Margarita madness

Pick out your favorite spot for a fiesta

 

Last week, with Cinco de Mayo only eight days away, Philly EDGE sent two trusty senoritas, Margo (Marketing Associate Margo Christiansen) and Rita (General Manager Kristie “Rita” Grier) out in the Delaware Valley to taste as many of the frozen, on-the-rocks and blended margaritas as they could before needing a grande siesta.

   If you don’t see your favorite ‘rita on this list, tell us where we can find it at www.phillyedge.com .

  

opening soon in Exton

Presentation!

 

Margo said:

The Pain in the Rita was a very nice presentation. Lizard Lips added a cute touch…I couldn’t taste alcohol at all. It had a creamy texture from the blackberry goo in the middle.

   The Classic Margarita was both really sour and sweet, however the salted rim helped counteract the sweetness. It tasted like really sweet lemon Italian ice. Both were my personal favorites for Best Presentation.

 

Rita said:

I would walk a mile just to see Lizard Lips smile. As if this Margarita mascot and his little fruit-art posse weren’t worth $5.50 (and they are), the Classic Margarita arrives with a rockin’ sidecar of tequila. Pour it in or share it with a friend who isn’t big on icy fruit drinks.

   Both the Classic and the Pain in the Rita ($5.75) require super suction and deliver brain freeze. Pain is creamy smooth layers of pina colada, rum runner and margarita that taste like assorted SweetTarts.

 

Crunch Quotient: No free chips and salsa, but sweet potato chips are on the menu.

 

 

Flavor!

 

Margo:

The Mango Passion Fruit Margarita was made with blended, fresh fruit. It had a good consistency and was very easy to drink. The very fine sugar on the rim was “delish.” This was my personal favorite of the flavored-margaritas.

    The OTB Classic Margarita was really thick. It was dispensed through a machine, which made for a generic feel. There was lots of alcohol at its bottom.

    The first taste from the Sangria Swirl was wine (sangria). Make sure to mix this before you drink it. It was much better after a thorough mixing.

 

Rita:

Although Margo and I were limiting our samples to two flavors per location, our super server Kristen’s description of the Sangria Swirl tempted us to add a ‘delish’ third to our OTB Classic ($2 Happy Hour Special) and Mango Passion Fruit ($4.99).

   Perfect consistency on all counts- true Slurpee form. There were bits of fruit in the Mango, wine, brandy and fruit juice in the Sangria and definite buzz factor from all three. It brings a tear to my eye that I can’t spend Cinco de Mayo at the OTB parking lot fiesta bash in Neshaminy.

 

Crunch Quotient: So many bowls of corny chips we lost count. Our DD, told us it was four bowls. WooHoo spicy salsa, with a subtle hint of chili powder.

 

Authentic décor!

 

Margo:

Agave’s Ultimate Margarita ($8)was tasty. It was not too sweet, with a very nice consistency; it was really frothy. The Strawberry Margarita ($7) had a very subtle fresh strawberry flavor.

Unfortunately it had a salty taste throughout the entire drink. It was a little too bland for the fresh strawberry taste to matter.

 

Rita:

I can’t quite remember the Legend of Agave (I know, I know… it was only our third stop). But I think the owners’ fathers met somewhere in the heart of the desert and now the next generation brings the tradition to downtown Ambler. Sconces, greenery, tiles… we were only missing the coyotes. Unfortunately we had no time to dine, but this menu nearly stalled us on our margarita quest. Agave’s Ultimate Margarita even tempted our DD to take a sip.

 

Crunch Quotient: We heard there were free chips but did not ask for any.

 

Unique varieties!

Margo:

 

I was very surprised at the Pineapple Margarita. While I was expecting a syrupy mess, this drink had a light, FRESH pineapple taste. It was just right and not too sweet. I can understand why they have a three margarita max at Tex-Mex.

   The Tex-Mex Margarita had a perfect mix of ingredients. I could taste a hint of alcohol, but it was not overpowering.

 

Rita:

Wow, whoever heard of a Pineapple Margarita? I’m glad Tex Mex did. Smooth, not overly sweet. Just like our waitress when she told us the kitchen was finished serving food. This bar was packed on a Thursday. Ole.

 

Crunch Quotient: Did I mention no food after 9:30 p.m.? Maybe there are free chips, but we must’ve missed ’em.

 

Rich flavor!

 

Rita:

Authentic glasses from Mexico (we asked where we could buy them) delivered on-the-rocks ‘ritas in classic and Chambord varieties. We were speechless, either from the sheer strength of the drinks or our need to take a few more sips. The Chambord version was unique, and a bit pricey.

 

Crunch quotient: Fresh baked corn tortillas and spicy pico de gallo.

 

 

Chic-est ‘Rita!

 

Margo:

This city ’rita (Original Margarita - frozen with salt) had an excellent consistency. Its very fresh flavor smacked of real limes. I thought that this was the perfect blend of ingredients. It was my personal favorite classic margarita.

 

Most for your money!

 

Margo:

The Original Margarita had a faint lime taste, The Apple Margarita (on the rocks) had a strong flavor of sour apple pucker alcohol. It was very, very sweet.

 

Rita:

Happy Hour Specials galore. $.99 for special appetizers that made hungry girls happy on the outdoor patio. $.99 menu included generous portions of chicken, beef or cheese quesadillas, chicken or beef tacos, mini pizzas or wings. Apple Margarita ($4.25- happy hour) on the rocks was reminiscent of a sour apple martini- strong and sweet. Classic Margarita ($3.75- happy hour) was light on flavor but seemed icy and sizeable.

 

Crunch Quotient: Bite-size triangle chips and chunky salsa were freebies.