Food never disappoints here and the service is always amazing! Love coming here and will keep returning! The carne asada, tequila chicken and enchiladas are my favorite go to items to get. read more

As fans of Top Chef, my wife and I had Averde in Cary on our radar since it opened. Chef Katsuji Tanabe helms this suburban restaurant, which offers Mexican fare with Japanese touches reflecting his personal background. We arrived to a surprisingly half full dining room on Saturday evening. The ambiance of the place struck us with its high ceilings, pops of green and blue, and funky touches including colorful murals and a red phone booth in the middle of the dining room. Our waitress remained available through the meal and was helpful with selecting both food and drinks. We put in two cocktails which, while strong, represented the nadir of our meal. We found both the Palo-Me A Kiss and Hot Mess cocktails slightly too sweet and syrupy for our liking, but the drinks had decent quality ingredients and ultimately complimented the food well. For our food, we started with the tuna tostada. This dish offered fresh chunks of tuna on a crispy corn tortilla topped with a soy sauce, spicy salsa macha, and fresh radishes. That dish compared favorably to one of the better tuna tostadas we had at a famous Mexico City restaurant and made for a fresh yet savory bite. Chef Katsuji actually came to our table when our main course arrived and chatted with us briefly. He explained how best to enjoy the food and answered any questions we had. This gesture added to the hospitality and warmth of the experience and we appreciated the personal attention. For our entree, we opted to share the pork shank. This dish comprised a huge, bone in piece of pork marinated in a zesty miso-achiote sauce and served with black beans, pickled red onions, and corn tortillas. Chef advised us to make tacos out of the meat, beans, and onions and dip them in the super flavorful, tangy sauce, which made for a delicious, rich, and complex bite. Despite how good the pork shank was, the star of the meal for us was, surprisingly, our side of crispy potatoes. These spuds (both sweet and regular potatoes) arrived crispy yet fluffy and were topped with a surprisingly spicy and addictive creamy, tangy habanero pumpkin seed sauce. We've never had those flavors before and are still craving that dish. We also ordered an enjoyable and comforting side of the plantains which had a subtle kick from spicy honey and were paired smartly with Mexican cream and cheese. Our meal ran us $100 pre tip and this included two strong cocktails and more than enough food for two diners. We really enjoyed our meal here and consider Averde a hidden gem in Cary. We loved meeting the chef and dining on updated yet authentic Mexican flavors in vibey surrounds. Both the food and service here left a memorable impression and we would recommend this restaurant for any fan of Mexican food or something different in the Triangle. read more

I have mixed feeling about A'Verde. I read some really great reviews and we decided to check it out on Mother's Day. It was very sweet that all the mothers got carnations. My first impression was that I really liked the vibe and decor. The paintings and lighting are colorful, fun, and vibrant. Another first impression was that it was pricey. We started with the cornbread, which seems a little out of place for a Mexican restaurant? Anyhow, it was delicious, but very butter and cheese heavy. The guacamole was probably my favorite item. The tacos were pretty good. My husband made a comment that he didn't really want to create his own tacos; they should come already constructed with seasoning and herbs on top. The mushroom tacos were very tasty. There weren't many vegetarian options on the menu. I had the "Like, literally" cocktail, which says it comes with a bunch of cilantro. As seen from my photo, there's no cilantro in it. Overall, our meal felt very heavy and greasy and we both felt like we needed to exercise afterwards. Based on this and the prices, I don't think we will return. read more

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We were really looking forward to trying this place and brought my in-laws and our 17-year-old son for a weeknight dinner. The hostess was friendly and seated us right away, which got things off to a good start. The meal began promisingly with fresh guacamole, salsa, and chips--definitely a highlight. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. The prices were surprisingly high given the portion sizes and overall quality. My son ordered the birria taco plate, which was extremely disappointing--two very small tacos and a side of dry refried beans for $18. He even said they were the worst he's ever had. I ordered the fish tacos, which were just okay--nothing memorable. The rest of the table had the passion fruit chicken, tequila lime chicken, and tequila lime salmon. While none of the dishes were bad, they were all fairly average, especially for the premium price point. Overall, we left feeling underwhelmed and unlikely to return read more

