Agave Y Aguacate

I’m afraid he moved out of this location.

The dynamics of this latin ‘food court’ are incredible! A casual weekend shopping trip to the market would not be complete without a trip here to grab, at the very least, a churro (with everything!) and check out the action toward the rear of the space. I upped a pic of the cool skeleton woman ‘scarecrow’ that greets you as you enter the bakery at the front and it is quite a shock But the kiosks at the back are what intrigue me most. The taco stand on the left had such a compelling menu that I grabbed a pic of that too. Carne asada (steak) as well as beef cheeks and cactus, and… well check out the pic and zoom in on the selections, fantastic! Ask about their home made salsa sauces for your taco. I tried them all, quite delicious, and the habanero is hot and rich like you would expect, yummmmy.
And, if that’s not enough, at the rear of the space there is now a west Indian stand selling jerk chicken. They have some serious gear for cooking back there, and told me that the grilling is done outside. It all was a bit much to take in for me all at once, so yes, another visit is coming up, of course!
4 stars as the place could be cleaned up and organized a bit.

disheveled approach/​environment bu I really like supporting this type of micro-​business
Food all were super-​fresh and very tasty… love the empanadas and the menu had a few more items that I’d like to try someday. Try the tosdadas… you’ll like it.

Food is 5 stars. But, it is abit expensive for a snack food. And, it is slowwww… If you are in a hurry, don’t bother coming here. Just grab a churros (it’s delicious) from the next stall.
There is a patio in the back.

Came here on a Friday evening. Hidden inside a complex of different to-​go counters, you’ll find Agave Y Aguacate. Not to be confused with the empanadas stand to the right, their menu is a few items and the descriptions on a paper.
The portions are small but filling, leaving lots of room for dessert, plantains and churros.
We got the Chicken Mole (2pcs) $ 11 it was good but small. I also got the Anita Tostada. It was extremely tasty but still on the pricey side $ 10 for a small plate.
For dessert we got the Lime Charlotte based on all the reviews below. Omg it was extremely tasty. All these different flavors in one spoonful.
What’s great is the all natural and authentic foods. Worth a try but couldn’t come here everyday.
I would get maybe three dishes plus dessert for two people but where do you eat all this ??? We were lucky it was a nice day and we ate in the parking lots back patio.

Right in the heart of Kensington Market on Agusta and in the back of El Gordo Fine Foods/Pancho’s Bakery lies one of the best Mexican food «secrets» in the city.
Francisco used to cook at Torito when it was wicked (now, I’m not sure what it’s like. I don’t think the quality at Torito is that great anymore). Anyways, he cooks from the heart and is such a character! Oh, and bring cash only kids.
VIBE
Look for the very colourful mural in the back of Pancho’s bakery. It’s like when you hit the piñata and all of the candy comes out except it’s Mexican food. And it’s not your typical tacos/​guacamole. Francisco is cooking up the real deal right in front of you.
And don’t expect to have a fancy seat. You’ve got a plastic chair with one table in the back or the floor. Make use of it. Lots of Spanish being spoken. It’s pretty cool.
I ATE
The tostada Ana — a crispy open tortilla filled with avocado, chorizo and black bean paste, queso fresco (fresh cheese –which doesn’t really have a lot of flavour) and guajillo sauce which gives the meat a bit of kick. Yowza! It’s going to be awkward eating it, I have to admit. Everything is super fresh though and Francisco walks you through the ingredients. It’s a great way to have a conversation. The menu changes on the regular.
The whole menu looks lovely though and nothing is over $ 11.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
If you want a Toronto experience, this one is it. I will be back!

