As soon as I arrived at Hola's downtown Bend location, I was met with two gigantic margaritas, the Mexican Martini and the Desert Cactus, one of which the staff promptly put into our giant Best of Central Oregon goblet for sampling. The lively staff was there to tell me all about the many margaritas that give the restaurant its reputation of having the "best margaritas" in town.
Hola, which serves up Mexican and Peruvian cuisine, has been in business for 17 years and has several locations in Central Oregon. According to owner Marcos Rodriguez, Hola's margaritas have always been a big hit.
One thing Hola specializes in, Rodriguez said, is freshness and quality. The margaritas, which come with a shaker of extra liquid for people to top off their drinks, are made with fresh ingredients and come in a variety of flavors. While the most popular is the Red Cactus Margarita, other flavors include jalapeño, pineapple, vanilla and tamarind.
"We have a flavor for everybody," said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez believes Hola's quality and creativity set the restaurant apart from the rest. His favorite part of his job, however, is the community.
"My forte is to talk to customers. We live in such a great community that it's just really nice to shake hands and see everyone with a smile on their face and enjoying life, so I really enjoy that."
Second place: El Sancho
