 This entry refers to a departed business that has closed or left town. All information here is for historical reference only. |
| In September 2010, Agave changed its name back to Soga's. The text below is retained for historical purposes only. |
| Location |
| 217 E Street , near Chipotle and Peet's |
| Hours |
| Mon-Wed: 2:00pm - Midnight |
| Thurs-Sat: 2:00pm - 2:00am |
| Sun: 2:00pm - 10:00pm |
| Phone |
| 530-757-1733 |
| Website |
| http://www.agaveindavis.com/ (Down as of August 16, 2010) |
| Established |
| 2009 |
| Price range |
| $10 to $30 |
| Payment Methods |
| Cash, Check, Accepts all major credit cards |
| Menus: |
| Food Menu — Updated 2010-06-01 TUE to reflect new Mexican-centric cuisine. |
| Bar and Drink Menu — Updated 2010-02-23 TUE to reflect new drink menus altogether. |
Agave is a new Latin Fusion Mexican restaurant on E street, where Chaat Cafe and Soga's used to be. They offer a lounge, upscale dining, and bar experience in one sitting. They have a full tequila bar with a great selection of Tequila, Margaritas, and Flights, with beer on tap that includes Modelo Negro, Modelo Especial, Guinness, Fat Tire, Sierra Nevada, Stella, Black Diamond, Downtown Brown, Blue Moon, and Coors Lite. By the bottle they carry Corona, New Castle, Budweiser, and Bud Lite.
It seems they may be on their way out of business: their website has been down since May 2010, they aren't stocking beer, and diners have reported shortages of glasses and a decline in the quality of food and service. If so, though, they are not giving up without a fight — they have been taking out half-page ads in The Davis Enterprise, with coupons offering "buy one entrée, get second entrée 1/2 off." They are also advertising a lunch buffet.
2009-10-20 16:05:31 We ate at Agave last night for the first time. While we were disappointed with the departure of Chaat for the great wraps, Agave is a welcome addition to downtown. The opening (and limited) menu leans to the creative side of Latin cuisine, and has price points for everyone. We had the chilaquiles and arroz con polla, and the plates were overflowing. The chef came out and discussed the food (which leans Peruvian, based on his heritage) and asked for what we'd like to see on the expanded menu.
While I'm a fan of several of the taquerias in town, Agave has the potential to be an upscale place to have a nice (and relatively healthy) meal, or simply a place to have a cocktail and chat with friends. I hope they can weather the economic storm and some of the Davis dining dollars make their way to this great new addition. —ScottLay
2009-10-22 21:51:46 Perfect place for date night or just some appetizers with drinks. Came with the husband and a friend. We started with the house margarita (YUM) then enjoyed anticuchos, arroz con pollo, chilaquiles and fish tacos. The Peruvian dishes were spot on for authenticity—my husband is Peruvian and couldn't get enough. The staff is incredible. We had people coming around asking how our food was, asking if we needed refills—we even got a visit from the chef who wanted to know what we would like to see on the future menu. We look forward to seeing this restaurant grow here in Davis. It definitely has the potential to be the "it" spot. Keep it up! —RMontes
2009-10-23 09:37:09 All I have to say is, "WOW!" This place is just what Davis needed. Both the bar tenders and the owner are friendly and know there stuff when it comes to tequila. The margarita mix is made at the bar with fresh limes and agave nectar. It is amazing, not too sweet like some margaritas. I only got to experience the bar last night but I am fully planning on going again to get some food. Chips and salsa are complementary and both the chips and the salsa were fantastic. The chips were unlike any chip I've had. They were very freshly made and had spices in them not on them. The salsa was light, refreshing and my boyfriend, who doesn't like tomatoes, ate the tomatoes and didn't pick them out. I'm looking forward to the salsa night and trivia nights that were hinted at to be soon to come! I'll post again after I've gotten dinner there. —Haley
2009-10-25 10:01:08 The fish tacos were very good, but my order of "chilaquilies" was very disappointing. The waitress did not recognize what I was ordering, so I needed to point it out on the menu for her. Then, instead of getting chilaquiles, I was given something that appeared to be fajitas with a side of bland white rice and black beans. Whether this was some sort of Peruvian fajita-like dish with a name similar to the Mexican chilaquiles or just a mistake, it wasn't very good. Having only eaten there once, my impression is that the menu would be reasonable at 60% of the price, but that if it weeds out the menu losers it has the potential to be a very tasty place to eat. —harvardslacker
