Baja Cantina and Grill
7166 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel
(831) 625-2252, www.carmelcantina.com
A margarita can be a quick way to ruin an exceptional shot of tequila, or, worse, lead to a sugar-saturated hangover. Fortunately for us, the tequila gods have smiled upon Baja Cantina, which has swept this category for more than a decade. The operating concept behind each of the margaritas at Baja Cantina is fresh and clean, made possible by a house-made mix that contains no processed sugar and all-organic products, including fresh agave nectar. The Partida Organic Margarita (on the rocks, of course) is a crowd favorite loaded with an invigorating dose of 100-percent blue agave blanco, but margarita mixologists can get creative with BC’s list of 200 different tequilas, the largest selection of craft tequilas on the Central Coast. There’s nothing quite like taking in views of Carmel Valley from the outdoor patio while listening to a little live music with the county’s best margarita in hand.