Had an amazing time with friends at Sol Agave for Happy Hour! We were looking for an early happy hour in Santa Monica and this was the first place to come up! Glad it did because the food was great, service was amazing and prices are on point! Juan O. was our server and he took extra special care of us! We decided on drinks and food from the happy hour menu and then asked him if we were missing any must-haves and he recommended the Chipotle Glazed Ribs. Typically at a Mexican restaurant that's not the first thing I would think of ordering, but he didn't steer us wrong because they were delicious! Here are the items we ordered from the happy hour menu: Calamari - cornmeal breaded calamari steak strips and jalapeno wheel. Topped with queso fresco & served with chipotle aoili; Pork Belly Sopes - pinch dough, marinated pork belly. topped with tomato mint relish, pina, habanero pickled onion; Chicken Flautas - Served with guacamole, topped with lettuce, cabbage, pico, sour cream, & queso fresco; Chipotle Glazed Ribs - 4 "fall off the bone" beef ribs. Served with fries; and Ceviche Al Gusto Mixto - Choice of fresh seafood marinated in fresh lime juice and served with fresh plantain chips & agua chile. We also got a few Sol Agave Margarita Flights - tour of signature margaritas - tamarindo, spicy, mango, cucumber cilantro, watermelon basil. I typically don't like these types of flights because often they're too sweet, but they were perfectly balanced. We also ordered a couple of the House Margaritas - El jimador blanco, agave mix, tajin rim. These were STRONG! For dessert, we order their Butter Cake, Tres Leches and Churros. They were all amazing, but the Butter Cake was definitely #1 for me. Overall, a great experience from beginning to end. I'm definitely coming back to this place and requesting Juan O.! read more

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Sol Agave was the first and best meal we had during our visit to LA! We visited for dinner on a Friday night, having made a reservation in advance (you can make one through Yelp but our party was too large, so I had to call). The host seated us at a large patio table and our friendly server Juan appeared right away. We all decided to start with the Margarita Flight - highly recommend this! It comes with four small margs, looks very cute, and I genuinely loved every single flavor. I ended up getting a Classic Margarita after this, just to switch it up, and that was fantastic too. For food, we ate family style and just ordered a bunch of starters to share - the Guacamole Sampler (fantastic, especially the lobster), Calamari Frito (great dipping sauce), Taquiza (delicious), Shrimp Taquitos (also great but a little harder to share between more than 3 people), Pork Belly Bites (a group favorite), and the Pulpo Alas Brasas (my personal favorite). The last two were so good, we ended up ordering more - do NOT skip the Pulpo Alas Brasas! It was probably the best octopus I've ever had and the texture was incredible. Two of my friends also ordered the Sol Agave Old Fashioned, which is served table side, as a whole performance. They also said it was one of the best Old Fashioneds they had ever tasted, so I highly recommend trying this. Overall, this was a phenomenal dinner and I hope to return soon! read more

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Coming from the central coast we aren't really exposed to many of the better small restaurant chains that exist in larger metro areas. Sol Agave really fits this bill. They've got 6-7 locations, mostly in LA and OC and we are really glad we found the one in Santa Monica! The food here is definitely a cut above with rich flavors and creative interpretations of true Mexican cuisine. Not the standard tacos and burritos, these dishes represent the great culinary history of Mexican cooking. We went with the amazing Chile Colorado; Slow-braised prime short ribs in a red roasted chile and beer sauce. Seeing the portion size on this dish our table of 3 opted to order the Chile Colorado as our main dish and then compliment it with a few appetizers. We went for the Guacamole sampler, which was excellent and had three wonderful guacs: lobster, classic and, carnitas, ( carnitas was the bomb). We also had a dish called "sugar cane filet'. An unusual dish ( for Mexican cuisine) that's essentially center cut tenderloin medallions marinated with orange chipotle sauce served over white rice, topped with mango and tamarind glaze. It's wonderful. Meat was flavorful and tender, cooked perfectly mid-rare. The sauce was amazing g but there could have been more of it. The last item was the pork belly bites. This one fell a bit flat. Some nice sauces but pretty plain flash fried pork belly chunks. There are so many great things in the menu this one can be passed up. Overall though, the food was awesome here and the service was spot on. Prices are average for the area ( Santa Monica) maybe even a little low considering :-). Would be happy to try any of the other locations based on this visit. read more

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The service is good, the wait staff are friendly and aim to please. The food is is fresh and delicious. The skinny margarita is made from fresh ingredients versus the pre-made mix! So good. Happy hour is available. Tortilla chips are crispy and warm. read more

