A return to Agave

My boy and I made an impromptu Friday evening appearance at Agave for dinner last week, and as we walked in we both thought "we used to come here all the time...I wonder why we haven't been here in so long?"

I'm guessing his thought process ended there. My brain, of course, tagged on "well, because we *used to* be dating and now we've been married for 3 years. meh."

Anyway, surprisingly little has changed at Agave since the last time we ate there which is probably 3 years ago. The space is really lovely -- they do Southwestern decor without making me feel like I'm in the gift shop at the Alamo. The service is top-notch. They were busy, but not busy enough to scoff at our no-reservation-having selves. Our waiter was enthusiastic about the food and made great recommendations. I even heard him telling a woman at a table near us when she asked his opinion of her two top picks to steer clear of a dish that I sampled a couple years ago and didn't really enjoy (the enchiladas--the smoked chicken just doesn't work for me). I appreciate that.

And, so the food. Their margaritas really are that good. We went for the traditional, and the boy added the optional $0.50 splash of Grand Marnier that the server offered. It was good both ways. Even their cheapest margaritas taste like well mixed cocktails -- no powdered limeade in these suckers, folks. And there is definitely tequila in there (another pet peeve of mine).

Their chips and salsa are among the best in the city -- the chips, a mixture of white and blue corn, are fried fresh, but not too greasy, and the salsa is fresh and well balanced with a little spice (they could kick it up a notch to suit me, but I understand that I do live in Georgia).

The boy had the burrito and stew, and I had the pork chop special -- both were good, and I felt that the blue cheese grits that came with my dish were exceptional. Apparently, they prepare these with different specials relatively frequently, so if you hear "blue cheese grits" come out of your server's mouth, order it. You won't be disappointed.

From prior visits, I can also recommend their fried chicken and the shrimp and grits dish.

I am a huge fan of Mexican food, but this isn't Mexican food. It is, however, good solid southwest-inspired American. Nothing terribly adventurous, but Agave will always be a really lovely dining experience.

Oh, and get on their e-mail list. They send out a monthly message that always has really great discounts -- usually $10 entrees any evening when you are seated between 5 and 6 and 20% off your entire bill Sunday through Thursday. Definitely worth it!