We had a lovely time here as a party of three adults and one toddler. This made the short list because it was listed as kid friendly and had gluten free options. While the staff was incredibly kind and we felt welcome with the toddler, the space was not equipped for it. The first floor is the bar, so you'll need to go up a flight or two of narrow stairs (note: not stroller friendly) for a meal. After ordering our food I set out for a diaper change (because they can only be occupied in a high chair for so long) and after being redirected to three different floors of the building - learned that changing stations don't exist. A narrow sink or window sill are your options. I now think Yelp needs two filters - one specifically for kids under 2 that have extra requirements. That being said, margarita, steak salad, quesadilla, and enchilada were all delicious and we had a very enjoyable meal! read more

the food an drinks were amazing! definitely recommend the tamales. The interior was quaint and quieter- a very relaxing and higher end feel. The service was fast, smooth, and friendly! definitely will come again! read more

Agave - Tamales De Puerco - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

Had a great early dinner today. We got sat upstairs, server was great. Forgot her name, we got a drinks. Then chips & salsa, chips could of used more salt but that's just my preference. Salsa had some zing to it. Gf got the chicken fajitas. It was a lot of food. Enough for another meal. I got shrimp tacos they were very good & I left satisfied. read more

Agave - Shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

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What a great surprise. Took myself out to lunch. I had a bowl of the Cocido de Pollo. OMG. Best broth Great soup. I finished it off with street tacos Fantastic. Great smiling service. Yesterday I took myself to Brine. Twice the cost and not nearly as fresh and delicious as Agave. Treat yourself! read more

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It's been a few years since we've been to Agave, and sadly I feel it has declined. As far as the food goes, the complimentary chips and salsa are delicious, but all of our food was just too salty. I'll be the first to admit that I am somewhat sensitive to salt. but my wife also agreed that her fajitas were far too salty. Refried beans were inedible for me, just too much salt. I'm not sure why the chef is so heavy handed, as I think the food would have been delicious if it was allowed to shine through. My pork carnitas would have been awesome, if not for the heavy salting. Service was harried. We were seated on the third floor and there was only one server, who tried his best but was simply overwhelmed. He was the bartender as well and had at least 6 patrons at the bar, and every table filled with patrons. Again, he did his best, but he needed help. He arrived at our table and asked what we wanted to drink, not even a hello or welcome. Cocktails were as good as I recall. Prices here have always been a tad higher than other Mexican restaurants, but the quality was also better. As others mention, there is a 4% fee for using a credit card, which just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Just build it into the prices. Perhaps they should become a cash only restaurant with an atm at the entrance. It's not what one expects really for this caliber of restaurant. I do hope management can address the concerns here in the reviews and bring Agave back to a great dining experience. read more

Agave - Cocktails were on point, but the food was too salty for us. - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

Great delicious food. Good atmosphere and quality service. We were late arriving and only an hour before closing time. But you'd think we were the first customers of the night. Friendly and welcoming. I'll return. read more

I got take out here once and ordered off their "lunch menu" on their website. I ordered tacos and it should've been $12-$15 but when I got there, they told me that their lunch menu didn't exist, even though I got it OFF THEIR WEBSITE, and forced me to pay over $20 for my meal. And the food was also...not good enough to pay that price. If you're looking for Mexican food, literally go ANYWHERE ELSE read more

After reading reviews , we went expecting real Mexican food. Had to climb up stairs to 3rd floor and then sat at a table by a drafty window on a cold night. Food tasted like a chain place. Nothing special here. Shrimp tacos soggy and not tasty. Steak Fajitas salty and sides were canned refried beans and rice tasted fishy. The pork nachos were however good. Soggy and messy but good. BEWARE - they charge extra for credit / debit cards. They get around the law saying it's a "cash discount". It's only a few dollars per check but do the math , they are making up hundreds of dollars a day doing this to patrons. read more

