Deluxes (Bethesda, DC, Tysons etc), I had high expectations but both the food (meatloaf, chicken potpie) as well as quality of service at this joint was disappointing. Tried more than once thinking may be it was an off day for them the first time around. But the same story every time. We have stopped going since then.
(2)Keren S.
The food here is consistently good. My fiance and I are very happy that this restaurant took over from Hamburger Hamlet. The bison burger was very good, cooked exactly as ordered and the chefs were very accommodating of our special request for veggies steamed without butter or oil. The Oreo cheesecake, which wasn't your traditional cheesecake, was delicious and a great end to the meal. We also had excellent service last time we went. Taylor S. was very attentive, not overbearing, checked right away on our special requests with the chef. He made sure our drinks were refilled before we needed to ask and we had everything we needed without feeling like he was hovering. We plan to ask for him again next time we go to Cafe Deluxe, which will definitely be soon.
(4)Sandra J.
My 2 stars are based upon service and not the food. Up until recently my husband and I, have enjoyed coming to Cafe Deluxe over the years for the food and the service. Unfortunately, after our visit this past Saturday, this view has changed for us. Upon arrival around 12:30 p.m. we were greeted by the hostess and were seated right away (outdoor area). We waited for almost 10 minutes and we just kept seeing the waiters pass by us. No one greeted us to let us know they would be right with us. Finally, my husband and I, decided to just get up and leave. As we were leaving we asked to speak with the manager (Sean Gentry) to let him know our experience. He seemed very annoyed that we were describing the situation and did not once apologize for the lack of service. He did however, offer us free lunch but as you can imagine by his tone and demeanor, I decided it would be best if we took our family elsewhere. He proceeded by giving us his card and said to my husband "if you want to blame someone, I guess you can blame me since I am the shift manager". Again, he did not apologize and was very arrogant about the situation. You will lose business like this with that type of management. I feel very disappointed with this interaction, as I usually enjoy my experience. I would say go for the food since it is delicious but watch out for this arrogant manager.
(2)Salma M.
The food is ok the service was ok nothing great I got the Cobb salad with crab cake, the crab cake cake is the best part and the avocados were good too but everything else was just ok oh yeah my frozen margarita was ok too, but what does it matter what I say this f***ing yelp just filters my reviews like I have time to write bs about restaurants I'm just telling the truth
(2)Chelsea C.
I am genuinely surprised by all the negative reviews about this place. I have ordered out and dined in about a dozen times since they opened earlier this year and have always had a pleasant experience. Last night a group of us got together and we had a great time. My boyfriend ordered the steak frites and was given a decent sized portion of steak that was cooked to a perfect medium rare; he said if he had he been starving the portion would have been too small but for what he wanted it was great. I tend to stick to dishes under the "Sandwiches" section and opted to try the tilapia BLT. I don't usually like tilapia, but it was flavorful, nicely seasoned and very moist. The lime-caper tartar sauce was delicious. The service was the best part. We were well taken care of by Daniel who was extremely friendly, helpful, and ready to recommend cocktails and dinner items. He showed up practically unnoticed with drink refills at just the right times and my friend looked over at me at one point and jokingly said, "I think our waiter is also a ninja." :) On a final note, Cafe Deluxe has a frequent dining program that's free. Every dollar spent is a point earned and when you've reached a certain number of points you earn money off future visits. Why not, right? Just another reason to keep coming back...
(4)Philip R.
