Cantina Agave
- Contributed by
- kelslee
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- boss
- Submitted at
- 2011-03-23 15:12:21
this work joined the contest City Weekend Restaurant and Bar Reader's Choice Awards 2011
Description
Cantina Agave is a Taqueria & Tequila Bar serving authentic Mexican food in a casual setting. We've got over 50 different kinds of tequila including our Don Julio, Patron, Herradura, Milagro, Porfidio, Hacienda de Chihuahua just to name a few...
Come down to try our Passion Fruit Margaritas, delicious tacos(fillings change daily from Lengua, Al Pastor, Carne Asada to Carnitas Guisado, Tradicional & Baja Fish), Quesadillas, Burritos, Massive Nachos and more.
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Worst burrito I've ever had. Still, some other dishes are fine and the salsa bar is great. And, of course, the outdoor seating is fantastic.
Forgot to mention the fact that they use cheap 'Mission' tortillas instead of making their own. Another short cut!
A DREADFUL meal last night. I have loved this place since it opened, and often go out of my way to travel there (as I did last night). Their 'lime' margaritas do not resemble lime AT ALL. Where is the fresh taste of lime juice? Out of a bottle doesn't cut it! I then tried the mango one, and had the same problem. As for the food, hmmm. I ordered the nachos and sent them back. Luke warm and bland frijoles, as well as sparce, uninspired toppings. My husband aordered the burrito. The presentation was just dreadful. A sprinkling of yellow lettuce and a bit of finely chopped mushy tomato was placed alongside an ungarnished burrito that lacked love and flavour. Never again! Pick up your act and stop taking your customers for granted.
This place is perfect for lunch. It is steps away from my work and for 55 kuai I can get a huge burrito and a drink! Also lots of salsa and spicy sauces to choose from.
The guisado reminds me of my mother in-law's recipe. But my mother in-law is Chinese and her recipe is for 酱骨头. I ordered carne asada for my other taco. I must have mistakenly been given something else - a stewed pork perhaps but I am unsure. The rice and beans had an unpleasant flavor that I cannot quite place. The tortillas were good.
The good things about Cantina Agave are it is cheap and it is at a nice square on Fumin lu. And it has a toppings bar. Those are the only positive things I can say about it. Sorry.
The food is not good. It even looks cheap. The beef cubes on the nachos are so bland. The burritos are basically all lettuce and tasteless stuffing inside, I couldn't even eat mine. The decoration of Cantina Agave also looks cheap. But the name is "cantina" so that excuses it.
I could not imagine this place winning any prize for food apart from "cheap" food. Cheap prices which match with the cheap quality.
Had the set lunch, has to be some of the blandest food i have ever eaten i don't think they used any salt, coriander, lime or chili in any of there dishes which are staple Mexican ingredients, the burrito was this huge soggy flavorless lump, nachos again the flavorless beef and tough as hell, and the quesadilla that tasted like Thai chicken curry and cheese.
Yes the price is cheap but surely you can add flavor its not like some of these ingredients are a massive cost in China
My Mexican of choice. I love the burritos, nachos and pretty much everything else they do. The salsa bar is great which makes eating there so much better than Sherpa's delivery.
The only downsides here are the poor service (it is very slow sometimes and they always get at least one thing wrong) and some of the portion sizes. Most of the portions here are very generous, but some a ridiculously stingy (the hot tamales spring immediately to mind).
Overall though, a great place to eat.
Up until recently, Cantina has been one of my fav mexican restaurants in town. I love the enchiladas and the salsas. I am rethinking this after my last experience though. Did I mention I love the salsas? Especially the black bean and mango salsa. So I was going back for another serving of black bean & mango salsa, when I noticed that the waitress was restocking, so I went towards the back room and saw the waitress eating out of the newly stocked bowl with a spoon. Double dip, triple dip, quadruple dip...she just kept going like it was her personal bowl of ice cream. Can you say YUCK, YUCK, YUCK! I told the management, but they didn't seem too concerned and didn't apologize. So if they are OK with this, how are the rest of their standards?