Came here based on reviews. This was number 1 in the list. We were not impressed. I had Carne Assada and wife had a chicken dish. Both were so tough that we couldn't chew them. The best thing were the chips and salsa they bring out when you first sit down. Ok that being said, our server was over the top sweet and efficient. If I had a restaurant I would want her on my staff. I would not recommend this restaurant based on our experience. And we don't take that lightly. read more

TLDR: Flavorful, unique menu items with large portions and friendly employees. Yum, delicious flavorful food. Pricy, but you do receive large portions. We stopped here on a Friday night for takeout. The online ordering system was not working so we called to place an order. They also offer delivery. We were already in the area, so we did not mind picking it up. A friendly employee took our to-go order and informed us it would be ready in about 20 minutes. We arrived about 15 minutes later. We parked in a curbside takeout spot and called the number. They informed us that we had to come inside to pick up the order. We walked inside and informed the hostesses that we were there to pick up our order. They said we had to go to the bar. We sat at the bar and waited about 15 minutes for our order. Although we sat there for a while, the bartender did not charge our card until after our order came out. She had given us the receipt, and my card just sat there on the counter until our food arrived. We then had to wait longer for her to come over and run the card. Not a huge issue, just mildly annoying. The employees that brought our order out were very friendly and packaged our meal well. The cochinita pibil leaked so thankfully they had double bagged it. We loved the flavor of our food, especially the cochinita pibil. I hoped it would come with more picked onions, but it did come with ample mole and pork. The pork fell right off the bone and the mole, beans, and pork together tasted incredible. Although we ordered salsa and queso, we only received one order of chips. This ended up being okay since we didn't like the chips anyway. They were way too thick. I also did not like the salsa. The tomatillo avocado was the best of the three and the others were okay. I do prefer salsas that are chunky and these were all very thin. The ube flan was delightful. My husband said it was his new favorite dessert. We did not order alcohol and perused the tequila library while sitting at the bar. They offer a variety of tequila options. Overall, we enjoyed our meal and have already recommended this restaurant to others! read more

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Omg absolutely delicious! Fresh fried tortilla chips and the guac is spicy but so tasty. We ordered the ribeye tacos and pork belly tacos. Both were delicious but ribeye was best, next I will try cauliflower tacos as I do love those too. I had a Paloma (their version) and enjoyed it all. We went early so it wasn't too busy, and fairly quiet, waitress was very attentive. Great experience. read more

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Let's me start this review with what really sold me on this place, THE SERVICE. Our server Six was amazing. Very attentive and super fun. He gave us the run down of the menu and was quick to answer all of our questions. Bravo to him!! We started with drinks. I got the hot mess which was made with mezcal and my bf got a Paloma which he thoroughly enjoyed. I also got a chance to get a shot and ring the bell which was a whole production. Recommend it to everyone! The food is where I would have to doc a star. It was just subpar. I got the fried rice which I wish was more protein than rice and my bf got the shrimp burrito. He said it was just a mess trying to eat it. read more

A'Verde Cocina and Tequila Library - Hot mess, Paloma - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Food was excellent as always!!! Even Chef Jorge came out to meet us & share a few culinary secrets!! He also shared they will start a seasonal menu soon! Thanks to our server Susan as well! She was so kind & friendly! It felt as if we were dining with long time friends! read more

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Mexican rice tasted spoiled. Been a big fan of Mexican food but this restaurant is my least favorite. Was not able to take a bite

I visited A'Verde with some coworkers. It was on a weekday at around 1:00pm so there was plenty of seating. We were seated immediately and the waitress was friendly and attentive. We ordered and food came out quickly. They served warm chips and salsa while you wait. My group enjoyed their food and all said it was tasty. I tried something new - the passion fruit chicken bowl with guacamole. It was way too sweet and hard to finish. But I wanted to try something new. These are the things we loved - the Mexican street corn, okra, plantains, and the fish taco was delicious. My group also had burritos and quesadillas. They enjoyed their food. I would go again, but it's probably not my go to Mexican restaurant. It was a bit pricy for Mexican food in my opt. One fish taco was $8 and my passion fruit dish was $17 or so and it wasn't a big portion. Overall it was a good meal. Beautiful artwork adorned the walls and they place great music. I have to do better with taking pictures of my food. So yeah. Good experience overall. read more