Agave - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

Decent food but at an outrageous price and the service is poor, couldn't get a water refill to save your life and our server left without notice and we had to cash out with a nice lady at the bar. Overall wouldn't go back again. read more

Visited for the first time and had a wonderful experience. Food was excellent with generous portion size, service was fast and friendly. Seating available both inside and out. We shared the Queso Fundido & Chicken Fajitas both were flavorful and filling. As a side note they give a 4% discount for cask paying customers. read more

Agave - Outside - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

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I cannot attest to the food here, as we only stopped in for drinks on an afternoon of our weekend trip to Newburyport. However, I had two different margaritas (one on their specialty menu and another that wasn't listed on the menu). The off menu margarita I asked for was made PERFECTLY! The service from the host, to the bartenders, to the support staff, was friendly, fun, fast, and enjoyable! read more

Agave - Italian Margarita (made at my request) - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

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wonderful dining experience. Agave exceeded my expectations set by the scathing yelp reviews I viewed. clearly agave reads and adapts to yelp reviews because the service on the second floor with my large group of 11 was fantastic. furthermore the sour cream was perfectly fine, and the flavor index of the tacos was more than spectacular. The atmosphere is a stellar positive Mexican dinner vibe with elegant lighting and accents of exposed brick. The vibes were even better after 3 of the delicious house margaritas. Agave met all the expectations for a go-to authentic mexican spot but the food is not quite 5-star. Edit: I also forgot to add that the market price Guacamole is well worth it. It is served in a cool looking mortar and is super high quality guac read more

Agave - Purple Haze Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

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I have no idea why Agave gets bad reviews. My wife and ai have been twice and both times it has been excellent. We sat outside and people watched while having very good free chips and salsa. Our Sangrias were delicious and refreshing. Service was very good and the food was outstanding. What is there to complain about? Lunch for two with drinks $71 + tip. We think it was well worth it and we'll definitely be back. read more

Excellent service, perfect location with outdoor seating, and love that their patio is dog friendly! Menu has many vegetarian options. We ordered veggie quesadillas, bean and rice which was good. White sangria was delicious! Only critique is the menu is slightly overpriced, but overall a nice restaurant! read more

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My husband and I have been dining at Agavé Mexican Bistro, owned and operated by Dawn McCandless, Proprietor of Agavé Mexican Bistro on 50 State St, Newburyport, MA. We love everything we order from this incredible Mexican restaurant in the heart of Newburyport. I must say, however, the chips and salsa have changed. They used to salt the tortillas after taking them out of the fryer, but now they are not salted; while the salsa is saltier. read more

Truly nice food with a flair. Loved the combination of flavors and ingredients. Portions are filing and generous. I liked it! read more

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My favorite Mexican restaurant ever!!!! The chicken tinga tacos are my favorite, highly recommend if you are in the Newburyport area

Way downhill the past two years or so. Food isnt fresh. Portions are small. Sloppily put together. They load the thing up with refriend beans to make you think you're getting a large portion, then toss in cheap cuts of microwaved steak / chicken. The fish tacos are garbage and thrown together in seconds. Their guacolmole is insanely overpriced. The owner can't possibly be there most of the time due to the sloppy presentation. read more

DONT GO HERE. Went for lunch on 1/3/25, ordered fish tacos, carne taco and something for our granddaughter. Absolutely the worst meal I have had in years, the fish tacos was not edible, cold, dry as a bone, disgusting pieces of what looked like fake fish. Carne for our daughter, she could not even eat. Get this, lunch no less with NO drinks, $143. Not only did we feel sick afterwards, but taken. The absolute worst ever. Disgusting food and outrageously priced. read more

