To preface this review I will say that we ate here almost immediately after they opened and were very disappointed. We decided we should give them time to "figure it out" and returned later on. We returned last night and were... not much more impressed. The bright notes were 1) our server was very nice and super knowledgeable of the menu and everything we were ordering. 2) the chips and queso were great. Queso was super rich and cheesy and you just can't beat homemade chips. Very fresh and crispy! Unfortunately the drinks were better the first go 'round. They seemed fresher the first trip, we all had the jalapeño margaritas and they were incredibly sweet with not much spice. Almost syrupy. There were five of us so we had a large variety of the tacos, no one was overly impressed. Overall they were either too overwhelming (overly spicy, etc.) or underwhelming and lacking flavor. I personally had the Nashville Hot chicken and the swipe right. The chicken was nearly too hot to eat and conversely the bed of mac and cheese tasted more like just plain cooked noodles with no mac and cheese influence. The Swipe Right was pretty good. Overall the ambiance was fine, lots of fun decor to check out and the service was fast and friendly. There are so many taco places in the Covington/Cinci market though that our experience left us with the "It was alright, but no need to come back" feeling. Pricing is comparable to most. read more

Always amazing food! The flavor combinations are rockstar. Highly recommend the carne asada egg rolls and the elote. Not to mention their fantastic Bourbon selection! read more

My boyfriend and I came here for the first time Friday night to get some food after a little shopping at The Party Source. Agave & Rye has been on my bookmarked list for a while now, and I was pretty impressed! First impression when walking in, is that it was busy and a little loud (the table next to us had a party of about 8 40-50 year olds that were clearly wasted but left soon after we arrived). Pretty typical for a Saturday night around 9pm we were expecting to wait some but we found two open seat at the bar right as we walked in which is where we were wanting to sit anyway). We were greeted first thing when we sat down by the bar tender with his name and offered us menu's. The food was great, but the service is the main reason why my review is so high - the bartenders Jordan and Chris were both great! They were very personable and my boyfriend and I left actually talking about how great of an experience it was because the great conversation they provided. I am very indecisive so they were both helpful in me making a decision on Tacos and drinks. I ended up getting the shredded chicken and the crown jewel (lobster) and they were both very good, but the lobster taco I got was definitely my favorite and the chips & queso were great too. For drinks I got some kind of peach bourbon drink and that was really good! Our food arrived very quickly and our mixed drinks were made very quickly as well, this was impressive considering how busy it was. I would definitely come back here, they have a lot of creative tacos and other items that look delicious that I'd like to try and it's a fun atmosphere being a little busy and high energy on the weekend. Thanks again Chris and Jordan for giving us great service and for the great conversation you two provided - we will be back! read more

Ordered tacos and asked for specific ingredients out and was served the tacos with all of the ingredients i did not want. The server never came back to check on our meals so I could not send it back. Actually, all of the servers were just sitting at a table ignoring customers who needed serving. We waited for nearly 20 minutes for the server to even come back to the table. The chicken was so dry I could not even eat it and the service was less than friendly and timely. Once the server finally did come out, they did not ask how our meal was or if they could replace the meal they saw was barely even touched. I have not had this bad of an experience at a restaurant in a long time. Very disappointed for the price you pay for food here. read more

Costumer service is literally nonexistent here. If you want to eat here plan ahead for long and unpredictable wait times as the staff sits people in whatever order they feel fitting. read more

Was a super good choice on the fly. Had several drink options and an extensive list of bourbon and tequila. Also should be noted that their tacos are not small. We ordered a couple tacos a piece and couldn't even finish them. And I eat a lot in a day also Epic sizes drinks are no joke. So only get them if you came to play. Would recommend! read more

Stopped in here for the first time with my girlfriend for date night. It was both our first times here. We had a great experience. The bartenders, Jordan and Chris, were very accommodating and helpful. They gave us great insight on the food menu and drinks. The food was amazing. We got chips and queso for an appetizer. The chips were very crisp and the queso was thick. I got 3 different tacos. I can't remember the names but I got one beef, one shredded chicken and one pork. They were amazing. Very high quality! Great selection of bourbon and tequila too. We really enjoyed ourselves! Highly recommended. If you're in the area, stop by and grab some tacos. Ask for Jordan or Chris and they will take care of you. read more

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My favorite restaurant! My advice is to go early to get a seat because they fill up really fast. I love their tacos and margaritas so much!

