The Blue Agave
- Nearest Transit:
Clark/Division (Red)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
43 reviews
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
"I don't know if I can express to everyone my love for this place. If I were to close my eyes and invision my ideal corner, neighborhood…" read more »
103 Reviews for The Blue Agave
I had many meals at the Blue Agave due to its close proximity of my home on Dearborn. It was never bad but it was never particularly memorable. The food will satisfy most people's desire to fill a craving for Mexican food and I'm sure it has served as a great base before a long night of drinking in the area for many people, including myself.
I will commend their take-out. They are very quick to get you your order, piping hot and ready to go.
Big menu, pretty good food. I went there after work on a Thursday once and there was a magician. He pulled a baseball out of thin air. It was amazing. But seriously, it is cool that they have little icebreakers such as that there, just in case you are meeting someone that you don't know that well or if you're there on a date. Or if you're drunk then it is highly entertaining as well.
The only thing that bothered me about this place was that they couldn't split the bill between around 15 people and people were arriving and eating at different times so my boyfriend and I had to stick around until the last person was through eating- kind of annoying. Not the friendliest waitress. And one time I was there the ATM would not work and kept saying I had put in the wrong pin. I know it wasn't me because I tried multiple times and after crossing the street and using another ATM, it worked just fine. Oh- one more thing- I don't know if I was just wearing tall shoes or what, but their toilets seemed to be for people of about midget height.
Oh my...Blue Agave. This brings back a few bad memories:
1. bad Mexican food
2. a crazy gal named Bangs that I used to date
Ive been to Blue Agave many times, usually wound up here for late night drinks after bar hopping in the area. I don't know why Bangs always chose this place, but she loved the bartenders and some of the regulars there. For me, this was a place of disgust.
The bartenders were shady, as they seemed to be working "under the gun." I don't know how to best describe it, it's just that eery feeling...ya know...like they are serving drinks, washing glasses, but all the while were waiting for the DNS to bust down the door and slap cuffs on them. They constantly had their heads on a swivel, like someone was going to jump the bar and beat them. It's not like there were many people at the bar, usually maxes out around 8 people at a time until 10:00PM. Does that make sense? Probably not. It just seemed as if they were being watched, which made me feel uncomfortable. I wanted to leave 80% of the time I was there.
The regulars: Tools! I met a few people here while hanging with Bangs. One fool in particular was a part time model, and a fitness instructor at a local gym. He lived with 4 other people in a small apartment, and spent most of his money on massages, manicures and booze at the Blue Agave. He seemed like the loneliest son of a bitch on the planet, one of those fellas that needs constant attention all the time, or else...
Then you have the drunken cougars that hang at the bar, waiting for their meal ticket to walk in the door. Bangs liked some of these girls a lot, probably a forecast of what her life would wind up evolving into. These girls cared about nothing except their fake boobs, their clown make-up and their next free drink. Now Im at 90%, I wanna go home!!
Finally, the food. Holy shit it is NOT good. People are dumb, but Mexican restaurants are not. They know we would eat shit if presented on a plate with beans and rice.
It's 100%, I'm outta here!!!
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This is a hot after work spot for me and my coworkers. I'v never really ordered anything other than a classic margarita. One sip = dreamy drunkiness. After drinking two, i'm usually comatose. I LOVE their chips and salsa (it's of the homemade kind, and it's got a bite too). Service is fine, crowd is fine. Interior is nothing special. Kinda looks like a tornado lifted it out of some Florida beach and dropped it in downtown chicago.
I lived near Blue Agave for a couple of years and went countless times. Based on my countless experiences here my advice is simple: go for the drinks, skip the food. When people tell me they love the food here I assume one of two things: 1) they were home-schooled; or 2) they suffered some terrible accident and lost 95% of their taste buds. The food is bland as hell, and frankly not good. The drinks are decent, if you like tequila. Skip this place if you can.
Went to Blue Agave for drinks the other night, and had a couple of good margaritas. The restaurant was pretty packed, so we just stood at the bar knowing that we wouldn't be eating.
