The blender invention that defined Tex-Mex bar service: tequila, lime, triple sec and ice churned to a frozen slush, with salt-rimmed glass. Matt's El Rancho runs the canonical Austin version.
The frozen margarita machine was invented in 1971 by Mariano Martinez at Mariano's Mexican Cuisine in Dallas, adapting a soft-serve ice cream machine to churn tequila slush. The technology spread fast through Texas; Matt's El Rancho in Austin had a machine running by 1972. The Austin version uses Sauza Gold or 1800 reposado, lime juice, triple sec and simple syrup churned at sub-freezing temperatures. Joann's and Curra's run avocado margarita variants; the original frozen version remains a Travis County summer rite.
3 editor picks for Frozen margarita in Austin, ranked by editorial score. All Austin signature dishes · Frozen margarita across every city.
Matt's El Rancho ★ 4.3
south-lamar · 2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room, opened in 1952 and home of the canonical Bob Armstrong queso dip.
Joann's Fine Foods ★ 4.2
south-congress · 1224 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Joann's Fine Foods in Austin is the Bunkhouse Group's Tex-Mex diner at the Austin Motel on South Congress, a palapa-bar patio of fajitas, queso and frozen margaritas.
Cisco's Restaurant Bakery & Bar ★ 4.0
east-austin · 1511 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Cisco's in Austin is Rudy Cisneros's East 6th Tex-Mex breakfast counter since 1948, the room that ran the city's politician breakfasts and helped make huevos rancheros famous.