Agave Y Aguacate

I was expecting a lot from this restaurant considering I had heard so much about it. I booked in advance for a large table for my birthday dinner.
Let’s start with the service — terrible. A flustered waitress, who was not particularly helpful. Orders were messed up completely.
Dishes were small, lacklustre and expensive. Not worth the hype

I had read so much about Agave Y Aguacate, and being a Mexican food lover, I was eager to try these dishes. I e-​mailed the owner of the restaurant requesting a reservation for 10 people (grew to 12 ppl when two friends joined us at the last minute), and he promptly responded confirming my request. That was a good start.
When we arrived for our reservation at 6:30pm, we were guided upstairs to our seats, and by 7pm the place was packed. We all decided to start with one dish, even though our waitress suggested that we each get at least 2 dishes because on average people eat 2 – 3 dishes each. We would have started with 2 dishes, if not for the prices. 5 out of 12 people ordered the chicken tinga ($ 13), and 4 people ordered the flank steak ($ 14), 1 ordered the tongue and one ordered the meatballs (can’t remember the prices of all the items, and they do not have a menu online). I asked our waitress if I could get my chicken tinga without onions, and she said «sure, no problem.» I was the only one that ordered a second dish. You see, I grew up on black bean soup, and for $ 9, I figured it would be an amazing soup to charge that much for a soup made from beans. When the dishes arrived, our first thought was that they were small plates. But they did say that they were tapas, so we could not complain about that. My soup was tiny and it had no flavor. It was so bland, that I imagined the chef throwing a can of black beans and a can of tomatoes into a blender and blending it for 2 minutes and then pouring it on to a bowl. The chicken tinga arrived with no onions on top, which was a relief. But as I looked more closely at it, the chicken was swimming in onions! How can they miss that?
I asked my friends if they were enjoying their dishes, and the consensus was that the food lacked flavor and that the portions were too small. The price simply did not warrant the quality of food we received. So when our waitress returned, we asked for the bill rather than order a second round of plates. I also felt bad for the friends who ordered a beer. $ 8 for a can of beer? Are you kidding me? This is not a ballpark!
But hey, at least I can now check this place off my list. Coincidentally, several of my friends remarked how they now had a new least favorite restaurant in Toronto. Yeah, it was that bad.

Expensive Mexican food. Ingredients and technique were good but execution could be improved.
Ceviche verde
Nice big chunks of fish
Pollo en Pippian Rojo
The chicken was bland and the red sesame sauce/​ancho chile didn’t add much flavour, just spice. Could’ve used more salt (I usually don’t need to add more salt to anything)

I came here yesterday in gorgeous sunny weather, so my friend and I were seated on the patio area.
We ordered cocktails, the Sopa Tarasca, the Ceviche, and the Chicken Tinga Tostada (all to share).
On the flavour: the Sopa was a great tomato-​bean purée that really brought out the flavours when warm, and although seemingly simple, had a great consistency and taste. The Tostada was still crispy when I was at the end of slowly working my way through. The chicken was brilliantly flavoured and packs quite the kick. By far, I think the ceviche was the most «average» — nothing stood out to me about the flavour — it was just incredibly sour from the lime/​lemon juices, but no «interesting» herbs, spices, or otherwise to elevate to the next level.
Service: Friendly and mostly decent, but getting the bill took awhile, water refill was inconsistent.
Ambiance: Cute interior décor, and great area for sitting outdoors in warm weather.
Price: I tend to agree with what a number of Unilocal reviewers have brought up — for the price you’re paying for these tiny tapas dishes, the value is just not quite there for me. My friend and I were «OK» after the meal, but even then, it was just not a lot of food, and I didn’t feel like the fish in the ceviche, for example, was particularly high quality to warrant such a large premium.
I would have to think twice about going back, but the soup and chicken Tostada were my favourite.

This is probably the best Mexican food I’ve ever had.
It is tough to get in so book your resos far in advance.
We had the green ceviche, the tongue stew and the tostada. The tostada was really good and would probably come back just for another taste of this.
The portions are on small side and the prices on the high side.
The cocktails are quite strong. I really enjoyed the margarita
For dessert we had the chocolate torta which was rich and and almost too good to share =p
The service was good, attentive but not intrusive.
Can’t wait to go back and have a a cold margarita at their patio

As good as it gets!!! Lovely ambiance and décor and the food is delish!!! Can’t wait to go back on my next trip to Toronto.

