Mucho drinks, food and dancing will be happening everywhere from local restaurants to breweries in honor of Cinco de Mayo. And lucky for us, the holiday falls on a Friday.
All events take place on May 5 unless otherwise noted.
4 Rivers Smokehouse Snag $2.99 strawberry margarita "bayou bars" spiked with tequila and salt, or $3.25 piñata cupcakes, which are birthday cupcakes filled with M&M's and sprinkles, from the Florida barbecue chain's Sweet Shop. There are two 4 Rivers restaurants in Tampa (one in Carrollwood and the other in South Tampa). May 1-6. 14330 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 844-474-8377, 4rsmokehouse.com.
The Avenue Eat + Drink Hop from bar to bar to bar, starting from the Ave, at downtown St. Pete's First Avenue South block. Guests can watch Micro Championship Wrestling while downing $3 Coronas, Corona Lights and whatever the hell a Mexican Water Shot is. As far as tequila goes, there's $5 Espolón Blanco and Reposado, $6 Patrón Silver and margaritas, and $7 Don Julio Silver and frozen piñata punch. Jams are provided by a live band and DJ Fresh + Friends. 5 p.m.-3 a.m. 330 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 727-822-3663, theavenuedtsp.com.
bartaco Hyde Park Village's outpost from the beach-inspired bartaco brand toasts the start of its favorite season — summer — on Cinco de Mayo. Follow the Facebook event page to stay updated on details. 11 a.m.-midnight. 1601 W. Snow Ave., Tampa, 813-258-8226, bartaco.com.
Besito Mexican The WestShore Plaza location for this Mexican mini-chain has five days of holiday festivities lined up. On Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, $5 frozen and classic margaritas are available alongside $5 house 'ritas. And expect giveaways, tastings, drink specials and photo opportunities for the big day on Friday. May 3-7. 205 WestShore Plaza, Tampa, 813-287-4800, besitomexican.com.
Bizou Brasserie It's getting caliente on the Bizou patio, where margarita and taco specials, live music and two-for-one Dos Equis are in the spotlight. Choose from spicy, topical, traditional and the "Mother of All" 'ritas, chips and salsa, nachos three ways (pork, marinated grouper and plain with pico), and the dinner special: shredded pork, beans and rice. 6-10 p.m. 601 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-221-9555, bizoutampa.com.
The Blind Goat Food & Drink Co. To observe what the Blind Goat calls a "momentous occasion," a.k.a. the fifth of May falling on a Friday, the merriment takes place all weekend long. Fresh margs for $5, $4 Corona Light and Modelo Negra drafts, and $4 Corona Extra bottles are the featured drink deals. May 5-7, noon-midnight. 4106 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, 813-515-7962, blindgoattampa.com.
Boca Kitchen Bar & Market Bring a group to Boca's Brandon-area restaurant for two-for-one Big Storm Brewing Co. beers and margaritas, in addition to a lineup of signature tacos. 5 p.m.-midnight. 11206 Sullivan St., Riverview, 813-327-6717, bocabrandon.com.
Casa Tina A huge two-day street fiesta, filled with food, salsa lessons from the Simone Salsa Dance School, a giant puppet parade, Frida Kahlo-style hair braiding, and continuous live performances — Casa Tina style. Dance classes happen at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 6:45 p.m. Saturday, and a salsa expo is set for 4:10 p.m. Saturday. Come hear 12-piece salsa band Orquesta Infinidad while you down some drinks or peruse the arts and crafts. May 5-6, 4-11 p.m. 365 Main St., Dunedin, 727-734-9226, casatinas.com.
Coppertail Brewing Co. The Empamamas food truck drives this "Cinco de Mama" celebration. Patrons who wear a sombrero to the Coppertail taproom receive $1 off their food purchases. Menu items like street corn nachos and Let's Taco Bout It, the newest Empamamas empanada, are up for grabs. 6-11 p.m. 2601 E. Second Ave., Tampa, 813-247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com.
EDGE Social Drinkery A complimentary appetizer buffet showcasing the Epicurean Hotel's twist on traditional Mexican eats, which include tortas, tostadas, ceviche and quesadillas. Dos Equis beers for $1 are also planned for the rooftop lounge's fiesta. Valet parking costs $5. 9-11 p.m. 1207 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-999-8731, epicureanhotel.com.
