Rio Balsas Taqueria

Rio Balsa’s is a new treasure! Food is awesome! Their calamari is quite a perfection… a plate to share is just not enough Their fajita is a must try! Will be back for sure!

Awesome dinner. Rio steak dinner– the steak was SO tender and the flavor was amazing. Chicken quesadilla will put others you’ve had to SHAME. Full of shredded chicken and cheese, puffy and delightful. I didn’t know a quesadilla didn’t have to be flat. Haha. Julie was our server and she was so personable and nice. Highly recommend you check them out.

Many times I passed this little hole in the wall by before a tipoff made me decide to investigate. So glad I did! It’s now my fav in town. The food is so superior to other Mexican restaurants I’ve been to. It tastes like it was just pulled out of a Mexican grandma’s oven: home-​cooked (not frozen), hot and rich, delicious and plentiful. I’ve become stuck on the jalapeño shrimp and grits; I’ve tried other delicious dishes there but now I’m thoroughly hooked on the s&g. I usually have the really special «Rio Balsas» margarita for a starter; it is consistently the best margarita I’ve had in a long time.

Rio Balsas is our New favorite Mexican restaurant! It is not fancy! It is definitely a run down little local place. The décor is a bit bland & tacky. However, none of this matters because the food is absolutely scrumptious!!! My husband had the Diablo shrimp steak & I had the Balsas steak, both were absolutely Superb! The homemade salsa topped on my steak, alone makes me want to come back. We have no complaints at all about our experience here. Our server Julie was absolutely delightful & very attentive! Beer prices are also very decent!
If you don’t mind a little run down, hole in a wall restaurant for some delicious Mexican food, I highly recommend eating here & trying this place out. We loved it & will definitely be back.

First… they need to clean the table tops, and clean the place up. Stale chips, watery salsa. The people who service were not happy, it showed. Sorry, but this place just needs help. Good luck. Will try it again sometime… Rough looking

First time here. I was so surprised… The best in Cumming Ga. The food is out of this world. It’s a hole in the wall and worth the money.

Just so we are all clear, this is not «authentic» Mexican food. This is Georgia’s attempt at Mexican food. Mexican food does not consist of bland beans and white rice and some queso with chips.
If you want authentic food — the kind actually served in Mexico, Southern California, etc. go to the taqueria down the road. I believe it is called La Rosita Taqueria. It’s adjacent to a Hispanic Market. Great, authentic tacos and awesome soups. As soon as you walk in, you know you are in a true Mexican joint. Branch out a little and give it a try.

We tried this place last night. Close to out new house
The food was Ok, the rice was weird, not Mexican. I think it was Asian sticky rice?
The Service was terrible, we waited for someone to take our drink order and our main course took forever to come out.
Pricing is typical, no bargains here.
The décor is horrendous. It’s small and nasty. Parking is a nightmare
We won’t be back, I’d rather drive a little further for some decent Mexican.

Our server, Kathryn, was amazing, however, I was slightly disappointed to order a veggie quesadilla and it come back with broccoli and carrots on it. I guess I should have asked what the veggies were instead of assuming it would be your standard Mexican veggies on a quesadilla: peppers, onion, mushrooms… etc. oh well. At Least we can say we tried.

THAT EXPLAINS IT!
When reviewing the comments regarding this restaurant, I noticed that there wasn’t much regarding the décor or ambiance and now I understand why. There are dives and there are hole in the wall places. Hole in the wall places are those little out of the way places that few people are aware of, (unless they are local) and the food is authentically delicious. They are small and intimate but CLEAN and make you feel warm and comfortable.
Dives are just dirty little places that you really don’t want to frequent. For me, this was a dive. The place is not much to look at, it was very dirty and the furnishings were in disrepair. Had I been alone, I would have just left but my friends wanted to try the food.
I ordered the vegetable burrito with re-​fried beans and rice, Nice ordered a chicken wrap with re-​fried beans and rice and Naughty ordered the beef burrito in a creamy red sauce with pinto beans and rice. (That is not a typo my friends are Naughty and Nice).
As soon as the plate hit the table I noticed the Asian inspired sticky rice. What in the world? It was the weirdest thing I have ever seen in a Mexican restaurant and beyond bland. I started to eat my burrito and noticed that the tomatillo sauce was too salty and did not have the avocado added as described. My beans were actually nicely seasoned and paired nicely with the veggie burrito.
Nice enjoyed her chicken wrap and beans but avoided the rice.
Naughty had difficulty with her order because it came with the wrong sauce that seemed to be from a can. She was going to eat it but I knew that she was bothered so I discussed it with the waitress who offered to have it remade. When it came back, it still didn’t have the appropriate sauce, (as described on the menu) and instead of the lettuce being added as an outside garnish, it was cooked inside of the burrito. She eventually just threw it away. Ugggh!
According to the waitress, there is a new cook in the kitchen but that still doesn’t explain why the incorrect item was delivered. The waitress could clearly see that the sauce was incorrect. Each time we addressed a concern, we were told that there is a new cook in the kitchen, they are training a new cook or the owner usually cooks the food.
While I acknowledge that there were Help Wanted signs posted, this still does not explain the dirty restaurant, the tattered décor and the poorly prepared food.
If being understaffed is adversely affecting your business, you need to step up and resolve the issue immediately. I would rather close down for a minute, clean my restaurant, make repairs and make sure the new staff is trained before letting them just go it alone.
If you are planning to visit, I suggest that you wait until the current problems are resolved because they literally had one waitress who was running all over the place trying to attend to all of the customers. It was a hot mess!
In the restaurant business consistency is key! No, I am not interested in a return visit.

