Team outing post Covid and I gotta say this place was jumping. A little too crowded for my liking but the staff was good and kept folks moving in & out I cook, and had recently did Birria tacos for my family and decided I wanted to see how y dish stood up to an establishment known for tacos. I was disappointed. My team felt their meals were just ok. I can't say the food was missing salt but it wasn't hitting. It missed a bunch of spice. Maybe, they were cooking to their audience, who are adverse to seasonings other than salt & black pepper? I don't know.Maybe others will have better luck. read more

See all

Spent the weekend in Covington and dined with Agave and Rye twice - that's how good it is! I had the Plain Jane while others in our party had the Swipe Right and Happy Pappy. We also shared the chips and guacamole. So good!! read more

We finally made it to Agave & Rye and will definitely be back. The tacos were huge and a wonderful taste. Service was fantastic and very helpful when we were trying to decide on what to get. I definitely recommend getting their chips and salsa's. Can't wait to try different tacos on their menu. read more

This was the KY version of Condado. If you like the food there, you will love this. Margaritas were too sweet. Service was great. Tacos were huge and pretty tasty. Not really what I had in mind for tacos and tequila though. read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

Kept calling this location in an attempt to order dinner. They would pick up the phone and immediately hang up. Take yourselves elsewhere.

This place is BOMB and the portions were way bigger than I expected so be careful. Absolute favorite things on the menu were the apps with the Sticky Cauliflower Bites taking first place hands-down. I could have made those my whole meal. They were a sweet Asian style and I was very into it. As for the mains, we ordered a ton of different kinds of tacos thinking they were street style and size... we were pleasantly surprised when we found out they were huge and very filling. They were all delicious, the only one I would actually NOT recommend was the one with salmon. It tasted too fishy for my taste in a taco. Literally anything else on the menu is sure to be delicious so be free and definitely try a few things while you're here. read more

See all

I like this place. I really do, but gave it a 3* rating because, honestly, I don't think it's living up to its potential. The tacos are pretty good. Tacos are a good size and the two that I swear by ate the 'Bees Knees' and the 'Swipe Right'. The cocktails are also decent and they offer a nice bar and I enjoy the picnic tables they offer for outside seating. While I do enjoy the food, I feel like, as a restaurant overall though, sometimes they are just phoning it in. The ambiance is a little off putting to me- they have a curated design theme, buts it seems almost overdone. The servers wear shirts with the phrase "put it in my mouth" which I don't really care for and I've heard multiple other people comment on as being off putting. The chips they make for the dips are just their thick flour tortillas cut in half and fried, I prefer corn tortillas to begin with, so not really a fan of these, and they are too big, they should be cut into 1/4's and not halves. The raised booths are not attached to the raised partition, so they slide around, which is not comfortable or safe. The floor/tables sometimes feel greasy and on occasion the servers sometimes seem distracted or ambivalent about the customers. read more

See all

First time visit. Have been wanting to come for a while and not disappointed. We had the chips and salsa and street tacos. Everything was delicious! Friendly service. Had a 2 year old with us. High chair and booster available. No kids meals on menu but plenty of options to share. Definitely will be back! read more

The interior of Agave & Rye makes you feel like you're at a Day of the Dead world. The food will have you craving more. Originally I found that the menu was excessive until my order came and it was as delectable as can be. My only gripe about this place is that the margaritas, as delicious as they are, could have been better made with more tequila. Otherwise I fully recommend this restaurant for authentic Mexican food that satisfies your cravings. read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - Plain Jane, and The Swipe Right - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Awesome spot! The food was delicious and service was great! I had queso, the plain Jane taco and a vegetarian taco! Large tacos/ brace Yourself! Definitely good deal to go at happy hour! read more

I'm so glad I was able to finally try their tacos except I was bummed they forgot one taco in our takeout order and it was the one I was most looking forward to try (the Becky). Anyway we tried the two cincy week taco specials (the buda and big papa) as well as the cats meow, the Cali girl, and the spaminator. Everything was good and they for sure get a 5+ on ingenuity. I just wish the tacos were as good as they sound on the menu. I felt they were a little pricey (even though they are about 1/4 larger than your standard taco) and overall lacked flavor. A lot of the main base ingredients such as the grits and sticky rice tasted bland. Overall I'll go back to try the Mac and cheese taco, but wasn't overly impressed. read more

Incredible food and service! Always creative combinations of tacos. One of our favorite taco places in the city!

