Fort Worth Spot Serves the 'Most Legendary' Margaritas in Texas, Supposedly

A few months ago, we had a hot and mostly agreed-upon opinion about the food at the wildly popular Tex-Mex restaurant in Fort Worth, Joe T. Garcia's, after the cast of Yellowstone held a wrap party there.

The restaurant is known for big Tex-Mex spreads that come from a tight menu with just two options: fajitas or enchiladas. After ordering, plates of food roll out fast, making it superb for large groups. And while no one will argue about the aesthetics of this lush tropical space — and, yes, the margaritas are tasty — the food is mid. On a visit last year, the most disappointing dish was a queso that we think was orange-tinted cream of chicken soup.

No matter, the 1,000-seat Joe T. Garcia's will always have lines down the large parking lot every weekend, a point Southern Living made in its article "This Restaurant Has The Most Legendary Margaritas In Texas."

"Behind the colorfully tiled bar, hundreds of margaritas are rimmed with salt and sent out at lightning speed," explains the article. "The restaurant’s house drink has a famously potent reputation, but their other citrus-laced renditions are just as tantalizing."
We're not arguing that the drinks are good: drinking alone is a solid reason to go. Especially when you add in the beautifully landscaped space and fast service. But outside of just calling them legendary, Southern Living doesn't offer anything as to why these drinks have attained such status.

One may point to Mariano's Hacienda, where owner Mariano Martinez was inspired by a Slurpee machine at 7-Eleven to devise a way to create consistently frozen margaritas. Soon after, the twirly margarita machine became standard at Tex-Mex restaurants. That is legendary.

It has long been rumored that Joe T.'s uses Everclear in its margs, but when we last visited, we asked and the server told us they only use tequila. So, what makes these so special? Who knows, really? The writer at Southern Living doesn't offer anything about the ingredients, other than a variety of options, including "sweet strawberry to refreshingly frozen. You can order it skinny or top-shelf. They’ll even bring a pitcher while you queue for a table."

Kind of like literally every other Tex-Mex restaurant in Texas.

We're not here to argue the margaritas at Joe T.'s. We're not total cynics (yet). They come fast, they're cold and strong and are the perfect accent piece for the amazing, lush grounds. Go have a pitcher; just go down the street to eat.

For the best margaritas around Dallas, check out our list.