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Best Bars To Celebrate Cinco De Mayo In Sacramento

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated at Mexican restaurants and bars all across the United States. In Sacramento, our restaurants and bars use this day to recognize all things Mexican. In many cases, you can find this to be an all day party at area Mexican bars, in other cases the festivities last several days. The bars on this list all have something special in store and know how to execute.
Azul Mexican Food & Tequila Bar
1050 20th St.
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 447-4040
www.facebook.com/AzulMidtown

Azul is already a popular midtown Mexican eatery and bar with a killer location. Now, if you are a fan of brunch and a fan of Mexican cuisine, then you need to check out brunch at Azul. In all sincerity, the entire menu is on the tasty side but let's talk about Cinco de Mayo. Like many places, Azul will have live music for a good portion of the day. Be on the lookout for all kinds of drink specials throughout the day as well. Margaritas, tequilas and more will be available at a special price all day long while music is playing to get people in the right mood. This part of town is already fairly lively so adding any element of a party is going to elevate the experience.

Ernesto's Mexican Food
1901 16th St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 441-5850
www.ernestosmexicanfood.com

Ernesto's gets the gold star on this list for bringing it hardcore. Operations Director, Dani said the Cinco festivities start the Friday prior to the actual holiday; this means Friday, Saturday, Sunday, a break for everyone to catch their breath on Monday, then the grand finale on Tuesday. Ernesto's will have specials coming from both the bar and the kitchen which means food and drink will be flowing heavily. Look for a fresh-squeezed margarita special as well as a Mexican beer flight for $10. The $10 price tag will get you 4 8-ounce tastes of Mexican beer on tap. They'll also be promo girls walking around from Herradura and El Jimador just to name a couple. This is the perfect celebration to come by if your schedule doesn't allow you to party on Tuesday, the 5th, since it will be going strong the entire weekend before the actual holiday.

El Pueblo Mexican Food
6608 Folsom-Auburn Road, #1
Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 987-5797
www.elpueblofolsom.net

Owner Daniel Burlando had plenty to say regarding things happening at El Pueblo in Folsom. From 1 p.m. until closing, El Pueblo will be home to the musical stylings of Christian Galarza, playing Spanish-style guitar with a wide range of sounds from classical to Santana. There will be $2 street tacos, beer and drink specials and margarita specials throughout the day. You can even grab a tequila sample on Cinco de mayo at El Pueblo. The menu at El Pueblo has undergone some major changes reflecting items that will certainly set them apart from other Mexican restaurants and bars. The menu tab is currently being updated on the El Pueblo site but think along the lines of things like a Queso Fundido Burger made with fresh chorizo in the mixture.

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Tres Hermanas
2416 K St.
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 443-6919
www.treshermanasonk.com

Resident bartender Mark Neuhauser will be mixing it up at Tres Hermanas On Cinco de Mayo and will be one of the men to see behind the bar. There will be a mariachi band from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and tons of other things going on that night. Tres Hermanas will have not one but two bars open on Cinco so you can partake on the patio or inside. This will likely be the most family-oriented celebration on the list because this is just that kind of place. Just because there won't be body shots doesn't mean they don't know how to party, though. You can buy loaded Coronas which have tequila and lime poured directly into the bottle in addition to shot and margarita specials. Contact the restaurant/bar closer to the actual holiday for updates on possible food specials.

Zocalo
1801 Capitol Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 441-0303
www.zocalosacramento.com

Zocalo is hands down one of the busiest Mexican restaurants in the area. Whether this is due to the prime location, delicious menu items or creative cocktail list, the fact remains it seems like every day is Cinco de Mayo at Zocalo. On May 4th Zocalo will be warming up for Cinco with a Chef's Dinner in the form of a pig roast. On Cinco de Mayo, Zocalo will be be featuring a mariachi band as well as specials on food and drink. What's the difference from any other day at Zocalo? Cinco de Mayo is probably just a little louder.

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As a hospitality professional Andy Soto has worked every facet of the industry. He currently leads the team at Spectrum Restaurant Consulting. He started writing a hospitality blog in 2009 and restaurant writing for Sacramento Press in 2010. In 2011 Andy became a Sacramento Restaurant Examiner for Examiner.com. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
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