I wanted to have dinner here tonight with my family to celebrate my birthday. Not because I am in love with their food, but because it is an easy place to make sure everyone can find something they like (with a large group there are always picky eaters and we have 4 children in my family). I also wanted to check out their newest spot. I called about a week ago and asked if I could make a reservation. The person who answered the phone said that they are not taking reservations, but with the size of my group (14) I could call the day of in the morning and they would have no problem accommodating my group. My wife called this morning and she was assured that although they do not yet take reservations, they would put a table together for us at 6 pm. My wife asked a second time: "are you sure you will have a table for us? I don't want 14 people getting there and you tell us there won't be a table." She was assured that they would accommodate us. Before heading to the restaurant we called ahead a second time, an hour before our 6 pm arrival. We were again assured there would be a table for us. I guess you can see where this is going. We got there a little before 6 and were told that they would be unable to accommodate us in one table. The manager said that based upon the design of the seating, they are unable to seat a group of our size. Funny thing is that there was a row of tables and they had just seated a 2 top in the middle of the row. This row of tables could have easily accommodated our party. It became clear that they were unwilling to seat our party. Someone might read this and say "hey, the place made a mistake, which happens." Well, there were two other larger groups behind us that were given the same story as above and the management wouldn't honor their reservations either. Finally, and I know this is a bit long winded, but they have a whole room in the rear that the manager was unwilling to open. Maybe they are just new, maybe the management is bad, maybe they had miscalculated the staffing needed for tonight, but if they had just told us up front this morning that they couldn't accommodate us, we would have found somewhere else to go. Its really hard make alternate arrangements though at 6 pm for that sized group. Furthermore, the manager was unwilling to apologize. I will never be back!
(1)Monica R.
Went to Cafe Deluxe a week after they opened, and the place looked gorgeous! My friends and I stopped by the bar just for a couple drinks. The bartender was the rudest bartender I've EVER ENCOUNTERED. He threw the menus in front of us, didn't even say hi, and refused to give some people shots. I could overhear him talking about our group to other people at the bar and he was giving us sideways glances. Okay mister rude bartender. Yes, we were a group of six sitting at the bar. Yes, all we wanted was one drink. Yes, only one person wanted food. And for those wondering, no, we were not being rowdy. The bartender simply wanted to get out of there. He saw our big party come in at 9pm for an after hour drink and apparently we ruined his evening. Do not go to Cafe Deluxe and if you do, PLEASE do not go to their bar area! Edit: 12/13/11: My mistake. They didn't deny us shots. They denied us MIXED DRINKS. W.T.F.
(1)Kelly P.
The menu can be a bit pricey, and they have interesting rules pertaining to what they will serve you at the bar versus at the tables. For example you cannot get a Dale's Pale Ale except at the bar during official Happy Hour hours. If you are within the hours but in the dining room, they will not serve you this beverage. That said the ambiance is as good as you would hope, and the bar is comfortable to sit at for extended periods of time. Most recently we were served by Dorian. I recommend asking if he is working, and requesting his section. His attention and service was stellar.
(3)D W.
I was surprised at such a low rating. The service was good and the food was very good.
(4)Sam L.
Went to Cafe Deluxe with a bunch of my friends and ordered the chicken pot pie - as per reviewers here on Yelp. It was delicious! The pie top was flaky and buttery while the inside of the pie was a delicious mix of vegetables and generous portion of chicken. My friends ordered the hanger steak and it tasted average - as did the regular fries. Great service, good chicken pot pie and the food came out fast and hot.
(4)Matt L.
The opening of Café Deluxe had left us in anticipation, as you would not expect too much of a transition between a vacated restaurant to a grand opening. It was a nice sight to see the doors finally open. The cleanliness and brightness from the white tablecloths immediately take your attention, which is where the "Deluxe" comes in. The staff is decked out in white dress shirts with ties (guys and gals), which adds to the upscale feel. Unlike some alternatives, CD offers their regular lunch menu in addition to their brunch offerings. We started with the Sundried Tomato Hummus, which was accompanied with several toasted pita pieces. The hummus was good, but lacked a punch. The addition of the table salt and pepper helped with that, so no harm-no foul. Our server, which was the perfect mixture of attentive and informative without being over bearing, recommended the brunch special which was a Chorizo Eggs Benedict. The term "Chorizo" always makes me giddy, so I didn't really have to think twice. The sausage was fresh and perfect in terms of spiciness. The Benedict itself though was served on a semi-burnt piece of toast, which left a tad to be desired. My lunchmate went with the Grilled Cheese, which was complimented with Bacon and Tomato. As simple as a grilled cheese is, it is amazing how so many can go wary in the preparation. The key to success is leaving some chew in the bread with a buttery crispness. The CD version served didn't even achieve that from a visual observation, much less a taste. The crusts were near inedible (Way too dry), but the sandwich as a whole was decent, just a disappointment in terms of its potential. The soft drink service was on point however, and the entire service staff (Our waitress and runners) were professional, pleasant, and positive. The upscale twist on diners that have popped up in the area usually produce more of a bland, and pizzazz lacking product. The menu, as a whole is very pleasing on paper though, as are the prices, so repeat visits will more than likely occur.
