Food was excellent. Service was horrible. The open seating concept is incredibly irritating as it basically forces you to have really awkward encounters with strangers when trying to get a table. Especially on a busy Friday night. We thankfully were able to grab a (singular)seat at the bar after about 20 minutes. Kind of annoying that the girls next to us had an empty seat and refused to slide down, so my dining companion was forced to stand behind me until they left. The bartenders kind of just ignored us as much as they could it seemed. They were too busy laughing at inside jokes to attend to anyone really. Although they did offer way more insight on the menu to the couple that ended up sitting next to us. We didn't have silverware for like ten minutes after our food was delivered. Overall just felt like they were inconvenienced by us actually wanting to eat and drink. But the tacos were absolutely fantastic. I would probably go back and suck it up with the service just to try some of the other ones. read more

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

See all

I love Mexican food and live in Covington so was really excited about agave and rye. I think their chips, salsa, and guacamole are all fantastic, other than that they come in paper cups, which I personally didn't care for since I was in a sit down restaurant. I love queso and wasn't overly impressed with the queso here. I did love my margarita , and loved my tacos. I got the one with hot chicken and Mac and cheese and it was amazing. I also love the atmosphere here. Other than the paper cups and queso the only other thing that would keep it from five stars is the service, which I have not been overly impressed with. Overall I do think agave and rye is worth the visit, and plan to come back! read more

Chris, our bartender, was personable and helped ensure we had a great meal and time. He was quick with our food and a joy to chat with while he balanced several customers. As a former service industry employee I can say it was the best service I've found at a restaurant! read more

Went in for drinks and apps. Margaritas were ok. Ordered A Plain Jane Taco witch was very very plain (absolutely no flavor) and Guacamole with chips. Chips were large and good Guacamole was so salty we couldn't eat it. Very fast service and great atmosphere. I'm so confused. read more

What is this? Ordered the flower child bowl to go... it's not good. It's cauliflower absolutely drenched in average tasting queso. To the trash it goes, a total bust. read more

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

The first time I came here I loved it. The tacos were different, but they were great. The margaritas were also good! Everyone in the group that went was very pleased (1 year ago). Went again recently and I was so disappointed. The wait was really long and not one employee cared if we were seated or not. The inside was so hot and our whole group was uncomfortable the entire meal. The music was loud and you couldn't hear anyone talking, felt like a club. I ordered a margarita and it came out with light ice and it was warm!! Plus it tasted like straight tequila. The tacos were another disappointment. The Mac n cheese tasted like it was burnt and was the worst Mac I have ever had. The chips are amazing, and the queso was great- the one plus to the evening. The waiter was great and accommodated our complaint about the taco, which is why I'm happy to keep a 3 star rating, because I'm hoping it was just a bad/busy evening. read more

Loved this place for sure. Food was great and plentiful prices right. Yummy service was more 3 star but the food made up for it.

Every time I'm in Cincy I need to make a trip here, the tacos are great, staff has always been friendly, and drinks are solid. Highly recommend this spot for some fat eats read more

Audrienne might be the best thing since queso and chips!! Highly highly recommend for dinner and drinks!! We felt like a million bucks with all of her hospitality! read more

Stay away! Haven't had such bad Mexican food in a while. Everything was super greasy, loaded with cheese. Couldn't finish it. The one star is for the great service, otherwise it would be a negative star rating. Business owner or chef, if you're reading this , please take s minute and taste your own food. read more

I eat here all the time as I have an art gallery around the corner. Five stars all the way not even considering the convenient location! Amazing food, drinks, and staff. Quick service and an all around awesome place, both for business and private! read more

