Agava Review

Watery drinks, food was heavy handed, oily, and under seasoned. Used to be better but have been disappointed the last few times.

Very average food. We had to wait 40 minutes to get a table.

This place is a hidden gem! Not only is it cute and service fabulous but the food is the real star. I live in NYC so variety is normal for me; however, I found items on this menu I never saw in the city. Fresh food, truly delicious, a must go to if you have a chance.

Small portions, slow service, items didn't come out together pricy for what you get

Very comfortable and beautiful place for dinner. Our server Eric was very polite and checked up on us often. The complementary chips and homemade salsa was excellent and before 2 of us where able finish the appetizer our meal was delivered fresh and exactly as we had ordered it. Strongly recommend visiting if you haven't already!

Pros: The venue is really interestingly decorated with great art and lighting. Wait staff is very friendly and attentive.

Cons: Menu is surprising short with very limited authentic Mexican food choices. Only 1 type of tacos comes with meat, which unless you like it in one big chunk you have to chop the meat up yourself. No options for burritos, totstadas, enchiladas, etc. Not even the dessert menu had any Mexican options. "South West inspired" is used very loosely here.

Overall: Would not recommend and will not return. Save your money and just go to Chipotle.

Very nice restaurant. The cauliflower nachos were amazing!! The chips and guacamole were also good but a lot of the chips were chewy rather than crispy. Interesting drinks, some a little overpriced for the size of the drink.

Love coming here for brunch and lunch - some of my favorite food in town. Really enjoy the farm-to-table aspect and the drinks never disappoint.

Love the atmosphere and music. Felt like I was in a restaurant in the Caribbean. Love the food.

I m someone who likes to cook their own meals and I seldom eat out. I ve now visited Agava four times now in the five months since I moved to Ithaca. Their food is top-notch, every time. I m vegetarian, and they have plenty of choices for me. Whether you re vegetarian or a meat-lover, you must try their roasted cauliflower - it is priceless! Their menu is a bit pricey, but I think it s worth it. Their service is very good too, and the waiters are knowledgeable about the menu and good with their suggestion and specials. The only (minor) downside is that they don t seem happy/willing to accommodate requests to substitute or remove certain ingredients, but I think perhaps that is to be expected from a more upscale dining experience.

I'm torn about Agava. The ambiance is great and I love the nice music scene. I feel like the food is okay and way too pricey. If you don't care about cost I might recommend it more, but there are better spots in Ithaca for all the food Agava serves. They recently revamped their menu for simplicity, but I was still underwhelmed with my entre. A safe place to take people without a sophisticated palate who are also buying.

Great food but the ridiculously tight seating accommodations ruin the meal.

Food is very good but pricy. Agava always has thier own twists to classic dishes which can win over most, but drive away some. This is also a great place for salsa night and high quality + low price margaritas

Amazing food, great selection of beer and other adult drinks. Chicken and waffles and a jalapeno margarita, can't be beat!

Great farm to table fare. Unique. Reminds me of Austin.

Kids eat free Tuesday and the food is always awesome. My daughter devoured her pizza. Great selection of craft beer on tap.

This used to be one of my favorite go-to places. It's still good, but not as good as it was 3 or 4 years ago in my opinion. The sandwich menu is more limited and the burgers are only so-so. Having said the above, it's still a good seasonal menu, uses locally grown ingredients, has plenty of beer choices and other alcohol choices, and incredibly good hand-cut fries with house made ketchup. Plus, it has live music weekly, which is a very, very good thing. So despite my reservations I still rate it highly - 4/5.

My mother and I regularly visit this restaurant and are always very satisfied. Friendly servers, prompt service, and great tasting food with a variety of dietary options. It never disappoints!

can't believe people like the bloody mary... I just want a good bloody, such a simple beverage and yet to hard to make..I'd say they are trying too hard to be different

Stopped in for a late lunch. Stood at the door for about 5 minutes. Workers busy everywhere, but I was not even acknowledged. Talk about awkward...

The bartenders didn't spend much time with you. Sat at the bar and nobody made you feel welcomed. Ordered a $23 chicken #10 meal. It was less serving than you would get a fast food place for less than 10 bucks. Was literally a chicken thigh and leg with the bone in, a couple pieces of green and some mashed potatoes.

Service was horrible. Food didnt exactly make up for it but they felt bad when we complained a little.

Decent quality food, but not as good as I was expecting from reviews. Very busy place, and would definitely recommend a reservation if you want to be able to spend time here. I went without one, and they were able to seat us immediately with the condition we needed to be out before their next reservation. Highly recommend their chicken wing appetizer, if you can handle a little bit of spice. This was definitely the best dish I had to eat while there.

A great spot for Southwest inspired brunch and lunch/dinner options. They also have good drink specials and a unique environment. The best part is Wednesday night, when the establishment clears out some tables and has Latin Dance night. A ton of fun, would highly recommend a visit!

One of our favorite after work happy hour stops. Good selection of beers on tap and they do not skimp on the mixed drinks (very good Mojitos and Margaritas). Flat bread pizzas are excellent; as are the tacos; good burger too. Love the chips and salsa they bring to the table.

The food was REALLY good!! Nice place as well. I will go back for sure

Meh. Other than the emphasis on margaritas, this is not at all Southwest cuisine. There are more pizza and burger options on the menu than anything else. Oh right, they bring 'chips' and salsa to the table.

The food was great. Unfortunately, you have to have reservations if you want to eat at the grownups table... otherwise, they will make you sit outside and eat out of a paper bag.

Packed and the food and service was great! I would highly recommend.

We loved this restaurant! We were looking for a late night dinner and cocktails, and we were very happy with the menu and setting. Service, food and cocktails were fantastic. Especially loved the decor and ambiance of the place. Can't wait to return!

Food is a bit expensive and the taste is only decent, good ambiance.

We love this restaurant! We have been here a lot, they have spectacular drinks. The meat dishes are great, but also the pizza and the vegetarian plates! Friendly staff and great southern atmosphere!

Good food and the most progressive restaurant regarding Covid-19 safety that I have been to anywhere.

Wonderful food and drinks. Unique environment with great deck. Some if the best food in Ithaca NY.

Friendly casual place serving quality Mexican inspired food. Servers great. College town feel. Yes busy but worth the wait

Agava is one of the best places relative to what is around. It's pricy. But the quality is high and service is good. The food is also delicious

Excellent food and ambience. Love to eat here with family and friends.

Top 3 reasturants in Ithaca, and is worth the drive!

Super delicious food, been there multiple times and always fantastic!!!

Service good; burger was more of a ball than a patty... resulting in improper grilling. Cool atmosphere though.