Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant

The Rio Grande got its start in 1986 in Fort Collins, where college students came to rely on the incredibly strong margaritas -- limit three per customer, and no revealing the secret recipe -- and big plates of gringo Mexican fare. Today, inspired by owner Pat McGaughran’s early trips to the Yucatan peninsula, the menu offerings at all of the locations in this growing Colorado chain have become more sophisticated, with the kitchen making everything from scratch. But those big, big margs remain the big, big draw.