I came here with my son because I was craving tacos. My experience was ok but not great. I have been to agave & rye a couple times before but it's been a while and I couldn't remember which salsa I got before and had trouble figuring out which one it was and ended up ordering the wrong one and then had to order the right one. I feel they could have been a little more helpful and maybe gave me a sample or let me see the salsa to help me figure it out.... By the way chips and salsa are $4.50. For a second salsa with no extra chips it was another $4.50. Didn't really understand that but whatever. However the chips and salsa are very good. I think the chips and salsa were the best part of the meal actually. The tacos were kind of underwhelming. One thing I noticed that I hadn't really noticed before is they use white and dark meat chicken on the chicken tacos. I really noticed it this time and that is a no go for me. I only like white meat and it's not stated anywhere in the menu that I saw. I ordered three tacos not realizing how big they are. The ground beef taco (I can't remember the names) the beef had a weird taste to it. I can't pinpoint it but it just didn't taste right. And the fish taco was the only one I ate. It was good but nothing spectacular. It's fried fish with slaw and red onions. That's it. You can make it epic and they add cheese and salsa which I did. I had the fish taco once before not epic and it was pretty bland so this time I made it epic. It was ok. It was the best out of the three. I ate the fish taco and one bite of the other two just to taste them. Like I said the best part was the chips and salsa. It's a bit pricey too with a taco running anywhere from $7 to $11 something. The $11 taco was a lobster taco that I would've tried if it didn't have a bunch of weird stuff on it like Mac n cheese, truffle oil, and a bunch of other stuff. It just didn't sound appetizing. And chips and salsa for $4.50. Honestly I've had better at condado tacos. I would probably come back here just for the chips and salsa. They play good music but loud. Probably wasn't the best place to bring my son because it is loud and for some reason my son was freaked out by this place. He said it was decorated scary and he felt like a killer clown was gonna jump out at him at any time! He came back from the bathroom terrified and said he wouldn't go back in there cuz it was all black and white and it freaked him out. He was begging me to leave. I don't understand what scared him so bad but if I do come back I won't be bringing him. So I ended up paying $30 something dollars and only ate one taco and some chips and salsa. I'll know better next time I guess if there is a next time. read more

Hot dang. Tacos were superb. Sat at the bar and had a great conversation with Ally the bartender. Her choices were spot on and the corn critters, yum. Tried the Cats Meow and The Alderman. Both were flavorful. Going back next time I visit Covington. read more

Don't know how the food is, because we used Grub Hub and the driver literally never came. They status said "your food has been delivered", but they never came. Contacted Grub Hub support and they refunded us, but by then, all other restaurants were closing in 10 min so we went to bed without dinner read more

First time guests: ordered 3 types of salsa and chips- mango, chunky and reaper. ALL were delicious! The first bite of each was almost a game of "what flavor can you taste"!! We also got the queso which of course was awesome. Ordered the chicken and beef street tacos- a completely unique and flavorful twist on tacos! The OG margaritas were top notch- obviously fresh squeezed lime juice and agave nectar- and half priced during happy hour!! Our server Marissa was extremely attentive and knowledgeable! One of the best server interactions we've had in quite some time!!! Another cool feature is their Just Chillin' cards to let your server know when you need something or just chillin'! We aren't big on the masks but everyone there was compliant if that's important to you. The atmosphere and decor was truly unique and eclectic - the "day of the dead" theme with black and white stripes, artwork, skull mugs, and chandeliers were a neat surprise!! We had a great time and will definitely return some time soon!! read more

Outside tables were "sticky " because they hadn't been cleaned. Food not as good as the Agave in Liberty Center. Service was below average.

We live a couple blocks from here and we're so excited to see this place open! We went on a Saturday and it was very packed. There was a sign that said to seat ourselves. My only suggestion is to change this and have a hostess. We luckily didn't have to wait but I think this will cause awkward situations and bickering between patrons like what happened to us... Other than that everything was amazing! Our waiter was great and very knowledgeable. Our drinks and food came fairly quick. The prices were pretty good as well. And omg the tacos! They come in a flour and hard taco- amazing! We ordered the Bee's Knees chicken taco - somewhat plain but good and the #6 Steak taco - highly recommend! Very flavorful. We are already excited to go back and plan on checking out the taco Tuesday specials as they look great!! read more

I love tacos, in fact I could just live on tacos. I had he pleasure of trying two tacos and the chips and salsa. The salsa wasn't my favorite, I did really like the chips though, they were fresh and had a perfect amount of salt. The first taco was cauliflower based (delicious), the second taco was mushroom based (not my favorite). The cauliflower based taco, the Bang Bang, had an appropriate amount of cauliflower, what I can describe as a corn bread of sorts, and queso. Together this made a delicious vegetarian treat, with the toppings in a good proportion to each other. The mushroom based taco, the Mole, was alright, the proportion wasn't really there, it was mostly mushroom and I would have liked to see more textures and flavors in the taco. Both tacos were more wet then I would have liked. The tacos also come with a soft and hard shell. I would have preferred only the soft shell, I think they hard shell was a bit much. The service was fine. It was friendly. The only reason why I am giving this place a three is because I felt that it was a little all over the place. I will probably go back and customize each taco a little, maybe try the guacamole instead of the salsa. I see potential for sure. read more

