Margaritas
Seeking a good margarita at home and on the road
On the road, from New Orleans to Chicago, at Walt Disney World, and even while visiting Flagstaff, I have sought out and tasted many a margarita. If I had choice and didn’t want to accomplish much in life, I would have one with you right now! (Seriously, what are you doing right now?)
A margarita is tequila, fresh-squeezed lime, and other ingredients, usually depending on the maker and the intention of the business serving it. Traditionally, it is served in a salt-rimmed glass with a slice of lime. I am always hopeful of finding a margarita that inspires love, happiness, and reveals new meaning to life.
The margarita haunts are in alphabetical order. If you were inviting me to travel to my favorite margarita joint, it would either be Santa Fe in New Orleans or El Mariachi in Chicago. I hope to bump into you along the way. Cheers!
Bar Takito – Chicago IL
This place is below a stop on Chicago's Green Line, which is a good thing. You do not have to drive. The margaritas go down way too easy for this tequila pro. Taco choices are unique, and the staff is always up to no good in introducing interesting and appetizing menu items. Recommended: House rocks
Bario – Minneapolis MN
I found myself in Minneapolis for interim ministry training. One Sunday morning, right after church, I went to eat brunch and check out the margaritas here. The salsas were exquisite. Recommended: The Trinity rocks
Casa Garcia - Kenner LA
The best place to watch a Saints game with a margarita in hand is at Casa Garcia. This place has been a staple of mine since I was a senior in high school. Eighteen was the legal drinking age way back when. I spent many nights after a shift at Marshall’s Department store at this wonderful place established by the Garcia family in 1984. And, as far as I am concerned, I have never had a better frozen margarita anywhere else. Recommended: House frozen
Chapala - Ann Arbor, MI
Downtown Ann Arbor is a relaxing but vibrant scene full of food, art, and fun. During a visit to hear Lilli Lewis at The Ark, I stopped in at Chapal to try their premium margaritas, all delicious. When I requested spicy, bartender Juan recommended house on the rocks, spicy. He was right! Recommended: House spicy
Chili Mac’s (closed) – Chicago IL
I cried on the evening Chili Mac’s closed, a fateful Friday evening, August 2012. This corner establishment featured incredible burgers, the best fries in Chicago, and dreamy blue frozen margaritas. Being a purist, I wasn’t much into the blue until I walked into this place on one hot Chicago afternoon. I tasted the Blue Frozen Margarita, and it was love at first taste. I know you will find it hard to believe, but I have corrupted many others at this festive place with a lot of heart. After 21 years of faithful service to the people of Lake View and the Greater Chicago area, the landlord upped the rent, so Chili Mac’s lost their lease. The lack of loyalty to neighborhood institutions breaks my heart. Makes me want to have a frozen blue. A guy can dream, right? Dreaming about: Blue frozen
Chuy’s – Norman OK
I had the pleasure of drinking a margarita here while on the trail of terror in September 2012. I was between Oklahoma City and Waco, staying overnight in Norman. I entered Chuy’s just after the lunch rush on a Wednesday afternoon. I was alone. I ate lunch at the bar. Once the bartender found out I was always searching for the perfect margarita, we started a conversation about how they do things at Chuy’s. Lime’s are freshly squeezed daily and are the basis of all margarita drinks. I had a rocks, frozen, and a martini with jalapeno-infused tequila. Recommended: Texas Martini
Criolla Latin Kitchen – Flagstaff, AZ
I had attended Credo 219, a weekend of discernment for Episcopal priests. I found myself in Flagstaff, waiting for the Amtrak to take me home to Chicago. It was here that I had my first taste of infused tequila. What a mistake. I had to have three margaritas to ensure a drink like this was up to snuff. I guess it was. I walked back to the Hotel Monte Vista, pretty happy and unafraid of the establishment’s reported ghost residents.
Dallas BBQ – New York NY
We were broke while I was studying at General Seminary in New York City. Cheap margaritas were in order. I know this may shock your sensibilities (from the people who brought us Friends of Bill), but occasionally (OK, more than occasionally), we would celebrate completing the latest quiz from Fr. Wright by walking over and having a margarita here. The food cheap. The atmosphere loud. The margaritas in the budget. At least we could afford a sugar high. Recommended: Well, how broke are you
El Agave – Bellingham WA
If you find yourself doing an EfM training this close to Canada, El Agave was recommended by the locals as having the best margarita. It fits the bill on a cold and rainy night. Standard mix with a generous pour. Recommended: House rocks
El Mariachi – Chicago IL
This is the first restaurant I dined in when I landed in Chicago in June 2004. It is still one of my favorites. The food is excellent, the staff is wonderful, and many of us have met many new friends here. There are two on Broadway – little El Mariachi, which is right around the corner from my house, and big El Mariachi, just south of Irving Park. Little is small and cozy. Big is bigger, has a bar, and an incredible patio, quite lovely when the Chicago weather cooperates. The chips and salsa are out of this world. The sipping tequila with sangrita helps pass the time. My favorite dish is the Pollo Ranchera. Recommended: House premium rocks
El Salto – Columbia SC
Happy hour enticed my friends and me to this friendly establishment in the heart of South Carolina's capitol. After a Yelp search for the best margaritas in Columbia, this place popped up. Obviously, they have put a lot of work into their menu, which yielded several tasty entrees. We loved the food. The margaritas, not so much. Currently, El Salto receives the prize for the worst margaritas on my margarita quest journey. But I am still alive! No recommendation. (Enjoy the food!)
