Margaritas

Celebrating a birthday and would like to have the best margaritas in Chicago.Any help would bw appreciated.

Jay,

Welcome to LTHForum!

This will be a predictable answer, but...

If you are looking for a variety of quality tequilas, skilled bartenders, and very good food, you couldn't do much better than Frontera Grill.

Frontera/Topolobampo
445 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 661-1434

Best,
Michael

This is also a predictably answer (from me)--but the Matchbox's margaritas are pretty incredible. Plus you can go as highbrow or lowbrow with the tequila as you'd like.

trixie

Matchbox
770 N Milwaukee Ave

Salpicon also has a huge selection of tequilas and can customize margaritas (based on your preference of tequila). It is a restaurant with a bar, and not simply a bar in case that is what you are looking for.

Salpicon
1252 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 988-7811

I second Frontera for Margaritas.

Expanding on EatChicago's reply, here are some margarita tips:

1. If you see any of these words on the margarita menu...

• Frozen
• Pitcher
• Slush(y)
• Blue (or any other color. Exception: gold)
• Mango (or the name of any other fruit. Exception: lime)

...quickly but calmly leave the premises. Proceed directly to the bar at Frontera and ask Craig to fix you the real thing.

2. Inquire whether the margaritas are made with anything other than the following:

• FRESH lime juice
• Good quality tequila
• Triple Sec, Gran Torres or other fine quality orange liqueur
• sugar (optional, but acceptable)

If the answer is yes, refer to the remedy in section 1.

3. What do they call their margaritas? Regrettably, Strawberry Mojitorita, White Sangriarita and Between the Hotel Sheets Margarita actually exist. If if you find one of these or something similar on the menu, you know what you must do. See section 1.

4. Better yet, just take EatChicago's advice and head straight to Frontera. Just not on Sunday or Monday; they're closed.

I second the recommendation for The Matchbox. You can get the exact same margarita at The Silver Palm, next door to the Matchbox. The Matchbox is always crowded and a bit divey, but it's an interesting mix of people and has a lot of atmosphere. I'll never forget the time in 2002 when I had plans to meet my friend there one Friday after work for a drink. I got there first and promptly ordered a margarita when the entire bar cleared out and started milling about on Ogden. So I follow suit and ask a guy outside, "why is everyone out here?" He just shrugged and was as clueless as me - just following the crowd.

About two minutes later, the Olympic torch approaches (it was in Salt Lake that year), en route to Navy Pier or someplace like that. Apparently, most everyone there knew in advance about it because they came prepared with American flags which they seemingly whipped out of their back pockets at the last second. As the torch goes by, the entire Matchbox crowd (everyone's outside now, bartenders and all) start cheering and waving the torch bearer on. Imagine her surprise when she's jogging on this desolate strip of Ogden and all the sudden there's about 60 people whooping it up for you. Nice memory for me.

Anyhow, The Silver Palm next door is less crowded and has a nice, classic Chicago bar atmosphere. I usually end up there now.

The Matchbox
770 N. Milwaukee
Chicago

The Silver Palm
768 N. Milwaukee
Chicago

The house margaritas at Don Juan's are excellent.

Don Juan's for Mexican Food Lovers
773/775-6438
6730 N. Northwest Highway
Chicago, IL 60631

We're very fond of Adobo Grill, both for their food and their margaritas. We usually pass on their signature made-at-the-table guacamole. The ceviche is great. So is the roasted pork tenderloin in mole. We only know the Old Town one, but there is one in Wicker Park too.

Adobo Grill
1610 N. Wells St.
Chicago
312-266-7999

I've always been somewhat partial to the margaritas at El Tapatio, which is just a nice little hole in the wall Mexican joint - nothing fancy. The margaritas are large-portioned and there are a few quality tequilas to choose from. Also, try the Crema de Pollo dish if it's still on the menu, immaculate.


El Tapatio
3400 N. Ashland Ave.
773-327-5475

I'd second Frontera and Adobo, and would add Salud, a "Tequila lounge" in Wicker park. Or better yet, there's no need to go out...

1 ounce Cointreau
2 ounces of your favorite tequila
2 ounces of fresh squeezed lime juice
1 ounce water

Shake with ice, strain, serve.

For some reason adding the water takes the bite off of the limes if they're a bit tart. Oh, and if your shaker recently broke like mine (from overuse?), you can use a tupperware container

Salud Tequilla Lounge
(773) 235-5577
1471 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622

MJ

I'll also recommend Matchbox - i've had plenty of margaritas all over this city, and frankly the one's at the matchbox are my personal favorite - I call them "party in a glass"! They don't use a pre-made mix, it's all fresh ingredients, fresh queezed lemon and lime juice, powdered sugar (also the glass is rimmed with powdered suger), powdered eggwhite for the 'froth', and completed with a lemon zest swirl on the top which looks like a strip of confetti, hence my 'party in a glass' tag.

However, I did have several hibiscus margaritas at de cero last friday, and they were awesome. an unusual flavor upon first taste, but one that just absolutely grows on you after a couple of sips. they went well with the goat cheese tamales.

leesh

mas on division has a great margarita!

That is a good margarita recipe... the only thing I do a bit differently is that I make up a simple syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar -- simmer until it is sugar syrup, then cool in the fridge) and use that instead of the water... the effect is similar, but you can use less and adjust for the lack of sugar in some of the lousy limes we get here in the midwest. This is far better than adding granulated sugar of any type since it incorporates very well.

I also like a mix of grand marnier and cointreau -- half of each.[/quote]

The Topolo margarita at Frontera/Topolobambo is the standard against which I measure all margaritas. Does anyone know off the top of their head what brands of liquor they're using? I always mean to make a note of it when I'm there, but forget after a few Topolo margaritas. (I think the recipe is also in one of Bayless's cookbooks.) I'd love to be able to order it at other Mexican restaurants where you can pick your tequila and triple sec.

(I always joke that I go to Frontera/Topolobampo for the Topolo margarita and the cafe ole...everything else, which absolutely delicious, is just filler.)

Little update on my margarita recommendation on El Tapatio above. I had dinner there a few days ago and ordered a Jumbo Lime (or Original) Margarita at the cost of $9.49. The size was very big in a glass that resembled an oversized Chalice.

Now, I like my margaritas with a, let's just say, grossly disproportionate amount of tequila-to-mixer ratio. Tequila was just the standard Cuervo Gold and was apparenlty poured with an extremely heavy hand. This margarita was overpoweringly strong to the point where I almost wimped out and asked for more lime juice - but didn't. At first I thought it was a mixing problem but then gave the Chalice a shake and a few stirs to no avail. I give the margarita an A-/B+. You definitely get your bang for your buck - but hold on for that ride. I had trouble finding the L at first after my meal, which was two blocks away and, ordinarily, in plain view immediately outisde of the restaurant entrance. But the other night, I needed a moment to let the internal GPS click in after a very nice margarita from El Tapatio.

El Tapatio
3400 N. Ashland Ave.
773-327-5475

Here's the Topolo recipe. It tastes exactly like the ones in the restaurant. I've made it without the lime zest and squeezing the juice immedaitely prior to serving and it seems to taste the same.

Topolo Margarita

2 Servings

2 limes, zested

1/2 cup lime juice, about 3 limes

1/4 cup + 1 tsp. sugar

10 tablespoons water

14 tablespoons Sauza Commemorativo tequila

2 tablespoons Gran Torres orange liqueur


Mix the lime zest, lime juice,water, and sugar and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Strain the mixture. Add the tequila and Gran torres. Shake with ice and serve.