We had Cyx for our server! He was excellent definitely will come again because he was amazing!! read more

A'Verde Cocina and Tequila Library - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Food is always good. A vide variety of options for food sensitivities/allergies. Service could be a bit faster. Felt like we waited a long time for the small things like drinks dessert Drinks are good/strong. The music is always good! Creates a good dinning experience. read more

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Excellent service from Alana! The food was awesome. Will definitely be back. Highly recommend the cornbread too

Food: [1 star] Was served a stale old spoiled Tresleches cake. I had to take togo as I was full at restaurant, realized only after reaching home and ate at home that it's stale. First bite was sour, thought it could be just how it tastes( did not doubt their quality). But after a couple of bites realized it was a stale one . I went there twice, ordered gradma's corn bread, shrimp quesadillas both the times. They were good. But serving stale food is a big no-no. Now I doubt quality control of everything there. Not going there again. Service: [4 star ] No bad experiences w.r.t service. May be bit of delay here and there, but not a bad service. Ambience: [4 star] outdoor and indoor both give good ambience, b-day song comes with bash, group singers. read more

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Came here for lunch. The enchiladas and tortilla chips were awesome. Gabrielle did a great job. Lots of parking. read more

Great ambiance and great food! I was not disappointed! I had the fish tacos and steak tacos and one of the best I ever had in a long time! Would love to come back again and try the other dishes. Had to take the ube flan to go and cannot wait to try it! read more

A'Verde Cocina and Tequila Library - Fish and the steak tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Absolutely worse experience. My wife, vegetarian, simply wanted to replace potatoes with black beans on one of their vegetarian dishes and they were not able to accommodate the request, not helped further by cold shoulder from the server. Would not recommend if you're vegetarian. read more

If I could give this place a zero I absolutely would! Management is rude and unprofessional she should not be in a management position, especially when an issue occurs she didn't know how to handle it accordingly. Staff needs to be trained on steps of service! For $90 for 2 people horrible experience! And I haven't even got to the issue with the food. We ordered cheese dip that came after we finished our meal! My husband ordered fajitas for $20 you would think you would get meat with it, WRONG it was mostly vegetables. When we asked to get more chicken the server said yes we get that complaint a lot and didn't even try to attempt to fix it we had to ask multiple times for more chicken second we need refills we finished our meal before we got refills wile we watched our server set our drinks down on a stand and let them sit there and took care of another table. Not once did management even apologize the response was she needed to take their order. I was in the service industry for a long time serving, bartending and even management and this place clearly had zero training on steps of service. We had a lot of patience still tipped over %20. This place needs better management and better training for their employees!! Horrible service for the amount you are paying! read more

Great Mexican restaurant in Cary. We stopped by a couple of weeks ago prior to heading downtown Cary for their light display. The place was bustling on this weekend night. The food was really good and tasty as was the specialty Margarita that I ordered. Our server was nice and attentive and gave our son a heads up with the imminent sell out of the pork belly tacos, which were delicious by the way. We enjoyed this place very much. read more

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We went to this restaurant last night, and our server was Lauren. The only standout of the evening was the drinks. We ordered fresh guac and fajitas. . It's pretty standard and hard to get wrong. The food wasn't necessarily bland, but it just didn't have a lot of flavor. The fajitas were very greasy and the tortillas didn't have any flavor and broke after the first bite so it was not a pleasant experience trying to eat them. The guacamole was actually some of the worst I've had. It was flavorless except for the parmesan cheese on top... Never heard of anyone doing that and it did not add to it at all. My friend actually had to return her dish after taking a couple bites due to it being flavorless so she sat there while the rest of us ate. Lauren did not have any personality and was actually rude a couple times. She literally pushed my arm out of the way while I was talking to my friend while she was putting the guac on the table and also did it with my drink... didn't say a word and just walked away. The only time she was actually nice was at the very end when she gave us our checks and then she had a totally different personality (of course). Overall this was not a great experience for anyone in our party. I've had better food and service at a lot cheaper and lesser establishments. We will not be returning and I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone based on our experience last night. I try not to post many negative reviews but when you are paying $100+ to eat basic Hispanic food, you expect better. read more