Best tortilla chips I have ever had. Thick, crunchy, perfect (great salsa, too!) Taylor, who brought it, even advised us of the excellence of mixing the two salsas. The tacos were, in a word, epic. But that is always true. read more

I haven't used yelp in forever but redownloaded it just to leave this place a review. The food was absolute trash. You want Mexican here? Too bad. The tacos are the size of an chihuahua and loaded with whatever base option with a few crumbles of whatever other toppings. The sides are weird and either too sweet or too salty. The chips are just hard taco shells cut in half and the queso is the same cheese base they use in the Mac and cheese, velveeta-like, no cotija or xuetl or whatever it's called. I got the Nashville chicken thing taco and the lobster Mac taco. The single tiny chicken strip they carefully placed on the pound of Mac&cheese was delicious. The tiny pieces of lobster they delicately draped on top of the other pound of mac&cheese was good. The double taco shell thing they have going on is to hold in all the mac&cheese or slaw or whatever is on yours, it's way too much and bland as shit. No hot sauce or other flavor to speak of. The birria tacos were good but sort of bland. The chicken quesadilla was thicc with melted cheese and still flavorless. The baked beans were all mushed up and very sweet, the texture of baby food. The elote was the best part but then it was just corn with parmesan and salt. Our server Ian was great and did everything he could to make the experience better. He remembered all the specials and was clearly just doing his best in these difficult times. I have no idea why this place was packed at 7pm on a Sunday night but it was full of white women. My five year old who got the baked beans, quesadilla, and tried to birria tacos, told me she never wanted to go here again. Don't have to tell me twice. read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - Lobster Mac taco, spicy chicken taco, chicken quesadilla, baked beans, birria - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Agave & Rye is one of my faves, but I was worried about delivery because I didn't think the tacos would travel well. Luckily, I was wrong! The Righteous Po Boy II and Bang Bang were just as delicious at home as in the restaurant. Added bonus that I was able to get a bourbon slushee delivered (literally the one major COVID bonus) and the elote was yummy. I'll definitely order again! read more

See all

I would give this a 5 for cocktails, 5 for atmosphere/style, and a 3 for food. I've been here twice now and the drinks are outstanding. The margarita was strong (even when it was $6 for happy hour). They have a good selection of tequilas and libations otherwise. The atmosphere is pretty cool. Love the Art and decor in general. Feels like El Dia de los Muertos meets biker bar. The spaced out tables comfortably for COVID too and added a bunch of bench style picnic tables outside (smart move). The food was okay. The Cincy Burger Week burger was outstanding and had a good kick. But the chips and queso ($3 during happy hour was not great. The queso was not very warm and half the chips were over cooked. The elote we ordered to share saved the day though. Excellent bit of savory and sweet with Fire to it. Outstanding. I'd stop in again for happy hour drinks, but in today's tight taco market, I might go somewhere else. read more

See all

Have never been before and only have seen the menu on DoorDash. We are used to going somewhere and getting at least 2 tacos and a side or two. Seeing $6-$9 per taco had been a turn off. Now I know better! Our server said the average order is 1 or 2 tacos. I ordered 2 tacos and brought the 2nd one home. I loved my margaritas and my husband enjoyed a few different bourbons from their list. We must go back just to try the variety of tacos. read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

I've been to the Rookwood and Liberty locations, I like the Covington location the best. Yes it's smaller, but the food tastes better . Yes, I know the menus are the same. I love the out of the box taco flavors. They have something on the menu for everyone. I usually get a pineapple jalapeño marg. I love the skull glasses. My fav is the taco is the Sugar Daddy to the Plain Jane. Over the top delicious. The birria is also good. Chips with a queso, salsa or guac is always a good time. I almost forgot to mention the decor. I love all of the color and art. Each location has its own vibe. Very cool spot. (How many times can you use the word "love" in a review?‍) read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - Sugar Daddy to the Plain Jane - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

This place is so friggin cute! There wasn't a wait to get a table for three of us, which was shocking for an early Saturday evening. Our waitress was the sweetest & I would quite literally sell my soul for the birria street tacos, I've been dreaming about them ever since! read more

If you like flavor and going out on a limb to try new things you will love this place. Mac and cheese on a taco?? Are you kidding me? I was in heaven! The rooster was my favorite between that and the Rima D. The fried chicken was delicious and paired with the Mac and cheese and relish it was just delicious. I've heard the rooster is typically spicy but was not on the taco I had (not sure if it was just the day or what). The tacos are all double layered with a soft and hard shell so that it doesn't fall apart (I loved this). Highly getting an appetizer of chips, queso, guacamole, and salsa. The chips are home made and delicious! The queso was my favorite to dip the chips in. read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - The Rooster & The Rima D - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