The MFK Fisher quote at the top of the menu (which I can’t remember, haha) means two things: 1) shoot, wrong place to eat alone, and 2) they probably know their stuff. Re 1): there was some confusion about whether the person next to me was with me, and a lot of commentary about my eating alone here and why I was doing so, which was a bit awkward.
Re 2): I had heard a lot about Agave y Aguacate and actually walked four miles during a storm for dinner there. I ended up ordering the poblano and the lengua (beef tongue stew). The poblano was a generous portion for $ 9 — stuffed to the gills with a lovely guac, pickled onions and carrots on top, and a pineapple sauce. While the latter two elements cut the creamy fattiness of the guac, it was a bit strong/​acidic for me. I really enjoyed the lengua — the sesame seeds on top were a nice touch, though I wish more bread was included.
Service was quite attentive, although note that there’s no actual seating in front of the bar — the smaller tables on the lower level are on the opposite side of the wall.

Agave is the newest restaurant to open on Baldwin, a street very well known for its many wonderful restaurants. I have lunch on Baldwin once a week, but I’ve walked past this place many times without even noticing it. It is currently only open for dinner, but the waitress assured me that will likely change soon.
This is a tapas restaurant; you order multiple small dishes and share them. We ordered Chili Poblano Relleno, Chicken Tinga Tostada, a meatball dish for which the name escapes me, and Chicken Rojas. All of the dishes were delicious. I would suggest ordering your own chicken tostada. It is so out-​of-​this-​world, you will not want to share. In fact, I might have been heard to state, «It’s like a party in my mouth and everyone’s invited!» But be warned, it is not for the feint of heart. If you can’t handle spicy, this delectable dish is not for you. My margarita was excellent, but at $ 12, it was either wildly overpriced or wildly undersized. Perhaps both.
That was kind of the theme of the night. Everything was delicious, but small and expensive. You will definitely enjoy your meal, but be prepared to drop a fair amount of coin.

BOTTOM LINE: Portion sizes are great if you’re on a diet; otherwise, good thing China town’s just around the corner.
The problem with hype is that it’s usually overdone. I recently attended AYA and left a bit disappointed. I agree with fellow Unilocalers that the dishes here are quite tasty, but it’s not exactly a value proposition when it comes out to over $ 50 per head, including 1 cocktail, 2 dishes, tax and tip.
My DC and I ordered the POBLANO STUFFED PEPPER, which was one of the highlights from a taste, texture and spiciness perspective. The BEEF TONGUE STEW was also quite delicious, as echoed by others. The MEATBALL was decent but not *amaze-​balls* (wah wah wah). Most disappointingly was the CEVICHE, which while nice and limey, didn’t seem to have enough fish.
We dined on the main floor and sat at the awkward wall tables, where your legs end up dangling forward as you twist your body to talk (and this was even with an aggressive game of footsies!). It also felt very cramped, but I suppose some will enjoy this setup and it’s not a bad idea per se, given the limited space, but I would try to get a regular table instead. Service was otherwise good, no complaints there. The cocktails were tasty, and I need to remind myself that something’s only worth as much as anyone is willing to pay for it, but even then, I don’t think they’re worth it — go with the beer instead.

What a great change from the taco influx just about everywhere in the city. I had high expectations for Agave given the Anthony Bourdain endorsement, and they were met!
The idea is tapas/​sharing style plates. We had the tostada, ceviche and the mexican stew. The tostada was recommended by our waiter and was amazing. You’ll should order one for yourself though. This was probably the best part of our meal. Ceviche came with tortilla chips and was quite tart — just like real ceviche should be! The stew is beef tongue. This may not be for anyone, but the tongue was very tender, almost melting in my mouth.
We tried two of the cocktails, the margarita and one that had gingerbeer in it. I’m a big fan of ginger beer in cocktails, and it was quite boozy. We also indulged in dessert. You cannot go wrong with the spiced chocolate torta with the sorbet. It’s a dark chocolate and extremely decadent. We also had the lemon carlota, but the torta is the real winner.
The restaurant is very small. I’d try to sit upstairs. If you’re sitting downstairs be prepared to likely be bumped around a bit as it’s quite narrow and wait staff are going back and forth. It is also quite hard to get a reservation. Service however, was good.
I rarely return to restaurants repeatedly, but I am already planning to go back. Best Mexican in the city so far.

