Tell us how you take it. We'll build your custom trail.

Patron Silver, Cointreau, and lime juice squeezed that day — no mixers hiding anything. Family-run since 1975, with a canopied patio added in 2005 that stays comfortable most of the year.

13421 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216

The house margarita, on the rocks or frozen, and the reason people keep coming back. Order it straight or push it into any of a dozen-plus flavors — mango, strawberry, watermelon, chamoy, melon. Top-shelf and premium pours step up to Don Julio, Herradura, or Patron Silver.

A San Antonio original. The Chispa is a San Antonio original — a contemporary local invention rather than a classic build, and one of the few margaritas this city can claim as its own. It is on the trail for what it is, not because it passes a purist test.

Best margaritas in the world! They have many options but “Chispa” do not disappoint. A reviewer, via Tripadvisor · source

10003 NW Military Hwy #2107, San Antonio, TX 78231

Also at 938 North Loop 1604 W, San Antonio, TX 78232 · 27650 I-10 Ste 115, Boerne, TX 78015

Bar director Lauren Beckman solved the salted-rim problem by turning the salt into a foam: a salted orange foam sits over a conspicuously clear drink built on clarified lime cordial, so every glass carries exactly the same amount of salt as the one next to it. The bar has its own entrance and takes walk-ins — you do not need the tasting menu to drink here. Second in the Express-News Top 10.

812 S Alamo St Ste 103, San Antonio, TX 78205

The staff shirts read "La Casa de la Chispa" and they have earned it — the Chispa is drier and less sweet than most, which is the whole point. The premium pour with Don Julio runs $16, two dollars more than the house frozen with prickly pear. Fourth in the Express-News Top 10.

A San Antonio original. The Chispa is a San Antonio original — a contemporary local invention rather than a classic build, and one of the few margaritas this city can claim as its own. It is on the trail for what it is, not because it passes a purist test.

Bright, electric, and just sweet enough to keep you lingering on the patio. CultureMap San Antonio · source

7959 Broadway St #204, San Antonio, TX 78209

Frozen layers of lime margarita and sweet red prickly pear puree swirled together in a frosted martini glass — Sutter called it the best margarita on the river. Order it with the guacamole they mash tableside. On the river since 1986.

Prickly pear margarita pairs perfectly with their famous tableside guacamole. San Antonio Current · source

421 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Steve's is the classic build and pointedly not sweet, and you have to know to ask for it. The printed list is worth knowing too: the Top Shelf on Lalo Blanco, Citronge and lime, and a frozen lime wearing a cape of prickly pear and chile salt. Limes squeezed by hand, in a courtyard out back the size of a village mercado, at San Antonio's oldest Mexican restaurant. Seventh in the Express-News Top 10.

The Prickly Pear and Jalapeno margaritas are a crowd favorite. San Antonio Current · source

2415 N Main Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212

Blanco tequila, mezcal and a syrup made from the salsa verde the kitchen makes fresh daily — no bits, no colour trails, just a trace of heat working with the mezcal. Alongside it sits the Flaquita, the classic three-part build done straight. Houston Eaves runs the bar programme after eight years at The Esquire Tavern. There is also a zero-proof Margarita Sin Fuerza, taken as seriously as the rest. Third in the Express-News Top 10.

221 Newell Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215

A Monte Vista pizzeria with a bar that takes liberties with the classics — Barbaro Originals, classics, and frozens, running late with a proper happy hour. Same Empty Stomach group as Merci Jones and Hot Joy, and the same standard behind the bar.

Not on the printed menu — but we have had it here. Ask, and they will make you one.

2720 McCullough Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212

Inside Pullman Market at the Pearl, with an open kitchen and a live-fire hearth. The beverage program leans Texas wine and modern takes on classic cocktails, so no margarita is printed — but a bar holding a Michelin star and the only Green Star in Texas is a reasonable place to ask. Named for the patron saint of farmers.

Not on the printed menu — but we have had it here. Ask, and they will make you one.

221 Newell Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215

One of two signature drinks at Empty Stomach's cocktail bar — the other is a berry thing called Oops! All Berries. The point here is the bar itself: classics built properly and priced like they want you to have two, with seven cocktails at $7 until 7pm. There's also a real non-alcoholic list, not an afterthought, if someone in the group isn't drinking.

