Margaritas Mexican Restaurant has locations all over New England. One location happens to be in Keene, N.H. Located at 77 Main Street, Margaritas is known for its margaritas, authentic Mexican dishes and happy hour deals.
With nine different locations all over N.H., this restaurant is always my first choice when I have a hankering for Mexican food.
On my sixteenth birthday, I chose Margaritas as the place to go for dinner with my family. All throughout dinner, I sat there with a sombrero on my head, sipping on a virgin margarita and eating a taco salad.
Karina Barriga Albring / Senior Reporter:
Keene State College senior, Jennifer Zinka, pours a drink for a customer at Margaritas.
Fast-forward five years, and once again I spent my birthday at Margaritas. This time, I came with my friends, ditched the sombrero and ordered the most memorable margarita I’ve ever had: Heavens to Margatroid.
This margarita is made with seven different liqueurs. It was refreshing and went perfectly with my sizzling chicken fajitas. Once I finished that margarita, I decided to order another, but instead got a strawberry margarita. To my surprise, the second drink was a lot stronger than the first, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.
The inside of the Keene location is decorated with Mexican decor; the tables are tiled and wooden beams keep the place intact. One thing that I feel makes Margaritas stand out from other restaurants on Main Street is not just the fact that they are the only large chain restaurant located on Main Street, but this is also the largest restaurant I’ve gone to. There is not only an entire dining room on the first floor, there is also an entire second floor with additional seating,and every time I’ve gone, the place has a great crowd.
This restaurant also has a lounge for people 21 years of age and over that remains open until 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and food is served until 12:30 a.m. so people can enjoy some late-night Mexican food and beverages. The lounge has booths, high-top tables and couches for people to sit on. Not only do they serve margaritas, but they are also known for their martinis and sangria as well. In addition, they serve beer, mojitos and wine.
Although Margaritas is a chain restaurant, each separate one I’ve been to has provided me with a different experience. My favorite location happens to be the Keene spot. In fact, some of my fondest memories from last year were walking to Margaritas with my friends and sitting in the lounge for hours sipping on drinks and slowly munching on our appetizers. Keene State College student Samantha Provencher said she enjoys that the food here is more Americanized. “I love Mexican, but I like that it’s also American-Mexican; it’s not full Mexican, where I don’t know half the things on the menu. So, I know what I’m ordering,” Provencher said.
Karina Barriga Albring / Senior Reporter:
Margaritas Mexican Restaurant is located at 77 Main Street in Keene N.H.
Another KSC Student, Alex Oliveri, enjoyed getting chicken tacos when she made her way over to Margaritas. She also added the restaurant is great for families to go out and eat. “I’ve been there with my family before, so it’s definitely family style,” Oliveri said. I’m the type of person that does not stray from what’s familiar to me when it comes to food. If I go to a restaurant and order a meal that was legendary, chances are I’ll order it every time I go after that until I’m sick of it.
I would always order chicken fajitas, which are served with warm tortillas, vegetables and toppings such as lettuce, sour cream, cheese and guacamole. However, one day I decided to be ambitious and try something else—the Nachos Cowabunga appetizer. I can swear my taste buds danced when I had my first bite of these heavenly nachos. They are made with chicken or ground beef, cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream and guacamole. I always add bacon to my nachos. This dish may be an appetizer, but it’s enough food to feed three people and still have leftovers available. I’m almost always full before I eat enough to even make a dent in the mound of nachos on my plate.
In regard to what sets Margaritas apart from the other restaurants on Main Street, kitchen manager Ricki Fish said, “It [Margaritas] definitely has a different feel to it. We try to make it a Mexican vacation without ever having to step on a plane.” I would have to agree 100%. Dining at Margaritas is like going on mini vacation filled with dangerously good margaritas and food that will leave you with a full belly and a smile on your face.
Brooke Stall can be contacted at bstall@keene-equinox.com