(2)Gary L.
Gave Cafe Deluxe a second chance this past Sunday afternoon. It was Father's day, so we didn't expect to be seated immediately, but we were. The weather was perfect so we sat on the patio. I tried the grilled meatloaf - rocked. The mashed potates were pretty good, but the accompanying green beans were not very good (maybe had been frozen???) My wife ordered the buffalo burger and she liked it. The sweet potato fries were crispy and done "just right." We had capuccino and espresso w/ a salted caramel sundae. Espresso was one of those filter packs, I think - not a very good cup. However, the wife loved her capp. The salted caramel sundae was off the hook good. Finally, service this time around was far better than my first visit. I think they've smoothed out some of their service problems. Lauren was our waitress and she was on time, appropriately friendly - just the right balance of presence w/ letting us eat and enjoy each other. I'll be back.
(4)Steve D.
Been a regular every few months at their Tyson's location and been to this Rio location 3 times now. You can count on consistency with food and service, and that's what we tend to look for -- count-on-ability. Yesterday, my wife and I had their Crab Benedict and it was really good ... but I always enjoy their food. Their staff is professional, friendly and well-trained. Solid place.
(4)Jeanine K.
Still not my favorite...third time trying this restaurant and second time I played it safe and ordered the mussels. The service was good but wouldn't recommend this one too frequently. I hear the turkey burger is good but I'm not sure I will go back.
(2)Harris H.
We were at the Rio in Gaithersburg, md and stopped in to grab a bite at Guapos, and they had a 90 minute wait. We decided to go to Cafe Deluxe, which is the biggest mistake ever!!!! The waitress was awesome, and we truly felt horrible she had to deal with it. My wife and a friend ordered the hanger steak, while myself and my friend's girlfriend ordered the meatloaf. When the food came out, 3 of the 4 dishes were not even luke warm. My meatloaf was an inch thick, while the other plate with meatloaf was 2" thick. She cut into the meatloaf and when realizing it was cold, sent it back. They brought her back out her same piece of meatloaf, reheated, which is a health code violation in itself. Both of the hanger steak plates were cold, and the steak itself was completely raw. My wife's broccoli was completely raw as well. The serving size is small as well. 3 asparagus, 2 tablespoons of mac and cheese and a below average size of meatloaf for $12.95. The hanger steak had the same small portions. 5 small pieces of steak, 1 broccoli spear and same size for mac and cheese for $17.95. We will NEVER go back as we are not picky eaters, but even this was a horrible experience.
(1)Roslyn W.
To was really disappointed. When the a waitress greeted us and to,d us about the specials, she actually said she was having trouble speaking due to the excess saliva in her mouth! Totally grossed us out. Two of the five items were delivered wrong...had to be sent back. She to,d us the burger was not char broiled and it was . Never brought us read....really beyond poor verging on pathetic overall. This place needs training and better hiring.
(1)Shawn G.
