The 10 Best Margaritas in NYC

Image via Complex Original

On an island full of sugary subsitutes claiming to be "margarita," it can be difficult to find the real deal. What you want is a sleek 'rita with 100 percent agave tequila. What you don't want is that sour mix bullshit that will saddle you with night sweats and blinding headaches.

We've been there, which is why we know that choosing a quality tequila drink for your Cinco de Mayo rabblerousing results in the kind of night you want—one that edges on the side of adventure, but doesn't topple over into the kind that involves becoming acquainted with the intricately patterned tiles of the taqueria's bathroom floor.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo the right way with the 10 Best Margaritas in NYC. 

10. Margarita de Pepino 

Served At: Taco Chulo
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 318 Grand St.
Website: tacochulo.com

Taco Chulo is a burrito joint, home to seriously stuffed tortillas, but they also have some serious margaritas. The Margarita De Pepino ($10) is particularly awesome because the tequila is infused with fresh cucumber, which imparts a vivid fresh flavor that offsets the lacing of smoky chile de arbol that would otherwise overstimulate. Two freshly sliced cucumber wheels sit on the salted rim, a frosty bite that kicks the fiesty chile down another notch, assisting Pepino for the win.

[Photo via Taco Chulo]

9. Watermelon Basil Margarita  

Served At: Cascabel Taqueria
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Address: 1538 2nd Ave.
Website: nyctacos.com

Memories of slip-and-slides and catching lightning bugs are evoked with the first taste of Cascabel's watermelon basil margarita. One, because the drink is actually served in a chunky mason jar. Two, because the over-sized chunks of watermelon muddled into the bottom are the raw substance of summer (at least where fruit is concerned). Basil cuts the cocktail's sweetness with a clean, fresh taste. And the ancho chile rim? Just a spicy bonus.

[Photo via Examiner]

8. Piano's Margarita  

Served At: Pianos
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 158 Ludlow St.
Website: pianosnyc.com

Pianos has an exceptional margarita. By exceptional, we mean it evades our usual margarita requirements. But we can overlook that Pianos is not a Mexican restaurant and whatever rough tequila they funnel into their frozen margarita machine, because it produces the cheapest, most outrageously potent margaritas in Manhattan. Like, $4 cheap, and like, having two will have you dancing in the street when there's no music playing. One obsessed patron even keeps a Pianos' "margarita diary" where people submit the wild tales that will inevitably ensue post-consumption, which attests to what we've always known: Pianos' margaritas are dangerous, but undoubtedly a risk worth taking.

7. Toloache Margarita  

Served At: Toloache
Neighborhood: Midtown West
Address: 251 West 50th St.
Website: toloachenyc.com

Sometimes, you want a drink with fruit in it. But it's an urge you don't give into, or one you lie about. Well, we're bigger than that. We won't lie. We want this, a strong margarita ($12) made with Herradura blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, and yes, hibiscus puree and blueberries. Several blueberries have sunk to the bottom and floating among the foam, there is hibsicus flower. But we don't care, or pretend not to, because it tastes good, and goddamnit, there's tequila in it. A lot of tequila.

[Photo via Sweet Salty Things]

6. Tamarind-Togarashi Margarita  

Served At: La Biblioteca
Neighborhood: Midtown East/Murray Hill
Address: 622 3rd Ave.
Website: richardsandoval.com/labiblioteca/

The hard-to-find, earthy sweetness of tamarind is sublimely channeled in La Biblioteca's tamarind-togarashi margarita ($11). Paired with Agavales blanco tequila and fresh citrus, and finished with a togarashi salt rim, it leaves you with a savory-sweet note that's hard to pinpoint, forcing you to order another round just to figure the flavor out.

[Photo via Time Out]

5. Por Qué No? 

Served At: Empellon
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 105 1st Ave.
Website: empellon.com

Asking "why not?" sounds a lot like a challenge, and we're not ones to step down from a challenge that involves a margarita. The drink ($13) combines an agave tequila, Pueblo Viejo Blanco, with cilantro and serrano peppers (they make jalapeños look like child's play). The serranos alone might sear your taste buds, but the fresh pineapple puree offers an escape route. Still, you're left with a subtle sting on your tongue, which might build to a burn after two or three (for the masochists among you).

[Photo via Examiner]

4. Margarita Anejo  

Served At: Anejo Tequileria
Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen
Address: 668 10th Ave.
Website: anejonyc.com

Former Top Chef contestant Angela Sosa's Hell's Kitchen tequilera, a shrine to all things agave, takes the classic margarita up a notch with the margarita anejo ($12). The golden-hued drink pairs Combier orange, agave, and fresh lime juice with El Jimador añejo, an aged tequila that makes for a rich, full-flavored margarita that will set the mood for Sosa's inventive tamales in just a few sips.

[Photo via Resto Manifesto]

3. Señorita Margarita  

Served At: Mayahuel
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 304 East 6th St.
Website: mayahuelny.com

Mayhuel comes from the same libation-laboring crew that brought you Death & Co. and Cienfuegos, which means you can expect a strong, expertly crafted drink in a sexy setting. The señorita margarita ($13) delivers on all accounts, with a smooth mix of reposado tequila, orangerie, lime-infused agave, and a few drops of grapefruit bitters that inject a subtle citrus bite. Certainly the best señorita you've ever had.

[Photo via Find Your Craving]

2. Frozen Pomegranate Margarita 

Served At: Rosa Mexicano
Neighborhood: Upper East Side, Lincoln Center, Union Square
Address: 1063 1st Ave., 61 Columbus Circle, 9 East 18th St.
Website: rosamexicano.com

We know what you're thinking. You're cool with a pink shirt every once in a while, but a pink frozen drink might be taking the whole "confident in my sexuality" thing too far. But one long slurp through those dual red straws, and you'll see that Rosa's sublime pomegranate slush ($11.50) redefines pink. It's potent and surprisingly tart, putting an abrupt end to your argument—and your sobriety. But worry not, Rosa's fresh guacamole, prepared table-side, can be readily obtained as a savory solution.

[Photo via What Shi Eats]

1. Habanero-Infused Grapefruit Margarita   

Served At: Barrio Chino
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 253 Broome St.
Website: barriochinonyc.com

We've said it before, but we're cool with repeating ourselves: Barrio Chino is official. Their margaritas, like the barely-there decor, is no-BS in the best way possible. The habanero grapefruit margarita ($10) comes with a verbal warning for a reason. Sometimes, "infused" can be code for "barely there" but in Barrio Chino's case the habanero-infused Hornitos reposado sends a tsunami of spice that washes over your mouth with each sip. The pleasant heat encourages deliberate sipping, which is more than we can say for most margaritas, which we tend to take down like Hi-C.

*Heads up: If tingly isn't a sensation you enjoy, you can nix the habanero and opt for the grapefruit solo.

[Photo via Flickr]