Reviews

I’ve had a couple of different Margaritas at Five Bistro in St. Louis before. The first was ok, the second was better. It had been awhile since I had ordered a Margarita at Five Bistro, so I decided to try again. I’m certainly glad I did.

It was funny that the Margarita was served in a mason jar. Last year when my wife and I took a trip to Napa/Sonoma Valley with some friends, we stayed at a vacation rental home. The only glasses they had were mason jars and I made several rounds of Margaritas using a large mason jar as a shaker and smaller mason jars as Margarita glasses. I remember limes were really cheap in California, so I took full advantage of that to make many Margaritas for my friends on that trip.

Back to the present, however. Note that Five Bistro has a full bar and you can order almost any drink you like, even if it isn’t on the menu. The Margarita this night at Five Bistro was excellent. It had a great citrus flavor. I could definitely tell it was fresh lime juice. It was well-balanced overall, although it was a tad on the tart side. I would have preferred just a little more sweetness to even out the flavor. But all-in-all it was an excellent Margarita and I give it an 8.5 that night.

I drank about half of my Margarita before our dinner courses were served, which were paired with wines. In between courses, I kept sipping on my Margarita. I noticed an interesting effect that night was that the strong citrus flavor acted as an excellent palate cleanser. So feel free to order Margaritas at fancy restaurants with the explanation that the drink is great between courses. Not that you really need an excuse to order a Margarita, but you never know.

My wife’s uncle came along with us on my Margarita Run last year. As it turns out, he knows a thing or two about Margaritas. So when he recommended that we join he and his wife for dinner at one of their favorite Mexican restaurants, I happily obliged. As it turned out, the restaurant he recommended was Ruiz’, which claims to be the oldest Mexican restaurant in St. Louis, MO.

One can never quite tell about a Mexican restaurant from until they eat there. There are many a family-run Mexican places that serve average Mexican food. There are a few that serve amazing food. Some may have great Margaritas and others may not. So I was hoping for the best when ordering a Margarita at Ruiz’. Not having any detail in the menu, I asked the waitress about their Margaritas. Listening to her descriptions, I settled on their “top shelf” Margarita. The ingredients were better and I knew I would definitely like it over their house Margarita.

The good news was that the Margarita I had that night had solid and an overall smooth flavor. But it was a little on the sweet side and had a slightly bitter finish. Overall it was a good Margarita, but it could have been better. I rate it an 8, which is actually a little saddening to me. This Margarita had the makings of a great one, but I think the restaurant makes a basic error in the creation of their top shelf. Instead of mixing this drink with the great ingredients the waitress described to me, they simply add those ingredients to their house Margarita. The end result is a little on the heavy side and I can tell that the lower-quality ingredients of the house mix hold the top shelf version back. As a comparison, I took a few sips of the house Margarita. The drink was lighter, although sweeter, but with more citrus flavor. It didn’t seem to have as much alcohol in it, which made sense if they were adding more tequila and triple sec to the top shelf version. However, I think many people would find the house Margarita more refreshing than the top shelf, simply because it is lighter and not so thick with liquor. I would give the house Margarita a 7 for my tastes.

If you’re in the area and want to sample the fare of St. Louis’ oldest Mexican restaurant, I would definitely recommend getting the top shelf Margarita instead of the house. But while it is a good Margarita, perhaps you will find like I did, that it could be so much more.

Caleco’s is a very unique bar & grill located in the heart of downtown St. Louis. It is a popular place to go before Cardinal baseball games, and is one of our favorite places to go for a meal if we are in the area. Oddly enough, it had been quite a while since my wife and I had visited there, but we found ourselves nearby and decided to stop in. Of course, a Margarita was to be had.

For as many times as I had been to Caleco’s, I honestly did not remember having a Margarita there before. Likely I had, but I just didn’t recall what it was like. Looking over their menu, it highlighted a 32 oz Margarita, so I figured that they took a little pride in their drink. Hopefully, anyway.

The Margarita I got that day was flavorful, but very much on the sweet side. It was also more on the “fruity” flavor spectrum than the citrus flavor I look for. All-in-all, it was a very tasty drink, but not so much like a true Margarita as I would like. For most people eating at a bar & grill, this drink would probably satisfy their Margarita craving. However, I wouldn’t necessarily stop here for a Margarita if that’s what you are primarily after. The Margarita that day garnered a 7.

Looking over their bar menu, they do offer a variety of nice tequilas. I know that Caleco’s bar can make some great drinks, so it is possible that if you ordered a hand-made margarita with fresh lime juice it could be a great drink. Perhaps I will try that on my next visit.

