Here's What Makes The Margarita At P.F. Chang's Our Least Favorite Cocktail

P.F. Chang's puts a hip and trendy twist on the more traditional mom-and-pop Chinese restaurants by fusing Asian cuisines and offering a vibrant cocktail menu that likewise combines global cocktail recipes with Asian flavors. We sampled 13 P.F. Chang's cocktails, and our least favorite was the Zen Margarita.

We based our ranking on the balance of flavors and tasting notes, as well as how creative each cocktail was in comparison to a classic counterpart. The Zen Margarita is a classic rocks margarita, made with blanco tequila, lime, sugar, and orange liqueur with an extra helping of Cointreau. So, the only unique aspect about it was that extra shot of orange liqueur, which we were hoping would instill a citrus-forward flavor to pair with that spicy, alcoholic finish from a blanco tequila. Unfortunately, the cocktail was very underwhelming. The double dose of orange liqueur was imperceivable, and the flavor of the lime was all but non-existent. The biggest burst of flavor was from the salted rim.

Perhaps we should've seen this coming, considering the name of the cocktail is "Zen." We can't deny that this drink was smooth, elegant, and understated, but these aren't attributes we were looking for when we ordered a margarita. Margaritas should be zingy, tangy, and fiery on the finish for a fun and spirited drink to liven up a dinner, lunch, or happy hour.

While the Zen Margarita was the weakest menu item, it was still tasty. So, our tasting of all of P.F. Chang's cocktails was overall delightful. Furthermore, margaritas account for various cocktail menu items at P.F. Chang's, and we loved all of them more than the Zen Margarita. Our favorite margarita was the spicy mango margarita, made with a smokier, more complex reposado tequila along with much more vibrant spicy and sweet flavors thanks to the chile verde liqueur, mango puree, habanero bitters, lime, and pineapple. A sweet and spicy cocktail would pair well with some of our favorite popular menu items at P.F. Chang's, like the ultra savory, umami-rich combination of fried rice or the creamy crab rangoon wontons.

Our favorite cocktails were unique twists on martinis, mojitos, and cosmos that incorporated tropical and Asian flavors like cherry blossom, Asian pear, and lotus. The sweet and tangy profiles of our top three cocktails would pair well with spicy menu items like Chang's spicy chicken or the nutty savoriness of the sesame chicken. If you're craving a classic margarita, you're better off making one at home using our recipe. You can still have a P.F. Chang's experience by pairing it with one of P.F. Chang's many frozen food options, like the honey chicken, which we ranked as our favorite.