Visited last night and the food is pretty ok for the price. Wine is expensive though
We usually order delivery but on the weekend we went, snagged a highly coveted outside table, ordered a pitcher of lime margarita and enjoyed the rare treat of low temps and cool breeze. I thought the lime margarita was a bit plain as I love really sour drinks and this one didn't really deliver in terms of strong lime flavor. So next time, I will try one of the other fruity ones like mango or strawberry. I thought portions in-restaurant are better than delivery. The large guacamole (at RMB 20) was pretty generous. The two of us also ordered a side of chips (RMB 15) served piping hot, and a parilla combo (RMB 75) and rojas enchiladas (RMB 70). The parilla combo was awesome -- a heaping serving of two kinds of meat (I chose the carne asada and marinated beef tongue), rice, corn tortillas and even a tiny salad in the middle. I wanted to try their rice pudding but was beyond stuffed by the time we had finished our mains. Next time!
Ordered Cantina from Sherpa last night and it was really good, but it would be great if they could deliver the soft tacos in a separate box from the filling, as it gets gloopy on the ride over! Aside from that, all was good.
Last night I ordered Nachos to happily find out that Cantina FINALLY delivers the bean paste and the toppings in separate containers. Great! Chips were crispy like when i eat in the restaurant and i t was fun to dip the chips in the bean paste. Would have been a 5 stars if I had found the Guacamole . There was simply NO guacamole in my nachos. Might be the effect that separating the beans and toppings makes evident the contents
Just closed to renovate the interior, should be back up soon.
what's going on with cantinA? is it permanently under renovations? Wonder what are they changing,.. hope it's the COOK!
Even though I know Cantina Agave serves extremely average mexican, last Saturday night I succumbed to my g-f's nachos craving and ordered the Macho Nachos. Sherpas took 45 min; quite standard delivery time.. The Nachos were divided in three plastic containers; 2 of them with toppings (cheese, beans,beef, and other unidentified) and the third case contained literally just the chips. What am I supposed to do with the plain Chips? Wouldn't be easier to distribute even the toppings? Also ; here comes the gross part .......The two other sets that were topped over were completely soggy, not edible.... Rather than a nacho platter looked liked barf ; like a solid piece of dough glued with the stone cold cheese and crowned with jalapenio peppers. I was surprised because at other cheaper mexican joints whenever they deliver nachos they provide the sauce and toppings i n separate containers . Finally we ended eating the plain chips ; what a joke 80 kuai for that barf & chips...
Great food. For meat lovers a good deal is the carne assada burrito 'papito size'. Add a side sour cream for more flavor. I also highly recommend the tamarindo juice.
Coming from California, this place does NOT have good Mexican food. The tastes are generally bland and the burritos don't have the usual consistency you would expect from a great burrito. It does the job only if your drunk. Luckily there are amazing pitchers of martini's to get you there. The tequila selection is fantastic. So drinks yes, food no.
Good food and well priced for the portions. Worth a return visit.
Referring back to geofferson's side of sour cream that cost him eight kuai, also not awesome is when you order a cheese quesadilla and it actually does not have very much cheese. That leaves you with a sad, limp tortilla and also a sad, limp stomach.
Definitely not authentic Mexican fare. The portions are way too big definitely enough for two to share. The burritos and tacos all have that packaged tex-mex seasoning flavor and are just mediocre at best. I like that they had a self serve salsa bar with red, green, spicy sauces, and a black bean mango salsa but the fact that you need to use a lot of it to flavor your food tells all. Also the guacamole here is horrible and barely tastes like it has avocado in it.
Went a couple nights ago, ordered the quesadilla (RMB45). All good, but then they charged me a ridiculous RMB8 for sour cream--that's almost 20% of the cost of my quesadilla. Not so awesome.
I had a good night here last night. The place was busy as we arrived just at the end of happy hour so we just got in one margarita at the happy hour price of ¥25. We sat outside on brightly (very mexican) coloured chairs and ordered some nachos they arrived piping hot and covered high with guacamole, refried beans, tomato and jalapeno salsa, and melted cheese. These tasty morsels with a salty/sweet margarita made me want to grab the closest sombero, paint a donkey to look like a zebra and head into the setting sun. We also had a spicy chirizo and potato sfuffed burrito and some chicken tacos all pretty authentic, spicy, fresh and with a bit of tang from the fresh lime. We skipped dessert but each had another 2 margaritas this time at the full price of ¥50. The waiting staff although not big on smiling were helpful and quick. May I suggest a pinata night?