Sol Agave - Yummy chips to start off a meal! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Big upscale Mexican restaurant near the Santa Monica Pier with free parking like right around the corner (which we used and it was cool .) Started with the Tamarind Margarita and also had the Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita which was delicious, get that. My friend had an Old Fashioned called Jefe's Old Fashioned- but don't make the mistake of calling it Jeff's Old Fashioned ! Because it's pronounced differently. We started with the Guacamole Sampler . Wow ,definitely get this . Delicious fresh and original Guacamole and one of them has lobster in it. Delicious. We also had the Calamari which had a unique green dipping sauce. This was good too. My main was the Enchiladas Camaron and I'm really glad I got it. Lots of pieces of seafood inside and rice too, I ended up taking home half of it and it still tasted good even cold from the fridge. My friend got Tacos Hongo but I think next time would try the Carnitas or Steak Fajitas . Staff are attentive and helpful and lively. Nice spot near Santa Monica beach read more

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Surprisingly everything was really good. There was a parking lot next door which made it easy to find parking. The only downfall was the service it was pretty slow and the waiters (cus we had multiple) weren't the best Overall: Drinks 4.5/5 Chicken Taquitos 5/5 Margarita Flight 5/5 Grilled Salad 4/5 Shrimp & Crab Enchiladas 5/5 Chips & Salsa 4.5/5 read more

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My friend and I came here for a dinner after a hot day in Santa Monica and the food was so good! The outdoor dining area is so nice, covered with heated lamps and shades along the windows. The service is great and love the vibes. I can't believe I've lived in West LA for years and didn't know about this Mexican restaurant. Food: 4/5 - Enchiladas Mariscos were covered in a delicious red sauce. The salad on top and the avocado topping were so delicious. It comes with rice and that was flavorful as well. It might be odd to compare this, but it reminded me of Hainan Chicken rice because of how flavorful it was. The portion was also pretty great. - Steak Tacos were amazing. I highly recommend this. When I bit into the steak, it was so tender. It was smokey and flavorful. The portions were ample as well. The chips and salsa are my fave! The chips are thin and crispy, just the way I like them. The salsa was mild but then the second serving was ridiculously spicy. Regardless, I love how they serve it right when you sit down. Ambiance: 5/5 Stepping into Sol Agave felt like being transported to a charming Mexican hacienda. Thoughtful details like heat lamps outdoors and the shades lifting and lowering throughout the day-- love it! Service: 4/5 The staff at Sol Agave demonstrated a high level of professionalism and attentiveness throughout my visit. Drinks are timely refilled. The only reason I didn't give a full five-star rating is because there were a few instances when the waitstaff seemed a bit overwhelmed during busy periods, causing minor delays. Facilities: 5/5 The women's bathroom is large, clean, quite a few stalls, and well stocked! Parking: 5/5 Finding parking near Sol Agave was relatively hassle-free. They have a dedicated parking lot that is connected via elevator from the garage floor. The lot had ample space, and I didn't encounter any difficulty in finding a spot. Nonetheless, the availability of a dedicated parking lot is a definite plus point for Sol Agave. Tip: Get validated at the restaurant and it's less than a couple dollars! Whether you're seeking a cozy dinner for two or a lively gathering with friends, Sol Agave feel like a casual, good vibes restaurant! read more

The food was ok Nothing special. Much better other places to try. Wasted opportunity. And the draft beer was warm! Deal breaker

The carnitas were great once they finally arrived. That's the extent of the good, unfortunately. Service was absolutely atrocious and beyond awful. It wasn't overly busy when we were dining, but service was nonexistent the whole time. Took nearly ten minutes for someone to even come to the table once we got seated. He asked what we wanted to drink and seemed put off that we didn't want to order alcohol. Maybe because we weren't ordering alcohol, we were treated as if we weren't going to have a big enough check. I dunno. How about maybe not everyone goes out to drink at every meal? Anyway, after that it took another ten minutes for him to come back with waters. We ordered a guacamole sampler appetizer, which arrived with two plantains in it and no chips. The dude just walked away. So there we sat with the guac and no chips until we could flag down a busboy and ask for chips. Waters were continuously empty without the server asking if we wanted refills. Chip basket is very small so if you order guac you'll probably need twice the amount of chips. This is obvious, yet no one asked or brought us chips to eat the guac appetizer. The guac sampler didn't look like what we had the first time we dined here a while ago. It was much smaller this time. Not sure if they have changed the menu or what. It tasted fine, but there was really no lobster in the supposed lobster one. Once our meals finally arrived (nearly an hour after we got there), the waiter was nonexistent for another 25-30 mins. It's really unfortunate we had such a bad experience because we were excited to come here, but it was unfortunately a big let down overall. Lastly, when it came time to get the check, it took 15 mins to get it after requested. With the garage parking charges ticking higher as time went on, we spent almost two hours here for a guac appetizer and two dinners :/ read more

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I have been to the location in San Juan. The great service and food was consistent with this chain. This time I came for the HH menu. It is was worth the early dining. read more

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Best service, amazing food, reasonable prices! Loved it manager Luis super sweet accommodate to all our needs.

