Agava

I came in here based upon prior reviews. And I am just not impressed. The menu looked great but the food was just ok. Although I must say the service was friendly and attentive. I ordered the pork tacos… Over salted but at least they resembled tacos. My wings were flavorless and gross. I couldn’t finish them. I ordered fries because they advertised hand cut and I was sorely disappointed. They were greasy thin and soggy. Not my idea of a plate of fries. The steak in the fajitas was overdone and stiff. The only saving grace was the veggies in the fajita. The burger was served without any greens or lettuce. If you are on a diet or looking for special items. This is not the place for you. But it’s upstate New York… Not exactly diet friendly to begin with…

Like every other place, some great and some disappointing. Unlike every other place, their great was also unique and surprising!
Our wait ended up being about an hour less than what we were told, so off to a great start! Quinoa fritters were a delicious introduction to the menu. There were 5 adults so they went fast, as did the chips and salsa. Guacamole was perfect, enjoyed by all, even the six year old.
Burgers were the stars of the night. Quality beef, seasoned and cooked perfectly. Not much else to say except make sure someone in your party gets one.
Shrimp tacos were perfect, shredded beef tacos were a little boring but I could’ve assumed that beforehand. The rice and beans side did little to spice it up so a side of salsa would’ve been a smart thing for me to ask for.
Fried chicken was the big disappointment. It took two attempts to cook it all the way through, handled well by the staff, but even the heat that you’d expect from a ‘spicy’ fried chicken seemed non-​existant. It was taken off the bill and the manager gave us an explanation as to how the kitchen staff will improve the process in the future.
Overall a great dinner in a great atmosphere.

The food is tasty and the drinks are really good but the cost is expensive for what you get. Prices have been creeping up and the quantity is going down. For instance, the tacos have gone up about $ 4 in price but now you just get two tacos instead of three. This place used to be a fun, moderately priced place to eat but now it is definitely in the overpriced category especially for Ithaca. Also the kids menu is so-​so. The kids pasta portion is also very small which is weird since pasta is so cheap to make.

I first stopped by Agava for a friend’s birthday. We celebrated with some drinks, shared a flatbread and a dessert. I really enjoy the décor at this location — it’s a mix of southern funk and modern weird. Can you tell I’m not an interior decorator? Aside from the captivating décor, I would have to say their bar has an fairly large selection of draft beers and mixed drinks. Their food is a B+/A– with a lot of options for gluten-​free folks which I appreciate as my boyfriend recently went gluten-​free. One of my favorite appetizers here is the guacamole — splurge and get pepitas — loaded with toasted sesame & pumpkin seeds, roasted garlic, pickled corn for $ 2 more. It comes with an unhealthy portion of chips and salsa on the side. I have also tried their tacos which were very yummy. The place does get packed but in my experience, the wait has never been that long. A fun fact is that they also close down for private parties too so if your boss is looking for a good location to host an office party, this might be your place.

Great ambience. The food isn’t very Tex-​Mex (despite the name and branding), but is probably appropriate for Ithaca — more like American food with a hint of salsa.
Staff was friendly and the food came out quick.

Loved the atmosphere! It’s very rustic and hipster. Service was pretty great and the brunch cocktails were amazing. Prices were reasonable and so were the portions.

Great food, great atmosphere, especially brunch! Gets a bit crowded but well worth it. Outdoor seating in nice weather!

This place is pretty much par for the course in terms of its concept. It’s a good place to grab dinner or lunch, especially in Ithaca, but it’s not mind blowing. Overall it’s just a solid rotational player in the local restaurant repetoire.
I got the Short Dude tacos, which were good. The flatbreads tasted okay.

Tonight was my first trip to Agava, and I will definitely be back. The staff was warm, welcoming, and surprisingly organized for 7 p.m. on a Saturday night. The wait was only a half hour (which was nice, seeing as how we had no reservation) and the hostess took down a number to send us a text when our table was ready, which my partner and I agreed was very efficient.
The menu was also wonderful, and quite diverse. I got the Alfredo, which was prepared beautifully, and with the exact amount of grease that I was looking for. My partner got the Badass, which is two cuts of sea bass served with veggies and my personal favorite, capers.
The waitress was very kind and attentive, and our table, which was in small space and seated directly between two different parties at a bar-​like table which overlooked the kitchen as well as their fabulous chef at work at a station directly in front of a wood fire oven.
Fantastic place to dine, but I strongly recommend reservations if you would like more space. I can’t wait to come back!

