The parking isn't great and the company that owns the lot has a quick hook to boot a car. The trivia isn't that great in terms of enforcing rules. The service was sub par and the food was at least a 6 out of 10. There was a hair on my water glass and the waitress didn't seem concerned about our issues with the closeness of the tables and large parties.
(1)
Justine J.
This place has never impressed me, but the last time I went I ordered some type of chicken tacos... inedible. Seriously, embarrassing. ZERO flavor. Just awful.
(1)
Lauren T.
Yay for Margaritas!! Who doesn't love free chips and salsa, delicious drinks, and Thursday night trivia? I know I do!! ;) Walked in around 7pm and was greeted immediately by several smiling faces, sat in the bar, no waiting. Our waitress was Kelsey and she was super sweet!! The drinks were perfect, I had the regular margarita with sugar instead of salt and my friend had the coconut margarita. They were both yummy and the small was a huge size!! Prices were reasonable, decor was fun, and did I mention free chips and salsa? The chips are super salty and the salsa is spicy- just the way I like it! ;) The trivia was fun with lively music mixed in. Will definitely be back!!
(5)
Sally V.
I feel bad when I see the bad reviews for Margarita's. We go here pretty regularly and always have a good experience. I've always sat at the bar or in the lounge area, and the bartenders are friendly and attentive. We like the house margarita, and the taste of it depends on which bartender makes it, but more often than not they are delicious. And the ones who don't make the best margaritas always improve as they gain experience behind the bar. They are very good at keeping the (free) chips and salsa coming. The chips are always warm and crispy - not too greasy and with just the right amount of salt. The salsa is very flavorful. I like that it has a little heat but not too much, and it's not too chunky. My favorite item on the menu is the guacamole. The other items I've had range from ok to pretty good, so, I guess the kitchen isn't exactly consistent, but for some reason even when the food is just ok, I still leave pretty happy. I'm not sure why (maybe it's the margaritas), but my guy and I always have the best conversations here. We affectionately refer to this establishment as "Marg's". In conclusion, Marg's is not a five star dining experience, but it can be a fun place to have a few drinks with friends, and there's something to be said for that. Give it a chance, or if you've been already, give it another chance!
(3)
Ashley W.
First time here, and it wasn't as bad as the reviews say.... Got the Steak Chimichanga and Fries. The chimi was good, but their fries... they are REALLY good. Like, I'm still thinking of them. They're those thick steak fries. Our server, Alex, was super nice and really funny, too.
(5)
Timmy C.
The food here is your generic mexican fare, way too salty for even a salt-lover, but our server, Taylor, is kind of a superstar. He's gracious, friendly, and when I expressed sadness over my overly salty enchiladas, he bent over backwards to try and make my experience here as good as it can be. Taylor--you should go work at a better joint where your magic energy and server mastery aren't diminished by the food.
(3)
Shane L.
My sample size here on this evening was not a huge one but it was ok nonetheless. If you are looking for an authentic mexican feel to your food and drink, then Margaritas is a pretty watered down version of it and you wont get that here. Service was pretty good but it was probably only because we were the first ones in the door at 4pm. The hostess looked annoyed that we walked in with a party of 6 and told us to find something at the bar. The drink specials were good with some icy cold Dos Equis on draft and Maragaritas with house tequila was only ringing in at 5 bucks. We also had appetizers (chicken baby chimis and tostadas and they were good but nothing to write home about. We did particularly enjoy the fried avocado though with a spicy aioli on the side where they lightly dusted the avacado and then fried the slices and it was very good (if you like avocado). I will tell you though I like the other Margaritas over near Hadlock Field much better due to the service that we have gotten there but neither one is something that I am jumping for joy with ... I think if they were to amp up their waitstaff to be friendlier and more accommodating they might have some people craving to go back but until then, I think I will pass.
(2)
Jim R.
We placed a take out order for our family the night of 7/2/14. All the entrees came with rice and re-fried beans as side orders. The beans were not edible. They were so salty that everyone's mouth was actually was burning after the first bite. The rice was the same as well....not edible. Throw 8 side dishes way. Just horrific! The entrees were pretty darn salty too but they were actually fair and we were starving. What's the deal with all the salt? I have been going to Margaritas for over 20 years and the experience at this location was awful! The location at St. John St. is always decent and we recently went to the location in Portsmouth, NH and that was really good. This location will be avoided like the plague. It was the biggest waste of $60 I have ever spent since the craps table at Harrah's in New Orleans. There are plenty of Mexican restaurants in Portland. Definitely pass on the food at Margaritas Brown St. You'll avoid a huge disappointment.
