Way back in 1986, we first opened the doors of Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado. The town must have been starved for good quality Mexican food and parched for top-notch margaritas. “We had absolutely no idea how thirsty Northern Colorado was for a good margarita,” said Pat McGaughran, our owner. It was an instant success. In fact, within a couple of years, we doubled our size by buying out the lease next door and adding a patio in the back. By 1989, we had opened a new restaurant with the same menu and concept on Pearl Street in Boulder.
Founded by Pat McGaughran and his two best friends, twin brothers Andre and Stephen Mouton, the Rio has flourished into a beloved stable in Colorado, offering sanctuary from the world’s problems.
Despite their diverse backgrounds in music and trade, they poured their hearts into every aspect of the restaurant, from construction to cooking, ensuring that every dish served at Rio Grande reflected their commitment to excellence.
Their vision was twofold: to bring Tex-Mex and Yucatan traditions to their new community and to create a great place to work. The culinary goals included fresh, made-from-scratch food, hand-rolled tortillas, and no lard or sodium-based flavor enhancers. Their philosophy was “Beauty in the basics,” emphasizing wholesome food made with love, skill, and pride. “Simple food done exceptionally well.”
The menu and food offerings were immediately popular with a health-conscious community, and the workplace culture was universally embraced. Slogans like “Work hard, play hard,” “Any job worth doing is worth doing well,” and “Dignity in dishtown!” captured their commitment to a positive work environment in an industry often marked by cynicism.
Thirty-eight years later, the Rio is still enjoying incredible success at 5 Colorado locations: Fort Collins, Greeley, Boulder, Denver, and Lone Tree. Famous for award-winning margaritas and grilled, marinated Fajitas, the Rio is still true to its roots in wholesome food made from scratch and a wholesome work environment.
Join Us for Our 38th Anniversary Celebration!
To celebrate our journey, we’re throwing a party at our original Fort Collins location! Aging like fine añejo, we’re marking 38 years of fantastic memories and milestones. 🥳
📅 Date: August 23
🕔 Time: 4:00 – 11:00 PM
📍 Location: 143 W Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins, CO
Though our anniversary was in June, we’ve been eagerly waiting for our new patio bar to be unveiled! Enjoy an evening with a live band, AUPA—playing soulful Latin rock—performing on the patio, tequila samples, and good vibes. Enter our raffle for a chance to win exciting prizes, such as premium Rocky Mountain Showdown tickets, a brand-new cycling bike donated by New Belgium Brewery, tequila experience dinners, and more.
Thank you for being a part of the Rio Fam since 1986! To make a reservation, please call us at (970) 224-5428, as we are not accepting online reservations. Vivo Rio!