If it wasn't for my sons birthday, I would not have given this place the time of day. Lucky for me they didn't disappoint! After waiting for 1 and 1/5 HOURS for a table and being told that we were next , I finally asked to speak to the manager. What a clown of a person to represent the business! He clearly lied through his teeth as I ask about my extended wait time and told me that I had an 11 person party ahead of me and that happens sometimes when they are busy. Then his solution to the situation as to suggest that "if the party of 11 have room , you are welcome to sit with them ". In the middle of COVID! It was bad enough that tables inside weren't being cleaned properly between customers, which lead to the reason for us asking to be seated outside in the very first place! Are you kidding me?! Birthday or not - waiting the hour and a half or not we had enough! Even though we live in the neighborhood we will NEVER GO BACK - EVER! How can I give negative stars. read more

Unique and delicious! I was walking by and decided to stop for dinner. I cannot tell you how excited I was to find such a fun shake up of Tex mex. Ambiance *~ gorgeous! Very instagramable. Beautiful murals and art inside. Food *~ great food a good prices! The cat's meow taco was my favorite. They offer a variety of food for meat lovers, veggie lovers and fish lovers. All fresh and delicious. Portions are good size too. Service*~ I had a great server. She was knowledge about the menu and the drinks. She kept my water filled. Could not be happier! read more

Great gourmet tacos! I got the duck confiet and a steer one and they were so delicious! Love the creativity with naming of the tacos. Also got the sunrise cocktail (recommended by our awesome waitress who was totally right!) and it was to die for! Tried my friends moonshine marg, it was good but be prepared it is VERY strong! Excited to go back and try all the tacos! read more

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

We stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Luckily there were plenty of tables when we arrived. The restaurant is a little on the smaller side so I can see there being waits around dinner time. But it's worth it! Sooo yummy! We started with guacamole - very good! We tried the Rooster (has Mac and cheese on it, what's not to love), the epic taco (bbq pork belly - hood and very saucey), and the mole (balsamic portobello mushroom and fried avocado - so different and good). They have a wide variety of tacos, with a good selection of vegetarian tacos. We also split the corn fritters which were so good I can't stop thinking about it. I loved the theme of the restaurant and the decorations even carried into the bathrooms. Can't wait to come back and try more soon! read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - The Rooster and The Mole and Corn fritters - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Update! 3-1 New menu! The queso is still just as good, but now they have BREAKFAST TACOS! They are delicious as well! Went with the Swipe Right and the Ranchero (something or other). Delicious! This place gets better and better read more

First time at A&R and it did not disappoint. Portions are massive and each bite is bursting with fresh flavors. Wait staff is attentive and cool! Go hungry and be sure to try one of the delish craft cocktails. Had the Skinny B and BFF of Karen along with the Bourbon Peach Punch. Loved every sip and bite. read more

Agave and Rye is not traditional Mexican food. All of their food seemed to have a sweet flavor to it. The tacos were overall underwhelming.

Went April 4, so "late" review! Stopped in for lunch and sat immediately. Service was great and friendly for us first-timers. Everything on the menu looks fantastic so it's difficult to choose. We shared some chips and guacamole which was delicious. I had a Cat's Meow taco (shrimp, sausage, and grits) and my wife had a taco bowl. Both were larger that expected, and both were fantastic. Need to stop back soon to try other menu items. Cool little spot with an outside area too. read more

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I get the pollo street tacos. These freaking tacos are so good that I never need anything else!

I visited Agave & Rye with five friends for my birthday. The drinks are outstanding (and strong)! and their food is even better. I recently transitioned to a vegan diet and being raised in Wisconsin, it is tough for me to enjoy much without piles of cheese. However, the vegan options available did not disappoint! The fried cauliflower is incredible and it was enjoyed not only by me, but also my non vegan friends. The interior of the restaurant is very cool-- bright, bold and unique! While we waited for our table we grabbed a drink at the bar, at which we had quality service. We ended up sitting outside: partly due to table availability, partly due to Covid-19 concerns. Our waitress was quick and kind and wished me a happy birthday. A few of us have allergies and the waitress was very knowledgable of the ingredients in the food and worked with us to make sure we had a great meal while staying safe. The food was so good that the next day when I was nursing my hangover, I got takeout! Highly recommend, I will be returning. read more

This place has such a great atmosphere that it's disappointing that the food is Terrible. Lacks flavor, and I feel like they're over doing it on some of the tacos they offer. Service is okay. Mediocre place to get tacos in my opinion. read more

A large group of us went to the restraunt after our exam and was pleasantly surprised by the accommodations they provided. There is a room here that sat about 25-30 of us. I'm not sure who organized the room, but I believe it was last minute and it was nice they accommodated us. The waitress and waiter were very pleasant. Service was a little slow but for it being last minute and such a large group, I was happy with the service. I enjoyed all of the decorations they provided. I had the plain Jane and added queso and salsa to it. SO GOOD! I also had the queso and chips and tried some of my friends guac and salsa. All of which were amazing. Attached are some pictures of others tacos that unfortunately I don't remember the name of but posting to show how yummy it all was! Would definitely come back. read more

