Let's meet for 'Ritas' in Houston

You can tell Houstonians really love their drinks when they have a pet name that all the locals know - and that name is Rita.

Yup...I'm beginning to think that the Margarita has replaced Texas beer in some areas of the city. In fact, every time I meet up with friends, it always seems we are meeting up with "Rita", too. And it seems that everyone has their own preference of how it's made.

There's the traditional Margarita on the rocks with salt along the rim (my favorite). Then, there's the frozen fruity flavors that range from watermelon, to strawberry, to lime.

And then, there's the people that really make it their own.

THE BOLD AND UNUSUAL

One of my friends adds her own twist to the Margarita by getting the frozen strawberry version, but with sugar on the rim instead of salt to make it almost a dessert drink.

But I have one other friend who takes her Margarita to the extreme. In fact, she gathers an audience with her Margarita twist.

Here's why -- she likes the traditional ones on the rocks, but then she likes to order a dollop of whipped cream and a bowl of salt on the side. Sounds strange? Believe me, she does raise the eyebrows of the servers. But it's what comes next that really makes them stare.

You see, she dumps the whipped cream on top of her drink and then squishes it around the ice cubes with her straw. But she's not done yet. She then sprinkles the salt on top.

She swears this is the best way to drink a Rita, but I must admit, I haven't had the courage to try it.

But here are the ones I have tried:

El Tiempo Cantina at 3130 Richmond Ave , Houston , TX , 77098
El Tiempo is my current favorite place to meet for 'Ritas'. They make their drinks strong, but good. However, their happy hour isn't the best deal in town. You basically only save $0.75 per drink, but their drinks are so good, it's worth it.

Café Adobe
This place claims to have the best Margaritas in the city, but I wasn't overly impressed. They were good, but the ones at El Tiempo were much better.

Terlinqua Texas Border Cafe at 920 Studemont and 3801 Bellaire
These guys have a daily happy hour which makes them a local favorite.

Below are the ones I haven't gone to yet, but heard were fabulous:

Ninfa's on Navigation
2704 Navigation Blvd , Houston , TX , 77003

El Patio Mexican Restaurant
6444 Westheimer Rd , Houston , TX , 77057

Taco Milagro Willowbrook
7877 Willow Chase Dr , Houston , TX , 77070-5934