I have been looking for tlayudas every where!!!! I am glad I heard about agave uptown, I was not disappointed. I love their drinks and most of all the tlayudas mixtas are out of this world. The house mezcal was so earthy it just complemented my mole so well. I would recommend this amazing restaurant to anyone. read more

Great location, in terms of for uptown Oakland. Corner location with ample seating and a full bar. Loved the vibe and Aesthetics of the place. 5 stars Service: attentive, quick, and checked on us often. 5 stars Food: chips (which were very basic and should not have a price tag on it) Tlayuda with tasajo- I wanted to love it but it was honestly bland! Not much flavor and lacking. The presentation of it was great! But the actual fish. Not so much! - 2.5 stars Mole negro de Oaxaca - there was some flavor to the dish, but it was a bit dry and messy to eat. - 3.5 stars Overall I'd give this a 3.5. I wanted to love it but it's just not quite there. Maybe if I had a few drinks in me I'd feel different but for now, it's a pass for me. read more

I never knew this restaurant was in Uptown Oakland. Stopped there for a last minute dinner after work. Started with guacamole and chips. Yummy but pretty small portion in my opinion. They have specials. My friend had the lamb shank and loved it. Another friend had the carnitas. I had the molcajete which had shrimp, beef and chicken in a tomato sauce with veggies. Put it in a tortilla and add the guacamole and sour cremate. So yummy. We asked for more tortillas and they asked how many we wanted. I was a little surprised. Wasn't sure if they were complimentary or extra cost and I forgot to check the bill later. A hopping place in the evening. Will definitely return. read more

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Went a while back, and I can say the food was pretty great. The service was awesome - our waiter brought us fresh hot chips with guacamole and gave us refills when needed. The restaurants atmosphere itself was great as well! read more

Agave Uptown - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

I visit my friends in the Bay about once a month and we wanted to try Agave Uptown as it had pretty good reviews. Came here on a Friday night for dinner and was pleasantly surprised at how good the food and drinks were. Generally, I like the food in Berkeley or San Francisco the most. However, when staying with my friends in Oakland, we like to try places nearby in downtown Oakland. Agave has a nice vibe and there were plenty of time slots available to make a reservation beforehand. We ordered our food and drinks, and they were able to make a Painkiller which was not on the drink menu. Very happy about that. The vegetable enchilada I ordered was plenty of food for 1 meal, and we would have tried more drinks if we had not had plans to go elsewhere afterwards. Definitely would recommend for quality drinks and food with a nice atmosphere. read more

Agave Uptown - Yum. - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is a pre-pandemic review...your experiences will vary due to covid. Folks, there are tacquerias (think burritos in the Mission), then there are these guys. Agave. Uptown. It's a pretty nice Mexican restaurant located in the hip Oakland uptown neighborhood. This place fits the vibe of the area and we were here on a retirement celebration for a coworker. The ambiance and vibe here are excellent. There's enough of a high class feeling without feeling so snobish. The decor is great and the service is excellent. The food is interesting and puts a fancy flair on some Mexican classics. To be sure, I brought with me my Mexican hombre and even he gave it a thumbs up. Although he did mention this is cuisine from Oaxaca and it was a different experience for him On this day, I had the Mexican pizza, which I'm not too sure they have anymore. But anyhoo, the flavors were great and tasted fresh. I think the kicker was the presentation of all the food on the table. Well done, Agave. Drinks were standard fare. Nothing to write home about, but hey, anything for a happy hour. Try this place out for an interesting time! read more

I really wanted to love Agave, or at least like it a lot, but it simply fell short for me. Their instagram photos are what drew me in, literally I had the phone inches from my face, as my girls and I planned for this to be our go to place. We placed two orders of chips and guacamole, but only received one bowl of chips that had to stretch between two orders of guacamole and three salsa servings. The tacos were tasty and the nachos were decent, (although I would have liked to have had the jalapeño and garnishes depicted on their IG photo). The Paloma Ahumada, recommended by the server, tasted like gasoline (all three of us tried it) ; however, we were unable to let anyone know because the server didn't return until it was time to drop the bill. He then disappears for almost 20 minutes, leaving us to track someone down to pay. Sadly, we'll have to find another spot to frequent. read more

