If you enjoy tequila and fine Mexican food, then you’re in luck because Macayo’s is currently hosting their Tequila Dinner series every other Thursday night through mid-November at the Scottsdale Shea location. During our Tequila Dinners, we proudly serve up our choice of tequila, along with an expertly prepared appetizer, meal, and dessert to accompany that tequila. This is a great opportunity to get out and have some fun with loved ones while enjoying some delicious food and tequila pairings in the process, so bring your friends

What We’re Serving Up

Our next Tequila Dinner will take place this coming Thursday, October 22, and will begin promptly at 6:00 in the evening. For past dinners, we’ve served up Azunia and Milagro tequilas, so for this one, we’ll be serving Patron. For just $40 per person (or $70 per couple), you can enjoy an appetizer, meal, dessert, and tequila sampling. This coming Thursday, we’ll be pairing Patron with a delicious grilled chicken taco salad with queso fundido, which incorporates four different cheeses, along with jalepeño, chiles, and onions for a huge flavor boost.

We’ll also be serving fried avocado with picante salsa, queso fresco, and chipotle crema; if you’ve never had fried avocado before, you’re missing out. We coat ours in Japanese breadcrumbs and lightly fry them so that they’re nice and crispy without losing their flavor. We’ll also be serving up some Mexican roasted corn served off the cob. All of our Tequila Dinner meals are designed and prepared to complement the taste of the tequila you’re being served, so these dishes will go great with your Patron sampling.

More About Chef Eric Justice

And we’ll also be having a special guest chef in the house during the  Tequila Dinner on Thursday, November 5th, so you don’t want to miss it! Eric Justice is the co-founder and board member for Chefs4Kids, an organization that raises money for children in need. Eric Justice began his career as a businessman, but has since forayed into culinary arts. Having earned a culinary arts degree in 1993, he went on to become a successful consultant and restaurateur. We’re proud to be having him in our kitchen assisting with this upcoming Tequila Dinner!

Make Your Reservation Today

Due to the popularity of our Tequila Dinner events, we do require advance reservations, so be sure to secure your seat today by giving us a call and booking yours. And if you can’t get enough tequila, you can also check out our Ultra Premium Tequila Window at the bar to sample nine other tequilas that we have available. We also have a new menu that we’ve just recently debuted, so even if you’re unable to make it to our Tequila Dinner, we encourage you to drop by and give some of our new menu items a try. For those who can’t make this dinner but would like to attend one in the future, we have two more coming up on November 5th and November 19th, respectively. We look forward to seeing you at Macayo’s for what’s sure to be a great time with delicious food and tequila!

 

When you think of an enchilada, what comes to mind? More than likely, you think of a flour tortilla wrapped tightly around some sort of delicious filling and covered in a spicy sauce. And for the most part, that’s what an enchilada is. However, different areas of the world tend to have different ideas about what constitutes a proper enchilada. For example, you’re going to get two different dishes if you order authentic Mexican enchiladas and Latin American or Tex-Mex enchiladas. So, what are the differences between the three? Let’s take a look at enchiladas around the world!

Mexican Enchiladas

For starters, when you order an authentic Mexican enchilada, it’s going to be wrapped in a corn tortilla—not a flour one. Furthermore, the tortillas are generally dipped in the sauce and then fried to make them nice and crispy before they’re stuffed with a yummy filling. One common filling you’ll find in Mexican enchiladas is Mexican queso fresco, but you can also get them filled with meats, such as chicken or steak. Usually, Mexican enchiladas are topped a little more simply than what you might be used to as well; rather than smothering them in enchilada sauce, they’re usually topped with some sour cream chopped tomato, lettuce, and green onion.

Latin American Enchiladas

Let’s move over from Mexico to the countries of Latin America. If you were to order some enchiladas here, you might actually confuse your waiter. That’s because the term “enchilada” isn’t generally used there, but they do have a similar dish that is essentially the same as a Mexican enchilada, with the main difference being that they’re served up in rolled-up puff pastry dough, rather than a corn tortilla. In some Latin American countries, they’ll even use whole wheat pasta to create the shell around the enchilada filling. It’s very rare for traditional corn or flour tortillas to be used here. The puff pastry is stuffed with meat and can be topped with enchilada sauce or some other version, such as a spicy pepper sauce. The funny thing about this is that in Mexico, this would be known as an empanada.

