From its freshly squeezed margaritas to tableside guacamole to tart ceviche, the menu at Tequila’s Town on Whitaker Street relies heavily on the humble lime — and that’s a problem.
A nationwide shortage of limes, the majority of which are grown in Mexico, is putting the squeeze on restaurants and bars across the country, including many establishments in Savannah.
According to Tequila’s Town owner, Temo Ortiz, the price on a case of limes has skyrocketed in the last two months from about $20 to more than $100, and sometimes as high as $140.
“There was a time when three different distributors didn’t have any limes in stock,” said Ortiz. “We had to go to Publix and Sam’s Club, and it’s been really complicated. It’s ridiculous.”
Ortiz says his restaurant goes through about four cases of limes a week, sometimes more, and can’t use substitutes.
“We don’t use any margarita mix, we make our own, which consists of agave nectar, lime juice and water,” said Ortiz. “In order to make that we need at least one lime per margarita.”
Ortiz picked up a few limes and put them on the bar to show their golf-ball size. He said the limes are getting a little better now but are still firm and small, not nearly as good for juicing. That’s a problem when you sell gallons of margaritas every day.
A variety of factors has caused this commodity shortage in Mexico, among them an outbreak of a bacterial citrus disease, bad storms and supply interference by Mexican drug cartels. The U.S. imports more than 95 percent of its limes from Mexico, primarily from the southwestern region, where temperatures are conducive for year-round growing.
“All these limes come from (the state of) Michoacán, and the main roads are blocked by drug dealers, the cartels, so production just dropped,” said Jose Ortiz, Temo’s brother. “The same thing happened with apples a few months ago in the state of Chihuahua, apples that were competing with the ones in Washington state.”
The high prices have led some of these criminally affiliated groups to hijack trucks, and Temo said some growers are using armored bank vehicles and guards to protect their exports.
Beside competing with other restaurants and bars, Jose said, companies that use limes in pharmaceuticals, beauty products and artificial flavoring are also pulling from the supply.
Temo said they no longer serve water glasses with slices of lime but otherwise have tried to keep the full menu.
Many establishments have gotten creative in finding substitutions or surreptitiously leaving limes out, though it’s more difficult for cuisines dependent on its signature flavor. A recent order of stir-fried noodle dish pad thai at Fire Street Food off Chippewa Square came with a lemon instead of the traditional lime to squeeze over top.
At Tybee Island Social Club, kitchen manager Will Mitchell described the lime crisis as “nearly detrimental.” He said they’ve switched from their typical Bloody Mary lime garnish to pickled okra, among other variations.
“We were making our own sour mix for margaritas, and we still use fresh limes, but we also have to supplement with lime juice just so we can make margaritas at a reasonable cost,” said Mitchell.
He said a 120-count box went from $44 to $144 and predicted that “it’s gonna be like this rest of the season.”
Mitchell and Ortiz said customers haven’t paid much mind to what some corners of the Internet have dubbed “limepocalypse.”
At local grocery stores, consumers are also getting squeezed. The average retail price right now for a lime is 56 cents, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, compared to 24 cents a year ago — but many Savannah grocers are selling them for much higher (see box).
Brandon Covington, produce manager at Publix at Twelve Oaks on Abercorn, said they haven’t seen any interruption in supply even as prices have gone up.
“We’ve seen a slight increase in price, probably for about a month,” said Covington.
He said their limes come from all over, but mostly Mexico. Many consumers don’t notice the price difference, Covington says, because they’re only grabbing one or two at a time.
In the meantime, Ortiz says he doesn’t expect relief until later this month when lime growers from Florida, California and the Caribbean start to harvest their crop. Maybe then, Ortiz says, prices will drop and there will be more supply.
It can’t come a moment too soon. Monday is the widely celebrated Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, which means one thing: more margaritas.
“We don’t want to use anything else, just because of the quality, the mix compared to a real limes isn’t the same,” said Ortiz. “We squeeze a lot of limes.”
Need a lime for that Corona?
A survey of lime prices at area grocery stores. Prices in effect Thurs., May 1.
• Kroger on E. Gwinnett St., $1.50 each
• Red & White in Habersham Village, $1.29
• Whole Foods on Victory Drive, .89
• Publix at Twelve Oaks Plaza, .79
• The Fresh Market on Abercorn, .50