Agave Bar and Grill — Restaurant in Fredericksburg

The food was honestly amazing—no complaints there! The portions were just right, and everything we ordered tasted fresh and flavorful. I also enjoyed my margarita, but for the price, I expected it to be served in a traditional margarita glass, not a regular one.

Unfortunately, the overall experience was disappointing due to the poor customer service. From the moment we walked in, the staff seemed unwelcoming and inattentive. It took 10 minutes just to receive water—without lemon—while a couple seated after us were promptly given water with lemon and chips and salsa without even asking. Our order wasn’t taken for 25 minutes (yes, I timed it), while that same couple was asked if they were ready to order almost immediately.

Our server lacked warmth and attentiveness throughout the visit. He took our order in a flat tone, didn’t serve our food or drinks, and only returned at the end to abruptly ask if we wanted another drink since the bar was doing last call. My husband politely declined and asked for the check, which was brought—but the server never returned. Eventually, my husband had to go up front to pay, something we didn’t see anyone else have to do.

It was honestly disheartening. We eat Mexican food often as a family of seven, and my husband and I were just looking for a quiet, intimate night out for the two of us. This could’ve been a great spot, but the lack of hospitality ruined it. Even the host who greeted us was cold, yet we still tried to give the place a chance.

I left feeling sad—not just because of the poor service, but because it truly felt like we were being treated differently, and I can’t help but wonder why. Especially on a day when I had just gone through something traumatic, my husband brought me out hoping to lift my spirits. That made the experience sting even more.

Please do better. Every customer deserves to be treated with kindness—you never know what they may be carrying when they walk...

I hate to write this as I have been looking forward to eating here for some time. However, instead of raving about it as I had hoped, I gotta say, save your $ and go elsewhere. Hard to imagine screwing up Mexican food. Really. I mean it’s beans, cheeses, meats, aromatics, vegetables and tortillas in one combination or another. But they managed to serve me the most baffling brunch ever tasted. Had the Steak and Eggs. I know, not especially Mexican. Wife had Huevos Rancheros. My steak was tough and flavorless. Underseasoned, grey, tough meat is what I got. The rice was pedestrian but serviceable. The beans 🫘 were the best part of the dish, but even they were overprocessed and lacking texture. My eggs were overcooked (over easy means some runny yolk, not hard chalky yolks). The wife’s dish wasn’t even close to Huevos Rancheros. No “ranchero” sauce at all. I mean it’s in the name of the dish, but still absentee on the plate. No corn tortillas as a base. Beans in a bowl, not in the dish. Even the salsa lacked flavor, salt, heat, etc. I’ve eaten some average Mexican food before that that may not have been memorable, but still was flavorful. This stuff will be remembered but not for the right reason. I really wanted to like this place. And maybe the main menu is better than brunch. But I won’t be returning so I guess that’ll just have to remain a...

Agave is great and if I could give them 4.5 stars I would. This review may sound nit-picky, but I want them to do well and they need to make some improvements to the atmosphere. More on that later, but first here are my ratings for food, service, value, and atmosphere.

Food: 5 stars. All of the food from the appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks were excellent.

Service: 5 stars. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive.

Value: 5 stars. The food and drinks were priced fairly for the quality.

Atmosphere: 2 stars. I’m big on lighting and when we went for dinner recently, the lights were WAY too bright. I’m not sure if they have a dimmer but if they do, it was on full blast. When I visit a restaurant, I want it to feel warm and inviting, but Agave feels harsh and sterile. Strangely, the bar doesn’t have any mood lighting at all and feels cold without any character. The interior is also surrounded by dark brick walls, which is fine, but the restaurant would benefit greatly from painting one of the walls with a bright and fun mural…maybe of an agave plant?

If these fairly simple improvements are made, I would happily change my rating to 5 stars and be a frequent guest at Agave. In the meantime, I’ll probably order the food to go...