El Agave｜A Mexican Restaurant Surrounded by Tequila

📍 Address: 2304 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA Located right next to San Diego’s Old Town, it’s perfect for a stroll after the meal to soak in the historic charm. 🍸 Ambiance & Highlights The most unique feature of this restaurant is that you’ll be surrounded by walls of Tequila. The first floor is a liquor shop, while the second floor houses the dining area. As you walk up, you’ll be greeted by a dazzling array of tequila bottles, complemented by warm lighting and a spacious feel. Though the area isn’t large, the atmosphere is truly distinctive. The overall style carries a retro, old-Mexico vibe—both trendy and cinematic, as if dining in a movie scene. 🥗 Appetizers The table is served with Chips + three types of salsa and guacamole. (These are charged.) My favorite is the green, tangy, and spicy one—refreshing and flavorful. 🍽️ Main Course Recommendations 🥇 Pulpo a las Brasa (Grilled Octopus) The most recommended dish. The octopus is grilled perfectly—tender, flavorful, and delightfully chewy. Paired with avocado-flavored mashed potatoes, it offers rich layers of aroma without being overly heavy, making it the most surprising dish of the meal. 🥈 Duck Burritos The duck is quite fragrant. Though it doesn’t have the crispy skin texture of Beijing roast duck, the sweet sauce adds a hint of “Beijing flavor.” The fusion feels natural and is worth trying. 🥉 Arroz a la Tumbada (Tomato Seafood Fried Rice) The tangy tomato flavor is appetizing and pairs wonderfully with the freshness of the seafood. This is the kind of rice dish that makes you want “just one more bite.” Mole Poblano DJ (Pork in Mexican Chocolate Chili Sauce) The texture is on the heavier side, with a thick, slightly sweet sauce. Perhaps because there were too many dishes earlier, I didn’t finish this one. The pork itself is tender, but the overall visual and taste experience is relatively ordinary. 📸 Other Little Moments This time, I happened to dine with a well-known photographer from Ann Arbor, @Lithium, so the food photos turned out much better than my usual “casual snaps” 😂. The dishes and tequila bottles looked especially photogenic under the lighting. 💰 Price & Summary We ordered quite a bit, and the per-person cost was around $80. It’s not exactly cheap, but the overall quality of the dishes and the ambiance justify the price. #SanDiego #SanDiegoFood #SanDiegoTravel #SanDiegoFoodExploration #SanDiego #neurips #neurips25 #MexicanCuisine #SanDiegoMexicanFood #AcademicConferenceBreak