Everyone knows once you have one margarita, it’s hard to stop. So while Cinco de Mayo may be over, you know you want more of that tangy tequila goodness—salt or no salt, frozen, on the rocks, or up in a giant martini glass—it’s the liquid fiesta that keeps on giving. Now we know why Jimmy Buffet said there’s no one to blame for his lost shaker of salt—this stuff numbs more brain cells than a marathon of The Hills.
Green Tea Margarita at Haru Wall Street
1 Wall Street (Pearl & Beaver Sts.)
Financial District 212.785.6850
The green tea margarita first appeared on the menu at the Times Square location of this Benihana-owned Japanese fusion mini-chain, and it became so popular that it became a staple at each of Haru’s NYC and Philly locations. Green tea powder is mixed into the classic margarita, adding its antioxidant powers to the favorite tequila concoction. Sounds like our cup of tea.
Toloache Margarita at Toloache
251 W. 50th St. (Broadway & 8th Ave.)
Midtown 212.581.1818
Give it to a restaurant named after a Mexican flowering plant used in love potions to concoct a seductive house margarita. Toloache’s version includes crushed dried Jamaican hibiscus flowers, mashed with blueberries and muddled with Frida Kahlo Blanco tequila and lime. This one’s almost too pretty to drink—almost.
Grapefruit Habanero Margarita at Barrio Chino
253 Broome St. (Orchard & Ludlow Sts.)
Lower East Side 212.228.6710
House-infused habanero jalapeno tequila—muy caliente! But mixed with bright citrus grapefruit juice and garnished with a raw sugar rim, the heat hits squarely in the back of your throat while most of the flavor offers a tangy, refreshing finish. A couple of these and you might find yourself on a tequila bender—more than 50 varieties are available here.
Margarita de Vino Blanco at Mercadito
179 Ave. B (11th & 12th Sts.)
East Village 212.529.6490
Think of it as white sangria meets margarita—El Jimador Blanco is mixed with white wine, pears, pineapple, and mango. If that doesn’t give you a quick flight to buzztown, you might just have a problem, compadre.
Vanilla-Pineapple Margarita at Alma
187 Columbia St. (@ Degraw St.)
Carroll Gardens 718.643.5400
Perhaps the best and only reason to hop the B61 bus out to this gritty stretch of Carroll Gardens (except for the Red Hook IKEA opening on June 18th?) is to imbibe on the upper deck here, which looks over the Red Hook piers and the sweeping Lower Manhattan skyline. Go for an aromatic vanilla-pineapple infused tequila margarita with habanero and fresh lime juice and enjoy your “exotic” getaway from the concrete jungle.