Came here for dinner at around 9pm on a Wednesday night and they happened to be shooting a TV show. The food took a while to get out, but the waiters kept our glasses full and the food was fantastic — best Mexican food I’ve eaten in my life.
The most notable dish for me was the beef tongue stew. I didn’t know beef tongue could become so tender, I could’ve sworn it was just fat… delicious.
Also worth mentioning is their chicken tostada. Whatever they put in there, it came together really well — it was like tasting something new and awesome for the first time ever.
The establishment is pretty small and gets really busy, so plan accordingly. They take reservations :)

I went into Agave Y Aguacate expecting to be blown away. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I found myself very disappointed. I will go into great detail, because I think the chef is great. Perhaps he worked it hard for the few months after the opening and left someone else in charge of the kitchen on less busy nights. Suffice it to say I was really shocked at how clumsy the food was.
We ordered a few cocktails ($ 12 for each) and they were both good. I had the El Diablo, which had Ginger and Cassis and was refreshing and a little bit spicy. But they took forever to bring them! We sat, ordered our food and watched a table beside us (who arrived after us) get their cocktails AND first course, before we had our drinks. Perhaps the bartender forgot the order or something. All in all the service was good, though.
After our first course arrived, we ordered a bottle of Cava, which was nice, but the server had to keep it in a cooler by the POS system. The tables were so small that she said she couldn’t fit the cooler plus the food on the table.
I have a new rule: If you can’t fit the bottle on the the table, you shouldn’t be selling it… Profit margin vs. real estate.
The tostada (as others have mentioned), was the stand out dish. The flavours of the smoky chipotle and chorizo were nicely balanced by the chicken. Often times with a tostada, it can be hard to cut through the toppings and get a bite of the tostada along with them. Perfect bites were achieved with this one.
The flank steak salad was nicely done with a good balance of acidity. But, like most of the items here, it was very small. I’s say there was maybe 1 oz. of pulled steak in the whole order.
Meatballs (albondigas) were described as pork and beef. A few of them were almost raw on the inside. Now, I’ll eat my beef blue, but ground pork worries me a little more if it’s not at least cooked medium. The beans underneath were ok, but the presentation was lacklustre.
Poblano stuffed with guacamole. I really feel like the guacamole would have been better with the chips that came with the flank steak. Call me boring and traditional, but I think the poblanos needed a different texture on the inside such as some ground meat or cheese. The soft pepper wasn’t the right vessel and although it was tasty, the combination left me cold.
Tongue Stew– Lengua. Well spiced and the tongue was tender, but again, the presentation was really just diced tongue meat stewed in gravy.
Fryer chicken with softened almonds appeared in almost the identical mole as they meatballs and was tasty, but there was no hint of the almonds in the dish and it all seemed rushed and unimpressive.
Zucchini had to be the face palm of the evening. The canela was in shards that you had to chew along with the delicate diced vegetable and crema. I could have justified a light dusting of it, but coupled with the dim lighting that made it hard to pick though any of the food, this was like chewing on camphorated tree bark! The spice completely overruled the vegetable and I’m still bewildered as to how this dish was thought up. I’m actually almost crying as I write this as I really had high hopes for this restaurant and just feel that this dish was full– on bad.
In all, I found that although each item was flavourful, but the tastes were not varied enough or as enticing as described in the opening reviews. Even the heaviest food I’ve had in Mexico has a contrasting balance of freshness to it. I found that bright tone to be very lacking in this meal, with the exception of the Lime Charlotte for dessert. A classic bang-​on balance of sweet, salty and sour, this lovely morsel (and it was a morsel), was really a smooth and refreshing bite of heaven.
Value is hard to come by here. If you like to drink, your bill will be close to $ 200 for 2 ppl with tax and a good tip.
Personally, I think that Agave Y Aguacate does some decent food, but the menu is poorly constructed. There are no quick nibbles to begin with and the tapas idea for Mexican food really doesn’t work. I want to say that it could, but so many of the items feel like heavy mains that just aren’t big enough or unbalanced without freshness variety.
I’m not sure what happened as Chef Alejandri is a talented man. Did some monkeys break in and commandeer the kitchen tonight?