2009-10-26 10:24:32 We went to Agave over the weekend and decided it's just what Davis needs, that is, with a few tweeks. First off, the Agave Margaritas were perfect. A little sweet and made with good tequila. Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the chips, mainly because I can't eat gluten, so corn-based chips are usually a welcome restaurant freebie I can actually eat, but theirs were made from flour tortillas (some may have been corn, but were heavily contaminated regardless). Despite this, the pico de gallo that came with them was tasty. Our meals were quite good. My husband had the arroz con pollo and I had the tacos, one pork, one chicken. Food was great, and while the arroz con pollo was a little pricey, it actually came with a decent amount of food. I really enjoy the fact that the food has a definite South American flair and isn't run-of-the-mill mexican. You definitely can't compare it to a taqueria. One of the main cons was the service. Usually when I go to a new restaurant I really try to give the servers a break because I know it takes awhile to get the process down, however, if I'm not mistaken, I think most of these servers were from Chaat Cafe. A main reason I didn't frequent Chaat Cafe was due to the service. Service was slow, despite not having a packed house, and people seemed confused as to what they were doing, the menu items, what wines they offered, etc. Hopefully this improves in the future, because this place could be great. —AmLin
2009-10-28 15:13:18 Does anyone know who the owner is? —Bear47
2009-10-29 11:35:13 My friend and I tried this place the other night and had mixed feelings. Mostly good though. The Margaritas are insane! Best high quality margarita made the way they should be. Yummy! The calamari was tough but breaded with panko? (not sure how to spell it) which is great and not greasy. Just think it was over cooked. I had a steak and it was great. We loved the chips and salsa. They were different and delicious. I just think it would be good to offer a larger menu with more variety. Thought the rice/bean side was bland. We had the BEST service we have ever had in Davis. Leo was awesome! Very friendly and professional. Will return for sure. —ashleyinthemist
2009-11-07 13:32:52 I had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners last thursday seemed like a very bright and intelligent individual. He said he was from out of town and regularly comes in 1-2 times a week. I think there is another gentlemen in their regularly but doesn't seem so approachable but regardless the food is great the best food I've had in Davis. The waiter leo was amazing very knowledgeable like the owner. While the owner was running around working he took a little time and I sat with him in the lounge for a brief moment he was saying they are trying to make that the permanent lounge with at least 20 people sitting capacity. I think that will be a great spot to get together after work with co-workers or even hold small little workplace parties. I'm looking forward to that. —cheffery
2009-11-11 09:49:25 My friends and I visited Agave recently for drinks and appetizers, and we'll return to try the main menu. Although the waitress needs some time to be a bit more knowledgeable about the tequila and food, she was plenty good for me who had no idea about anything. Her service and the manager's (I'm sorry I forgot his name!) was excellent; by far the best I've had anywhere in Davis. That is the main reason we'll be coming back. We liked the food—the beef hearts were perfect, but wished it arrived at our table when it was warmer. We also thought we would have accompanied the tamales with a tangy not smoky sauce, but we're not Peruvian or chefs so what do we know? Thanks for the great evening, Agave! —Sararene
2010-01-06 10:46:05 My fiance and I were in Davis, visiting from San Diego and were looking to have a sit down dinner. We went to Agave and it was amazing!! We started off with the Panko Breaded Calamari, which was light and came with delicious sauces. Not to mention the chips and salsa.....not just plain ol' tortilla chips.....also had tomato, spinach, and wheat chips with an amazing green spicy sauce to go along with a fresh salsa. We ordered the Angel Fish Tacos, which were so good they really do make you feel like you've gone to heaven, just like the menu says. Seriously fresh fruit covered the fish and it was so good!! We also had the Saltado De Vegetal - nothing has ever made veggies taste this good. As for drinks we tried the following margaritas: blueberry, mexican long island iced tea, cadillac, and our favorite....raspberry!! It even has fresh crushed fruit in it. Awesome service, food, and drinks....you can't beat it. Great bar area and neat lounge seats where you could hang out all night. I wish I didn't live so far from this restaurant b/c I would definitely be a regular there. —Dara
2010-01-13 09:22:18 We went to Agave Monday night for a birthday diner and drinks. They had a Monday night special $2 off margaritas...so needless to say we had a few, and they were very good! It was a last minute gathering so we weren't sure of the size of our group, the server did an amazing job accommodating our group of 6 which eventually expanded to 13.