Tex-Mex Enchiladas

In America, we have a version of enchiladas that have been Americanized; these are Tex-Mex enchiladas, and they’re quite different from what you’d expect with a traditional Mexican enchilada or even a Latin American enchilada. Specifically, Tex-Mex enchiladas tend to use flour tortillas. And in many cases, there’s actually no meat involved. Instead, they’re usually stuffed with cheese—and then topped with more cheese! The tortillas themselves usually aren’t fried; instead, they’re simply heated up in a skillet to crisp them up a little. Tex-Mex enchiladas are also typically smothered in enchilada sauce, though they may also be topped with some fresh ingredients such as olives, chopped tomatoes, green onion, and the like.

This is just a sampling of what enchilada dishes tend to look like in different areas of the world. Isn’t it interesting to see how our perception of a dish we love can be so different across the border? If you’re like us, you’re probably craving some enchiladas right about now!

It seems like there’s a holiday for just about everything imaginable these days. From National Best Friend Day to National Cheesecake Day, no matter where your interests lie, surely there’s a holiday to celebrate. But did you know that there’s also a National Taco Day?! Well, there is—and this year, it’s falling on October 4. As if you needed an excuse to enjoy some delicious tacos.

The History of the Taco

Before we get into more detail about National Taco Day, let’s briefly recap the history of the taco as we know it. It’s widely believed that the first tacos were served up in Mexico in the 18th century, consisting of a tortilla wrapped around some sort of spiced meat. Then, in the 19th century, it’s believed that Mexican immigrants first brought tacos into the United States (most likely to street vendors in Los Angeles). From there, the popularity of the taco grew exponentially, and the rest is, well…history.

Celebrating National Taco Day

With National Taco Day coming up on October 4, now is a good time to consider how you’ll celebrate. Maybe you’ll take it easy and make some tacos from the comfort and convenience of your own home. Brown a little taco meat, chop up some veggies, and maybe cook some rice on the side. Sounds good enough, right? But what if you don’t want to bother with prepping, cooking, and cleaning up? Are you destined to run through your local fast food drive through for some non-authentic, Americanized tacos?

Nope! You can stop by Macayo’s for some delicious, real Mexican tacos and save yourself the time and work. We have some absolutely delicious and spicy chicken tinga tacos on our new menu that our customers seem to love, but we’ve got plenty of other options for you to explore as well. And the best part (aside from the taste)? You won’t have to worry about cleaning up! Let our friendly wait staff bring you rounds of margaritas and yummy food as you enjoy National Taco Day with your loved ones.

Celebrate With Real Mexican Tacos at Macayo’s!

We’ve got 12 different locations for you to choose from, so no matter where you’re coming from, we’re sure you can find a location that’s convenient for you. Consider gathering some co-workers or friends together, or bring your family in for a day of celebrating the rich and delicious history of tacos as we know them today. And of course, we won’t judge you too much if you choose to order a non-taco dish from our impressive menu. We’ve got lots of options for you to choose from regardless of what your taste buds may be calling for. Oh, and we’re always serving up our signature drinks, such as the delicious and refreshing Macayo Mule.

Don’t let National Taco Day pass you by this year without allowing yourself to enjoy some authentic Mexican food in a fun, friendly environment. Just stop by Macayo’s for some real Mexican tacos, great service, delicious drinks, and an overall amazing time!

 

When it comes to Mexican alcoholic drinks, one that comes to mind right away for most people is the margarita. Made with tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau, the margarita is a simple yet versatile beverage; it can be served up on the rocks, frozen, or even on its own. Not to mention, there are many fun variations of the margarita, ranging from fruity margaritas to spicy margaritas and everything in between.

However, have you ever thought about where the margarita came from? You probably assume it was invented in Mexico, but what do you know about when it was invented or even who claims to have invented it? We have some of the answers here, but as it turns out, the history of the margarita is a little more complicated than you would think.

Who Invented the Margarita?

As with many popular inventions, there are lots of people who claim to have invented the margarita. Dating as far back as 1930 and as recently as 1948, bar owners have been staking their claim to the invention. Unfortunately, nobody knows for sure (nor will we ever know) who first decided to combine that delicious mix of tequila, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and Cointreau into a refreshing beverage.

More than likely, there have been so many different claims to inventing the margarita because multiple people probably invented it around the same time. After all, the margarita itself only contains three simple ingredients, so it’s not too farfetched to think that several people could come up with the same cocktail combination.

