Cafe Rio Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Cafe Rio cooks with: soybean/canola blend for cooking (the chain's April 2025 nutrition sheet footnotes that its only soy-derived ingredient is highly refined soybean oil); creamy dressings on a soybean-oil mayo base. The flour tortillas are NOT a soybean-oil product: the chain's own panel prints 7 g saturated on 14 g fat (50%) for the 12-inch tortilla with a vegetarian mark and 0 g trans, which reads as a palm-type shortening.. Across the 97 menu items we analyzed, it averages 6.0g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
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Safest Orders at Cafe Rio
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Pico de Gallo | 0.0g |
| Mint Limeade | 0.0g |
| Blueberry Mint Limeade | 0.0g |
| Sour Cream | 0.1g |
| Famous Tres Leches | 0.9g |
What to Avoid at Cafe Rio
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Chicken Burrito | 14.0g |
| Chicken Quesadilla | 14.0g |
| Shrimp Burrito | 13.0g |
| Chicken Enchiladas | 13.0g |
| Chicken Tacos (3) | 13.0g |
Every Cafe Rio item, ranked
All 97 items we have for Cafe Rio, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Pico de Gallo | 0.0g |
| Mint Limeade | 0.0g |
| Blueberry Mint Limeade | 0.0g |
| Horchata | 0.0g |
| Salsa Fresca | 0.0g |
| Green Chile Sauce | 0.0g |
| Sour Cream | 0.1g |
| Guacamole | 0.4g |
| Black Beans | 0.6g |
| 6 inch Flour Tortilla | 0.6g |
| Pinto Beans | 0.9g |
| Rice | 0.9g |
| Famous Tres Leches | 0.9g |
| Shredded Jack Cheese | 0.9g |
| Red Chile Sauce | 1.0g |
| Cheddar Jack Blend | 1.0g |
| Cilantro Lime Rice | 1.2g |
| Cilantro Lime Dressing | 1.2g |
| 12 inch Flour Tortilla | 1.5g |
| Elotes | 2.0g |
| Grilled Fajita Veggies | 2.0g |
| Chocolate Flan | 2.0g |
| Coconut Flan | 2.0g |
| Chips & Salsa | 3.6g |
| Chips & Queso | 3.8g |
| Kids Cheese Quesadilla Meal | 4.0g |
| Pork Barbacoa Taco | 4.0g |
| Cheese Enchilada | 4.0g |
| Shredded Chicken Taco | 4.0g |
| Fire Grilled Salmon Taco | 4.0g |
| Chile Roasted Beef Taco | 4.0g |
| Fire Grilled Chicken Taco | 4.0g |
| Chips & Guacamole | 4.0g |
| Chips & Elotes | 5.0g |
| Kids Chicken Quesadilla Meal | 5.0g |
| Pork Barbacoa Enchilada | 5.0g |
| Kids Beef Quesadilla Meal | 5.0g |
| Pork Barbacoa Tostada | 5.0g |
| Shredded Chicken Tostada | 5.0g |
| Fire Grilled Steak Taco | 5.0g |
| Shredded Chicken Enchilada | 5.0g |
| Fire Grilled Chicken Enchilada | 5.0g |
| Tortilla Soup | 5.9g |
| Double Shredded Chicken Taco | 6.0g |
| Fire Grilled Chicken Tostada | 6.0g |
| Kids Grilled Chicken Quesadilla Meal | 6.0g |
| Double Pork Barbacoa Taco | 6.0g |
| Shredded Cheese Quesadilla | 6.0g |
| Grilled Salmon Tostada | 6.0g |
| Veggie Salad | 6.0g |
| Fire Grilled Steak Enchilada | 6.0g |
| Beans Rice & Cheese Burrito | 7.0g |
| Fresh Lime Pie | 7.0g |
| Shredded Chicken Bowl | 7.0g |
| Shredded Chicken Salad | 7.0g |
| Shredded Chicken Quesadilla | 7.0g |
| Fire Grilled Steak Tostada | 7.0g |
| Pork Barbacoa Quesadilla | 8.0g |
| Fire Grilled Chicken Quesadilla | 8.0g |
| Shredded Chicken Burrito | 8.0g |
| Chile Roasted Beef Salad | 8.0g |
| Double Fire Grilled Steak Taco | 8.0g |
| Fire Grilled Salmon Salad | 8.0g |
| Chile Roasted Beef Bowl | 8.0g |
| Fire Grilled Salmon Bowl | 8.0g |
| Vegetarian Nachos | 8.0g |
| Pork Barbacoa Salad | 8.0g |
| Fire Grilled Chicken Salad | 8.0g |
| Pork Barbacoa Bowl | 8.0g |
| Fire Grilled Chicken Bowl | 8.0g |
| Sweet Pork Salad | 9.0g |
| Creamy Tomatillo Dressing | 9.0g |
