Nothing says summer like a slow afternoon spent drinking stiff and delicious margaritas out of ridiculous or not-so-ridiculous containers as the sun inches lazily toward the horizon. Margaritas are like sex: When they're done right, they're transcendent, but when they're done wrong, they're still pretty good.
And so, here's a round-up of our favorite places in NYC for riding the train to Margaritaville. Choo choo:
Although the waits for a table (or even elbow room at the bar) can sometimes be crippling, Barrio Chino's jalapeño- and habañero-infused margaritas (like the one pictured above) are worth it. Caliente! Or you can opt for the traditional 'rita, which is fresh, juicy and not too sweet, and comes with a variety of rock sugars and salts. Arriba!
The divey Spanish and Mexican joint in the heart of DUMBO serves cheesy but massive margaritas in goofy colored-plastic goblets to all its sidewalk patrons. A finer late afternoon has never been spent.
Don’t be fooled by the restaurant’s chintzy entrance or its cramped quarters—this LES hang features Manhattan’s best Mexican cuisine (upscale without being pretentious), as well as a few very nice twists on the classic margarita. The ginger-themed variation we tried last time was so good we went back for thirds.
Sure, it's not classy, but nothing beats Dallas BBQ's dirt-cheap and titanic two-hands-needed frozen margaritas (extra shots of tequila, served in glass vials, are $1—pour them right in). And the East Village location lets you drink them outside, to boot. Yee haw.
Not sure if they’re the best tasting margaritas in NYC (OK, they’re not even close), but we certainly claim this honkytonk bar features the strongest ‘rita in the city. Let’s just say blackouts are pretty common here, at least if the experiences of one Metromix editor hold true.
This Mexican cafe will mix you up a frozen margarita in a to-go container—but instead of being made with... suspect ingredients (ahem, The Hat), Portal's margaritas are made on the spot with fresh fruits and come in awesome flavors like cucumber and passion fruit. A summer must-drink.
The frozen margaritas at this dingy LES joint are really not that great (see above)—we’d bet a couple Pesos that they use some sort of tequila-flavored grain alcohol in the mix. This is not the point. No no, Hat margaritas are legendary with touring bands, NYU students and a couple Metromix editors because they are to-go. [Note: the legality of this practice is quite suspect. NYC is not New Orleans or your college’s frat row, after all. But take our word, a pretty please and a $20 bill will get you a couple of Dixie cups filled with the potent hooch.]
This super-tiny Fort Greene restaurant proves that big things do come in small packages: Pequeña's two-for-one happy hour (noon until 6 p.m.) lets early-bird drinkers in on some mighty fresh margaritas that use fresh, seasonal fruit to avoid that sickly sweet taste-trap.
Mesa Grill
Bobby Flay's flagship remains a solid Southwestern throwdown, and its cactus pear margarita—more tart than sweet, and such a lovely shade of pink—is made with top-shelf tequila (always a plus).
The Columbia-adjacent Heights Bar & Grill serves a super-strong frozen margarita in a cornucopia of fresh fruit flavors (mango, raspberry, peach, passionfruit, strawberry, etc.)—and if you can stand the collegiate crowd, at happy hour they're only $4. A summer miracle!
Photo of Barrio Chino's jalapeño-infused margarita by Michael Harlan Turkell
What other people are saying...
saraht from Cobble Hill, Brooklyn - May 04, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Not that these are the brackets again but I vote for Barrio Chino. Amazing, fresh cocktails!
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