Agave Maria

This restaurant was a lot fancier than I expected! The atmosphere definitely sets a mood, and would probably be a good first date ;). Dim lighting with lots and lots of candles! As for the complimentary salsa, I really didn’t get to try it because I made the mistake of going with a friend who can’t seem to have self control when it comes to salsa. The drinks were nice and strong so I definitely appreciated that ;). I got the tinga tacos. They were good, but also super light.
I’m not really sure how I feel about this place. It didn’t wow me, but it also didn’t disappoint either.

The atmosphere was very nice and dim lighting. I had a lovely time. There was a man outside of the restaurant who used to work for a circus. Literally. He danced outside of our window and stacked chairs on a table. The best part was when he attempted to climb the chairs. Half of the restaurant chanted «do it» while the other chanted «no, don’t do it». He tried but the owner stopped him:/ I did get an excellent video of it that will hopefully stand the test of time. Thank you, entertaining American style Mexican restaurant. Your food was good too.

Agave Maria is one of those places you eat at and the food is just ok and you never go back.
I went for a late lunch so the service was good as I was the only one there. I had the Queso fundido and Salsa trio to start the Queso cheese was so hard I had to use a spoon to get it out of the dish and onto my chip. For the salsa I don’t know why they say its a trio when you only have two to pick from, you already get the Salsa Ranchero so you have to pick two of the same salsas for your trio? The Chipotle Mango salsa was really good but the verde salsa they brought me I’m pretty sure it was bad, it had that bite that salsa gets when its time to trash it.
For my main lunch item I ordered the chorizo taco they were pretty good but not the best I have eaten, what makes me say I will never come back is the size of the taco, its about half the size of a normal taco you would get from any of the food trucks around here. My hubby had the build your own burrito and he said he liked it. It had a good rice, bean, meat ratio going on.

I can only speak for the lunch but let me tell you something. Order the burrito! It’s two meals. I’m not joking. Maybe I put a lot in mine but it was so dangon good! Y’all I’m talking I ate half a burrito and had to unbutton my pants at the table!!! They look like the go to place for some margaritas too considering they have a tequila club! I remember seeing that Don Julio and Milagro (the high end ones like 1942) and thinking ohhhh yea this is my kinda place. Agave Maria is really good and while its basically Tex Mex, to me the inside is like Memphis meets Mexico so maybe Memphico? Lol… They have SOUL in this place. I like it. I was worried it was gonna be crappy bc of the location. I really loved the old spot PaPa Pias so I hope they do well too! Gone try it out! Don’t order too much though bc I’m sure it’s a place you can easily overspend in.

This restaurant is so cute! Me and a friend went there for Brunch and everything was delicious. Service was exceptional and drinks were really great. They serve complimentary tortillas and salsa. Now there salsa was actually really good, it was on the milder side but had a hint of spiciness to it, while the tortillas chips had a seasoning on them. For an entrée, I ordered the Chiliquiles and added chicken to it and it tasted fantastic. All the ingredients combined nicely. My friend order the Mushroom and Poblano Enchilada and really liked it as well. For drinks, we ordered the mimosa and the sangria. Both were really good. All in all, good food, great service, can’t wait to try the rest of their menu!

The staff is rude. Walked in at 5:10 for dinner with at least 8 open tables. Was told they could not serve us because they were booked. They made no effort to accommodate. Won’t be returning

This place’s reviews don’t accurately reflect how tasty the food is! It’s a little expensive, but no more so than everything else downtown. The atmosphere is very cool, they have great decorations and surprisingly considerable chairs. Our server was delightful and they do 2 for 1 margaritas from 4 – 7 pm. We had the papas Fritas as an appetizer and would highly recommend. They also bring you salsa roja served warm to start and refill it as much as you need for no charge. I had the shrimp and scallops enchilada which came in a skillet and was swimming in a bed of pico and cheesy goodness. The portion sizes were good, definitely not huge and overwhelming like lots of other Mexican restaurants. We left full but not uncomfortably stuffed. We will be back!

