Cinco de Mayo

Where to celebrate Cinco De Mayo 2018 at Dallas restaurants and bars

Margaritas are an essential Cinco de Mayo ingredient.

Photo courtesy of Taqueria La Ventana

Officially, Cinco de Mayo marks the date of a victory in the Franco-Mexico War. Unofficially, it's an excuse to drink margaritas.

The date isn't anywhere near the big deal in Mexico it is at various cities across the U.S. But if it sparks some business at Dallas-area bars and restaurants, then that's not such a bad thing.

In 2018, May 5 is not only Cinco de Mayo but also the Kentucky Derby, so this list has hybrid events that morph from brunch to Derby contests on the very same day. Check out the list:

Cantina Laredo
Parking lot will transform to a party destination for guests of all ages to dine in and enjoy live music from 6-10 pm. Beer and margarita specials include $5 margaritas (Sunshine Margarita, 3 G's Please, and the Cabo Flip); $4 for Mexican imported beer; and $3 for domestic beers.

Cedars Social
Day long celebration will feature taco specials made with chef Anastacia Quinones' infused masa tortillas, and special cocktails from bartender Leann Berry, including serving $5 Monte Albán frozen and rocks, and a special hibiscus and elderflower cocktail featuring Ambhar tequila called La Batalla. 11 am-11 pm. 214-928-7700.

El Bolero
Day-long celebration includes $5 house margaritas, a mechanical bull from 5-11 pm, and live mariachi music from 7:30-9:30 pm. 214-741-1986.

El Rincon
Downtown Carrollton restaurant throws its inaugural Cinco de Mayo block party. Festivities include a live DJ, outside bar, food, and drink specials, including $5 margaritas (rocks & frozen); $5 bloody Marias with chipotle-infused tequila; $3 El Jimador Blanco shots; $5 Dos Equis (16-ounce); and $4 Tecate Light (16 -ounce). Bounce house and games for kids. 12-9 pm.

Fearing's
Ritz-Carlton's finest will serve $7 happy hour cocktails and $10 appetizers, a first for a Fearing's weekend afternoon. The menu features two-bite lobster tacos, sloppy Dean sliders, and bacon-wrapped jalapeño quail. Beverage specials include Dean’s margarita, A Fish Called Wanda, the Scottish Cowboy, and Paul’s Select Red or White Wine. Festivities will take place both at the Rattlesnake Bar and outdoors on the Live Oak Patio. 11 am-9 pm.

Firenza Pizza
Special promotio will feature the Fiesta Pizza, a unique signature 10-inch pie with chipotle sauce, mozzarella, beef, black olives, jalapeños, red onions, cheddar, pico de gallo, and a creme drizzle. $5. May 4-6.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Steakhouse is partnering with Tequila Herradura ultra-premium agave tequila and Baccarat, the fine crystal manufacturer, to offer a $100 prime margarita from served in Baccarat's Diamant Highball, which guests will take home in Baccarat's iconic red box. The drink includes Tequila Herradura’s Selección Suprema, the world’s first extra-añejo tequila, aged for 49 months. This tequila was first introduced by Casa Herradura in 1995 and has garnered awards for its notes of rich vanilla and dried fruit. May 4-6.

Harlowe MXM
Deep Ellum restaurant-bar has a special cocktail, Dusk till Dawn, served during those hours. Conceived by veteran barman Alex Fletcher, it combines tequila, fresh watermelon, serrano peppers, lime juice, agave nectar, and tajin seasoning. $7.

Holy Grail Pub
Annual taco fest features house-made tacos served street-style along with jalapeno infused cocktails, Tapping Epic Brewing Company Los Locos, Oskar Blues Brewery Beerito, and Avery Brewing Company El Gose. Choose from honey bourbon chicken, blackened cod, habanero pork, carne asada, or citrus glazed shrimp. May 5-6.

José
Combination Cinco de Mayo party with the restaurant's one-year anniversary will feature tequila and mezcal tastings all day, from 11 am–7 pm including Don Julio, Cointreau, Casamigos, and Luna Azul. From 4 pm–5 pm, play Loteria and win prizes.

La Popular Tamale House
East Dallas spot will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with its fifth anniversary by servin all-you-can-eat tamales for $10, plus free margaritas, for dine-in only. 11 am-10 pm.

Lee Harvey's
First adult-only Cinco de Mayo piñata party will include a steak-and-chicken fajita plate for $11, along with four custom piñatas filled with scratch tickets, drink tickets, candy, and dollar coins. A raffle for restaurant gift cards, movie theater cards, Kroger certificates will be held after the last piñata; must be present to win.

