Agave Bar and Grill

This place is awesome! The agave margarita is great. The chicken quesadillas and agave enchiladas were excellent! Would definitely come back!

Great atmosphere and quality. Owner was great at helping us narrow our choices. Excellent place for conversation.

I’d heard a lot of hype about Agave from friends, which underscores my disappointment with this place. For a city with so many quality, inexpensive Mexican restaurants, Agave just does not make the cut.
I have to start with the service. Our server just did not seem happy that we were there, as if our presence at the restaurant were an added stress. Service was slow and unapologetic, and requests for simple modifications were denied. To be fair, the floor seemed understaffed — it’s a small space, but it seemed like one guy was manning too many tables. Even so, a strong server should name that openly to the customer at the outset, apologize for delays, and then move forward.
As far as the food, this may be the least impressive Mexican food I’ve had in town. The variety is pretty limited and the flavor is muted. There are few vegetarian-​friendly options, but even the meat dishes don’t seem too innovative, mostly just variations of meat, cheese, and sauce wrapped in a tortilla.
I’d expect a stronger showing from a business in the Arts & Design District. I’ll stick with other options for Mexican food for now.

Good atmosphere, good food, but not overly authentic. Their space is really nice but the meats don’t have a lot of flavor. I ordered one of their specialties and was not overly impressed. Portions are smaller than a typical Mexican restaurant, maybe in another part of town. Drink prices are good. I’m not a margarita expert but it was good.
Light communication barrier with the staff leaves me wondering if it’s part of the appeal or not… will try the place again on a busy night and see how they do. If you’re craving Mexican food in Carmel, it can be a nice go-​to.

Margaritas are great! Nachos are just so so, wish I had the fajitas instead. People next to us had them and they looked amazing. Will definitely come back to try them!

Not what I would expect from the name and location not made to order guacamole and pre-​mix margaritas…

Good restaurant, but one flaw. Service can be very slow. Also, I was told that they cannot accommodate gluten free — Paleo diets. Ah, well, they make great margaritas!!!

We arrived at Agave and were seated outside with a closed umbrella at the table. The waiter never said anything about it initially and it was impossible to see the other person across from me. I asked the waiter if he could raise it up. He then gave us a long speech about all the things that could happen if the wind took the umbrella such as it hitting a car, hitting another person, damaging property etc. Not understanding why he was telling us this we asked «So what you’re saying is, if we open the umbrella we are responsible if any of those things happen?» He said yes and we just asked him to take it out completely feeling irritated that he didn’t just say that in the first place. (Mind you there were about 6 other tables with umbrellas already open).
The De La Casa Margarita is awful. It tastes like a straight mix. I asked the waiter if he could change it to The Skinny Margarita that the other person got and he said «Yes, I will dump a little of this out and put some of that mix in it»…Not what I asked. Still tasted bad.
I ordered the combo plate with two ground beef enchiladas, and they we’re extremely soggy and the meat had no taste. My friend ordered the fish tacos and it was a tortilla full of fish… nothing else.
Will not go back and recommend people not to go.

I really like this place. Especially when it is nice and you can get a table outside. Although, the décor inside is pretty good especially when they have the upstairs part open and you can go gaze at the giant glass sculpture hanging up there.
A few months ago they introduced a special burrito called the Bandera Burrito. It has since been added to the regular menu. I love this burrito! It has everything in it, steak, chicken, shrimp, churrizo… Then it is topped with 3 sauces (red sauce, verde sauce and a white cheese sauce) to look like a mexican flag, so the presentation is as nice as the flavor of the burrito.
Since I had this, it is the only thing I have ordered, so I can’t speak to much else on the menu, but I can say if you have this burrito you will not be disappointed!

The food here is fine, although if you’re looking for authentic Mexican food, you’d be sadly disappointed by Agave.
I got the Agave Enchiladas, which were just «meh.» I would not get them again. They were basically just corn tortillas rolled around some chewy beef, covered with green sauce. Which, like, that sounds like an enchilada, right? But there was something missing from these. Also, they were uncomfortably spicy, and the meal came with three of them, so it was three times the spicy meh-​ness.
I also ordered sangria, and that, too, was nothing special. It tasted like it came from a can. This was probably my fault — I mean, sangria is Spanish, not Mexican, so why did I order it at a Mexican restaurant thinking it was going to be good? That was dumb.
The service was shoddy — we didn’t see our server the entire time, then at the end, he kept trying to take my plate as I was clearly still eating from it! This happened twice.
My dining partner got the fajitas and enjoyed them, but said the rice and beans were just OK. Also, the guacamole was kind of slimy, like it wasn’t freshly made. (You know, the more I reflect on the meal, the more I want to change my rating to two stars! We’ll say it was two-​and-​a-​half stars.)
The chips and salsa were really good, though.

This place is a hidden gem in a beautiful part of Carmel. It’s beautifully decorated, clean, and the staff is awesome! When we were seated the server immediately greeted us, took our drink orders and gave us chips. Our food was brought out immediately and our sever came back several times to ensure that we had what we needed. I absolutely love the service that we received.
In regards to the food the portions were very large for the price that we paid for our meals. To me it tasted like authentic Mexican food and with such a variety of items to choose from one would have to go back several times as its hard to pick just one item! The food was so awesome that I didn’t want to take anyone, I finished it there! The drink specials were awesome and the margaritas were awesome as well.
Overall I absolutely LOVED the place and I am now making it a point to stop in whenever I go to my doctors office which is located in Carmel!