This place was outstanding. What really got me, outside of the fabulous food, was the ambiance. Lots of little, cool details. Also they keep to the overall blues music theme of Memphis but incorporated it into a Mexican theme. We had the rock shrimp, cerviche, asada tacos and queso fundido and each dish was fresh and delicious (the shrimp was the best). Even something as simple as salsa was amazing. Great place and I’d highly recommend.

I was most certainly pleased with my experience here. I came during Downtown Dining Week with the lady and were very pleased with the hip yet romantic ambience we saw upon entering. We were promptly seated by a warm hostess and greeted by our server who broke down the downtown dining week menu. We started with the salsa, which was rich in flavor but was above lukewarm in temperature, which threw myself in the lady off. We then got the queso; while it was good, it was not quite to my typical taste for this dish. We also quickly ran out of table space as the surface area was small. These would be only minor complaints we had of the evening. The main course came out, and everything was amazing. Their chimichuri was very rich in flavor, the potatoes or solid, and the steak was unlike anything I’ve had before. The meat was exceptionally tender and juicy, but the real ace in the hole was the chili glaze they used on the steak. This provided for a dining experience unlike anything I’ve had before. The manager came out while we ate and spoke with us a little bit about the restaurant and what they were about, and we are very pleased with their concept, and their execution. This restaurant certainly stayed true to the spirit of downtown dining week. We tried a restaurant we have never tried before, and this experience has attracted them two new customers!

I was super excited to check out this place for downtown dining week and was not disappointed. Agave Maria embodies the spirt of the week by offering a yummy sampling of dishes.
We started with chips and warm salsa, which was interesting. The salsa was a little different besides the warmth, I can’t quite but my finger on it but it was not really to my personal taste. Being first timers and queso lovers we decided to order that as well, nothing wrong with it but it tasted like velvetta dip I could make at home.
For dinner we had a ribeye with a chili pepper and lime rub, potatoes with a sauce on them and a cheesy corn dish — yummy! All three were a little outside the box of what I usually order but delicious, yay for trying new things.
To end the night we go crème brûlée which was done with perfection.
To me ambience is very important and this place does that very well, I’d call it rock star glam. Not quite romantic but certainly not loud and bright like a typical Mexican restaurant. We will certainly be back.

This place is in a good location and has pretty cool décor. This first thing I noticed when I picked up the menu, was the price, but I shouldn’t have been surprised because the sister restaurant is also overpriced. However, I did find myself debating which of the deliciously and interestingly described dishes I was going to try. I chose the barbacoa (short rib) enchiladas. As you can see in the picture, it looked amazing; however, the portion size was not worthy of the $ 13 price tag. The personal skillet was like a 5 Inch, definitely no larger than a 6 inch skillet with two small rolled enchiladas covered in cheese, sauce, and pico. I have to admit the flavor of the enchiladas was really good, but the enchiladas themselves are small and It was difficult to really distinguish the meat or taste the meat because of the scantily filled tortillas and it was overpowered by the sauce/​cheese that was really good and just enough heat but I wanted more short rib. If I order short rib, I don’t want to look to see if the meat is in the tortilla or if it is pork or chicken, I am eating because I can’t tell… Which was the case here.
Strangely, the food came out extremely fast (before the chips and salsa even), which makes me think that the skillets are prepared before and/​or at least the enchiladas are pre-​rolled then just thrown in the oven? I noticed in other reviews that the chips/​salsa were not complimentary, but I did not ask for any and they brought them to me at no charge? I am not sure if they were just trying to get rid of the chips or if this is a policy change? If they are not normally complimentary, I definitely think they should be offering complimentary chips/​salsa for the price tag of the dishes. The salsa was good, not hearty – more smooth, but the chips were a bit strange. They were a sturdy chip with some sort of seasoning sprinkled on them. I couldn’t tell if they were bagged or made in-​house, which isn’t good if they were made in house.
I want to go back at a busier time and really experience the atmosphere and the service. The service was not bad and the server was friendly, but the she was hosting and serving tables, which may have taken away from the experience a bit.

