Agave & Rye Rookwood — Restaurant in Norwood

I visited this Mexican restaurant with my husband and another couple this past Saturday night. The interior is very elegant and funky with large painted murals and beautiful glass chandeliers including a few made in the Chihuly design hanging over the bar. We checked in at the host stand and was told that it would be a 25-minute wait but ended up only waiting 10 minutes just enough time to get cocktails at the bar. The cocktail menu is extensive and they have every possible tequila that one could wish for. I had an OG margarita with Luna Azul tequila and it was very tasty. We ended up being seated outdoors and it was lovely. The outdoor area has lights strong across the top and beautiful red chandeliers. There is also a very nice fire pit seating area for cooler nights. After a short wait we were greeted by Erin who took our appetizer order of chips with three different dips of guacamole, andouille sausage queso , and mango habanero salsa. The chips were nice and crisp and all three of the dipping sauces were delicious. We were in no rush and were catching up with our friends so I cannot speak as to the promptness of the service but I do know that all of the servers around us were very busy. I did have to stop a few people to request silverware, water, and napkins. I ordered two of the epic tacos for my dinner. I chose the Cats Meow and the Thumper. All of the tacos had very interesting ingredients especially the thumper which was kangaroo meat. I cannot say that I recommend the thumper as the kangaroo was very tough and chewy but the filling ingredients were very tasty. I did order a second margarita with hibiscus syrup in it but I did not want the spicy and left out the habanero pepper. It was also very good. My friends ordered a picture of the jalapeno pineapple margarita and that was more disappointing as the tequila was infused with jalapeno and really had no spice to it at all but tasted more just like a pineapple margarita. By the time we finally finished our meal and paid for our check it was 11:00 p.m. so needless to say we had a very leisurely dinner. It was a lovely night outside so no problem there. I would probably return to this restaurant sooner rather than later if it were a little closer to my house. If you are feeling adventurous I would definitely visit here to try one of their many varieties of...

We were so excited to try Agave and Rye and drove55 minutes one way for weekday date night. We were told it would be a 20-30 minute wait. No big deal. 58 minutes later we were finally seated. We ordered an appetizer and some drinks, and asked the app to be brought out first as we had both left straight from work and were very hungry. We also went ahead and ordered our main course as we anticipated a wait. 30 minutes went by, no sign of our server, no drinks, no check in, no apps. Finally we were presented with drinks and an “I’m sorry for the wait, I’ll check on your order.” We witnessed multiple other tables complaining, given free chips and salsa, and overheard a server communicating to a table the kitchen manager had just been transferred,(Something about Troy Ohio?) and that the kitchen just wasn’t at their best. Mind you, we never complained. This is 100% not the servers fault but perhaps sending a manager around to check in would have better business. We didn’t end up getting to try our tacos because by the time they came we had to ask for a box to head home. Such a bummer that we won’t get to try our food fresh! Work comes early in the morning and with close to an hour drive home, we unfortunately didn’t have the time to spare. The drinks were good, and the cauliflower app we did get to eat was amazing, it’s just a huge bummer to spend over 3 hours without an entree when we were initially quoted a 20-30 minute wait. I do understand the struggle of understaffing right now, and I think everyone should give grace. However, never have we ever experienced such absence of staff or disregard to the situation at hand. We plan date nights once a month, and I can truly say this was the worst to date in a 4 year run. As much as I would love to give this place a recommendation to all my local Cincinnati friends, it left such a sour taste in my mouth for what should of been a special night. It’s 930 pm and we are still driving home..hungry and...

Our recent visit to Rookwood Agave & Rye was, unfortunately, one of the worst dining experiences we’ve had in a long time. From start to finish, the service was inattentive and the prices were simply outrageous for what we got.

After being seated outside, we waited over 20 minutes without so much as a greeting from any of the wait staff. I eventually had to get up and speak with the hostess just to be acknowledged. When someone finally came to take our order, it felt like we were an inconvenience rather than guests.

Our appetizers and drinks arrived after another 10-minute wait. The salsa trio — which cost an eye-watering $20 — was just okay. Definitely not worth the price. What followed was another 30-minute wait before our main order was taken, and once the food was finally delivered, our server disappeared once again. We needed napkins, drink refills, etc and never got any of that.

The worst part was, our bill came to $88 for a few beers, a few tacos (each), and chips with salsa — which also included a $35 charge for the salsa trio instead of the $20 price which was in the menu... We had to point it out and ask for it to be corrected, which added even more frustration to an already disappointing evening.

Overall, this experience left a really bad taste in our mouths. Between the poor service, inflated prices, and billing issues, I can’t imagine returning — and I’d strongly encourage others to spend their money elsewhere if they’re looking for decent service and...