Thanks for the Fries

Really thanks for the fries is about all we could say after our meal at Cafe Rio. We ended up there by accident, but it is not a mistake we will soon repeat. Walking in we were hopeful, it looked like we may have found a well kept secret right along the beach. Well, if it was a secret there is a reason, it's just not good, and it is way over priced. For a place that has an ocean front piece of property it can boast no ocean view, as all you can see from the large windows are cars and bugs a few live palm trees and one dead one. The interior looks like it has been forgotten, perhaps designed in the 70's and the patrons all looked to have been created long before that.

When you go to their website it claims that...
"When you step into Café Rio, you’ll instantly be swept up by waves of mouth-watering fragrances, wafting delightfully from the assortment of dishes we’re carrying out of the kitchen. Welcome to your new favorite restaurant, where we’ll be providing you with the freshest, most appetizing menu of delectable daily specials, to be found in all of Aptos. And best of all, our selection is guaranteed to fill your stomach without emptying your pockets!"

I can honestly say we were not met by waves of anything but regret. I ordered a Cesar Salad due to the menu offering nothing that sounded worth the price. The two girls I took with me decided that a cheese burger which was described as having yellow cheese was their safest option. My salad was nothing to write home about. The lettuce was fine, the chicken had no flavor and the dressing was overly peppery. The girls ordered their burgers medium and they cam burnt and crispy. I would have to give the Cafe Rio a 1.

At Least the Coffee's Good

I've been to Fins a few times now. The first time was right when it opened. I had gone with friends and we were delighted to find another coffee spot with games already provided, as we enjoy a bit of completion with our caffeine. It was also cute when our coffee came with an animal cookie on the side. So I went back, even though there is no wireless, to support the new Fins Coffee.

My second and third visits didn't leave much of an impression, perhaps because they were the run in and out kind, and our drinks were not much to write home about.

So on Monday when I had to go downtown I figured I would give it another shot (pun intended), as I had some reading to do, and it didn't look to be overly populated.

I walked up to the counter and placed my order, "a large white chocolate mocha with mint" The reply was a weird look from the barista, followed by, "$5.15" Okay, I go to coffee shops daily, and I never ever pay that much for any coffee. But, what could I do aside from choke as I handed over the cash. As I made my way to a table I had to squeeze past the only other two people in the place, as the tables are all behind the one they were at. Sitting down I comforted myself with the thought that at least I will get my animal cookies. But then they called my drink, I made my way back past the other two people who made no effort to make my journey any less awkward, and found my very small "large" drink sitting all alone on the counter no little critters in sight. Back at the table I tasted the expensive mis-sized drink and thought, "at least the coffee's good."

Sadly good coffee was just not enough for me. The overwhelmingly loud spastic Jazz music, combined with the closeness of the tables made it impossible to concentrate. I would say the decor is fine, but the set up of the place, is just awkward. I guess the final straw was when I figured out that I was in fact sitting beside the owner, and it was he whom I had to pass by. I would have thought that perhaps the owner would go the extra mile to make the guests visit as simple and easy as possible. One would also hope that he would notice the overwhelming music and do something about it. All in all it is safe to say Fins did not rank high in my book.

I give it a 4