I debated on my rating between 4 and 5 stars. I finally went with 5. Our service was superb and very accommodating. We were a large party that all arrived at different times. We got there at the tail end of happy hour. I got the margarita which was two for one. They brought it out in a shaker and I got three drinks out of one. We all shared our food, so I got to try a ton. I couldn’t decide between the scallops and the lamb empanadas. I asked the server which was better and she said they are both awesome, so of course, I got both. They were both delicious. Their cheese and chorizo dip is great, too. I did get confused about their chips as they changed shape when we got refills. They went from chips to like tortilla shape. Salsa is average. Happy hour is great!

This place was very good. We started with the queso blanco and salsa trio, all were different in a good way with a great taste to them. The chips were mini tortillas which were awesome. I had the mushroom and poblano enchiladas for dinner and a side of the street corn. The enchiladas were tasty and not spicy at all which I was disappointed by but they do have salsas on the table. I think I enjoyed the corn the most, with a squeeze of lime these wowed me. I love elotes and these were some of the best around. It had a great atmosphere and a nice happy hour menu. Definitely will be back.

Absolutely love the kitschy décor at Agave Maria. The bull with the floral necklace was nicknamed Ferdinand. They also feature Memphis music icons in paintings and on candles as saints.
Interesting that they do not give free chips and salsa. Their chips are on par in size and taste to Babalu. My friend enjoyed the guacamole. Another friend had a gluten allergy that was accommodated after our server checked with the chef.
A couple had margaritas. I had a Carta Blanca. They are known for their tequila selection (100+). We opted not to sample that night. Food was good. We tried a variety of Tacos and a burrito. I did think it was a little on the pricey side.
They do have an interesting marketing tool. Take a postcard and mail it to someone. As long as it is postmarked, the bearer will reveal free appetizer.

So, I really want to give Agave Maria a better review. It’s not terrible by any means, but with all the amazing restaurants in Memphis, you really have to be consistently awesome to get 4 or 5 stars. With that said, it was good, but not great. Here’s what we liked: great service! Our waitress was super nice and very attentive. Cool décor and ambiance downtown! Prices. Not bad at all. We got a happy hour appetizer and 3 tapas for under $ 25. Their chips and 3 salsa app is great! Super yummy. We also ordered the cotija fries and they were yum too.
The other two dishes we ordered were just okay, and by okay, I mean we didn’t care for them, but we ate them, and didn’t complain. We ordered the chicken wings (just very little flavor), and the seafood ceviche (just meh).

Visited Agave Maria very soon after it opened. I have to say, the service was great, especially considering it was opening week. The short rib enchiladas were so good they can probably make angels weep. Only complaint is that it’s downtown and I am not.

Honestly, this was a fairly massive disappointment for me. Just, wow.
Location is fantastic. Within walking distance of almost everything downtown, it’s a great location in the heart of downtown foodie-​ville. Unfortunately, it’s Memphis and it’s hot as dickens outside and their air conditioner apparently was a no-​call no-​show. FABULOUS.
Staff was also wonderful… and between the location and the staff, they were all that really saved this place for me. Our server was attentive, friendly, and funny. She handled herself very well and made sure that we were taken care of.
The food and drinks, however… what a huge let down. I have been waiting for a great Mexican place to return to the heart of downtown. Unfortunately, this place is not it. The margarita was HUGELY overpriced even in Happy Hour… they were that poor. In addition, they’re tiny! It was practically a small one-​flower vase they were serving it in. Really?! I can go to literally ANY other Mexican place in Memphis and get a fantastic margarita that is twice the size for half the price. Come on guys. And the food. The salsa flight was decent. The tortilla chips were interesting and admittedly fun. The guacamole was practically store bought. Boo. The tacos were pretty typical ‘tapas tacos’. But the flavor was lacking… I could deal with no seasoning, but the toppings didn’t even make up for it. The black bean soup literally looked like purple vomit and was cold and bland. Not bad though… just not good. The enchiladas were similar to the tacos… small and tasteless. I was really bummed out about this. Where is the flavor? Where is the presentation? And for the prices they are charging? No. Just, no.
To boot, the bill for two people was $ 80! For sub-​par food.
I will try it again in a couple of months, just to give it a second chance, but I really doubt that this can be changed. Disappointed though, because I love the owners other restaurants… but this one does not scratch the itch that downtown Memphis has for this niche. Sad sad sad.

