This is the birthplace of the first-ever frozen margarita machine, which today sits in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. It was invented in 1971 by restaurateur Mariano Martinez, who was raised in Lakewood where he dropped out of high school before opening Mariano’s Mexican Cuisine. There, he served his dad’s frozen margaritas by the hundreds, but his customers complained that the flavors were inconsistent, while his staff complained that the drinks were difficult to make. He found a solution one day at a neighborhood 7-11 when he saw the Slurpee machine. The rest is history. The restaurant became a local chain with locations all over the metroplex, but in 2003 the original restaurant closed and moved to 6300 Skillman. (Source: Texas Monthly).
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