I haven’t told many this, but on my deathbed my last meal would be a Mexican schmorgasboard fiesta. I don’t think there is any other cuisine out there that marries some of my favorite flavors. I like it all. Every dish from Americana to Traditional Mexican fare would be mine to have: A taco stand with all my favorite fillings, an endless plate of shrimp and baja fish, ceviche, a never ending bowl of guacamole, tostada’s, home made fajita and corn chips, empanadas, chalupa’s chimichanga’s, fajita’s, taquito’s, mole, mole, mole, tamale’s, burrito’s and of course churro’s. Is your mouth watering yet? It’s almost lunchtime and there’s no good Mexican options in the area, which brings me to my point.
AGAVE Y AGUACATE… silence. This gem deserves a moment of silence for finally bringing the standard for Mexican food to Toronto. Most of the old famous (Dos Amigos, Chimichanga, El Trompo) have been sloppy and lost their zest for Mexican cooking. What does Agave Y Aguacate have that the others lack — Francisco Alejandri. Francisco is all about passion and cooking with his heart. I’ve had the pleasure of watching him prepare my food. His process and focus is absolutely beautiful to witness. His mantra says it all — Mexican soul food. This is what Agave is all about. Flavors which leave you talking for days and pining for. Check out his blog, he shells out some secrets to some of his favorite dishes he prepares.
I ordered…
TOSTADA VERDE/​GREEN TOSTADA (central mexico style guacamole, tomatoes, sheep’s milk pecorino cheese, crema fresca and guajillo sauce)
CAMARONES ROJOS/​RED SHRIMPS (shrimps with red escabeche on a slice of avocado with a drizzle of crema fresca and topped with crushed peanuts)
Francisco understands balance in his dishes for both the flavor and presentation. His guacamole is genius and he sources the best avocados I have ever seen. I was tempted to put some salt on my green tostada but I have recently inherited an unusual need for too much salt. Everything is made to order so be patient. He sources all of his ingredients locally from the nearby Mexican specialty and produce stores. The only issue I faced was trying to figure out how to tackle my first bite and avoid getting it all over my shirt.
The location is a bit bizarre. Tucked inside of a Mexican to go counter, you’ll find Agave in the back squeezed between another Mexican food stand and a specialty lemonade stand. There’s no seating and it gets incredibly hot in there on a packed day in the summer, but few restaurants allow you into their kitchen to see their master chef at work. You must take a visit to Agave and bring a friend so you can try everything.

SUPERB!
Simple food cooked fresh full of flavour and taste. The location looks a little shabby, but that adds to the experience, and the actual stall seems to be clean and professionally kept. We tried four different dishes and they were all good but the ceviche needs a special mention, as it was sooooo tasty! A Kensington market gem.

The tostada was good. Really good. The prices and serving sizes were not. I ordered a flank steak salad and a Green Tostada. The tostada was delightful, the steak salad was alright, but it didn’t blow me away. Everything was done fresh, right in front of me, it’s true, but the steak salad seemed to be nothing more than a small potion of steak with three cilantro leaves thrown in, and a thin slice of avocado. Not bad by any means, but nothing special.
No line up when I arrived at 1:30pm, however this may have been because it was one of the HOTTEST DAYS in Toronto, and no one besides me was silly enough to leave their air conditioning spaces. That being said, despite the lack of a line, I was still perturbed at how small the portion sizes of each dish were and their cost. Each item on it’s own was too small for a lunch, so At $ 7 each my $ 14 lunch was tasty, but to be honest, there are lots of other great, fresh, tasty lunch options in Kensington for under $ 10. Don’ t know that I will be back. (This is very disappointing for me, as I had been looking forward to going here for a while!)

Decided to come to Agave y Aguacate as we were downtown and I have always wanted to try it out based on the Unilocal buzz it had gotten in recent months. I tried the Tinga Tostada ($ 6.75) which was made with beans, tomato, avocado and chicken. I guess inflation has finally found its way to this joint?
I agree with Jennifer K that they could stand to be a bit more generous with their avocado (I got one tiny slice of it). Service is at a snail’s pace, although you are getting freshly prepared food.
There is seating if you walk out to the back. However, if it is a hot summer’s day, be warned, you will be sweating buckets as it is a makeshift seating area with no shade of any kind!
I can now say I’ve tried it — but I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to come back for a Tostada. In my opinion it was nothing special. The difference is that it is made to order with fresh ingredients.

