{"id":25176,"date":"2026-02-22T08:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T16:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crawlsf.com\/?p=25176"},"modified":"2026-02-24T13:18:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T21:18:32","slug":"the-best-margaritas-in-san-francisco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crawlsf.com\/the-best-margaritas-in-san-francisco\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Margaritas in San Francisco"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On National Margarita Day San Franciscans Have a Lot to Celebrate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Margarita Day<\/a> takes place on Sunday, February 22 in 2026. While putting together this list of spots to enjoy this timeless cocktail, it brings back many pleasant (and a few unpleasant) memories of going out drinking in my college years. As a professional bartender and food writer, I find it fascinating how the Margarita adapts to the drinking culture of any era, maintaining its status as one of the most widely called for and beloved cocktails of all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I don’t remember my first Margarita, I assure you it was the sweet lime slushy variety, prepared with inexpensive mixto tequila, Cuervo Gold or the well equivalent, and a thick salt rim coating both the inside and outside of the plastic cup it was served in. Nobody asked if I wanted it up, on the rocks, or frozen, and the lime garnish was probably cut days earlier and starting to turn brown. There was no Yelp or social media. I was likely at a bar that didn’t card, and there was no sending things back. We didn’t think like that back then anyway. We downed those mixto lime slushes like champions and often didn’t quit until somebody puked. The next morning, we’d eat a bagel, drink some coffee, take an afternoon nap, and head out to do it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pouring Margaritas | Tsuguliev\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We spent many nights at frat parties back in the tri state area in the 90’s. The common beverage offerings were kegs of Milwaukees Best Beer (“The Beast”), some inexplicable concoction known simply as “Jungle Juice” (often red in color and served from a plastic vat in the bathroom) that never tasted the same twice, and, at some of the better frat houses, margaritas made from store bought mix and cheap ass tequila, sans days old lime wedge. To this day, I look back on those Fern Bar Era Margaritas and smile. There are so many good memories. They tasted delicious back then, even if we know better today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently I noticed that bars and restaurants with spirits lists have included an “agave” section in recent years. It is not uncommon for Gen Z to ask a bartender questions about the agave selection at any given bar or restaurant. I started wondering how we went from a time where mixto tequila was the commonly poured tequila at any given bar or restaurant to a world where those coming of age have enough knowledge to ask about the agave selection when ordering a Margarita. I have come to the conclusion that it all began right here in San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Two Margaritas with Lime and Salt | Charles Brutlag\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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