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The 10 Best Margaritas In NYC

Rebecca Fishbein

Published Jul 10, 2014

Modified Jul 10, 2014

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Rebecca Fishbein

Published Jul 10, 2014

Modified Jul 10, 2014

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Whether you're a fan of fancy tequila and lime on the rocks or prefer your drink frozen, sugary and strawberry-flavored, nothing cuts through a scorching summer day quite like a margarita. And though sometimes your body just NEEDS one of those Texas-sized monstrosities at Dallas BBQ, this city's got plenty of stellar margaritas that won't immediately screw up your blood sugar. Here are our favorites; as always, leave yours in the comments.

Via Facebook

ROSA MEXICANO: Even fervent blended margarita haters have to admit the signature frozen pomegranate margarita at this Mexican chainlet is a thing of tequila-packed beauty. For $12, you get a glassful of blanco tequila, triple sec, pomegranate and lime, all blended together into one smooth, fruity concoction. Don't let all that deliciousness fool you, though—these babies are strong. Feel free to eat all the chips and guacamole you can afford in hopes of grounding all that alcohol.

Rosa Mexicano has three locations in the city: 61 Columbus Ave between 62nd and 63rd Streets on the Upper West Side (212-977-7700, rosamexicano.com); 1963 1st Ave between 57th and 58th Streets in Midtown East (212-753-7407, rosamexicano.com); and at 9 East 18th Street between Broadway and 5th Ave in Union Square (212-533-3350, rosamexicano.com).

(via Foursquare)

CILANTRO: My boyfriend recently joked that regardless of when you go, "the night ends at Cilantro." In other words, these drinks are potent enough to call for an early goodnight if you're daring enough to imbibe more than two—and sometimes just one is enough! Part of this has to do with their size: a standard house margarita boasts 16 ounces of tequila-laced goodness—either frozen or on the rocks—and costs just $10 ($9 at the 1st Avenue UES outpost).

Using fancy tequila or adding flavors like tamarind, guava, passion fruit or mango means a few extra pennies added to the tab. On the flip side, the 2nd Avenue location on the UES and the Columbus Avenue location on the UWS both offer a killer happy hour special Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., with house margaritas running just $6. Regardless of the time, make use of the free salsa, chips and fried plantains! Nell Casey

Cilantro is located at 1712 2nd Ave between 88th and 89th Streets on the Upper East Side (212-722-4242, cilantronyc.com); at 1321 1st Ave between 70th and 71st Streets on the Upper East Side (212-537-4040) and at 485 Columbus Ave between 83rd and 84th Streets on the Upper West Side (212-712-9090).

Via Yelp

GRAN ELECTRICA: DUMBO's not exactly flush with great bars, but this Front Street taqueria serves up the best margaritas in the 'hood. Offerings run $12 to $13, and come laced with a variety of interesting ingredients; the Margarita de Toronja Picante, for instance, is made with fresh lime juice, fresh grapefruit juice, jalapeño syrup, spicy grapefruit salt; the Margarita de Remolacha includes a hefty dose of beet juice, and the refreshing 20/20 Margarita's infused with carrot juice and ginger. Sample all of them and trick your drunk brain into believing it ate a fruit salad.

Gran Electrica is located at 5 Front Street between Dock and York Streets in DUMBO, Brooklyn (718-852-2700, granelectrica.com).

(via Foursquare)

EL NUEVO AMANECER: Do you enjoy blacking out immediately upon imbibing three sips of a frozen margarita? Then this LES eatery is the place for you! You can score a giant frozen classic or strawberry margarita for under $10—these are presumably made with some sort of lighter fluid, grain alcohol or everclear, and will have you wobbling down Essex Street in no time. Delicious but deadly, just like a good frozen margarita should be.

El Nuevo Amanecer is located at 117 Stanton Street between Essex and Ludlow Streets on the Lower East Side (212-387-9115).

Via Facebook

MESA COYOACAN: Mesa Coyoacan's been at the top of our margarita list for some time. The East Williamsburg eatery makes a fierce classic margarita for $10—an additional buck gets it made with house-infused jalapeno. And for fruit fanatics, Mesa Coyoacan runs the gamut when it comes to flavored margaritas. The $11 offerings include fresh watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, mango, grapefruit and tamarind. Note that these margaritas are on the small side, but HOO BOY will they knock you over, so proceed with caution, lest you find yourself taking an involuntary nap outside Variety Cafe.