My friends and I had been wanting to try something new and knowing we all loved margs/tacos, Agave & Rye was our choice! We made it during happy hour on a Thursday which offered $1 off tacos, discounted queso, and $6 OG margs. Naturally, we all started with the happy hour margarita and I didn't love it - entirely too sweet. For my second round, I chose the pineapple jalapeno margarita and it was MUCH better. Queso was pretty good. Brussels sprouts were also pretty good. We ordered the carolina reaper salsa which was extremely chunky salsa, but I guess everyone has their preference on if they like salsa chunky or smooth. Regardless, the salsa had great flavor. I ordered the "California Dreamer" and the "Alderman" taco. California Dreamer is a mahi mahi taco and it was my favorite. The Alderman is a steak taco, which was decent, but I could barely finish it because two tacos is really SO much food. I enjoyed the experience and we were able to sit on the patio which is a nice touch. Give it a try! read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - California Dreamer & The Alderman taco - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

Very delicious, filling tacos, excellent drinks. They have a lot of unique taco combinations that seem to get mixed reviews, so I stayed with the more traditional taco: the alderman, and it was perfect! I loved their pineapple jalapeño margarita, it had the perfect amount of spice and flavor! Lots of outdoor and indoor seating while being socially distanced. Would definitely go back and try some other things on the menu. read more

The food was amazing! I could eat there once a week! Agave &Rye gives a whole new meaning to tacos!

The biggest problem with this place is that you'll want to try all of the tacos, but you will only be able to eat two in a sitting. I definitely enjoy Agave and Rye when I am south of the border. It would seem that many others agree, as it has been busy just about every time I've been there. I would be excited to visit again. read more

I wish I had something positive to say about my experience this afternoon. Because it's Burger Week I wanted to try places I'd never been before. I ordered their Easy Rider. The two burgers hardly began to fill the bun, and were barely at room temperature.The Brioche Bun was not fresh. My friend ordered the Happy Elote, which was to have been 2 Epic Tacos. Only one was brought out. The server explained that they were only serving one and not two. Service was non existent. Most of the servers were standing around, on their phones. When we asked for a Burger Week stamp for our passports, we were told they didn't have one, but they could initial the passport. Sad to say, I will never return. read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - The Easy Rider Burger - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Anna B. was our server. She was very responsive, efficient, and kind, always with a smile:) we had the Birria Tacos and the Happy Pappy. Absolutely delicious! read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - Birria Street Tacos(3) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

I am always happy and excited to enjoy the tacos from Agave & Rye! We used delivery service today. The tacos arrived warm and in great shape. read more

The food is spectacular, everything was an A+. On top of it all, the service was incredible. Shout out to Ian for some of the best service we've had in while. This is a must try if you find yourself in DT Covington. read more

*Update: After making this review I emailed them at the email provided to me and honestly I wish I didn't. Somehow they made matters worse. In the email I explained what happened and even clarified I'm not looking for handouts but the lady responded by offering me a gift card. She then led me on a wild goose chase to try and get the gift card that I'm pretty sure was never even sent. She first claimed it was emailed to me but it might take awhile so I waited weeks and nothing. When I explained that she said she'd send another through email, once again nothing. Then she said if I provided my address she'd send it through the mail I waited a month, nothing. This is honestly just insulting. read more

I am usually wary of fancy tacos. I have had too many disappointing experiences where the taco did not add up to the price, but this was a nice surprise! I am glad I was convinced to give Agave and Rye a try. I tried the Rooster (friend chicken and mac&cheese), and the chicken on it was so good that it almost felt like a waste to put it on a taco. Yet the crunch of a fresh corn shell and the creaminess of the Mac&cheese made it all worth while. I could have done with a pickle topping that was a bit more sour, but it's not a big enough deal to deduct a star. And I know I have more of a sour tooth than most people. The All Nighter (duck confit with fried rice) was also a solid choice. A good fusion of the delicious confit method of cooking combined with the rich Asian flavor from the hoisin sauce. The fried rice was also spot on. My companion declared that the creole inspired Cat's Meow was the best taco he had ever had, but I can't do shrimp so I can't say for sure. I did get to sample the Bee's Knees (honey lime chicken) and The Alderman (ancho grilled steak). Both were juicy and tender. I was really impressed. I think it would be hard to go wrong here. Another recommendation I have is for the corn fritters. Absolutely delicious! A shareable side plus two tacos would definitely be enough to fill up most people. With the combination of good food and good drinks, you can expect this place to be crowded on Friday and Saturday night. If you aren't into waiting, you may want to go another time. But do try to go! read more

