The Austin Margarita Power Rankings

If a city can have an official cocktail, then Austin's is unquestionably the margarita. Thanks to the world’s highest density of Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants (probably) and a codependent relationship with tequila and limes, you don’t have to go far to find a good one here.

What makes a good margarita? Quality tequila, fresh-squeezed juices, and the proper ratio of ingredients. Bonus points if it’s all served in an upbeat environment that makes us want to invite everyone we know to join. After all, this is the ultimate social cocktail.

THE SPOTS

De Nada Cantina

De Nada’s margaritas come in at just over $10, and considering their potency and quality, it’s worth maxing out the restaurant’s “two per person” limit. Or you can pay a couple more dollars for a large and take home the pink souvenir cup to forever remember the mistakes and/or good choices you made that night. These aren’t the fanciest margaritas in town, but they’re the ones you crave when the sun comes out in full force.

Fonda San Miguel

There are a lot of margaritas on Fonda San Miguel’s menu, and you should definitely try them all (maybe over a few visits). The Silver Coin is their signature watermelon version, and it’s just as refreshing as it sounds, while still packing enough punch from the tequila to remind you it’s not just cold-pressed juice. When you’re finished, you’ll be left with a cute watermelon slice to snack on.

Suerte

Suerte doesn’t have a classic margarita on its menu—though the bartenders can probably whip one up if you ask—but this popular, upscale East Side spot does offer a few riffs. We like the Don Dario, which tastes a little like a margarita with some tamarind in it, adding a bit of sweet and sour fruitiness to the whole thing. It goes especially well with an order of Suerte’s legendary suadero tacos.

La Condesa

La Condesa’s dining room is a welcome escape from the busy energy of Downtown. It’s bright and airy, with colorful blotch murals that add a bit of pop to the concrete dining room. The margaritas here are very good despite suffering from the neighborhood’s inflated prices. Show up during Happy Hour and you can get half-off all alcohol, which shoots it right back to the top of the price/value spectrum.

Texas Chili Parlor

To our knowledge, Texas Chili Parlor’s Mad Dog Margarita is the only cocktail in the city that’s been immortalized in song , which says a lot about its quality and/or potency. It’s made with mezcal—but not the fancy stuff—which makes it taste a little like college, but in a good, nostalgic way. If you don’t feel like battling a hangover the next morning, you can also get a more classic margarita that we love almost as much.

Curra's Grill

Curra’s biggest claim to fame is their invention of the avocado margarita—it’s frozen and creamy, but it toes the line between cocktail and smoothie delicately enough to make us feel like we’re drinking something at least a little bit healthy. It’s too unconventional to make this an everyday margarita, but it’s one you should go out of your way at least once or twice to try. Get some cochinita pibil while you’re there—it’s some of the best in town.

Vivo Restaurant

Quality-wise, Vivo’s margaritas bat above their price. They even come dressed with an orchid that makes the whole experience feel more premium than the strip mall location would suggest. And during Happy Hour, margaritas get knocked down to $5, making them one of the best value drinks on this list.

Eldorado Cafe

Eldorado doesn’t look like much from the outside—it’s in a strip mall in North Shoal Creek—but once you step through those front doors you’ll find a loud and vibrant scene full of regulars. Don’t expect any wild cards on the margaritas here, just a textbook version of a classic drink. But you’re not really here to be surprised. You’re here for good, reliable Mexican and Tex-Mex food, with solid drinks to accompany it.

El Alma Cafe y Cantina

Whether you’re spending the afternoon at Zilker Park, Barton Springs, or Auditorium Shores, El Alma is a great spot to celebrate a successful day with queso and a margarita. The big draw here is the rooftop patio that feels a little like climbing up a grotto, but the whole experience pairs well with something off the long list of margarita variations, including a mango-habanero version and a frozen avocadorita that’s quite tasty. There’s also a second location in South Austin , but it doesn’t come with the same picturesque patio.

Matt's El Rancho

If you’ve sampled Austin’s Tex-Mex bounty, you’ve probably been to Matt’s El Rancho. It’s busy from open to close, and there’s a good chance that every packed table in the dining room will have two things on it: Bob Armstrong queso, and a house margarita or a Mexican martini. It’s hard not to have a good time when you’re at Matt’s—it’s a place where the lively atmosphere does most of the heavy lifting, making it feel like a better drink than it really is.

La Mancha

La Mancha is one of our favorite spots to bring out-of-towners looking for a real-deal Tex-Mex experience , complete with sizzling fajitas and papel picado crossing the airways. The margaritas are pretty standard, and reasonably priced all the time, but during Happy Hour, these pint-sized drinks get knocked down to $5.

Polvos

The margarita at Polvos come by the glass or by the pitcher, which makes sense because this is the type of place you show up to with a big group to do some damage to the menu. They won't blow your mind, but they’re perfectly serviceable, especially with some solid fajitas and enchiladas. The prices at Polvos have gone up a lot over the years—while food and drink quality has dipped a little—but at $40 a pitcher, it’s not a bad deal.

Enchiladas Y Mas

Look, we love the margaritas at Enchiladas Y Mas. But we’re also pretty sure they’re made with some kind of grain alcohol that could be used to disinfect wounds. There’s also a limit on how many you can get here—three with food, two without—but despite the potency, they’re surprisingly smooth.