Just left having brunch /​lunch.
Cool atmosphere like the West Village in NYC.
Killer bloody Mary.
Food is fresh and the portions were the right size. Not overbearing and not to small. Price were reasonable. The server and staff were very pleasent. Short wait without a reservation.

Delicious! We had takeout dinner one night because I wasn’t feeling well and it was great (pork something or other for the husband and a gluten free flatbread for me) even thought it was cold when we ate it. Breakfast the next day was yummy, Fat Elvis for the hubby and eggs and home fries for me. Great bloody Mary’s with homemade mix. Our waitress was so sweet (Angelica I think. she looks like Michele Rodriguez!) and service overall was great. Highly recommend the place, the food and the people!

Took a date to Agava — enjoyed the ambience and selection of food choices — but felt that the chips they offered in the beginning were loaded with way to much salt. A unique thing about Agava is that their special menu is seasonal but the traditional menu features great choices as well. Ended up going with «The Rub» and felt that the Salmon was cooked very well. More importantly, the mashed sweet potato were out of this world and made me hungry for more. My date also enjoyed her Shrimp and Grits which is always a plus. In the end, the prices were reasonable, albeit a little on the expensive side, but the food was certainly worth it. My only complaints would be the «free» chips (Not much of a complaint) but also the flies that were floating around the restaurant. Maybe they should invest into some kind of poisoned bread as their owned by Ithaca Bakery…

The Good:
–Interesting and intriguing menu w/​several vegetarian options, locavore-​friendly too. –Amicable service.
–Tasty food & drinks — mojito, flatbread pizza, guacamole, chips, salsa, brussels sprouts — all good.
–They text you when your table is ready, so you don’t have to mill around the hostess table or stand in the hallway.
The Bad:
–Waited a long time at our table before someone came over and when she did, she took our entire order, not just drinks.
–The ambiance is super loud & crowded without insulation from your neighbors; like a hip NYC restaurant. The volume really killed the atmosphere for me. There’s no intimacy.
–They forgot our drinks; didn’t arrive until after the meal did! That was a major bummer. :(
The Strange:
–The appetizer — Brussels sprouts w/​chickpeas — was served in a huge bowl, all pushed over to one side as though it had been dropped/​tipped or like they forgot to put something else in the bowl. It didn’t come with a serving implement so we used our forks.
–Everything came out together — the chips/​salsa, the appetizer, and the main meal (followed by drinks!) which was a bummer. I like to enjoy each part of my meal separately, and to sip my drink with chips, while talking and waiting for the food. As it was presented felt rushed, yet delayed at the same time. I don’t know whether this is how it usually goes there or someone screwed up, but it was odd and when combined with with (lack of) ambiance, kinda killed my birthday meal.
Bottom Line:
–Because the food was good, I’d try again, possibly on a weekday, and would request a quiet table — if such a thing exists. But I’d really hope we just arrived on an off night, otherwise, the wait, noise, and weirdness isn’t worth the trip.

Agava is literally the definition of an okay meal. They reworked their menu a little so it was different than I had remembered. They start you off with chips and salsa which might always the highlight of the meal. Today I had the Delia sandwich which is a salmon torta. The flavors were good but the salmon was overcooked and the fries were a little greasy and therefore soggy. The salmon to bread ratio was also super poor. I left about half of my bread on the plate. My friend got the salmon special with mashed sweet potatoes, which she enjoyed. I have previously had their burger which I did not enjoy (Ithaca ale house and mahogany are much better in that department), but their flatbreads are pretty decent. Some people really love this place, but there are so many better places to eat in Ithaca. But if you are really wanting some Mexican flair, you won’t hate yourself for eating here.

