Mark on the Shore

Mark’s Score   9.2

I am a big fan of Lewes, but I don’t get there nearly enough. However, when I do go to Lewes, Agave Mexican Restaurant is my must visit restaurant. Since it opened in downtown Lewes nearly 20 years-ago Agave has become a Lewes institution, so much so that it is not unheard of to have a two hour wait during the high season. I avoid that wait by limiting my trips to Lewes to off-season months. In the ten years that I have lived here, no matter how many times I resolve to try a different restaurant, I always end up at Agave. In my view, they have the best tacos on the entire peninsula. I have sometimes resolved that if I do go to Agave, I will order something else off the menu, but every time I go, I order the tacos, they are that good. 

Agave Mexican Restaurant was opened by Chris and Jocelyn McKeown and Mike Firetti in 2008. They recently opened a second location in Rehoboth. Agave is famous throughout the region for its authentic cuisine and its extensive tequila collection (over 20 different tequilas). Their mission is to provide authentic Mexican cuisine with a bit of a modern twist as well as the best margaritas in the area. Their focus is on quality, not quantity so the menu is more limited than in other Mexican restaurants. 

With the season over, I took a day trip up to Lewes to hike in Cape Helponen State Park, and then have lunch at Agave. I had hiked for two hours so I was hungry by the time Agave opened at noon. I arrived at 12:05 and the restaurant was delightfully uncrowded. I saddle up to the bar, and though I was tempted to order a margarita, I had a long drive home, so I ordered my standard soft-shell steak taco and a glass of soda water with lime. 

Though I didn’t have a margarita I had a front row seat to watch them being made by a very friendly and expert bartender. They are more than a drink; they are works of art. Agave has eight varieties of margarita, most of which are made with Cazadores Resposado Tequila. Resposado means rested in Spanish, meaning that Cazadores Resposado is aged in American oak barrels for up to one year, giving it a golden color and smooth silky finish. 

Though I missed out on the margarita, the soft-shell steak taco was every bit as good as I remembered. It is made with grilled filet, shredded veggies, Mexican cheese, and topped with pico de gallo and chipotle. No matter how many times I order this dish, I savor every bight. It is the best taco I have ever eaten, including tacos I have eaten in Mexico.

In the future, I resolve to try other restaurants when I am in Lewes. But if you haven’t been to Agave, and you love Mexican food, this restaurant should be in your short list. Their tacos with a margarita is a meal to remember.