ATXGuide
The $5 (And Under) Margarita Guide
Where to get a margarita for $5 or less, from Happy Hours and daily specials, to all-the-time deals.
There’s a direct relationship between the temperature outside and the enjoyment of margaritas—it’s just a scientific fact. And it’s even better when you can grab a couple without breaking the bank. So here's our guide for when you’re craving that nice, refreshing blend of tequila, lime, and agave, but don’t want to spend a bunch of money. From Happy Hours and daily specials, to all-the-time deals, here’s where to get a margarita for $5 or less.
THE SPOTS
Curra’s biggest claim to fame is their invention of the avocado margarita—a cocktail that somehow makes us feel like what we’re drinking is at least a little bit healthy. But if you decide to enjoy your margarita sans-avocado, you can get it for just $5 during Happy Hour on weekdays. While you’re there, grab some bites from their large menu of Interior Mexican cuisine—we like the cochinita pibil.
When: Mon-Fri, 4-6pm
The Deal: $5 house frozen and rocks margaritas
There’s a different drink special every night at Haymaker, and all day on Fridays they knock the price of a frozen margarita down to barely more than a gallon of gas. Grab an order of poutine—it’s one of the only spots to get it in town—to go with the inevitable second and third round you’ll be grabbing.
When: All day Friday
The Deal: $4 frozen margaritas
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La Mancha is one of our favorite spots to bring out-of-towners looking for a real-deal Tex-Mex experience, complete with sizzling fajitas and papel picado crossing the airways. The margaritas here are always pretty reasonably priced, but during Happy Hour, these pint-sized margs get knocked down to just $5.
When: Mon-Thur, 3-6pm
The Deal: $5 pint-sized house margaritas
We love the wings at The Tavern—you know, that probably haunted old building at 12th and Lamar that looks like a, well, tavern. But the next time you pop in for your chicken wing fix, time your visit during Happy Hour and you’ll be able to accompany them with a house margarita for $5 (or get it flavored for a couple bucks more).
When: Mon-Fri, 4-7pm
The Deal: $5 house margaritas
Everyone in Austin knows about Hopdoddy for their burgers and those giant frosty goblets of beer. But the real trick is to come during Happy Hour and pick up a cold schooner of margarita (frozen or rocks). There are multiple locations throughout the Austin area, including South Congress, Plaza Saltillo, The Triangle, and West Anderson Lane.
When: Mon-Fri, 3-6pm
The Deal: $5 house margarita schooners (18oz goblets)
Acting as a sort of tribute to service industry culture—casual, affordable, inclusive—Industry in Plaza Saltillo in East Austin is an all-day/late-night cafe, bar, and restaurant (the original location is in San Marcos). And on Mondays, aka “industry night,” they offer half off their house margs, plus some other great daily Happy Hour specials.
When: Monday, 9am-11pm
The Deal: $5 house margaritas
Waterloo Ice House has been an Austin institution for almost 50 years, and we like to think they’ve taken that time fine-tuning their margarita recipe. There’s a full bar with solid prices all the time, but with an all-day Happy Hour on Wednesdays, it’s not hard to see why people keep coming back for the $4 margaritas. There are four locations of Waterloo Ice House throughout the Austin area, so you're probably close to one right now.
When: All day Wednesday
The Deal: $4 frozen and rocks margaritas
Enchiladas Y Mas is known for two things in particular: excellent enchiladas, and potent margaritas (there’s a limit on how many you can order). They’re pretty affordable all the time, but if you really want to get the most for your dollar, show up on a weekday for lunch when frozen margaritas get knocked down to just $5.
When: Tues-Fri, 11am-2pm
The Deal: $5 8oz frozen margaritas
Whenever the outside temps cross into the triple digits, Doc’s knocks the price of their margaritas down to just $2, which somehow makes the sunburns, humidity, and necessary backup t-shirts just a little bit more bearable. Then, when you’re three margaritas and $6 into your evening, grab one of the many burgers off their menu to stay alive.
When: Whenever Austin hits 100°
The Deal: $2 margaritas
photo credit: DK Maria's
DK Maria's Legendary Tex-Mex
DK Maria’s has been serving up Tex-Mex classics out of a well-decorated strip mall location in South Austin for a few years now, but the best time to visit is from 3:30-6:30pm when they offer half off a handful of appetizers and $5 margaritas.
When: Mon-Fri, 3:30-6:30pm
The Deal: $5 small house margaritas
If you happen to find yourself near campus and in need of something refreshing, hop into Salsa Limón during happy hour for $5 rocks margaritas on weekdays. They’re located just a little bit north of The Drag, so you won’t really have to worry about bumping into students carrying stacks of textbooks, and the astroturf patio might even make you feel like you’re enjoying those margaritas in a park somewhere and not on a relatively busy section of Guadalupe Street.
When: Mon-Fri, 2-6pm
The Deal: $5 rocks margaritas
Toomey is Austin’s answer to what a bar would look like from the folks behind Kerbey Lane Cafe, which translates to a lot of crowd pleasers—like queso, burgers, and wings—and, of course, margaritas. They’re just over $6 normally, but during happy hour from 4-6pm on weekdays, they knock them down even more to just $5.
When: Mon-Fri, 4-6pm
The Deal: $5 el classico margaritas
