Twin brothers Jim and John Thomas purchased the El Pinto restaurant from their parents in 1994 and continue to use the same family recipes created by their grandmother, Josephina Chavez-Griggs. To build on the success of the restaurant and to meet the strong demand for their sauces, Jim and John were motivated to produce them for retail distribution.

They started the El Pinto Foods' salsa division in 2000, so people throughout the country could enjoy El Pinto Salsa and Green Chile Sauce at home. The brothers' first production site consisted of a 35 gallon kettle and a pump in the kitchen. Today, El Pinto uses 120 tons of chiles a year, makes 4,000 cases a day and have the capacity to make 3-4 million jars a year in their 8,000 square foot salsa production facility which is attached to the El Pinto restaurant.

El Pinto Foods

Spice up your meal with any of our twelve conventional products or six organic products. Try one of our recipes using our award winning salsas and sauces to add excitement to your weeknight meals. Enjoy El Pinto, the flavor of New Mexico.

El Pinto Restaurant

Dine with us on our twelve acre property in Albuquerque's north valley. Have a drink and sit by the waterfall in our cantina, enjoy a delicious meal on one our five patios, and enjoy the scenery with friends and family.