Food and drinks are delicious and service is great! We love the quesadillas and salsa flight! read more

A'Verde Cocina and Tequila Library - kiwi margarita - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Chips were hard (not stale, hard). Salsa too liquidy and flavorless. Menu items no longer available and seemed like the website was for another place. Food was good but not worth the prices. The good news, gluten free and vegetarian options were clearly noted and abundant. The margarita was awesome. Its not worth traveling to but, if i were local, i might stop in for a drink. ​ read more

Great food. A bit of a hit or miss on getting a table, especially on the weekends. Get there early!

We had a party of 12 and we were quickly seated. Our server, Madison, was great! She was attentive and refilled our beverages without us having to ask. The food was authentic and flavorful! I ordered the pork tacos and it had the right amount of spice. Will definitely come back. Overall a nice atmosphere. read more

A'Verde Cocina and Tequila Library - Pork tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Was in town for the weekend and a friend recommended this place. It's definitely not your average Mexican restaurant but the food was really good. Service was a bit slow but it was also a Friday night. We ended with the "ring the bell" shot which was a fun twist! read more

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a'Verde was a very disappointing experience overall. I'd rate this restaurant average at best, and I'm only saying average because of the quality of the side dishes and the cleanliness of the dining room. The restaurant advertises itself as a "tequila library," however, once inside there are no further references to the "tequila library" and no attempt by the staff to up-sale you on premium tequilas; the restaurant is losing profit by not taking advantage of this and it's legitimately in their name. There are no tequila references on the menu and no menu dedicated to their tequila selection; highly disappointing. Why not include a few dishes that involve tequila? The "tequila library" itself was a wall with shelving containing bottles that were in a cage, making the bottles not visibly appealing. Your entire restaurant is based around tequila yet you keep the tequila locked up?! I'm guessing a'Verde needs new management or some fresh leadership that makes needed changes. The staff seemed very rushed and busy, maybe the restaurant is understaffed? We asked for one alteration to a main entree for dietary reasons and the waiter told us the kitchen could not comply. I fail to see how a full service kitchen cannot swap one item for another, especially when it requires no custom cooking or preparation. The denial came across as lazy, and again, like the staff were stressed and unable to comply due to the mental stress induced by making any change at all. The appetizers were full of fried food with no healthy options; restaurants in Mexico have a wide variety of grilled vegetables and options that are not fried. We ordered appetizers from the sides because it included non-fried options. I ordered chicken fajitas and there were no poblano peppers included, and the menu advertises poblano peppers. I felt like I could made the dish myself at home for much less money and probably better quality. My wife ordered the salmon, which had a good taste, but the sweet potato served with the salmon had a funky taste like the potato itself was not good. The ambiance inside seemed modern and the dining room was clean, but we waited about five minutes for a staff member to welcome us. We honestly thought about leaving because we just stood at the front waiting on someone; this was a red flag that I should have listened to. Maybe someone can invigorate new life that incorporates tequila into multiple aspects of the experience and improve a'Verde. Either way, we will not be back until the restaurant gets a complete managerial overhaul. read more

Writing this review as a disappointed and frustrated customer or almost customer. I wanted to utilize my Offline offer since it is the end or the month. I checked the hours and it said they were open until 10. I packed up my toddler and drove 35 min to Cary just to arrive at 7pm. Upon arrival there was a paper sign on the door stating that it is closed today. I wish these businesses would update their hours when they have unexpected stuff. read more

Wow! I've been driving by over a year and finally tried it! The service was EXCELLENT. Authentically great people who you can tell have been given security and support! Great food, so fresh and the sauces are amazing. Great chips! We loved this meal! read more

Feels like a chain and definitely geared towards a younger crowd (check out the drinks menu). Nice inside... the girls bathroom have nearly nude celebrity men posters who watch you pee... food was alright, shrimp taco was pretty good. read more

