Salsa & Agave Mexican Grill - Vancouver, BC

Another beautiful September day in Vancouver!  We are SO LUCKY to be living here in such great weather.  Mr. Piglet and I decide to bike from Richmond to Vancouver (I know, stupid right?) and by the time we make it over the Cambie Street Bridge, I'm done.  I'm so done I'm overdone.  If I don't get food in the next 5 minutes, I'm going to pass out.  As Salsa & Agave Mexican Grill is located right on Pacific Blvd, it's just a few meters away and perfect for my whining starvation.  Lead me to Mexican food!

I heard about this place from a coworker of mine who swore it was the best place for Mexican.  As we approach, I notice that it's quite busy even for a later afternoon after the lunch time rush.  That's a good sign.  We somehow wrangle a table outside after a few minutes and order to our heart's content...

Complimentary Chips and Salsa

The chips are from a package - you can tell from the oily sheen and the sheer amount of salt on them.  I don't mind but there's something to be said about homemade tortilla chips but I also understand that making them from scratch is also very labour intensive and to give it away for free would be nuts.  The salsa tastes homemade - very tomato-y and on the runnier side but it tastes good with the over-salty chips.  To be honest, we're just happy to get anything complimentary these days!

Jarritos Lime-flavored Soda - $2.25

A very sweet pop that's perhaps more sweet that lime-flavored but it still goes well with the food and is a lot better than your run-of-the-mill carbonated drinks.

Horchata - $2

Sorry for the terrible photo!  My camera and I were at odds for several moments then...  Anyways, it's a white cinnamon-flavored rice drink that's really good for putting out those fires when one has eaten too many chilis or too much hot sauce.  It's a lot smoother than other horchatas we've had before and no sludge at the bottom!  YAY!

Tacos - 4 for $9

Carne Asada - grilled beef

It's as the description says - grilled beef.  Good but nothing special.  What I will give this taco, and all of the other ones as well, is that the shells are really tasty.  Soft and full of corn (masa) flavour - WAY better than your typical boring flour tortillas.  

Pastor - pork in a red spicy sauce with pineapple

You can really taste the pineapple in this!  It reminds me of that sweet and sour pork you can get at those faux Chinese places but much much better than that.  It tastes good and the pork is very tender and moist but Mr. Piglet agrees that this is not at all spicy.

Chorizo - Mexican sausage

The best of the bunch with tons of flavor and it could easily hold its own without the condiments.  The Piglets would totally order this one again (and 5 more of them).  Just a beautiful balance of sweet, salty, umami and spices.  Yum...  

Lengua - beef tongue

The tongue is tender and quite good but we've had better at other taco joints.  It really needs the onions, sauce and cilantro to really round it out.

 

 Carnitas Torta with Cheese - $6 + $1

Soft pork Mexican sub with beans, onions, mayonnaise, tomato, avocado and jalapeno pepper

I hate it when basic things like cheese are extra.  Anyways...  The bread is wonderful - light, crispy on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside.  I can taste the lettuce, avocados, tomatoes and beans but it's the pork that's completely overwhelmed by everything else.  There's a nice layer of it in the torta and the texture is wonderful but it needed something - a spicy or savoury sauce to take it that next level.  This is a carnita torta, not a lettuce/tomato/bean torta, so the pork has got to sing but it's sadly muted here.  The jalapenos on the side are an awesome addition - not too spicy with a nice hit of salt, sour and crunch.  If you can handle a bit of heat, add them in if you can.  Overall, this was an okay torta.  

 

Poblano Burrito - $9

Roast chicken, rice and beans with mole sauce

The mole sauce is good, with a lot of complex flavors, but this burrito is missing something - after several bites it seems like we've been eating it forever.  It needs a good spicy sauce or something on the side, anything on the side would have been nice as the burrito was served alone.  Most of the other burritos are served with avocado sauce and pico de gallo but for whatever reason, the Poblano doesn't get the sauces.  Also, there's a lot of dough folded within it as well so it was quite filling but also a bit boring in the end.  

Overall, the food at Salsa & Agave is not bad and the tacos were quite tasty.  We wouldn't object to coming back but we'd definitely have to try the other dishes - maybe the shrimp burrito or the very tempting (but kinda scary) Menudo (tripe soup!).  If you prefer the more subtle flavours, then we would recommend Salsa & Agave to you.  If you prefer the heat and spice, then maybe be a bit more choosy with your order if you do end up here.  Bon appetite!

Pros

• Cheap to moderate prices
• Great location
• Friendly service

Cons

• Service is slow
• Flavours on the more basic/plain side
• Bathrooms are located in the building next door, key required from the staff to use the facilities