Not Applebee's Or Chili's: We Ranked This Chain Restaurant Margarita The Best

If you adore the punch of a sour cocktail, then an old-school Margarita is right up your alley. Several chain restaurants serve this iconic beverage, but there's one particular eatery's version that tastes the best — and beats off stiff competition from Applebee's and Chili's — in our opinion: PF Chang's Zen Margarita.

The winner in our ranking of eight chain restaurant Margaritas, this triumphant beverage is available under the chain's happy hour special and features six ingredients: Lunazul Blanco Tequila, orange liqueur, pure cane, lime, and a float of Cointreau. An additional sweetener is optional in a classic Margarita, but some recipes call for agave nectar or sugar syrup to counterbalance the tartness of the lime (if making one at home, you could even use honey or maple syrup). PF Chang's version uses cane sugar to give the beverage a hint of sweetness against its acidic kick. In our taste test, it had a smoothness to it and a rich orange aroma from the Cointreau, which gave it a balanced character. It also had a subtle herbal flavor and a vibrant hit of citrusy lime, which lent the finished product an expensive cocktail vibe and a layer of sophistication. Finally, the drink had a classic no-nonsense salt rim and a wedge of lime to balance its sweet and sour flavor further, which further added to its sophisticated aesthetic. It's just the ticket if you like unfussy drinks that deliver.

Meanwhile, Applebee's Margarita offering, which ranked at number 6, didn't have the same distinctive balance as PF Chang's version and lacked the required tartness despite its generous serving size. While it had a candied lemon-lime flavor, the drink was far too diluted, and the triple sec and tequila failed to come to the fore. Chili's Presidente Margarita also came up short because it had a diluted taste — it's served in a shaker filled with ice, alongside a martini glass that's also got ice cubes inside, so it gets weaker with each sip.

The runner-up in our ranking was the Margarita from Outback Steakhouse, made with Sauza Gold tequila. Zippy and tart, it was refreshing and tequila-forward, unlike some of the other options we tried (for instance, the orange flavor of Cheesecake Factory's margarita somewhat dampened down the tequila, causing it to fade into the background). If you prefer your drinks to have a fruitier quality, PF Chang's happy hour menu (running from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday) also features a Pink Lotus Cosmo, which is made with vodka, orange curaçao, lime, cranberry, and lychee. Here, you'll get the sour hit from the lime, a tart mouth-puckering quality from the cranberry, and a fruity and floral note from the lychee, rivalling the beverages on other chain restaurant happy hour deals.