“When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, but when life gives you limes, you make margaritas.”
I would like to preface this post by saying that I am by no means a margarita connoisseur, but merely a lover of Mexican food and drinks. For the last couple years of my life, I have gone on the wild adventure of attempting to find the best margarita in DC. After countless days of trying different flavors, textures, and salt rims I have compiled a list of the top 11 places in the district to grab margs.
#11 Surfside
Last place goes to our fav late night taco shack, Surfside. The reason for the harsh rating is because although Surfside is the perfect nightcap for tacos and quesadillas, its margs are not strong enough. If the prices were marked down a couple of bucks for the drinks, then it would justify the watery substance that they supposedly call a margarita. This being said, I have only ever given the Wisconsin Avenue restaurant a try so the Dupont location could be much better.
#10 Johnny Pistolas
This grungy bar located in Adams Morgan is a great place for dancing to your fav 2000’s pop songs, however, it is not that great of a place to grab a margarita. I had a classic marg here once and it tasted like something that you would drink at a party in high school. In fact, if you told me that Jose Cuervo bartends at Johnny Pistolas, I would believe you. The reason that JP’s takes tenth place is because they add so much sugar to their margs, which can be good to get their guests drunk enough to head upstairs to the dance floor, but bad for the hangover the next morning. So if your intentions are to get drunk fast and go show off your moves, then head over to JP’s for a wild night.
#9 Tequila & Mezcal
I went here on a date a while ago and ordered a classic marg that was rather disappointing (or maybe it was the date). This margarita wasn’t watered down but it had a bunch of decorations floating in the glass that got in the way while trying to sip which is unacceptable unless you are enjoying a refreshing glass of sangria. Honestly I can’t remember the taste of this marg which is why I’m giving it a lower rating because if it was amazing then I’m sure I would have gone back sooner for a second round. However, I did not try the food and was just checking out the extensive menu, so I will definitely be going back for some tacos.
#8 El Centro
El Centro is a place I would only go for drinks. Their food does not taste authentic enough to eat on a regular basis unless you are blacked out and crawling on the floor. El Centro is the only place on this list that I would order a frozen Margarita from because they taste stronger to me than the regular margs. The reason El Centro is not higher up on my list is because the classic marg isn’t very good. Although they have large drinks, it takes me a while to feel the alcohol kick in and for my size this seems like an issue and a bad investment for my health and bank account. However, El Centro takes the number eight spot on the list because I am a sucker for slushy like drinks. El Centro also turns into a dance floor over the weekend and supposedly plays all the best latin hits, so I will be going back soon to hit the dance floor.
#7 El Techo
In my sophomore year, I used to rave about El Techo to all my friends. When ordering for one, the margs are great. They have a bunch of fun flavors like passionfruit, mango, and papaya and they are all topped with a fun foam like egg substance (sounds weird but very tasty). I wouldn’t suggest getting a marg pitcher here as they are filled mostly with ice. Sadly, over the past year my fav rooftop jungle themed spot went from being speakeasy-ish to being very touristy. I probably wouldn’t go there again unless it was for a very early happy hour with a friend.
#6 Guapos
AHHHH Guapos. A true American University staple. Although the Tenley location was much closer to me, I always preferred the Georgetown Guapos because of its access to the waterfront and the fire pit tables. When I was still at the point in college where I could drink a bunch of margs without feeling super hungover the next morning, I LOVED this place. The margs here are gigantic so expect to only get one of these whoppers. Guapos has a wide array of flavors and the frozen margs are always a people pleaser (in the moment). The one thing about these killer margs are that they are loaded with sugar, so you will wind up feeling it the next day. In fact, I would suggest the classic if you don’t want to wake up with severe stomach issues. If I were still a college student, I would give Guapos a 10/10 because of the price and size of marg. However, as a recent graduate I now have higher standards.
#5 Tico
When I went to Tico, I was pleasantly surprised. At first, I was a bit thrown off by the mixture of Japanese and Mexican influence but then again Buredo (sushi burrito) has been a big hit for a while. My friends and I ordered a few pitchers of the hibiscus and classic margaritas and were shocked by how natural they tasted. The waiter recommended the hibiscus marg, which happened to be the better of the two, and was also kind enough to repeat the salt/sugar rim options to us multiple times. I would suggest going here for a birthday dinner because of the countless food and drink options. Plus if your friend group is like mine and can never decide what kind of food they want, then you have two cuisines to choose from. Sake and margs. yum.
#4 El Rey
El Rey is one of those places you don’t intend on going to but just stumble upon. All the times I’ve gone here, I’ve enjoyed the drinks and food but I think El Rey stands out the most because it is a margarita garden. I’ve tried all of the flavors of margarita at El Rey (mango, strawberry, lime) and my favorite was the mango. These margs are a little sweeter than I’d like and they definitely come out at a fast rate which makes me think that they have some sort of mix hidden behind the bar, but they still taste fine. These Margaritas are good but when getting a pitcher the first couple of pours are a bit diluted by the amount of ice. El Rey is a fun place to get sloppy and then head out for a fun night of dancing or bar hopping along U Street. Everyone at El Rey is also usually very friendly which is another reason why I think this place takes number four on the list.
#3 Mission
Coming in hot with the bronze metal is Mission. I think I have gone to Mission about 12 times and it has never once disappointed me. Mission is your classic GNO/Cinco De Drinko spot. When I went to Mission for the first few times, I got the classic margarita which was good but didn’t reach my very high expectations. After the third time, I realized the real game changer was the skinny margarita. This marg not only has a higher alcohol content, but tastes so much more natural. Another thing I love about Mission is the food. A nice basket of chips and guac is the perfect pairing to go with your drink and the quesadillas, after about four margaritas, really hit the spot. In my opinion, Mission is worth all the hype because you can go here for so many events (birthdays, pre games, post games, dancing). Both locations, Dupont and Navy Yard, are great atmospheres, but I would highly suggest going to Mission in Navy Yard before a Nats game (gets quite rowdy)! All in all, I would say that Mission is the equivalent to your friendly neighborhood bar and to hop on over there ASAP.
#2 El Chucho
I adore this little hidden gem of a restaurant. El Chucho, located in Columbia Heights has an impeccable ambience and a fun staff that will definitely lead you in the right direction in terms of the food and drinks. I went here not too long ago and ordered the classic margarita and salmon tacos (SO GOOD). The margarita was so refreshing and strong and they even gave us to go bottles after dinner so we could walk and sip all the way to the club. I’m telling you if my budget allowed me to go to El Chucho every week, I would go.
#1 Oyamel
Don’t walk. Don’t run. BUT SPRINT to Oyamel. This famous restaurant, brought to you by the one and only Jose Andres himself has an assortment of unique Mexican dishes and drinks that will leave you wanting to come back for seconds. The “Oyamel” Margarita is a fan favorite because of the delicious salt air that comes on top of the perfectly sweet and limey tasting drink. At first when I came to Oyamel and they brought out the margarita, I was disappointed at the size of the glass, but trust me you only need two of these margs to feel something. Despite the the pitcher being a little pricey, you get your bang for your buck because these pitchers are 100% margarita and 0% ice. You will be spending a chunk of your paycheck at Oyamel so do what I do and make up a reason to go out and celebrate (every weekend). I promise Oyamel is worth it.
Don’t forget about the guac at el chucho!! And it’s affordable!
Elli, you are so right, you took the words right out of my mouth.