Tish is the best bartender! Super nice and accommodating. Drinks and food were amazing. She really went above and beyond! We will definitely be back and recommend Agave and Rye to everyone! read more

I finally had an opportunity to give this place a try on Friday at 11:30pm after having a cocktail with friends across the street at Hotel Covington. I can't recall the last time I heard so many positive reviews of the same restaurant from colleagues & friends. For a late Friday night it was bustling much more than its neighbors. We grabbed 3 open seats at the bar. We were greeted right away and our drinks followed shortly after. My friend took the liberty of ordering our food since he frequented this establishment on several occasions. He asked for my preference of meat...steak & chicken. Within 5 minutes of getting our drinks the bartender asked if we were ready to order which we were. I ended up getting 2 tacos. Given my appetite in general my friend assured me the tacos aren't your typical tacos at other restaurants and much larger and I wouldn't need to order 4 or 5 to satisfy my late night hunger. When I think of my favorite soft-shell tacos in the area, 3 places immediately come to mind: Frida's, Bakersfield & Nada...at the end of the day Frida's wins hands-down due to the size of the taco. My theory is rent is way cheaper in Covington than Dtwn/Otr... I'm not a big fan of hard-shell tacos because they crack easy, are messy & overpower the taste of the goods inside. My friend had no idea I didn't care for them nor did he mention a hard-shell is included inside a soft-shell. Within 10 minutes of ordering our meal was served. I was pleasantly shocked by the presentation, size, textures & colors popping out of the shells. I dove right in eating the chicken taco 1st, not really sure which variety but I have to say it was delicious with so many flavors. Next came the brisket taco which appeared to have a breaded chicken tender on top but low & behold it was a deep fried cheese stick (I think lol). WOW it was truly amazing! I don't think I put the taco down between bites nor do I recall chewing, more like inhaling... When I think of the last time I had a similar experience, the oaxacan chicken sandwich & carmelized brussle sprouts at Frida's comes to mind. Thanks for an awesome 1st time experience - I'LL BE BACK! ;-) read more

Delicious tacos indeed. Unique concoction of I enjoyed every bite. The cat meow and bees knees were quite tasty their chips are not the ordinary tortillas, queso was delicious as well. Next time I will try the chips and guacamole and different tacos. ...... I wish they would answer their phone so I could place a to go order. read more

This was amazingggggg!!!!!!!! Can't wait to go back and try all the selections. Food was amazing...a few more smiles from the servers would of been nice tho :) but all and all it was awesome food. read more

Excellent tacos. Three of us ate here and really enjoyed it. Queso and guacamole were good. We tried an assortment of tacos. Our favorite was the Hell Ya taco. Sauce was awesome. Happy hour until 6 pm with discounted drinks. Great service from Cassie our waitress. read more

Quick, delicious and friendly! Took an out-of-town colleague to lunch here. She came back for dinner. The Cat's Meow taco is a great southern choice-and the dip trio is perfect. Great date night and the decor is eye candy. Can't miss here. read more

Came for dinner with my girlfriends for my birthday and it was delicious as usual. Aaron was our server and he so friendly and attentive! 10/10 would recommend and would ask for him again. The OG margaritas got the job done for sure! read more

I'm not really a fan of chefs that try to make a clever taco so I was a little suspicious of trying this restaurant. Luckily I was completely blown away by the tacos and the drinks. I tried The Godfather and the Plain Jane which were both delicious and filling. The margaritas were smooth and clearly made by a very seasoned bartender. In addition to the food and drink, I found the service to be exceptional as well. I'll definitely be back when in the area. read more

the food and service was amazing! Robert was so much fun to talk to and made our experience so much better. Thank you!

Robert is A+! The absolute best server I've ever had at any restaurant. He was Charismatic, funny, helpful, and gave the best comedy. He should be Employee of the month, every month. Love him. read more

Yes, yes and more yes. The Mole taco is a small slice of heaven on earth, but honestly, everything is just freaking delicious. Ohh, and the atmosphere is seriously fun. read more

Was in town for a night and searched for a place to have dinner with my partner. Found this place and we were not disappointed! Amazing tacos. Great drinks. The prices were reasonable. Sharell took great care of us. We wish we could come back more frequently, but unfortunately we live in Indiana. If we ever find ourselves in this area again, we will definitely be eating here again. read more

Great experience!!! Our server, Nick, did an amazing job!! The service was quick, the food was delicious, the atmosphere was fun and everyone was extremely friendly. We will definitely be back! read more