Our server was probably one of the best I've ever had (at least top 5). The (3) fish tacos were amazing, and could be split if you aren't that hungry. The salads were huge especially if you add meat. I think everyone in the group was very satisfied with what they ordered.
Agave Bar and Grill is now on my very select list of restaurants to go back for another meal. —Joeprunc
2010-01-15 17:28:44 Is there a happy hour for drinks? —SRB
- The link to the "Bar & Drink menu" has been updated to reflect daily drink specials and happy hour drink specials. Enjoy. —T.Zukumori
2010-1-17 12:18:18 We ate here the other night. The restaurant was almost empty with two servers but we still had to wait for a long time for our food (and drink refills). Unfortunately, previous reviews guided our food choices and the tamales and fish tacos were almost inedible. In addition, $16 for 3 fish tacos which were essentially store-bought fish sticks tossed in flour tortillas, felt like the ultimate rip-off. To top things off, the server really seemed more interested in flirting with the women at the bar than being tuned into the fact that we just pushed the food around the plates because of the poor quality. Sadly, this seems to be one more restaurant that just doesn't get it when it comes to a balance between food quality, service and pricing. —MEH
2010-01-26 13:34:54 Having gone there twice I feel it's time to comment. It was quiet both times with only a few other patrons present. The chips are pretty tasty they give you flour and corn tortilla chips and the salsa is refreshing. I find the regular margarita a little sweet but the Mexican long island was spot on. The entrees look pretty big and enjoyable but being on a budget I haven't strayed far from the appetizer menu. The chicken quesadilla is delicious, the tacos tasty but a bit small, and the nachos unusual but worth a try. They have a drink special Monday through Saturday and the standard afternoon happy hour in addition to a late night happy hour. Service was warm and they made sure to refill the chips and salsa pretty regularly. All in all I hope business picks up so this place can stay around for a while. —ArmyDecoy
2010-02-09 21:44:19 I've been here for dinner and thought that the food was delicious. I also loved the fact that the chef came out to talk with us as he and my friend's husband are both Peruvian (see RMontes comment above) So there it is, the restaurant is excellent.
The margaritas here are delicious and I really appreciate the lounge vibe and the decor in general. Here is my only "however": On a Saturday night, it's not very crowded, yet the music is BLARING. I am shouting to my friends who are standing right next to me. I tried coming here twice to get away from the overcrowded bars full of screaming barely 21s (one time with a group of over ten very thirsty people, which is good for business, right?) to just grab a drink where we can talk. Unfortunately, we left after one drink because we got tired of screaming at each other for no reason. I'm just saying, every other bar in town has loud music and crowds on the weekends, maybe Agave could offer something different (maybe more loungey and welcoming?) I'm still coming back for food and margaritas and I hope this place does well, I just think maybe a new weekend identity would help. —Izza
2010-02-13 11:12:49 Agave is probably the my favorite restaurant in Davis, if not the best. From the first time I ate there, the waiter, chef, and host treated my girlfriend and I like family. I highly recommend the "la bomba" nachos, the potato cheese sticks (I forgot their name), and the steak fajitas our out of this world juicy. —aaron530
2010-02-13 11:25:01 PS: I eat gluten free and they are EXTREMELY gluten free friendly. They make gluten free powdered tea cookie pastries for desert and have been willing to substitute any items that had gluten or wheat in it to accommodate my needs thus far. Thanks Agave!! —aaron530
2010-02-21 21:16:00 I had read about the Peruvian food here and was excited to try it out, but ate dinner here tonight and found changes to the menu. On the way out, I overheard the employee explaining to some customers that the menu had changed as Peruvian food is unfamiliar (or something along those lines) - that's too bad.
