Walking into Agave Mexican Grill is a bit like crashing a busy family's house at dinnertime. The room is pleasantly cluttered with sombreros on the wall, mismatched Mexican blankets on the tables and signs advertising salsa music (Fridays and Saturday nights) written in Sharpie on poster board. When we visited, three big-screen TVs were turned to different channels and at a few tables regulars were debating the finer points of a televised baseball game. Full disclosure: I speak zero Spanish so the discussion could just as easily have been about politics, Renaissance theology or "Game of Thrones."
Overall, the effect is a bit … haphazard, but also homey.
My daughter and I dropped in for dinner on a recent Friday evening and we were greeted warmly and made to feel like guests rather than impostors. We chose a corner table that was close to the one TV in the room that wasn't on mute. Happily, or unhappily depending on your point of view, the channel was turned to a Spanish television channel featuring a variety/music video program that both enchanted and bewildered my 10-year-old. "This video is about funerals but the music is so fun!" she observed.
The menu is a mix of the familiar (enchiladas, tostadas, burritos) and some more authentic offerings (menudo, chicharron and some interesting-sounding Mexican breakfast dishes -- served all day). We opted for the beef enchiladas verdes ($13.25), the taco taquitos with skirt steak (fajita) filling ($12.50) and a to-go order of ground beef tostadas ($9.99) to bring home to my other daughter.
My enchiladas were good if not extraordinary -- the mild shredded beef and cheese were enlivened by the vinegary tartness of the green sauce. The beans and rice were, similarly, a satisfying but standard affair. The beans were creamy and pleasantly salty, and the well-seasoned rice was cooked to a perfect pliant firmness.
The taquitos (four smallish tacos that by no means resemble the rolled-up frozen appetizers from Costco) were the highlight of the meal. I like the corn tortillas served here -- thinner than the sometimes leathery, sometimes soggy sheets of cornmeal found at other Mexican joints -- these remain crisp even after sitting under a heap of fillings and sauces. The tortillas are topped with generous portions of flavorful beef, aromatic cilantro and a mix of raw and grilled onions that, respectively, lend the dish an assertive bite as well as a sweetness and depth.
My daughter's tostadas were satisfying in a gringo-ish sort of way. Two crisp rounds of tortillas were topped with ground beef, cheese and lots of fresh tomato and lettuce. The combination of red sauce and sour cream melted into the dish, creating a rich, tangy dressing. There was nothing too challenging on the plate but it was perfect for my daughter, who unironically approves of our occasional at-home taco night courtesy of a boxed kit from Old El Paso.
The following week, I stopped in to pick up takeout for a small get-together. I couldn't find a copy of the menu anywhere online (they don't appear to have a website and don't link to a menu on their Facebook page), so I had to order on-site. I chose chicken mole ($10.50), taquitos with barbacoa beef ($12.50), carne asada ($15.50) and an order of chicken fajitas ($16.50). The same server who took my order offered to help me carry the stacks of Styrofoam to my car. I declined and promptly dropped the bag with the mole, causing a hilarious salsa explosion. Sigh. Luckily the bag stayed sealed so with some reassembly we were still able to enjoy the dish.
The chicken fajitas had thick slices of chicken and a heap of still-crisp peppers and sweet, buttery strands of caramelized onions. It was a satisfying dish, though it lacked the charred smokiness that makes fajitas so good.
The mole sauce was an addictive, rich, velvety concoction with the elusively smoky, almost dark-toast flavor that makes one think of the roux at the base of a gumbo. It was delicious and I could have done completely without the chicken, which, served on the bone, had a rubbery skin. Also, swimming as it was in the thick, dark sauce, it was difficult to dissect so, after a bite or two, I gave up hunting for the tender interior of the meat. We all loved the barbacoa taquitos. The slightly sweet, tender shreds of slow-braised beef all but melted in my mouth. Brightened by the cilantro and onion and a generous dash of green salsa, this dish was beautifully balanced and the tacos were quickly just a memory.
My favorite dish (of both meals) was the carne asada. Served simply, it was highly seasoned with the distinct charred taste of the grill. A hit of lime juice balanced the salt and made this humble steak a sinfully flavorful dish.
(Note: I loved the liberal hand with seasoning on most of the dishes at Agave but thought that the spice level was relatively low. Some Mexican food lovers might find they need to doctor these dishes up with additional acid and heat.)
The friends who shared the meal both live near Agave and hadn't heard of it. That, coupled with its absence of a website, makes me fear that, so far, the restaurant is flying too far below the radar.
With its familial feel and pervasive televisions, I would not go to Agave for a first date, a business lunch or, indeed, any meal that requires gravitas or extended conversation. But the homey service, the good value and the earnest and authentic kitchen give me hope that Agave might stick around and give some competition to the more "canned" Mexican eateries in town. Also, as it turns out, I need someplace where I can watch mariachi videos with my 10-year-old.
Agave Mexican Grill
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 12-8 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
Where: 149 E. Fireweed Lane
Contact: 907-885-9900
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