Agave Uptown - Bean & Cheese Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

Overall, the nice sit down restaurant with good food and service. Have had the tasajo and carnitas. Well seasoned and delicious. Service was quick and accurate. And the restaurant is airy and bright. read more

I was pleasantly surprised at my most recent visit to Uptown. My first visit was meh, but this one was really yummy. I was with 3 other people and we all enjoyed our meals. I think it's odd that they didn't offer free chips/salsa but this is a bit fancier than your average Mexican food spot (that means you pay for everything). I ordered the shrimp tacos which were just the right amount of food. Portions are not that big. Service was great and I ordered the plantain for dessert. Oh my! It was wonderful! Definitely recommend. I'll be glad to add this to the go-to list. read more

I've been here before and had an okay experience so I wanted to give them another try. Here's a breakdown of what I found: Service: We walked in and there was a group of servers talking to each other. They looked at us but continued with their conversation, no greeting. I had to initiate. We also had to initiate asking to order food. However, food and drinks came out FAST! They did the last time we were there too, so that's good. The bartender was more attentive as our time there went on but at first, it just seemed like he was more concerned with getting the daily bar tasks/chores completed. Drinks: YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM OMG YUM! It's the whole reason we came back to try it again - THE DRINKS! They are strong, delicious, versatile. Their drink menu has RANGE! Love it! They have tons of different tequilas as well (along with other spirits) so my hubby and I got a shot of Tequila Ocho (a sipper). It was $13 so keep that in mind. Food: The chips were soooooo salty, oh my goodness. I ate them because I needed to eat with my drinks but gah! The meat in my tacos was bland :( if it wasn't drenched in salsa, it would've not been pleasant. The chicken wings were DELICIOUS! The sauce they have on it is soooooo good. Fiery yet sweet. I'd definitely get that again! Aesthetic: they are TOP NOTCH with how they decorate their plates, drinks and restaurant in general. Such a good vibe. Should get a TV at the bar though, but my guess is that's not what they're going for. read more

I wish lunch was better. Passed this place so many times that I decided to try their lunch. Disappointed. The mole burrito sound great but let me down in reality. The mole was delicious. However The chicken wasn't braised or tender. It came warm, not hot, like it had been under a heat lamp. The sides listed were completely missing I had to ask for hot sauce. The saving grace- my cocktail the Agave punch was excellent. Sweet and tart, beautifully presented. If only the burrito had gotten the same attention. I don't think I'd return except for drinks. Friendly staff, though read more

Agave Uptown - Chicken mole ( no sides) and Agave Punch - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm so glad this place is open. Definitely higher end Mexican food with fancy tasty cocktails. The inside has the tables spaced pretty far apart and there is also a ton of outdoor seating. I ordered the chips and guacamole, which came with two salsas and all were very tasty. For dinner I had the giant fish taco. It was really more of a giant burrito. It was very good, the fish was sea bass and it had beans and cheese on the inside and came with a small side salad. The staff were very attentive and polite. read more

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Had an amazing experience here this past weekend at Agave. I was really excited to try this place out, and they had outdoor dining during COVID which was a plus. Met people here and we came well after the 9:30 p.m. closing time and they sat us anyway, I thought that was really dope to begin with. Got the Paloma Margarita, and I highly recommend that ish! It wasn't that crowded, and it was a nice evening outside. The service was phenomenal from start to finish. I enjoyed all of the dishes I tried. My green-chili chicken enchiladas was extra bomb and everything tasted fresh and hot. +1 I can't wait to come back here, its definitely a good spot to get some good Mexican food! Yes its a litter pricer, but the experience is deserving of some splendid loving care. Keep the flavor Agave, I'm on your wave. 5 STARS. read more