I have to admit this is my first time going to a Mexican restaurant that didn’t do tacos or chips/​salsa.
Overall, the food is pretty good. The tostado was a flavor bomb and hit every tastebud in one bite — but both of us got this strange salty undertow, otherwise it would have been a flawless dish. I would recommend it.
My brother and I *love* beef tongue, so the lengua was a must. It was stewed in mole sauce and very tender. I liked it, but far from the best I’ve had.
The surprising dish was the meatball dish. Very tasty and something I would eat again… and again… and again. My favourite dish of the three.
The dishes are for sharing but are pretty small and are about $ 9 — $ 12 each and it can be pretty pricey considering you need about 2 — 3 dishes per person. The two of us ordered 3 plates and decided to bounce out because nothing else look too appealing and my brother (who is a tourist in the city) wanted to save his stomach for another place. He wanted to check Agave Y Aguacate out due to the Bourdain recommendation on The Layover.
We were seated downstairs and at table facing the bar. Noticed another Unilocaler liked the odd seats (you and your dining partner seat on a high bench, with a table between you) for the intimacy, but it just made talking awkward as the natural tendency is to face in the parallel direction. It might be good for an intimate date, but as my brother and I didn’t want to rub knees under the table, you twist your body to face each other as your legs dangle in the walkway. Might have liked it more if the seats were better — but I did like the little shelf above the table to keep things off the table. I think this was built specifically with phones in mind.
Overall, pretty good but think there are better places in the city at ~$ 30/​head.

4.5 Stars
VIBE
Finally, a bricks and mortar location! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the seating downstairs where you sit side by side on a bench and the table is in the middle. I’ve never seen seating like this in Toronto and it’s perfect for date night (especially if the date is going well and if not, yikes! Eat fast). There’s nothing more I hate than being ten feet away from your dinner companion at a table feeling interviewey. Thank you for making eating intimate again, whoever the designer of those bench/​table combos are. There’s an upstairs too but I like downstairs so get there early if you can. It books up fast because it’s a small restaurant. Bonus points for being in Baldwin Village and the lovely staff.
WE ATE/​DRANK
Solid margaritas here.
The sope — so, so good. Especially in the winter.
The chicken tinga tostada — bestill my heart. Wish we got another one of these.
Flank steak salad — good but not my favourite. As above, got a second tinga tostada.
Flourless chocolate cake — I wanted chocolate and this did not disappoint but next time I’m getting the liquid chocolate. Limone over this cake but it was fun to share both.
Carlote de limone — my dining companion ate this up. Has a really nice zest to it that left a lasting impression on the meal, overall. Plus, it’s not huge!
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
I love Francisco Alejandri’s food so much that I went into the kitchen to thank him. Too bad he’s not out in the open. I would have given him a hug but he might have thought I was creepy and I guess that’s not sanitary, anyway. I’m so glad he has a restaurant and I hope he continues to remain a fixture on Toronto’s food scene and especially the Mexican restaurant scene.

Food: had the lengua, ceviche and albondigas. The lengua was tender, earthy and gamey, the ceviche was bright, tart and spiced w/​heat, and mint although it could’ve used more mint. The albondigas was the fave. Rich, heavy, warm w/​chipotles, enriched w/​avocado and cut through w/​pickled red onions. This dish was the best balanced of the three tried.
Interior: warm, dark, seats aren’t made for lingering.
Value: for the price, considering it’s small plates meant for sharing, they could throw in a couple more spoonfuls. The meatball dish is excellent, but it works out to $ 3/​ball, so it better be.

