"When we opened, we offered these burritos that were a cult favorite in Chicago's Hispanic neighborhoods, especially with young people. Our original idea was to bring that to college towns."
"Every student that's come through the University (of Iowa) and gone to Pancheros, and then moved on to Des Moines or Minneapolis or wherever and visited a Pancheros in those cities, is just a great thing."
"Fast-forward over 30 years later, and today, the official Pancheros Mexican Grill Facebook account boasts a whopping 81K followers. The Pancheros name has exploded across the U.S., with a presence of more than 70 restaurants spanning 13 states. According to data analytics firm ScrapeHero, 27 of those locations reside in the Mexican chain's home state of Iowa. The rest can be found primarily in New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin."
Pancheros began as a standalone restaurant in Iowa City in 1992, offering burritos inspired by Chicago taqueria traditions. Rodney Anderson drew on those neighborhood flavors to create a build-your-own menu aimed at college towns. The chain is known for fresh-pressed, made-from-scratch tortillas and creamy queso alongside burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and salads. Customization and community appeal drove growth over three decades. Pancheros now operates more than 70 restaurants across 13 states, with 27 locations in Iowa and significant presence in multiple Midwest and East Coast states, and maintains strong social media followings.
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