Por Dr. Ink
Silver tequila margaritas, Mexican craft beers and knockout noshes inspired from below the border are for the taking at about 40 percent off twice a day at Ortega’s Bistro. Separating the two happy hours is regular dinner service, when spiny lobsters and chicken mole dominate the multi-room space and ample front patio.
The afternoon and late-evening bargain sessions are offered in the rear cantina and on the patio. I perched on the cantina’s U-shaped bar and witnessed my pomegranate margarita in the making. To anyone who eschews the ubiquitous brown tequila that afflicts so many discounted cocktails in town, these receive a much smoother touch with generous pours of Jose Cuervo Tradicional.
Served in a chalice-sized sugar-rimmed glass, the silver tequila eliminates the sting and ups the buzz. And with non-cloying pomegranate juice sitting on top, the seemingly innocuous margarita goes down like fresh lemonade. Priced regularly at $11, you receive the same loose measure of tequila for only $6 during happy hour.
Mango-mint and Grand Marnier-infused Presidio margaritas are also $6, although prices on other libations descend from there.
Sangria and Mexican craft beers such as Chupacabras Pale Ale by Cucapa sell for $5; well drinks and wines by the glass are $4; and silver tequila shots and big-name beers cost only $3. These are dive-bar prices without the divvy atmosphere.
Appetizers and tacos average $4.95 apiece, with a few dishes topping off at $5.95, such as the outstanding poblano-portobello quesadilla, a Mexico City inspiration constructed with corn masa rather than flour tortillas. Served two to an order, the chilies and mushrooms inside are layered with buttery Oaxaca cheese. The dish constitutes as nearly a full meal and tastes awfully good regardless if you dive into it with a booze-induced appetite.
Other food options include tableside guacamole, shrimp ceviche and tacos filled with assorted proteins. As with the drinks, portion sizes aren’t slyly punched down when the prices drop.
Outside of happy hour, Ortega’s has introduced for the first time in its nine-year history live Latin jazz, which features different trios of musicians from 7 to 10 p.m. on Thursdays, giving us yet another good reason to swing in more often.