Overall a nice dining experience, within walking distance from Santa Monica pier. I would describe it as upscale Mexican food. The restaurant was open and clean, and accommodated our party of 11 easily. They take reservations. Food was good. Meat dishes were tender and flavorful. Drinks were tasty. read more

Sol Agave in Santa Monica is amazing! Amazing service. Very attentive and friendly staff. Food was absolutely outstanding. Had so much flavor and enjoyed our meals. Juan (server) takes care of his customers. Definitely will be back. Ambiance was beautiful. We sat outside by the sidewalk and had an amazing view. read more

Pros: the covered outdoor patio is great and they have space heaters! The food was amazing! I had the Sol salad and my husband had the shrimp with the spicy sauce. The shrimp spicy sauce was the star of the day, it starts sweet and Smokey, then the heat hits an decreases into a mild tasty flavor. TRY THEIR SPICY SAUCE. Cons: Slow service but it's a tourist area. read more

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By far the best a Mexican restaurant I have I ever visited. Food from begging to end was a total delish . Beautiful location, amazing decor. Please open a location in Miami, Florida!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent service, friendly and super attentive 10 out 10; thanks for the hospitality read more

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After a few hours at the beach, decided on some Mexican food away from the chaos of third street and Santa Monica so we landed on Sol Agave. Food 3.5/5 Ordered Taquiza (4 tacos) and Sugar Cane Filet (3 pieces of filet) to share. The shrimp tacos were my favorite out of all the tacos. So juicy and flavorful with the sauces and mangoes. The rest were okay.. not as many toppings and little to no dressing! Asked for the filet to be well done. The pieces were decent size and they were absolutely delicious! Completely cooked yet still juicy. Really enjoyed the filet and would definitely get it again. They also brought out complimentary fresh tortilla chips. They were so yummy and crispy and not too oily. The side salsa also had the right amount of kick and yummy! Price 5/5 $50 for two foods before tip that left us full and we still took 2 of the tacos home. Ambiance 5/5 They have indoor and outdoor seating. The interior is pretty design with a bar in the middle. Street metered parking was also easy to find as it was a Tuesday. Service 3/5 I will start by saying that our server Lauren was amazing! She was kind and attentive. However, the hostess, Natalie, on the other hand, not so much! She had an attitude from the minute we walked in. She looked like she didn't want to be there. She also appeared quite young and not suited to be a hostess at this type of restaurant. We asked to be seated inside and she had us follow her to a table near the bar. We asked to be seated away from the bar and had to emphasize multiple times that we want to be all the way at the end. She shared "no one really sits" there... like okay I don't know what that means. It seemed like that space is reserved for the restaurant staff to eat at but she didn't say that. So after much contemplation we chose to sit at a different table. She left the menus on the table and walked away. It really left a sour taste in our mouth since she was the very first person we interacted with but as soon as Lauren came, she turned the night around with her warmth. Overall I would return to this restaurant if in the area and craving Mexican food. I will say that it was disappointing that they didn't have horchata or Jamaica. read more

Sol Agave - Sugar Cane Filet - well done - AMAZING 5/5 - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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From the moment we were welcomed in, everything was amazing. The wait time was smooth and well-managed, the food was absolutely delicious, and the staff was attentive, friendly, and genuinely welcoming. You can really feel the care they put into the entire experience. Highly recommend! read more

Love this restaurant. Elevated Mexican food. Make sure to get the loaded nachos, ask for them even if they are not in the menu. with meat added it's a meal on itself, enough food to share for two people. read more

Consistently delicious high-quality food. Excellent signature cocktails. Nice atmosphere, you can sit on the heated covered patio or inside.

Jorge A., our server, was amazing! He was super friendly and accommodating and made us an amazing old fashioned. The food was and drinks were great as well. My friend had the grilled pulpo and I had the Chile rilleno. We had the margarita flight and that was delicious too. We would love to come back again. read more

Sol Agave - Margarita flight - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The ambiance is great, the food and service were outstanding. I will go back when in the area and highly recommend this place to others.

