In the mood for a salted rim? Here's where to celebrate with a South Shore margarita.
Just as everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Hispanic on Cinco de Mayo.
The yearly celebration on May 5 marks the anniversary of Mexico's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Also known as Battle of Puebla Day, the holiday has morphed in the United States into a day to sip on tequila and munch on Mexican favorite dishes.
If you're willing to brave the crowds, here are seven places to grab a sweet, spicy or salty margarita on the South Shore.
Locales in Hingham
Locales Tacos y Tequila in Crow Point does not mess around when it comes to drinks. There are about 50 different tequilas and more than 80 mezcals on a menu that includes locally sourced produce for drinks, as well as meats, fish and other ingredients for a small but well-curated menu.
A recreational longboard surfer, owner Brian McLaughlin said he was inspired to open a Mexican restaurant after seeing a colorful 1960s postcard that said “Greetings from Localés, Old Mexico.” So, he set out to bring that image to life and recreate those surf-shack vibes on the South Shore.
Choose from a sipping tequila on a list with options ranging from $7 to $60 per pour, or choose a margarita. Options range from unique tastes like the Dead Man's Boot (Arette reposado, High West double rye, ginger beer, agave and lime) and Mono Blanco (house-infused jalapeno tequila, coconut cream, pineapple juice, agave and lime) to the more traditional house margarita with a number of flavors and upgrades available.
Cielo in Braintree
There isn't a taste preference that Cielo in Braintree can't match with a margarita.
The drink menu is extensive and full of things you've probably never seen anywhere else like the Champagne margarita that comes topped with a small bottle tipped upside down inside or the Tamarindo, made with the fruit pulp of tamarind, a plant popular in Asian cuisine.
Pair one of the spicy, sweet or salty options with the Cielo Dip for the ultimate Cinco de Mayo stop.
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Sombrero's in Weymouth
Are you looking for margaritas the size of your head? Then Sombrero's has you covered.
Colorful tequila drinks are served in fish-bowl-sized glasses at this local favorite eatery, and offerings include strawberry, watermelon, coconut, blueberry mint and The National Margarita, made with Hornitos Reposado, lime juice, triple sec, orange liqueur and agave.
El Sarape in Braintree
El Sarape is exactly what you picture when you think of a Mexican restaurant: The tables are topped with Spanish tiles, the bar is colorful and the drinks are the most important thing.
It has 15 signature margaritas, 50 types of tequila, homemade sangria, Mexican beer and even specialty martinis. Margarita specials include a strawberry basil, spicy cucumber and apple cinnamon.
Pour Yard in Quincy
It's not a Mexican restaurant, but who doesn't love a margarita flight?
At Quincy's Pour Yard, where the bites are casual and dogs are welcome, the margarita flight is a build-your-own experience with these flavor options: coconut, watermelon, strawberry, raspberry, peach, pineapple, spicy habanero, blood orange, blueberry and mango. Pick four to complete your perfect tasting menu.
Margaritas are also available by the pitcher, and Mexican-inspired plates include quesadillas made with lobster, tequila lime or blackened steak and tacos made with grilled steak, chicken, citrus grilled shrimp or spicy fish. The restaurant's Cinco de Mayo celebration will also include Tres Agaves strawberry margarita samples.
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Don Bravo in Marshfield
This week will mark the first Cinco de Mayo for the new Don Bravo Mexican Grill in Marshfield, which opened in December in the image of the owner's late father, Julian Bravo. The menu is full of nods to restaurateur Maria Bravo's family, and the décor is full of custom pieces imported from Guadalajara, Mexico − considered to be the birthplace of tequila.
The restaurant was granted only a beer and wine license by the town at its opening, and for months served margaritas are made with wine instead of the signature Mexican liquor. But this year's holiday brought good luck, according to Bravo, who posted to social media Monday with big news:
"We would like to announce that we just got our full seasonal liquor license just in time for 5 de Mayo!!!" the post reads. "Hope to see you all here to celebrate with us! Margaritas and tequila!!! We are sooo ready!"
Pearl and Lime in Quincy
The Pearl and Lime eatery on Hancock Street − owned by the same restaurateurs as Townshend around the corner − has always been a little more Latin fusion than straight-up Mexican, but its drinks still deserve a shoutout on this Cinco de Mayo list.
Staple offerings include the New Mexico Skullcrusher spicy margarita and the El Coco, a coconut margarita, alongside cocktails that ditch the tequila in favor of a flavorful rum or other locally made spirit. A rotating list of three everchanging cocktails almost always includes a spin on the traditional margarita as well. Right now, the list includes the Mo Problems − a "lighter and fruitier spicy margarita with Tanteo Blanco tequila, pineapple chile liqueur and lime."
Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Cinco de Mayo drinks: Where to sip margaritas on the South Shore
