Where to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in NYC

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at one of these family-owned Mexican restaurants.

Or, DIY with our FREE Margarita recipes, instructions for making festive decorations, even virtual dance lessons.

Order your South-of-the-Border favorites directly from the  restaurant, so it avoids fees of up to 30% or more by such third-party delivery services as GrubHub, Seamless and PostMates.

If you are dining in, be sure to make reservations.

These family-owned local restaurants are a great destination anytime, not just on Cinco de Mayo -

Cantina Taqueria and Tequila Bar, with two locations in Harlem is open for take-out and delivery.

Taco Shop in Greenwich Village also is open for take-out and delivery.

All three Manhattan locations of La Esquina NYC remain open for takeout and delivery.  Order directly from the restaurant starting at 11 a.m. each day.

In Brooklyn, Maya Taqueria, with locations in Prospect  Heights and Park Slope, lets you order directly on Instagram.

Enjoy a burrito or several from  Hungry Burrito restaurant in Ridgewood, Queens, which serves up fresh Tex-Mex cuisine. Delivery and pick-up orders are available daily.

Cinco de Mayo Decorations, Dance Lessons

If yu are planning a party at home, make it more festive with these FREE DIY decorating ideas and dance lessons.

Paper Flower

Cinco De Mayo Fiesta Banner

Learn to Cumbia

Margarita Recipes

Spicy Pineapple Margarita

Courtesy of Rubio’s, this has the bite of a classic margarita with a hint of sweetness and a touch of spice to kick up the flavor. 

If the spice scares you, you can simply scale back on the number of jalapeno slices you add.

Serving size: 5 margaritas

• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 cup silver or blanco tequila such as Patron
• 1 cup Triple Sec
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 3 Tbsp agave syrup
• 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
• Fresh pineapple slices (optional)
• Sea salt (optional)

1. In a large pitcher, mix the fresh lime juice, tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, sliced jalapenos and agave syrup until the agave syrup has dissolved.
2. Salt the rim of a glass (optional) and pour margarita mix over ice. 
3. Garnish with jalapenos and fresh pineapple slices and serve.

These two recipes are from the 1800 Tequila brand:

Coco Creamsicle Margarita

2 oz Coconut Tequila
.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5 oz Fresh Orange Juice
.5 oz Vanilla Syrup

• Shake and strain into a rocks glass; garnish with salt rim & lemon wheel

Verde Vibes Margarita

2 oz Tequila
.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.25 oz Jalapeño Juice
2 Dashes Celery Bitter

• Shake and strain into a rocks glass; garnish with salt rim & a jalapeño slice

History of Cinco de Mayo

No, it’s not Mexican Independence Day, which is in September. 

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when the Mexican Army defeated French invaders who were far better equipped and more numerous.

That makes it a David vs. Goliath story, part of the reason it’s celebrated so passionately.  Margaritas help, too.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everybody.