The lower rating is for the bathrooms--my goodness. I was several drinks into the evening and the conditions nearly knocked me sober. The toilets were like 6 inches from the ground, and the bathroom was filthy! It was reminiscent of the bathrooms at McGee's on a Friday night. So, ladies, if you go to Blue Agave, hold back on the drinking so that you don't have to use the bathroom, or just drink so much that you don't care.
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I went here for Cinco De Mayo and WOW their Margaritas were strong. I drank not even half of mine and could feel it working :) I couldn't drink more than one. They were about $9+ which was a little on the higher side but considering you only need one...well then you got your $$$ worth. I had the beef Taquatios which were different than what you usually get in other Mexican Rest. They were 6 mini hard shelled tacos and they were really good. I had the beef and it came with a good size of sour cream and guacamole on the side, however I was not impressed though with the guacamole and chips appetizer, it was sparse for what the price was $9. It also has outside seating which is a plus!
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There is nothing not to love about the Blue Agave but you have to keep in mind that you will be inevitably hung over, no matter how well you think you are behaving.
Excellent chips and salsas and really good guac and a nice prep of my personal favorite, carne asada. Not insanely crazy about their mole but in a pinch the Agave usually comes through.
Their drinks are strong and the service at the bar is fast (if not engaged in long winded personal conversations with more important regulars) and the table service is effiecient and they don't hover. Excellent margaritas and pretty fair pricing for the Gold Coast. Actually one of the few affordable places in the hood. Desserts, not a fan, but thats okay because its nothing another mango/raspberry frozen margarita won't cure.
This place is way bigger inside than I imagined; no wonder it's great for happy hour! I came here for lunch - muy delicioso! Being Tex-Mex myself, I was relieved to finally find a place that has amazing (and free!) chips and salsa - more of a pico de gallo, fresh, chunky and VERY spicy!! Perfect. Their nachos also rocked (I had the plain bean and cheese with toppings, no meat....it's the way to go!), especially with the salsa on top. Their "Mexican style" soft tacos were awesome - grilled pieces of skirt steak in corn tortillas topped with cilantro and onion...yum! It wasn't greasy at all either. I prefer the cilantro/lime rice over the Mexican rice...not as good as Grandma's. The charro beans are ok...a little thick. But all in all, great dishes and good service. My water glass was never empty! Would def. come back.
I have had many meals at Blue Agave Chip and salsa are the best!!! fresh on Mondays.. I do not like the new menu prices have risen and in my judgement the quality of the food and service as a whole have declined.. Sill a good place too grab a drink at the bar... had dinner there the other night and was not happy.. oh well
2 stars...3 stars...probably somewhere in between. anyway, it's average at the most. I can't say anything about the drinks, which is why a lot of people go there I went there specifically for the food. I didn't expect an authenic mexican place in the heart of Gold Coast. i knew it was going to be a gringo tex-mex place. but the salad had no flavor, the fajita meat was dry and tasteless. Tortillas were dry, guacamole bland. the best part was the free salsa that comes with the chips. i think it would be fun place to hang out with friends and have a Corona or two. but skip the food menu.
I'm not normally in this area, and when I am Big Bowl is usually my stop. However, I was feeling pretty blue myself, so when a friend of mine invited me along after a gallery opening, I, and the several drinks already in my bloodstream, decided that it would better than going home and pouting. Service was quick even though it was a Friday night, and the chips and salsa were plentiful. I may have added some extra salt to my margaritas with my boo hooing, but they were pretty good even with the extra saline. My salad was good, made decent leftovers, and despite the fact that the most memorable part of the evening was getting drunk and crying, I'd consider another visit.
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This is a good downtown place to meet a group of friends. The drinks are pretty stiff. The food comes out quickly. But I've never gotten a "wow" factor from the Blue Agave.
They seem to be speedy with getting your table set up, but then back off once your meals starts. The busboys are slower to bring water and clear the glasses/empties off the table.
Also, the bathrooms are kind of gross. The toilets are so low to the ground....it's a flashback to elementary school.