(1)
Erik S.
After returning to Margaritas for a second time, I am proud to say it was a much better experience all around. Margaritas on Brown Street gave 110%, which brought a much better experience than before. We arrived greeted at the front door this time. We say down and looked over the menu. As before, we were served with chips and salsa to nipple on. The chips were much lighter on the salt and tasted fresh. The salsa thick with vegetable with a little bit of a kick to it. It was much more impressive a second time. We started with with the "Hector Quesadillas" and it was a fantastic way to begin the evening. The first bite was fantastic. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. You could taste a perfect blend of green and red peppers, cheese that melted in your mouth, and guacamole that was sweet and easily complimented the entire dish. The "Three Sea Tacos" was an interesting take on a classic. Grilled shrimp, fried haddock and tilapia were the three tacos served. Each with there pros and cons. Each of them had a unique flavor to them. My personal favorite being the fried haddock. The cons being that they each had too much to them. Not that too much is particularly a bad thing, but it makes it hard to fully enjoy the taco when there are too many flavors going on. We ended our evening with the fried ice cream. But we chose to have the chocolate on the side, which was much better. You could taste the coconut covering the vanilla ice cream without too much of the chocolate covering over. It was much more enjoyable this time. Overall, the experience was much better. One reason being the waitress we had for the evening. I truly hope she receives a raise soon. Not only was she kind and courteous, but she was well educated with the menu and very understanding of any questions or concerns we may have had. I can now say I would recommend Margaritas to others for a nice evening out. Three and a half stars.
(3)
Andy M.
I go in to Margaritas on a fairly regular basis. The food is consistently good and fairly priced. The beer selection is excellent, I recommend a tall Dos Equis Amber. The service is always excellent and keeps me coming back.
(5)
DD W.
Just don't do it.... Maybe the north just dosesnt have good mexican, or maybe it's because it was a chain. I went there with a friend the food was awful so we drank more margaritas. Over priced and not worth it. Do yourself a favor and visit a taco truck.
(1)
Anna W.
If I could give this place negative stars, I would. I went here with some friends a few months ago when I first moved to Portland and it was a huge mistake. We went because there was a deal for all you can eat tacos for $7....sounds like a great deal, right? WRONG. Our server was clearly pissed that we wanted to partake in this deal because it would affect his tip. What ended up affecting the tip was his attitude and poor service. He would only bring out one taco at a time and they were all bland and tiny. He also messed up my order for every single taco (wrong meat choice, beans, or shell...come on, there are only so many choices). Their margaritas were also nothing to write home about. Ironic.
(1)
Jason B.
We went back to give it another shot. Much better chicken and we will now add it back to our rotation. Also, If you haven't tried a Negra Modelo beer... you should.
(3)
Cathy A.
I went here with three other people, all over 21 except for me! I ordered a quesadilla with no salsa and a Pepsi. Salsa was still on my food when I got it, and I got ONE refill in the hour and half that we stayed there. Our sever came to our table multiple times to ask everyone else if they wanted refills on their alcoholic drinks, I was asked once. MOST of the time I was there, my cup was empty. Even my friend noticed and asked for a refill for me, and I STILL DIDN'T GET IT. I've worked in a restaurant before, and I understand being busy. But refilling everyone's drink at the table except for mine multiple times? Unacceptable.
(1)
Lauren L.
Good food- at least for what I've had- taco salad or fish tacos. Never ending warm chips and salsa- yum! Pitchers or frozen or non frozen margaritas are the way to go- the flavored ones are eh.
(4)
Nicole M.
The service was pretty good. The waitress was nice. I was eating with 6 other people and she didn't mind doing separate checks. The food okay. I had the Mexican flag enchilada with chicken, which consisted of 3 different types of enchiladas. I only liked one of them. Atmosphere seemed pretty good but I think we went too early (7pm). As we left, it looked like the place started to come alive.
(3)
Jamie F.
Gotta say that Margaritas is a great place. When I go with friends, we always have a great time. The food is very good - not super-authentic for all dishes, but the flavor is good. free chips and salsa? great variety of tasty (and strong) margaritas! service is always friendly. This is not fine dining, but that's not why i go there. I go with friends for a fun night and for a belly full of tasty food with a couple margaritas to wash it down.
(5)
Lola N.
Agreed with review below. Also, entrees and appetizers are WAY too overpriced and not all that good, but the salsa is pretty good. The margaritas, for which the place is named, earns the place 2 stars. Delicious!
(3)
T.H. J.
Standard East Coast Mexican food. Not bad. Not good.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Matthew S.
