Joe T. Garcia's Is Home To The Best Margaritas In Texas, According To Our Readers

Just before 11 a.m. on any given weekend, folks stand on an unassuming sidewalk near the Fort Worth Stockyards and wait to descend upon the patio at Joe T. Garcia’s. The restaurant’s lushly landscaped garden is ready to seat as many as 1,000 customers, and the aromas of cheese enchiladas and fajitas—recipes perfected over 89 years—fill the air. 

Not Your Ordinary Margaritas

Behind the colorfully tiled bar, hundreds of margaritas are rimmed with salt and sent out at lightning speed. The restaurant’s house drink has a famously potent reputation, but their other citrus-laced renditions are just as tantalizing. Have one any way you like, from infused with sweet strawberry to refreshingly frozen. You can order it skinny or top-shelf. They’ll even bring a pitcher while you queue for a table. These aren’t the wishy-washy, watered-down limeades of your neighborhood chain. These are the real deal. In fact, Southern Living readers named them the best margaritas in Texas in our annual South’s Best Awards survey and awards.

The History of Joe T.’s

Opened in 1935 by Joe T. Garcia and his wife, Jessie (known affectionately as Mamasuez), the Fort Worth institution started as a tiny six-table dining room. It now covers an entire block on historic North Commerce Street. The footprint expanded over time to accommodate its word-of-mouth local popularity and ever-lengthening waiting list. Their grandkids keep the place running now. “We pay tribute to our grandparents by living out their dreams,” says Lanny Lancarte, CEO and president of Joe T. Garcia’s. “The love and care they poured into each dish was evident in every bite.”  

Along with his siblings, Lanny, the oldest of six, is a daily fixture, arriving each morning before 6 a.m. to help prep and care for the outdoor space, which includes hundreds of potted plants, trees, and a paradisal fountain (that, sadly, does not spout out tequila). “There is nothing more peaceful to me than being in the gardens early,” he says. “It’s like having a moment of connection with my grandmother.” At dinner, only two entrées—enchiladas and fajitas—are offered, just as Mamasuez would for meals at home. 

A Family Affair

Family is a shared thread among those who run the place and their clientele. For decades, groups of relatives have hugged the owners when walking in the door and then sat at the same tables. Kids have birthday parties on the patio, then graduations, then weddings. Sometimes even divorce parties, at which multiple rounds of cocktails are ordered. Regulars might warn you about Joe T.’s illustrious margaritas: Ordering one doesn’t feel like quite enough, getting two is just right, and three will most likely be too many. You’ll still come back here for more.