I can’t remember exactly when La Fonda opened in Edwardsville. I want to say it was almost 20 years ago. Looking back, it was the first of what was about to become several Mexican restaurants to open up in my hometown. When it first opened I would eat there fairly often. As more places opened up, we started visiting others and eventually started frequenting El Maguey almost exclusively. However, the other day my wife and I decided to mix things up and give La Fonda a try again. Of course, the fact that I wanted to sample one of their Margaritas and add it to this blog was a factor in our decision!

One of the things that I remember about La Fonda’s Margaritas from way back was the fact that they were inconsistent. I recall that often I would like their Margarita on a particular night, only to not like it quite so much the next time. But time has passed so I was curious what I would find on this night. We ordered a pitcher of their house Margarita and gave it a try. For the most part, it wasn’t a bad Margarita. However I would describe it an average Mexican restaurant Margarita. I could tell it was made with a mix, it was a bit on the sweet side, and the quality of the ingredients just didn’t stand out. For most people, this would probably satisfy them as a drink they would expect to go along with average Mexican food. But it doesn’t set itself apart as a Margarita to seek out. I give La Fonda’s Margarita on this night a 6.5.

Granted, this was just a house Margarita. It is possible that requesting a better quality Margarita might produce better results. But from what I’ve experienced so far, if an establishment doesn’t take their house Margarita very seriously, better quality Margaritas just aren’t really worth it.

This Margarita doesn’t look “unusual”, but the flavors definitely are.

For Christmas Eve this year, my family wanted to go out to dinner. What we discovered was that it is incredibly hard to find an open restaurant on the evening of December 24th! Luckily we found that Cielo Restaurant & Bar was open and serving a special tasting menu. We had been to Cielo once before and enjoyed it for a Mother’s Day brunch, but this was the first time we were going for dinner. I checked out the bar menu and discovered a speciality Margarita called the “Unusual Margarita.”

Cielo’s “Unusual Margarita” is made with jalapeño & thyme infused tequila, Cointreau, and cucumber & lime shrub. This is definitely a unique creation so I had to give it a try. The Margarita didn’t look “unusual”, but the first sip caught me by surprise. Even though I knew that the tequila was infused with jalapeño, the spiciness and combination of flavors was almost “shocking” to my palate. Now I’m a big fan of spicy foods, so spice doesn’t bother me. But this flavor was very strange in a Margarita. Behind the initial spiciness, I could tell there was a nicely balanced, flavorful Margarita lurking back there. Unfortunately for me, the jalapeño simply didn’t work. It wasn’t a truly complementary flavor to the Margarita and ended up just kind of just “getting in the way.” I’d describe the flavor as “twangy” overall and it would not be something I’d order again. For this drink as a Margarita, I would only give it a 6. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to order a regular Margarita from Cielo, as I could tell that the “Unusual” was made with premium ingredients and I have no doubt that a regular Margarita would be excellent.

As far as Cielo’s “Unusual Margarita” goes, it is definitely “unusual” and not necessarily something a Margarita fan would enjoy. However, if you are into unique drinks, I would say you should give it a try. Otherwise the food is excellent at Cielo and certainly worth the visit.

House Margarita, Diablitos Cantina

The first time I stopped at Diablitos Cantina, it was the last stop of my Margarita Run. The decor was very interesting and the Margaritas very good, so I wanted to come back again soon. I finally got the chance and made sure I took full advantage.

The first thing we did was order a pitcher of their house Margarita to share. The ingredients listed were 100% blue weber tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice, triple sec and a hint of sugar. Diablitos house Margarita was very good, although the flavor was a little more tart on the lime component than I usually like. I could tell they use sugar instead of Agave nectar, and perhaps this influenced the tartness. Still the overall flavor was good and well-balanced so I give Diablitos house Margarita an 8 that night.

Top Shelf Margarita, Diablitos Cantina

However, I wasn’t finished! I wanted to try another of Diablitos’ Margaritas so I ordered a “top shelf” Margarita for myself. The menu listed the ingredients of the top shelf: Hornitos reposado tequila, Pierre Ferrand dry curaçao, plus fresh squeezed lime juice and a hint of sugar. It was very similar to their house Margarita, but the tequila flavor was a little more pronounced and I could taste the flavor of triple sec. The top shelf Margarita that night had a better overall balance and I gave it an 8.5 out of 10.

By the way, the food that night at Diablitos was excellent. One of the neat features of Diablitos is their salsa bar. You can sample many different and unique type of salsas with a variety of flavors and heat levels. I think this definitely goes well with a Margarita, so don’t hesitate to visit Diablitos Cantina.

Margaritas should normally not be orange

On a Sunday out shopping with my family, we decided to stop for lunch at one of our favorite places, Houlihan’s. The last time I was here I had a Margarita, but it wasn’t all that great. But this time, they had a new menu with a section of “Signature Margaritas”. One of those was called the “Fresh Agave Margarita,” which listed organic agave nectar, Sauza Hornitos Plata Tequila, fresh orange and lime juice as ingredients. This certainly sounded like the makings for a great Margarita so of course I ordered one.