For Mexican food, I think this is some of the best in Cumming. I have been here several times and have yet to be disappointed. Most of the food appears to be made on site (tortilla, beans, rice) and the portions are more than fair. The ambiance could use a little work, but the food more than makes up for it.

We’ve been ordering food and dining in for a while now so I feel like I can write a review. I can’t give this place five stars because nothing is ever consistent. Some days my skirt steak is cooked to perfection, and sometimes it’s overdone. Sometimes the rice is moist and fluffy, and most of the time it’s not. OK let me rephrase, one time the rice was fluffy. Sometimes the staff is really friendly but sometimes they are not. With the exception of the first of our 15+ visits, we haven’t had a five star meal there.
I had to write a review this day because I realize that I’ve been overcharged many times. On their website the prices don’t match their in menu prices. To rectify the pricing situation, I had to wait for the cashier to call the boss. I don’t think that’s necessary when I show you your own website, which was the menu I ordered from.
They have a few really great dishes but I’ve never had a winning experience.
Please excuse any spelling/​grammar mistakes, this review was written with the help of Siri. :-)

Doug W and I have been looking for a new Mexican place and we think we’ve found it. Rio Balsas looks like a hole in the wall but we all know that can mean the place is a real gem. That is the case with RB. It’s off Highway 9 near nothing in particular with a gravel parking lot. Inside is not anything fancy. It’s shabby but clean. There have always been a couple of flies inside. There’s a patio for eating outside if you don’t mind being out on a busy road. We’ve eaten there twice with Kenny as our server both times. He’s been attentive and guided us to order great dishes. Doug W really loves the shrimp tacos fiesta style. My kids have always gotten the kid’s quesadilla with rice and they’ve always enjoyed it. Last time we were there I got the fried quesadilla and it was delicious.
TL:DR
Don’t be put off by their humble trappings. RB has fresh, flavorful food and prompt, knowledgeable service.

This place has awesome food! The presentation is amazing, and it was no surprise they have plaques on the wall for winning best presentation. The food tasted just as good as it looked! Look at the pictures from other Unilocalers on here, and order one of those dishes, you wont be disappointed!
Now, the place is ugly, there are only like 10 parking spots, and it is not very clean or laid out neatly, but you can’t beat the food. I would say Los Maguey has better salsa, but the chips and salsa at Balsa weren’t bad, the salsa just tastes too much like tomato.

This was an Awesome visit. My wife got off late and I saw that they closed at 11 so we met there. I had the chicken fajitas and she had the steak burrito. We were told they have actually changed hours but they would gladly serve us. When we got our chips and salsa I noticed a nice smoke flavor. My wife said she could taste a tad of agave. When we got our entrees we were more than pleased. This is not your typical tex mex, this is authentic costal Mexican. With a nice citrus and seasoned taste, I can honestly say that this is the best Mexican I have had in Gainesville and I will continue to come back!

The Fiesta calamari appetizer is so good! I am writing this review while I’m still eating because it’s just that good and the sauce has pineapple and an assortment of flavors that is very unique and tasty. I ordered the chicken tostado is very yummy as well. If you’re around the area, you must try!!!

After passing this establishment about a million times, my wife and I decided to give this place a try. Boy, was it worth it! I ordered the Balsas Burger and quickly came to the realization that it was one of the best burgers I have ever had… I kid you not! I know this is a Mexican food establishment but trust me, try the Balsas Burger. My wife ordered a very generous sized steak burrito and we both thought it was tasty.
The chips and salsa are very good and our service was outstanding. I highly recommend this place and don’t make the mistake that we made for years… don’t judge this book by its cover!

I’m a sucker for a taco. This place is a gen. I love it when I unexpectedly a place that does not disappoint. The salsa is surprising lay fresh and probably made fresh and mixed on the spot. Get the shrimp appetizer,!!

