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Photograph: Jaclyn Rivas

The best margaritas in Chicago

The best margaritas have plenty of fresh lime juice and no shortage of tequila, plus a few surprises

Morgan Olsen
Written by
Morgan Olsen
&
Elizabeth Atkinson
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A classic margarita is a mixture of tequila, fresh lime juice and Cointreau (an orange-flavored liqueur). It's an undeniably refreshing drink whether it's Cinco de Mayo or any old Friday night. Of course, here in Chicago there are an infinite number of fanciful twists on the simple recipe. Whether you like your margs spicy, sweet, made with veggies or infused with gold flakes, there's an option for you at Chicago's bes Mexican restaurants, taco joints, dive bars and cocktail lounges. Choose from simple or fancy, plain or bizarre, by the glass or in a pitcher—our list includes a little bit of everything.

RECOMMENDED: A complete guide to Chicago's best bars

Best margaritas in Chicago

  • Restaurants
  • Mexican
  • Lower West Side
  • price 1 of 4

The margarita starts simple—silver tequila, lime, Cointreau—and then the bartender doctors it up with cucumber, jalapeno, simple syrup and a chile pequin rim. The cucumber makes it taste light and fresh, while the chile-lime salted rim adds heat to every sip. $8. —Amy Cavanaugh

  • Restaurants
  • Mexican
  • Wicker Park
  • price 1 of 4

It makes sense that the cutest taco joint in town also has the cutest margarita. At Antique Taco, the simple margarita—tequila, plus fresh lime and orange juices—gets a hint of sweetness and herbal notes from rosemary simple syrup. It’s garnished with a sprig of rosemary and available both by the glass and the quart—considering the heat some of the tacos carry, you’ll want to go big. $8, glass $30, quart.AC

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  • Bars
  • Mezcalerias
  • Wicker Park
  • price 1 of 4

Big Star makes two margaritas: the classic, with Lunazul Blanco, lime and orange curacao, and the Big Star, which adds in mezcal. While we’re usually all over mezcal margaritas, here it’s a bit too strong. Stick with the simple but well-crafted classic, which is also available in a pitcher for $36, a requirement if you’re whiling away an afternoon over a plate of tacos. $9. —AC

Top Shelf Margarita at Dos Urban Cantina
  • Restaurants
  • Mexican
  • Logan Square

This Logan Square spot offers two margs on its menu: house and top shelf. We recommend splurging on the latter, a seamless blend of tequila, triple sec, lime, simple syrup and dry orange liqueur. Sounds somewhat basic, but all of the ingredients come from bottles you'd expect to find on your fancy friend's bar cart. The finished product is clean, packed with citrus and downright juicy. Consider adding a little heat with an optional drop or two of habanero tincture. $16. —Morgan Olsen

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  • Restaurants
  • Mexican
  • Logan Square
  • price 2 of 4

The Mexican restaurant knows its tequila, and there are several margaritas on the cocktail list. Where There is Smoke 's name says it all: The smoky mezcal hits you up front and it’s followed by fire from the serrano chile. The orange liqueur and lime juice mellow both flavors out, resulting in a balanced margarita. $10. —AC

  • Restaurants
  • Latin American
  • Logan Square
  • price 2 of 4

Margaritas at De Noche Mexicana are no joke, whether you want a twist on the old classic with the De Noche Rita ($9) or prefer to kick things up a notch with the smooth but serious Margarita Suprema ($14)—a mix of Don Julio reposado tequila and Grand Marnier, plus anejo rum and citrus mix. That said, a $32 pitcher of the trusted house ’rita—El Charro blanco tequila, orange liqueur, orange liqueur and de noche citrus mix—goes down easy. Add a taste of blackberry, mango, passion fruit or guava for $3. —Laura Rote

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  • Restaurants
  • Ukrainian Village

No, that's not a typo. This bright orange elixir gets its unique hue from carrot juice. Still, it's not your typical juice-bar concoction. The vegetal base is spruced up with reposado (oak-aged tequila), spicy green chile liqueur, agave, lime and lime sea salt. It's a complex yet refreshing sipper that sets the scene at this veggie-focused restaurant in Wicker Park. $12. —MO

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Splurge Margarita at Frontera Grill
  • Restaurants
  • Mexican
  • River North
  • price 2 of 4

While the gold flakes may remind you of Goldschlager shots in college, drinking this margarita, served neat in a filled-to-the-brim martini glass, will end a lot better than those frat ragers. That’s because this drink is made with incredibly high-end ingredients (hence, the incredibly high-end price): Don Julio 1942, Grand Marnier, the French aperitif Pineau des Charentes and those aforementioned gold flakes. If you like cognac (the tequila is aged in Cognac barrels and Pineau des Charantes is infused with the stuff), you’ll like the mellow Sweet Tart flavor of this drink. If you don’t…uh, stick with Goldschlager? $30.Laura Baginski

  • Restaurants
  • Mexican
  • Logan Square
  • price 2 of 4

Chef Diana Dávila's ode to Mexican cuisine offers three simple margaritas. The only choice you'll need to make: Blanco tequila, mescal or reposado? We recommend switching things up with the herbaceous and smoky mescal, which adds just the right amount of depth to an otherwise-classic cocktail. If you're dining with a group, upgrading to the pitcher is a no-brainer. $13 or $52. —MO

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  • Bars
  • Cocktail bars
  • River North
  • price 1 of 4

At La Mez Agave Lounge, the margarita comes with mescal, herbal liqueur, Grand Marnier, lime and lightly sweetened with agave. It makes for a great after work drink, and you can sometimes find the cocktail being offered at half price, accompanied by small plates of food. $13. —EA

  • Bars
  • Pubs
  • Logan Square
  • price 1 of 4

Best Intentions has a fantastic patio, and while you could easily cool down with the delicious Wondermint Malted, you might be looking for something a little lighter. Try the Horchata Margarita, a little sweet but not cloying. Everything else stays the same, with a pop of tequila, this margarita aims to please. $8. —EA

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  • Restaurants
  • Mexican
  • River North
  • price 2 of 4

When it comes to margaritas, keeping it simple is often the best course of action. This River North hotspot offers a variety of margaritas, most of which are mixed with unexpected ingredients like cumin salt and almonds, but the best of the bunch is a straightforward adherent to the form: El Jimador Blanco tequila, agave nectar, Grand Marnier and fresh lime juice. Caution: Do not pay an extra $3 to “add smoke” to this margarita, unless you like a mouthful of campfire. $12.50 —LB

Pineapple Serrano at Takito Kitchen
  • Restaurants
  • Mexican
  • Ukrainian Village
  • price 2 of 4

Between the tequila, Cointreau, pineapple and spicy Serrano, there’s a lot of flavor here, but it all melds together beautifully. And while we’re not entirely sure what the bartenders are doing to make the chile-citrus-salt-sugar rim so good, we also don’t really care. $11. —AC

Find more of our top Mexican picks by dish

  • Restaurants

We don't ever need an excuse to gorge ourselves on the city’s stellar Mexican offerings. (We’d happily scale a mountain of snow for 2am tamales!) And whether we're bundled up in our parkas or shedding our winter layers for some warmer weather, we're always in the mood for tacos, enchiladas and hard-hitting, ice-cold margaritas. We decided to check out the best—and most authentic—Mexican food in Chicago, dish by delicious dish.

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