We were on the hunt for cheap tacos on a Thursday night.
We decided to check out Chef Alejandri’s new Baldwin village location of Agave Y Aguacate — which is the complete opposite of cheap tacos.
No tacos, instead there was a creative selection of Mexician inspired tapas plates.
The place was pretty busy on a very cold night and we were seated in the downstairs bar area. If you are seated on the first floor, the seating is a bench against the wall. Eating and drinking at a 45 degree angle is completely awkward and uncomfortable.
I would ask to be seated at a real table next time.
We ordered three items to start.
The Ceviche Verde ($ 13) was fish cured in lime juice with habanero and avocado.
The flavours were good… but it was a lot more avocado than fish.
Our second dish was the Pollo en Pipian Rojo ($ 11).
It was chicken dish with a red sesame sauce topped with almonds.
This dish was a bit of a disappointment… The sauce was bland and the dish was not very memorable.
The best item of the evening was the Tostada de Tinga ($ 9).
The pulled chicken and chorizo was moist and saucy.
Avocado and refried beans were great for texture.
The sauce was definitely spicy. Loved this dish!
As for cocktails, I ordered the Paloma ($ 12). Tromba, Steigl, and Grapefruit is a refreshing, citrusy, and awesome combination.
Overall, the food was good, but we were still hungry after.
I feel like I’d have to spend a lot more to be full.
However, I’ll be back from some cocktails and maybe another round of Tostadas!

Went to Agave yesterday with 2 friends.
The restaurant is small and on two levels, with most seating upstairs. Place was very dimly lit. Would be a great date spot or fun for a small group.
The server was great — friendly and well-​informed on the menu choices and ingredients.
The menu is meant to be tapas style but we each ordered 2 dishes which seemed to work out well in terms of portions. Dishes were priced between $ 7-​$ 13 for the most part with a few $ 4 side dishes available.
I had a poblano pepper, which was stuffed with guacamole. It was huge and delicious and just the right amount of spiciness.
I also tried the tostada, you can’t go wrong here. Lots of flavours.
Friends tried the flank steak salad, a mole chicken of some sort and the chileajo (spicy dish of vegetables and lentils). We all raved about the food.
They had a small selection (3) of cocktails available and 3 desserts too. The margaritas went down very well.
Super excellent.

After waiting forever for Agave y Agucate (@AgaveyAguacate) to re-​open since they closed up in Kensington Market, they finally set shop at 35 Baldwin St. Have been a big fan of Chef Francisco Alejandri (@aguacave) and they have acquire even a stronger following after being feature and praised on Anthony Bourdain’s Layover.
Nothing fancy décor wise except for this two-​story Madonna graffiti and crystal decanter lights
Paloma $ 12
~ Trombra + Steigl Grapefruit Radler
Negra Modelo $ 6
Sopa Tarascan $ 7
~ Pinto Beans & Tomato Purée w/​ancho chile, cream, fried tortilla
~ Love the smokiness of the ancho chile and the tomato base just elevated the flavor even more.
~ We were told not to mix it up to get the layers of different texture and flavors, each ingredient seems to add depth and richness to the soup.
~ The cubes of Queso Panela cheese was a great addition.
Ceviche Verde $ 13
~ Market white fish macerated in lime juice, gently tossed in a corriander mint & habanero paste w/​tomatillos & sweet onions served w/​totopos
~ The Ceviche wasn’t as good as I remember, it\s a tad too tart in my opinion which lack any other complimenting flavors, event the creamy avocado didn’t help much but still love the big pieces of fresh fish.
Chile Poblano Relleno $ 8
~ Blistered Poblano Pepper stuffed w/​guacamole & pineapple topped with pickled vegetables & subtle tomato sauce
~ I have this on my mind since I saw it online and it truly didn’t disappoint.
~ Loved it, def one of the highlight of the night. With the perfect amount of heat which is smoth down by the creamy chucky guacamole with the most perfect light tomato sauce.
Tostada de Tinga $ 9
~ pulled poached chicken tossed in a chorizo, tomato piquin & chipotle pepper sauce served on a tostada w/​well-​fried black beans, avocado, crema & pickled red onions
~ This was by far my fave dish of the night, definitely wish we ordered one each. So good, such intense flavors.
~ The chicken was moist and flavorful with just enough of heat, even the beans was so yummy smooth with the creamy avocado n a pop of flavor from the pickled onions.
Pollo en Pipian Rojo $ 11
~ Fryer chicken in red sesame sauce w/​Ancho chile garnished w/​softened almonds
~ Love the thick sesame sauce and the chicken was perfectly cook, so moist but thought the presentation wasn’t that great and the bread was sort of hard.
~ Maybe some bean rice on the side instead of bread.
Chocolate Caliente $ 4
~ 70% dark hot Chocolate w/​a medley of Mexican spice
Liquid gold, we can’t help but wonder what was the spices in it.
Carlota de Limon $ 6
~ Mexican biscuits layered w/​a lime custard drizzled w/​arbequna olive oil & garnished w/​lime zest & black salt
~ Ok, I know it’s not the best looking dessert but it was really delicious, surprisingly not sweet andwas surprise how the olive oil and black salt go so well together here.
Main level room is pretty narrow with the bar on one side and small bar tables/​stool on the other side.
Verdict :
~ Love it !!!
~ I was glad that it’s simply authentic Mexican cuisine, nothing fancy and no trendy fusion things like kimchi and definitely no boring fish tacos.
~ Love how the dishes was spaced out really well instead of all the dishes coming at the same time (ahem all the other popular Mexican restaurants)
~ Great attentive service, our water was filled timely and our waiter came back to check on us

