We Tried All 24 Margarita Flavors At Chili's And This Was The Worst By Far

Chili's is the ideal spot for casual nights out. It's the place where you can order a quesadilla and a margarita while your partner digs into a BBQ burger with a cold beer. But while the menu feels familiar and satisfying, not everything on it is a 10 out of 10.

That's what inspired us to create our own ranking of every appetizer on the Chili's menu, where the Fried Mozzarella took home the gold and Chips & Salsa brought up the rear. And since that was so much fun, we decided to do the same with its surprisingly extensive margarita list. In our taste test of all 24 margarita flavors that Chili's offers, we didn't expect much discrepancy. After all, how many ways can you spin tequila, lime, and sweetener? Turns out, there's a lot. And at the very bottom of the list, for a number of reasons, landed the Watermelon Patrón Margarita.

This marg just missed the mark, from the type of tequila to the artificial flavoring. Chili's uses a variety of alcohols across its margarita menu — Casamigos, Espolòn Reposado, Jose Cuervo, Hennessy, Lunazul, and plenty of Patrón. While the use of Patrón in the margarita wasn't the only reason it placed last, it sure didn't help.

When we compared margaritas made with Casamigos versus Patrón, it was easy to see that the former makes a better marg. Patrón Silver tends to be smoother, but without a ton of noticeable flavor. Unfortunately, that's the kind that Chili's uses in its watermelon margarita. In fact, it was mostly overpowered by the watermelon flavor, and not in a good way. Artificial watermelon is always a gamble, and in this case, it was definitely a loss. The sweetness was aggressive and candy-like, leaving the drink cloying and unbalanced.

Another important component of a margarita is the citrus element. Chili's builds most of its margs with a house-made sour mix and various orange liqueurs. This drink was made using Citrónge Extra Fine Orange Liqueur, but it wasn't enough to rescue the overall flavor. The citrus element was buried under the weight of the syrup and alcohol. Unfortunately, this margarita earned its spot at the bottom without much debate. The good news? There are 23 more that taste a lot better.