A Ballard mainstay — attracting crowds of diners for more than 13 years — Señor Moose is most well known for its delectable Mexican dishes, including an extensive selection of moles. But those rich sauces are washed down best with one of the house’s special margaritas. Try the potent La Ultima, with Roca Patrón reposado tequila, orange liqueur, and a float of Grand Marnier.

The longtime Seattle chain has found a formula that works with its house margarita at a wallet-friendly $3.50 (or make it a double for $7). Nothing too fancy. Just El Jimador, triple sec, and freshly-squeezed lime juice, but it goes down well when munching on wild white fish ceviche around a fire pit at the Fremont location’s outdoor patio.

Not too far from the Fremont troll, this neighborhood favorite — with a lovely backyard patio — has been slinging fantastic Mexican fare and cocktails for more than 23 years. While the house margarita has always been a crowd-pleaser, don’t sleep on the Picante, made with serrano chile and cucumber-infused reposado tequila, or the frozen pineapple-jalapeno margarita, which doesn’t skimp on the booze.

The sibling bar to the iconic La Carta de Oaxaca has a gorgeous design and an open rooftop in Capitol Hill perfect for savoring an impressive selection of smoky mezcal-based cocktails (as the name indicates). But the margaritas are underrated, especially the Del Cantinero with a refreshing touch of cranberry. And, yes, the one made with the house specialty mezcal is a winner as well.

One of the keys to a good margarita is to let the tequila shine, as long as it’s quality stuff. This popular Capitol Hill Mexican restaurant does just that, with ghost-pepper-infused reposado and a select blanco tequila paired with tamarind. The blood orange margarita (pictured) is also a favorite among those who like citrus and a soft color palette.

Even though this new restaurant in Othello — on Eater Seattle’s list of Hottest Restaurants for May — mostly specializes in New Mexico cuisine, it’s already upping the margarita game in the city with the Seattle Margarita, using coffee-infused tequila and St George Nola coffee liqueur (naturally). Pairs well with the hatch chili burger with dry-aged beef or the vegan pozole with marinated jackfruit and hominy.