Green Tostada, amazing.
Fresh guacamole, quesa fresca, tomato, sauce. All made to order. All made with love, and care, and one order at a time. Perfectly seasoned. Portions are on the smaller side, so get an empanada from the booth across from Agave to tide you over. Have some patience, it will be rewarded.
Based on comments from the other reviewers, I think the prices may have increased slightly. The Green Tostada was $ 7, The Tinga $ 6.75
Makeshift patio out back to eat. Excellent.

the meaning of Agave Y Aguacate in Portuguese is «Ages and Ages».
Since the dawn of time, the eccentric chef is making tostada.
The same tostada.
Expect a line of Now readers, too blind to open an Eye for other great latin food in the exact same joint. The snacks are delicious but 20 minutes for a sandwich? Hijo de Puta !
Nevertheless — this «hole in the hole in the wall» is, hands and agaves down — one of the best $ 4 lunches in the GTA.

Expect ridiculously long line ups on weekends/​sunny days. Worth the wait!
For a small food booth, the chef really knows how to put on a show and get interactive with customers. It reminds me of a teppenyaki experience, where you wait excitedly to see what the chef will do next.
Fresh ingredients are all artistically arranged within the booth and you can’t help drooling a little while you wait.
I tried the Tinga Tostadas (beans, tomato, avocado and chicken). Portion size is not huge but neither is the price, so everything is A-​OK.
The next booth over (Arepa Market) is fab too, so 214 August Ave is turning into quite the little Latin hot-​spot.

4.5 Stars
So first off, to find this place you need to go into Gordo’s Fine Foods on Augusta. When you walk in you’ll see a Mexican bakery in the front and then four mini food stations in the back. The one with the massive line is Agave Y Aguacate.
So flavour wise this place is a 5+. The tinga tostada I had was the perfect balance of smokey chipotle, tomatoes and onions, with none of the ingredients out-​competing the others. The tostada itself was perfectly crispy and everything was topped off with some nice quesa fresca, pickled red onions, red and white sauce, and a cool slice of avocado. The tostada was probably the best I’ve ever had in my life and the quality of «Mexican soul food» here rivals the stuff I’ve had in California.
The downsides are the line and lack of eating space although in some ways both actually add to the charm. Waiting in line for 15 minutes both builds anticipation and allows you to watch the labour of love Francisco Allejandri puts into every tostada, as he chops, mashes, and composes while listening to his IPOD in his chef coat.
Similarly, wolfing down the tostada (while not forgetting to breathe) in the alley right outside, somehow seems appropriate.
This is now a must-​do in Kensington and is probably going to cut down on the amount of visits I do to El Trompo when I’m having a Mexican craving.
PS — shout-​outs are merited to the Arepa station (I had a great one in line) and the bakery in the front (where I bought a top notch dulce de leche churro post-​tostada)

I love the punk-​rock, ramshackle approach/​environment of this guy’s set-​up and really like supporting this type of micro-​business (and i do mean ‘micro’ — pretty remarkable what he can churn out from within a space that’s smaller than my bathroom).
After two visits here (both on weekends, waited a good 15 – 20 min each time), I shared the following items (pretty much the entire menu) and all were super-​fresh and very tasty, but could use a good bump of heat for added nuance:
— tinga (chicken) tostada ($ 5.50)
— *verde (veggie) tostada ($ 5)
— meatball sandwich ($ 7.50)
— and pinto bean soup ($ 3.50)
*the verde was tasty but not as much as the chicken, so if you’re a meat-​eater…
A FEW FYI’S:
— cash only
— if you’re there on the weekend, past 4pm. be prepared for some items to be ‘sold out’ — notably, the flank steak salad and meatball sandwich
— this place is not without its charms, but if you’re like me and like to share everything with your companion… these items are tricky to divvy up in the best of scenarios, let alone when you’re relegated to standing due to no seating *and* you’ve got plastic cutlery. sharing gets real messy, which takes away from the taste experience, imo.
— is it worth waiting *beyond* 20 min in a hot’n’crowded environment? i’d say, maybe once… but otherwise, life is short, and there are too many other (and quicker) good-​eats options in kensington to bother to wait a second time, especially if you’re hungry.

Anyone who has an ounce of patience should definately go and try this place out. You’ll be rewarded end to end — be it food, the way its prepared or the humbleness of the chef — Alejandri rocks !!
Definately try the bean soup — so hearty and there’s something which Alejandri adds to the cup before he pours the soup which adds so much flavour to the soup.
I had the Tinga Tostadas and the bean soup and will definately be back for the Lime Charolette as I wanted to have chorrious. IMO this place should not be visited if your intention is to go talk with your friends — Visit this place when you want to go and ‘taste’ good mexican food.
I think Alejandri should open a place, increase the menu items keeping the quality and experience same.

