Lexington, KY - The Blue Agave Cantina and Tequila Bar is the latest incarnation of the space at Victorian Square in downtown Lexington that has, in the past half decade or so, housed a sushi joint, two different Italian restaurants, and most recently a sports bar.
Blue Agave opened recently in mid-August, and though my guest and I could tell that there were still the usual kinks any new restaurant experiences (unfamiliarity with the menu items, a few unstocked items), it became apparent that the owners and chefs were serious about how they were going to handle their treatment of Mexican cuisine after we tasted the homemade salsa and guacamole. Both were extremely fresh.
Before my visit, I thought the restaurant, which takes its name from the chief ingredient used to make tequila, would be one of these suave Tex-Mex eateries that have been emerging in metro areas that serve "authentic" Mexican food at anything other than authentic prices. True to form, you won't find any hard, crunchy taco shells here, but Blue Agave is very modestly priced, with most entrees priced at $8-9. "Alambres," the chef's specialty, run $12, and "don't call it a 'fajita,'" the menu warns.
Along with the entrees, which also include flautas, three varieties of enchilada plates, a carnitas platter (pork), a chimichanga, scrambled eggs (huevos) and chorizo sausage, and, of course, mini burgers, for the Mexi-phobic guest in your party, the menu also has as a number of taco platters (with steak, chicken, pork or "al pastor" options), tortas, appetizer dips (queso, black bean) and small plates (ceviche, quesadillas).
My guest ordered the mole enchiladas, which were well done: the mole sauce, a spicy amalgamation of tastes, including chili peppers and chocolate, had just the right hint of spice and wasn't overbearingly sweet. I went straight for the carnitas tacos, since that's my barometer for any Mexican restaurant, and I wasn't disappointed. Though the pork wasn't as crispy as I like, it tasted good with the onion, cilantro and soft corn shells.
Since it does bill itself as a tequila bar (and given we did our fair share of imbibing), a quick mention of the Mexican spirit selections is appropriate. At the moment, Blue Agave has a fair selection of about a dozen tequilas, as well as two infused well tequilas -
citrus and melon.
Our bill, prior to tipping came to $45, which is very affordable, especially given the fact that our tequila consumption accounted for nearly half of the damages. Any comfortable, and affordable, restaurant downtown is a welcome addition in my book.