Every year, CityBeat publishes the Best Of Cincinnati®, wherein readers and staffers alike pick which bars are the booziest, which people are the coolest and which shops are your best bet for dropping a pretty penny. Sometimes nothing sounds quite as refreshing, especially on a hot day, as a cool, crisp margarita. From places that do the classic lime margarita better than anyone else to others that are a little more experimental, here are CityBeat readers’ favorite places for this sweet and delicious bevvy.
Best Margaritas No. 10: Nada
600 Walnut St., Downtown
The Margarita: Try the Suprema — made with Milagro Reposado, vanilla agave, Naranja Orange Liqueur and lime.
Best Margaritas No. 9: Frida 602
602 Main St., Covington
The Margarita: You can get a classic lime, prickly pear or spicy margarita on the rocks. If you’re craving a frozen marg, you can pick between cucumber-watermelon or passionfruit.
Best Margaritas No. 8: Cancun Mexican Restaurant
Multiple locations
The Margarita: You can get your margarita on the rocks or frozen in a variety of sizes — regular, jumbo, monster, liter or a pitcher to share (or not). There’s the classic lime, or you can get a flavored margarita in strawberry, peach, raspberry or piña colada. You can also opt for the Gold Top Shelf option to get a blend of three tequilas.
Best Margaritas No. 7: El Rancho Grande
Multiple locations
The Margarita: El Rancho Grande has a House Margarita, as well as a Top-Shelf Margarita, which is served with Gran Marnier and your choice of tequila: Patron, Don Julio or Hornitos Blanco. For an extra 99 cents per glass, you can make it a blue margarita.
Best Margaritas No. 6: Condado Tacos
195 E. Freedom Way, The Banks; 3329 Vandercar Way, Oakley; 7961 Kenwood Road, Kenwood; 7877 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Township; 5070 Deerfield Blvd., Deerfield Township
The Margarita: Try the limited-time Dragon Fruit Habanero Marg, Condado Tacos’ springtime margarita made with sweet dragon fruit and spicy habanero, served over ice with a habanero sugar rim.
Best Margaritas No. 5: Bakersfield
1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
The Margarita: The Bakersfield Margarita is made with premium spirits and fresh citrus, and you can choose between classic, pineapple, skinny and spicy flavors. Bakersfield also offers a Guava & Passion Fruit Margarita, made with blanco tequila, passion fruit liqueur, guava nectar and lemon-lime.
Best Margaritas No. 4: Mazunte
5207 Madison Road, Madisonville; 6216 Madison Road, Madisonville; 611 Main St., Downtown
The Margarita: You can choose between a classic margarita or mango.
Best Margaritas No. 3: El Coyote
7404 State Road, Anderson Township
The Margarita: El Coyote’s Famous Margarita can be made on the rocks, frozen or half-and-half. Flavors include lime, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, Texas Twister Mango and peach.
Best Margaritas No. 2: Mi Cozumel
11340 Princeton Pike, Springdale (opening December 2025); 8565 Winton Road, Finneytown; 3100 Vandercar Way, Oakley; 511 North Broadway St., Lebanon
The Margarita: Mi Cozumel calls itself the House of the Margarita Tower, with over 40 flavors of margarita to choose from. You’re going to Mi Cozumel for its over-the-top, celebratory nature, so we recommend choosing something you can’t get anywhere else, like blueberry, green apple or blackberry.
Best Margaritas No. 1: Agave & Rye
635 Madison Ave., Covington; 3825 Edwards Road, Norwood; 7125 Fountain View Drive, Liberty Township
The Margarita: Opt for the OG Margarita (house silver tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, sugar water and a dash of secrets). Flavors include classic lime, as well as some more unique offerings like prickly pear, passionfruit and watermelon.