Mesa Coyoacan is located at 372 Graham Ave between Skillman Ave and Conselyea Street in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-782-8171, mesacoyoacan.com).

Via Facebook

ARRIBA ARRIBA: The margaritas at this Hell's Kitchen/Sunnyside spot are for those sugar-fiends who simultaneously aspire to get very drunk and spend very little money. At the Manhattan incarnation, you can score a mighty 12 ounce "La Papa" frozen margarita for a mere $8.50, with fruit adding an extra buck; on Mondays, those same babies run only $5, regardless of flavor, and if you're really going for it, opt for the 27 ounce, $17.50 "La Mama" margarita, which will destroy the few functioning organs you have left. On the other side of the East River, the Sunnyside Arriba Arriba hosts a Margarita Madness deal on Mondays, Tuesdays AND Wednesdays, with all potent 12 ounce margaritas running just $5 as well.

Arriba Arriba has two locations in NYC: 762 9th Ave between 51st and 52nd Streets in Hell's Kitchen (212-489-0810, arribaarribawest.com); and at 40-15 Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, Queens (718-349-5999, arribaarriba.com).

Via Facebook

HO' BRAH TACO JOINT: This teensy Brooklyn taqueria knows what's up when it comes to tequila-heavy drinks, boasting a long list of flavored and classic margaritas that range from around $9 to $11. If you're looking for a drink on the rocks, you can opt for basic cucumber and jalapeno flavors, or try a funkier spice like crushed pineapple and fresh ginger. Frozen margaritas come in mango, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and classic, though if choosing one is too daunting, there's a $16 frozen margarita flight that comes with four ever-so-slightly smaller flavored margaritas of the day.

Ho' Brah Taco is located at 8618 3rd Ave between 86th and 87th Streets in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (718) 680-8226, hobrahtacos.com).

Via Facebook

BARRIO CHINO: Another one for the diehard on-the-rocks gang, this Mexican-meets-Chinese eatery serves up two bonafide firestorms: their famed habanero grapefruit margarita ($11), and a Jalapeño lime margarita ($11). Though both are fresh and flavorful, those peppers will punch a hole in the roof of your mouth if you aren't careful, though you can opt for milder incarnations of both if you aren't prepared for the spice. The only bad news is that these margaritas aren't quite as strong as some of the others on this list, so be prepared to shell out for an extra agave liquor shot if you're looking to get more than a little tipsy.

Barrio Chino is located at 253 Broome Street between Orchard and Ludlow Streets on the Lower East Side (212-228-6710, barriochinonyc.com).

Via Foursquare

EMPELLÓN COCINA: The Empellón empire's East Village offshoot serves perhaps the most killer classic margarita ($11) in town, complete with Pueblo Viejo Blanco (there's a Flidencio Clasico mezcal option for an extra dollar) and ringed with sharp smoked salt. But if you're looking for something a little more unique, the $13 Spicy Cucumber margarita is a must-have, made with St. Germain, a jalapeno tincture and an even feistier chile salt.

Empellón Cocina is located at 105 1st Ave between East 6th and 7th Streets in the East Village (212-780-0999, empellon.com/cocina).

Via Facebook

MERCADITO: Mercadito's smokey margarita tradicional are a must for fans of the classic cocktail; though a splurge at $13.50 ($10.50 sans smoke), the drink's made with fresh lime juice, tequila blanco, orange and is packed with smoldering flavor. There are also a number of tasty flavored offerings, like the pineapple, lime and chile piquin infused "Little Market" ($11) and a super-sweet "Tres Citricos," ($11.50) boasting orange, grapefruit, lime and habanero. If the prices seem too steep, stop by during happy hour, which runs Sundays and weekdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.—a traditional margarita is only $5.50, with fruitier incarnations running just a dollar more.

Mercadito is located at 179 Ave B between East 11th and 12th Streets in the East Village (212-529-6490, mercaditorestaurants.com). There's also a West Village incarnation, Mercadito Grove, at 100 7th Ave South between Grove and Barrow Streets (212-647-0830).

Tagged

arriba arriba

barrio chino

best of gothamist

cilantro

el nuevo almanecer

empellon cocina

gran electrica

hobrah taco

mercadito

mesa coyoacan

rosa mexicano

original

Rebecca Fishbein

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