If you’ve ever thought, “Gosh, I wish this margarita were chewier,” then good news — Chili’s has granted your wish. The Popping Boba Marg is the chain’s Margarita of the Month for May, and it’s unlike anything you’ve sipped on before. The drink is made with Lunazul Blanco Tequila, Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, Monin Watermelon, and a house-made sour mix, but the real star of the show is the Dragonfruit Popping Boba rolling around the bottom of the glass.
If you’re new to boba, there are actually a few different styles of the tapioca starch balls. Most commonly found in bubble tea, the chewy tapioca pearls are denser and gummier than the popping boba that Chili’s has opted for, which is filled with dragon fruit-flavored juice. While bubble teas have been on-trend for a while, adding boba to a margarita is certainly unique, which is why Tasting Table sent me to Chili’s on the day this drink hit the menus to try it out. Read on to find out if this $6 marg (which will be available for all of May) is worth the hype or if it’s only going to burst your bubble.
Methodology
I stopped by my local Chili’s the day the Popping Boba Marg was released and ordered one to try. I snapped a few photos in the restaurant before conducting my taste test, which was based on flavor, texture, and overall cohesiveness. The Chili’s staff were not aware of the review when preparing the drink.
Taste test
The margarita is easily one of the more adaptable cocktails in existence. From the classic lime concoction to spicy variations or the fan-favorite strawberry, there are a ton of ways to make a marg, and Chili’s seems to have found another. Honestly, this is stretching the concept of a margarita a bit since it’s more of a pink lemonade tequila. Is it a conventional marg? No, but it’s tasty, and that’s what counts.
Plenty sweet and just a little sour, this is an extremely drinkable beverage, but enough about the base — we’re here for the boba. Each Popping Boba Marg comes with two generous scoops of boba, followed by a large scoop of ice, and then the liquor mix. The result is a pink-on-pink drink that all but insists you snap a picture before taking a sip.
A large boba straw makes it easy to slurp up the small, gelatinous balls floating among the ice cubes, and each is as lovely as the last. The boba is wonderfully soft and adds a bit of extra sweetness each time you pop one in your mouth, even if I’m not sure a distinct dragon fruit flavor is evident. I suggest hitting the boba early, since the ice can be an obstacle as you consume more of the liquid. Thankfully, the end of the straw is perfectly suited for scooping up any lingering boba pearls and popping them into your mouth like a little post-margarita dessert.
Final thoughts
While Chili’s might not have the best classic margarita in the game, it certainly knows how to craft a fun one. I was the second person in my Chili’s the day the Popping Boba Marg was released, and the one person who beat me to the bar already had a boba-filled glass in front of them. In fact, I saw more than one whipped up for the early lunch rush, so Chili’s may be onto something. And for those looking to enjoy a boba blast without the alcohol, Chili’s has also released a Popping Boba Lemonade for $5.
Will the Popping Boba Marg be the absolute best margarita you’ve ever had? Probably not, but it’s without a doubt one of the most fun, and that’s worth raising a glass to any day.
Leave a Reply