I was lucky, I ordered my food before the line started building up at Agave Y Aguacate.
It was such an enjoyable experience, watching my food being prepared with such care and interact with the chef…
He really took his time cooking everything from scratch… even the Tostadas was freshly deep fried when ordered!
Tinga Tostadas ($ 5.50)
— perfect size as a snack!
— Nice mixture of chicken, re fried beans, fresh tomato and wish there is more avocado!
Lime Charolette
— I have no intention to have this dessert! I would never know what I am missing… until the stranger standing next to me suddenly tell me I have to try it?! He then walked away and came back with another fork and shared half of his dessert with me! (Might be I have that «Can I have a taste of your food» look as usual in my eyes??)
— This is a rich rich version of «Key Lime Pie»! Soaked with fresh lime juice and draping with olive oil… yet soft and melt in your mouth richness!
Definitely come and try out some Tostadas next time when you in the Kensington Market area.

4.5 STARS
What a great day in Kensington to be munching on Mexican food. We first stopped by here on Pedestrian Sunday. You know a place is bumping when there’s a huge line-​up and many people walking out of the store and happily munching away food outside.
Agave y Agucate is a very tiny little store; with a bakery in the front and a cramped little space in the back. There’s only one chef that worked there — and he was working his butt off. The line up there was huge, and many people were waiting there for the deliciousness that was going to come their way. My friends and I all ordered the tingo tostada; the tostada (basically a fried/​toasted tortilla) with fried beans, pulled chicken, avocado, onions and Mexican crema. You can see it that he takes him time and effort into every single tostada.
Although service was a bit slow, and the place was a bit cramped — the food was delicious. A great place to grab a little snack on a sunny stroll in Kensington (however, you might want to be careful and avoid dropping this on your clothes).

While the portions aren’t large (at lunch — I hear dinner has larger portions), they are very, very, tasty. And everything is made to order — even the soup!
Since everything is made to order, you really do want to eat everything as soon as you can. Since there are maybe 5 seats in the entire place (3 sharing a table, 2 stools at the window), this can prove tricky when busy. If you’re intent on take-​out, bring your own containers (for now) — the soup was the only thing that has a container to go.
Green Tostada
Guacamole laced with lime — just the way I like it — piled on a fresh tostada, with lightly marinated tomatoes and a slice of queso fresco cheese. Topped with guajillo chili and tomatillo salsa. A really delicious mixture of creamy and crunchy. I splashed some of the habanero sauce that was on offer beside the table, but it wasn’t very hot and I thought the dish was better without it. It really took me away from the dreary rain.
Flank Steak Salad
Great fresh flavours — lime, onion, vinegar, jalapeño, tomato, and shredded flank steak. Sided with tortilla chips (fried to order, apparently. I missed this part as I dorking away on my cell). I could have used more jalapeño for more kick, but it was a really beautifully crafted dish with awesome layers of flavour. I also somehow thought this was a sandwich.
Soup
While you can take this out in a container, I highly recommend you don’t. Served piping hot, the avocado will cook and become a bit bitter if you leave it in there too long. A really thick bean soup with lots of flavour topped with tostada strips that gives it some texture. Less my thing.
Lime Charolotte
A lime tiramisu-​like dessert topped with fresh lime zest and olive oil. This is a dense and creamy confection. Really nice, but I was so full, I had to save it for later.
So glad I went (read about it in NOW this morning!). Watching the chef make each dish was really interesting. The care he puts in really shows. Am looking forward to a future meal.
COLES NOTES:
— Mexican soul food
— Lime is a strong flavour throughout many dishes.
— If you’re looking for this place, it’s in the back of a El Gordo’s Fine Foods across from Jumbo Empanada. Outside, you’ll see a bakery with churros on offer. I missed it on my first pass.
— Dishes around around the $ 5 – 6 mark. Cash only.
— Getting my food wasn’t fast, but not ridiculously slow either. Just don’t be in a rush, m’kay?
(photos and menu on the blog)