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While visiting with me dad I said I had been in the mood for some food Mole (which I feel can be tricky to find), and he brought me here. I was thoroughly impressed-the sauce was simultaneously smokey with hints of chocolate and the chicken was very tender. I enjoyed my meal and ended up eating the whole plate's worth (usually I wouldn't be able to do all that), and feel it's a testament of how delicious this was aka this good food mad me a total glutton read more

Agave Uptown - Mole Negro de Oaxaca - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

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Cool atmosphere, nice people, great food My favorite is tlayuda and plantains!!! They have so many vegetarian choices My husband and I have been here so many times and we were never disappointed read more

Agave Uptown - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

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If you are looking for elevated Mexican food, in a great atmosphere with excellent service and great drinks, you must visit Agave Uptown. Had a great dining experience there last night. We started with the guacamole and chips, fresh seabass ceviche, and tostaditas de chile ajo. Honestly, the guacamole was fine but not outstanding. The ceviche and tostaditas knocked our socks off! Wow. So fresh and delicious. Would return just for that time and time again. BUT, it didn't stop there. We also tasted a medly of tacos, steak, carnitas, grilled chicken and seasonal vegetables. The tortillas were warm, homemade and just the right size. Tacos were stuffed and so delicious & packed with flavor I couldn't choose a favorite. Their rice, is OUTSTANDING. Finally we also had the Chicken a la Plancha with mole, the chicken was tender and perfectly cooked with a slightly sweet mole sauce which quite was fabulous. Osvaldo's service was amazing and Yener's service at the bar was excellent. Thank you Agave Team for a memorable dining experience. We will be back. read more

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Our working group had a wonderful lunch on Thursday. We are all from out of town and enjoyed the local cuisine. Our waiter, BRANDON, was amazing. Very personal and attentive. He made good recommendations about the menu. And he was right - we definitely wanted the hot sauce. The entire experience was fantastic. BRANDON is definitely an asset to your establishment. We look forward to visiting again soon and hope BRANDON will continue to take good care of all the members of our group. read more

The food is always great! The drink are good too. The space is super cute & inviting. Love going here for happy hour. The service is always phenomenal. read more

Atmosphere, food, and drinks were all great. We really loved the guacamole, and the fresh tortillas really made it a unique spot. Would definitely go back read more

I have been in this place many times, food it so delicious , drinks amazing, presentation of both are just so beautifully creative. Their service always have been top 10. And now is my son' favorite place. Thank Agave for all those wonderful experiences and delicious food. I highly recommend you his place read more

Serves lunch and dinner which is great bc you can go for a great meal at either time. Menu offerings are mostly the same either way. Mole is house made specialty and is beautiful! Rich dark full of enchanting flavors. I also often order three street tacos.. and excellent lunch served with Mexican rice and beans. House salsas and guacamole are so fresh and bright. Friendly relaxed service- very welcoming. Outstanding selection of Tequila and Mezcal if that's your thing. Cadillac Margarita is delicious- reasonably priced over all- a favorite go to spot in Uptown read more

It started out so well ... and then we ordered guacamole. We were delivered guacamole chips and salsa (that we did not ask for but did not question because most places give you that for free. ) Then we asked to split the bill ... that's took 15mins to get the cards back. And they changed us for something we didn't order even though they delivered it to the wrong table. #smh read more