I had a horrible experience here. Cafe Deluxe in Gaithersburg, MD isn't worthy of another visit. The wait staff was very rude, the food was below average and the ambiance was ok. I have had much better experience in Cafe Deluxe in Mclean, VA. I visited this facility (Cafe Deluxe, Rio-Gaithersburg, MD) in mid June with my brother and a friend on a Saturday evening. At the reception nobody even bothered to guide us to a table...they just told us to go to the patio (based on my preference) and find a table ourselves. We did that and then the "fun" part began. We sat for 20 minutes and nobody bothered to come and ask for water/drinks. I waved at the waiter and then he reluctantly came. After serving the water/drinks he rushed us to order then I said we need 2-3 minutes. And then he didn't bother to come for another 15 minutes. He didn't bother to even bring us some bread which he did to some of the other tables. Once he came and took the order...I mentioned about the bread and he was displeased (showed a weird and mocking face). After a while he brought the bread. We asked for some extra butter and an extra plate (because he gave 2 plates for 3 people)...he rudely kind of "shouted" ..."I'll bring it to you...OKAY !!??!!". But he NEVER brought those!! The food arrived and it was horrible. The appetizers were average...the lamb shank tasted bland (and I love the lamb shank of Cafe Deluxe in Mclean, VA)....the desserts were just ok. Our server didn't even have the courtesy to ask how the food was. Then a manager was passing by (nice guy asking around customers about the food and experience)....I mentioned the situation/rudeness (which I think was purposeful) of the server to him and he apologized on behalf of the server. However, the server didn't bother to apologize even if he was standing nearby and overheard the conversation. Then another interesting part began....I gave my credit card to pay for the check.....after 10 minutes the server came back and asked me "are you sure you gave your credit card to me"???? Then after searching for another 15 minutes the server and a senior manager returned to apologize...mentioning they don't know how did the credit card reach the bar area on another side of the restaurant. Instead of apologizing the server cracked another joke- "probably your card has legs"!! (still didn't apologize! even if his senior manager did!) I don't think I'll EVER go back to this restaurant again after this horrible experience - below average food and very RUDE behavior of the wait-staff. I'm a foodie and I love exploring restaurants in the area with my friends...but I'm saying - NO to Cafe Deluxe in Gaithersburg, MD (Rio's). I'll convey the same to my friends. There are other good restaurants in Rio's ... I'd say try one of those unless this place improves its ambiance, behavior of wait-staff and quality of FOOD.
(1)Dirk P.
So - unlike those above my family and I had a very nice experience here. I ordered nothing from the bar so I cannot speak to that..but: Server was friendly and helpful and happy to recommend things. His recommendations were helpful and tasty. Service was fast enough - we told them we had a movie and we made it out in under an hour. Shrimp and grits were remarkable. Chicken pot pie crust was light and flaky. All the other dishes were on par with anywhere else I have been. It was a good eating experience. Give it a chance.
(4)Kathleen C.
Food is good, but not superb and definitely not as good as Cafe Delux in Los Angeles or Florida. The service is fairly attentive and adequate, the restaurant itself reminds one of the former Hamburger Hamlet. A renovation would be helpful and the menu could use some tweaking as the food choices should stand out amongst the competing restaurants of which there are many.
(3)Michael W.
What an extremely pleasant surprise this place was. We walked by her before, in the summer time, place was always crowded, but never spiked an interest. This past Saturday, before we headed to the movies, we decided to have a quick bite. Service was great, very professional, knowledgeable but surely not overbearing. Food selection very nice. Their specials are actually a try out for their new menu....worked for us....Mrs got their half chicken (on the bone). She could not stop raving about it......cooked to perfection. I ordered the mussels, and was too, pleasantly surprised by their taste. Plates were served hot, and wine selection was good. Prices are very decent. Highly recommend this restaurant.
(4)Bob C.
I just had dinner there with my adult son. It was an awful experience. 1. The service was terrible. 20 mins to get an appetizer 2. The food was awful tasting. My son's burger (if they can't make at least a decent burger than why bother) was tasteless as if it were pre-frozen the bun was soggy. His Fries were cold. My pasta was barely warm, the pasta sauce may have just come from a supermarket jar, actually I have tasted better from some brands the shrimp were obviously also from frozen. 3. The prices for what you get were very high 4. I felt the food was no better than if I was eating at an airport restaurant. I suggest do not waste your money especially in this economy.
(1)Jose E.
Can't say I enjoyed my first visit to Cafe Deluxe. I really thought the food was overpriced for what you get. Poor presentation and poor quality. The staff needs lots of polishing from the hostess to the wait staff. Our waitress was not nice at all and her smile just seemed to be forced and not genunine. I decided to only give 10% tip. To my surprise when I got my credit card statement someone at the restaurant had increased their tip to 20%. Really?????? The dishonesty just lost you a customer.
(2)Dalton P.
My wife and i have been regulars at the Cleveland Park location for years so we were very happy to find out that they were opening a location in Gaithersburg. When they first opened, things were chaotic. Wait staff was unprepared, food was unpredictable but that have finally caught their groove and are a decent not-too-expensive place to grab dinner. Tuna Nicoise salad very nice and i always love their petit filet.
(4)Lisa G.
