Visitor
Jun 18, 2026
Most margaritas are made. Craft margaritas are built.
There's a version of the margarita that exists at every chain restaurant in America — pre-made sour mix, bottom-shelf tequila, a splash of something orange, served in a salt-rimmed glass that's been sitting in a freezer.
A craft margarita is something else. It's a cocktail made with intention — where every ingredient is chosen deliberately, the ratios are considered, and the technique respects the simplicity of the drink enough not to ruin it with shortcuts. At Roadside Taco on Ventura Blvd in Studio City, that distinction matters. The bar program wasn't built as an add-on to the taco menu. It was built as an equal part of the experience.
What "craft" actually means in a margarita
The word gets used loosely — but in a real craft cocktail context, it means three things: fresh ingredients, quality spirits, and deliberate balance. Take away any one of those and the drink suffers. Put all three together and you get something worth talking about.
The tequila matters equally. A craft margarita doesn't hide behind sweetness — it lets the spirit lead. That means using a blanco or reposado with actual character, something that brings the agave forward and holds up to the acidity of the lime without disappearing into it.
The Roadside Taco bar philosophy
Roadside Taco was founded by Vincent Laresca with a clear belief: a great neighborhood restaurant earns its place through consistency and quality across every part of the experience. That philosophy runs through the kitchen — where every taco is built on a fresh handmade corn tortilla with fresh avocado on every order — and it runs equally through the bar.
The craft margarita program at Roadside Taco isn't designed to dazzle with novelty. It's designed to be reliably excellent — the kind of cocktail that's better every time you order it, because the process behind it doesn't change. See the bar and patio space at Roadside Taco — the environment reflects the same considered approach as what's in the glass.
Why it pairs so well with handmade tacos
The reason craft margaritas work so naturally alongside street tacos comes down to shared principles. Both are built on fresh ingredients, both rely on balance rather than excess, and both reward the diner with flavor that's immediately identifiable as the real thing rather than an approximation of it.
The citrus in a well-made margarita cuts through the fat of carne asada and the creaminess of fresh avocado. The pairing isn't accidental — it's the result of two parts of the same restaurant operating with the same level of care. Take a look at the food and you'll see the same attention to freshness that defines the bar program.
Getting the most from Happy Hour
Happy Hour at Roadside Taco runs until 6PM — buy one craft margarita, get the second for just $5. It's the best opportunity to experience the bar program properly, side by side with a plate of tacos, on the outdoor patio while Studio City does what Studio City does in the early evening.
On Tuesdays, $2 tacos all day with extended Happy Hour makes the pairing experience almost unreasonably accessible. A full order of handmade tacos and two craft margaritas on the Ventura Blvd patio — it's the kind of Tuesday that makes the rest of the week easier to handle. Stay updated on Roadside Taco news for seasonal cocktail additions and special offerings worth planning around.
Studio City's cocktail culture — and where craft fits in
The Ventura Blvd dining scene has grown more sophisticated over the years, and the bar programs along the strip have kept pace. Roadside Taco has earned that loyalty through consistency: the margarita you order on a Tuesday Happy Hour is made with the same care as the one you order on a Saturday night with a full group on the patio.
That's what craft actually means in practice — not just the quality of individual components, but the discipline to maintain that quality every time, for every guest.
Ready to taste a margarita that's actually made with care? Visit Roadside Taco at 10628 Ventura Blvd, Studio City. Craft margaritas, handmade corn tortilla tacos, fresh avocado on every order, and a patio that makes the whole experience better. Happy Hour until 6PM — buy one, get one for $5. Tuesdays are $2 tacos all day.