I’ve been here just once, but what a first impression! Great service, great food, great drinks… I can’t wait to go back.
Agave Maria has a cool vibe inside, something like a mix between House of Blues and a hipster bar. It’s relatively small, with tufted leather booths and celebrity art on the walls — we were seated across from artwork depicting Aretha Franklin as a saint.
The menu is interesting — definitely Mexican with a twist. It’s tapas, so small plates and small tacos but all delicious. We tried the queso (awesome, served with these huge seasoned chips), short rib tacos (incredible), sweet potato quesedillas (also incredible) and the tortilla lime soup, which was my least favorite but still good and prepared at your table with a nice presentation.
For drinks, I had a Mexican Blackbird — a tall tequila blackberry cocktail I would highly recommend — and a second I unfortunately can’t remember the name of now. It was served with an orange peel a la flambé, which was a nice touch. Only negative for us was that they don’t really have any juice, which is what my girlfriend normally drinks.
Our server had to be one of the most attentive I’ve ever had and she was great with recommendations as well. All in all, I couldn’t have been happier and am looking forward to my next meal at Agave Maria.

What a fun addition to the downtown scene! Details below on my visit. Overall though, it’s worth checking out at least once. I’m cheering for this place and have no doubt that if they make a few tweaks they will surely have a strong downtown crowd following!
Location:
It’s located on Union Ave and extends the Local/​Aldo/​Oshi cluster of restaurants on that stretch of Main St. It’s conveniently located next to the Parking Can Be Fun parking garage which makes for easy in and out visits for nondowntowners.
Ambiance:
The décor is unbelievable. Very trendy and unlike anything else downtown. Cool Spanish flair, with funky colored lights and a beautiful bull head in the main dining room with a wreath of roses around its neck. Sleek, sexy, and fun. It would work for a fancy date night, as well as a weeknight casual happy hour.
Service:
The service was okay. The wait staff was adequately attentive, however they weren’t always on top of refilling beverages.
Food:
The food was very tasty. We ordered several dishes, the ceviche, the scallops, beef tacos, and queso. The food was fresh and prepared wonderfully. Really enjoyed the ceviche!!! I will say that the scallops had a relish or sauce on it that did not compliment them very well. I ended up wiping off this sauce because it took away from the taste of the scallops. They were, however, VERY well cooked! When dessert rolled around I was disappointed that they only had one dessert option. Clearly dessert is not where they are trying to make their money at this time.
Along the lines of food, I will say that it appears this restaurant is aiming for a tapas concept. This could, however, use some revamping. The menu lists three to four different types of plates you can order, one is labeled tapas. The reality is, based on my experience, is that all of the sections are tapas portions. It is confusing to consumers and when we asked the waiter for clarification he was unable to help us better understand how the menu was set up. Bottom line –all items appear to be tapas portions.
Also, they don’t serve complimentary chips and salsa. I really hope they change this. As the theme of the next section will explain, for the price point of this place– chips and salsa should be complimentary.
Value:
This is where I feel Agave Maria falls short. All of the items appeared to be tapas size, however the prices did not reflect typical tapas prices. For what you get, I believe that the prices are pretty high. This sadly makes me want to get more bang for my buck (with equivalent quality) elsewhere and/​or only come here once in awhile. With lowered prices or increased portions, though, I believe this place could have a strong following among many Memphians!
Other thoughts… I sadly did not try any margaritas. They did have a huge list of drinks and tequilas, though. I look forward to coming in again for a drink.
Also, they may want to reconsider the sizes of either their plates or tables. With two tapas plates each between me and my date, plus queso and the standard stuff on the table — our plates were almost hanging off the table. No one wants to feel cramped at a table, especially when you are paying as much as this place costs for a full meal.
Again, with some minor changes I think this place has limitless potential in the downtown scene.

What a perfect addition to the downtown dining scene. The décor is funky and the servers were very friendly. Started with the salsa trio — I loved them all. I had the tomato soup and ensalada Maria. Both were HUGE portions and were delicious. The food came out quick. Every employee genuinely wanted us to enjoy our meal. Great experience! Will be back soon.