Cinco de Mayo falls on a Tuesday—Taco Tuesday—this year. Restaurants across the New York City boroughs will be celebrating the day with specialty food and drink menus, and hosting parties from morning until the late.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory in La Batalla de Puebla—The Battle of Puebla. The victory fell on the fifth of May, which is where the name of the holiday originates.
For those looking to sip margaritas, eat Mexican food, enjoy lively music and honor the history behind the holiday, here are a few spots in NYC worth visiting:
Calaveras Corner – 936 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan
At Calaveras Corner in the Upper West Side, the celebration will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“In the morning time, we will be doing happy hour,” said manager Victor Martinez. “At nighttime, we’re gonna do enchilada and taco specials.” Calaveras Corner is known for their popular specialty drinks, like the passionfruit and hibiscus mezcal margaritas.
On Cinco de Mayo, they will also play traditional mariachi music during the daytime and reggaeton at night. For more information, visit @calaverascorner on Instagram.
The bar at Calaveras Corner.
LavieMex – 4001 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx
LavieMex in Throgs Neck is known for their swirly, soft-serve margaritas—a cooling drink option for spring and summer weather. The flavors include passionfruit, mango, lemon and strawberry.
On Cinco de Mayo, they will also offer Taco Tuesday specials for beer buckets, bottles and additional hot food options. LavieMex will feature a live DJ for the holiday celebration this year. LavieMex will feature a live DJ starting at 5 p.m. for the holiday celebration this year. They will be open until 1 a.m.
For more information, visit @laviemex on Instagram.
LavieMex’s soft serve margaritaPhoto courtesy of LavieMex
Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar – 2099 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Manhattan
Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar in Harlem will start the celebration at 2 p.m. on Cinco de Mayo. The restaurant will run a Happy Hour until 5 p.m., featuring tacos, frozen drinks and flavored margaritas.
DJ Fabb will be mixing tunes from 6 p.m. until their closing at midnight.
“Good food, good music and a little tequila,” said manager Chris Peniche. “Cinco de Mayo is how memories are made.” For more information, visit @cantinanyc on Instagram.
Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar
Maizal Restaurant – 990 Bay Street, Staten Island
Maizal Restaurant, a family-owned spot in Rosebank, is starting their Cinco de Mayo celebration at 11:30am, with all-day Happy Hour margaritas, homemade sangria and tequila shots.
For food, the restaurant will feature large plates as well as small plates that the bar, starting at $4. “Options include chicken flautas, sartén de chorizo con queso, guacamole & chips, and shrimp plantain bites,” said Maizal management. “We’ll also be featuring our popular soft tacos: cod fish, spicy shrimp, steak al pastor, and smoked pork belly.”
For more information, visit @maizal_restaurant on Instagram.
Maizal Restaurant’s Margarita and guacamolePhoto courtesy of Maizal Restaurant
Vida Verde Tequila Bar – 248 West 55th Street, Manhattan
The Cinco de Mayo celebration will be a five-day event at Vida Verde in Midtown, starting on Friday May 1 and wrapping up on Tuesday May 5. The weekend-long event features Happy Hours, bottomless brunches and late night DJ entertainment. The restaurant will offer a range of à la carte food options and drinks—like their frozen pomegranate margaritas.
“We use 100% agave tequila for all drinks,” said bartender Lulé Karpuzi. She added that they will also have their popular Mexican candy shots on Cinco de Mayo.
Weather-permitting, Vida-Verde’s iconic rooftop patio will be available as well. For more information, visit @vidaverdenyc on Instagram.
A neon sign at Vida Verde Tequila BarPhoto by Nia Watson
Mama Lupitas Bistro – 904 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn
Mama Lupitas Bistro in Sunset Park will offer $5 margaritas, accompanied by a DJ and live tattooing, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Cinco de Mayo. Their frozen margarita flavors will remain a surprise until the day of, and the restaurant will be operating 21+ entry only for the celebratory event.
On Cinco de Mayo, Mama Lupitas will also be featuring Chef Junior Vidalis’ with a limited food menu starting at 3 p.m.. For more information, visit @mamalupitasbistro on Instagram.
Mama Lupitas BistroPhoto by Nia Watson
5 Burro Cafe – 72-05 Austin Street, Queens
5 Burro Cafe, a staple Mexican restaurant in Forest Hills, will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with sombreros and tequila shots. Their management plans to have a lively and fun celebration.
The family-owned eatery is known for their colorful, signature lime and strawberry frozen margaritas, as well as their large group-friendly margarita pitchers and filling food plates. 5 Burro Cafe will offer their full menu for Cinco de Mayo.
For more information, visit @5burrocafe on Instagram.
5 Burro CafePhoto by Nia Watson