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Omg. Try this place and you will not be disappointed. Great atmosphere and the food may be the best we have had in a long time. Quick service, great food. We go out to eat a lot and it will be hard to match the taste of A'Verde. We will be back asap. read more

A'Verde Cocina and Tequila Library - Shrimp Augachile + Taquitos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Great food, great atmosphere and great service from Susan! We loved our experience and would absolutely come back the next time we are in the area. read more

Went here for lunch over the weekend, you can only order brunch until dinner and the brunch menu is limited. The wait staff didn't mention that until we asked to see the lunch menu. The only taco option was $30 and only had one choice of meat. The salsa and chips were expensive with no flavor. The drinks were strong but not great. We cancelled our food order the drinks and chips were so bad. The thing that sucks it's in a great location and looks great on the inside. read more

A'Verde Cocina and Tequila Library - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

We had absolutely fantastic service from Ada especially while training a new staff member. Our food was delicious and fresh!!

Awesome party atmosphere and friendly and knowledgeable staff. Cool interior. Drinks are very good too. However, the food can be hit and miss. And this is based on two visits with friends. Chicken enchiladas are bland. The bean dishes are OK. Skip the corn dish. Tacos are good and so is the Adobo fried rice. The Cochinita Pibil or pork shank is good but is it worth $34. The churros are very good. We'll probably come back to try some of the other offerings. If you haven't been, check it out. read more

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Where do I start... just wasn't wow'd. The food was underwhelming. The only standout was the Baked Grandma's Cornbread which is a 1950's Mexico City recipe with Honey truffle butter, everything else was lacking. For dinner I ordered the mojo chicken tacos which is umami marinated chicken and sweet plantains. I should've picked something else maybe. I'm not a huge fan of the heirloom blue corn tortillas so I ate my food without them. My friend ordered the shrimp fajitas and the overall dish was a 6/10. However, the drinks were delicious. We ordered the So Basic and TakeMeBack. We gave those a 10/10. Based on the atmosphere and staff I will give this restaurant another chance and try some other items.. They have gluten free and vegan options for those with dietary restrictions read more

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As a recent San Diegan who moved to Raleigh, we were so happy to have found a'Verde. Amazing food. And the service is like none other. Susan was extremely attentive and the best part: she brought out water for our dog right away! We normally have to ask twice at most places but not at a'Verde. Nancy makes the BEST micheladas and even recognized us by our drink order and made sure we got her micheladas! Amazing food. Incredible service that makes you feel like family. And awesome drinks. a'Verde is one of the many reasons we're so happy to be here in Raleigh. Thank you! read more

Food lacked any real flavor. Drinks were good, servers were friendly. Kudos to restaurant for their support of women's hygiene. Really wanted to like the place but it fell short in flavor. read more

BLUF: Hmmm... Sparklers and bubbles landing on my food? I walked into a TGIFridays? How far has this place fallen from five months ago, let me count the ways. Do you like having a boom box playing shot-shots-shots leading a rowdy group of Woo-girls (and boys probably) by your table every 20 minutes? How about the wait staff blowing hundreds of soap bubbles on to your food if there's a birthday nearby? Yes? Then read on. If no, go to Chipotle or Topopos on Kildaire Farm. Our table got four taco entrees, two truffle mushroom, an chorizo octopus, and a mojo chicken. How is it that none of the taco entrees had either: something pickled, or chopped onion and cilantro, or at the very least sour cream? At least we got that at our first visit. Whoever the line cooks were tonight, they were heavy handed with either the salt or the sugar. Brussel sprouts were sweet? Not even in a "there's some sweetness adding depth" type of way, it was sweet. Okra, salty. Octopus, salty. But wait, the mojo chicken was bland. I'm sure after five months of operating they had to pivot and if they landed their desired target clientele, I'm happy for them. For me, when the best part of the meal is the chips and salsa, what else do I really need to say? read more

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I had my 21st birthday here and the food was so good! The service was even better! For my birthday they had sparklers a free shot and a great margarita! Try their homemade cornbread or birria tacos! read more