The party starts early Thursday for Cinco de Mayo, and there are a ton of Chicago-area bars and businesses ready to celebrate with food and drink specials:
Big Star (1531 N Damen Ave.): Free breakfast tacos from 9 to 11 a.m., one per person while supplies last.
Taco Joint (1969 N Halsted St.; 158 W Ontario St.): $5 off bottles of Taco Joint margaritas, $5 Beer 'N' Shot Specials (Modelo Especial Can & Shot of El Jimador Blanco Tequila.
Cantina Laredo (508 N State St.): $5 specialty margaritas and $3 bottle or draft Mexican beers.
Mercadito (108 W Kinzie St.): A $40 Cinco de Mayo menu will include three types of guacamole, two types of salsa, four types of tacos and two sides. For $60 per person, indulge in a Cinco de Mayo-themed cooking demonstration. Five courses will be paired with drinks. Reservations can be made by calling 312-329-9555.
Beatrix (519 N Clark St.; 671 N St Clair St.): Half-priced Pineapple Habanero Margaritas all day long.
Moe’s Southwest Grill: Free T-shirts and $5 burritos at select locations.
Local
Chili’s: $5 margaritas and $3 beers.
Bull & Bear (431 N. Wells St.): Complimentary margarita tastings, $8 Herraradura margaritas, $30 margarita pitchers, $4 Corona and Corona Lights, $9 taco trio, bottomless guacamole
Cinco Division: Seven bars along Division Street in the city’s Gold Coast will serve $5.50 Corona and $5 tequila cocktails all day long. Partygoers to the Cinco de Mayo bar crawl will enjoy live music, mariachis, prizes and have the chance to win a trip to Mexico. Participating locations include: The Lodge, She-nannigans, Mother’s Too, Coconutz, Butch McGuires, Hopsmith and Original Mother’s.
Rockit Bar & Grill (22 W Hubbard St.): Live mariachi band, $16 Cilantro-lime shrimp tacos, $14 steak quesadillas and $5 Coronas all day long.
Frontier (1072 N. Milwaukee Ave): From 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., $3.50 Dos Equis, $5 Don Julio, and $8 festive craft cocktails, such as The Doc Holiday (Tequila, Carrot, Cilantro, Lime, Aquavit) as part of a free Dos Equis trolley crawl.
Lottie’s Pub (1925 W. Cortland St.): Serving as the free Dos Equis trolley crawl headquarters, Lottie’s Pub will offer $3.50 Dos Equis, $5 Don Julio, $6 Dos Aritas and $3 tacos.
The Pony Inn (1638 W. Belmont Ave.): $3.50 Dos Equis, $5 Don Julio, $5 frosty mug margaritas, $2 Walking Tacos and a $3 specialty tacos menu with live music and giveaways all night long.