I haven't been to enough places to say whether or not it's the best mexican food around. Out of the ones I have tried in China, it's definitely on the top 3. The range of selection of food and tequila was good, the guac was great, the service was awesome.
Tequila is the solution to all your problems, unless the problem is tequila! ;P
I wouldn't go so far as to say "the best Mexican food in Asia" but it does satisfy the crave. I do like the drinks. Jose is always there welcoming me.
when did Shanghai get a Chipotle? I thought that was owned by McDonalds? Lesson 1, please ice the salsa or it wilts...Margaritas were good but then again how hard is it? the outside seating on the corner of here and now is truly the best feature, kudos on the real estate choice, probably saved your business.
Great service!!!Great Mexican Restaurant in Asia...love the guacamole!!!a real Macho Nachos.Muy delicioso salsa verde..great idea of having Mexican Salad Bar!!! hundreds of variety of tequila!!all in all Bravo Agave!!!
FYI you guys!!! They have longest happy hour in town...buy 1 get 1 of margarita from Monday to Friday 3pm to 7pm...I heard also about the" A Cinco De Mayo"...200RMB all you can drink from 7 till midnight...hope my favorite Macho Nacho are included on their list of Mexican Street Food...Yummy!!! so all collegiate tight belt fellow citizen..now we know where to go!!!!
Can I get some avacado with that guacamole lease?
Good cozy place. Perfect to chill with friends or take a date to. Nachos were good and tasty. The Taccos were a little bit dry but besides that it was a good experience and I would def come back. 4 Taccos, Nachos (with 2 toppings) and 2 cans of coke = around 160 RMB.
Best Mexican I have tried in Asia - love the Nachos!!
I think cantina agave is great, but the nachos when you order them with chicken, the chicken comes with all the skin, tendons, not so tasty....if you order them with beef they are great! good place except the chicken!
been here last sunday for brunch with a group of friends, with their all you can drink margarita, gigantic macho nachos, and their yummy chicken verde quesadilla, filling breakfast burrito, the sweet smile of the staff, their perfect spot for sunshine on their patio, we enjoy everything. we left with big smile on our face.We will absolutely coming back!!!
Awful "mexican' food. Seriously I've never seen it so badly done before. The 'fish' tacos were not right..they were like Mrs. Paul's fried fish sticks! what? Also, the rice pudding had more lemon in it than any other flavor. The nachos were smothered in beans. Personally I'd say only those who have no idea what Mexican food or even tex-mex is..would like this place.
Margaritas are great there.i think,i never try better!Nachos is really big and very tasty,half of the portion is enough for two people.For me its more like a bar,then restaurant.But we looove to go to Cantina after dinner for margarita.my boyfriend going crazy of mango margarita on the rock(they dont have it in menu,but you can ask).Staff are very friendly.We always love to go there!
Fish tacos are great!!
Love this cozy mexican restaurant. Been back several times. Love the burrito. Generous portion. Ok price. Didn't dare touch Macho Nachos due to my diet lolz, it was just too huge!
Love the salsa bar! Good food, good service; probably close to the best Tex-Mex food we've had in Shanghai. Will definitely return!
The best best Mexican in town! No doubt! Especially with the new menu coming out, my mouth is watering every time when I walk in. The 95 rmb all you can drink margarita on weekend is a great deal. Just be careful don't get too drunk on that! It's a quick bite for lunch but on weekend or any evening it's good to hang around with friends there.I'll definitely go back more often when the weather is warmer.
I went to Cantina Agave only once at lunch time and even if the food is not probably the best mexican food I tried in my life, one thing I can say: the portions are quite big, indeed! No wonder if so many people go there. Deserves 3 stars AND A HALF.
Cantina rocks. Service could be better but Sow and Len really make you feel at home.
Food is great and the salsa bar is heavenly. Drinks are excellent and the atmosphere is always inviting. Cantina is really part restaurant, part neighborhood bar.
Go, and go often.
Large selection of Tequilas, and great location. The burritos are great but it feels like it has gotten smaller since my last visit, I'm guessing it's the whole economic crisis issue. I'd recommended it for any one who loves a little Mexican food with their Tequila shots.
I love coming to here for happy hour/early dinner. The staff are friendly - I've never had a problem with service. During the winter my drink of choice is the hot chocolate with a kick of chili and during the rest of the year a passion fruit maragrita. They recently did over the menu. It is simple, but good.