I’ve been anxiously waiting for this restaurant to open. Especially knowing how good the food was from their stall in Kensington. Got a table here tonight and EVERYTHING was delicious. The space is really nicely laid out with a bar area downstairs and more tables on the 2^nd level. We had the soup to start and it was wonderful, a sign of things to come. Add to that an awesome stuffed poblano, meatballs (nice & spicy), a chicken dish and beef tongue stew (served chilled). Not a complaint at all. Very good Mexican food all around. We finished with the chocolate torte & rose petal ice cream — they worked really well together.
We’ll be back for more. There were a few tasty looking plates that we simply have to try! This is a great new addition to the restaurant scene in Toronto!

Bravo!
After years of waiting, Agave y Aguacate officially opened its doors to their new digs at 35 Baldwin St. So for those of you who were fans of the former Kensington location, or watched Bourdain’s Layover in Toronto, here’s your chance to finally sink your teeth into the goods!
The menu boasts tiny plates meant for sharing. To start we had the Pinto Bean/​Tomato soup with Ancho Chile and Queso Panela.
Get it. Trust me. It is so good.
The smokiness from the Ancho Chile really elevated the Tomato Base adding depth and richness. The cubes of Queso Panela immersed in the soup were warm and squishy, adding the right amount of salinity and creaminess to balance the rest of the components. What I’m really trying to say is, get it, it’s good: D
The Chile Poblano Relleno stuffed with Guacamole, Pineapple, and Gooseberries had our table singing. This was spot on with just the right amount of heat emerging from the pepper and zippy zing from lime. Loved it!
Another favourite was the Tostada de Tinga. If I were you, I wouldn’t share this item because a) It’s hard to share and b) It’s really yummy, so you won’t want to share.
My friend had the Flank Steak Salad and really enjoyed it. I had the Pollo en Pipian Rojo. I felt like it could use a tad more seasoning. With a little bit of reworking, I can see this being a good one.
And of course, it is impossible to step away from a Mexican meal without Dulce, right? So please allow me to indulge :) The 70% Dark Hot Chocolate with Mexican Spices was liquid gold. Imagine drinking chocolatey velvet and you’ll get the idea. A must for any chocolate lover.
I was particularly smitten by the Carlota de Limon. It is a dish of layered Mexican Biscuits with Lime Curd that will have your fingers and toes tingling with joy. I love Key Lime and this totally hit the ball out of the park.
Overall, this was a great meal. I am so happy to see authentic Mexican dishes, as they are prepared and eaten in Mexico, introduced to the culinary diaspora of Toronto. Kudos Agave Y Aguacate!