The flour tortilla chips to start were good, but the pico was disappointing. Pork tamales came smothered in mole; the mole was complex and altogether not bad but the tamales were nothing special. The black beans worked well with what was likely cotija but otherwise fairly bland. For the price though, I feel as though I shouldn't have to hunt through my black beans for that bit I might enjoy (I really enjoy black beans, too). The rice similarly was decent but not great. I'm willing to accept that our table may not have ordered the best item on the menu, but the rest of the food should not fall so flat. Everything I tasted I've had prepared much better and usually much cheaper. Even if I were paying 60% of the price (see above) I would likely not come back. We paid for plating and decor, both of which are very nice, but I don't find that necessary.
My disappointment might also be a function of my expectations - I read that the chef was Peruvian on this wiki, and was reminded of my first encounter with Peruvian cuisine via a wide array of ceviche. While I wasn't necessarily expecting any ceviche plates, I was hoping to try another Peruvian dish or at least something other than overpriced sub-par mexican food. Oh well. <cue worlds smallest violin> —rgysel
- Per my conversation with the owner last week, the Peruvian chef is no longer working at Agave. His replacement is a Mexican chef named Angel. The menu has been changed and the fare is, to quote the owner, "Authentic Mexican" cuisine. The menu will be uploaded shortly. —T.Zukumori
- (shrug) Peruvian or "Authentic Mexican" or not, it would be better if it were delicious. And half the price. —rgysel
2010-02-27 23:02:23 I was not impressed - my enchiladas - while in the only good sauce in Davis - were plated on top of what seemed like bagged iceberg lettuce salad (you know, with little cabbage bits and carrot shreds?) which was strange. The overall portions weren't impressive, and I didn't think the food was all that good. Ah well. —ChristyMarsden
2010-04-01 08:26:28 I just tried this place last night, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a decent Mexican restaurant. The prices were good (didn't look at the drink menu), the food was good (especially my chimichangas), and the atmosphere wasn't bad. Nothing truly impressive about the place, but there needn't be to be a good restaurant. I hope this one lasts longer than Chaat... —StuartJeff
2010-04-29 02:59:32 The owner of Agave is a lovely and friendly person and the food is decent enough, however I recently had a very disconcerting experience with the guy who was working at the bar on a recent Wednesday night. I came in with a few people and he was very rude to us and obviously didn't want any more customers coming in (though the bar was open for another couple hours). He wouldn't make eye contact with any of us and answered questions with such annoyance that to be honest I felt scared of him. Everyone was giving each other looks of the "OMG what's going on" variety and though we all wanted water, no one wanted to go back to ask him for waters because so clearly not in the mood to be at work. I figured he was having some kind of really REALLY bad day/personal crisis, but it was rather upsetting as we were there to celebrate two birthdays (one of them being mine), and ordered a lot of wine. He literally said "oh" when we told him it was our birthday. Yeah, that bad. —soledad101
2010-05-03 13:31:04 Hmm, I was just there with a friend. The refrigeration system was down, so we did not get to experience the food. Russell the bartender was great. We actually were going to leave and he was very friendly and asked if we wanted to stay for a drink. Which we did. He was very nice and very complimentary of the owners. We did a tequila tasting,which was very fun and Russell was very knowledgable about the tequilas. I think this is a work-in-progress restaurant. Looking forward to returning to try the food. And we are returning because of how well we were treated by the bartender. —LokiAbbi
2010-05-11 16:49:59 Is this place closing? Tried to go for lunch today and the door was locked and the website has shut down???? —LokiAbbi
Hm, website loads fine for me; it even features aaron's wiki comment from above! —EBT
2010-05-16 20:05:42 They seem to no longer be open on Sundays. It's a bit difficult to know this from their restaurant website. In fact, this info seems to be available only from their Facebook page..... —LilyParr
2010-05-17 13:40:26 OK. Tried again for lunch. It was closed. —LokiAbbi
2010-05-17 19:41:23 Disappointed, it appears that Agave isn't making it. The lunch service seems to have ended, and a few attempts to eat there have been met with claims that the "refrigeration system is down." There was a similar claim when the Indian menu was being discontinued, as the alcohol permit requires the kitchen to be open for a substantial portion of the time the bar is open.
