The history of the margarita is nebulous, a hazy mix of rumor and innuendo. Some say it was conceived on the Baja peninsula in the 1930s, while others peg its creation to 1942 Juárez. One popular claim bestows its invention to a Dallas socialite, who mixed together tequila, Cointreau and lime juice for her friends in Acapulco, Mexico, circa 1948.
Are any of those stories true? Hard to say. But one thing we do know: In 1971, Mariano Martinez became the first to sling slushy frozen margaritas from a machine at his eponymous and still thriving Dallas restaurant, Mariano’s.
Regardless of its provenance, Americans sure drink a lot of margaritas. According to wine and spirits conglomerate Brown-Forman, each year we’re responsible for downing about 185,000 per hour. Do a little math, and that comes out to more than 1.6 billion per year. Good for us.
It’s no surprise then that a 2019 Nielsen analysis of on-premise cocktail consumption found that the margarita is the most popular cocktail in the country, and 56% of consumers say it’s their go-to cocktail order at bars and restaurants.
The ubiquitous margarita can be acquired at high-end cocktail bars, dive bars, Tex-Mex joints and many places between, often with varying degrees of quality. But with the possible exception of Jimmy Buffet, few entities have done more to popularize the margarita over the decades than Chili’s.
Since opening its first location on Greenville Avenue in 1975, Chili’s Bar & Grill has served its fair share of margaritas. The first iteration was frozen and cost just $1.50. Today, the restaurant chain is responsible for selling 20 million each year, per the company’s internal sales figures, making it one of the country’s largest hawkers of the cocktail and its base spirit, tequila. They also sell more Patrón and Patrón Citrónge (the brand’s orange liqueur) than any other national chain in the country.
According to Chili’s, Dallas drinkers order more ‘ritas than any other city, followed by Houston, Los Angeles, Tampa and Orlando. This deserves a collective pat on the back.
Chili’s carries 12 different tequilas and offers 11 different margaritas, plus a rotating “Margarita of the Month.” They even sell a to-go gallon of premixed margaritas, handy if you’re having a party or like to buy in bulk.
The most popular choice among guests is the Presidente Margarita, which is hand-shaken a precise 25 times and features a dash of brandy alongside the tequila, orange liqueur and lime. It’s served in an oversized martini glass and includes a plastic blue shaker on the side, so you can top off your drink with the bonus contents that remain. In the age of craft cocktails, when you’re more likely to find drinks served in 5-ounce coupes, Chili’s keeps the retro vibe alive.
Those fish bowl-sized drinks first caught my attention as a new Texan in the early ’90s, whose restaurant-going experience was limited to Chili’s and the occasional neighborhood Italian spot. My parents had too much respect for social norms to let their 7-year-old sample their margaritas, but my curiosity was piqued. Years later, when I finally had one of my own, it felt like a long overdue treat.
Today if I want good margaritas, I’ll go to tequila-heavy bars and restaurants like Las Almas Rotas or José. But somewhere deep within me lies a nostalgic craving for Skillet Queso, Quesadilla Explosion Salads and Presidente Margaritas that is typically only satisfied during airport layovers. Chili’s is like a favorite old T-shirt. Sure, there are nicer items to choose from, but damn if it isn’t comforting.
On July 24 (National Tequila Day), Chili’s is offering $6 Presidente Margaritas, $30 To-Go Gallon Mar-Go-Ritas and its $5 Margarita of the Month.