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A last minute choice for dinner. While I tend to stay clear of this area, I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. We were greeted immediately upon entering and led to a table. Our server came by shortly and introduced herself. We ordered and shortly after got a basket of chips and salsa. Being beyond hungry, we quickly gobbled that up. I was surprised they didn't offer to refill it (although we didn't really ask them to either). Our food came out quickly and their portions are huge! Not out of this world good but solid. For the area, definitely a great bang for your buck. Their margaritas were pretty tasty as well =)
The one complaint I do have, eww, clean up and fix your restrooms.
The food is nothing too special, though it is plentiful and cheap. Be sure to bring your hollow leg for the potent- and cheap- Margaritas. They will get you so ripped that you will end up on Division dancing like there's no tomorrow, trying to pick up anything that moves.
They have some items on the menu that are quite authentic Mexican fair. Everyone in my group of eight had great food and we all agreed it was quite a find. Perhaps the others who have posted on the bad food were looking for more American Mexican. There were plenty of seriously drunk people there so I imagine their margaritas were stiff but I went for the $12 bucket of 4 imports. There was also a domestic bucket for $8. Nice!
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Really like this place. Margaritas are awesome - and they have about a million kinds of tequilla/flavors/options for margaritas. The chile con queso is really good -- and I usually get the chicken soft tacos, though I've also had quesadillas and I heard that the Poblano Stuffed Chicken is to die for. That's the next thing I'll try. Reasonably priced, almost everything comes with two sides (it's a lot of food) and the staff is super friendly. Nice porch for the patio, just a fun neighborhood mexican spot.
Went here for a late night snack and some margaritas a couple weeks ago. It was very good and I'm looking forward to going back. The margaritas were good. The chips/salsa were decent. The mini chicken taquitos were delicous though. A lot of other items on the menu looked very tasty as well.
I LOVE Blue Agave! My friend and I go here whenever we meet up for dinner and drinks. The margaritas are delicious, the food is great, and the chips and salsa just keep coming! I came here with my mom and my aunt and they love it too! The food is a little on the expensive side (once you start adding drinks) and this is not the destination for a "quick bite." But if you want to kick back, relax, and chat for hours... this is a great destination.
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I've been here twice - both times for drinks. The first time I came was 4 years ago, after a night at the Hard Rock downtown.. we had the horni margaritas and signature margaritas that night, and the unlimited chips and salsa. I love the salsa here b/c it's actually spicy and flavorful - vs. the weak salsas that are prevalent around the city.
My second time was this past weekend - we went after brunch, and semi-watched the game, as we downed margaritas. They make their margaritas really strong here, but I think the margaritas at Cesar's is still the best. Anyway, we then proceeded to eat hot wings (who knew this place would have wings??). Surprisingly, their wings were good and spicy. They also had drink specials that night - bucket of 4 imports for $12, or 4 domestics for $8. We had two buckets total:
Negra Modela - darker beer , but crispy, and with a hint of lime
Tecate - good, refreshing, lighter beer.. came in a can
Red Stripe - jamaican lager, very flavorful .. came in a cute stubby bottle
This place is trouble, with its tequila and beers... I will definitely be back to try the other beers, and maybe even some food!
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While I can't speak for the food, I can speak for the margaritas.
I'm not usually an "orange liqeur in my marg" sort of guy. (In fact, I fancy myself a bit of a marg freak.) However, this marg was actually enhanced by the orange liqeur. Most places just screw up the mix when playing w/ the orange variable, but this place nailed it! Must be some sort of pre-made mix.
Also, one star off for not having the thicker granuals of salt for the rim of my glass. It was like dipping my glass in salt from a salt shaker. Kind of beat, agave. Beat.
Good food and good drinks. Stopped here for a late night dinner and were not disappointed. Our group really enjoyed the margaritas and daiquiris.
I think Blue Agave is a solid choice for some drinks and food. I don't like margaritas, but I hear they're strong. I'm all about the Mexican beer though. I love the salsa here, which is sufficiently spicy. This place has some of the best nachos I've had yet in the city. Real melted cheese, beans, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce... mmm... I only wish they also came with olives. Nonetheless, they were very good. We ended up having more toppings leftover after eating all the chips, so feel free to ask for more to scoop up all that leftover goodness. We also had the chicken taquitos, which were seasoned very well.
