El Agave

06/07/08

Good Mole, Bland Margaritas, Over Priced

by TheBestCritic at Citysearch

While on vacation my wife and I dined at El Agave on a Thursday evening (8:30PM) only about 4 other tables were occupied in the entire restaurant, the bar was completely empty. It concerned us a bit, but we decided to stay based on all the "great" reviews.

Their Margaritas were nothing special, somewhat bland. We Shared a starter, Quesadillas del Pueblo Frijol - black beans and Manchego cheese; very small empanadas like pastry filled with black beans, could not taste nor see the Manchego cheese, but still tasty. My wife had Crema de Flor de Calabaza soup; large bowl nice delicate flavor, but need more spices to really make it outstanding. I had the Nopalli Nopal salad which was really good, unfortunately the avacodo was very hard and inedible. She had the Mole Rosa de Taxco with chicken, very good and sizable portion served with guava made it very interesting. I had the classic Mole Poblano Don Julio with pork which was excellent flavor, but again needed additional spice to ?light it up.?

Needless to say we were fairly disappointed but all in all a good experience; I?d rate it a 7 on 10 scale, but a 5 as value for money. Overpriced for chicken and pork dishes, portiions were average, sauces need some kick. There are too many other great Mexican restaurants in San Diego. If you time is limited, pass this one up.

• Pros: Nice Tequila Museum, Ambience, Quiet
• Cons: Prices, Parking,

03/31/08

Agave?..more like dry jerky

by maulee05 at Citysearch

Agave is a succulent plant in Mexico...the name drew me in immediately and the "tequila museum" was the clincher. The ambience was great and their collection of tequila, very impressive. I had a salad w/ crab & nopali that was FANTASTIC and I anticipated more to come...but the remainder of the evening was a huge disappointment! I ordered their sea bass special of the evening, at the server's suggestion. It was covered in a very bland adobo sauce and waaay overdone. The menu described that my entree came w/ "grilled pineapple" which amounted to canned pineaple chunks warmed in a fry pan. I fared better than my friend though. She started w/ a cesar salad that was drenched in dressing...she couldn't finish it without making herself sick. She ordered a chicken dish, again, overcooked and drrry. We consoled ourselves w/ ice cream from Cold Stone down the street.

• Pros: ambience
• Cons: food, value

Nouvelle Mexican cuisine in Old Town made better than the rest with a sunset patio and serious tequila selection.

by Amanda Knoles at Citysearch

In Short
Situated in a charming hacienda at Old Town's edge, Agave is known for regional Mexican specialties and its collection of more than 1500 tequila bottles adorning the walls. For those willing to venture beyond enchiladas and tamales, the menu provides an adventurous selection of seafood, beef and chicken dishes served with exotic mole sauces. The chef varies the menu each day using fresh, local ingredients, as well as seasonal margarita mixers.

08/06/07

Great mole

by imjustsayin at Citysearch

The Mole Rojo with pork comes with rice and tortillas for about $18 and is worth every penny. If you like the real mole with chocolate & nut flavors, try the poblano mole - very rich and flavorful.

08/06/07

slow service, pricey food

by chelseafeilen at Citysearch

If you're looking to try tequila you've never had before then this is the place. Their tequila menu is the biggest I think I've ever seen. The food was good but expensive and the service sucked. We waited forever for the guy to take our order and then for him to come back with our tab. Usually restaurants with food of this level have excellent service, but not so at El Agave.

07/13/07

Too expensive for what it was

by bigb1401 at Citysearch

Looking for a great restaurant in San Diego, my boyfriend and I consulted a popular travel guide. El Agave came recommended as the place to go for real Mexican cuisine. Try the tlacoyos cuitlacoche appetizer. Two blue corn masa platforms topped with corn fungus garnished with a radish rose. My enjoyment of the appetizer was abruptly ended by the arrival of the main course. As for the main course, I was a bit disappointed. I took the mole coloradito. The sauce was beautiful, the presentation unoriginal, and the chicken breast was bone dry. We shared a caramel custard made with cajeta for dessert. It was thick, sweet, and satisfying. It was a good experience but not worth the price for what it was. I've had juicier chicken at Wendy's.

05/12/07

Cramped dining in a near empty restaurant and tough chicken mole.

by la811 at Citysearch

Had dinner here (may'07) for the first time in 4 years, even though we now live in San Diego. Always appreciated the regional dishes and the distinction between typical So Cal Mexican. Have especially enjoyed dishes like the cilantro soup and excellent moles in the past. This meal was a real let-down. We made an early reservation with Open Table, but found ourselves given the choice of the cramped front patio, the overly breezy side patio or a table by the bar, even though the rest of the dining room was empty. While the cilantro soup was still great, the stuffed calamari was tough and uninteresting. Our chicken mole was so tough that the wait person (though unattentive through most of the meal) deducted the dish from our bill. Having experienced Mex regional dishes with real vibrancy and flair in many other cities of late, we won't be going back to El Agave again.

05/08/07

Excellent Mexican Food!

by bsanchez21 at Citysearch

I dine out religiously! I also eat a lot of Mexican food! I highly recommend their sopecitos surtidos!!! Delicious!!!!!!!! Can't wait to eat there again!!!

• Pros: Prefer the bread over chips and salsa! Love the bread! Love the sopes!
• Cons: Requires reservations on weekends! Service is average.

05/31/02

""EXELLENT""

by SR_T at Citysearch

Just in the edge of Old Town , this Restaurant offers Mexican food in the most truly and autentic way.

No burritos or chimichangas here.but the most delicius preparations of the most representative dishes of the Nouvelle cuisine. wich means ,

traditional dihes with some european acents.

an also whoth to mention is their Tequila seleccion.

with almost 800 diferent brands of this destilate from AGAVE range from $5.25 to $145.00 for a shot.

• Pros: Fair price, nice decoration, Good food
• Cons: no chips and salsa