Mexican Sugar Cocina y Cantina
Second annual Cinco de Mayo Block Party features live music by DJ UneeqMuzik and a mariachi band. Exploring food tents and pop-up bars with margaritas, steak tacos, and churros, starting at $4. The Keeper will serve tiki cocktails and seafood skewers starting at $7. 11 am-12 am.

Mi Dia From Scratch
Margarita specials will include a $5 Mi Dia Frozen Over, the house frozen margarita featuring Sauza Blue Silver, Triple Sec, lemon juice, and agave nectar; and a $5 Mi Dia Rita Rocks, the house rocks margarita. 11 am-10 pm.

Mutts Canine Cantina
Day-after Hair of the Dog Happy Hour will cure your hangover with $3 mimosas and $3.50 breakfast tacos. Pets welcome. May 6, 11 am-2 pm.

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille
Steakhouse debuts the Rita Rosé Olé, a wine-based cocktail made with Mexican wine and Mexican tequila: Casa Madero Rosé wine and Código 1530 Rosa Tequila. Available through May 10 for $15.

Pinstripes Fort Worth
Drink specials include $2 Neato Banditos, $2 Pacificos, and $3 Margarita Italianos, a refreshing cocktail made with Don Julio Silver, Koval Limoncello, Royal Rose Sour Mix, Frothee Splash, lime juice, Pom pomegranate juice, and lime wedge. Neato Bandito is the Mexican-style lager from Deep Ellum Brewing Company, and Pacifico Clara is a Mexican pilsner.

RJ Mexican Cuisine
West End restaurant will boast a special Mexican flag margarita for $12.50, with red, white, and green in three layers: frozen strawberries, tequila, pineapple juice, coconut cream, white rum, and Midori. "RJ Fiesta" includes chicken chile relleno with queso, two chicken enchiladas, rib eye taco, cheese quesadilla, red rice, and choice of beans, for $21.

Playground Bar Uptown
Live mariachi band, a raffle for a trip to Mexico, and $2 tacos, $4 Dos Equis, and $5 Sauza Margaritas until 10 pm.

The Rustic
Cinco de Derby begins with brunch from 10 am-2 pm, with a live mariachi band. At 2 pm, the Derby action begins with three Derby Best Dressed categories and one Cinco de Mayo/Derby combo category, judged by local celebrities.

Scout
Statler hotel will host a weekend-long celebration titled Cinco de Statler, with a rotation of live entertainment and notable DJ’s along with passed shots from Uno Por Favor tequila. Beverage director Kyle Hilla has three, off-menu margaritas at Scout: a simple margarita, passionfruit, and hibiscus, for $10.

Stampede 66
Special Cuatro De Mayo fiesta will be sponsored by Espolon Tequila and Paula's Texas Orange Liqueur. Festivities include free samples of Espolon, Paula's Texas Orange Liqueur, and two raffles (one for Espolon and one for Paula's). Margaritas will be $6 all day.

Taco Cabana
Tex-Mex food and drink specials at all TC restaurants include $3 margaritas, $4 frozen vodka raspberry lemonade, and one dozen flautas for $10. May 4-6.

Taqueria La Ventana
Block party at the downtown location will feature DJ xClusive, music by Tambarrazo de Arranque, street tacos for $2, margaritas, and beer. 4-11 p.m. Addison location will feature DJ Kurve, food, and drink specials. 4 pm-12 am.

Thirsty Lion
South of the Border menu will include guacamole and chips, queso dip, smoked chicken nachos, Southwest chicken salad, jalapeno pepperjack burger, carnitas or fish tacos, green chili chicken sandwich on ciabatta, and chicken enchilada stack. Drinks include passion fruit mojitos, sangria, and margaritas in flavors such as spicy grapefruit and blood orange. Kentucky Derby races will air on TV, with mint julep specials.

Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse
West End eatery will celebrate Cinco de Mayo as well as Dallas' West End Fest, which falls on the same day, with half-off appetizers. A Tex-Mex margarita, served throughout the month of May, combines jalapeno-infused Y.O. Tequila Blanco, Cointreau, lime juice, and club soda, with a festive, tri-color ice cube, for $10.

Eco Warrior News

Dallas restaurants doing amazing little things for the environment

Southwest Airlines

Cute bamboo cup from Southwest Airlines

One unfortunate legacy left by the pandemic has been a huge increase in the use of plastics — setting back progress that was being made pre-pandemic.

Plastics are bad. They harm everything they touch: the environment, health, food security, and economies. But they're convenient, subsidized, and in some cases necessary.

