Flores Mexican Restaurant

A full page of margaritas and a family recipe book that goes back to 1993

If you're debating where to land for margaritas and happy hour on this side of Dripping Springs, Flores Mexican Restaurant on 290 settles it fast. The bar here doesn't do one house margarita — it does a whole menu of them, backed by a kitchen that's been turning out straight-ahead Tex-Mex for the Flores family since the 1990s.

Why it's this week's craving. Margarita season doesn't really end in the Hill Country, and Flores treats the category seriously. The La Flor is "the Flores family famous hand shaken margarita made with 100% agave Casa Lujo tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, a splash of OJ and sweet & sour." There's also a frozen top-shelf version, La Florita, "topped with Grand Marnier," and if you want heat with your citrus, the Spicy Cucumber Margarita, made with "El Jimador blanco tequila, Cointreau, agave nectar, lime, cucumber, jalapeños, agave." The budget move is the House Margarita, "Frozen or Rocks with Montealban 100% agave tequila," with flavor add-ins for fifty cents.

The story. This location is part of a small local chain — Dripping Springs, South Austin, Four Points, and Lakeway — all running on "the Flores family's recipes to your table with warm hospitality and real flavor," with "fresh ingredients and tortillas made daily in each location." Yelp's business listing dates the operation to "Established in 1993," with the Dripping Springs location open "since October of 2008." It's a family business in the plain sense — not a concept dreamed up last year, but one that's been pouring margaritas on this stretch of 290 for well over a decade.

The vibe. This is a full-service Tex-Mex dining room with a bar, patio seating, and a kids' playground out back — the kind of place a family and a happy-hour crowd can both land at the same time without anyone feeling out of place. Reviews are a mixed bag on polish (some diners love it, some find it rough around the edges), but the consensus lands on the same thing: the margaritas pull their weight.

What to order. Start at the bar — the La Flor ($14), the frozen La Florita ($14), or the Spicy Cucumber Margarita ($14) if you want a kick. The BeerRita, "our famous Florita with your choice of a 7oz Dos XX or a Coronita" ($17), is the one to order if you can't choose between beer and a margarita. From the kitchen, the enchilada plates are the backbone of the menu — pick your sauce — alongside sizzling fajitas and a stuffed avocado that shows up on the "customers' favorites" lists again and again.

Good to know. Hours run Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. — closed Mondays, confirmed directly on the restaurant's own site. Takeout, delivery via third-party apps, and catering are all available if happy hour needs to come to you.

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