Had a nice lunch with friends here yesterday! We were coming in at a weird hour (3:30 on a Sunday), so, we were seated right away. The service was great, they took our order promptly, the waitress knew the menu well (I had questions about spice levels), and they checked in on us a few times. My friends got the Dirty Horchata (January special drink) and the taquitos (think this was also a special) and everything was really tasty! I got two tacos and with the chips and salsa, that was perfect. Ample parking, and I hear it does get really busy, so, expect a wait in normal mealtime hours. read more

Ancho & Agave - Carnitas taco (left) and Al pastor taco (right) - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Stopped in here while on a work trip. I'm only sad that i only went here once. the funny thing is that my food was just ok. The ambiance and decor are perfection. It's beautiful and fun inside the space. The people are super friendly and kind. You just want to invite them to sit down and est dinner with you! I ordered the birria ramen which ended up cold and clumpy. I said something and they were super great and replaced it for me. I also ended up ordering the churros for dessert and they were kind enough to give it to me complimentary. I tell you, excellent service brings people back faster than anything else. I'm ok that i didn't love what i ordered. I will try something else next time. The chips and salsa were also tasty- salsa is not spicy but they do have several spicy options on the tables so you can mix your own heat level as desired. I also got a raspberry lime margarita on the rocks and it was great! Solid flavor combo. Can't really go wrong with margs ever. I will tell everyone always to come here when in Bloomington!! read more

See all

Had some street tacos for lunch - the pork belly was my favorite! It melted in your mouth - so delicious! The pineapple with the Al Pastor was a nice little extra flair to the pork. My friend loved her chicken taco as well. The restaurant itself was so cute inside even the bathrooms were pretty. Staff was on top of everything and super nice great place to eat and wish we had one in our town! read more

Ancho & Agave - Smoked Pork Belly and Pork Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

See all

One of my favorite stops in the Bloomington/Normal area. Always delicious food and great service. The restaurant is open but usually quite comfortable. Sometimes it can be cold inside so bring a jacket. read more

See all

Large restaurant with an outdoor area for warmer weather. A nice front seating area for happy hour. Food was good, many options for those that are pescatarian or vegetarian. Staff were great. read more

Visited today and loved the food and atmosphere. Service was awesome too. I had the cauliflower taco and it was so good. I also ordered a side of the green salsa. Yummy! Friend had a couple of tacos shrimp and barbacoa and said they were both tasty. She liked the table salsa better as the green is spicy. This place gets crowded so reservations for night time is a good idea. Check it out! read more

See all

Love Ancho and Agave! I have been to the location near Madison so I was excited to see that Bloomington had a location when I was in town for work. I got seated at the bar since it was just me and already knew I was going to order the pork belly quesadilla. It is so good and such a good blent of sweet and salty. The service was quick and and staff was great, I think I was in and out in less than an hour. Can't wait to be back, I will keep thinking about that quesadilla! One thing I will note, the queso is not that great. It is not your typical queso so just a heads up! read more

See all

The food was great. Service was reliable and the atmosphere was great for Valentine's Day.

Tacos are now more than $5 each, which is insane for the area. no way these kid size tacos justifies the prices or skimpy servings. Felt completely ripped off. Won't be returning--there are too many better Mexican spots in Bloomington-Normal that give you real food for your money. It's really no surprise the place with the flashiest entry and looks have some of the worst value in the town. read more

Our server was visibly annoyed to be serving us, when we asked for boxes she made a big deal out of it. She said her manager makes her take the food back to box it for us but it would be "a lot of trips" and if we could vouch for her to her manager if she just brings us boxes to do it ourselves. I prefer to box my own food anyways but the way she acted had me ready to get the heck out of this place. The chips were SO salty, we HAD to ask for chips without salt since we ordered dips we wanted to eat and they never came, I asked and she admitted she forgot. Then expected us to just brush it off but I asked her to still bring them out and she rolled her eyes. Genuinely horrible service and the food was no where near good enough to come back. Do not recommend, at all read more

Higher end Mexican dishes. Tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and top shelf tequila. A little pricey but worth every penny. Very modern dining room and cool bar area. Servers are friendly and attentive. Must try spot in Bloomington if you like Mexican. read more

Ancho & Agave - Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

See all

Beautiful atmosphere, mediocre food at best. Very simple, undeveloped, or bland flavors in every dish, side & dessert. Service was good & helpful. read more

The tacos were fair. Good size for street tacos, but not a whole lot of flavor. The street corn was too butter/mayo-like saucy, overpowering the corn. Service was outstanding! read more

Ancho & Agave - Esquites "Off-the-Cobb" Mexican Street Corn - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

See all

They have the best salsa!!! Their catinas taco is my fav and the Al pastor is my son's fav. Steak asada enchilada was highly recommended to me, but I haven't had that yet. The water is terrible though.... This last time we went it tasted like cleaning product. I asked the server for a different pitcher, thinking that was the problem, but he said it is just the Bloomington water. I don't remember any other water tasting like that though... read more

