How To Order a Margarita at a Bar or Restaurant

Looking for an alternative to ordering a mixed drink or beer at a bar?

When you first hit the legal drinking age, no one tells you how to order a drink at a bar or restaurant. So, some people just pick a drink and never try anything else because they don’t know how to order it. Well, we are here to fix that. 

Let’s talk about how to order margaritas, one of the most popular drinks and definitely our favorite cocktail. 

What is in a Classic Margarita?

A classic margarita consists of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice or sweet and sour mix/margarita mix. Every bar or restaurant has its own way of making margaritas by switching up the brands of liquor they use, the ratios, or themixers they use. This is why margaritas taste slightly different depending on where you are. 

At a Mexican restaurant, you also may see the term “house margarita,” which is just their way of naming their individual recipe for making a traditional margarita. Keep in mind that house margaritas typically do not use top-shelf liquor but are a good value and the easiest drink to order at a Mexican restaurant. 

When you order a margarita, the first question you’ll likely be asked is whether you want it frozen or on the rocks. Frozen margaritas are blended with ice for a slushy consistency, while if you opt for on the rocks, the cocktail will be served over ice in your glass. 

In most places, frozen drinks tend to be a bit sweeter, while on the rocks, versions can be heavy on the liquor and sour components. 

Types of Tequila

There are about four main types of tequila. These include Blanco/silver, which is unaged 100% agave, and Joven/Gold, usually a blend of agave and other ingredients. Then, there is Reposado, which is aged for under a year in oak barrels, and Anejo, which is aged for over a year. There are subcategories in every type of tequila, and each has its own flavor profile. 

Silver or Blanco tequila is typically the go-to, though if you have another favorite, feel free to go for it. 

Additionally, with any liquor, there are different levels of quality in a bar, commonly referred to as Well, Call, and Premium or Top-shelf. Well-liquors are more inexpensive off-brands, just like the store brand at your local grocery store. Call liquors are the popular brands that you definitely know by name that are mid-range in price. Premium or Top shelf liquors are the more expensive luxury brands.

In terms of silver tequilas, Well would be Olmeca Altos Plata, Montezuma, or Margaritaville, while Call could be El Jimador, Cazadores, or Jose Cuervo. Top shelf silver tequila includes Casamigos, Milagro, Don Julio, Patron, Espolon, and Clase Azul.

Every bar will have different options at each level of quality and, depending on the establishment, might consider one of the Top Shelf brands a Call or vice versa. For instance, at a high-end bar or restaurant, their Well might be El Jimador, Call could be Patron or Don Julio, and the Top-shelf is Clase Azul.

Typically, the higher-end tequilas have a smoother taste, though, in a margarita, top-shelf alcohol is unnecessary because the sweet and sour flavors will mask a top-shelf tequila’s finer nuances.

When ordering margaritas, you should expect to be asked if you want a salt or sugar rim. A salt rim is traditional, but sugar is the way to go if you want an extra sweet flavor. Some people choose to go with nothing on the rim as well. 

It is all about what taste you prefer, so if this is your first time trying a margarita, just pick the one that sounds the best to you, and then next time, you can order the other to try both. 

On almost any menu that has a margarita, you’ll likely find flavor options. The three most common flavored variations include strawberry, mango, and Coronarita. For strawberry and mango flavors, fruit puree is added to the original recipe, while a Coronarita has a Corona bottled beer flipped upside down into the margarita glass. 

Ordering flavored margaritas is great for those who don’t love the taste of tequila, and fruity ones are perfect for those who like their drinks on the sweeter side since they are typically more sour than sweet.  

So, as an example, here is how you would order a strawberry frozen margarita with an upgraded liquor at a bar. Say: “I would like a frozen strawberry margarita with Casamigos and a sugar rim.” For ordering just a margarita the traditional way, you would say: “I’ll have a margarita on the rocks with a salted rim.” A simple formula is: size (optional) + frozen or fresh + flavor (optional) + tequila choice (optional) + salt or sugar rim.