So, I look for great restaurants and some of you might wonder why my reviews tend to be so high. There is a reason for that, it’s because I follow my fellow Unilocalers advice and I am rarely disappointed.
This little gem, however, I came across a bit differently. Passed it by, on one of my hubby and my road exploring rides. The hubby wanted to stop at music store on the side of the road. On our way out, some locals happen to mention having crossed over from eating lunch «across the road.» I took a chance and asked if it was any good and they said, the best! No doubt, I was sold.
We crossed over to this tiny place. 10 parking spots at most. With 3 available at 2 on a Sat. in a remote part of town. First sign we might be on the right track.
Walking in, there were a couple of warm greetings. Sit anywhere you would like and we can clean up those tables if you prefer. Friendly service from the servers to the bus boy.
My next surprise was the menu. Wait didn’t they say it was Mexican? I see Mexican dishes; but the creative twist in these dishes were far from your typical taquerilla or tex-​mex places.
We started with the Balsa’s Magarita. Our server said organic. By organic, he meant a margarita that has flavor. I am not sure if it is agave or what. Problem number one — how can I not decipher the ingredients. That’s my thing. Whatever he meant by organic it translated to the best margarita I have ever had. What was that! High quality tequila made this drink smooth, the mix had the perfect blend of sweet and sour that, you just know doesn’t come from a pre made mix.
We ordered the cheese dip and mini changas as our appetizer. Only because of my seafood allergy, cause Unilocalers all rave about the shrimp. The queso, a typical dish, found at any semi-​respectful restaurant, was nothing like that. This creamy dip, I am sure had extra cream — but the distinction for me was the jalapeño purée that topped it off. No large jalapeños to fight with here. This spicy creamy dip was totally chip friendly. Why didn’t I think of that! Yum. The mini-​changas — what are these evil things. The entire time my mind was set on figuring out how it was possible to have such juicy shredded chicken (best known for its dried texture). I normally won’t even try it at most restaurants. Aaa amazing.
Next on the taste tour. The fried quesadilla. It was good. True to all other items a nice twist and flavorful. However, I wish I had listened to my server and gone with the Balsa’s steak. I enjoyed the quesadilla but it was superb in comparison to the epicness of the other dishes.
Another margarita, yes PLEASE!
Desert he says. Normally, a pass for me, when the food is this good and the portions so plentiful. However, learning from my previous mistake, I decided to allow my server take the wheel. Sure, surprise us. Enter cheesecake chimichanga. Fried cheesecake, you say. You would be wrong. This is a smoother, more custard type texture and taste than your ordinary cheesecake. Think vanilla pudding meets cheesecake, in a light tortilla wrapping with sugar and cinnamon crumble. Yes crumble not sprinkle. Pretty special.
So, there you have it. It’s a
Mexican restaurant that absolutely stands above any other in its category.
I highly recommended for a small family, couple or small group. Not conducive to large groups due to its layout and limited space. Best for late lunch or early dinner. I say late lunch, only because the margarita is a must and well, I tend to stay close to the 3:00 (ish) hour for that. Portions are individual size — not for sharing. However I recommended taste swapping to experience as many dishes as possible. Or, do a variety of dishes and just tell your server that you will be sharing them family style or tapas, as I like to think of it. He was very kind to split out dishes to portion, making it very easy for my hubby and I to take a piece of each dish — sans the surgical procedures.
A note to the wise. This restaurant will require identification for ANY customer ordering alcohol. While I was flattered, I was also glad I had not forgotten my ID. Our server made it very clear — one sale is just not worth the loss of being able to serve all of their customers. So, save yourself from the frowny face and bring your ID.
Buen Provecho y Salud!

This review will say it all. If you read this you’ll get a pretty good idea what to expect.
First the negatives. Flies. If coming on a summer evening chances are you’ll see a fly or two buzzing around your head. Size. Not the biggest place in the world in fact I’d be surprised to see them fit more than 50 people inside. Parking. Maybe 10 spaces available, that’s it. Cleanliness. Kind of a dive compared to the big chain restaurants around.
Now to the positives. Best Mexican food in town, period. No room for debate. I’ve been three times in two weeks just to make sure it wasn’t the luck of the draw. Food is served steaming hot and fresh. Get the shrimp for an appatizer! It’s fried then covered in a relish style salsa. It’s spicy, sweet, and crunchy all at the same time. Amazing! So far I’ve had fajitas, shrimp tacos, and fish tacos, all fantastic. Service has been great too. The house margarita is $ 5 and depending on your bartender can range from perfect to way to strong. My wife loves that so it can be a win or loss all in one.
Overall, if you go to a restaurant for the food as I do then you’ll love this place. If cleanliness is what you’re after then stay away and I’ll take your seat.
Cheers!