We took a day trip to Newburyport, and found Agave while strolling the main street. It was a beautiful day, and the folks drinking Margaritas & seated outside drew us in! One quick glance at the menu and we were sold. We were not offered outdoor seating (despite there being a table) but did not push the issue. The hostess asked us which floor we would like to be seated at, apparently there are three floors...uhhhh... you tell me?!? She proceeded to seat us on the third floor... I'm guessing because she sized us up and anticipated we could handle the two flights of stairs. Older patrons, or those with knee conditions may choose to be seated on the first floor. I'm a physical therapist, I can make these recommendations :) The restaurant is clean and with above average design. There was a bar on the first and third floors, with a neat decorative waterfall. I often do not find much that excites me at Mexican restaurants, but this menu had many options. Think typical Mexican with a twist & extra fresh ingredients. I ordered the blackened shrimp & avocado salad (see pic)... it was amazing! We also ordered endless chips & salsa. Although we did not partake in alcoholic beverage, it looks like this restaurant has that covered, too. I would recommend Agave if you're passing through Newburyport! read more

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Overall, the atmosphere is a great place. The top floor bar is one of my favorites in the building. More of a traditional U shaped bar. Because we were sitting at the bar, the service did not shine. The bartender was scattered and having trouble managing multiple things between taking care of the bar patrons and drinks for the tables. I watched many people go without any welcome or attention for almost 15 minutes before they were acknowledged. The food continues to be a major disappointment at Agave. I have had several different dishes here and the food tends to be dried out and lacking in flavor. Many times the sauces come out on the food and they are not even liquid anymore after the food was heated up it all dried out. I had a port tamale and there was very little pork inside and the tamale was extremely dry. I also have gotten the pork carnitas in the past and the same issue - usually very dry and flavorless. If you want to stop in at Agave go for the homemade chips, salsa, guacamole and enjoy one of their nicely made margaritas. This is a place to be social and enjoy some drinks more than a place for quality Mexican food. read more

I like Agave. I eat here often, but it's overpriced for the portions you get. Normally, I wouldn't submit a review for the high price because it's good food and I know what to expect. But I have to share my most recent experience grabbing chips and salsa for takeout. $17 for two small cups and two bags of chips. Pictured below. It was laughable considering you can get bottomless chips and salsa for a fraction of that cost when dining in. The hostess was very nice and mentioned I should order the pint of salsa next time for $11. Service is good, food is good, but that price is wild!!! read more

Agave - Chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

This place is garbage. Overpriced , bland food catering to Newburyport yuppies who have never had good Mexican food. The food is so bland and laughably bad that it is honestly should be a federal crime that they charge so much. Skip this and head over to Haverhill where you can find authentic and cheap Mexican owned restaurants with so much good food! The workers here are rude and not very welcoming either. I understand that New England Mexican food will be more expensive than other places but charging 25 dollars for a plate of beef tacos should be criminal. Honestly disgusting and embarrassing that these people charge this amount of money for a type of food that is historically always been low cost. Mexican food ingredients are dirt cheap. Literally why are you charging almost 30 dollars for a plate of bland rice and beans with 3 tortillas ? These people should be ashamed of themselves but they wont because people will happily pay this price and then not support Mexican owned restaurants. Bleak. read more

Agave - 25 dollar plate of "steak" tacos. Most bland and disgusting tacos I have ever had. - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

hello 8/27/21 I went to Agave recently. I am sorry to report that i had the Quesadilla. it was the worst quesadilla i have ever had and probably one of the most expensive. I ordered the chicken quesadilla it arrived .. it was the saddest presentation. no garnish.. minimal amount of cheese hardly any black beans it was made of small flour tortillas with skimpy fillings. I have been an afficianado of Mexican food for over 30 years. a quesadilla usually is made of a large tortilla folded in half stuffed with beans, cheese and choice of other ingredient, it is usually served oozing of cheese and grilled. this was the saddest quesadilla ever..the small tortillas were barely heated and the ingredients very skimpy in fact it was unappetizing as it was presented. Please do not shame yourself..take it off the menu. in all my travels i have never been served such a sad presentation. In addition the management required that we order appetizers ($15.00) om order to sit at an outdoor table there was No Posting of this requirement! no other restaurants in the area do this. read more

