As one of the most popular cocktails in the United States, margaritas are easily found on the menu of many classic chain restaurants. Texas Roadhouse is no exception –- its margaritas fall somewhere in the middle of Chowhound’s ratings of chain restaurant margaritas, with mixed reviews on this cocktail. Sometimes, it’s too sweet, and sometimes, it doesn’t taste like there’s enough alcohol, while others report that it’s a surprisingly balanced cocktail worth the $7.50. Texas Roadhouse uses various tequilas for different margarita recipes, so this could be why customers sometimes have a mixed experience with this cocktail.
A tequila called Dorado Gold is used for the Texas Roadhouse House Rocks Margarita and House Frozen Margarita. This affordable tequila normally goes for $9.99-$19.99 a bottle; the company, Dorado, does not seem to have a website, so there isn’t an abundance of information available about this tequila or the company itself. According to one online liquor retailer, Dorado Gold is made from 100% blue agave plants grown in the state of Jalisco in Mexico. Considering the low price point, this is surprising; most cheaper tequilas are a mix of agave and sugar-based spirits.
As the name and color of the bottle suggests (Dorado also means golden in Spanish), Dorado Gold is a gold tequila. This tequila has only been aged for 2-3 months, but the color was created by adding caramel coloring or by adding a small amount of aged tequila, or anejo, which naturally has a darker color.
Other tequila options at Texas Roadhouse
You’ll get twenty different answers for what is the best tequila for margaritas – so it’s somewhat subjective to decide if Dorado Gold is a good choice. Dorado Gold is not a widely known tequila brand; so outside of the Texas Roadhouse margaritas, there are no reviews on how the tequila tastes on its own. Texas Roadhouse, however, does use a more familiar brand in another margarita. For the Legend Margarita, a “legendary blend” of Patrón Silver, Patrón Reposado, and Patrón Añejo is used.
Patron Silver has dry, minerally tasting notes with hints of smoky agave, while the Reposado is considered somewhat light for being a reposado, with warmer flavors of caramel, vanilla, and creme brulee. For being an anejo, the Patron Anejo is reasonably priced and brings flavors of wood barrel, roasted agave, and baking spices. Patron is considered to be more of a premium tequila, especially when compared to Dorado Gold.
Balancing out the blend of the tequilas, the cocktail also uses its signature margarita mix, which can be purchased on Amazon for $17 if you feel called to replicate the House or Legendary Margarita. As for the other margarita options at Texas Roadhouse, like the Hurricane Margarita or Sangria Margarita, the restaurant doesn’t explicitly state what tequila it uses for these. However, it’s safe to assume that the restaurant would use the same as it uses for its house margaritas, the Dorado Gold.
