Every day is a good day to gobble guacamole and chips and sling down a few margaritas, IMHO. But May 5 may be the best day of all. Known to Mexicans and gringos alike as Cinco de Mayo, it celebrates the victory of the Mexican army over French colonialists in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. This year CdeM falls on a Monday, enabling a full weekend of pre-festivities festivities (at least for those of a partying sort), which a trio of local restaurants are more than happy to provide.At Rocco’s Tacos in Boca Raton (5250 Town Center Circle, 561/416-2131), West Palm Beach (224 Clematis St., 561/650-1001), Palm Beach Gardens (5090 PGA Blvd., 561/429-4758) and Fort Lauderdale (1313 E. Las Olas Blvd., 954/524-9550), they’re not letting any cilantro grow under their feet when it comes to Cinco de Mayo fetes. The party starts at all four Rocco’s at noon and goes on until. . . well, until everyone’s had all the chips and tequila they can stand. Look for cocktail specials, live music, DJs, prizes and free tequila pours. Oh, and partner-namesake Rocco Mangel will be appearing live and in the flesh at each location, delivered by—no kidding—a helicopter. Call it the RocCopter.
Cabo Flats (14851 Lyons Rd., 561/499-0378) at Delray Marketplace is going all out for the holiday, with a Saturday through Monday bash that’s free and open to all. On Saturday things kick off at 2 p.m. and go until 10 p.m., with a roving mariachi band, a DJ inside the restaurant and a satellite taco stand and bar outside of Frank Theatres. Sunday’s party runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and features the mariachis and taco stand but also a family fiesta from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that offers a face painter, balloon artist, Polaroid Fotobar, and sunglass and sombrero giveaways. Finally, on the Big Day Itself, there are more tacos and cocktails in front of Frank Theatres from 6 to 8 p.m.
And in Palm Beach Gardens, Cantina Laredo (4635 PGA Blvd., 561/622-1223) will serve up a party on the patio with a DJ, featured beers, cocktail specials (like the Pop-a-Rita, a strawberry rocks margarita with a coconut popsicle stir stick) and cigar rolling with local stogie purveyor Maya Cigars. Munch, guzzle and puff from 5 p.m. until closing. . . just try not to get too stinko on Cinco.
