margarita news

Taco Cabana debuts new menu items, including a Big Red margarita

The Big Red margarita will be available starting February 22.

Photo courtesy of Taco Cabana

San Antonio-based Tex-Mex chain Taco Cabana has unveiled new limited-time-only menu items coming to restaurants by mid-February through the end of March, including a new margarita flavor in partnership with Big Red.

The Big Red margarita will hit stores starting on February 22, also known as National Margarita Day. The restaurant revealed it teamed up with Keurig Dr Pepper again to develop the new flavor, after previously creating the unique Dr Pepper margarita in 2020.

The Big Red will be offered as a single serving, in a margarita yard, and by the gallon. For a limited time, diners can opt to purchase a combo meal with the new margarita and two barbacoa tacos.

"We have a lot of great things happening at Taco Cabana this month," said Taco Cabana President and COO Ulyses Camacho in a press release. "We look forward to having our guests try them in our restaurants or wherever they choose to get them delivered."

Among the new menu offerings are brand new fish tacos, consisting of a beer-battered Icelandic cod with pepper-limón sauce, finished with the classic lettuce and pico de gallo toppings. The fish tacos will land on the menu just in time for those who observe Lent, the release says.

Taco Cabana new fish tacos The new fish tacos consist of beer-battered cod.Photo courtesy of Taco Cabana

The second new item coming to participating restaurants is the chilaquiles bowl: scrambled eggs laid over a bed of crispy tortilla strips, topped with sour cream, cotija cheese, and a choice of ranchero or green sauce.

In a flavorful return to the Taco Cabana menu, the classic salsa verde is coming back to the in-store salsa bar and can be added to takeout orders.

Taco Cabana was founded in 1978 and operates 143 company-owned restaurants in Texas. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, burritos, tacos, freshly-made flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces.

These Boots Are Made for Sippin'

Western rooftop bar pop-up gets San Antonio in the mood for the rodeo

High Praise/Instagram

The Dusty Diamond is ready for rodeo romps.

Before the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo get here in February, a temporary rodeo-ready bar is settling in. Every Thursday through Sunday, from now until March 2 (completely encapsulating the actual rodeo's schedule), the themed pop-up Dusty Diamond is taking over High Praise Rooftop Bar.

The Intercontinental San Antonio Riverwalk debuted in August of 2024, and with it was High Praise. That makes this the "first-ever rodeo-themed pop-up bar," according to a press release — suggesting that this might become a tradition for the new rooftop bar, a moody space with both indoor and outdoor sections.

The Dusty Diamond will have some fun touches in the decor including cowhide rugs, wagon wheels, and lanterns, but the real fun is in the activities. Guests can try riding the mechanical bull, testing their lasso skills, and getting their hats branded and bandanas embroidered by Hat Bar San Antonio. Pus, they can pick up jewelry by Kendra Scott, handmade leather items by Tried and True Leather, and more branding by Tecovas on products made by the brand.

On the drinks menu, there are 10 special cocktails inspired by country hits like "Boots Stop Working" with Tito's Vodka, Cointreau Orange liqueur, raspberries, lemon juice, rosé, and a rose petal; and “If I was a Cowboy" with Pendleton Whiskey, Creole Orgeat, angostura bitters, pecan bitters, and a dried lime garnish. "This One's for the Girls" is a pickly pear ranch water made with Surtierra tequila, a rodeo partner alongside Stockman Wine.

Guests can taste Surtierra and Stockman Wine in the lobby of the hotel from 7-9pm every other Saturday, starting January 18. If they buy a bottle of tequila, all proceeds will benefit scholarships for students in Texas.

The food menu has Tex-Mex bites like shrimp-esquites tostadas, deviled eggs, chips and caviar, pulled pork sliders, and chicken lollipops with jalapeño honey.

High Praise is open from 5-11 pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 am to 11 pm on Saturdays, and 10 am to 4 pm on Sundays. On Saturday, February 1, the pop-up will open early at 9 am so that guests can stop by on their way to the Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive on Houston St., which starts at Market Square about half a mile away.

rodeo pop-up bars cocktails rooftop