When you think of ethnic restaurants you think of small mom and pop places in Dorchester or East Boston. You don’t think of a chain of Mexican restaurants as ethnic, but that is exactly what you get with Margaritas Mexican Restaurants with 23 locations located in the Northeast, most of them in New England.
In 1985 John Pelletier bought an existing Mexican restaurant in New Hampshire and has not looked back since. Shortly after John’s brother, Dave joined the company along with two more locations. Deciding they needed to visit Mexico to give their restaurants a truly unique feel, to get the feel of the cuisine and place, they made their first of many treks in 1988. With each successive trip they bring back something new, whether it’s a new ingredient, flavor, art, drink, or just the warm hospitality of the Mexican people, the Margaritas crew comes back reinvigorated and full of ideas. It’s not just John, Dave and Executive Chef Martha Leahy traveling to the Guadalajara area, its managers and hourly employees as well.
The Maragaritas restaurants are not decorated with Mexican style pieces mass produced in China, but with art made by small artists’ communities and then shipped back to New England by the truckload. The difference can be seen immediately. Much of the artwork and décor is one of a kind made especially for the restaurant group. Even the chairs, tables and tile are custom made for them. Once you enter a Margaritas you are whisked away to a cantina in a small town in Central Mexico.
The menu is just as impressive as the décor, with the recent addition of 23 new or updated items on the menu. Among the new items are Fried Carnitas Tacos, Chicken Tinga Tacos (tinga is a sauce made with chipotle peppers-smoky and spicy)and a dessert taco, the Sweet Dream Taco. Looking for steak? Try the new Carne Asada Steak, which is a grilled steak topped with a roasted poblano lime sauce, served with a rajas blend of roasted poblano, suntan peppers and onions tossed in crema. Also new on the menu is a vegetarian enchilada, Enchiladas Banderas. This is three enchiladas stuffed with guacamole, black beans and salsa fresca.
Once seated, you are greeted by a smiling face and a big bowl of warm and crunchy tortilla chips with a side of slightly spicy salsa with a hint of cumin while you browse the extensive drink menu. Margaritas is known for, well, their margaritas. Unlike other places that use sour mix, Margaritas uses a blend of freshly squeezed lemon, lime juice and a touch of sugar. If you are a classicist, go for the original margarita and taste what a margarita is all about. Feeling a little wild? Try the Prickly Cactus Margarita, made with prickly pear juice, a touch of habanero syrup and a splash of pineapple. Not into tequila? Try a glass of sangria, or a Mexican beer.
The Margaritas menu may seem over whelming at first, but once you open it and start reading you realize it’s quite easy to navigate. Can’t decide what to order for an appetizer? Order The Pepe Platter. To quote the menu: “Three delicious appetizers on one platter. Chicken Tinga Taquitos, baby chimis and Juan’s Wings. The Baby Chimis (lightly fried mini chimichangas) are a favorite on the platter. These are soft, doughy, fluffy pockets of heaven are filled with chicken and cheese. The platter comes with chipotle BBQ, blue cheese, and hacienda sauces. Beware of the chipotle BBQ sauce, its heat and spiciness will sneak up on you. The Pepe Platter is a taste of Mexico and a whole lot of fun! For a little bit over ten dollars, you get a lot of food and this platter could easily be a meal unto itself.
Moving on to your main course? Do you want fajitas, something from the grill, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, burritos? You name it’s on the menu in one form or another. If seafood is on your mind, the Mexican Shrimp Fajitas are highly recommended. Buttery tender shrimp bathed in Margaritas famous salsa are served sizzling on cast iron skillet with the usual peppers and onions. How about a chile relleno? A roasted poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, battered in egg, fried and then topped a mild red chile sauce and crema. This is a great vegetarian option, or for the carnivore you could have the pepper stuffed with some pork carnitas.
Of course dessert is offered, but it is hard to imagine anyone has room for it after all this delectable food. At the top of the list for dessert would be the newest dessert offering mentioned earlier, Sweet Dream Taco. Imagine cheesecake stuffed into a flour tortilla and lightly fried. Top it with fresh strawberries and hot fudge and you really will have sweet dreams! Also available is the traditional flan, fried ice cream and peanut butter cup pie.
Margaritas is committed to using the authentic flavors of Mexico in new and exciting ways. Add this to the authentic décor and you can visit Mexico without even getting on a plane. Just spend an evening at your local Margaritas restaurant and you will feel like you really have been whisked away to some little cantina in Central Mexico. To schedule your next vacation with Margaritas, visit their website for the location nearest you-www.margs.com.
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