I avoid the area and Dongping Lu at night because the beggers are pretty bad.
The food is good. Service is terrible. ...avoid it like the plague.
the only advantage of this restaurant is that too good it locate, a place where people gather and could be seen by those Chinese beggars and feel the superior somehow, but dears, be aware, according to the investigation, one beggar makes more money than you do monthly, after all, in my eyes, the customers here who are pretending to be something dont know they are paying for something just as good as crap, the food is just away from the track of real Mexican food, no no no, stop to pretend to be affordable, at lease in some decent place rather than this dirty and noisy one.
bad experience
best mex food in shanghai. although i wish the menu was bigger but i cant complain as i think its good food and good value. would recommend.
I went with my girlfriend. the wait staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
We got the macho natcho(half) with beef (50RMB) which was pretty good but not fantastic.
We shared 3 tacos with 3 different fillings. 1)the traditional pork was so-so 2) the chicken mole was OK 3) Pork carne something... which was OK too.
The drinks were good and had alcohol in them.
I think this place would be best more for drinks and some nachos with a bunch of friends rather than a full dinner. I might go back for that.
What can I say that hasn't already been said about Cantina Agave? All I know is that heading there on Sunday and getting a full day's worth of margaritas is always a good idea.
Great atmosphere, good food despite a limited menu set, and fantastic tequilas - however, to me this establishment is very good at doing what its supposed to do, which is provide basic, tasty yet authentic food for people to eat and have a great evening out with friends and be reminded of what they couldn't get before in Shanghai
Dragged here by some friends, and once again found this place to have gone very very down hill since opening. The meat is still not properly cooked (over cooked or not braised long enough) and the beans are overly seasoned (read salt).
Service befuddled our drink orders and attempted to over charge us; waitress took 'offense' that we brought this to her attention and we wasted 15 minutes explaining who arithmetic works.....
we've had cantina many times. service is generallay not great, waitresses are rude at times especially when they are busy. food and drinks were generally good which is why we still go back. however today we were there for lunch and the carne asada beef was tough and was in much bigger pieces. it was almost rubber-like and we couldn't finish the food. we mentioned this to the waitress while we were paying but she was simply not interested...
Shanghai’s Restaurant of the Year in a nutshell: good quality food, an extensive beverage list, friendly and accommodating staff and a cozy outdoor dining experience -- BUT limited food menu choices. And the taste? Nothing quite so special that it would keep me coming back. All in all, it was great but not as great as everyone says; some things are really better when you go without expectations.
I had the vegetarian burrito which was basically cooked onions and some peppers. Wasn't bad, but unexciting. Very large portion! But I did like the free condiments bar which had salsas, chili etc. They made the burrito much more tasty than it had any right to be. Not inexpensive but not exorbitant either.
Where else can you get passion fruit maragritas? Yummy! The food here is great, the drinks (while pricey) are worth it - go for lunch dinner you will need a reservation.
just went there today. have to say the place is great, with nice crowd. had the nachos (with beef) that is pretty good. the salsa bar concept is nice, except the dishes provided is too small. ordered guacamole - taste ok but too much tomato and too little avocado. soft taco with chicken mole is great, my favorite of the night. my other soft taco with chorizo & potato is really bad (70% big chunky potato), could hardly taste the chorizo. also had sangria, which is just ok. the only reasons that would keep me going back again is the ambiance and price. spent 220 rmb for the two of us, pretty good. the price also included a big bottle of sparkling water.
Disappointing. Went with a big group of friends and had the opportunity to try a bit of pretty much everything.
Very average to below average food, quality of meats used was low with only a little guacamole given yet masses of frijoles (refried beans).... am guessing due to the cost of the stuff. Best thing about the meal were the Margaritas.
What was the big deal? Best mexican - with no enchiladas and a 1 page menu? The margaritas were badly watered down as well. Staff were clueless. I wouldn't come back to join the Saturday night queues for the food.
I've had Cantina Agave quite a few times. It's quite difficult to find a place sometimes because it gets so busy. I think the food is good, not great and a bit overpriced compared to some of the other Mexican restaurants. To be honest I wouldn't have voted Cantina Agave as "Best Mexican Restaurant." I do have to say they have one of the best location and atmosphere for a patio setting (thats if you like a lot of ppl and watching others walk an already hectic road) Service is on and off sometimes, sometime they care, sometimes they don't.
