El Agave Mexican Grill

El Agave Mexican Grill @ 650 Park Plaza Drive, New Albany, MS. Had a small family, after Christmas gathering today with my wife, daughter, cousin Richie and his wife Lori plus their new addition, Baby Gibbs. We had all heard good things about El Agave, but had never been, so we decided to give them a try. The dishes I ordered or sampled were the Guacamole, Brochetas, Fried Stuffed Fillet, and Bulldog Burger.
We started with their Authentic Guacamole Mexicano. Everyone at the table that tried it LOVED It! They make it fresh daily with a base of smashed avocado, mixed with chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, a small amount of jalapeños, lime juice and salt. It had nice finish that stood out to me which was probably just the right amount of lime juice.
I ordered the Brochetas which was recommended to me by the owner. It’s two skewers loaded with cuts of ribeye steak, shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onion. With a side of white rice and cheese sauce. Once it arrived, I saw why it was so popular. It had huge hunks of thick ribeye steak with equally large grilled veggies and shrimp. I’ll tell y’all, I’ve about quit ordering anything with steak from Mexican restaurants because for almost every piece of good meat I’d have a «chewy» piece, which I can’t stand. But every thick, hunk of ribeye from my Brocheta was as tender as you could ask for. From the first bite to the last. Now, mine was cooked mostly medium and was tender and delicious. But, if you prefer, you might could request it be cooked more or less.
My wife had the Fried Tilapia stuffed with grilled shrimp, then covered in cheese sauce. It comes with a side of rice and steamed veggies. It looked scrumptious and since I was «allowed» one bite, I can say that it was as good as it looked! The Tilapia had a crispy grilled crust that had a real «Mmmm» factor! And combined with the shrimp, cheese and rice made it a new flavor experience worth trying.
Lori had the bulldog burger and offered me a bite which I gladly accepted. The burger was way bigger than I was expecting. From the photos I saw on their menu I thought it would be a lot smaller. It turned out to be quite larger. It comes with an 8 once patty, lettuces, tomato, onion, pickles and cheese with a side of fries. The first thing I noticed was the slight crispy char on the patty that had a great flavor. Everything from the bun to the patty seemed well thought out.
We also tested a couple of their drinks that are worth mentioning. Occasionally I try and find good sangria and have even tried making it without much success. El Gave does it right! They make their own with fresh fruit, brandy, red wine, and orange juice. After speaking with the owner, I found that he had tried at least 5 different sangria recipes before declaring this one worthy of his restaurant. And with is bold and balanced flavor I fully agree!
The other drink we «sampled» was their CANTARITO. It’s one of the more traditional cocktails made in Mexico. It’s a combination of freshly squeezed oranges, grapefruit, lime juice, Tequila Cazadores Reposado, and Mexican grapefruit soda. This one had a lot of fruit and good flavor also but was a little more subtle compared to the Sangria. I liked them both but preferred the Sangria because of the bolder flavor. Others preferred the CANTARITO. This is why if your interested in a menu item, try it for yourself before judging an item solely on someone else’s review. Everyone has their own taste, and their is enough verity for everyone to enjoy! El Agave has many unique creations and a menu worth exploring. #eatingoutwithjeffjones
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Great spot, decent value. The custom made guacamole is their hallmark. Buffet option at lunch.

Stayed in New Albany during a road trip and were pleasantly surprised to find this Mexican restaurant. We were there on a busy Friday night and our service was good. The food was very good. If we pass through there again, would definitely return to eat here.

In from out of town and we stopped here on our way back home. I was less than impressed. I ordered a green iguana it tasted sour not tart but sour as in bad and I couldn’t drink it. The service was very lack luster. We sat at our table for 10 mins before a server showed up. He never really checked on us either. We will probably skip it next go around

Any time I’m craving Mexican-​fare while at home, El Agave is the place I hit up. I’m a fan of the locos shrimp, a simple dish with rice and cheese sauce. They also make their guacamole table side, so you can opt to add in extra ingredients and really make it your own. Happy to see a locally owned establishment doing well.

Although I’ve had great tacos al pastor every time, I was greatly disappointed with my other foray onto the authentic menu with one of my favorite dishes, carne al carbon.
The steak was completely unseasoned and bland, and the actual cut was awful. It was so tough as to be inedible. I just picked around the steak and ate the beans, rice, and the jalapeño, tomato, onion base. One of the few times I’ve ever considered just sending the food back… if we hadn’t been with friends I would have done that.
Also they forgot my wife’s dish when they brought the other 3 meals and we had to track down our waiter. She was not served her meal until 15 minutes after we had all been served.