Millions of Americans not of Mexican descent can celebrate Mexican Independence Day on Sunday, even though Mexican Independence Day is Sept. 16.
Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates an 1862 military victory and not Mexico's Declaration of Independence in 1810, has long been a bigger deal north of the border , even if many Americans don't know why they're celebrating.
The holiday ranks up there with Mother's Day for U.S. restaurants and St. Patrick's Day for bars. According to Womply, a business data company, restaurants get a 44% bump in daily revenue May 5, and bars see a 65% increase.
And, at least in 2018, business more than doubled on Cinco de Mayo for Columbus bars, data studied by Womply showed.
That means many of us are looking for a place to celebrate America's favorite Mexican holiday on Sunday. Here are 10 central Ohio restaurants where food, drink and music are all on the menu.
More: What is Cinco de Mayo and why does the US celebrate? Here's what we know
Casa Jalisco Grill & Cantina
Casa Jalisco is to host an all-day happy hour to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Specials include house tequila shots for $1.99, house margaritas for $7.99 and six-beer buckets for $19.99.
The restaurant at 5445 Roberts Road near Hilliard also is to host Mexican music.
Casa Mezcal Mexican Grill
Casa Mezcal , 2171 E. Dublin-Granville Road in Northland, is offering beer and food specials all weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the menu includes buy-one-get-one Coronitas, $19.99 margarita flights (it's four drinks) and $19.99 ahi tuna ceviche.
The restaurant's menu ranges from street tacos to fried whole tilapia.
Casa Oaxaca Mexican Grill
Discounts on food and all-day drink specials are on tap Sunday at Casa Oaxaca , 2910 Hayden Run Plaza, north of Hilliard. The restaurant is to offer $2 off chicken or ground beef chimichangas, chicken flautas and large orders of guacamole or cheese dip.
Sixteen-ounce draft beers are $4.99, and jumbo house margaritas are $7.99.
Dos Hermanos
Both locations of the food truck-turned-food hall stall-turned-restaurant plan food and drink specials, as well as live entertainment on Sunday.
Dos Hermanos at 3946 Morse Crossing in Easton is to host Latin singer Mary Canelonez from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday and a DJ on Sunday night. Dos Hermanos at Dublin's Bridge Park is to host dance performances by members of Ballet Folclórico Xochihua starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Easton drink specials include $2 domestic beers.
El Barco Mexican Restaurant
El Barco has Cinco de Mayo celebrations planned Saturday and Sunday. Specials include $4.99 house margaritas and $3.99 draft beers, and entertainment includes singers Edwin and Ana Karen Becerra.
El Barco, at 4626 W. Broad St. on the far west side, specializes in seafood and other dishes from the Mexican state of Nayarit. Its menu includes plenty of shrimp and fish dishes.
El Burrito Bowl
The Mexican food vendor at Bubbly Hall is to offer free chips and salsa all day Sunday. There also is to be live music at the food hall from 5 to 6 p.m.
El Burrito Bowl opened in January at Bubbly Hall, 6065 Central College Road in New Albany. It serves tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, chimichangas, sandwiches and bowls.
El Vaquero
El Vaquero , the homegrown chain with 12 restaurants in central Ohio and others stretching from Toledo to Cincinnati, is celebrating Cinco de Mayo all weekend with drink specials at all locations.
Mexican beers Modelo, Negra Modelo, Corona, Corona Light, Premier and Pacífico are $4.99 a bottle, and 10-ounce lunch margaritas are $4.99 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Sunday, happy-hour prices are in effect all day. Those specials include margarita pitchers for $23.49, Gold tequila shots for $4.49 and tacos for $2.99 each.
Los Guachos
Los Guachos , the Columbus taqueria that was named Ohio's best in March by Taste of Home magazine, has food and drink specials on Sunday.
Drinks first: All margarita flavors − classic, strawberry, mango, grilled peach, hibiscus, tamarind and jalapeno − are $8.99. All 24-ounce draft beers are $5. There's a two-for-one special on al pastor tacos, and chips and guacamole or chips and queso are $2.99. Finally, dessert: Churros are to be 99 cents.
Los Guachos locations are at 5221 Godown Road on the northwest side, 7370 Sawmill Road near Dublin, 1121 S. Hamilton Road in Whitehall and 1376 Cherry Bottom Road in Gahanna.
More: Taco Reparations Brigade battles Mexican stereotypes on Columbus restaurant scene
Taco Nice
Leonardo Aleman and Los de la Viento Alegre are to perform between 2 and 10 p.m. at Taco Nice , 4832 W. Broad St. on the far west side. House margaritas and palomas are $5.99, and beer and micheladas (beer, lemon, salt, Tajin and chamoy sauce) are $4.99.
The menu at Taco Nice includes more than tacos. Burritos, quesadillas, sandwiches, bowls and stuffed baked potatoes also are available.
Villa Bonita
Children younger than 12 can eat for free from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday when an adult purchases a meal at Villa Bonita . The party includes karaoke at 6:30 p.m. and all-day drink specials that include $6.99 margaritas and $3.99 draft beers.
Villa Bonita is at 5467 Bethel Sawmill Center on the northwest side.
rvitale@dispatch.com
Instagram: @dispatchdining
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Looking for an authentic Cinco de Mayo? Here are 10 Mexican-owned restaurants in Columbus
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