I've eaten here a couple times, and the food is pretty good. The space is large and open, with a sort of chain restaurant feel. The service is decent as well. But guys, the portions? 2 small nuggets of cauliflower? read more

Ancho & Agave - They don't over feed you, that's for sure! - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

What a fun birthday meal. Two of my cousins wanted to treat me to a meal at one of their favorite restaurants. Ancho and Agave features great food, good vibe ambiance and attentive service. Food: I love that you don't have to break the bank because tacos start at $4. There are a lot of choices to build a taco board or just have one or two. Points for offering tasty vegan selections. Standards like fajitas, burritos and enchilada meals are available for hearty appetites. I lost self control as I crammed the complimentary chips and salsa into my mouth. A unique menu idea is that they offer salsa samplers, guacamole samplers or queso samplers. Yes! We got the classic guacamole and the freshly prepared avocados were exceptional. A & A corn chips are fresh and crisp without being too thick. Besides a gringo taco I ordered the sweet corn tamale cakes which was two corn cakes smothered in tomatillo green chile sauce, roasted mild poblano peppers and onions with sour cream. I ended up taking some of this home because I went crazy with the chips and guacamole. It was just as good on the reheat. They have a good selection of craft beers, wine, sangria and of course margs. Ambiance: The interior has inviting leather booths, fun signs and accents and the cleanest restaurant bathroom I have seen in a long time. The restaurant had tasteful holiday decorations adding to the festive mood. I loved everything about this place. My cousin said she went to a wedding that Ancho and Agave catered. They offer full service catering to taco party packs. Service: They were surprisingly busy for a December weeknight with almost every table full including large families and parties. We got excellent service and we had a server who filled chips, water and drinks without prompting. Our food landed shortly after ordering preventing me from requesting a 3rd basket of chips. I was so grateful for good company, exceptional food and of course birthday presents. read more

See all

My husband and I had a date night at this restaurant. It will not be our last. The service, food, and ambiance was perfection. We are already planning another visit for date night. Thank you, for a great meal!! read more

I had heard such great things about this place and was sadly disappointed. Chips and salsa were great, but everything else was forgettable and cold. The Armstrong dip came out quickly but was luke warm at best.. tacos were all cold. Not luke warm, cold. My friend's tacos came out incorrect, and the right ones were brought out maybe a minute later. I mentioned my fish taco was cold when the manager (?) came by so he grabbed me another one - with the wrong fish and the wrong tortillas. It seems like nothing was made fresh.. almost like they have the ingredients waiting to slap onto a taco and bring out. The breading of the fish and cauliflower was heavy and greasy but nothing seemed freshly made which is kind of surprising based on everything being made in-house. So bummed because there has been a lot of hype! Margs were good and service was good.. but it's too expensive for cold queso and tacos on top of mistakes. read more

Absolutely cutest, laid back vibey restaurant in the area! You can definitely do girls night, parties, large groups, anything here. So much space. The service was excellent! Hostess was friendly & fast, our waitress was so kind and on top of everything. Food was excellent,hot & Fresh. We'd come back read more

See all

The hubby brought me here for lunch on Mother's Day. The restaurant is large and wide open. They have interesting light fixtures. The noise level is average. The service was EXCELLENT. The prices are average. The food was DELICIOUS!! We will definitely be coming back and bringing more people with us. read more

See all

Our server was named Jacob, and arrived at 5:00 pm. The food was good. The service kind of sucked. We had 3 adults, a toddler, and a baby. He only checked on us once. We were done with our meal for about 10 minutes waiting for him to come. Finally he showed up and asked if we needed boxes, we said yes, then he decided to take the food and box it up for us. Waited five more minutes he finally arrived with the boxed leftovers. Then he asked if we were ready for the bill, which was obvious, we said yes. Waited another five minutes for him to bring the bill , I told him to wait while I looked at the bill, gave him my credit card right away which probably saved us another five minutes. It didn't take long after that. He knew I was pissed off. We left at about at 6:15. The server obviously has a problem with managing multiple challenges. HERE IS FEEDBACK FOR THE SERVER, WHEN YOUR TABLE HAS BABIES AND TODDLERS YOU NEED TO STEP UP THE SERVICE BECAUSE THE KIDS HAVE SMALL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY. read more

This place is huge! Lots of seating and it's got a really big feeling to it because of the high industrial ceilings. We went with a group of 6 and our server was excellent. He got us drinks promptly and was super friendly. The food was good but I think missing a little bit of something. The chicken asada bowl was the perfect amount and filling, a spicy option may be a good idea to add. The birria quesadilla was also good! read more

Ancho & Agave - Chicken Asada Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

See all

We enjoyed a nice evening with some friends. The ambiance is very nice. The food was just ok. Unfortunately, it was served comedian/luke warm at best. The flavors were decent. The queso was running and cold. The food was inconsistent. The drinks had no punch. Typical watered down restaurant drinks. The leche cake was phenomenal! The best part of the evening was the server. Jenna was outstanding! Attentive, with a great personality. The general manager and owner walked around greeting and assisting. Great teamwork. Overall, a 3, with a 5 for service, 4/5 ambiance, and 2/3 ish for food. read more

Great place, tacos were delicious. Nice atmosphere and our service for great! First time visit! Would definitely stop by again!