Tried Agave last night for the first time. It was around 7:30 on a Friday, and the dining room was about 75% full. Food was ok, service was minimal. We were seated right away, but not given napkins or utensils. After awhile, we waved a waiter down to take out order. My date ordered the seabass and I ordered enchiladas, which the waiter assured me could be made vegan. 20 minutes later the chips and guac we ordered arrived with our drinks. The chips were greasy, and we noticed everyone else had fabric napkins. We waved someone down and asked for napkins, and were given paper to-go napkins. When our entrees arrived almost an hour after we'd ordered, we still didn't have utensils. Also, my "vegan" enchiladas were covered in cheese and had to be remade, which luckily only took a few minutes. We asked two different servers for utensils before we finally received utensils wrapped in fabric napkins. We waved someone down to order a second round. All in all the service was pretty terrible. Our food was edible, but there wasn't anything special about it, certainly not good enough to put up with the poor service. I've had better meals at Chevys. Perhaps if we'd had more rounds we wouldn't have noticed the mediocre food, but since we weren't offered anything we didn't wave down the staff for, that didn't happen. read more

Delicious & unique dishes. Soup was great. Friendly staff. Nice decor. Outside dining option a plus.

Since it's still covid there's not many places open, but we drove by and saw that they had outside seating and were serving. We were quickly seated and greeted by our server. Ordered chips, guacamole and salsa to start. We also put in a drink order of a Oaxaca Old Fashioned and a margarita. It all came out pretty quickly, but took quite a while to put be asked about our entre order. We noticed that there was only one server helping everyone seated outside (mildly busy), so he had his work cut out for him. We ordered a sea bass burrito bowl, Chile relleno and a salad. Everything was very tasty!! Damn near incredible actually! Aside from the food another highlight is the margarita and more specifically the cinnamon/salt rim! SUPER GOOD! Had a great time; will be back! read more

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Don't go here often but the times I've been it's always been a great experience. Drinks are great Food is good too. Got the skirt steak, coulda been a little more flavorful. Rice and beans are alwaysssssssss good! read more

Stopped by here on a whim because I had a sudden craving for a good michelada. Luckily this spot was super close to where I live so it was just a short walk to get here. Immediately what I noticed was the stellar service. I believe the chef was the one who seated me and he was happy to share what he thought I should order since it was my first time. The mole here is delicious and flavorful and the chicken was incredibly tender. Served along the side with black beans and rice, it left me feeling more than just satisfied, I was content. Also the micheladas here are great. Your choice of beer and with a chili salted rim, how can you just only have one? (I had three!) To finish it off I got some churros for the road. I just can't turn them down. I'll definitely be here again, not just because it's so conveniently located, but because of the great food and drinks as well. Shout out to the incredibly friendly staff as well! read more

Agave Uptown - The molcajate, chips and guac, and a great michelada (couldn't resist taking a sip, I was craving it all day! - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

We wanted a Mexican-style restaurant that was close to the Bay Bridge to go to the airport after eating and the map showed this venue. What it didn't show was how great tasting all our 3 different meals would be and the great service in a charming and tasteful design rest and bar. If we are back this way again i will be sure to visit again read more

The food, service and ambiance are all top notch here. The chips, salsas and guacemole were some of the best I ever had. Even the chips they serve by themselves are just extra good! This is the kind of place that doesn't skimp on anything, and everything they do is outstanding! Excellent margaritas! I had the chicken enchiladas with green sauce. Really good! The rice and beans that came with it were outstanding! Outstanding service! Can't wait to come back. read more

I decided to try this place because I was really craving Mexican food. I ordered the ceviche as an appetizer and steak as my main. The food was okay at best, I wasn't impressed especially considering the price. The waitress was really friendly and attentive being that I was the only one in there at 2pm on a weekday. The place is pretty big with a lot of seating which is great especially if you bring a large group. They play good music and it sets the mood just right. I might come back and give the food another try, maybe their other offerings are better. read more

Take out for 1 fish taco on a Wednesday afternoon - cost : $6.56. -_- - Time it took for someone to recognize me @ the register: 2 minutes - Time it took for order to be ready: 11 minutes - Things they forgot: utensils for this messy thing and napkins in this ridiculous over sized bag - Quality: tasty, fresh (3.5 Stars) good but not WOW'd.... Last words: - almost ran out of time st my parking meter and no this $6.56 small fish taco was not worth it - Price discrepancies??? Tacos on the take out menu quoted at $4 for a la Carte... didn't even see a fish one on the menu so was a little surprised - Not sure whether this was snapper or he genetically engineered tilapia - Super messy, tortilla was cold and wet- falling apart, couldn't even hold the stuff inside the taco .... would appreciate utensils next time read more

