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Over the last decade or so, El Agave Taqueria, located in Auburn, CA has achieved quite a reputation among Auburn locals, visitors, and those who appreciate delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine, from a varied menu. You'll enjoy the cuisine of Mexico that you've come to love and enjoy, served by friendly staff, in a very comfortable dining room. Weather permitting... the patio is fantastic, and the restaurant offers a compact, full-service bar. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's a little past the 10 o'clock morning opening time and it's Monday, August 19, 2024, and I'm ready to enjoy an early lunch at El Agave Taqueria, located in Auburn, CA. I found it interesting the word "taqueria" is in the name of this fine, sit-down restaurant, as a "taqueria" is a restaurant where you order at the counter, pay for your meal, seat yourself and when your meal is ready, your name or number will be called. Not so at El Agave Taqueria, as it's a full-service restaurant in every way, and offers fine dining.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, a cashier/meet-greet station greets you, which will get you started. Since I arrived just after the morning opening, there wasn't anyone to greet me, as all of the staff were in the kitchen, getting things ready for the day.
Photo: The restaurant offers a small, full-service bar that mixes all of your favorite Mexican cocktails, and anything you can think of. The bar has a separate menu from the restaurant, but it's all on the same tab.
Photo: The dining room is clean, spacious, comfortable and beautifully decorated. Furniture is all booths, which makes for comfortable dining. I noted it was difficult for photography, as the dining room is divided into several sections, all separated by high partitions. I found the decor to be very appealing and attractive.
Photo: I was able to take a peek into the spotless, modern kitchen, as the staff seemed to be very busy getting ready for the day.
Photo: The menu at El Agave Taqueria showcases four pages of your Mexican favorites, with something for every taste. Since today was a Monday, I went with a weekday "Lunch Special," which is a small part of the first page of the menu. Click on THIS LINK or the menu photo to enjoy the complete menu and all the goodness the restaurant offers.
Photo: My lunch began with a complimentary bowl of chips and salsa, brought to me by my friendly hostess, Wendy. The corn tortilla chips were freshly made in-house and were actually still a little warm. They had just the right amount of salt for flavor, and were firm and crisp. The salsa was tomato based, about medium in texture, with a rich flavor, and a just enough "kick" to make for great dipping, but not enough to offend sensitive taste buds. Such a great way to begin a wonderful lunch!
Photo: On this temperate late Monday morning, the comfortable patio made for great dining. When weather permits, I always prefer patio dining, as there's just something special - to me - about enjoying a meal outside. I had the whole patio to myself, which offers a great view of the traffic moving along the Grass Valley Highway.
Photo: I'm ready to enjoy my "Large Michelada," with all of the extras, which is one of the largest micheladas that I've had the pleasure to enjoy during my countless Placer County dining adventures.
Photo: From the menu posted at the bar, I splurged today and ordered a "Large Michelada," with everything. My beer of choice was Modelo Negro, as I prefer a darker, more robust beer when I order a michelada. Isn't the presentation beautiful? Every michelada is different, and each restaurant uses their own recipe, so I really don't know all the ingredients in this amazing cocktail. What I DO know is that it arrived in a HUGE, frosted mug, topped with a bottle of Modelo Negro Mexican beer, which was held into place using a special tool, drizzled with hot sauce, which made for a dramatic presentation. The beer emptied into spicy tomato juice, and you sipped this fine cocktail using a straw. Garnishes included shrimp, cucumber, lime and orange, all sprinkled with chili powder. Muy sabroso! Was this feast my appetizer, main course or dessert? Who knows... as between the michelada and the complimentary chips and salsa, this made for a meal, thanks to the tomato juice, shrimp, cucumber, lime and orange slices. My order of three tacos made for a hearty dessert... The "Large Michelada" was simply delicious! It was robust, flavorful with just the amount of spice, and made for a great "main course" for today's lunch.
Photo: Meet Wendy, my super friendly hostess, who brought my plate of tacos to me with a smile.
Photo: Thanks, Wendy, for snapping my photo as I prepare to enjoy an amazing lunch. My plate of tacos arrived just a minute or so after the michelada, so I was able to enjoy it all together. As you can see, this is quite a lunch, and I enjoyed every bite of it!
Photo: From the "Lunch Specials" on the first page of the menu, I went with "Authentic Tacos (3)," which truly lived up to their name. My choice of protein was carnitas, but chicken and carne asada are offered if that's what you prefer. Surprise! ... my three tacos included a generous helping of fresh guacamole, which really went well with the tacos. These tacos were Mexican "Street Tacos," which is so-named, as you'll find street vendors in every Mexican city, town or village, selling these delicious, small tacos. Each of my tacos began with two slightly toasted DVD-size corn tortillas, which add robust flavor and hold the taco together so it doesn't spill the goodies. My meat of choice was carnitas - marinated, roasted and shredded pork - and the carnitas were juicy, tender and very flavorful. Fresh pico de gallo topped the carnitas, which was diced Roma tomato, white onion with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. The salsa was very mild, but had just enough "spice" to give it a robust, earthy flavor. The plate of tacos came with sliced radish, a couple slices of lime and large spoonful of fresh guacamole, which made for a welcome addition to this delicious lunch. The guacamole wasn't listed on the menu, and made for a welcome surprise. I squeezed lime juice on my tacos, for an added taco "kick," as per the custom in Mexico. These tacos were simply authentic and delicious, as one bite into my first taco reminded me of the countless tacos I've enjoyed during my many trips to Mexico over the years. The tacos were juicy, flavorful, which the pico de gallo complimenting the meat and tortillas. I was impressed that the tortillas were warm, yet the pico de gallo was chilled, which makes for a superior taco, just like contrast between warm and chilled make a superior hamburger. El Agave Taqueria simply "nailed" these amazing tacos...
Photo: I'm enjoying one of my tacos, and hold a cross section, to show all of the goodness in these delicious tacos. An added perk is if you're a senior citizen - 55 years young or above - you receive a 15% discount on your order every Monday. Yep, I'm way above the threshold, so today's Monday dining worked in my favor. The food is simply delicious, the staff is friendly, the dining is comfortable and the whole experience is awesome! When you're on the north side of Auburn, tooling around town on Grass Valley Highway, look to El Agave Taqueria for fine Mexican cuisine. I highly recommend this fine restaurant for fine dining in California's Gold Country! El Agave Taqueria Copyright(c) 2024 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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