Again, if your looking for a Mexican restaurant this is a good place to go to.
I like the food here a lot. It's not true Mexican, but I guess you rarely find 'true' Mexican anywhere outside of Mexico. It's very California style. I go there on a regular basis and I always get the tacos. They don't seem to ever have pastor anymore, but the carnitas and carne asada are really good. They changed the cheese, unfortunately. I used to love the authentic tasting queso fresco, but now they use the more american style shredded cheese. Too bad. I was really impressed when I found out they had the crumbly white cheese. One thing I would recommend to them is to serve a lime wedge with the tacos... I always have to ask for lime, and a taco just doesn't taste complete without the fresh lime juice. One more thing: the tequila they use for the margaritas is terrible. I don't know if they've always used it, but yesterday when I went there I had three margaritas (they taste so good!) and within a few hours, I had a killer headache. The next morning, I had a terrible hangover. I felt disgustingly sick and my head was throbbing. That shouldn't happen after drinking just three margaritas... I live in Shanghai, so it normally takes a lot more than three drinks to make me feel like that. Bad quality alcohol, I think. So be careful. But the food is yummy, cuando se me antoja algo parecido a la comida mexicana...
Fun, casual place to stuff your tacos-deprived face. The salsa bar is great and I can eat the chips all day!
The monster breakfast burrito is very yummy and I think it would be even greater if it has some salsa and peppers inside to balance the meat and eggs. The fried potatoes are addictive and impossible to stop eating. I like the choices of the tacos; the shredded meat is really good. The tongue meats is tough. The guacamole is below standards; too little avocado, too much onions, peppers and all the other stuff that detracts you from the avocado. Don't really understand nor enjoy the desserts.
The prices are reasonable and I strongly recommend all to give this place a try. It has many qualities of why Americans love mexican food.
Good stuff! Great atmosphere, quality food, and the portions have gotten truly massive (at least they were during my most recent visit).
The prices aren't too shabby either when considering the atmosphere and quality of the ingredients used. Cantina definitely satisfies my cravings for Mexican food here in Shanghai!
Gracias Marcela!!!! Me lo imaginaba!, que lastima, que usen y mal copien nuestro sazon mexicano, habiendo tantos mexicanos buenos cocineros ,deberían de contratarlos!!!!!Aunque sea para hacer un burrito,, pues aunque sea un simple taco, no cualquiera le queda bien!!!! De cualquier manera ire, para tomar mi opinion,no quedarme con las ganas!!!
Hola regia en shanghai yo soy marcela, soy de toluca. te comento que yo vivo en jing an temple y la verdad esta bien para tomar una copa pero para quedar bien con respecto a la comida no te lo recomiendo, no te esperes algo mexicano.
GREAT PARTY GUYS!! thanks...
(and i feel really bad for the people who spend time being 'annoyed' about stuff - seriously, what kind of a life is that...)
Algun mexicano que me diga si realmente los burritos y demas cosas tienen sabor a los de México???? Pues quiero ir a comer e ir con unas amigas españolas,Ya las lleve al Mexicano (delicioso y realmente Mexicano, Pedro García se saco un 100) Pero este restaurante no se!!!! Algun mexicano lo recomienda????
all you guys that said bad stuff - just stay away - leave it for the rest of us that LOVE this place!
Cool heads here guys, I'm not Mexican but understand that 5 de mayo is not a big thing in Mexico, more likely an occasion for Americans to party al estilo mexicano. Therefore Mexicans get quite annoyed that in the US is deemed as the country's independence day.
We at Cantina Agave are not ignorant, I understand that Mexican Independence day is in September but everyone around the world celebrates it on May 5th. Calling us IGNORANT is like calling the rest of the world IGNORANT. Ask anyone in the USA what Cinco De Mayo is and you will have the same answer Mexican Independence Day. So please before you go around trashing people maybe you should talk to them and see if they are truly ignorant! If you would have talked to me I would have told you when it really is and why we are going to celebrate it on May 5th which everyone expects us to because that is what they know and what we grew up with. We are also going to celebrate it on September 16th which is the true Mexican Indepdence Day.