The past few times we have been here, it has not been very good. Ordered the Mac 'n Cheese side and spent $4 for a lukewarm noodles covered in shredded unmelted cheese. Another reviewer on here took a picture, that's what mine looked like too. :( Out of our whole party, the only correct drink was the can of Miller Light. Mixed drinks not made right, looked like wierd floating chunks of stuff floating in my drink turned out to be dried apples? And then dumped a big scoop of cinnamon on top of the ice?. Didn't taste any Mezcal in there. :( Taco was ok, but microwaved so it came out lukewarm at best. Service was confused and slow, but they were at least nice. read more

This was my first time visiting after so much hype from friends about how amazing it was so I was super excited to try it. We decided to get take out because we were going to a trivia at Braxton. I really wanted to eat in because the decor was really cool and the happy hour had great prices. I ordered over the phone and they said it would be 5-10 min, got there a little early and hoped to have a flavored margarita before picking up the food but there were no bartenders or servers on the floor. So that was disappointing, not a big deal though because I already wanted to come back because the place just looks so cool inside and very interesting menu. We ordered tacos, chips and guacamole and queso. Mostly everything tasted good. Everything was a bit greasy though, and too spicy for my friends. I tried the Nashville hot chicken taco, sounded interesting but the combo was not good for me. I was expecting gooey Mac and cheese and crispy hot chicken, it seemed as if the Mac and cheese was dry and it was made with penne pasta-weird, and the chicken was more salty than spicy. The streak taco was great though. I was so upset when we moved to the guacamole. There were 2 avocado pits in the small cup of guacamole....I could understand 1 pit, accidents happen but finding 2 in the small cup was a huge disappointment. Also huge chunks of onion which didn't make it any better. Maybe next time I'll just got for a happy hour drink.... read more

Agave & Rye - Covington - Found 2 avocado pits in the guacamole... - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Great venue. Large menu of taco specialties and amazing number of apps and sides. Corn fritters stellar as was the crispy Brussels sprout dish. Also had the mahi taco and elite. Drink menu looked like fun. Service was excellent and managers came to check on tables. Also constant cleaning for Covid. read more

Got the alderman (ancho grilled steak), queso, rooster(crispy chicken w/ Mac n cheese). The atmosphere is great and servers friendly. The food was lacking though. The meat had no seasoning & flavor. The meat was tough and make difficult to eat as a taco. The 2 layers of taco was good and the corn salad in to. Just could use some marinating. Wish them all the best since location is great & people are as well. read more

Agave & Rye was a great spot to have dinner before a concert at the Madison Theater. Clearly other people thought so too as the smallish space filled up quickly. Happy Hour specials - including $5 margaritas - end at 6:00. Agave & Rye's drink menu features a good variety of margaritas, a large selection of bourbon and tequila, and a nice selection of beer. Just before the end of Happy Hour, I ordered a house style prickly pear margarita on the rocks. It was very good, as was my friend's strawberry margarita. They weren't too sweet and had just a hint of tartness. Our friends had gotten there earlier and we worked our way through the chips and queso they had ordered. I wanted more. Since I was gorging on the chips, I only ordered one taco. The taco menu has a wide variety and I wanted to try most of them, but I settled on The All-Nighter - Duck Confit, Fried Rice, Shaved Green Onions, and Hoisin Sauce. It was delicious. I was very satisfied with my meal of one taco, one margarita and an indeterminate amount of chips and queso. I would gladly go again, even when there isn't a concert at the Madison Theater. read more

Wonderfully unique. Sat down during happy hour and ordered from their extensive bourbon list and got $2 chips and queso. I ordered The Swipe Right and added the bourbon bacon decried beans and it was so perfect in between the hard puffy taco and soft flour tortilla. The second I ordered was The Good Wolf and it was delicious, the pork carnitas paired with the pineapple salsa was to die for. I'll be back for sure. read more

Loved this place for a very long time! Expanded menu is blamed and boring. Had the good wolf and it was so packed full of minute rice it was flavorless- $7.00 for bag French fries w "truffle" oil, on the side- burnt chips and 4.50 for salsa. used to frequent this place, dropping $48.00 on lunch and leaving unsatisfied- no thanks! Won't be back! read more

This place has some of the best tacos you can find in the tri-state. Great, relaxed atmosphere. And they also have some great margaritas too. read more

First time we have tried the restaurant. Tacos were overflowing and stuffed full of delicious ingredients and options. Awesome margaritas! The bartender was very knowledgeable and friendly. Service, food, and drinks were great!!! We will be back! read more