Where to drink on national margarita day

Where to drink in Houston right now: 17 top-shelf spots to toast National Margarita Day

Eight Row Flint's refreshing 'rita.

Photo via Agricole Hospitality

Not to get too meta, but food holidays are silly. No one should need a PR-driven fake food holiday as the excuse to eat a cheeseburger or oysters or anything else.

And yet, this article is about National Margarita Day, which takes place this Wednesday, February 22. Are we hypocrites? Maybe a little, but we have a good excuse. Promise.

Houstonians love margaritas. On-the-rocks, straight up, or frozen, we consume them at bars and restaurants all over the city — not just Mexican and Tex-Mex. Restaurateurs know this, obviously, and they go all out on margarita day with specials designed to lure all but the most abstemious teetotaler to indulge in a drink or two.

So, yes food holidays are silly, but we love a good deal on delicious drinks. Forgive our hypocrisy. Enjoy a margarita (responsibly) on Wednesday.

Axelrad
The sprawling patio bar will offer both frozen and on-the-rocks margaritas for $5 all day. Wednesday is also steak night.

Blanco Cocina + Cantina
This Mexican restaurant is taking 50-percent off pitchers of its house margarita that serves five people.

Candente
The Montrose Tex-Mex favorite will offer all day happy hour pricing on margaritas, which is $3 off per drink.

Chapman & Kirby
The EaDo bar and restaurant will feature $15 Patrón margarita flights that consist of a Classic Margarita, Blood Orange Margarita, and Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita.

Cucharita
The breakfast and lunch sister concept of Montrose Mexican staple Cuchara will sell its house margaritas for $5. In addition, it will feature a special margarita cake.

Eight Row Flint
Get all day happy hour pricing of $7 per drink on the bar’s margaritas, including its Eight Row rocks margarita and frozen margarita.

El Big Bad
Known for its infused tequilas, the downtown bar and restaurant will feature drink specials, tequila tastings, live music, and more. House margaritas are $1 at 1 pm, $2 at 2 pm, $3 at 3 pm, $4 at 4 pm, and $5 the rest of the night. In addition, DJ Richard Floor + Friends will spin on the rooftop patio all day and night.

Jax Grill
All three locations will feature $4 margaritas all day. Pair it with one of the restaurant's signature cheeseburgers.

The Margarita Social at Common Desk - East End
Presented by Not Too Sweet Ventures, attendees will sample different types of margaritas made with spirits from sponsored brands such as El Tesoro, Herradura, and Mezcal Union. The event will also feature music, a margarita demonstration, and tacos for sale by Caluma Tacos. Proceeds from the $25 tickets benefit Latinos for Education, 7-10 pm.

Molina’s Cantina
Get happy hour pricing of $6.50 on house margaritas all day long at all three locations of the Houston Tex-Mex staple.

Monkey's Tail
The former CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Bar of the Year winner will celebrate margarita day with $6 rocks margaritas, $9 mezcal margaritas, $13 Cadillac margaritas, and discounts on frozens ($9 for small and $13 for large).

Southside Sporting Club
The massive sports bar in Stafford will offer frozen margaritas for $2.50 from 4-8 pm.

Swallow's Nest
This cocktail bar inside downtown’s Finn Hall is offering $5 margaritas. Options include traditional, blood orange, and mango. Spice it up with jalapeño-infused tequila

Tacos A Go Go
All four locations will feature $2 house margaritas for both dine-in and to-go. In addition, get a half-gallon of chilled margaritas for $10.

The Taco Stand
Get both canned and frozen margaritas for $5 all day at this Heights-area taco spot. Use code 5MARG for online orders.

Tulum HTX
Newly opened in EaDo, the tropical-inspired bar and restaurant will feature a number of specials, including Mayan Margaritas (small, $5/large, $8) $7 frozens, $5 tequila shots, and buckets of Cerveza Sol or Tecate for $15.

Urbe
Hugo Ortega’s street food restaurant in Uptown Park will off happy hour pricing on margaritas all day. In addition, the restaurant’s signature “Greatest Margarita Ever Sold” — made with Gran Centenario Añejo Tequila and 25-year-aged Grand Marnier — is discounted from $29 to $18. The restaurant will also feature a flight of margaritas from its sister concepts Hugo's, Caracol, Backstreet Cafe, and Xochi.

where-to-drink holidays cocktails

where there's smoke

Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

It didn’t take Sambrook Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opens today, Monday, December 22, at 5101 Bellaire Blvd.

Speaking on a November episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, Sambrooks Hospitality founder Michael Sambrooks explained that, as a Bellaire resident, he saw an opportunity to open a restaurant close to home.

“It was a combination of, this location became available, and we liked the market. I think Bellaire is underserved. As far as Tex-Mex options, I think it’s limited,” he says. “We always struggle with where’s somewhere we can grab a bite that’s five minutes away as opposed to driving to another part of town. I think Candente is that solution. I think it’s going to be pretty well received.”

In terms of design, the restaurant replicates many of the same elements as the original Montrose location that opened in 2019, such as its copper-topped tables and yellow, orange, and maroon accents. Diners will note a mural by local artist Franky Cardona along one wall. Overall, the restaurant seats 125 in its dining room, 10 at its bar, and 24 on an outdoor patio.

While the location is new, the menu is the same. That means the same wood-fired fajitas, brisket enchiladas, nachos, birria tacos, and other fare that helped it achieve a “Recommended” designation in the Michelin Guide for Texas — the only Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston to make the prestigious guide. Pair them with margaritas (both shaken and frozen), as well as agave-based cocktails such as the paloma and ranch water, beers, and non-alcoholic options.

Sambrooks Hospitality also operates The Pit Room, the barbecue joint with locations in Montrose and Memorial City that earned a Bib Gourmand designation.

“It’s a privilege to open in Bellaire and get to know and serve a new clientele,” Sambrooks said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce our style of authentic, handcrafted Tex-Mex that has made us a Houston dining staple.”

Candente will be open for lunch and dinner during the week beginning at 11 am. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday beginning at 10 am.

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

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