4 Yummy Margarita Drinks to Celebrate National Margarita Day

Whether it’s traditional lime or the li-hing version, margaritas are that perfect cocktail that make even a Monday feel like a holiday.

February 22, 2016

Kawehi Haug,

Any margarita from Mexico Cantina Margarita bar in Ward Centre is a no-fail way to celebrate National Margarita day today.

Photos: Kawehi Haug

‪Of all the national days that celebrate everything from sourdough bread (April 5) to raisin bran cereal (Nov. 15), National Margarita Day ranks pretty high on our list. Here, we raise a gigantic stemmed glass to our favorite places for margaritas. (And yes, you can get these on the rocks, too.)

‪Wahoo’s Fish Tacos

‪We’re starting with Wahoo’s because it’s our go-to when a serious need for ’ritas arises. The fast-casual fish taco joint makes a good classic frozen margarita, and it’s only $12 for a full pitcher during happy hour, which runs from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday. That’s $3 a drink, and the very best deal around. Pitchers are $20 at full price, which is still super reasonable.

Ward Village Shops, 940 Auahi St., 591-1546, wahoos.com

‪Mexico Cantina Margarita Bar

‪If you’re out to find a more south-of-the-border experience, Mexico Cantina at Ward Centre (upstairs next door to Ryan’s Grill) specializes in margaritas with a long menu of options, from the traditional lime to the restaurant’s monthly margarita special. This month it’s the Sweet Tart, a lychee-pomegranate margarita that’s perfect for the Cosmo-drinking person in your crew, while still packing a good tequila punch. The Coco Margarita is a fun take on the classic, made with coconut cream. Here, the margaritas are a little bit pricey— price ranges from $10 to $14—but they’re big and potent, which counts for a lot.

Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd., third floor, 596-4964, mexicocantina.com

‪Ryan’s Grill

‪No roundup of margaritas would be complete without including Ryan’s popular li hing mui margarita, a happy-hour staple in this city. And at $4 ($8 at full price) for a decent frozen margarita, it’s no wonder we’ve been drinking it for as long as we have. Substituting a li hing rim for the traditional salt rim is by far one of the best modifications made to a cocktail ever. And though we’re not sure when or where it first started happening, it was at Ryan’s where we had our very first li hing ’rita. Call it our nostalgic pick.

Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd., third floor, 591-9132, ryansgrill.com

‪La Mariana Sailing Club

Part of the appeal of drinking a margarita at the La Mariana Sailing Club is the ambiance, for sure.

‪If we’re going to drink a blended frozen drink, what better place than an honest-to-goodness tiki bar? Because a place that specializes in Lava Flows and Blue Hawai‘is probably also makes a decent margarita. And you can’t beat the perfectly kitschy ambience of La Mariana Sailing Club in the industrial area of Sand Island. If we can’t be sipping a margarita on a beach in Cancun, we want to do it under a thatched roof and tiki torches on a pier in Honolulu. La Mariana makes our favorite li hing margarita—heavy on the tequila and seriously heavy on the li hing powder. Just the way we like it. There’s a long list of other flavored margaritas—all around $6 to $8 each—but we suggest sticking to the li hing or the strawberry varieties. The other flavors tend to be perfumey and the Cadillac drinks more like a Pinto, so skip that one altogether.

50 Sand Island Road, 848-2800, lamarianasailingclub.com