From the first bite of the chip dipped into their array of salsas and fresh guacamole we knew the high quality of ingredients and care for spices was on point!! I highly recommend their hand crafted drinks and the shrimp tacos. Our server Marion was inviting and knowledgeable about the menu and made suggestions that were perfectly suited for us. Being an Interior Designer I can appreciate the attention to detail from the wall decor, furniture and plates. I loved it read more

Highly recommend! Great outdoor dining option during COVID, wish we could stay longer tonight. They had the greatest service, sauce, recommendations, and ambiance outside (around the corner from their Broadway entrance). Will be back to try more drinks and food. This place is so special for both - definitely plan to come here. Bonus is there are heat lamps! read more

Agave Uptown - Pulque mixed with passion fruit as Miguel recommended (amazing!!) - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

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Had dinner here with my team on a Wednesday evening. I really like the decor and use of the space. The waiter was friendly - attentive without being overbearing. 2 of us got the steak ranchero ... they forgot to give me rice with my order. It was okay, I didn't think the meat was very good quality. My colleague got the Molcajete and while she didn't say anything negative about it, she just picked at it for most of the meal. I've been here before for just cocktails and service has always been pretty friendly. I may try it again given the location but the food needs to be better to warrant a higher rating. read more

The chips here are great. Their rice is perfectly fluffy and fantastic. All the staff are friendly and patient. Skip the shrimp tacos. Really dry and bland :( read more

Agave Uptown is really beautiful. The murals, the decor, their glassware & drink garnishes, the chocolate whisks hanging from the bar. I love all the nods to the restaurant's Oaxacan roots. Their cocktail menu is excellent with several mezcal-based cocktails. My favorite drink is the "Oakland Roots". They have a really good happy hour menu. And their cocktail prices are actually surprisingly very reasonable, even when it's not happy hour. Good chips, salsa & guac. Delicious mole, carnitas tacos & salads. I def need to try more of their menu options. I usually come around lunch or happy hour and have been served several times by Brandon. He's always warm, welcoming & attentive. Oh and the bathrooms here are always super clean and have a really pleasant smell! read more

I took photos of this gorgeous place but I can't find them now... great ambience! Very colorful, friendly staff. You can tell that the locals hit up this spot for lunch meetings and the like (I was just passing through). Absolutely amazing QUALITY food, service, and cute bartenders!! I thought I was just ordering guacamole and chips, flying solo, and they brought out a whole salsa sampler with enough chips for 4 people!! The tacos are divine! Ask for Brandon to be your server! I will be back!! read more

Really wanted to like this place - it came highly recommended. Food, service and ambiance were all ok at best. The salad was wilted and old. If the management insists on fresh produce that will be a game changer. Also, focus on guests feeling super welcome and like it matters that we chose the restaurant. Otherwise, it's a decent place and the guacamole was tasty. read more

This restaurant wasted two hours of my time. I placed an order on UberEats for two entrees and guac & chips at 7:30 pm, and the poor driver waited over an hour for food that they never made. Meanwhile, I have called the restaurant over a dozen times without anyone picking up. Finally at 9:30 they told the driver they are cancelling the order. I understand times are weird with COVID and all that, but 2 hours with zero communication is unacceptable for anything short of the zombie apocalypse. And on Cinco de Mayo of all days. read more

Agave Uptown - After waiting two whole hours for my order, the restaurant cancels my order. - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

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Amaze balls. Good fresh food. We love Mexican food and this is the place to go. Prices are not bad and the selection is wide. Favorite is the carnitas plate. Good tortillas also. Full bar with a large tequila selections. read more

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