MAGAZINES 
I Want One Now!
Grand Margs (and more!) at Boulder’s Rio Grande
In addition to its famous “limit 3” Margaritas, the Rio has dishes that can make you drool, like guacamole ensalada, chicken tacos with Rio slaw and grilled pineapple, and steak-and-shrimp fajitas.
By Cynthia Barnes Photos by Phil Mumford
This is my first visit to the Rio Grande, as far as anyone can remember. If I have been here before, you’ll never prove it in a court of law. At the very least, there are no compromising pictures on Facebook, and the co-worker who mysteriously vanished after last year’s office party is telling no tales. So I’m here, for the first time, to check out a Front Range favorite for margaritas and, oh yeah, Mexican food. Tom Petty’s playing at a respectable volume when I enter the former horse livery stable at 11th and Walnut. Built in the 1880s, its river-rock exterior gives way to a lofty earth-toned space overlooked by a wrought-iron mezzanine. On the second floor, a mural features a margarita-bearing crow soaring over a field of agave.
Former server Steph Beecher created the mural and painted the colorful tables. Although local sages swear there are “at least” 17 bars on the premises, the Rio actually has only three.
Owner Pat McGaughran orders guacamole ($7.50) to accompany the crisp corn chips and green habañero-accented salsa. A true Texan, he immediately starts telling tales. “The Rio was founded by three childhood friends. We are all still children, and we are all still friends.” McGaughran and twins Andre and Stephen Mouton—who are no longer involved in the business—“bummed into” Fort Collins in 1986 after hitchhiking and “hippie wandering” in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. After crashing with a friend, the threesome soon opened a 19-table nook that founded the Rio Grande empire. There are now six locations, including Greeley, Denver, Lone Tree and Steamboat.
“We had no restaurant experience,” McGaughran says, “but we knew how to cook. There were 15 kids in the Mouton family and eight in mine. Big Cajun and Irish families never went out to eat! But we’d had lots of fun cooking and helping as kids. So we started doing Tex-Mex food, like we grew up with in Houston, and margaritas.”
Speak of the devil: While we’re talking about the Margaritas, ours arrive. The owner has sensibly opted for a cute mini portion ($3.25) while I’ve gone for the house regular ($6.50). This is by no means the first Margarita I’ve ever had, but it’s definitely the best in recent memory. Clean and strong, it has no sickly corn-syrup sweetness or artificial aftertaste. “It’s pretty much the same recipe as the original,” says McGaughran. “Cane sugar and lime. It’s the only drink we knew how to make, and it’s still almost the only one we sell.” In addition to Margaritas, beer, wine and soft drinks are available, as well as tequilas ranging from $4 to $250 a shot. (Note to self: It’s important to specify exactly which Jose Cuervo one is ordering.)
SHARING THE FUN
As business blossomed in Fort Collins, the Rio expanded to Boulder. Three downtown locations later, the current Walnut Street spot has never stopped buzzing, and the rooftop patio, added in 2005, has only increased the loyal clientele. Open roughly during the time defined in Colorado as “not ski season,” the patio offers a full menu and amazing views of the city and mountains. To celebrate the second quarter-century of his business, McGaughran plans to make the menu more prominent.
“It was never our design to make the margaritas such a legend,” he marvels. “We had no idea how thirsty the Front Range was for margaritas. We’ve always had a limit of three—we have children, and families are always welcome here. But we love showing people a good time. Because of that and that energy level, it can overshadow the food.” While margaritas may be the face of the Rio, the kitchen always has been scratch-cooking its meats, sauces, tortillas and beans fresh daily.
A recent training program has focused on presentation and consistency, and some menu items have been updated for a more contemporary Mexican flavor profile. New favorites include tequila-kissed wild shrimp ($12.95 dinner/$10.95 lunch) and chicken adobo with grilled pineapple ($10.95 dinner/$8.95 lunch). Sunday brunch delights include hard-to-find (in Colorado) migas ($6.95), a tasty scramble of eggs, Jack cheese and fried corn tortillas. I sample some of the cuisine a few nights after meeting McGaughran, with a friend who’s a Rio regular.
The (completely vegetarian) black beans and rice are very tasty in their own right, not the gloppy, sloppy sidekicks seen on so many Tex-Mex plates. Pork tacos ($10.95 dinner/$8.95 lunch) come garnished with pineapple-tomatillo salsa and a kicky cabbage and jalapeño slaw, while the beef version sports queso fresco and tangy pickled onions.
“We’ve been working on making the food more contemporary, more consistent,” says CEO Jason Barrett, “while still staying with who we are and what we know.” He’s particularly proud of efforts to source as many ingredients locally as possible, and boasts of the higher cut of beef now used for fajitas.
“Customers are more food-aware than 10 years ago, more appreciative of local sources and attention to detail. We’ve always had good ingredients; now we’ve asked how they can be better. We take pride in traditional, wholesome, tasty food.” Finishing my meal, I have to agree: Dinner at the Rio would have been delightful without drinks. But just in case you’re in danger of forgetting, the Margs are killer.
Cynthia Barnes (cynthiabarnes.com) is a freelance writer and editor who begs you not to tell Mama about the office party.
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