My husband and I just went out to dinner here this evening for our anniversary. As we have a super early day tomorrow we made an early reservation for 5:30. We were on time and seated promptly on arrival and given glasses of ice water. We sat and waited until the ice was almost melted (about 15 minute) The server came and gave us menus and we ordered drinks and food at the same time as we figured we may not see her for a while if we didn't . To be fair it's an unusually warm Saturday night and they are busy. We weren't offer chips and salsa , even though the people at a few tables around us who were seated after us were served chips and salsa. Several minutes later our server comes back and tells me the chef can't make a chicken chimichanga. It's on the menu, but OK. I ask to see the menu to make another choice. She forgot to bring it back with her. a few more minutes pass and the server is back . She hands me a new menu and I order a type of chicken salad. Server leaves. She comes back several minutes late. She tells me I can't order that as she gave me the wrong menu and that choice is from the lunch menu. OK now I think I'm being punked or something. I mean really?! I ask for the menu again She didn't bring it. Instead of going to get it she says why don't you have the steak salad. Well I've been working all day and I'm so hungry I could almost gnaw off my own arm so I say sure. At the end of the meal she comes back and asks if there will be anything else. I ask for a cup of hot coffee. She tells me she doesn't think they have any. I start laughing at this point, because come on WTF. It gets better. She finally brings the coffee , no sugar. Goes and gets the sugar, I put it in the coffee. It's ice cold. I did leave the server a decent tip as working as a server the pay isn't the best, but if this isn't her first night of work she needs to find another line of work. Luckily the company was awesome . Love you Mikey read more

Agave - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

Agave used to be the best spot in newburyport for hearty and flavorful upscale tex-mex cuisine. Im not sure whats happened recently to their quality control but its certainly disappointing. For 22$ i got a chicken burrito that was mostly tortilla and they FORGOT TO PUT CHEESE ON! In addition the rice was dry and tasted like it had been sitting out all day. If I had been dining in person i certainly wouldve sent this dish back. Oh how the mighty have fallen... read more

Agave - Tinga burrito - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

not worth the money... boring Mexican food, Lacking flavor and ingredients...sub par at best read more

Went to Agave during my visit to Newburyport and was very pleased. We got the chips and salsa (not complimentary but unlimited) and agave nachos with chicken ($15.50) to share. While it was a little pricey for the amount of food, it was better than most chain Mexican restaurants. We sat outside and enjoyed Newburyport summer and people watching! Everyone working here was very friendly read more

Agave - Agave Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

Used to have great food, not so much now. We've been eating here for 20 years. Haven't been for maybe 3 years. Did they change hands? Tortillas are straight from the supermarket. Overpriced food, overpriced drinks. Yes, excellent Margaritas but $17? Not that special. We will really miss this place but not coming back. read more

Their salsa is really good. Enjoyed the visit. The pomegranate margaritas. The black bean soup was an unusual version but excellent taste. Try it. read more

Agave - Black bean soup - Mexican Near Me - Newburyport, Massachusetts

I was not too impressed with the food. The fresh chips were great. Unfortunately, I was thinking I would've enjoyed a steak burrito from Chipotle more and my wallet would've been a bit happier as well read more

