seis for cinco

Austin gets in the spirit with 6 festive Cinco de Mayo celebrations

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with $5 house margs at Z’Tejas.

Courtesy of Z Tejas

Francamente, no one in Austin needs a list to find margaritas on Cinco de Mayo — everyone is mixing up tequila and lime drinks to celebrate. The holiday has spiraled out from its military roots, initially commemorating victory over France in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, and more recently representing some United States rendition of Mexican joy.

Texans have a unique privilege as Mexico’s closest U.S. neighbor; an opportunity to interact with actual Mexican and Mexican-American culture on a daily basis, and absolute Mexican camp on May 5.

The following are six Austin spots getting in the Cinco de Mayo spirit with parties and specials that go beyond a margarita happy hour. Whether this year feels like a tamales holiday or a burgers and beer holiday, Austinites have another fun opportunity to learn about and celebrate our Mexican friends and family.

Z’Tejas
There will be margaritas galore all over Austin on May 5, but Z’Tejas has something else to offer as your coordination wanes: hitting things with a stick. The Southwestern grill will have $5 house margaritas, piñatas filled with prizes, and live music. Whether that celebration calls for a snack (aguachile shrimp ceviche, guacamole) or a full meal (fried tamales, smoked chicken chile relleno), Z’Tejas has got you covered. This event is happening at both the Avery Ranch and Sixth Street locations.

The Lucky Rabbit
This new “live music bar and kitchen” is doing what it does best, slinging drink specials and connecting visitors with local music. This party focuses on $5 margaritas, queso, and nachos, plus a special burger with “Texas crack mayo,” green chili queso, jalapeños pickled in-house, and chipotle sour cream. Blues and dub group Audic Empire is playing a live show, and Tequila Código, a brand championed by George Strait, is sending a team to give free tastings and cardboard cutout photo ops with the country star.

Hopdoddy
One of Austin’s greatest contributions to over-the-top burgers, Hopdoddy, is bringing back a “fan favorite” Mexican burger for the month of May, starting on Wednesday, May 4. The Bidi Bidi Burger is a cross between a burger and a tostada (layered with entire intact tostadas the size of the burger itself). That’s topped with two cheeses (pepper jack by Tillamook, and cotija), a black bean spread, pico de gallo and shredded lettuce, and seasoned with chipotle aioli, guacamole crema and cilantro.

Blue Owl Brewing
On such a cocktail-centric holiday, la cerveza can feel a little neglected. At Blue Owl Brewing, there’s no way it’s going overlooked. Its sour beers will be featured in classic micheladas, and more unusual frozen palomas and ‘ritas. It’s also running a community game of Lotería that’s free to play, and sends winners home with Blue Owl merch. An ongoing game on Mondays uses stickers from the brewery’s Limetastico six-packs, which can be redeemed at the Cinco de Mayo party for special combo prizes.

The Arboretum X Renaissance Austin Hotel
A collaboration between the Arboretum and Renaissance Austin Hotel is bringing the party to a North Austin lawn for free, with catering by the hotel. They’ve invited some local friends who walk the Latin walk year round: Simar Seafood Cocina, a family-owned coastal Mexican restaurant from down the road, for margaritas, and the Darin Layne Latin Duo for live tunes. There will also be a raffle, swag bags, and other festivities. Tickets are free, but registration is available on Eventbrite.

Fiesta Austin
Fiesta Austin is a local heritage organization that aims to preserve Mexican-American culture, especially through its annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. This year’s festivities at Fiesta Gardens on May 7 include catering by Casa Morenos, music by Mariachi Corazon de Tejas, and a performance by social dancers ¡Viva Tejana! Dance Company. Other partners bring shopping and conversations with community leaders, for a well-rounded festival. Presale tickets ($5) are available at themerchgroup.com.

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Near and Deer

Vespaio-trained chef serves venison from trailer at Austin's Sign Bar

Photo courtesy of Sign Bar.

Born and Braised, specializing in native ingredients and braised meats, is now open at Sign Bar.

Born and Braised, a food trailer specializing in native ingredients and braised meats, has just opened for business at Sign Bar. Chef and owner William Woodland, a.k.a. Woody, says so far things are going great.

"They're doing a great job promoting us at Sign Bar. I feel really special," says Woodland.

This is a big change from several years ago when sign bar first opened and Woodland says he "pestered" the folks behind the cool new space.

"I think at that time they wanted to see a couple of years of good experience," says Woodland. "And now my reviews are insanely good — so I think that helped!"

Born and Braised started out at Lustre Pearl back in 2022, and then quickly moved over to Sage Brush where it stayed for more than a year. More recently, Woodland has been operating out of Bastrop and is happy to be closer to town again at Sign Bar, which is located in East Austin. It's still a bit of a drive for many, but not as far south.

Some of the menu items include birria tacos, homemade birria ramen, and multiple venison-based dishes: chili, a smash burger, and bratwurst. There's also grilled cheese, street corn, and other sides.

"I think it's one of only a couple of places in town where you can get venison any time," says Woodland. He adds that the main focus of any foods he prepares is minimal waste and using good, quality, native ingredients. "I'm kind of an ingredient hippie," he laughs.

These cooking roots can be traced back to Woodland's days at his grandparents' out in the country, where his uncles butchering deer in the garage was the norm, and venison was always on the table. As an adult, Woodland got his "formal" education in the kitchen at Vespaio under the tutelage of Ryan Samson.

"He gave me his culinary book from when he went to school and quizzed me everyday; basically took me to culinary school through that job," says Woodland. "I cry thinking about him all the time. Great guy; a really good mentor."

Born and Braised is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 pm to 2 am, and Saturdays from 11 am to 2 am, at Sign Bar Austin (9909 FM 969, Bldg. 3). The bar, decorated with more than 75 retired signs from legendary local businesses, offers a variety of beers, wines, and cocktails.

Sign Bar Holiday Tree This miniature Zilker Tree is the newest permanent installation at Sign Bar. Photo courtesy of Sign Bar

As of early December, guests can enjoy all Sign Bar has to offer next to the Sign Bar Holiday Tree. This 64-foot tall tree is an homage to the Zilker Tree, and unlike most holiday displays, this tree will be up year-round. Guests can even spin under this mini-Zilker Tree — but may want to give it a minute after a bowl of venison chili.

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