Franklin Manor Hosted between Tyler and Cass streets, the restaurant-bar-venue's block party brings multiple bars, froz-a-ritas, live entertainment, and street-style tacos and nachos to downtown Tampa. Admission is free from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. 912 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-487-9990, thefranklinmanor.com.
Fuzzy's Taco Shop Last year, this celebratory gathering brought big brews, a convenient outdoor taco tent and live music to the Baja-style Mexican franchise's Brandon restaurant, so something tells us the second annual "Cinco de Fuzz" won't disappoint. At least go have a colossal margarita. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. 2874 Providence Lakes Blvd., Brandon, 813-324-7177, fuzzystacoshop.com.
The Galley A party's going down at the Galley, which plans to offer $5 Milagro specialty cocktails (classic margs, spicy micheladas and Palomas included), live music from Tim Hutchinson and prize-filled piñatas. Like you've ever said no to a piñata — or a Paloma — in your life. 11 a.m.-3 a.m. 27 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-575-7071, thegalleydtsp.com.
GameTime Get festive with food and beverage specials. Margaritas, tequila shots and carnitas tacos (two per order) are featured for $5, while a bucket of Corona for the table costs $15. 1600 E. Eighth Ave. #A147, Tampa, 813-241-9675, gametimeplayers.com.
Honey Pot Up-and-coming DJ Matt "MSC" Cahill brings pop music remixes to the Honey Pot dance floor (think Beyonce and Bruno Mars). Other features include more live performances and a naughty Mexican hat dance contest, whose winner, determined by the audience, will receive a $100 bar tab. $5-$8 after 10:30 p.m. 10 p.m.-3 a.m. 1507 E. 7th Ave., Tampa, 813-247-4663.
In the Loop Brewing Match the Pasco brewery's craft beer with a selection of 12 creamy guacamoles during the Seis de Mayo Guac Off and Curated Beer Pairing. To enter, shoot an email to [email protected] for more details. But spectator tickets include a tasting glass, eight four-ounce pours from a special beer lineup and unlimited guac samples. The crowd casts a voting ballot for their favorite dips to determine Best in Show and Most Creative Guac. A full list of rules is available on the competition's Facebook event page. Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are up online. $30. May 6, 2-4 p.m. 3338 Land O' Lakes Blvd., Land O' Lakes, 813-997-9189, intheloopbrewingcompany.com.
Nueva Cantina Another St. Pete block party, but admission to this holiday bash guarantees access to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Chips and queso, Mexican rice, black beans, corn and flour tortillas, pig on a spit, roasted corn, chicken fajitas, and churros are included, in addition to a selection of salsas (verde and habanero mango, among others) and toppings like cilantro, jalapeños, guacamole and Mexican cheese. Four liquor tents, two tents for beer and giveaways are also highlights. Those who nab tickets online in advance are entered in the young cantina's raffle for prizes. $20. Noon-midnight. 1625 Fourth St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-851-9579, nuevacantina.com.
Old Key West Bar & Grill Killer food and drink deals — $2 tacos and Landshark, $4 margaritas, and $3.5 Corona, Corona Light and Modelo — and live sounds courtesy of Jennifer Real. The best-dressed guest (you might wanna wear a sombrero) wins a $50 bar tab. 7-11 p.m. 2451 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-623-0969, oldkeywestbarandgrill.com.
Rapp Brewing Company After the guac throwdown, get to Salsa Showdown Saturday. Guests are invited to bring one quart of their best homemade salsa recipes to Rapp for judging, along with a bag of chips. Contestants receive one free beer per entry, and tasters land one voting ticket for every beer they purchase. May 6, 3-6 p.m. 10930 Endeavor Way #C, Seminole, 727-544-1752, rappbrewing.com.
Red Mesa Cantina An all-day, tequila-soaked party with Cantina's alley closed to traffic. Live music from Mighty Mongo, freebies and tequila brands serving up complimentary samples are in store, as are cervezas and margaritas. 11 a.m.-3 a.m. 128 Third St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-896-8226, redmesacantina.com.
Tijuana Flats Throughout the holiday weekend, score discounted food and drink from any of this Tex-Mex chain's locations. From May 5 to 7, the offer is valid for $2 Mexican drafts, and from May 6 to 7 guests can enjoy $2 chips and salsa, tacos and churros. T-Flats operates locally in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. May 5-7. 944 Fourth St. N. #100, St. Petersburg, 727-823-5882, tijuanaflats.com.
