Jack and Connie Thomas built El Pinto Restaurant in 1962. It started as a one room restaurant with just a handful of tables and a small kitchen. They built their home right by the restaurant so they could raise their family and be close to their business. Slowly the restaurant expanded and they added another room and an elegant patio where people could sit and enjoy their meal during the warm weather.

When Jim and John took over the restaurant from their parents, they expanded with more patios and a beautiful indoor garden room. The restaurant now seats over 1,200 guests at a time in our five patios, three indoor dining rooms, and a cantina. The patios can be enclosed during the winter months so the guest can still enjoy the patio and sit near a warm fire. The restaurant sits on twelve acres and it includes a 5,000 square foot manufacturing facility to produce salsa and sauces for retail. We are the largest New Mexican restaurant in the state of New Mexico.