In springtime, even the grittiest urban hipster feels the desire to emerge from under that thrifted wool coat, shed the consummately shabby beanie and let her feet out of those leather combat boots that have not-so-comfortably housed them for the winter months. No longer Vitamin D deficient and seasonally depressed, modsters from far and wide will want to flock to Agave Taco Bar for a healthy dose of sunshine and a margarita or two (or three—let’s be realistic).
Located on Gaylord Street next to the well-known Wash Park Grill at 2217 E. Mississippi Ave., Agave is a gem that might be overlooked by your average Gaylord Street wanderer. Tucked around the corner from the main street, Agave is as fresh as your average college boy at Merchant’s Mile High Saloon, but much more desirable. In a sea of Tex-Mex, Colo-Mex and the whole spectrum of sub-par-Mex fusions, Agave offers a much needed burst of authenticity and quality.
The relatively small restaurant space is bursting with character, from the fittingly tiled floors to an unfinished wood bar illuminated by industrial light fixtures that add an urban texture to the tropical-vaca vibe. As anyone well versed in the art of culinary-cool may have already assumed, Agave fulfills its chichi quota by hosting an exposed brick wall. Other decor is minimal, dominated by the restaurant’s signature agave motif adorning tables, windows and the menu. The carefree and airy atmosphere is augmented by garage door-style windows that open into an outdoor patio that all but doubles the restaurant’s size.
Agave doesn’t skimp on quality, and even their chips and salsa leave a spice-savvy hipster craving more. And luckily, Agave’s freshly made salsas, tortillas, chips and daily agua frescas fulfill cravings without overfilling waistlines.Their famous taco happy hour offers two tacos for $2. The prospect of a $4, four-taco meal should be appealing to even the stingiest trendsetter. Lunch and dinner options are taco heavy (with good reason), but also include Huaraches, the Quesadilla Sincronizada and the Filete de Mojarra, which run between $10 and $16.
Fortunately for taco happy hour Agave patrons, the drink happy hour runs from 3-6 p.m. This daily treat offers $3 margaritas, as well as a variety of other food and drink options, none of which exceed $5. A wise plan of action would be to head to Agave at the end of the 2 o’clock hour to get a deal on tacos and delay until after 3 p.m. to order drinks. The calm and sunny atmosphere invites lingering, so sticking around to greet happy hour shouldn’t be too much of a chore.
Unfortunately, Agave’s laid-back atmosphere may have worn off on the staff, and while the servers are typically cordial, service is not particularly expeditious. Most Agave rookies will also be thrown off by the joint’s decision to serve water in old tequila bottles, and on first glance one might wrongfully perceive that they are being served up a large quantity of Arta tequila.
So pull out those vintage sunnies, throw on a sun hat (so as to protect that still verging on pasty skin) and head over to Agave to get a dose of refreshing Mod-Mex.