The parking isn't great and the company that owns the lot has a quick hook to boot a car. The trivia isn't that great in terms of enforcing rules. The service was sub par and the food was at least a 6 out of 10. There was a hair on my water glass and the waitress didn't seem concerned about our issues with the closeness of the tables and large parties.
(1)Justine J.
This place has never impressed me, but the last time I went I ordered some type of chicken tacos... inedible. Seriously, embarrassing. ZERO flavor. Just awful.
(1)Lauren T.
Yay for Margaritas!! Who doesn't love free chips and salsa, delicious drinks, and Thursday night trivia? I know I do!! ;) Walked in around 7pm and was greeted immediately by several smiling faces, sat in the bar, no waiting. Our waitress was Kelsey and she was super sweet!! The drinks were perfect, I had the regular margarita with sugar instead of salt and my friend had the coconut margarita. They were both yummy and the small was a huge size!! Prices were reasonable, decor was fun, and did I mention free chips and salsa? The chips are super salty and the salsa is spicy- just the way I like it! ;) The trivia was fun with lively music mixed in. Will definitely be back!!
(5)Sally V.
I feel bad when I see the bad reviews for Margarita's. We go here pretty regularly and always have a good experience. I've always sat at the bar or in the lounge area, and the bartenders are friendly and attentive. We like the house margarita, and the taste of it depends on which bartender makes it, but more often than not they are delicious. And the ones who don't make the best margaritas always improve as they gain experience behind the bar. They are very good at keeping the (free) chips and salsa coming. The chips are always warm and crispy - not too greasy and with just the right amount of salt. The salsa is very flavorful. I like that it has a little heat but not too much, and it's not too chunky. My favorite item on the menu is the guacamole. The other items I've had range from ok to pretty good, so, I guess the kitchen isn't exactly consistent, but for some reason even when the food is just ok, I still leave pretty happy. I'm not sure why (maybe it's the margaritas), but my guy and I always have the best conversations here. We affectionately refer to this establishment as "Marg's". In conclusion, Marg's is not a five star dining experience, but it can be a fun place to have a few drinks with friends, and there's something to be said for that. Give it a chance, or if you've been already, give it another chance!
(3)Ashley W.
First time here, and it wasn't as bad as the reviews say.... Got the Steak Chimichanga and Fries. The chimi was good, but their fries... they are REALLY good. Like, I'm still thinking of them. They're those thick steak fries. Our server, Alex, was super nice and really funny, too.
(5)Timmy C.
The food here is your generic mexican fare, way too salty for even a salt-lover, but our server, Taylor, is kind of a superstar. He's gracious, friendly, and when I expressed sadness over my overly salty enchiladas, he bent over backwards to try and make my experience here as good as it can be. Taylor--you should go work at a better joint where your magic energy and server mastery aren't diminished by the food.
(3)Shane L.
My sample size here on this evening was not a huge one but it was ok nonetheless. If you are looking for an authentic mexican feel to your food and drink, then Margaritas is a pretty watered down version of it and you wont get that here. Service was pretty good but it was probably only because we were the first ones in the door at 4pm. The hostess looked annoyed that we walked in with a party of 6 and told us to find something at the bar. The drink specials were good with some icy cold Dos Equis on draft and Maragaritas with house tequila was only ringing in at 5 bucks. We also had appetizers (chicken baby chimis and tostadas and they were good but nothing to write home about. We did particularly enjoy the fried avocado though with a spicy aioli on the side where they lightly dusted the avacado and then fried the slices and it was very good (if you like avocado). I will tell you though I like the other Margaritas over near Hadlock Field much better due to the service that we have gotten there but neither one is something that I am jumping for joy with ... I think if they were to amp up their waitstaff to be friendlier and more accommodating they might have some people craving to go back but until then, I think I will pass.
(2)Jim R.
We placed a take out order for our family the night of 7/2/14. All the entrees came with rice and re-fried beans as side orders. The beans were not edible. They were so salty that everyone's mouth was actually was burning after the first bite. The rice was the same as well....not edible. Throw 8 side dishes way. Just horrific! The entrees were pretty darn salty too but they were actually fair and we were starving. What's the deal with all the salt? I have been going to Margaritas for over 20 years and the experience at this location was awful! The location at St. John St. is always decent and we recently went to the location in Portsmouth, NH and that was really good. This location will be avoided like the plague. It was the biggest waste of $60 I have ever spent since the craps table at Harrah's in New Orleans. There are plenty of Mexican restaurants in Portland. Definitely pass on the food at Margaritas Brown St. You'll avoid a huge disappointment.