We saw this spot on a food YouTube channel we follow and it instantly caught our attention. This is located right on the ocean front w/a parking garage right nxt door. The restaurant itself is big with plenty of seating. We got: -margarita sampler ($25 for 4). Was disappointed in this, the cucumber was the best but the other flavors were underwhelming. -guacamole sampler ($18 for large portions). We enjoyed this, big enough to share. -shrimp taquitos ($17) loved that this is so unique, something we've never seen before. -sea bass ($42) delicious flavors but too expensive for what it is -butter cake (we loved this) Overall the food was really good, but definitely expensive for what it is. It was also in combination with how slow service was. We went on a weekday evening with slow crowd but had to ask to get help every time. If we do decide to give this spot another try, will update this review. read more

Sol Agave - Margarita sampler ($25) great photo op but did not love this. Tastes were underwhelming - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The food was great! Our server was excellent. Love their guac. I had salmon salad which was top notch.

Had the most delicious and refreshing watermelon basil margarita. The fish tacos were great. The kids meal is awesome. My kid had ny steak with skinny fries. Desserts were very good too! read more

Sol Agave - Watermelon basil margarita - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I met some friends here and despite getting lost on the way in - I'm pretty awful at navigating the business-park-and-apartment-complex buildings here - it was a nice little restaurant to have a late-night meal in. Prompt service, cute margarita flights, and tender chicken were had. It's a bit towards the upscale end in terms of ambiance and pricing, but it was still pretty reasonable for a few folks having food and drinks. read more

Excellent food, mezcal, service, and music - will absolutely be back! I recommend the fish tacos

Sol Agave self describes as 'an upscale Mexican food with an artful twist without loosing the authenticity of Mexico's flavors.' New to the area, across the street from the Le Merigot Hotel and located on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica with limited meter parking, no valet parking and no ocean view :( Sol Agave restaurants are also in Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, DTLA at LA live and now with newest in a Santa Monica. I've dined here a couple of times now and have had positive experiences. Service was cordial and accommodating. All staff wore COVID face masks and are all fully vaccinated. During COVID I always prefer to sit outside, also with plenty of seating. The restaurant's decor is nice inside with plenty of seating and fantastic mexican music in the background. The restaurant is new, clean and the vibe was lively. The menu offered very limited selections to please most diet preferences, and the kitchen staff can accommodate special dietary requests. There were some major errors on the menu which need to be corrected: the dishes that describe 'ribs' are Pork and not Beef. It's important to note for people with food preferences. Many items on the menu use pork which for Me and many others are not a fan of. Also, not sure whether the tortillas and chips are organic, not mentioned on the menu and the staff could not confirm or deny. Have ordered the Enchiladas de Mariscos: enchiladas filled with seafood: shrimp and Dungeness crab. The mole sauce on my enchilada was perfecto, a must get on any dish! Have also had the Shrimp taquitos and the steak and veggies fajitas and everything was delicious and flavorful. Usually I don't eat the rice and beans at most places because it lacks flavor, however the Spanish red rice, Veracruz white rice and black beans were flavorful and good enough for me to eat. From the drink menu I've had the margarita flight which I had as mocktails aka no alcohol and they were were yummy and fun. If I'm not driving, I would like to try some of the tequila drinks, as the drink menu listed some cool drinks. I was able to drink margaritas mocktails guilt free, and drive my Ferrari back to Beverly Hills about 20 minutes away without traffic. Whether you're a Santa Monica local, or live 20 or more minutes away, or just happen to be in the area, and are craving really flavorful Mexican food in a new, nice upscale place, Sol Agave is worth a visit, recommend! read more

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Love this restaurant! After a long day of photography at the beach, my wife and I stopped by Sol Agave for lunch. AMAZING!!. The restaurant is very nice and well put together, it's elegant and comforting at the same time. I love the raised black leather tufted booths. Our waiter Edgar was very professional, friendly, and paid attention to our needs and was perfectly popping up on us at the right time, which let's me know he was making the effort to monitor his area. The margaritas drinks are incredible and strong, and you can alter them to your liking with no problem. We ordered appetizers, shrimp cheviche, and the guacamole sampler. Wow!! The appitizers are big. We shared both because the size of the dish and the flavors were amazing. I would recommend using the table chips provided on the cheviche. It was not crowded when we arrived and were seated immediately. However, it got busy real quick, and I noticed a short wait time at the entrance you may want to reserve. The staff is great and fast, knowledgeable of the menu, and gives great recommendations. We parked at the parking structure on Colorado, and it was about an 8-minute walk to Sol Agave. We ordered entrees and decided to get the SOL AGAVE PARRA DOS. This will feed 3 people easy, and the taste is incredible. I personally loved the streak and vegetables on the dish. It also comes with a tasty cheese fondue, corn, and flour tortillas with rice and beans on a separate plate. It was a great experience, and we will be back soon to explore the rest of the menu. You'll definitely ask for togo boxes. shout out to Edgar!! Thank you for being awesome! Location: Atmosphere: Price: Food: Service: 5 stars for sure. read more

