Cincinnati's Top 27 Spots to Sip on a Margarita

Mesa Loca

2645 Erie Ave., Hyde Park
Mesa Loca is situated right in Hyde Park Square. Serving expertly prepared Mexican fare in a cool, contemporary setting, they also don’t skimp on the cocktail list. Instead of the standard salt rim, Mesa Loca accents margarita glasses with Tajin, a mild chili/lime/salt mix. Flavors include the classic ‘rita, blood orange, mango and pomegranate.

Crown Cantina

326 E. Eighth St., Downtown
Crown Cantina serves a self-described mix of "contemporary, authentic Mexican cuisine and cocktails." Chef Johnny Curiel, recently the executive chef at Nada, brought his years of experience and "modern-meets-authentic" Mexican style to the new restaurant. The cocktail program focuses on mezcal and tequila, featuring more than 50 agave-based spirits. Crown Cantina also carries Mexican coke, Topo Chico and horchata.

Maize OTR

1438 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Maize specializes in a unique fusion menu that honors traditional recipes from across Latin America, with an emphasis on Venezuelan cuisine. The restaurant takes its name from maize, a corn flour dating back some 10,000 years and first utilized by indigenous Mexicans. The flour serves as the basis for the arepas, cachapas and empanadas served at Maize. The restaurant offers up margaritas, sangrias, mojitos and other classic cocktails.

OLLA Taqueria Gutierrez

302 W. MLK Jr. Blvd., Covington
Covington’s OLLA Taqueria Gutierrez serves up Mexican-style street food with some extravagant twists. The menu is stacked with your typical street dishes like tacos, burritos and quesadillas as well as loaded nachos and “Guti fries,” which are similar to nachos but made with fries as the base. Enjoy a spicy margarita on the rocks made with tequila blanco, cucumber, jalapeno, triple sec, lime, salt and Tajin.

Mazunte

611 Main St., Downtown; 5207 Madison Road, Madisonville
Mazunte has been long-hailed as a "hidden gem," offering a mix of casual order-at-the-counter dining with authentic, high-quality Mexican cuisine. The Madisonville location is the most popular, with typical waits for both dine-in and carry-out. Grab some tacos and a delicious house lime margarita on the rocks or a Mexican beer.

El Barril Mexican Sports Bar & Grill

940 Pavilion Ave., Mount Adams
As its name suggests, El Barrill Mexican Sports Bar & Grill is part restaurant — boasting both Mexican street food and bar bites — and part sports bar. The menu ranges from street tacos, piled-high nachos and meat-stuffed burritos to more traditional bar food like loaded burgers, mozzarella sticks and wings. Enjoy your feast and an ice-cold margarita in one of three indoor dining areas, or on the first- or second-floor patios.

Mi Cozumel

3100 Vandercar Way, Oakley; 11700 Princeton Pike, Springdale
If you can brave the long wait on the weekends, Mi Cozumel is an amazing place to enjoy a night. Their menu features massive imaginative margaritas (one even comes in a Patron bottle), street tacos and popular flaming fajitas.

Bandito Food Park + Cantina

3543 Columbia Parkway, Columbia Tusculum
Bandito Food Park is a one-of-a-kind restaurant and event venue with an outer park-like atmosphere with fun food and beverages to match. Their menu is stuffed with delicious stuff from barbacoa-topped mac and cheese and stacked nachos to the Dude Seriously taco. Pair that with one of their imaginative margaritas like the Ranch Water, made with Topo Chico, or grab a classic marg made with triple sec and fresh lime.

Condado Tacos

195 E. Freedom Way, Downtown; 3329 Vandercar Way, Oakley
Condado’s build-your-own taco concept first took Columbus by storm in 2014 before opening their first Cincinnati location on The Banks and expanding to a second spot in Oakley. Their delicious housemade margaritas have also gotten the stamp of approval from the taco and tequila-loving masses of the Queen City. Go for the standard house margarita or choose one of 10 other flavors, from prickly pear and muddled jalapeño to white peach and blood orange.

Gomez Salsa

2437 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills; 107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine
What once began as a humble walk-up window for fueling Washington Park lunch dates and satisfying the post-last call cravings blossomed into a haven for all salsa-adjacent fare in both Over-the-Rhine and Walnut Hills. Gomez’s housemade margaritas and cocktails are the best way to wash down a Turtle — a Frankenstined burrito wrapped around rice and beans, sour cream, lettuce, salsa, meat, veggies, cheese and a crunchy tostada and sealed with a layer of crispy cheese.