1101 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78215

The margarita is the local order here, though the house pour they are known for is the Beard-nominated Commerce Street Fix — blanco tequila, chartreuse, pineapple, lemon, and angostura over crushed ice. Drunk at the longest wooden bar in Texas, over 100 feet of it, in continuous service since the day after Prohibition ended.

They make a great Margarita on the rocks. A reviewer, via Tripadvisor · source

155 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Mexican Haas avocados, fresh lime, tequila and triple sec, blended and served frozen in a martini glass with a chili-lime salt rim. Blanca Aldaco is credited with putting it on the map, and it took third in a national avocado recipe contest in 2006. Drunk on a Stone Oak patio near the highest point in the city, with fans and misters for the months that need them.

Sort of like drinking creamy, spiked guacamole. A reviewer, via Wander With Wonder · source

20079 Stone Oak Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78258

A Prohibition-era room on the ground floor of the Gunter Hotel, pouring 1920s-style cocktails built on house-made ingredients. The margarita made the 2026 SA Picks finalists off a bar that takes its own history seriously.

205 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Nine margaritas at the locations with a cantina, and a happy hour that runs twice a day — afternoon, then again after 9pm. Ron Acosta opened the first one in 1981 as a walk-up window with sixty seats; it is now the local chain San Antonio grew up on. Voted the city’s best margarita in the 2026 SA Picks readers’ poll.

A San Antonio original. Founded in San Antonio in 1981 and grown up alongside the city — for a lot of people here this is the margarita they have been drinking their whole lives.

11860 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78216

Also at Around 25 locations — check which have a cantina before you go

A walk-up bar on the River Walk, literally under the South St. Mary’s bridge, run as an extension of Domingo next door at the Canopy. Two to choose from: a Spiced Cucumber on jalapeno tequila, or the Summer Year Round with Espolon Reposado, Grand Marnier and house watermelon puree. Sutter reckoned you could have both for the price of one frozen-syrup margarita elsewhere on the river. Get a $5 Frito pie called a Walking Taco with it. Tenth in the Express-News Top 10.

130 River Walk, San Antonio, TX 78205

Tequila, lime and agave nectar, no triple sec — the build the San Francisco bar of that name is credited with, and where the idea of a skinny margarita may have started. Sojourn's twist is agave infused with orange peel and an umami salt rim of toasted black sesame, red chile, kosher salt, sugar and mango-watermelon powder. Precise pours, good ice, a hard shake. The bar traces its service ethic to Sasha Petraske, who helped launch the San Antonio Cocktail Conference. Fifth in the Express-News Top 10.

244 W Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Muddled blueberries, lime juice, Espolon and a swirl of oak smoke — no triple sec, the sweetness and colour coming from the fruit instead. Lead bartender Ari Vom built it off-menu; the printed list is an anthology of older cocktails, endorsed by Fitzgerald and Salinger and Bradbury, in a speakeasy lined with their books across the courtyard from Dean’s at the Kimpton Santo. Ninth in the Express-News Top 10.

431 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Asian fusion with a tiki-leaning bar — house cocktails and frozens, open till midnight seven days. No margarita is printed, but the frozen machine and the bar's standards make it a reasonable bet. Shares a building with Merci Jones, so it's an easy two-stop night.

Not on the printed menu — but we have had it here. Ask, and they will make you one.

1101 Broadway Ste 140, San Antonio, TX 78215

A frozen mangonada — mango, chamoy, and chile, the paleteria classic turned into a margarita — plus a sangria swirl. Took Best Margaritas in a 2016 local award, and pours both frozen and on the rocks. Fair warning: it runs sweet, so order accordingly.

Voted best margaritas for six straight years. Visit San Antonio · source

100 E Grayson St, San Antonio, TX 78215

Patron Reposado, Cointreau, Grand Marnier and fresh-squeezed lime, served almost straight up in a martini glass, and named for the Alamo Heights zip code. Mike Sutter put it at number one in the Express-News Top 10 and called it the best value on the list at $12.95. Family-owned by the Peacock family, in a room styled like a Mexico City villa.

5800 Broadway St #300, San Antonio, TX 78209

A margarita list rather than a margarita: the Original alongside the Pink Cactus and the coconut Cocorita. Happy hour has run as low as $3.50 a glass.

