Have you ever gone to a restaurant because of their margaritas? ^†

When I'm back in Dallas, I love the margaritas at El Fenix, Pappasito's, and even Chili's. But try to go home and find the recipes. All the recipes on the Internet are all the same: tequila, triple sec, lime juice, maybe some sour mix... make them and they always miss something. I've been buying out my local Beverages 'n More to find that missing ingredient, and I think I finally got it.

Below is the best margarita recipe, capturing the something that makes a restaurant margarita so much better than the homemade versions:

• Two parts tequila (good tequila is always better...)
• One part Grand Marnier (this is a critical part... trust me, don't go cheap on the citrus liqueur. Cointreau also goes very well, but really doesn't have the same aromatic flavor that Grand Marnier has; try them side-by-side; they have totally different flavors... if you cheat here with Triple Sec or Orange Curaçao, you must add a dash of orange bitters!)
• One and a half parts fresh lime juice.
• One part simple syrup.
• One part Limoncello (a fairly inexpensive type of lemon liqueur that isn't sour but has lots of big citrus flavor... this is, I think, the secret ingredient in most restaurant margaritas— that extra citrus flavor adds a lot without making the drink more tart).
• Pinch of salt. Very little will go a long way... alternatively, rim the glass with coarse salt.

Mix with 5-6 ice cubes in a shaker and shake violently for about 15 seconds (until ice starts to crystallize on the outside of your metal shaker). Pour contents into an old-fashioned glass and, for a nice visual appeal, finish with a few drops of grenadine (let it sink to the bottom for a sweet finish). Add a couple of skinny straws and a slice of lime if you like. Trust me!

Hint: too strong for your taste? Stir in some lemon-lime soda— don't shake!

^(†) In Texas, we really enjoy our margaritas.

UPDATE: After fiddling with this for a while, I've found that it's better to use fresh lime and syrup rather than sour mix. Even though there are good sour mixes out there (I'm talking about you, Dr. Swami and Bone Daddy), I find they don't have quite the same freshness as when you use a fresh lime. In any case, if you can't get fresh limes or don't have five minutes to make simple syrup, you can substitute a quality sour mix—no neon yellow stuff, please!—for the lime juice and simple syrup above.