We've been going to Agave, occasionally - for years. I work in Newburyport and they've hosted our large group a number of times and done great (pre-Covid when we could all go out together). Working late the other night my wife joined me for dinner at the office (empty otherwise) and we ordered our usual - Steak Salad for me and Chicken Enchiladas with red chile sauce (rojo, si?). We were excited to get a couple of margaritas 'to go' as well - as they do an excellent job on those. After years of good experiences it just takes one time, right...? And it wasn't about the food per se but about the service. When we got everything unpacked and started eating it was clear the enchiladas were devoid of any sauce - in, under, on top of, or on the side (tip: order a lot of extra, on the side). OK - no big deal - we'll call / they'll make it right, right? I'd happily have driven back and picked up some sauce... but nope. After explaining the situation we were told repeatedly that "we're just not seeing it" and "we're wrong" and "that's how it comes" and as an aside, strangely - the receipt didn't specify what sort of sauce ordered because "they know how to do it" (how?). We lived in Mew Mexico for 10 years, have made our own enchiladas dozens of times - and the key is... ...the sauce. The fillings and corn tortillas and sides are carriers for the real treat - red or green chile sauce(s). We've been adulting for a long time and are as laid back and easy going as cranky middle aged folks can be, so to be told "we're wrong" was not only ill advised but was in fact incorrect. We were right. We repeatedly said we'd take a few pictures or bring it back if they needed 'proof'. Still - we got arguments and bullsh1t and pulled the plug on trying to be friendly and part of a solution - and instead noted to the person on the phone that we're done with Agave. read more

I really don't know where to begin. The entire takeout meal for 4 was unappetizing, bland and tasteless. I will not order it again! I had been craving this food since I had it 9 months ago and at that time, it was delicious! Even the chips lacked taste. Nobody ate their meal. The fish tacos were burnt and indiscernible as to where the fish was. The rice was flavorless and dry and the guacamole looks like a left-over from the weekend. Churros were greasy and stale. We all left the table hungry. I really wanted to love it again. Maybe the chef took the night off? read more

If you want to spend $50 for corn chips and a quesadilla, this is your place! The LAST time here, and I mean LAST time, the food was served on a dirty plate. Maybe the drinks are so strong, nobody notices the food. Agave is Taco Bell with cloth napkins. read more

Food is good but pretty americanized (which is fine for me, but just FYI if you're looking for legit Mexican). Large portions - always enough for a doggy bag - but I would hope this is the case because their prices are high. I'm sure it's a reflection of the expensive rent in Newburyport for restaurants, but definitely someting I take into consideration before going here. In particular, margaritas and nachos are great. Kudos to them setting up a take-out window for healthier practices for food pick-ups (although, the window isn't always serviced so sometimes you still have to go inside to pick up). read more

Host declined to seat us despite the fact that they were still within operating hours on a Friday night, and we asked politely (and left immediately when declined, without making any scene). We made it clear that we only wanted chips and salsa and a quick drink, while other parties were still in the midst of their meals. We weren't extending the evening of a place getting ready to close... Best case scenario, it was just incredibly poor service. Worst case scenario, the darker color of my skin was a factor. It's sad, because we had drinks here with our wedding party, the night before our wedding many years ago. We were in town from several states away, and excited to return. However, I plan never to visit here again, and to make it clear to as many people as possible that the level of service here has declined precipitously. I'm just incredibly hurt and disappointed. This wrecked an otherwise wonderful night and left me stunned... but I'll find other places to spend our dollars. read more

My first time here & my last. The server (Franco) was terrible, I ordered the chicken fajita & when it came out I was so unimpressed! It wasn't even sizzling!! AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL!! My friend ordered the tortilla soup & she did not like it at all. read more

Just go for drinks. Their Mexican food doesn't taste authentic. Their salsa is terrible (looks and tastes like marinara sauce) not sure how you can mess up salsa. But they did. Their burritos remind me wayyy to much of those frozen individually packaged ones you can get at Market Basket. I've gone multiple times think the first and second time were just flukes. read more

I've been coming to Agave for years and it never disappoints. The margaritas are large and the food is delicious. I love their house made quac and chips! read more

I had lunch here on Friday. Food and service was good. However, I had looked at lunch menu on their website prior to going so knew the prices. When I ordered the menu was a dinner menu and I asked about the lunch menu. The server stated that they weren't honoring the lunch prices as the website was being updated. I didn't want to make a scene so I let it go. This is false advertising and if your site is being updated then take the old one down!!!! read more