Sad...the Peruvian menu was great, albeit a bit pricey. Another restaurant for which I had high hopes, only to be left broken hearted... —ScottLay
2010-05-19 10:53:42 I heard they changed their hours from 2pm to 2am. —LokiAbbi
2010-05-24 16:10:47 Is this place open for dinner still? —KellyM
Yes, it is still open for dinner. After re-doing their entire kitchen and hiring a new kitchen team, they just recently started serving food again: appetizers were available since about Monday, May 17th, and six new dinner entrees were available as of Tuesday, May 25th. The new food menu has been uploaded in the links at the top of the page; in the following months, the owner expects to expand the entree section even more. I've had the the Taquitos de Requescon and Nachos a la Nortenos (with carnitas) — for an appetizer, the nachos are a LARGE serving that can easily be shared among 2-3 diners. And I tried the carnitas last Friday (before Memorial Day), which, although great in presentation and portion size, was good, but not great. I plan to try the Fajitas next (as I've heard good reviews from three people about it). —T.Zukumori
2010-06-06 12:06:09 Had the Arrachera Nortena platter ($14.25) for dinner Friday night (I had planned to order the Fajitas plate, but the Arrachera looked so good when it was brought out to someone else's table!). On the left was a pile of thick, juicy strips of flame-broiled inner flank steak, topped with a "pasta" of sliced onions and jalapenos tossed in a white creme sauce. In the center nestled a simple chicken enchilada in soft tortilla dressed in a green salsa verde, and seasoned rice on the right finished of the presentation (with refried beans on the side).
Immediately, I was impressed with how juicy and succulent the steak strips were — a pleasant surprise over the dry and uninspired carnitas from my last visit. The steak, properly cut across the grain, was easy to render into smaller bite-sized peaces that were plump and chewy in all the right ways. The white-meat chicken enchilada with its mild salsa verde easily balanced out the stronger beef umami. Because I wanted more of the sweeter onion flavors, when the chef came out to see how I was doing, I asked for some pico de gallo. He did me one better, providing both pico de gallo AND a nopals salsa (nopales = cactus). It was deliciously fun to see how the flavor and texture of the two different salsas played with the flavors of the steak.
Because there weren't any good red wines on hand (the owner has yet to update his drink menu and order new wines), I had an entire pitcher of the Agave margarita ($20.00 for 4-5 servings) — which was an excellent accompaniment to my long and leisurely meal. With $3.00 tax + $5.00 tip = the final bill was $43.00 even. If I had eschewed the pitcher for soda or beer the final bill would have been about $25.00 overall, but Fridays call for celebration, and pitcher = celebration.
Currently, any bill over $25.00 earns you a reloadable $10.00 $5.00 gift card for your next visit ($50.00 bill = $10.00 giftcard), so I'm really looking forward to trying the Camarones Ajillo o Adobados next time!
P.S.: There are small flyers being handed with two coupons, one of which is for a free entree with the purchase of any entree and two drinks until June 30, 2010 — easily a $14 ~ 18.00 savings for a dinner for two. So, use the coupons first before they expire and rack up the $10.00 gift cards for use later. —T.Zukumori
2010-06-07 17:04:13 I like the new menu. I always thought Davis needed a mexican restaurant that had unique but authentic menu items. Looking forward to trying. —LokiAbbi
2010-06-17 12:14:25 Agave has rebounded with new kitchen management. Elegant presentation of superbly prepared ample portions, attentive service, and great patio dining made for a perfect experience at dinner. Our small, well-behaved dog was permitted to be tethered in our corner while we ate. We shall return! —PatriciaLange
2010-07-26 10:09:16 I visited Agave on Friday night with a friend. There were only two tables taken at 8 pm and a few tables taken outside. They had two waitresses serving. It was very hard to get our waitress' attention. The service was very poor, and there was no reason for it since they were not crowded. The food was just ok. A bit overpriced for the portions. Then came time for dessert. They have ONE dessert on their menu, some carmelized pear dish that is supposed to come with vanilla ice cream. We order it and she brings it without ice cream. She explains that they did not have the ice cream (but had not bothered to tell us that before we ordered it.) The pear was disgusting. A cold pear covered with some red wine mixture. Thoroughly disgusting. The menus came crusted with food from previous use. We will never come back. They better work on service and menu or they won't be there for long. —DavisLurker
2010-07-27 20:28:41 Had dinner here tonight for the first time — it was terrible. Their mole sauce is the worst. I predict it will be out of business by the end of the summer. —cunningham
2010-07-30 13:09:03 We ate here last night, a little hesitantly because the above comments were so negative. It was delicious, not mind-blowingly great, but very nice. We ordered two of the less-expensive items. The pear in wine sauce the earlier commenter disliked was delicious, cold, sweet, juicy with a little cinnamon — maybe it's just a matter of taste. There was also another dessert on the menu.