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If you ever come to Santa Monica and you love Mexican food, come here! The food was amazing and if you're a picky eater like me, they have the best quesadillas and fries. My mom and dad said they also had a great experience with their food and margaritas. The service was excellent too. Our waitress was very kind and took a photo for my whole family. He was just a great person overall. I liked the ambiance as well. The chairs were cute and comfy. Also, just to let you know, they have tons of variety of foods and not quesadillas read more

Amazing food and great service from Juan Marquez was great with excellent suggestions buttercake is amazing cafe olla is amazing as well and both together are heaven highly recommended read more

Nice vibe! Went to Santa Monica pier and and walked over to Sol Agave. Customer service was great host and waiters all attentive and nice. Complementary chips salsa and bean dip Everything looks and taste amazing Margarita flight definitely worth the try and picture. Fresh fruit on top. Cucumber was so refreshing and light watermelon was sweet but not much gave nice summer vibe spicy mango was like having the spicy mango candy and the last flavor was also great (I never spell it correct ) Crab and shrimp still gave traditional enchilada with a twist you could see and taste all the seafood Shrimp taquitos crispy, the prawns were juicy and flavorful both sauces paired perfectly. Street tacos all filled with so much meat. Price is worth it for this food. read more

Sol Agave - Menu - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Santa Monica, California

For our visit, we ordered off of the DineLA menu and everything was delicious. The drinks were perfect and the spicy mango margarita (not pictured) was dangerously well-mixed. Staff was very attentive and friendly. We had a wonderful time and will definitely be back! read more

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Loved everything. Drinks, tacos, taquitos BOMB. Great tequila selection. Ate here two days in a row and will return again. Bartenders were great. read more

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The food here is so authentic and fresh. Wonderfull service by Alejandro and amazing ambience. Their head chef is a culinary genius composing the best taste of Mexico. Totally recommend any dish and the desserts are amazing! (At a lost of words for the caramel flan and cafe de La Jolla) read more

Sol Agave - Fish Ceviche - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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This is the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been too! They serve hot fresh tortilla chips with bean dip and salsa when you sit down. The octopus salad was fantastic! We also had the combo for 2 which was so delicious! read more

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For a party of 10 we were sat down immediately on a Saturday night. Place was a vibe with Mexican music playing in the background, just the right volume. Friendly and attentive service, we never ran out of chips and salsa or drinks. Staff recommended some dishes and all were so delicious. Great tasty food, perfect blend of flavors. Even though I didn't have room for dessert after dinner, I ordered tres leches cake to go. By the time I got back to my hotel, I could fit some more food in my belly I ate the dessert and it was so good. Perfect way to end the night read more

Sol Agave - Margarita flight - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Juan was our server, great service and the ambience and music for well with the beach vibe. Highly recommend this place! read more

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I met a friend here for lunch the other day right when they opened, so it was completely empty inside. Our waiter was Javier and he was very friendly. He came to check on us often and made sure that everything was to our liking. We ended up going with the Taquiza, Shrimp Ceviche and the Margarita Flight. Everything was delicious and the service was very fast. I really liked the variety that came with Taquiza (NY Steak, Chicken, Shrimp, Carnitas). My favorites were definitely the carnitas and shrimp. It was easy to tell that everything was very fresh. All of the margaritas were amazing. If I had to choose two, my favorites would be the tamarindo and spicy mango. We were both very happy with our experience dining at Sol Agave and can't wait to come back! read more

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The food was great the service was on point too everything was excellent. Can't wait to visit again soon .

The overall ambiance, service and drinks were the highlights of this Santa Monica mexican restaurant. The food however was hit and miss with our order; the Chile verdes was a hit, but the Famous Carnitas were pretty flavorless. Chips and salsa and beans a hit, but the Steak tacos were dry. Service was friendly , but for food I would order dishes with sauces and toppings to ensure a flavorful experience. read more

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