Agave Grill

Chilaquiles with chicken at Agave Grill

“Ladies’ Night” was declared and not kid basketball practices nor the threat of snow could stop us.

Especially when margaritas are on the line.

So off the ladies went in a giant Suburban to Agave Grill at Bridgeport in Tigard, OR.

The threat of snow was enough to deter other patrons…we had the place pretty much to ourselves.

The meal started out well with lively conversation served along side fresh (but definitely mild) salsa and seasoned tortilla chips.

Later I did notice that you can up the heat with Roasted Serrano or Habanero salsa. That would make Brian a happy hombre.

Agave Grill's Signature Margarita

The ladies also added some fresh guacamole to the table. It was very simple so the creamy goodness of the avocados really stood out. I’m betting they added just a splash of their lime-infused olive oil as well. Yum.

The guacamole’s one and only drawback was the presentation. It was served with chips underneath the guacamole. By the time I got my turn, the chips were mush.

Luckily I had my basket of dry chips for the salsa ready to do the job of lifting guacamole. Phew.

Despite our claim to be going out for margaritas, many of us started out with a Strawberry Mojito.  Not much flavor and a lot of ice.

We all moved on to the Signature Margarita next which was muy bien (very good). More citrus than sweet which I prefer and really enjoyed .

The dinner menu had many tempting options, but I had to look no further than Chilaquiles, a “Mexican Casserole” made of tortillas and oven roasted vegetables covered in a rich tomato-pumpkin seed sauce and topped with cotija cheese.

The Chilaquiles were not at all what I expected. The sauce had almost a Tex-Mex barbecue flavor. Very interesting. I would recommend they lose the zucchini in the recipe. The zucchini pieces were crunchy and the wrong texture for the meal.

Ensalada Caprese at Agave Grill

The highlight of my meal was actually the refried beans and “green” rice. Both had serious zip and could stand alone. I think that lime-infused olive oil is at work again. A simple fajita-style meat with those would be yu-um.

The great thing about a ladies’ night is that there are many other dishes on the table and friends willing to share.

One friend’s heaping plate of chili shrimp for her fajitas was the star of the night. The seasoning on the shrimp was perfection. It’s actually a shame to wrap them up in anything that would dilute the flavor.

So, will I go back?

Absolutely.

After all, I need my own plate of chili shrimp!

I also want to try the “savory pork in salsa verde” to see if it can compete with my favorite dish at El Burro Loco.