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Food tasted great but chips and tortillas came out cold. Water tasted terrible. Hostess was very nice and welcoming but servers looked like they really did not enjoy their job, kind of created a weird atmosphere. read more

Loved all the interesting taco combinations! The hibiscus habanero margarita was incredible if you love spicy! The tacos aren't small either! Love!! read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - The crown jewel taco - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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Lucky find when our first choice for dining was closed. Funky atmosphere. Responsive service and unique dining options. read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - Pick 3 tortillas - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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We went to Agave & Rye when it first opened and have been trying to make it back since. It's always packed and we haven't been able do find a seat with their seat yourself policy. Tonight was a little less crowded and we snagged a booth right away. The restaurant was really warm, not sure their air conditioner was keeping up with the surprise 90 degree day. It took awhile to get any service and we were ready to order drinks and starters right away. Our chips and guacamole arrived quickly but it was over 15 minutes before we had drinks (including water). The guac is pretty good with a nice kick - you can see the extra jalapeños - but the chips are fried and came out half really salty and half very chewy. We ordered four very different tacos. Their menu is very creative with imaginative flavor combinations, which makes for a fun dining experience. This isn't the place to go if you want traditional tacos! We tried The Rooster (fried chicken + mac and cheese), The Swipe Left (honey chicken + bacon, The Bee's Knee's (shrimp + sausage + cheesy grits), and The Epic Taco (pork belly + pineapple slaw). It took a long while for our tacos to arrive and our water was empty without any quick refills. Our waitress apologized profusely, it sounded like a few issues in the kitchen, but the timing overall was a slog. I would go back for the food, with the hope that the service and timing continues to improve. The Bee's Knees taco was fantastic and I would absolutely order it again. The Rooster taco was just ok, I think I'd try something else instead. None of the tacos really need the two shells (you get a hard taco wrapped in a soft taco with almost all of them), I get that it's their shtick, but I just took everything apart and used the soft taco (much less mess and more of the filling stayed in that way!). read more

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I got food poisoning hours after. Me and my other coworker both ordered takeout and both felt sick to our stomachs. Probably will not go back after!! read more

Everything was great and the atmosphere was perfect. We had McKenzie as our waiter and she was a blast! She was super informative on everything on the menu and was super fun to be with. I definitely recommend everyone to come here and enjoy the good vibez. read more

The first time we ordered here the food was amazing!Oh yeah, new fav!! The second time we ordered here was a different experience. Yes the corn salad is still to die for but the rest of the order was a game changer. The salsa was spilled into bottom of bag, tacos were lack luster,and the worst...the chips! They were grease balls!! I guess not drained at all, just straight from fryer to bag!! Now u might say,Wow, why didnt you say something? Well, we had doordash delivery and the first order had leaked into bottom of bag and it fell out in the street before making it to door. Our driver got on the phone and got our order redone at no charge but still rushed and grease ball chips!! The driver lost his job over this and agave and rye lost us as customers. Fry boy needs retrained or to get off the phone!! read more

I stopped in for lunch on Taco Tuesday meeting a business associate and was impressed with not only the quality of the food but also the PRICE !! We both had Ice Tea's, he had chips with Queso and The Bees Knees Taco and I had 2 Taco's (Bees Knees & The Epic Taco). They were delicious and when we got our bill it was only $18 which I had to get a second look. I spend more than that at Wendys !!! Service was excellent as they were not that busy. I have been here for the dinner crowd and it can be very busy and cramped but the lunch hour was great and will likely go back more during those hours. read more

This place is definitely worth trying. We pass by all the time, and with food and service like this we will definitely be back!!! The #2 Bees knees ....fantastic!!!! Chips and Carolina reaper salsa amazing ! Thank you Jeremy for your great service , Your awesome, very knowledgeable, great suggestions......we will back just to see you(and eat some tacos ) thank you again!!!!! read more

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Pre-COVID review. Lunch meet with friends and family was great. Both service and food top notch. Definitely recommend. Expensive but worth it. read more

Good vegan tacos. Original flavor. Makes you want more! Gripes include the packaging for to go orders which are not environmentally conscious, and the seemingly pointless side of bland sticky rice. Great location. Nice picnic tables outside to catch the breeze and watch all the action around you. Really cool neon sign across the street enhances the outdoor beauty. read more

