The Dallas outpost of Mexican restaurant, Agave Azul, quietly opened last week at the corner of South Harwood and Wood. Restaurateur Zotico Reyes first opened the Mexican restaurant in downtown Carrollton in 2003, and a second location in Flower Mound (which closed in December of last year). “We were using the Flower Mound location as an incubator for chef [Sebastian Royo],” Reyes explained to me last Thursday when I stopped in.
Last year, Reyes poached Chef Sebastian Royo from his job as executive sous chef at La Esquina in New York City. Royo graduated from college with a marketing degree, but felt drawn to the culinary world. He moved to New York City and accepted a job as a dishwasher. After ten years, several jobs, and an appearance on Hell’s Kitchen, Royo is stepping into an executive chef role for the first time. “It’s all about fun food,” Royo explained of his playful menu, “I want to incorporate all of the senses. My menu is packed with traditional flavors, but also [has a] lively presentation.”
The restaurant is still undergoing a soft opening, and a full menu is not yet offered. Items available include shrimp churritos (savory churros) with house-made jalapeño tartar sauce; birria empanadas: empanadas stuffed with lamb soup, served with a side of crema, and salsa verde; and chicken with mole rojo, rice, and a fried egg. There’s also a burger. That’s right, a burger.
While the food menu is completely different from the restaurant’s sister location in Carrollton, the bar selection is the same. And that’s not a bad thing. Co-owner and beverage director, Samuel Carrera, has crafted a menu filled with exotic tequilas. The downtown location currently supplies 60 different tequilas (all of which are 100% agave), and they’re hoping to have more than 300 different options in a month or so.
The staff at Agave Azul is undergoing training, so all of the food on their limited menu is half-off this week. Their current hours are Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., they’ll soon offer lunch. Expect a grand opening during the second week of May.
