where to celebrate margarita day

Raise a glass to these 20 Houston spots offering deals for National Margarita Day

Generally speaking, we are not advocates for food holidays. They’re ridiculous. No one needs to wait for a specific day on the calendar to eat a burger, oysters, or a lobster roll.

However, National Margarita Day (February 22) is the exception. The reason should be obvious. Houstonians love margaritas. They are worthy of celebration, especially when restaurants and bars discount them to mark the occasion.

The list below includes humble margaritas and fancy margaritas. It covers a range of places and price points. Use it to celebrate the city’s favorite drink — responsibly.

Armandos wants you to take on its $45 River Oaks RIta. It’s made with Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Tequila, Patron Citronge, fresh lime juice a la minute, agave, served with house-made “green” salt rim and a 24K gold lime slice. 4

Photo by Tommy Middleton

Get $5 house margaritas all night long at Axelrad

Axelrad is cheersing National Margarita Day with margs-a-plenty! The beer garden is offering $5 house margaritas, on the rocks or frozen, with a $1 upcharge for flavors.

Brennan’s has a must-have Crystal margarita for $14. It’s made with Lalo Tequila, Ancho Reyes Liqueur, jalapeño tincture, and housemade Crystal Hot Sauce pepper mash, which adds heat and creates a shimmering effect in the glass.

Candente will serve its house margarita for $6 from 3-6 pm. Or try the February margarita of the month, a White Chocolate Raspberry Margarita.

Caracol, Hugo’s, Urbe, and Xochi will all be serving their Greatest Margarita Ever Sold — made with 25-year aged Grand Marnier Gran Centenario anejo — for $18. There will also be $10 house margaritas, while Urbe will have a special margarita flight.

Over at Daily Gather, sip on a spicy margarita made with Lalo Blanco tequila, Paula’s orange liqueur, fresh lime, jalapeño, and agave. $13 (or $10 during happy hour, starting at 2 pm).

1891 American Eatery & Bar has every flavor profile covered. From the classic 1891 Margarita to frozen lime (Strawberry, Mango, or Jalapeño), Tejas Killer with fresh jalapeños, or the garden margarita with blackberries and rosemary, this Heights hotspot will be ready.

El Big Bad will be hosting an all-day party filled with drink specials, tequila samples, live music, and more. Come join the fiesta and enjoy a margarita (starting at $1 and increasing every hour until 5 pm when they’ll be $5 all night) on the rooftop patio.

Over at Hongdae 33 Korean BBQ, enjoy 21-ounce regular and strawberry frozen margaritas for only $8. Pair with all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue ($33) to cut through the richness of grilled meats.

Money Cat will have $12 Omija-Ritas. This usually-$14 Japanese rendition combines tequila, shishito, togarashi, sudachi, omija honey, and hibiscus tea.

The Original Ninfa’s is teaming up with Tequila Patron for a $7 frozen cocktail. The Perfect Prickly Patron Margarita (Ninfa’s proprietary Ninfarita mix, patron reposado, orange liquor, agave syrup, and prickly pear) comes in its own plastic, miniature-replica Patron bottle.

Sample the lychee margarita over at Phat Eatery. This cocktail entices with Espolòn tequila, Grand Marnier, lychee, basil, lime, all for $10 (make it spicy for $1 more). Perfect for pairing with savory noodles, curry, and more.

Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House will sling its margaritas and frozen flights at half price all day. Choose from a Spicy Rita ($5), the classic house frozen margarita ($5), or a frozen flight ($8).

Relish Restaurant & Bar will roll out the Rodeo Rita, made with mezcal, tequila, lime, blood orange, and bitters. Or get Relish's classic the Rita, made with Camarena Tequila, Cointreau Noir, lime, agave, and egg white, with a chili salt rim. All margaritas are $7.

Over at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, celebrate the restaurant’s 25th anniversary with the La Reyna Margarita (The Queen Margarita). This $11 cocktail is made with Casa Del Sol Tequila Blanco, fresh lime juice, cucumber, and fresh jalapeño syrup.

The Taco Stand will have $5 margaritas all day. Choose from lime, strawberry, or mango – all made with 100-percent blue agave tequila. Offer applies to all frozens and single cans.

Tobiuo Sushi & Bar will have a kaleidoscope of margaritas. Choose from traditional margaritas in lime, strawberry, or mango, watermelon mint or torched palomas, priced at $5 all day.

cocktails where-drink

What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).

Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

“I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

“We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

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