On another occasion, I ordered the (GIGANTIC) veggie burrito, and chose cilantro lime rice and black beans as my sides. The burrito also comes with a jalapeno cream sauce, but I asked for that on the side. The sauce is good, but definitely has a heavy cream flavor. I expected a heaping mound of black beans, but instead got a small cup of black beans in a soupy liquid and topped with tortilla strips. Rice was light and fluffy. Anyways, after devouring half a plate of nachos as an appetizer, I could only eat a few bites of my burrito. But, it reheats up nicely in the microwave.
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Some people like cake and a tall glass of milk for a birthday treat. Not my friend Lee C. Her big day called for only one thing. . .a birth-rita! As my buddy Arnold states in the classic Pumping Iron, "Milk is for babies." Lee is no baby. This girl drinks tequila.
I'm with Lee, and I like birth-ritas the best (this is why we are friends) so I did some investigative work. I wanted a drink that would really knock her on her birthday bum (it had to be tasty too). Fade to Blue Agave. Holy hell! They call a lot of their margaritas "perfect" but I think they should change that to "perfectly potent". I can't remember the last time I had one drink and felt that fuzzy. Of course we had to order another round just to keep the celebration alive.
Just because the margaritas take center stage, doesn't mean the food is anything to sneeze at. We devoured the tasty chili queso dip and the salsa was excellent - REALLY spicy. Love. It. By the time I got to my soft steak tacos, I was pretty full but they were delicious so I couldn't just leave them SITTING there. Poor little guys.
I like this place. It is everything a good Mexican joint should be. I can see myself stopping by after work and definitely again if someone is in need of a birth-rita. Feliz cupleanos!
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Food isgood/(not greata but good)Drinks Very Good, l but on several visits I have had poor service. They also have a"habit" of rounding up/hence keeping your change without asking ..not nice Blue Agave!!
My friends and I came here to get some margaritas and ended up staying for 4 hours. Haha.
The margaritas are very strong and I realized that I don't like the taste of tequila. I ordered the blue one and my friends got the horni one. We also ate the chips n salsa (salsa was VERY spicy).
We ended up also ordering hot wings (which were good) and 2 buckets of imported beer. We got tecate, red stripe and some others I don't remember. It was a good deal- 4 for $12. They also had domestics for 4 for $8.
The place is pretty big and the service was kinda slow but the waitress was nice. I never knew this place existed and I do plan to go back!
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If you live in the neighborhood it's an OK place to stop for drinks but the food is not that great.
I have been here a handful of times and really, the food is okay and the margaritas are decent but not great. It is a larger restaurant so you can go there with larger groups, which is nice. But if you are looking for good Mexican, I wouldn't start here. Also, I was quite disappointed that they didn't offer Margarita pitchers. Isn't that a standard at Mexican restaurants? If I am in the neighborhood, I don't mind going there. But if I were craving good margaritas and tasty Mex food, I would look elsewhere.
Expectations were pretty low for this Viagra Triangle eatery, but I was suprised:
1) Fillet Cilantro (Tilapia smothered with cilantro and green onions) was right on the money! Black beans on the side were a bit generic, though.
2) Chili Con Queso was on the thin side, but very tasty.
3) Chips and salsa were surprisingly fresh and yummy!
4) Our server was sweet and on the ball - made up for a crabby hostess.
5) good drinks!
Music is way too loud.
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Yay! I think I found my regular Mexican restaurant! I have been looking for a place like this- good strong margaritas, yummy food, nice service... it's nice, but not too nice. For some reason I don't like "fancy" Mexican food. I like it to have some sketchiness to it! And this has that.. in the best way. If you go, you will love it (especially after a margarita!)
Update 3/8/08- Came back here and I'm sad to tell you they raised all of their prices!! Unfair! A marg here will now cost you at least $8.25 and enchiladas that were once $8.50 are now $12. Quality is the same though so... you have to decide if it's worth the extra $$.
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As a Texas girl who knows good Mexican food, I have to say, this place is pretty good. I went here last night, as I have done many times since I moved to the neighborhood. The waitstaff is attentive, and the food, while not extraordinary, is always good. Like everyone else says, the margaritas are killer...two and I'm done for the night. Great place to go for drinks and chips and salsa when you want to watch some football, too.