See all

Amazing tacos! Recently went for dinner and had a great experience. I started off with their OG Margarita. It's made with freshly squeezed lime juice. It was strong (in a good way) and decent. I ordered two tacos: Swipe Right and Bang Bang. The Swipe Right was amazing; it had honey lime grilled chicken, sweet & spicy bacon, white cheddar, salsa and sour cream...an absolutely heavenly combination. The flavors went together so well! The Bang Bang taco had cauliflower, corn fritters and spicy crispy carrots. It was good. The tacos are very filling...I think next time I'd order just one taco unless I was super hungry then I'd order two again. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The interior has a neat, eccentric vibe. I'd highly recommend Agave & Rye...and be sure to try their Swipe Right Taco! read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - OG Margarita ($10) made with freshly squeezed lime juice - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

I placed my order online. My food was still hot when I got home. I appreciate the way it was packed in a sealed bag. By the way...those Barria tacos... are the bomb.com read more

Great service, fun atmosphere, top shelf drinks, and overall impressive experience. Honestly, can't say one bad thing about this spot.

Every time I visit Cincinnati, I eat at Agave & Rye. I try different tacos each time and I am never disappointed. I go home and dream about the tacos that are so far away (I live in Michigan). Time to franchise and open one in Grand Rapids!!! We love tacos in the north, too read more

Ordered 10 tacos and a burrito to take home for Taco Tuesday. Online ordering is easy, including being able to customize the food. The order was packed and ready to go when I arrived at the scheduled time. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The order was all correct, the food was still warm, and everything was delicious. read more

To be honest, I expected a lot more from this place with the high reviews. As many people have already stated, the market for artisan tacos has a bit of competition. But I'd rather go to Condado tacos or even Taco Bell, than here again. So, what's good about this place? We went around 4 on a Saturday, so it wasn't very busy. Service was quick and our server was fantastic. Our server was the best part about the experience. What we didn't like? All of the food. It was extremely mediocre. Nothing came out hot, with the highest temperature of any of the food being lukewarm. The empanadas we ordered as appetizers had a decent filling inside, and an okay corn/lump crab topping... but it just felt so thoughtlessly thrown together. I also asked about the avocado sauce and was told that was inside of the empanada. It wasn't. There was no trace of anything avocado in the empanadas. To be honest, they were more like crab rangoon... and they were served cold. On to the tacos... I can't speak for the ones my boyfriend ordered, but he did mention the food was not hot in any way, only very slightly warm. Mine was not even warm. I had some components in mine that I'd expect the food to be warm/hot (the shrimp, grits, sausage). All of it was room temperature/cold. I ate the Cat's Meow first and again, this taco just didn't seem well thought through at all. For example, why is the sausage cut that way? You could dice it up and each bite would actually get more of all the components together, instead of basically eating all the elements separately. This taco was also mostly full of grits (I've got a soft spot of grits and these were decent enough). If I was forced to eat here again, I'd pick the Cat's Meow. The Crown Jewel? Yikes. This taco was SO DRY. I have no idea what the thought process was with placing these ingredients together. The noodles were dry (and certainly not resembent of mac and cheese) the lobster was okay (I will say there was a good amount of it)...and the other ingredients didn't add anything to the arrangement. Again, SO DRY. Go to Court St Lobster Bar for a respectable presentation of lobster in the area. Anyway, I feel bad about the heavy complaints, but for the price of everything, I expected a lot more out of this place. Everything just felt so cobbled together without any serious thought. And having lukewarm/cold food served to us is not impressive, sorry. I would definitely not recommend this place. read more

See all

Very unique place. The staff was attentive and friendly. The decor was unique and beautiful. The food--wow. The wait said it best--it's not Mexican food but they are known for their tacos. Their tacos are not traditional Mexican. They are unique mixes inside a double layer taco (hard and soft shell). Everything was delicious! read more

See all

Super cute decor! I love alll the chandeliers!! Our server Kristof was awesome!! Food was quick and delicious! Definitely will be back! read more

See all

This is a hip and cool place. The neighborhood is fun and having dinner here was great. The tacos are creative and delicious. This was my 3rd trip and it has been awesome every time. The chips and dip are good hotel leftovers as well. Great job! read more

Food used to be good many years ago. Once they started getting multiple locations the quality of food & service sadly leaves a lot to be desired. Not to mention, **their servers took it upon themselves to add additional money to their tip!!** which is not something I appreciate. Make sure you're checking your bank statements after you eat here! Initially never planned on leaving a negative review until I saw what type of practices their servers have -just taking money from customers that was never theirs. Will not be back & definitely won't recommend after this last experience. read more