Friend BB told us about a relatively new restaurant in Allen by the name of Cafe Del Rio.  Just head north on Central Expressway, and exit on Bethany.  It will be on the right hand side of the expressway.  Believe this if you can. (I do find this fact interesting.)  The Allen location of this Cantina is the third Cafe Del Rio in the glorious state of Texas.  The other two are in Beaumont, and Lufkin.  This energetic and colorful establishment has taken a giant leap into the metroplex, and from what I observed, it is doing extremely well.

The building is colorful both on the outside and also on the inside.  When we arrived, it was next to impossible to find a parking space.  The line was well beyond the door.  Luckily Friend BB had arrived early, and she had gotten our name on the list.

Maximum Occupancy was 511, and we had to wait on a table!  Honestly, when we were finally seated, there were some empty tables, but waiters and waitresses can only handle so much.  (Surely there was a “Now Hiring” sign somewhere.)

While waiting, I had nothing better to do than take pictures.  Inside the front door is a small Mercado.  The little gift shop has a sampling of all that can be found south of the border – or in San Antonio.

The children loved the little door that was just for them.  Isn’t that a cute idea?

Be still my heart – a leg lamp!  At our house, A Christmas Story is a yearly yuletide event.  It was amazing that Cafe Del Rio had the famous lamp.

While people waited, they had fun.

Not only was there the Mercado, there was a bakery.  Ever-Lovin’ and Dwight talked to the baker, and this is a authentic Mexican bakery.  Everything looked delicious.

Pralines – oh, they did look delicious.

Cafe Del Rio serves rather standard Tex-Mex fare.  Every meal begins with queso, hot sauce and chips.  Queso was a special treat.

The cantina is so colorful.  It makes one happy.

Honestly, by the time we got our food, we were hungry, and I didn’t take pictures.   The soft-serve ice cream is complimentary.  I like that!

Going to Cafe Del Rio was a fun experience.  I understand why it is crowded.  The food was good, the atmosphere was lively, and we were with dear friends.

Blessings to you and yours,

Thank you Friend BB for the recommendation.  I liked it.  I loved it!