Pre-pandemic, a growing awareness started to snowball regarding the negative impact of plastics, particularly plastic straws and single-use plastic containers — and it was significant enough to make the plastics industry very nervous.

"In the two years leading up to the pandemic, the public backlash against plastic was a major concern for industry leaders," says a story about the plastics and the pandemic in The Guardian. "As a corporate executive remarked during an industry event early in 2019: 'We need to get the image of plastic in oceans out of the public’s mind. Otherwise, we could lose our social license to operate.'"

But then the pandemic came along, igniting mass hysteria about contagion, and suddenly, bans on single-use plastics that had been in the works were reversed in countries around the world: North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

“Overnight, plastics went from public enemy No. 1 to consumers asking for everything to have as much packaging as possible and to be single use," said one gleeful analyst for Shell Oil, who are a major plastics player.

The urgency of the plastics situation remains invisible to most people, lined up at the drive-thru for their coffee or Chick-Fil-A, piling up nearly 250 pounds of plastic waste every year. (That's what the average American amasses — more than any other country.) But there are nonethless pro-environment efforts being made by Dallas companies and organizations, big and small.

La Casita Bakeshop cup Revolutionary compostable cup at La Casita Bakeshop.Facebook

Dallas efforts
These Dallas restaurants and organizations are taking positive steps to fight waste, even despite the fact that it's more costly for them to do the right thing.

Plastic Free Lunch Day is November 22
In an effort to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in school cafeterias, Dallas ISD’s Food and Child Nutrition Services will participate in Plastic Free Lunch Day on November 22.

Plastic Free Lunch Day was started by middle school students in Brooklyn. The initiative was so successful that it was implemented at all New York City public schools in 2022 and has since spread and become a national observance at public schools across the country. Dallas ISD was the first in Texas to participate, when it joined up in 2022.

On this one day, in an opportunity to educate students and the community on ways to positively impact the environment, plastic items used during lunch services will be replaced with biodegradable alternatives. (Plastic cutlery, cups, and straws will be available upon request for the crybabies.)

Southwest Airlines bamboo cup
Southwest Airlines Co., the Dallas-based airline, has introduced a new bamboo cup for inflight cold beverages, and a wood stir stick in place of a plastic stick. The airline expects the new items to reduce its inflight single-use plastics by more than 1.5 million pounds annually.

In July 2024, Southwest transitioned to a paper overwrap for its napkins made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled materials — fully eliminating plastic from this service item. The airline is making an effort to eliminate single-use plastics from inflight service by 2030.

La Casita Bakeshop compostable cups
La Casita Bakeshop, the award-winning bakery and cafe operation, recently debuted fabulous new cups that are 100 percent compostable, soil- and marine-biodegradable, breaking down naturally after 90 days. and are made from natural materials.

"We are always trying to find ways to be more environmentally friendly and this is a big way we can," they said in their post announcing the new cups. "We just want to be proud of our paper trail and being a restaurant it's hard to do that."

Smoothie King biodegrable cups
Smoothie King, the Dallas-based smoothie chain, previously used styrofoam cups, but began testing a biodegradable cup in 2019. They now offer it as the default choice. They're using Vio Foam, specially made cups that biodegrade 92 percent in four years. They'll still accommodate whiny selfish customers who insist on getting a plastic cup instead, but their Vio foam cup not only helps the environment, it also keeps their smoothies cold a little longer.

Kate Weiser Recycle Box Program
Kate Weiser, the Dallas chocolatier, sells its gorgeous eye-catching bon-bons in a variety of boxes, from 4 pieces all the way up to 35 pieces. (OK, they'll sell them individually, too, but who goes to a chocolate shop and buys a single chocolate?) They have a program where you can bring your empty box to the store and get a refill and get 5 percent off. (Weiser amusingly calls it a "secret hack.")

Dude Sweet Chocolate freezer packaging
Dude Sweet Chocolate, the Oak Cliff chocolatier, has a next-level campaign in which they will accept cold-ship packaging you've received in the mail and re-use it. Say, for example, that you ordered an 8-pack of ice cream pints from Double Rainbow in San Francisco, and it arrived in a box with freezer packs and a foil liner. You can drop that packaging off at Dude Sweet's factory location at 1340 Inwood Rd., and they'll re-use it in one way or another when they're doing shipments of their chocolate.

Note: Whether you're putting it in the blue bin or the gray bin, your plastic is not being recycled. The best course when it comes to plastic, especially single-use plastic, is to not use it at all.

sustainability