Really loved this place. They’re serving up genuine Oaxacan-style Mexican food and you can tell a lot of care goes into it. One of the coolest parts is that you can watch them making the food fresh right in front of you, which always makes it feel more authentic. The platters are fantastic and full of flavor. What sets it apart are the traditional spices they’re using—some of the flavors are things you don’t usually run into at most Mexican restaurants around here. It gives the whole meal a unique twist and makes the experience feel a little special. If you’re someone who likes exploring different regional styles of Mexican cooking, this is a great spot to try. Definitely a place that stands out from the usual options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Darryl West
great food and service. my new downtown oakland fav!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tc Everett
I visited Agave Uptown for a late lunch and was impressed with the tacos [1-shrimp, 1- salmon]. Both the guacamole and cocktails were excellent. Staff was attentive and professional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kathy
This amazing restaurant never fails to deliver delicious, interesting food and drinks with gracious and friendly service. The attention to detail is reflected in the bright, unique flavors of the dishes and the presentation of everything from drinks to the warm tortillas in beautifully embroidered cloths.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zavdi Aniela Zuliani
Isaac was spectacular! Superb attention to detail ☺️ Excellent food, good drink. Quite pleased :)
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nick Angelos
It's a beautiful place in downtown Oakland. Authentic Mexican food with flair and excellent flavor. Great for big or small groups. Must go for Mexican food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marcos Soares
Great customer service, food and drinks are tasty, open bar, great date spot and not too expensive, and in a good spot in Oakland. Definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
BreaksConsensus
Agave Uptown is a standout Mexican restaurant on a corner in Oakland. The food was incredible—rich in flavor, beautifully presented, and clearly made with care. Service was excellent: the staff was friendly, attentive, and welcoming. The cocktails were solid and complemented the overall experience nicely. Great atmosphere, great hospitality—highly recommended.
Update (February 2026): Came back for the seafood fajitas—disappointing. Big plate with lots of veggies and enough seafood, but the salmon came with skin on (we had to remove it). Worst part: only three small corn tortillas for a massive fajita platter—felt stingy and out of balance. This visit alone would’ve stopped us from returning. Biggest issue here: inconsistency.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
jonathan wishnev
Such a good restaurant. The service is great, the food is delicious and the salsas are top notch. Whenever I am in downtown Oakland I like to stop by and eat here. They also have a solid Happy hour.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oscar Santos
The drinks were good, but unfortunately my albóndigas soup was missed and I had to wait an additional 15 minutes for it. On top of that, my friend asked for extra onions, which arrived about 20 minutes later, after he had already finished eating. Given the extended wait and the missed item, I was expecting at least some chips while waiting or for an item to be comped.
The staff were incredibly professional and swift with an unruly, loud man in the restaurant. They stood outside making sure the man was well on his way out of sight.
Frank Cisneros
Good happy hour
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Anna Kim
Great happy hour deal! Best chicken tacos I have had in recent memory. Guac is also fire.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Denise Dang
So glad we called because the hours on Google for Sundays were wrong. They were definitely open at 1pm Sunday. Our family shared the mixed ceviche and half dozen molotes on the recommendation of the server. Both were superb! My 2 fish tacos were delicious and the rice and beans were perfectly seasoned. The enchiladas were delicious as was the coloradito chicken plate. They had Christmas drink specials, so we'll have to come back to try that sometime!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Judi
Service is absolutely top-notch. Everyone loved their food let me. That's why I gave it four stars.
Really loved this place. They’re serving up genuine Oaxacan-style Mexican food and you can tell a lot of care goes into it. One of the coolest parts is that you can watch them making the food fresh right in front of you, which always makes it feel more authentic. The platters are fantastic and full of flavor. What sets it apart are the traditional spices they’re using—some of the flavors are things you don’t usually run into at most Mexican restaurants around here. It gives the whole meal a unique twist and makes the experience feel a little special. If you’re someone who likes exploring different regional styles of Mexican cooking, this is a great spot to try. Definitely a place that stands out from the usual options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
great food and service. my new downtown oakland fav!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I visited Agave Uptown for a late lunch and was impressed with the tacos [1-shrimp, 1- salmon]. Both the guacamole and cocktails were excellent. Staff was attentive and professional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This amazing restaurant never fails to deliver delicious, interesting food and drinks with gracious and friendly service. The attention to detail is reflected in the bright, unique flavors of the dishes and the presentation of everything from drinks to the warm tortillas in beautifully embroidered cloths.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Isaac was spectacular! Superb attention to detail ☺️
Excellent food, good drink. Quite pleased :)
Food: 5
Service: 5
It's a beautiful place in downtown Oakland. Authentic Mexican food with flair and excellent flavor. Great for big or small groups. Must go for Mexican food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great customer service, food and drinks are tasty, open bar, great date spot and not too expensive, and in a good spot in Oakland. Definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Agave Uptown is a standout Mexican restaurant on a corner in Oakland. The food was incredible—rich in flavor, beautifully presented, and clearly made with care. Service was excellent: the staff was friendly, attentive, and welcoming. The cocktails were solid and complemented the overall experience nicely. Great atmosphere, great hospitality—highly recommended.
Update (February 2026): Came back for the seafood fajitas—disappointing. Big plate with lots of veggies and enough seafood, but the salmon came with skin on (we had to remove it). Worst part: only three small corn tortillas for a massive fajita platter—felt stingy and out of balance. This visit alone would’ve stopped us from returning. Biggest issue here: inconsistency.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Such a good restaurant. The service is great, the food is delicious and the salsas are top notch. Whenever I am in downtown Oakland I like to stop by and eat here. They also have a solid Happy hour.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The drinks were good, but unfortunately my albóndigas soup was missed and I had to wait an additional 15 minutes for it. On top of that, my friend asked for extra onions, which arrived about 20 minutes later, after he had already finished eating. Given the extended wait and the missed item, I was expecting at least some chips while waiting or for an item to be comped.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
The staff were incredibly professional and swift with an unruly, loud man in the restaurant. They stood outside making sure the man was well on his way out of sight.
Good happy hour
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Great happy hour deal! Best chicken tacos I have had in recent memory. Guac is also fire.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So glad we called because the hours on Google for Sundays were wrong. They were definitely open at 1pm Sunday. Our family shared the mixed ceviche and half dozen molotes on the recommendation of the server. Both were superb! My 2 fish tacos were delicious and the rice and beans were perfectly seasoned. The enchiladas were delicious as was the coloradito chicken plate. They had Christmas drink specials, so we'll have to come back to try that sometime!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service is absolutely top-notch. Everyone loved their food let me. That's why I gave it four stars.
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