Possible Drink Adaptations

Not to mention, there were many popular drinks around the time that the margarita was thought to have been invented that are quite similar to the margarita. As such, we can’t rule out the possibility that the margarita is actually an adaptation of another beverage. For example, there’s the tequila daisy—a beverage that combines tequila, lime juice, and grenadine (only one ingredient different than the margarita). While we may never all agree on who exactly made the first  margarita, we can probably all agree on the fact that it’s a delicious enough beverage that so many people want to lay claim to it.

What We Know For Sure

So, what do we know for sure about the history of the margarita? We know that it was probably invented at some point in the 1930s or 1940s in Mexico. We also know that, since the invention of the margarita, the beverage has even grown popular enough to have its very own glass, along with dozens (if not hundreds) of delicious variations on the traditional recipe. Oh, and we know that at the end of a long day, nothing beats the refreshing taste of this controversial cocktail.

As you can now see, there’s more to the history of the margarita than meets the eye. And despite the fact that we may never know who invented one of our favorite adult beverages, we can still enjoy them greatly. Whether you’re in the mood for a traditional margarita or something a little more unique, you can always rely on Macayo’s to deliver.

 

When you’re in the mood for a flavorful dish that’ll leave you full and satisfied, you can’t go wrong with our shrimp and chorizo taquitos. When it comes to Mexican shrimp recipes, it really doesn’t get any yummier (or easier) than this one. Read on to find out everything you need to know about preparing and serving up this dish tonight.

What You Need

Start by making sure you’ve got everything you need to create the shrimp and chorizo mix. This will include:

• two ounces of chorizo
• an ounce of chipotle butter
• a pound of diced shrimp
• an ounce of Macayo’s Sergio’s Tomatillo Salsa
• three ounces of Jack cheese
• nine red corn tortillas (6oz.)
• nine white corn tortillas (6oz.)
• olive oil, as needed

You’ll also need a few sautee pans for cooking and mixing the ingredients.

Putting it Together

Got all the ingredients you need? Great! Time to get started in prepping this dish. It’s quicker and easier than you probably think, making this an ideal dish for a busy weeknight or even a relaxing weekend day.

Start by heating your chipotle butter in a sautee pan until it’s melted. Then, add the chorizo and brown it evenly until it’s entirely cooked through. Drain the grease from the chorizo and add the shrimp, flipping and cooking until pink in color and done. Next, add the tomatillo salsa mix all the ingredients together thoroughly before moving to a shallow pan and allowing to cool to about 40 degrees. This will give the flavors a chance to marry together before moving onto the next step.

Once it’s cooled down, add the Jack cheese to the top of the mixture and allow it to melt. Then, in a clean sautee pan, add a little bit of olive oil and brown both sides of each tortilla, being careful not to burn them. The tortillas should be warmed just enough to make them soft and pliable. Set the browned tortillas onto a clean, dry surface before placing about an ounce of the chorizo and shrimp mixture onto each tortilla and rolling them into individual taquitos.

Presentation

Now that you’ve prepared this delicious dish, it’s time to plate and present to your dinner guests! To present this dish, each plate should have:

• two of the red tortilla taquitos
• two of the white tortilla taquitos
• an ounce of shredded cabbage
• a half ounce of extra tomatillo salsa
• a half ounce of Baja sauce
• a half ounce of pico de gallo
• a quarter ounce of extra Jack cheese

Serving these ingredients on the side will allow your guests to customize their own taquitos to suit their unique tastes. Plus, plating your dish in this way will make it look like your meal was cooked by a professional chef! Trust us on this one.

As you can see, whipping up a batch of 18 delicious shrimp and chorizo tacos is a lot easier and quicker than you may think. The next time you’re in the mood for some bold and flavorful Mexican food, be sure to give this recipe a try. It’s sure to become one of your new household favorites!

Quick, think of a few of your favorite minty drinks. Probably, drinks like the mojito and the mint julep come to mind, right? And while there’s admittedly nothing wrong with these minty drinks on their own, we like to mix things up a bit and come up with new twists on traditional recipes. That being said, we’ve come up with a few unique Mexican drinks that are inspired by your favorite minty drinks. And the best part is that two of these drinks (the Macayo Mule and the Mule-Jito) can now be found here at Macayo’s thanks to our brand new drink menu!