The food was very tasty when we went, service was good! The menu is a little pricier, I would return again! I will also recommend to friend and family read more

Ancho & Agave - Dinner food - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

The inside is decorated beautifully. There's so much to look at and it all works very well. I got the chicken fajitas and they were made very well. Always a good classic. Our server was very funny and talkative. Made our night even better! read more

This past week, my colleague and I went here for lunch. It was quite busy so we sat at the bar. Our server, Bree was very attentive. I loved the chips and salsa to munch on and then I enjoyed the pork belly and sweet corn quesadillas. The pork belly was easy to eat and everything was cooked great. read more

Ancho & Agave - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

First time here. We were a party of 3. We arrived for lunch at 1ish during Parents Day weekend so it was busy. The GREAT: Friendly host. Fun vibe. Spacious. The waiting area had comfy upholstered chairs and couches. The wait was a lot shorter than 35 minutes. They texted me when our table was ready. The GOOD: The menu had interesting items. The food was good but not extra special. We ordered 3 chicken asado tacos. My son said they were okay... 3 stars. I ordered coconut shrimp. Tasted fine. The slaw was interesting but again, just okay. The best dish that we ordered was the pork belly quesadillas. Hubbie said they were 4 stars. May come again next time we are in town. read more

See all

Our table was not wiped off before seating, chairs were filthy, chicken was pink, service was slow and water glass and cups were clearly not washed. overpriced for the mediocre food. the best part about this place is the beer that filled me up when I couldn't eat the chicken! never going back. read more

The menu has several tasty dishes. Each meal I've had has been very delicious The staff is always friendly and attentive... the ambience is wonderful too ! read more

Place was absolutely beautiful. Large, clean, plenty of room around tables. Menu was pricey, spent over $300 on 7 people. Service was decent but I wouldn't say it was great. Had to flag down our server to get refills on drinks and some of the food came out on the cool side. Place seemed empty for a Saturday night even though it was a homecoming night for the local schools. read more

Very good food I had a fajita and it was the best fajita I've ever had. But the real stunner was the ambiance and service which was top of the line. read more

Great modern look and feel with classic Mexican dishes. Drove here from Chicago on a motorcycle trip and stopped in right when the opened on a Saturday. Large bar area, spacious indoor seating, and an attractive patio area as well. Menu is well sized, with classic favorites and lots of taco options. Solid drink list with many margarita choices, tequila flights, and beer. Service was good as they had just opened. An hour into the meal and they were getting a good flow of people. Food was delivered in a perfect amount of time. I had the chicken burrito bowl and it was large! All burritos are available as a bowl, which I love. Generous portion, good flavor blends. My wife had a taco salad and was also pleased. Great place to visit and far enough away from the college crowd. read more

I've been here a few times, but I've never sat up at the bar before Saturday. It may be simple, but I do love a barstool with a backrest! I sat with my friend and caught up with her for about two hours - it flew by. There's a wide variety of margaritas and different tequilas you can include in those margs! I got the prickly pear and later on, a paloma. Everything was delicious! The staff behind the bar were very friendly and attentive. We didn't order any food, but the table chips and salsa were yummy. Not my favorite of all-time, but just fine for a snack. They have plenty of TVs up at the bar area and Ian got entranced with soccer, which was perfect! It is quite pricey, especially if you're sitting and chatting for awhile. But, I think the prices reflect the quality so no complaints here. I'm glad that this restaurant exists in BloNo and the location (on the eastside of town) is fit for the vibe and the prices. read more

Ancho & Agave - Prickly Pear marg - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

This is my favorite restaurant of all time. They have great service and also an awesome chill environment. It's a great place to come and hang out. There is a long list of different tacos and they are all delicious. You get big ole baskets of chips and salsa and they keep bringing out more. I would also recommend the esquites, which is a kind of Mexican street corn with some awesome flavors read more

Great spot to meet for margaritas and delicious Mexican food! Extensive cocktail & beer menu with something for everyone. Tons of food options and so far everything I've tried is delicious. Usually run monthly specials as well as a monthly cocktail. Stopped in on a Tuesday and the place was pretty steady. Our server Hannah was excellent at not only providing great service but offering suggestions on the food and drinks. Definitely will be back! read more

Excellent food, sauces, and margaritas. The Cadillac margarita is the best! It's our go-to every time we're in Bloomington.

High-end Mexican restaurant. Love the decor and the food is fantastic. Frequent patron here! read more

Ancho & Agave - Steak & chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Shrimp tacos are my favorite! We go here every chance we get. Also recommend the stacked nachos and sweet corn tamale cakes.

I like the atmosphere, the food it good and the margaritas are fantastic. I sometimes go alone and sitting at the bar is very comfortable.