Incredible signature margarita selection. Visit San Antonio · source

722 S St Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Named for the owner's Hacienda La Babia in Coahuila and poured as the house welcome — the touchstone of an agave list that takes itself seriously. Drunk in the old Pearl brewery cellar under a 25-foot vaulted ceiling, in armchairs arranged for conversation rather than volume. Classic cocktails, no gimmicks.

136 E Grayson St, San Antonio, TX 78215

Shaken to order at $15, with a Casa Margarita under it at $13 and a jumbo at $26. The interesting end of the list is the Cucumber Jalapeño, the Smokey Pineapple, and La Flaca — their skinny build. Prickly pear is among a dozen flavors you can add.

One of the freshest tasting margaritas available in San Antonio. Margarita Texas · source

146 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Espolon blanco, coconut liqueur, pineapple, and a guava oleo saccharum — the most constructed drink on this list. Drunk in the gardens of the Plaza San Antonio, under the champion anaqua tree the bar takes its name from: lush, walled, and quiet enough that downtown disappears. Peacocks used to roam the grounds. The kitchen runs Japanese technique through Latin ingredients, and the cocktails follow.

Bright, beachy, and just strong enough to make you feel like you’re on vacation. CultureMap San Antonio · source

555 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205

The house margarita at the Market Square restaurant named for the drink, open since 1981 under the same family as Mi Tierra. One reviewer's verdict: best they'd ever had, and they said they were an enthusiast.

Best margarita I have EVER had (and I am a margarita enthusiast). A reviewer, via Yelp

120 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207

A straightforward house margarita, frozen or on the rocks, and poured generously — the family runs it the same way across Los Barrios, La Hacienda de Los Barrios, and Viola's Ventanas.

Jumbo margaritas tend to steal the spotlight. CultureMap San Antonio · source

4223 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78212

Order the fresh margarita with Gran Gala, built to order — brighter and less candied than the house pour. For purists there is the Tradicional: tequila, triple sec, lime, and nothing else, with a Don Julio Reposado version at $15. Sutter ranked the frozen mango sixth in the city, a house margarita fortified with chamoy and mango. Tequila selections rotate monthly.

Order this: The house margarita is made from a pre-made mix. Ask for the fresh margarita with Gran Gala.

2427 Vance Jackson Rd, San Antonio, TX 78213

Hand-shaken margaritas at an upscale Mexican room that puts them front and centre — the mango with a tajin rim is the one that gets ordered. Open since December 2019, with cochinita pibil tacos and pozole to go with.

2267 NW Military Hwy Ste 101, San Antonio, TX 78213

A prickly pear margarita from the bar at the Pearl food hall — magenta, a little earthy, and the one people queue for rather than the plain pour.

312 Pearl Pkwy, Building 6, San Antonio, TX 78215

Tequila-forward signature margaritas in La Villita, with house margaritas at $6 during happy hour. Worth knowing the reviews split hard: the cucumber version draws praise, the plain house margarita draws the opposite.

515 Villita St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Jalapeño-infused tequila against prickly pear — heat and sweet pulling in opposite directions, which is the point. Drunk under the coloured umbrellas at the oldest restaurant on the River Walk.

Jalapeno-infused prickly pear margarita. San Antonio Current · source

430 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205

A frozen margarita described by CultureMap as icy, balanced, and strong enough to earn respect — served on a Stone Oak patio that the same piece called dialed in.

Icy, balanced, and strong enough to earn respect. CultureMap San Antonio · source

18740 Stone Oak Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78258

The dining room at Omni La Mansión del Rio, so the margarita arrives with white tablecloths and a river view rather than a plastic cup. The quietest place on this list to drink one.

Great tasting margaritas with a great atmosphere. San Antonio Current · source

112 College St, San Antonio, TX 78205

A tequila and mezcal bar first, so the Cascabel leans smoky rather than bright — the mezcal side of the house rather than a straight margarita. Worth the stop if agave, not lime, is what you came for.

Handcrafted margaritas, expertly blended with premium tequila. Visit San Antonio · source

150 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Tequila, strawberry-basil jarabe, orange liqueur, and fresh lime, drunk above the River Walk.

The perfect blend of San Antonio charm and rooftop allure. Visit San Antonio · source

123 N Saint Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78205

A pineapple margarita, around $18 by recent reviews, off a menu organized into five stages of a relationship — Vulnerability, Trust, Pleasure, Pain, Release. Vintage spirits and rare ingredients are the house habit, so expect a considered drink rather than a cheap one.