We ate outside, which was pleasant except for some persistant flies. The place was mostly empty. The wait staff was very attentive and friendly. The menu looks like it has changed from earlier (even quite recent) reviews, this place is clearly still a work in progress.
We tried the house margaritas. It was happy hour and they were $3 apiece for a yummy, GENEROUS and strong drink. —KatF
2010-07-30 18:34:07 Overpriced, poor service, and not very good food. I got the fish tacos since I wasn't really hungry. The waitress brought a second dish that we hadn't ordered and said it was "meat". She took it back and then came back out and said it was supposed to come with the fish tacos. Okay, what is it? "Meat." She walks away. The beans were really watery and didn't taste very good. The "meat" had what seemed like a mole sauce and also wasn't very good. —KevinRollins
2010-07-30 19:45:21 My gf and I ate here about a week ago before going to see a movie. The food itself was pretty good and it was a deal when coupled with a $25 gift certificate from restaurant.com. The only complaint I have though is my waitress. Not only was she not attentive to us, she also overcharged by more than the the actual price of the whole meal. On the other hand, the bartender was really helpful when I came again to sort the bill all out just yesterday. —kiddmit3
2010-07-30 20:39:23 Very slow service, food was ehh... drinks were good, but not worth the trouble. —Your2Cents
2010-08-08 20:52:12 Great Margarita's, VERY slow service- 25 minutes for fish taco's !, fresh ingredients though. Will give them some more try's. —snehalt
2010-08-10 20:03:34 So, so sad. Agave is done. Kaput. We ate there tonight. Kara's cosmo was served in a soda glass, and must have been a 5:1 ratio of cranberry to vodka, and that was after the bartender looked up the drink in the book (a cosmo!). The carnitas were overly salty and generally devoid of taste, the beans were clearly out of a can with an overdose of cumin to disguise the tin, and chips were sporadically served to some tables, but not ours.
They are clearly on their way out...the beer tap doesn't work, and most of the bottles are empty. Even most of the glasses have seemingly disappeared.
Love the location and concept, and really wish Tres Hermanas could take over this spot. —ScottLay
2010-08-11 19:33:27 they are trying hard, but one of their old bartender just left and there's this new guy that is slow as fuck. my group of 5 went when there was a total of 5 other people at the bar who were already served. we order our food that was relatively quick but all our orders were all wrong from no sour cream to extra sour cream and the beef taco turned into a chicken taco. it took the bartender 20 minute to open a bottle of bud light, and he didn't even know how to pour a drink properly. also i agree with the person above ... only some people got chips and our group was not one of them.
Despite all this, i think their happy hour is a good deal. the appetizer is giant and can easily be a meal by itself; however, it's just cheap calories, nothing special.
They need to do a better job training their employee and do a better job with the management.
2010-08-17 09:50:24 Has anyone tried their lunch buffet? —Sherri
2010-08-19 00:18:34 Me and my sister ate dinner here a few nights ago and contrary to prior posts regarding this restaurant, the food was amazing. I had their Chimichanga and my sister bought the Enchilada. The presentation and plating for the dishes was very fancy, although the rice could use a little more flavor. Other then the rice however, the food was very tasty and not your average mexican cuisine. I was informed that their menu has been redone recently and would absolutely go back and try some of their other dinner entrees.
I see in a few prior posts that the new bartender has gotten some bad reviews. Although I don't know if I had gotten the same bartender as them, the asian bartender that made my drinks had made my extra dry dirty martini up very well in a very timley manner. My sister also commented that the Long Beach Iced Tea that he made her was the best she has ever tasted. Their beers on tap are broken for the time being sadly, but their beer bottles seemed well stocked from what I could see.