| Fire Grilled Steak Quesadilla | 9.0g |
| Pork Barbacoa Nachos | 9.0g |
| Shredded Chicken Nachos | 9.0g |
| Chile Roasted Beef Burrito | 9.0g |
| Fire Grilled Steak Salad | 9.0g |
| Fire Grilled Salmon Burrito | 9.0g |
| Pork Barbacoa Burrito | 9.0g |
| Fire Grilled Chicken Burrito | 9.0g |
| Fire Grilled Steak Bowl | 9.0g |
| Sweet Pork Burrito | 10.0g |
| Sweet Pork Tacos (3) | 10.0g |
| Fire Grilled Steak Burrito | 10.0g |
| Fire Grilled Chicken Nachos | 10.0g |
| Steak Salad | 11.0g |
| Sweet Pork Enchiladas | 11.0g |
| Fire Grilled Steak Nachos | 11.0g |
| Steak Burrito | 12.0g |
| Chicken Salad | 12.0g |
| Sweet Pork Quesadilla | 12.0g |
| Shrimp Burrito | 13.0g |
| Chicken Enchiladas | 13.0g |
| Chicken Tacos (3) | 13.0g |
| Chicken Burrito | 14.0g |
| Chicken Quesadilla | 14.0g |
Frequently asked
Does Cafe Rio use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Cafe Rio cooks with: soybean/canola blend for cooking (the chain's April 2025 nutrition sheet footnotes that its only soy-derived ingredient is highly refined soybean oil); creamy dressings on a soybean-oil mayo base. The flour tortillas are NOT a soybean-oil product: the chain's own panel prints 7 g saturated on 14 g fat (50%) for the 12-inch tortilla with a vegetarian mark and 0 g trans, which reads as a palm-type shortening.. Across the 97 menu items we analyzed, it averages 6.0g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
What oil does Cafe Rio cook with?
Our research indicates: soybean/canola blend for cooking (the chain's April 2025 nutrition sheet footnotes that its only soy-derived ingredient is highly refined soybean oil); creamy dressings on a soybean-oil mayo base. The flour tortillas are NOT a soybean-oil product: the chain's own panel prints 7 g saturated on 14 g fat (50%) for the 12-inch tortilla with a vegetarian mark and 0 g trans, which reads as a palm-type shortening.. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Cafe Rio use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Cafe Rio cooks with soybean/canola blend for cooking (the chain's April 2025 nutrition sheet footnotes that its only soy-derived ingredient is highly refined soybean oil); creamy dressings on a soybean-oil mayo base. The flour tortillas are NOT a soybean-oil product: the chain's own panel prints 7 g saturated on 14 g fat (50%) for the 12-inch tortilla with a vegetarian mark and 0 g trans, which reads as a palm-type shortening., not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Cafe Rio seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Cafe Rio cooks with soybean/canola blend for cooking (the chain's April 2025 nutrition sheet footnotes that its only soy-derived ingredient is highly refined soybean oil); creamy dressings on a soybean-oil mayo base. The flour tortillas are NOT a soybean-oil product: the chain's own panel prints 7 g saturated on 14 g fat (50%) for the 12-inch tortilla with a vegetarian mark and 0 g trans, which reads as a palm-type shortening., which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Cafe Rio?
Pico de Gallo is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Cafe Rio, at an estimated 0.0g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Cafe Rio?
Chicken Burrito is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Cafe Rio, at an estimated 14.0g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
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See where Cafe Rio lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.