I judge the authenticity of a Mexican restaurant by the existence of Chimichangas on their menus. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some deep-​fried-​burrito goodness, but it’s been a good barometer. And it was not wrong in this case. It had Chimichangas and wasn’t very authentic. Good food, don’t get me wrong, but not authentic.
The salsa was great. Perfect level of spice. I got the Enchilada Carnitas and my sister got the Agave Burrito. Both of us had our Mexican food cravings satisfied. The service was good. We were a bit indecisive and they didn’t seem annoyed at having to come back a few times. While I didn’t order it, they had lamb on the menu which was super cool.
But, it’s not a Mexican restaurant experience, in my opinion, without some tequila adult beverages. They have my favorite, Casa Noble Anjeo, so that’s great, but all their margaritas are made with a purchased mix. Boo. I won’t be wasting a good tequilla with a bad mix so I got the Black Margarita with whatever it normally comes with. It was actually black so that was cool. It was as good as can be expected with a bought mix, which is to say, too sweet. So, I’m dinging them a star for that. They almost lost two stars over it, but the food was tasty so, I’ll go with four stars.

When it comes to Carmel, I think this is the top Mexican spot. The food is always cooked fresh and the place is always clean. The service can use some work in my opinion as they always seem mad but it is probably their normal disposition. The chips here are delicious and always fill me up before my entrée comes (ugh, don’t you hate that?) and their salsa is so good it is practically drinkable.
When I have a hankering for Mexican, this is the spot. That being said, if you are from the Southwest or California, you may think this is sub-​par and I do not blame ya (lives in Phoenix 6 years)…but hey, its Indy!

Great salsa and guac! Beautiful inside and good food ! If you’re new in carmel, stop
In to eat here, you won’t regret it.

We went o Agave Bar and Grill for the first time today, and I was very impressed. Every aspect of the experience was top-​notch. I had the Carnitas, which is a slow-​roasted pork dish. The pork was very tender and full of flavor, with fresh corn tortillas. Service was outstanding, and the interior was nicely decorated. The décor blends well with the art gallery look & feel of the Main Street area. My wife had the Tacos de Carne Asada, which I found to be authentic and reminiscent of the thousands of tacos I’ve had in Guadalajara. Real Mexican tacos, of course, are pretty simple. Small corn tortillas, chopped flank steak, chopped onions and cilantro — that’s all you need. We also had the fresh guacamole, along with the flautas. I can’t say enough about this place. It was really wonderful and a pleasant surprise.

This place was wonderful, maybe not by Carmel standards but compared to what we have in our town a nice Mexican restaurant. I loved the Agave dip.

I had dinner here last night with a friend; we wanted to try out a place we hadn’t been before in the Carmel Arts District, and so opted to give Agave a try. We were not disappointed!
We were greeted by a very friendly hostess, and our drink order was taken promptly. The «medium» margaritas may seem a little pricey, but are large enough to last through chips, dinner and even a bit of after dinner imbibing. I had the Agave margarita and it was great! The chips were fresh, tasty, and plentiful and the salsa was also clearly freshly made and tasty.
Since this was my first visit here, I went classic with the tacos de carne asada. They were delicious! I had the black beans instead of refried as my side; just as an FYI, these are served in broth in a bowl. I wasn’t expecting a soup like side, but it was quite good! Portion sizes are what I consider appropriate and reasonable, but those with larger appetites might consider small. Prices are very reasonable though so those with larger appetites could easily add on some other items.
Service was wonderful! Attentive without being intrusive. Food and drinks came out quickly, but we were not rushed. The atmosphere is bright, modern and not too loud.
We will definitely be back to try more of the menu here!

Fist time at Agave. It was a nice night and we were able to sit outside. It can get a bit loud with the car’s going buy but still it was a nice setting. The food was a lot better than I expected. Not anything like the typical Mexican places around Carmel. This one is a better quality of food. The service was very good and the Patron Margarita was excellent.
Will certainly be back to Agave.

My heart ached when Sonata tapas closed at the same location. The new owners adapted the gallery-​like space quite well with art and the bar design. Fits very well in the Carmel Arts and Crafts atmosphere and is begging to become a favorite for many girl-​nights-​out.
The food is fresh and reasonably priced at the $ 7 – 8 lunch. The portions are thankfully more reasonable than most restaurants (which may leave an occasional guy disappointed).
No shortage of good Mexican restaurants around Indy. The better ones have there distinct «signature» in the flavor of chips and salsa. Agave’s is «thin, crunchy chips, fresh mild smoky salsa».
Out of our selections of Chicken taco salad, quesadilla, burrito and Pollo Hawaii the chicken with ham and pineapple took the creativity prize.
Give it a try on your next trip to Main Street Carmel.

Arts District has a new Mexican go-​to place. Agave has a nice patio seating if the weather is great. Service is good and portions are pretty huge. It’s very reasonably priced considering the ginormous amount of food one will get.
Their guacamole was pretty good and they didn’t skimp on the avocado. They have a good selection of entrees including chimichangas. One thing though is their lack of dessert selection. They now serve just flan and fried ice cream.
Parking can be quite tough. Don’t be surprised if you need to walk for a little bit. However, enjoy the sights and sounds of Main St. in Carmel while you’re at it.