Cafe Rio is leaning into its Utah roots with the launch of its latest product — a handheld burrito dubbed the Utah Burrito.
It’s being marketed as the company’s “most Utah product yet.”
The new item is being offered as an alternative to a burger, served with similar flavorings as a burger but with a Cafe Rio twist.
“We began asking ourselves, what would it look like if the best burger in Utah was not a burger at all?” said Jackie Crynes, Cafe Rio’s chief marketing officer.
The knockout burrito comes with the following ingredients:
- A large flour tortilla made fresh daily
- Premium ground beef smothered in a special sauce
- Crispy fries
- Shredded cheese
- Pico de gallo infused with pickles and pickle juice
- Secret Burger Sauce
- A couple of limes to squeeze onto the burrito
- Each burrito comes with a generous tub of Cafe Rio special fry sauce.
“This Utah burrito is going to come with that iconic thing that goes with Utah, which is fry sauce,” said Chris Reading, the vice-president of operations at Cafe Rio. “I’m sure you guys all tried making fry sauce at your house. I guarantee mine’s better.”
Originating in Utah, Cafe Rio’s first store opened in St. George in 1997 and quickly expanded within the state of Utah. Now it’s a nationwide chain operating in 11 different states coast-to-coast with more than 150 stores. There are around 51 stores operating in Utah.
“Cafe Rio is a part of the Utah identity,” Crynes said. “It’s embedded in the culture and the celebrations that we have and our routines and the way that we meet up and have a good time.”
Not only is it launching the new Utah burrito to embrace its Utah roots, the restaurant chain also decorated a float in Utah’s Days of ‘47 parade to celebrate its Utah heritage. The float features a giant enchilada-style burrito.
Cafe Rio is leaning into what made it special
The new burrito isn’t the only major change the restaurant chain is taking. It brought back some fan-favorites like the cilantro lime vinaigrette and the medium salsa.
The food scientists at the brand also went back to the drawing board with the sweet pork recipe to really hone in on what made it delicious and special from the beginning. And according to Crynes, it’s been restored to its former “craveable” glory.
“There’s a depth of flavor, there’s that caramelization that you know and love,” Crynes said.
Other new things coming to Cafe Rio
Along with restoring some menu items, Cafe Rio also announced some new products it will start offering soon. Here are the two new offerings:
- A small salad — apparently customers have been requesting this item for years, and it’s finally here.
- A churro cookie
Cafe Rio Pioneer Day deals
To celebrate the holiday and its Utah heritage, Cafe Rio will be offering two deals. Here are the details:
- Dress like a pioneer weekend: All handheld burritos are buy one, get one free when you dress like a pioneer. Available in-store only at participating Utah locations Friday and Saturday.
- Free regular drink: This deal comes with a free regular drink with purchase of any handheld burrito on digital orders only. Use the code: FRYSAUCE to get the deal online from Friday until Aug. 2.
What I ordered
I attended a sneak preview event earlier in the week to check out the new offering.
The burrito is tasty — it’s a mix of bold flavors and a Cafe Rio take on the classic flavors. The pickle pico is a nice touch I really appreciated. The fry sauce is smoky and slightly spicy in its flavoring.
All in all, I will likely order it again in-store, and I found myself craving another burrito the day after I tried it.
“All these flavors have one additional, like, just element or twist that makes you go, oh, I’ve never thought a cheeseburger could taste like this,” Crynes told the Deseret News.