National Margarita Day brings salted specials and deals on the rocks Friday

Happy Hour starts early Friday and comes with a twist.

Friday, Feb. 22, is National Margarita Day and it's an all-day party for America’s most common tequila-based cocktail.

Bars and restaurants across the country are celebrating the spirited made-up holiday with discounted drinks. Some salt-rimmed specials are available frozen and others on the rocks.

According to a survey by CouponFollow.com, 86 percent of Americans like or love margaritas while 3 percent hate them. The deal website found 58 percent prefer frozen versus 42 percent on the rocks.

Participation and offers can vary by location — sometimes because of state and local laws — so check with your closest location before heading out.

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The deals

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill: Not a margarita, but participating Applebee's nationwide have $1 Hurricane cocktails. Some locations also will have margarita deals Friday.

Bahama Breeze Island Grille: Classic Margaritas are $2.22 Thursday and Friday until 9 p.m. Plus at 10 a.m. Friday, Bahama Breeze is launching a limited-edition collection of margarita-inspired bath bombs with Latika Body Essentials. Collections will be $15 each and available at www.latikasoap.com/bahamabreeze. Friday is the kick-off of Bahama Breeze’s seven-week Viva La ‘Rita celebration, which includes two cocktails — the color-changing Mystic Margarita and Pineapple Coconut Margarita.

Chili's: Three margaritas are $5 each Friday including the Cuervo Blue Margarita, Tropical Sunrise Margarita or The Blueberry & Pineapple Margarita.

Ted’s Montana Grill: The Signature Margarita is $2 off during the weekday happy hour that runs from 3 to 6 p.m.

TGI Fridays: Select appetizers, tap and cocktails are $5 all day long Friday.

Local recommendations

Our favorite place in Delaware for a margarita is Agave at 37 Second St., Lewes; 302-645-1232. 

The restaurant is a go-to spot at the beach, though, of course, you'd better be prepared to wait and wait for a table. It's usually slammed winter through summer. 

But people cool their heels because Agave's Mexican dishes (oh, those puffy tacos) and stone cold margaritas are so gosh-darn good.   

A colleague says you can't beat the margaritas at Border Cafe on Stanton Christiana Road near Stanton, especially the frozen mango-margarita and a sangria-margarita.

Mexican Table, a contemporary Mexican eatery at 7288 Old Lancaster Pike in Hockessin, has a very good hand-crafted cocktail known as the Flaquita. The cocktail is a blend of either Patrón Silver ($11) or Patrón Roca ($14), Patrón Citrónge, agave nectar and lime juice.

Enjoy the day. And remember: While Jimmy Buffett might have sung about "wastin' away again in Margaritaville," we all know about responsible drinking.

USA Today contributed to this report. 

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