The first thing I noticed was that the color of the drink was very orange. That is not normal for a Margarita. The drink itself was very well made and had good flavor. The balance overall was good except for the fact that the orange juice flavor overpowered the lime flavor. Unfortunately, while the drink itself was good, the lack of lime flavor makes it hard for me to call it a good true Margarita. So I would give the drink a decent score overall, but as a Margarita, I would only give it a 6.

It is possible that the bartender that day simply used too much orange juice. If that was the case, I hold out high hopes that the Fresh Agave Margarita at Houlihan’s is normally better than the one I had that day. The next chance I get to go to Houlihan’s I will definitely give it another try.

J.Fires’ Market Bistro is a bit of a hidden gem near St. Louis, MO. Offering excellent food in a cozy old farmhouse built in 1818, J.Fires’ is definitely a unique dining experience. It had been a few years since my wife and I had visited, but a friend was having their birthday dinner there so away we went. Of course, I had a Margarita tasting on my mind.

The bad news was that I couldn’t taste any fresh lime juice in the Margarita. It was almost certainly made from a mix. The good news was that the drink was light and refreshing so it wasn’t bad. The other good news is that the food at J.Fires’ is unique and varied so I can forgive a Margarita that isn’t as good as I would like. Plus I would be willing to bet that if I had requested a Margarita made with fresh lime juice they could have accommodated that request. So while I would only rate the Margarita that night a 6.5, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to J.Fires’ at any time. Perhaps next time I will specify how they should make the Margarita.

As luck would have it, the town where I live has become a little hotspot of new restaurants lately. Obviously this presents additional opportunities to sample new Margaritas! Social Gastropub’s Edwardsville, Illinois location is their second restaurant, with the first being near Toledo, Ohio. I have no idea how they ended up in Edwardsville from Ohio, but so far their food has been excellent so I’m happy they decided to locate here. But for purposes of this blog, the real question is how are their Margaritas?

Social’s menu did not list a Margarita so I asked the waitress if they served one. She said that the bartender could make one up so I ordered and my only request was that it be made with fresh lime juice. The Margarita ended up being well balanced and had a good flavor, but I could tell the sweet component was not agave nectar. This is not a deal-breaker for me, but I felt the sweet flavor was just a little too sweet. Overall, I give the Margarita that day a 7.5.

Note that this was the first week in operation for Social Gastropub in Edwardsville. Also, when making hand-crafted Margaritas, the skill of the bartender working a particular day has much to do with the quality of the drink. Since that first visit to Social Gastropub, I’ve sampled several of their other drinks and all were very good. One of my favorites is a drink made with Blood Orange. The ingredients are basically a Margarita with blood orange juice in place of lime juice. Obviously it tastes very similar to a Margarita so that is probably one reason why I like it. Unfortunately, they change their menu often so it was no longer listed the last time I checked. That being said, I am certain that regardless of what drink you choose, you will be satisfied with what you order so make sure to visit Social Gastropub as soon as you can.

Neat cups, but I prefer my Margarita in a glass.

Hacienda Mexican Restaurant is well-known in the St. Louis area. It had been a long time since my wife and I last visited, but we happened to be in the area so we stopped in for dinner and a Margarita.

Hacienda claims they have been awarded St. Louis’ Favorite Margarita. When that was and who awarded it they don’t say, but I’ve noticed a lot of places claiming the have “the best” Margarita in St. Louis. They can’t all be, so I guess it is up to me to find out who is telling the truth! It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

Hacienda has a large menu of Margaritas. So for this visit, I figured I’d just try their standard Margarita, called fittingly enough, “The Hacienda Margarita.” The first thing I noticed was that the Margarita was served in green plastic cups. I’m a little nitpicky about the way my Margaritas are served and plastic cups just make it seem like the place doesn’t take their Margaritas seriously. But the proof is in the pudding, so I wasn’t going to hold this against the Margarita depending on how it tasted.

With my first sip, I could tell immediately that this Margarita was made with a mix. Not that this was unexpected from a restaurant that serves a large variety of Margaritas. Usually the “standard” Margaritas are not top shelf. But I was hoping that St. Louis’ Favorite Margarita would be a bit more. The flavor was light and sweet, which made it easy to drink. However, the overall flavor was more fruity than citrus and there was a slightly bitter aftertaste. So it really wasn’t that great, although it wasn’t bad and I could see that people would like it as a refreshing drink on a hot day. I give The Hacienda Margarita a 7. However, I would like to return to Hacienda and sample some of their other Margaritas.