MARIA MARIA - YES Please!

****

• $$
• Reviewed: Happy Hour
• Business or Dressy Casual (Jeans and heels are appropriate)
• Location: Warehouse District

Maria Maria is a wonderful place for happy hour, ladies night, or to pre-party before you really hit downtown hard. Fresh drinks and fresh queso at great prices start the night off right every time. Plus, there's live music! I mean, could it get better?


house margarita: *****
CAT: I hate regular margaritas. The cheap sour taste coupled with bottom shelf liquor LITERALLY make me gag. You can therefore imagine how shocked I was when I took a tentative sip of Maria Maria’s house margarita and...loved it. They don’t use the common sweet and sour mix that most establishments use. Instead, they create a homemade agave cordial. The cordial is made of brandy, Mexican brown sugar, and agave nectar. These delectables are cooked until they form a syrup, which is mixed with Pepe Lopez Tequila and fresh lime juice. Devine. Oh, and did we mention that during happy hour, these are under $5? Happy hour anyone?

white sangria: ***

JENN: The white sangria was a citrus wonder (slices of orange, lemon, and lime were featured), but the red sangria knocked it’s lighter counterpart out of the park. Still, the white was a refreshing change from the conventional red.

red sangria: ****
CAT: Maria Maria’s red sangria is 8 oz. of decadent, happy hour deliciousness. Sweeter than the average sangria, it lacked the tang that I generally expect when sipping such delicacies. Overall, a wonderful choice at an even better price.

queso: *****
JENN: And the queso. Oh my. Fresh pieces of cilantro. Diced tomato. The perfect thin tortilla chips to co-star. I couldn’t get enough of this stuff. If you’re looking fancy for the night, beware. The consistency is a little drippy (but not in a yucky way, just in a “I might need my Tide to go pen later way”). So, if you’re wearing something that you mind getting dirty, mind your P’s and Q’s (and the number of yummy house margaritas you down).



ambiance:***
Maria Maria is a pretty swanky atmosphere, but still retains that open, carefree, Austin je ne sais quoi. That being said, if it's a live music night, get ready to enjoy that, and not your co-diners' stimulating conversation. So if you want to make this a first date place, do so earlier in the evening during regular dinner hours. (OR if you're tired of hearing your significant other prattle on about nothing, go around 9!).


service: *****
The service was phenomenal and very attentive (but then again, we did tell them who we were). Still, everyone was very knowledgeable about how their drinks are crafted and what's in the queso...something you don't always get with waitstaff.