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Le Rio (Saint-Sauveur, QC)

Even though Le Rio only opened its doors 5 years ago, it seems like the place has been around for decades. Located on the main street in Saint-Sauveur, this old tavern-like restaurant hosts some of the tastiest pub food in the Laurentians. Le Rio has gained quite a following over the last few years due to their pork ribs; they're what everyone boasts about. Lucky for me, I spent the day in Saint-Anne-Du-Lac at a wonderful country house this past Saturday, and by twelve o'clock I was craving ribs and knew just where to go.

We were one of the first people to show up for lunch. We had the choice of sitting outside on their terrasse but chose to sit indoors because it was quite hot outside. The interior had a homely style which was bright, decorative, and held a cool temperature; it was an ideal place to enjoy a nice lunch in the country.

I ordered the ribs, which included a house salad that was delivered before the meal arrived. The house dressing tasted great, it was a home made ranch generously spread over a spring mix. There should have been some tomatoes and cucumbers added in there, which would have made the salad a bit more attractive in appearance, and on top of that the extra ingredients would have absorbed some of the excess dressing, resulting in an even better tasting salad, but regardless, it was an enjoyable starter.

The chicken wings were full of flavor. The plate came with 8 crispy, juicy, Santa Fe style wings that weren't drenched in sauce, just the way I like them. They were served with the same home made dressing that came with my salad, along with fresh vegetables, which was an excellent pairing.

Then it was time to see what all the hype was about: just how good were these ribs, and did they deserve the #1 rating on tripadvisor? I will have to say YES. First of all, they are not smoked, but do not let that phase you. Cooked in both an oven and on the grill, the ribs are as tender and flavorful as you can expect. The sauce (which they bottle and sell) was also a mouthwatering definite hit. The ribs exceeded my expectations, as did the fries, which were as tasty as your favorite casse-croûte. This plate was a real winner; excellent portion, fabulous taste, and left me wondering what their BBQ chicken and other dishes taste like.

The service was a little disappointing. When I got the ribs, our waitress forgot to give me the plate to but the bones in, along with the wet wipes which I had to ask for. I also wanted some ketchup for the fries, which I had to ask for as well, and she never brought it. I had to get up and find her to ask for the ketchup. We were the only ones in the restaurant at first, and then there were only about 8 other people that showed up so there wasn't a huge rush; perhaps they should have had more staff on hand. When the bill came, she forgot about us again, and I had to walk up to the counter and ask her if I could pay. It wasn't the end of the world but I just wished she would have paid more attention to our table. Either way, the food was really good and I would make Le Rio a regular place to visit every time I am in the Laurentians.