I had read a lot of negative reviews about this restaurant; negative to the point that I almost didn't go. However, I tried it yesterday and was very impressed. I got the bang bang taco and truffle fries. The taco had cauliflower, spicy carrots and queso on it. It was fantastic. My friend got the mahi mahi taco and absolutely loved it. I would not get the fries again, but that is only because I would prefer two tacos next time. The fries were good but not amazing. I had seen a lot of negative discussion about the double tortilla situation... there is a hard corn shell wrapped in a flour tortilla on each taco. I actually thought it was very pleasant and added a nice crunch, while keeping the whole taco together excellently. I will absolutely eat here again, and I look forward to it. read more

My entire experience here was so weird and I can't figure out why. First off, I thought the decor was very strange. I think they're trying really hard to be cool but it's just too much. One wall is painted with black and white stripes like Beetlejuice and then there's a tattooed Marilyn Monroe on another wall. Huh? They also had random candles burning in a candlelabra type thing. What the heck is the theme here? I sat at the bar and was greeted immediately. It was happy hour and also Taco Tuesday, so I took advantage. I ordered the "epic" margarita and got two of the Bee's Knees tacos. The margarita was very small and just tasted okay. The tacos came out literally two minutes after I ordered them, which really bothered me. I would expect that from a place like Taco Bell but this is a sit-down restaurant. The tacos were strange, they came in a crispy shell surrounded by a soft shell. I've never had tacos like that so maybe I'm the strange one. The food was warm, but not hot. The fact that they came out so quickly makes me think that their food is not fresh at all. They tasted fine, but each taco had a giant piece of jalapeno in them that really overpowered everything else. I think this place is trying way too hard and the quality of the food is suffering because of that. read more

Josh from Miami was amazing! His suggestions were on point he made me & my friends feel at home. We will be back!!

Decided to go for some late dinner, our favorite Mexican place closes early so we figured we'd try something new. I loved the decor of the place but I could see how a person might not be a fan. It's very dark in color but without being too dreary feeling. I liked the variety of the margarita choices, I got one with jalapeño in it and it was the perfect amount of kick to it. The taco menu is definitely a conversation starter. Some tacos sound very authentic and other tacos are some pretty creative combinations. I loved the two tacos I ordered, the Rooster (spicy chicken, macaroni and cheese, hot sauce, sweet pickles) and the Mole (fried avocado, grilled portobello, oven roasted tomato). I would love to go back again and try some other tacos! One realm I wish Agave & Rye did better on was the queso. Have great queso and you will get my group of friends to visit religiously, but that good queso just wasn't here. The cheese didn't really even seem like it was the quality that you should expect from a restaurant that boasts about having creative food. It was bland and after sitting on the table for 10 minutes it started to harden and coagulate. My recommendation: pass on the queso and try the guac! Next time I go I want to try the "rad guac"-- it's guac with dried cherries and feta in it and I'm always up for trying something new! read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - The Rooster and the Mole- both sooo good! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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Awesome place with helpful staff. They had a taco that was no longer on the menu that I really loved and our server went back and asked if they could make it and they did! I would highly recommend this place. Great "epic" food and wonderful atmosphere! read more

Okay, I said I would update my review, and I am. This place has all the materials for being a cool, fun place to eat. HOWEVER. Almost nothing they are executing on the food menu is worth anything (sans chips and queso). Seriously, I've tried 6 tacos, and I wouldn't order any of them ever again... I went back for taco Tuesday, and was served an almost inedible 'waffle taco' that was literally just a waffle with some bacon and a tiny ammount of goetta on it... the 'strawberry relish' was just a couple pieces of strawberry. Calling this a taco was a disgrace. I tried the Bee's Knee's as well, and it was terrible. The chicken was dry and tasteless, and there was a HUGE piece of a jalapeno that made the entire thing WAY too spicy. Honestly they need to do some focus testing with people that are giving them negative reviews because clearly they are just missing the mark. They have potential, but until they get their taco execution together, I will not be visiting again. ** The service both times I have visited has been great, this review has nothing to do with the service I received, it is all about the quality (or lack thereof) of the food. read more

Kacie was server and she was absolutely amazing. very attentive from the beginning, educated me on the restaurant as well as wonderful recommendation. I am so happy I ate here read more

I play The Madison sometimes and have made a tradition of buying an Agave & Rye Taco for whomever is our sound tech that night along with getting myself one of course. Great sound every time & delicious tacos every time. It Rocks! read more

Amazing food like amazzzzing tacos. But the service was lacking. Host seemed annoyed and weird waiting rule of not giving a time for a table. Sat awfully close to another family during covid. And kind of an awkward vibe in the restaurant for some reason. On another note the song were always bops and food was on point and flavorful to the max. Would recommend sitting outside if weather is nice enough! :) read more