Kensington Market is one of my happy places. Walking around there, even on a winter’s day is like going into sensory overload. I always make sure to carry some extra shopping totes with me when I head through the streets. What can I say, I’m just a weakling when you put me on to these streets. Meat, cheese, fish, spices, baked goods and then your nose takes over.
Smell is such a powerful trigger. As I walk past Pancho’s Bakery my snozz gets a scent full of cooking Churros. It is just too much for me and I’m ready to succumb to those evil fried tubes of pastry goodness but the throngs of people squeezing into the doors puts me off. I manage to just get inside the entrance of Pancho’s and I’m beginning to feel the onset of claustrophobia. The heaviness of the wafting scents of frying oil only adds to the sensation of not being able to get my breath. I look up and I notice the stairs leading up to a small upper level that looks far less populated. Squeezing through the crowd I work my way up the stairs only to discover that there are other small food booths/​destinations inside of Pancho’s Bakery. This setting of a small business inside of another small business is very much of what you can expect to find in an authentic central America street food setting. You’ll find small, one man food booths, each person selling their specialty foods, often a special family recipe. Something tells me I’m going to be grateful for the perseverance of pushing through the hoards of the Churro chuffing mob.
Meet Francisco «Paco» Alejandri. His booth is called Agave Y Agucate (which means Agave & Avocado). As it turns out our paths have crossed over at the Drake at 86’D Mondays. We had sat beside each other during a guacamole smack down, devouring Chicharrones together along with a little mountains of avocado goodness. Francisco has opened up his own petite table in Pancho’s. It is difficult not to notice his space up there because he has muraled the wall behind him and it’s an explosion of a gorgeous tangerine colour. His cooking station is spotless, with small mortal & pistol bowls, a couple of special tabletop burners, cutting boards, a small deep fryer and little piles of fresh uncut tomatoes, avocados, jalapenos, fresh greens & herbs. His chalkboard menu is tiny. There are 5 items on it. Francisco makes one of my most fave Mexican indulgences, Tinga Tostadas, which is a version of a Mexican pulled pork on a tostada piled with array of fresh toppings. My daughter and I order a Tinga Tostada, a Verde Tostada.
I’m mystified by the presence of a big glass beverage dispenser. I ask Francisco about it and he tells me it is Hibiscus water. My eyes open wide. I have never had Hibiscus water but I was drawn to it by the brilliant ruby colour. Being a gardener I can appreciate the exotic beauty of the Hibiscus flowers. They are pretty and delicate, somewhat similar to Hollyhocks. We order a glass and I stand there watching as Francisco begins making our order and I slowly, somewhat cautiously take a sip. The drink was not chilled which means the flavors will flow through my palate even quicker. It was sweet but not cloying or perfumy. Can you call a beverage delicate? It didn’t have any astringency like you’d find in lemonade or any tannin after taste like ice tea. I couldn’t put my finger on the flavour except to say I’m calling Francisco to ask him if I could buy a couple of litres of it. Hibiscus water could be the base of a really beautiful exotic summertime cocktail Just like me to be thinking about what booze I could mix this up with!
It was a pleasure watching Francisco lovingly prepare these tostadas. It is a labour of love. None of the veggies or toppings, other than the pork and the onions, which seem to be marinated in something that has softened them, has been pre-​chopped. So I watch as Francisco cuts open a fresh avocado and carefully slices out three pieces for topping. The first layer of the tostada has fried black beans, he ladles a generous helping of the pork mixture and then he just continues to pile, topping after topping. He chops fresh jalapenos, he chops up fresh tomatoes. I am watching food architecture. That cream that is last splash on the very top, isn’t your standard sour cream, there is something very different about it. This tostada has colour, texture, crunch, smoothness, heat, sweet and is filled with true TLC.
The Verde Tostada is perfect for the vegetarians in the crowd. Francisco pulps the fresh avocado mixture, tops that with a slab of Queso Fresco and what I think is a roasted tomatillo salsa of some sort. We plunk ourselves on one of six chairs available in the whole place and eat our food watching the world of Kensington Market pass by the windows.
For all this freshly made goodness and a couple of glasses of Hibiscus Water the price tag is $ 12.50. La Vida es Buena (life is good). We’ll be back. Check out the pics!