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My recent visit to Blue Agave was beyond disappointing in many ways. It started with very warm beers. When we asked the waitress for cold beers or cold glasses to put our beers in, she laughed and said they didn't have either. The food was generally okay, but it was overshadowed by the attitude of the staff. One of my friends and I made the classic tactical error and put our purses on the back of our chairs. No surprise here - when we went to pay the check, our wallets were gone. I have to admit that we're both long-term city dwellers, so we know better; but even the best city dwellers sometimes let their guard down or make a mistake. Certainly, this was not Blue Agave's fault. What was their fault, though, was their response. Our waitress actually laughed when we told her what had happened (much in the same way as how she handled the warm beers). We asked to talk to the manager to let him know that this happened under his watch and that he might need to remind other patrons to be careful and keep an eye out for scammers. If I were a manager of a restaurant, I would definitely want to know about things like this happening in my restaurant. He was unbelievably rude and not in the least bit empathetic; in fact, he was pretty much of a complete jerk. Add to this that their bathrooms are disgusting, and you definitely won't see me or any of my friends in Blue Agave again, regardless of how tightly we hold onto our purses.
Hmmm... after reading Su Casa's reviews in comparison to The Blue Agave, I am disappointed to admit I am wholeheartedly questioning my judgement of Mexican food. Does the fact that I adore Frontera Grille help? Oh I hope so.
I digress... totally disappointed in the Blue Agave. Service was HORRIBLE! Food was not much better and the margaritas... was there ANY ALCOHOL in them? I'm an eater, and I didn't eat half of what was brought to me... that's saying something... and not something good.
Considering it's in the gold coast. This place is a bargain and you get a LOT of food. The wait staff isn't the greatest, but nothing to really complain about.
The drinks are priced just below average for the area and are pretty strong.
I didn't want to go here for food, drinks...maybe, but not food. I had never been here before, but it didn't seem like a food place. I ended up here for dinner solely because of the location and the people I was with. The drinks were good, but not good enough to get me past the fact that the shrimp served with my fajitas still had the turd in it.
A bit too Tommy Boy for my liking...
Disgusting.
I really like this place. Like everyone else says, the food is nothing exceptional, but I live in this neighborhood and there isn't another Mexican place in sight. Everything I've had here has been great and the margaritas are killer and delicious all at the same time. The service is attentive, even when it's busy.
The two most important things to know about this place:
The margaritas are strong (and awesome).
The chocolate mole sauce is to be avoided at all costs (unless you like that shit, and then as far as I'm concerned - more for you).
It's a cute place, and the service is quick, attentive, and super polite. I just wish I had ordered a different entree, as that damn chocolate mole sauce on chicken SOUNDED awesome, but tasted....not co much.
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I don't understand why people like this place. I'm pretty sure it's because you get so loaded from the margaritas before the food arrives that you really can't remember anything about it. The few times I've been here, it's packed full of big groups of girls, gold coast hipsters, and the like. I want to yell out "stop eating, this just isn't very good", but i don't. It is one of the only mexican sit-down places in the neighborhood, which is lucky for them. If there was any real competition, people would stop coming here in a heartbeat. Or maybe not because of the booze initiated amnesia.
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Came here for lunch with a coworker to cure our lunch time blues. I thought blue agave was going to be another hokey trendy viagra triangle dining spot but it wasn't. The food doesn't come close to my favorites such as tapatio, adobo or may street, but its does make for a great feast. The salsa that came with the chips was just how I like it, spicy and cilantro, with lots of garlic. I had a chicken soup and chicken quesadilla. Major kudos for including guac, sour cream and toppings with my order, something that most places charge extra for. My friends steak fajitas looked sizzling. There was just too much food for us to eat, next time I think we will split.
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Blue Agave for Cinco de Mayo.. what more can you ask for.. men singing and playing guitars... shot girls and chips & salsa... fantastic.
The food is authentic and the time always good...
I love how the bar is at seating level.. little people like me don't like to climb up on bar stools... wheeee!
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