Although Agave hasn't gotten the best reviews from what I can see, I feel as if the restaurant and bar both have potential since the food and drinks was very good. —garpham
2010-08-29 00:23:54 Ah, Agave. What can I say?
My wife and I ate here for the first time two nights ago because I had a restaurants.com coupon that I wanted to use locally. We went in, were greeted warmly by a young waitress/hostess and seated indoors (it was HOT that evening). We each ordered Cokes to start. A few minutes later, our girl returned to inform us that they didn't have Coke. We asked if there was anything with caffeine. She said there was Red Bull. We ordered Sprite.
We had to spend $35 for the coupon to work, so we began with two appetizers. The guacamole was very fresh and quite tasty; the chips are probably the best in town. I also enjoyed a vegetarian tortilla soup.
For dinner, I ordered the cheese stuffed chili relleno. My wife ordered the cheese enchiladas. Interestingly, just before taking our order, our waitress/hostess seated two gentlemen — right next to our table—despite the fact that the restaurant was virtually empty. Little did I know then how that was to backfire on her.
I overheard the two men next to us talking about how they had somewhere to be at 6:30 and that they needed to order, eat, and go. By the time our entrees were ready, I noticed that theirs were ready also. All four plates were tabled more or less simultaneously. My wife noticed a strange look by our waitress/hostess as she set the plates before the two men, as if she was pondering something. As my wife began to cut into her food, she noted that it was stuffed with chicken. She checked all three. Stuffed with chicken. I checked mine. Stuffed with meat, as well. As the men next began to eat, it was sort of funny to watch because by then we realized what had happened. They were so polite. They ate, kind of probing the food, waiting expectantly for some meat to show up in one bite or another. The waitress/hostess came to us when she noticed us not digging in and said simply "I think I made a mistake." By that time, we confirmed with the gentleman that we each had the other's order. The waitress/hostess asked us if it was okay — what we came to interpret as, "do you just want to keep what you've got?" Well, since we don't eat meat, the answer was no. The two guys weren't interested in eating meatless entrees, either. The waitress/hostess agreed to put in new order.
About 20 minutes later, our new plates arrived. At that time, they finally removed the four old plates from our tables. Rookie move? Seems like a long time to wait to have meat-filled plates sitting in front of a couple of vegi heads. Anyhow, my food was very good and the presentation was nice. My wife ended up with vegan enchiladas, although she ordered cheese. So it goes. A new waitress was helping us by this point. She offered all four of us free dessert. As we ate, a customer from the patio who had just finished up eating came in to the cash register area and spoke to the waitress/hostess about a problem with her bill. After about five minutes of dialogue, it seemed that things were finally remedied. This guest then proceeded back toward the patio and promptly slammed face-first right into the glass. Have to give Agave credit for getting those windows sparkling clean! We finished eating and the new waitress asked if we were ready for dessert, which we were. She brought dessert for both tables, despite the fact the the gentlemen at the other table were still in the middle of their meal. She asked them if they wanted her to take the dessert back. They stared back, confused at the question. She ended up setting it on another table behind the men for them to retrieve when they were ready. Odd.
This whole production was mostly funny to my wife and I. Since the meal was subsidized from our coupon, we were just happy to be out and about. IF we were paying full price for everything, it would have been a disappointment. The food was good. The waitress and waitress/hostess were very, very nice, but quite inexperienced. Over the last several months, as we've strolled past a nearly empty restaurant, it has struck us on more than one occasion that this place might be a front for the mafia or something. Nothing of the events of this night did anything to dissuade us from such a conclusion. It's just too weird to be a real restaurant. —willwallace
2010-08-30 13:52:30 Recently ate at Agave and they hired a new chef. The food was delicious and even looked appealing. You have to try the chimichunga! This is the first time I've eaten at Agave, but I really liked it and will definitely go back. The Asian bartender and waitress were very friendly :). The drinks were great too. It's a really nice upscale Mexican restaurant, and a nice place to just hang out and have some drinks. —gkpadda
2010-09-20 14:36:13 I walked past here quickly, but it looks like they changed their name back to Soga's. —ScottWong
!!!!!! Because Soga's is remembered so fondly? If it's true, it's not the wisest move on their part. —CovertProfessor
Comments:
You must be logged in to comment on this page. Please log in.