I've been to other Cafe Deluxe's which have been great. This one leaves A LOT to be desired. The food was meh at best. The service was horrible. We had a table of 12 and our server couldn't get drinks in a timely fashion, never cleared plates, and our entrees took for ever. I will not return to this CD.
(1)Sunshine W.
This place was horrible! We ordered drinks that tasted like pure rubbing alcohol. The food had no flavor and was cold. The service was slow. There are plenty of other good restaurants to go to in Rio. The only reason this place gets business is because of the location.
(2)Karen W.
I really appreciated that they let me create my own meal. They offer a grilled tilapia sandwich with fries or a salad. I wanted the tilapia as an entree with two vegetable side dishes. Not only did they make that for me but the waiter commented on how "creative" I was with the menu. It was so delicious and everyone was so pleasant. I look forward to going back!
(4)Oscar S.
Meh..meh..meh. Well what can I say about Cafe Deluxe. When we first arrived everyone was very nice. They greeted us and sat us at a table. Our waitress was very nice as well and seemed to suggest real good items off the menu. We placed our order w/ an app to start. The appetizer came out at a decent time was very good, we ordered the eggrolls. The problem started when our food came out. First my eggs were done not they way I had ordered them. So she took my plate back but then it took forever for them to make egg, 'sunny-side up'. Not sure why. Then my g/f's food came out. The wrong soup came out w/ that. Our server didn't came back to check to see how our, well her food, was. No 5 min/5 bite rule. We had to ask another server about the soup, so he took it back and came back w/ the right soup. Once we saw our waitress back, we let her know that we had the wrong soup. All she said was sorry and then left. My g/f was halfway done w/ her food when mine finally came. Overall, we did not have a good experience and were never offered a discount or free desert or anything. We didn't complain, just asked for our check. As we were paying we noticed that the table next to us had the same thing happen to them, lol. Never the less, we will not be going back to vist. Not much 'Deluxe'.
(2)Elizabeth W.
I have been here a few times and the food has been consistently good and the service has been excellent. Bartenders are always friendly as well as the waitstaff. I have enjoyed all of my experiences at this establishment and will most definitely be back.
(4)Brielle N.
I was excited to go here for dinner, having heard good things about the other locations. I should have stayed home and heated up a frozen pre-made burger though, I would have had the same quality of food and service. Never going back.
(1)Kevin S.
First time visit. I had great service at the bar. Got a delicious Bison Burger with yummy sweet potato fries after a hearty bowl of black eye pea soup. Started with some hot coffee then switched to Paulaner Hefeweizen beer on draft, then Flying Dog Raging Bitch IPA. Very tasty, just the right temperature on the brew and all that was served. Food and drink served promptly and courteously. Recommend it highly!
(5)Amy A.
I've been to this location a couple of times. The first time was in January for lunch on a Thursday and there weren't any tables open in the dining room so we ate in the bar. The food was great but the food and service were so slow. It took almost to two hours for lunch, which was incredibly inconvenient when you are looking to get on with your day. It would have been nice to have a couple of soft drinks on the house for the long wait but nothing like that was offered. We went for brunch last Saturday and it was very quiet since the restaurant had just opened for the day. We had a great experience - the service was good and the food was also very tasty. The only thing I could complain about was the side of berries that my husband ordered for $6 and I think about 6 berries came out - ridiculously over-priced. The prices here are a bit high but the quality of the food and the ambiance are the highlights.
(3)Wendy V.
I am surprised to.see all the bad reviews. I had a great time at Cafe Deluxe. my food was great and my sever was excellent. the chocolate browney was srumptious. I also appreciate the fact that the manager took the time to mix my drinks and chat for a bit. great job by all.
(4)Muge A.
This place has amazing food!!!! I love the location to which makes it even better and their pomegranate margaritas are delicious. If you have not ate there yet, I recommend you do so.
(4)F P.
We were a party of five. As the last to arrive a little after 7 on Tuesday, I spent a minute in the bar. Our waitress, Heather, was excellent. She kept checking back with us to make sure we had what we needed. The chicken egg rolls were tasty, but extremely small for the price. One of my friends was outraged by the high--150%--markup going from bar to dining room. Low marks for prices. High marks for bar staff, who were great to my friends, and waitress. Because of prices and no concessions to friends, am unlikely to return. At least one other member of my party feels the same way. BTW, why have small plates out to share minuscule portions?
