Rio Rico, the Mexican restaurant at the southeast corner of Val Vista and Guadalupe, is relocating to a bigger space. Thankfully, you won’t have to memorize new directions to the Gilbert restaurant—they are only moving across the parking lot. Rio Rico will be taking over the former Casanova Brothers Pizza at 959 N. Val Vista Drive, according to recent real estate intel.
Rio Rico is owned by husband and wife Juan Ruiz and Maria Zambrano. Ruiz confirmed with What Now Phoenix via phone call that they are indeed planning a move into a bigger space, which they hope to open this spring. The new 4,998 square-foot digs include a bigger dining room and a bigger kitchen than their current outpost in the adjacent shopping plaza.
The family-owned restaurant is a favorite among Gilbert locals for true authentic Mexican cuisine. “We want to put out a great product and make people feel like they are eating at their own kitchen table,” Mario told Community Impact News in 2019. “We take great pride in the food that we bring out of the kitchen and want to make sure everyone leaves here thinking about when they’ll come back and see us again.”
Not only are they known for their family recipes of enchiladas and other classic Mexican dishes, they also have a full bar serving up ice-cold cervezas and margaritas. For more information, check out their Facebook page.