Quality has gone down hill since they opened.... way to go 'Shanghai' on us. My 1st visit the meat was good; soft, tender and flavorful... basically braised meat. It seems that since then they have gotten lazy. Meat seems to be no longer slow cooked and is now rubbery, chewy and just not that good. But hey, at least your salsa is still good and margarita's strong
It is nice that around the world, people celebrates Mexican holidays. But I never thought CANTINA AGAVE's people where so IGNORANT of Mexican culture.
CINCO DE MAYO IS NOT A MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY.
I suggest to take a look to this link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo
This place is much better than similarly popular Mexican places in Beijing. I had a small order of nachos, which is enough for a 1-person meal, and they were definitely the best I've had in China, especially the tortilla chips. The atmosphere was also really nice, and I liked the pinatas they have hanging from the ceiling! I got the RMB95 all you can drink margarita brunch special but unfortunately couldn't down enough passion fruit margaritas (yum!) to really get a bang for my kuai before the 3pm cut off -- next time I'll get there before 2pm...
Oups
5 stars
Ola pepita!! The French critic is back for Cantina. I have been with 5 friend to this place yesterday and....ooooo ma that's so good. I took the Mamita Burritto for 55 rmb and i was so full of good food.
Cantina i'll be back. And i'll spread the word ;)
Adios
The French Critic
It's amazing how popular this restaurant have become in just a few months, but don't get it wrong, nothing to go crazy for. The atmosphere is casual, the menu uneven, prices not cheap and the staff reasonably friendly. Their strongest assets are the huge burrito brunch (indeed), their terrace and their all-you-can drink margarita deal.
Find of the Week | Burrito Delicioso
These days, we've been frequenting Cantina Agave because we're addicted to their carnitas breakfast burrito (¥85 available 10 a.m.-3 p.m.). Though pricier than its Californian and Mexican counterparts, this girthy beast hides untold treasures in its thin flour tortilla folds stuffed with traditional carnitas, scrambled eggs, guacamole, sour cream and diced tomatoes. These components together form the food equivalent of Voltron: united, the flavor achieved is nothing short of extraordinary–many times tastier than any of the individual ingredients alone. In one bite the fluffy eggs are like clouds that cushion the shredded, textured pork flesh, while the guacamole and sour cream pull the two parts together into a creamy and meaty colloid concealing crisp bits of fresh tomato. While everyone else seems to go for the ¥98 all-you-can- drink margaritas, trust us, this burrito tastes even better. Joanne Yao
I'm sorry that you will not be coming back to Cantina Agave. I am the one that talked to you and I don't recall treating you EXTREMELY bad as you say. Why don't you come back and we can sit down to clear the air and also have a drink together :)
The food is good, but sadly, when we tried to clear out an honest mistake on the waiter's part, we were treated EXTREMELY bad by the managers. My and my friends will NEVER go back there after that. So rude, so sad.
Probably the best nachos I've eaten in a long time, and the most awesome burritos, bursting with lots of meat and stuff.
The refried beans were yummy, though I felt the guacamole could do with more avocado.
I really love the DIY condiments bar at the corner... especially the mango and black bean stuff, the super spicy chili sauces and the salsas. Some days they are fresher than others, but I'm not complaining.
It gets a little too crowded for my liking at night, but it's a great place for lunch. Thumbs up.
Hands down the best Mexican food I have had in 1.5 years of living here. The comparison to a Rubio's of Baja Fresh is true and it is a Cali-Mex kind of place. Yes this place is crowded, expect that. So if they have poor service, it's China...expect it from most places even if they are foreign owned unless you're paying hundreds of rmb and dining on the bund.
People have a love-hate thing with Mexican restaurants. Maybe the way I'm with donut joints. I had brunch with a few friends. The place was busy but rather cheerful overall if not cheap. Skimpy on the side of guacamole but what do you expect with the costs in Shanghai. Best of all was the Mexican hot chocolate (skip the coffee).
i hate hate but 60 yuan for "small chips" and two "veggie tacos" which were filled with a couple of strips of sauteed peppers wasn't really worth it...at all. also the staff had no idea what kind of boxing cat brew was available on tap despite the fact that every single table in the place had boxing cat beer cards on it. strange how it said to ask staff which one they were serving and they just kept pointing to the tap...i have 4.5 weeks left in shanghai so i'm not that mad. at least back in new york i can go to a proper taqueria that doesn't give me a bad joke for my 10$. shame on you
Went on a Thursday night... really crowded for a school night. The seating area near the bar had this new paint like smell but we couldn't move as the place was completely packed. Had the house burrito with carnitas. The meat was good but the salsa, guacamole and the veggies were not that fresh. The lemonade could have been called "sugar water with a hint of lime". A couple of soft drinks, and an appetizer plus two entres made it over 200 kuai in total. Not too expensive for less than spectacular food. And not cheap either. In a town full of great cheap eats, I just don't think this is worth raving about... unless you are desperate for Mexican food, any Mexican food.