Fiesta Grill - Cowan TN
Many Mexican Restaurants around the University of the South serve margaritas. I am sad to report that many seem made with a mix, not fresh ingredients. Mixes often are full of sugar and ingredients that ultimately devalue any tequila added.
While serving within the EfM program, I have eaten at Fiesta Grill several times. Their Diablo Shrimp is something I crave when away. I can’t figure their margarita out but have learned that requesting the house spicy on the rocks with salt can satisfy in a desert of surgery-mixed margarita offerings. Recommended: House spicy, on the rocks with salt.
Flaco’s Tacos - Chicago IL
The best $3 frozen margarita (Margarita Mondays) on the planet.
Flacos is right under the "el" in Edgewater, although there are several locations in Chicago. I'm a traditional lime guy, but they have flavors created by syrup that they mix in. The food is good, and the staff is friendly. Recommended: Frozen traditional
Guanajuato - Glencoe IL
Right down the road from St. Elisabeth’s, you may drive right by this place and not see it hidden there on the side of the road beckoning you to come in. You will be glad you did! Their blackened tilapia fajitas or the salmon fajitas are served with delicious marinated vegetables. Recommended: House rocks
Las Mananitas - Chicago IL
I used to live way too close to this Boystown favorite. And thank God I did. Driving is not recommended after tasting their house margaritas. They go down way too easily, and, on a beautiful day, one can lose track of time. I crave their Pescado a la Veracruzana; the staff is always friendly and attentive. Recommended: House rocks
Las Margaritas - Winchester TN
Once I became executive director of Education for Ministry in Sewanee, Tennessee, I began looking for a funky place with a good margarita. This is it. The menu is extensive. The staff is friendly, kind, and accommodating. And there is an overwhelming combination of margaritas available. Recommended: Spicy margarita on the rocks with salt
On the Border - Lake Buena Vista FL
I crawled into this place after a day in The Magic Kingdom nearly caused me to meet my maker. It was late. I was tired. And Grumpy had no grump on me. It was late-night Happy Hour, so I tried the $3 margarita special on the rocks. I wasn't expecting much from a $3 margarita but was pleasantly surprised when served a basic house made with a sour mix that didn't have more sugar than a Fanta. I decided to upgrade and try The Perfect Patron. This shaken-by-the-order margarita was delicious and satisfying. The bartender was also friendly and attentive. Recommended: The Perfect Patron
Revolucion – Chicago IL (closed)
Revolucion was a Mexican steak restaurant from the same family operating El Mariachi. This neighborhood favorite featured great steaks during dinner and excellent hamburgers during lunch. My favorite chili relenno in Chicago was found at Revolucion. It was baked instead of fried, so you could savor every ingredient. Recommended: Revolucion House
Santa Fe – New Orleans LA
If I am home in New Orleans, chances are, if it is a beautiful day, I am sitting here, outside, watching the world pass by. This New Orleans haunt used to be located in the Marigny but is now on Esplanade by the racetrack, where the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is celebrated yearly. German Chef Mark Hollger and his wife Wendy opened Santa Fe at 801 Frenchmen. I lived just around the corner, so it was easy for me to walk and experience the best margaritas and unique Southwestern cuisine. Post-Katrina, Holleger’s vision found new owners who moved the location closer to City Park. They do an incredible job of keeping the dream alive. The hospitality and welcome here are hard to beat. Recommended: House rocks
I live by the goats and horses at the University of the South. But across campus, “in town,” is the student and alumni favorite Shenanigans. They offer typical but delicious bar food in a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. There are beers on tap, but they had a sign in chalk saying they served margaritas. So I asked the woman at the counter, did they really have margaritas. She said yes but had to make sure they had the mix. They made it from scratch. That was a good sign. She returned and said that she could make me a margarita. So I ordered it. I asked her what was in it. She said it was a secret recipe. If she told me she would have to kill me. Was it worth it? The margarita was simply the best I have had in Tennessee, hands down. I had to order a second one just to verify. Recommended: House, rocks with salt
Su Casa – Chicago IL
This place is located near St. James Cathedral in downtown Chicago. Whenever the Dean and I were off-the-clock and not driving, the margarita here could not be beaten. The food is nothing to write home about, but the margaritas on the rocks beat the heat just off Michigan Avenue. Recommended: Tres rocks
Walt Disney World – Orlando FL
There are excellent margaritas to be had at Disney’s World. The first margarita I had on the Disney property was at Epcot, San Angel’s Cafe (now called Choza de Margarita). It has been significantly upgraded to a fine dining establishment called La Hacienda de San Angel. The same company operates the bar and food pavilions at the Walt Disney Resort Coronado Springs. The margaritas on the rocks and the friendly service make it way too easy to have a good time here. Back at Epcot, La Cava del Tequila is the newest addition to the Mexico Pavilion. It celebrates the heritage and tradition of Tequila making in Mexico.
Add your reviews in the comments and help all of us on the margarita quest journey.
