Some weeks back, roughly around noon, Anna and I crossed the threshold of the recently opened Agave Maria. It was already busy, but not enough for a wait. I felt like we had timed it just right.
What was amazing, considering the crowd, was that due to a gas leak across the street, the restaurant had no gas for cooking. Each new arrival was informed of the situation and shown an abbreviated menu. No one appeared to be discouraged.
The walls are a pretty, stimulating rosy pink, there are booths along one wall, two-tops and four-tops in the main room with addition seating off in the side room bar. The place isn’t large by any means, and one can imagine the designers using a ruler to work out valuable floor space to the last inch.
Fun, kitschy touches abound …
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Agave Maria does shared plates, so that means you get it when it’s ready. We started with chips and guacamole ($8).
The chips were impressive, just because of how perfectly round they were. The guacamole is solid but unremarkable. For those who like their guac with a little more oomph, a dash or two of the excellent hot sauces on the table will do the trick.
Anna order the Short Rib Barbacoa tacos ($10) — a pretty trio. I heard no complaints.
I ordered the Wild Mushroom and Poblano Enchilada ($11). Lots of cheese on this one, including queso blanco and goat cheese, providing sharp and rich accents. The mushrooms added a meaty earthiness to the dish, while the chopped pepper and tomatoes gave it a little extra bite. I couldn’t finish the whole thing, but I really tried.
Agave Maria boasts that it has the largest selection of tequila in the city. Who knows? There are a lot, over 100 on the menu. And there are cocktails promising enough to lure me back — the Francene (vodka, lime juice, strawberry puree) and the Velcro Fly (vodka, cucumber, lime juice, and ginger beer) among them.