What is it with everybody and their love of this place? Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, exactly. Certainly better than many of the other Mexican restaurants that have existed in town. Basically it's a Cal-Mex type establishment that wouldn't rate too highly in L.A., and certainly could never contend with the real Mexican places found all over there. So after all the raving from my friends, and reading all the reviews I decided to give it a try or two.
I'll just talk about the tacos because, well after all they do call themselves a taqueria. I was quickly disappointed the first time I went because I'd been told they had baja style fish tacos, and they didn't. Anyway let's start with the tortilla since it is supposed to hold everything together; the soft corn tortilla was not fresh tasting, was not heated in the proper fashion, and the woman at the counter even tried to pass me a ripped one (which probably didn't matter because the ones I got ripped later when I was trying to eat the tacos), and the fillings were OK, but certainly not great. I would have liked carne asada, but the two times I went they only had beef machaca, which was almost adequate and far from delicious. The chicken in green sauce was way off from how awesome this could taste, as in not at all. Another time I got the carnitas, just adequate, to be kind. I also think 40 kuai for these two slaps in the face to all my warm taco-eating memories (in both California and Mexico) was a little much. Furthermore I'd like to note that the presentation leaves something to be desired - kind of reminds me of a school cafeteria. I know it's only in the day and at night they have table service, but still, it was hard to choose a filling because they all looked so unappetizing sitting there in their big metal tubs. And the women working the food were neither pleasant nor knowledgeable.
On the positive side is the salsa bar, which was awesome. Good variety and I liked almost all of them. The margaritas are good but, as is most everything in this "taqueria" with pretensions, too expensive. And frankly I can name a half dozen bars in town with margaritas just as good and better. I might go back and maybe give a burrito a try, but just from observation the flour tortilla didn't look like a winner either.
To sum up, what we've got here is basically a Rubio's or Baja Fresh with a bar, just not up to even that low level and more expensive. So sorry Alphonse, but this "critical connoisseur" was not kept "contently munching," and it's pretty far from "how they do it in Tijuana." I'll be sticking to another recently opened Mexican restaurant on Tai'an Lu, which is better, more comfortable, has friendlier service, and food and drink that is reasonably priced.
Seduction by Burrito
Stray sombreros and colorful, dismembered piñatas greeted us from the rafters as we walked in, ready for our fill of south-of-the-border fare. First we tried the taco combo plate (RMB55), choosing pork carnitas guisado and machacha beef to fill our corn tortillas. The shredded carnitas had a tender, supple texture. The machacha didn't yield as easily, but was delicious right down to the fat. Serious about personalizing your experience, Cantina Agave also offers a salsa bar on ice that includes eight fresh salsas, including our favorite, a creamy Salsa de Chiles de Arbor that delivers a swift, spicy kick. A small order of guacamole (RMB20) didn't come with free tortilla chips (small order RMB5, large order RMB10), but was full of creamy avocado, cilantro and large chunks of tomatoes. Though we were almost full, we couldn't resist trying an item from the new brunch menu (offered weekends from 10am). We were thoroughly impressed by the carnitas breakfast burrito (RMB85)–stuffed with guacamole, sour cream, scrambled eggs, tomato and traditional pork carnitas, this burrito's rich filling was bursting in size and with flavor. Although this may not be exactly how they do it in Tijuana, this tasty Mexican fare will keep the most critical connoisseurs contently munching. Alphonse Stahl
Good, reasonably-priced food (40 rmb for two tasty tacos) that is served quickly. One major let-down is the drinks prices - 35 rmb for a local beer.
Great value and the best Mexican food I've had--better than the Agave in HK and a fraction of the price.
I love the tacos here! But where's the horchata?
