Rio Rodizio in Union

Kid Friendly Rating     :-)     :-)     :-)

Rio Rodizio is not a good place to bring kids ages 6 and under.  They have candles on the table and tall drink glasses – not such a good place to spill. The people who walk around with meat are very nice, but they did have giant slabs of steak on hot metal skewers and huge knives – not a good place for toddlers who reach and grab. I'll give Rio Rodizio three smiley faces in this rating. (See note below*)

Avital "Yumminess" Rating     :-)     :-)     :-)     :-)     :-)

Oh, my gosh! Rio Rodizio was drop dead delicious. I loved all the different things, but my two most favorite meats were the top sirloin and the cinnamon sugar ham. There is a salad bar where you can find many delicious and unique foods. My favorite from there was the fried plantains. Definitely five smiley faces for yumminess.  (I'd give it 6 if I could)

Picky Eater Rating     :-)     :-)     :-)     :-)

Over by the salad bar, there is an area that has kid's food.  Some of the options included french fries, hot dogs, fried banana and chicken wings.  But if you include steak in your picky eater menu, this place is already perfect.  I'll give Rio Rodizio four smiley faces.

Healthy Rating     :-)     :-)     :-)     :-)

If you're keep track of the different food groups, then this place is good.  There is a salad bar with bread, melon, cheese and plenty of veggies. Rio Rodizio pretty much hits everything in the food pyramid. Its focus, of course, is meat: big slabs of red meat.  So if you don't like red meat, this place isn't too healthy. I don't mind red meat though, so I'll give Rio Rodizio four smiley faces in healthiness.

Noisy Rating     :-)     :-)     :-)     :-)     :-)

Rio Rodizio is not a place to bring young children, so it is not very loud.  My family was probably the loudest table in the restaurant. For a kid who likes quiet, this is the restaurant for you. I will most definitely give it five smiley faces.

Kid Entertainment Rating     :-)     :-)     :-)     :-)

No need for kid's menus or restaurant bags at Rio Rodizio. With an all-you-can-eat buffet, followed by waiters who bring skewers of meat to your table, I was either eating or laughing with my family. At the end, before my family was given the check, my brother and I did become a little bored. But that's what mom's iPhone is for! Four smiley faces in this rating.

*I did not want to talk about toilets in the beginning of my article, but it's really necessary. Rio Rodizio has new Japanese toilets. They have self-cleaning systems and do not flush until you leave the room. They scared me at first, but then I realized they were pretty cool!

Rio Rodizio is located at 2185 Route 22 in Union, NJ. Call 908-206-0060, or visit www.RioRodizio.com.