The frozen margarita in Dallas is a blended mixture of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice served in a salt-rimmed glass from machines that run continuously in Tex-Mex restaurants. Dallas claims the invention of the machine-blended frozen margarita in 1971.
Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez claims to have invented the first frozen margarita machine in 1971 at his restaurant Mariano's, adapting a 7-Eleven Slurpee machine to dispense a pre-blended margarita. The machine is in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. The frozen margarita subsequently spread from Dallas to every Tex-Mex restaurant in the United States.
4 editor picks for Frozen margarita in Dallas, ranked by editorial score. All Dallas signature dishes · Frozen margarita across every city.
Mia's Tex-Mex ★ 4.3
uptown · 4334 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
Operating since 1981, Mia's serves the brisket tacos that became a Dallas archetype. The original family recipes and the loyal crowd of regulars make this an institution on Lemmon Avenue.
Herrera's Cafe ★ 4.2
oak-cliff · 2853 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75233
An Oak Cliff Tex-Mex hole-in-the-wall on W Illinois Avenue, serving loyal customers since 1949. The enchiladas here are considered among the most authentic in Dallas.
El Fenix ★ 4.0
uptown · 1601 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75202
Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, El Fenix is the oldest Tex-Mex chain in the US, credited with formalising the enchilada-chili-gravy combination plate Dallas loves.
Mariano's Hacienda Ranch ★ 3.8
lakewood · 6300 Skillman St, Dallas, TX 75231
Mariano Martinez invented the frozen margarita machine on May 11, 1971 at his original East Dallas restaurant. The Skillman location carries that legacy forward with Tex-Mex combination plates and the signature frozen margarita.