Bar of the month

Agave Bar & Grill
3115 N. Lincoln Avenue

The Basics
Where you’ll find it: 3115 N. Lincoln Avenue, just south of the Lincoln/Belmont/Ashland intersection. (773) 404-1800. www.agavebarandgrill.com

When it’s open: Monday-Thursday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Sunday: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Peak time: Weekend evenings can get busy for dinner, and with a plan in place to instill a nightlife feel, expect crowds to be staying later for music and the change in atmosphere.

What you’ve heard: Far from your typical Mexican restaurant and bar, Agave has a selection of tequilas and margaritas you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the city. ... Really sets itself apart from other bars and restaurants that don’t measure up with a forced Mexican theme. ... The perfect new spot for an area of Lincoln that desperately needed a modern, upscale place to have dinner and grab a drink.

History in short: Martin Flores, owner of Chicago’s Pizza, which has four locations, including right across the street on Lincoln, had an interest in branching out to create an authentic Mexican bar and grill that would offer the best cuisine and tequila from his homeland. So he turned his former office space into Agave, which opened in August of 2006.

Visual Aids
First impressions: It takes all of two steps into Agave to realize they spared no expense in the construction of the place. Marble flooring and a hickory bar that extends nearly the entire length of the establishment gives it a classy feel, and colorful Mexican paintings and handcrafted accents that adorn the walls provide a nice touch. ... The exposed kitchen and grill at the end of the bar creates smells that are intoxicating and can make even the stomachs of the lightest eaters growl with envy. ... An exposed brick wall with a line of tables, some of which have a booth backing on one side, catch the eye, and the artistic light fixtures add a lot. ... The Spanish music in the background isn’t overwhelming to where good conversation can’t be had.

The atmosphere: First off, this is a bar and a restaurant, and a nice one at that, so you shouldn’t be expecting anything less than top-notch stuff here, whether it be service, food presentation or tequila selection. ... It is a classy Mexican bar and grill with a definite modern flare. ... The owners have plans later this month to extend their hours on the weekends and bring in a DJ to spin some Latin jazz, so Agave will cater to both a dinner crowd and a nightlife crowd looking for a place to have a drink, hang out and listen to music with friends.

What you’ll tell your friends: “My husband and I stopped in one night after we noticed it on our way home, and three hours later, we were still ordering margaritas, and it took everything I could do not to order some guacamole to take home with me. Definitely a great addition to the neighborhood.”
— Susan

What the Manager thinks:
“We have a great restaurant with a budding nightlife. We are committed to the food and have a loyal dinner crowd, but we want to do something beyond that, so we’re going to maximize our license starting later this month and offer a bit of a late-night atmosphere as well with a DJ and extended hours. We want it to be a destination, not a stop-over. We want people to come, enjoy a great dinner, then stay to enjoy the music and nightlife.”
– Rafael

The Experience
At your service: At Agave, you will never have to wait long for anything. Bartenders, waitresses, busboys and managers are at the ready no matter where you look. They also are adept at helping you out with what is a very impressive menu. ... Valet parking service is available Thursday through Saturday for $8.

Get your drink on: Where do we start? How about a selection of more than 80 tequilas first. The people in the owner’s home state of Jalisco, in Mexico, have spent the last 300 years making tequila, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing. “They don’t call it tequila if it doesn’t come from there,” said Rafael, the manager. Plenty of beer options are available in bottle form, the red and white sangria is tasty and a plethora of cocktails like mojitos, margaritas and palomas can be whipped up in a flash.

Menu variety: This is where you quickly realize this is not your ordinary bar you’re stepping into. Fresh guacamole is made to order, the empanadas made with spinach, cheese and mushrooms with fire-roasted tomatillo salsa on the side are a favorite. The brochetas al pastor is an eye-popping grilled pork tenderloin with pineapple and sweet red onion brochettes with an ancho chile rub, served with chile de arbol sauce, frijoles charros and Mexican rice. Another option that has never disappointed is the comal mar y tierra, which serves two with a generous portion of sauteed beef tips that comes with jumbo shrimp, refried beans, grilled spring onions, Mexican rice, tortillas and your choice of salsa. This is but a mere sampling. Hungry yet?

Daily specials: Wednesday: $5 Pueblito margaritas and mojitos, through December. Thursday: $4 glasses of sangria, $3 Pacifico, Modelo and Especial bottles. Sunday: $3 chips and guacamole.

Who you can expect to see there: Everything from 20-something Lakeview residents to a professional, post-work dinner crowd. ... The patrons figure to get younger as the night wears on, especially later this month with the addition of a DJ to spin tunes and alter the atmosphere a bit.

It’s a good spot to … “appreciate quality Mexican food that doesn’t involve a burrito at 2 a.m. ... step out and have some well-priced mojitos, margaritas and tequila you won’t find many other places in Chicago. ... make a night of it, especially when they push their closing time back and bring a little Latin music and flavor to this stretch of Lincoln Avenue. ... have a private party for up to 80 people in the dining room upstairs.”

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