Stopped in here for lunch while visiting from out of town. The restaurant is nicely decorated, with kind of a unique/​rustic/​hipster feel to it.
The chips and salsa were good, as was the guacamole.
The best thing we had, though, was the «MC5.» It is Brussels sprouts, chick peas, chili honey, and fresh herbs, and it was amazing. The Brussels sprouts were crispy, the chili honey was a both spicy and sweet, and the dish was just excellent. I almost wish I had changed my order to a second order of that instead of the burger!
We also tried the wings (which could’ve been crispier, in our opinion) and the Agava burger, which was good, although came out seriously undercooked. The server took it back to have it cooked up, but not before trying to tell us that the very pink burger we had was in fact medium well. I will never understand servers who try to make this point with customers, but in the end, he took the burger back and it came out the 2^nd time cooked properly.
Overall, the meal was good, the service was fair, and the Brussels sprouts are amazing!

Just had the best Brussels sprout chick pea slaw chili paste appetizer… Followed by killer catfish tacos! Agava is one of the best restaurants in Ithaca! Thank you!

Agava is the kind of hip, unique restaurant that one would willingly offer to take friends/​significant others to… you know, to seriously impress them with her uncanny ability to find noteworthy dining experiences. Did that make sense? In simpler terms, Agava has exceptional food (for the most part), an accommodating staff, and a funky interior that together create a really special meal.
The menu is quite large, and even though the menu items are unique (think Brussels sprouts tacos, deep fried beets, lamb burgers, etc.), I would argue that there is definitely something for everyone. Instead of ordering an entrée, I got two tapas, which proved to be the right move. The MC5 — flash fried brussels sprouts, chickpeas, and shredded cabbage in a chile honey vinaigrette — was probably one of the best things to ever touch my taste buds. The quinoa fritters, which came with cojita cheese and aioli, had good flavor but a weird texture, which I guess didn’t really bother me considering I finished all four of them. I tried a bite of the beet flatbread and was underwhelmed, as it was a little too bland for my taste. The other diners at my table loved their meals, which included burgers, fries, and various tapas. The complimentary chips and salsa were a favorite as well.
The service was a little slow for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon, but the servers were very accompanying so I really have no complaints. Also, the whole vibe of the restaurant is really trendy.

Agava definitely makes me feel more at home than any other restaurants out there. It’s the food, the Wednesday salsa nights, the good service.
Their menu is appetizing and their restaurant layout is fun and welcoming.

Good chips crisp n salty, guacamole and salsa was also delish. The mojito was actually very good. Everything was decent, nothing would make me come back for more.
We had a variety of flat breads. The hot buzz was very interesting, I’d never had a honey kissed pizza that also had tomato. The dough had a nice tender chew to it.
Eddy’s wing were sticky and sooooo soooo good, I wished for a counter dipping sauce, since they are teriyaki I didn’t think the the guac or salsa would do it.
Crispy Glover calamari was flavorful, the pieces tasted fresh and were tender.
Taquitos were sparingly stuffed, as taquitos often are. They had a gentle crunch to them.
The mushroom quesadilla was fragrant with the truffle oil and although a bit limp really tasty.
Since I got to taste so many things I was thrilled but it also perplexed me, I love asian food, and mexican food and appreciate that they are putting duck, lamb, chicken, tuna, pork belly, pork chop, salmon, crab, calamari, trout and beef on the menu, not to mention the vegetarian options but it is all a little overwhelming. Can they really do all of that really well? I’d like to come back and be more focused on a meal to see how it all pans out.

Agava is easily my favorite restaurant in Ithaca.
Pros:
1. Festive décor. Brick oven out in the open, adding to the active and bright atmosphere.
2. Friendly waitstaff who know their stuff.
3. Deliciously warm and unique flatbreads.
4. Reasonably priced food that looks great and is great for sharing.
Cons:
1. Kind of out of the way, for students.
2. Can get very loud. I went to Agava for a late dinner on Friday night and it was very difficult to hear what she was saying once the live music started.
My friend and I ordered the oyster appetizer. It came to our table piping hot with cheese and herbs sprinkled on top. I’d highly recommend this appetizer.
The filet mignon was delicious. Cooked to a perfect medium rare and complimented by mushrooms, sautéed green beans, and mashed potatoes.