Tommy's Mexican Restaurant Bar / Restaurant

The Richmond, San Francisco –

Like a beacon in outer Richmond’s consistent fog, the neon sign outside Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant beckons to seasoned tequila lovers in dire need of blue agave.

Paintings of the Mexican countryside mesh with the sombreros, striped blankets, and Cabo Wabo posters that line the walls of this longtime neighborhood staple, while the kitchen dishes out the kind of habañero-infused salsa for which the only cure is an ice-cold margarita. Luckily, there are plenty of those on hand, overflowing in pitchers on the tables and along the small bar.

Although the daytime clientele might suggest a typical family-oriented restaurant – as congenial groups of children and parents dig into Yucatecan cuisine like seasoned pork chops and tamales – the venue is also an old-style cantina that gets completely swamped with a discerning young party crowd as the night picks up.

Seasoned connoisseurs take over the vinyl booths by 6pm, deftly rejecting sugar or salt to sip the dozens of rare tequila varieties from snifters, while the less discerning and budget conscious patrons enjoy hundreds of other drink options.

Rounds of margaritas pour quickly through the packed scene, with boisterous groups of girlfriends getting an early start on a long night and un-savvy guys knocking back too many shots to even make it home.

Lively yet laid back, Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant has a carefully cultivated drinks menu that sets the tequila bar very high – and a dedicated following that does its best to try to clear it.