Nada

600 Walnut St., Downtown
This downtown mainstay is a colorful tribute to cocktails and tacos both on the walls and on your table. Start off with a classic Nadarita aka their house marg, or kick it up a notch with one of their creatively flavored craft margaritas. The Chile-Mango uses reposado tequila and chili-mango pineapple topped with fresh lime. Pair a few tacos with a margarita and some good company, and try your best to save room for dessert.

Frida

602 Main St., Covington
Tequila and mezcal come first at this Latin-leaning MainStrasse spot. Served in salt-rimmed glasses, their margaritas start with tequila and fresh-squeezed citrus; flavor options include Frozen Passionfruit and Prickly Pear. Named for the legendary Mexican painter herself, expect to enjoy rounds of cocktails and tacos a-la-carte surrounded by vibrant flare and colorful touches.

La Ofrenda

30 Findlay St., Over-the-Rhine
Gorilla Cinema Presents, the group that created Tokyo Kitty and Cosmic Gorilla (among others), helms this bar that nods to retro Mexican cinema. Inspired by the owner's grandparents and his time growing up in Texas, the bar serves up tequila, mezcal and sotol in its small indoor space. There's also an outdoor patio.

Mita's

501 Race St., Downtown
Chef Jose Salazar is a continent away from his mamita and the hand-cranked mill she used to grind corn for arepas and empanadas, but his restaurant, Mita’s, is a tribute to her spirit and to Spanish and Latin American food. Their bar also happens to make some of the best margaritas in town. A simple concoction of tequila, citrus cordial and fresh lime, it’s a timeless tribute to the well-loved refreshment. The El Luchador adds in ginger and jalapeño for a spicy twist, or try the zero-proof pineapple margarita for a fruity, booze-less libation.

Bakersfield

1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Bakersfield OTR has been a hot spot for tacos, tequila, whiskey, PBR served in a glass boot and old-school Western ambiance since 2012. Frequently touted as having some of Cincinnati’s favorite margaritas, Bakersfield serves them the old-fashioned way with fresh-squeezed lemon and lime. Stick with the classic house margarita, try flavors like pineapple and ruby grapefruit or swap out tequila for mezcal for a smoky twist on this crowd favorite.

Cactus Pear

3215 Jefferson Ave., Clifton
Accentuated by a cute back patio and menu chock full of fajitas, tacos and plenty of additional Mexican specialties, this eatery is just a hop, skip and a jump from the University of Cincinnati. Get your tequila fix Taco Tuesday or anytime the mood strikes. From the standard house margarita to peach, cucumber, strawberry and melon, Cactus Pear has a whopping 17 flavors to choose from. Get them frozen, on the rocks or half and half.

Lalo

26 W. Court St., Downtown
Lalo refers to itself as "Chino Latino" cuisine because Asia has a lot of Spanish and Latin influence. The menu ranges from tacos and burritos to rice and noodles, with dishes like Mexi Spicy Miso Ramen or Mexi Pad Thai. Favorite tacos include curry chicken, beef barbacoa and drunken brisket. Head over to their Court Street location and grab some delicious and refreshing margaritas.

Zapata Cantina

801 Madison Ave., Covington
Zapata Covington offers a modern take on Mexican cuisine, with small plates and street-style eats like tacos. Every dish is made in-house, including their two-toned tortillas. In addition to bites, the cantina's beverage program focuses on tequila and mezcal, with popular bourbon-based cocktails swapped out for agave-based liquors.

Drunken Tacos

200 W. McMillan St., Corryville
Situated on the edge of the University of Cincinnati’s main campus, Drunken Tacos is a monument to what you get when a late-night eatery meets a college town. A la carte tacos combine Latin and Asian inspiration and are best matched with a Mexican beer and one of their several different types of house margaritas. The traditional margarita is more tart than sweet, which may surprise a few ’rita rookies who are accustomed to overly sweet drinks.

Taqueria Mercado

100 E. Eighth St., Downtown; 6507 Dixie Highway, Fairfield
After being in the game for 30 years, you’d be right to think Taqueria Mercado knows a thing or two about Mexican food: they’ve been gracing customers with classic family recipes, housemade desserts and specialty drinks since 1990. Margaritas start at just $8.75. Try fun flavors like jalapeño-lime, peach and raspberry or choose a classic house version, frozen or on the rocks.