102 9th St, Floor 4, San Antonio, TX 78215

Their tequila drink goes by Conejo Malo rather than by the category. The bar does not publish what is in it, so this one is a leap of faith until somebody orders it and reports back.

203 N Presa St, San Antonio, TX 78205

The Blueberry Iguana is the one people order by name. The more serious end of the list is the Oaxacan Margarita, built on Wahaka private-label mezcal, and the Smoke on the River alongside it — mezcal margaritas were on this menu well before that was ordinary.

Specialty margarita like the “Blueberry Iguana”. San Antonio Current · source

421 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205

A pomegranate margarita off a list that stays deliberately cheap — the frozen has run as low as $3.50. Five Points, with a patio and a room that turns into a music venue after dark.

628 Jackson St, San Antonio, TX 78212

A chamango margarita — mango and chamoy, the paleteria flavour combination, turned into a drink. Sweet, sour, salty, and a little chile all at once.

3210 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209

The one worth ordering is the specialty: 100% blue agave reposado swirled with fresh lime, pineapple, and orange juice, on the rocks. The orange is what makes it — it rounds off the edge most margaritas lead with, and almost nowhere else in town does it. The house pour is simpler: gold tequila, triple sec, all-natural juices.

2838 N Loop 1604 E, San Antonio, TX 78232

Also at 15103 Bandera Rd, Helotes, TX 78023 · 36 Old San Antonio Rd, Boerne, TX 78006

Seventeen storeys above Hemisfair at the Monarch, with a Yucatán-leaning kitchen and a bar that runs mezcal-first. No margarita is printed, but an agave programme this deliberate is unlikely to turn one down. The view is the other reason to go.

No margarita on the printed menu, but the bar program is good enough that it is worth asking. One for the adventurous.

222 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Made with real fruit juice by the reviews that mention it, alongside watermelon and raspberry versions. Family-run since 1978 by Henry Lopez, one of the brothers behind San Antonio’s puffy taco. Order the margarita with the tacos; that is the whole point.

A San Antonio original. The puffy taco is San Antonio’s own, and it is a Lopez family argument: Ray opened Ray’s Drive Inn in 1956, his brother Arturo trademarked the puffy taco there in 1992, and Henry ran this one. You come for that lineage; the margarita is what you drink while it happens.

6030 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX 78238

Also at 3202 W Woodlawn Ave, San Antonio, TX 78228 (the original)

A raspberry margarita served out of a British pub on the River Walk, which is either a contradiction or precisely the point.

123 Losoya St, San Antonio, TX 78205

A frozen margarita swirled with sangria — the one to order here. The plain frozen comes in mango, peach, or strawberry, and the house pour has a reputation for arriving both very large and very strong.

Making some great drinks. Margarita Texas · source

8030 IH 10 W, San Antonio, TX 78230

The Zapata reads well on the menu — Don Julio Reposado, Grand Marnier, lime, $16 — but Mike Sutter watched it poured from a big plastic squeeze bottle at the Mariachi Bar, pre-mixed with agave, sugar and orange juice, and the bartender confirmed it. He ranked it ninth-worst in the city. Come for the room, not the glass.

A San Antonio original. Open around the clock at Market Square since 1941, under permanent Christmas lights with mariachis working the room. The margarita is emphatically not why it is on this trail — the room is, and the room is genuinely San Antonio. Go once for that, then go elsewhere for the drink.

Award-winning margarita. San Antonio Current · source

218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207

$6.99, in fresa, mango, or limón — off a bar that otherwise runs to micheladas, prepared sangria and a wall of imported beer, with no tequila list to speak of. The reason to come is the kitchen: Mexico City street food since 2006, pambazos and sopes and mole, the cooking of the capital rather than the border.

4119 Culebra Rd, San Antonio, TX 78228

Open since 1937 and still grinding its own corn every morning, which is what the molino in the name refers to. Puffy tacos and bean cups are the order; the margarita is what you drink with them. There is a panadería attached.

A San Antonio original. One of the oldest restaurants in San Antonio, milling its own masa daily since 1937 — a Tex-Mex institution that outlasted almost everything around it. Featured on Netflix's Taco Chronicles.

7231 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216

Also at 1007 Rittiman Rd, San Antonio, TX 78218