(2)Georgina T.
I normally love coming to Cafe Deluxe but this Saturday night was a real disappointment. The food came out very late, though it was one of the first warm evening of the season and the place was packed. I ordered the shrimp camadoro and wish I would have stuck with their yummy salads. The shrimp was over cooked, as was the pasta and the it was all swimming in an over salty red sauce. I'm not one to send food back, but if I was ....
(3)Kelly O.
I took my 4 children (ages 8 and under) out to lunch on a Sunday and it was perfect. The hostess greeted us warmly when we walked in and immediately recognized that I needed a highchair. Our table was in a nice open location which gave the children lots of things to look at as we ate. The food came out as ordered and my sandwich was delicious. I would like some more variety within the children's menu (maybe turkey burger sliders) although I did appreciate the berry substitution for the fries. The berries were ripe and firm- perfect. Our server was friendly and attentive. The manager stopped by to check on our meal which was completed in under an hour. I will definitely be back and recommend this restaurant to others who are planning to visit Rio.
(4)N D.
I came by here once in December for drinks, which were good and we had great service, and recently for their weekend brunch. The brunch ambience is nice, with the restaurant open to the patio on the lake, and the food is really good. Outside of the brunch menu, there aren't a lot of vegetarian options, so this is not a place that I will be able to come back very often.
(4)Phillip W.
Poor service. Had to ask for refills. Spill went unnoticed for 10+ minutes. Waiter not seen even though the place was not busy at all. Food arrives luke warm and is nothing special.
(2)David L.
My wife and I recently dined at the newly opened Cafe Deluxe. Wanting to catch a quick bite to eat before catching a movie, we sat at the bar. Though everything in the restaurant was new, it seemed that not much effort was made into renovating the inside since the takeover from the past occupant "Hamburger Hamlet". I ordered a burger which came with a measly ten fries (I counted). My wife ordered the chicken pot pie. She said that it was the worst she's ever had (and could better by purchasing one from the frozen food section of the grocery store). The chicken pot pie at Copper Creek Grill, right around the corner, is superior in quality and taste. When the bartender asked my wife about her dish, she said that was just OK and had too many onions. Instead of apologizing about the dish, the bartender said "there were also alot of leaks in the pie as well". With the demanding clientele in the area, this restaurant better step up its game or it will be a short stay in the Rio complex.
(1)Stacey L.
Good solid american food. This place has gotten a bad rap for some reason. All restaurants experience growing pains but the reviews here have been somewhat brutal. My husband and I have been here a handful of times either for brunch or dinner since they opened and only one time did we experience anything other than an enjoyable time. One time we went here for brunch with my family and my brother's bagel was really bad and his girlfriend and my eggs Benedict were not runny. The polite and friendly server immediately got the manger and rectified the problem. Having worked in the restaurant business in dc and NYC for a long time in the past, I can understand a new restaurant having a few problems but nothing to warrant 1 or 2 stars. I guess I'm a little more forgiving than most. I think this place will only get better over time and they deserve a second chance. We are moving soon and will definitely miss coming here for Sunday brunch.
(4)Richard B.
worst muscles ever, do not order. small portion and they were old and dried up. commented to manager but they did nothing . go someplace else if you're waiting to see the movies at Rio.
(1)Jen W.
My husband and I have been here twice. The first time we went for dinner. We had high expectations because we liked the Cafe Deluxe in Bethesda. Unfortunately, my husband's meal (Penne with chicken, red peppers, asparagus, spinach and light cream sauce) was inedible. The chicken was hard, the "light" sauce heavy, and the vegetables were sparse--more like a garnish. My Ahi tuna was fine, but we left quickly because my husband really couldn't eat that meal. Our second try was when we decided to have a pre-movie appetizer, with the intent of going back after the movie for the whole meal. We had a bit of a wait for the table, which was understandable. However once we were seated no one came to ask us if we wanted a drink. We were just about ready to leave after 15 minutes of waiting, when a server who was bussing a table at the time noticed we were unhappy and came over to take our order. This time the food was fine but the service was poor. We won't be giving them a 3rd chance.
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