After hearing much goodness about this place, I went there on a Saturday afternoon. I had an order of nachos and the burrito papito with shredded beef. Also sampled my friends chicken mole tostada salad. All were very authentic and tasty! I can't wait to go back to try the other items. Since it was a bit early I did not try the margaritas.. So even more reason to return! The salsa bar is a great feature. Unfortunately we're in China, so everyone hordes and blocks it like its the 1st meal they're had in weeks. Raffi's personal service made the meal excellent!
um all i can say is thank you mamacita! food, drinks, atmosphere all terrific. i had to sit on the patio in 10 degree weather for 20 minutes because it was packed inside but the heaters and cool furniture design kept me occupied... and then inside was it those three slurpy margueritas or is there really a floating log ceiling going on...? i found staff petty damn welcoming when i was there but it's the yum factor of the food- as a canuck i had no idea i could fill my taco 8 different ways and drizzle 10 more salsa options over it... andale andale open a branch in hongqiao guys!!
FINALLY! Decent Mexican in Shanghai! We moved here from LA over 3 years ago and have been whining ever since about how you cannot find good Mexican (or Vietnamese) food in Shanghai. The food menu is just right - your basic tacos and burritos with choice of delicious meat fillings (the pork is amazing!) and nachos stacked with everything. It's refreshing that they are don't try and make the mexican food too overly complicated or foo-foo fancy. Oh and I LOVE the salsa bar. The tequila menu is awesome but I do agree that the shots are a bit on the pricey side. The service was as good as it could be given how crowded it was but the food did get to our table at a good pace. We definitely look forward to coming back often.
Pretentious atmosphere from what is basically a dressed up taco joint.
The tacos are good but nothing spectacular.
Sometimes poor service is a result of inexperience/understaffing; in this restaurants case, some of the staff actively try to make your experience unpleasant. The Asian-american female manager, in particular, was extremely rude; aside from making us feel like we owed her money, she gave us the change for our check by tossing the change on the table, turning around and leaving without making eye contact or saying anything. I think her service was probably the worst out of all the restaurants I've been to in Shanghai, probably China. There was a scowl on her face the entire time. The male manager was unable to communicate with the local staff effectively and our drink orders were delayed in the process. The food is above-average tex-mex and given the price range and the fact that Mexican/Tex-Mex in Shanghai is generally sub-par, I'd rate the restaurant's food 3, close to 4. The service however, was horrible. RMB90 Patron Silver shots are also a little steep for a tequila bar.
Cantina Agave is the newly opened Mexican restaurant/Taqueria&Tequila Bar on Fumin lu, near Changle lu at the new "A Mansion". Heard a few times from other friends, we cannot wait to check out the place.
During lunch time, there is a counter service. You can order big burritos with or without meet, beef nachos,soft fish tacos with flour or corn tortilla, guacamole, and lots of different kinds of salsa from the salsa bar. Jalapenos and salsas ranging from the tangy mango and black bean salsa to the bruising salsa de chile arbol were open for the choosing. You can mix and match with 8 different sauce types.
The burrito mamita and papito, like everything else here, is made from your selection of meat fillings. Beef machaca, carnitas, chorizo and potato, chicken in salsa verde, lengua if you're lucky, and fried baja fish. The mamita (55 RMB) is packed thick with rice, beans, lettuce and onions, but we recommend 5 RMB extra each for the dollop of sour cream and guacamole. The Macho Nachos (60 RMB) are indeed a masculine mound of crispy tortilla chips suffocating under heaps of meat and beans and melted Oaxacan cheese. And the crispy fish taco, recently added to the menu, is a delicious bargain at 20 RMB. The machaca and the chicken verde were hearty and delicious; the carnitas will keep you stuffed for what seems like forever.
At night the counter service will change to a sit down service which definately makes you feel more cozy. The bar serves a lot of different types of tequila. Some of the tequila you cannot even find anywhere else in town. You can fully enjoy the sports channel or movies at the bar.
Oh, almost forgot to mention that the internet speed is the fastest ever. Enjoy the happy hour drink when you serve on internet! (Happy Hour / 3-7pm Mon to Fri).
As the owner/the new Shanghai restaurant entrepreneur - Raffe Ibrahamian told us, it's been always been his dream to open an authentic Mexican restaurant where people can find authentic mexican food in Shanghai. Now dreams come true...The place is packed forever and ever!!!
They lost points with me after the renovation...the jug of margarita now is too watered-down! Anyway the ambient is a little better then before