(1)Erik S.
After returning to Margaritas for a second time, I am proud to say it was a much better experience all around. Margaritas on Brown Street gave 110%, which brought a much better experience than before. We arrived greeted at the front door this time. We say down and looked over the menu. As before, we were served with chips and salsa to nipple on. The chips were much lighter on the salt and tasted fresh. The salsa thick with vegetable with a little bit of a kick to it. It was much more impressive a second time. We started with with the "Hector Quesadillas" and it was a fantastic way to begin the evening. The first bite was fantastic. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. You could taste a perfect blend of green and red peppers, cheese that melted in your mouth, and guacamole that was sweet and easily complimented the entire dish. The "Three Sea Tacos" was an interesting take on a classic. Grilled shrimp, fried haddock and tilapia were the three tacos served. Each with there pros and cons. Each of them had a unique flavor to them. My personal favorite being the fried haddock. The cons being that they each had too much to them. Not that too much is particularly a bad thing, but it makes it hard to fully enjoy the taco when there are too many flavors going on. We ended our evening with the fried ice cream. But we chose to have the chocolate on the side, which was much better. You could taste the coconut covering the vanilla ice cream without too much of the chocolate covering over. It was much more enjoyable this time. Overall, the experience was much better. One reason being the waitress we had for the evening. I truly hope she receives a raise soon. Not only was she kind and courteous, but she was well educated with the menu and very understanding of any questions or concerns we may have had. I can now say I would recommend Margaritas to others for a nice evening out. Three and a half stars.
(3)Andy M.
I go in to Margaritas on a fairly regular basis. The food is consistently good and fairly priced. The beer selection is excellent, I recommend a tall Dos Equis Amber. The service is always excellent and keeps me coming back.
(5)DD W.
Just don't do it.... Maybe the north just dosesnt have good mexican, or maybe it's because it was a chain. I went there with a friend the food was awful so we drank more margaritas. Over priced and not worth it. Do yourself a favor and visit a taco truck.
(1)Anna W.
If I could give this place negative stars, I would. I went here with some friends a few months ago when I first moved to Portland and it was a huge mistake. We went because there was a deal for all you can eat tacos for $7....sounds like a great deal, right? WRONG. Our server was clearly pissed that we wanted to partake in this deal because it would affect his tip. What ended up affecting the tip was his attitude and poor service. He would only bring out one taco at a time and they were all bland and tiny. He also messed up my order for every single taco (wrong meat choice, beans, or shell...come on, there are only so many choices). Their margaritas were also nothing to write home about. Ironic.
(1)Jason B.
We went back to give it another shot. Much better chicken and we will now add it back to our rotation. Also, If you haven't tried a Negra Modelo beer... you should.
(3)Cathy A.
I went here with three other people, all over 21 except for me! I ordered a quesadilla with no salsa and a Pepsi. Salsa was still on my food when I got it, and I got ONE refill in the hour and half that we stayed there. Our sever came to our table multiple times to ask everyone else if they wanted refills on their alcoholic drinks, I was asked once. MOST of the time I was there, my cup was empty. Even my friend noticed and asked for a refill for me, and I STILL DIDN'T GET IT. I've worked in a restaurant before, and I understand being busy. But refilling everyone's drink at the table except for mine multiple times? Unacceptable.
(1)Lauren L.
Good food- at least for what I've had- taco salad or fish tacos. Never ending warm chips and salsa- yum! Pitchers or frozen or non frozen margaritas are the way to go- the flavored ones are eh.
(4)Nicole M.
The service was pretty good. The waitress was nice. I was eating with 6 other people and she didn't mind doing separate checks. The food okay. I had the Mexican flag enchilada with chicken, which consisted of 3 different types of enchiladas. I only liked one of them. Atmosphere seemed pretty good but I think we went too early (7pm). As we left, it looked like the place started to come alive.
(3)Jamie F.
Gotta say that Margaritas is a great place. When I go with friends, we always have a great time. The food is very good - not super-authentic for all dishes, but the flavor is good. free chips and salsa? great variety of tasty (and strong) margaritas! service is always friendly. This is not fine dining, but that's not why i go there. I go with friends for a fun night and for a belly full of tasty food with a couple margaritas to wash it down.
(5)Lola N.
Agreed with review below. Also, entrees and appetizers are WAY too overpriced and not all that good, but the salsa is pretty good. The margaritas, for which the place is named, earns the place 2 stars. Delicious!
(3)T.H. J.
Standard East Coast Mexican food. Not bad. Not good.
(2)