Memo's - Rio Vista

To all of the original Memos guests , When we opened memos on Mt Diablo it was our dream. We sold a year after and it goes from there. Memo and I apologize for letting you down Memo was shocked at what the restaurant had become his grandmothers and family recipes along with chef Juanita Vera our ex chef, built a menu that was truly authentic. We always wanted to prove there could be a vegetarian/Mexican concept. While getting our 5 fork review we did prove it. Memo and I hope to serve you all again Memo Iñiguez Bradford Stralla

Memo's is CLOSED. This restaurant is now The Point. Which is what is was called before Memo's moved in. The only difference is the NEW Point is Steak and Seafood restaurant that is a joint venture with the owner of Tortilla Flats and Burgerlicous.

We saw a review on TV and thought we would give this place a try. We drove quite some distance to get there. When we arrived, we saw the beauty of the water. However, the restaurant itself was beyond unpleasant in décor. Fortunately, we ate outside. The mole is good and HIGHLY unusual; as were some of the other flavors. The folks are so nice. Yet, the distance, the venue and ultimately the food were not worth the high price tag.

I went to Memo 's to celebrate my grandmother 's birthday. The restaurant had some recent publicity in town regarding its innovative menu. When we arrived I realized we had perhaps chosen a place too innovative for my grandparents ' tastes. First impressions: Vegan labeing; always a major plus. Examples: salad of mixed greens with a grilled and marinated portabella mushroom and special nondairy dressing with the option of adding a meat substitute for $3 which I did not choose. I can 't see how portabella mushroom would pair well with the meat substitute (which I tried in a different dish . That said, I do a double take whenever I see meat or meat substitutes in dishes involving mushrooms considering the meat-like texture they develop when marinated. It just seems redundant. Other vegan items with labels: tortilla soup (adding chicken is optional for $2 extra , bean dip, guacamole (it 's always nice to avoid having to ask whether it 's pure avocado or cut with crema . All the salads are vegan (adding grilled chicken or meat sub is $3 extra, $4 for prawns . You can order most menu items (tacos, enchiladas, etc. with potatoes or spinach instead of cheese. The refried beans do not contain lard; they also give you the option of black beans or whole pinto beans. Further down the menu I found a category listing vegan and gluten free versions of traditional dishes that sounded far more exciting than predictable Mexican restaurant fare. Examples: Chicken Pipian (a traditional dish in Zacatecas in a pumpkin seed sauce with chiles, rosebuds, and tarragon leaves. I ordered this with a side salad instead of rice and beans. The salad: nothing to write home about. The dish in itself: intriguing. I 'm glad I tried it, but expected something more. In other words, it was good--just not as good as its description. The food took a very long time to arrive at our table, which I forgive to some extent considering the chef supposedly uses only fresh ingredients and prepares everything to order. The view of the delta is nice but not nice enough to warrant a price tag of $17 a plate. The server seemed very overwhelmed. Maybe he was new.

Memo's is closed, but the restaurant is soon to reopen as The Point! Best water views on the Delta.