The Mint Julep Margarita

The mint julep is a staple of Louisville, especially during the Kentucky Derby. But what about those years when the Kentucky Derby (traditionally held in May) actually falls on Cinco De Mayo? We say make the best of both worlds with a fusion of the mint julep and the Mexican margarita! This delicious recipe incorporates:

• two teaspoons of superfine/confectioner’s sugar
• ten fresh mint leaves
• two ounces of bourbon
• one ounce of orange liqueur
• a quarter cup of seltzer water
• two lime wedges (optional garnish)

The combination of the minty ingredients with the sweet and sour flavors of the margarita may seem a bit odd at first, but trust us: give this drink a try for yourself and you’ll be wishing every day was Derby Day on Cinco de Mayo.

The Macayo Mule

Okay, so you can’t exactly order the mint julep margarita at Macayo’s (sorry about that), but this one you can because it’s on our new drink menu! The Macayo Mule is a unique combination of the Moscow Mule and a margarita, giving you the strong flavors of ginger beer and the citrus taste of lime Patrón in one amazing cocktail. When you order a Macayo Mule, you’ll be receiving a mix of:

• Casamigos blanco tequila
• Patrón Citrónge Lime
• ginger beer
• mint

And to top it all off, this creative drink is served up in a copper mug. Stop by today and give this curious combination a try for yourself!

The Mule-Jito

Ah, the traditional mojito…known for its minty and refreshingly fizzy taste. But what happens when you combine the traditional ingredients of a mojito with less expected ingredients, such as Sauza Blue Reposado, Licor 43, coconut juice, and freshly squeezed lime juice? When you try the Mule-Jito, you’ll find out for yourself! But trust us…it’s pretty amazing and something your taste buds have never experienced before.

The Mule-Jito and the Macayo Mule are just a couple of examples of the new drinks we’re serving up on our new menu. There are plenty more where that comes from, so we recommend getting out to Macayo’s for yourself to give these and our other new drink specials a try. And as always when you visit Macayo’s, enjoy kicking back, relaxing, and enjoying some delicious gourmet Mexican food with great company and service while you’re here. We look forward to seeing you here soon!

Got a craving for something sweet, but don’t want something boring and traditional like chocolate chip cookies or vanilla ice cream? If so, and if you enjoy the food of Mexico and the flavor of margaritas, then why not combine that flavor with the sweetness of a cupcake? That’s right, we’ve put together a margarita-flavored cupcake recipe with optional lime icing, and we’re ready to share it with you! The best part? It’s super easy to make and doesn’t take much longer than making traditional cupcakes.

Ingredients You Need

Here’s a comprehensive list of everything you’re going to need to create 24 of these delicious cupcakes:

• a box of white cake mix
• one can of thawed margarita mix
• three egg whites
• two tablespoons vegetable oil
• one tablespoon of lime zest, grated

And of course, you’ll want at least one (but preferably two) cupcake trays so you can get these whipped up in no time.

Making the Cupcakes

Start by combining the white cake mix, margarita mix, egg whites, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. You can mix it up by hand with a whisk or utilize an electric mixer to make your life easier. Then, add in the lime zest gradually until well combined. Pour the mixture into lined cupcake trays so that they’re about two-thirds of the way full, then pop into the oven and bake according to the cake mix package instructions. Let cool and then enjoy on their own, or continue on to the next step to create a delicious lime icing to go with your margarita cupcakes.

Optional Lime Icing

What better way to top your margarita-flavored cupcakes than with an oozing of lime icing? Never made your own icing before? Don’t be intimidated; it’s a lot easier than you might think. All you need is:

• eight tablespoons (unsalted) butter
• an eight-ounce package of cream cheese
• two tablespoons of key lime juice
• one teaspoon lime or lemon zest, grated
• four cups of confectioner’s/superfine sugar

Begin by mixing, in a large bowl, the butter, cream cheese, lime juice, and lime zest until it’s nice a smooth. Then, gradually add the cups of confectioner’s sugar until the mixture is nice and fluffy. We recommend adding just one cup of it at a time; otherwise, you might end up with a big cloud of confectioner’s sugar in the air. If the icing mixture doesn’t seem thick enough for your liking after adding the four cups, it won’t hurt to add another cup or two to achieve your desired consistency.

Once the icing is done, use a piping bag to frost your cupcakes, or do it the old-fashioned way with a spatula. For a fun touch, sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles.

There you have it: an inspired look at the food of Mexico that is a fun and simple recipe for margarita-flavored cupcakes that your family and friends will love. Serve them up at your next gathering or enjoy them all on your own (we won’t judge). And the next time you’re in the mood for the real deal, stop by Macayo’s for a real traditional or strawberry margarita. See you there!