Mojave Restaurant

[stberg]

Hi all!  Like many of you, I've been peeking in on construction and asking around about this curiously cool looking place.  Yesterday I emailed the Agave restaurant in the West Village (www.agaveny.com) to confirm the rumor that they are coming in to that space (thank you Joey in Astoria http://astorianyc.blogspot.com/).  They wrote back today and said that it's true and they're opening tonight!  I've been to Agave and if it's any indication of how great this place will be (Mojave?) we are in for a real treat!

[braun]

They must have hired people to work there very quickly!  I can't wait to try this new restaurant.

[Ditmartian]

Cool, thanks for letting everyone know! If the Agave menu in the city is anything to go on, this could be a great to get reasonably-priced, well made SW food. FINALLY.

We might try it this weekend.

[daisy]

Oh man, I wish I was in town for this one!!  Anyone up to try this one next weekend?  So exciting!!

[C-J]

Hi all!  Like many of you, I've been peeking in on construction and asking around about this curiously cool looking place.  Yesterday I emailed the Agave restaurant in the West Village (www.agaveny.com) to confirm the rumor that they are coming in to that space (thank you Joey in Astoria http://astorianyc.blogspot.com/).  They wrote back today and said that it's true and they're opening tonight!  I've been to Agave and if it's any indication of how great this place will be (Mojave?) we are in for a real treat!

This just made my week!  Will have to check it out tonight or over the weekend!

[RayG]

$15 for a Mexican Shepard's pie? No thanks... I can get a real Irish one at Stove for $11

they may be pricing themselves a bit on the high side unless they're going to de-Manhattan-ize their menu.

[stberg]

...this could be a great to get reasonably-priced, well made SW food. FINALLY.

Yes-FINALLY!  Now if only that place across the way under the subway was a real Chinese restaurant!  Although, I heard a while ago it was "up scale Mexican" but that may actually have been Mojave they were hearing about.   Looks like Japanese, as if we need another one of those...

There must be someone we can write to and get what we want/need around here, and p.s. we don't need anymore banks or dentists!

[Ditmartian]

$15 for a Mexican Shepard's pie? No thanks... I can get a real Irish one at Stove for $11

Huh?

If 4 bucks difference for one item is a deal-breaker for you, I guess it won't matter to you what Mojave decides to charge.

[RayG]

that was a quick example based on their Manhattan Menu. And for some people, $4 just might BE a deal breaker.
For that location, an "upscale" SW/Mexican type of eatery seems a bit out of place.

[essen]

$15 for a Mexican Shepard's pie? No thanks... I can get a real Irish one at Stove for $11

Yeah... but that's a Mexican Shepard's pie.

[Harlan]

Walked past this evening, and it does look like about the same menu. But, surprisingly, there's no Queens Discount....  :-( Looks like an occasional extravagance, like Bistro 33 or 718, for most of us...

[jumpattack]

My official review:

Because we eat early like old folks, I think we may have been the first people to have dinner here. We had the butternut squash bisque, southwest caesar salad, garlicky potato frites, and shrimp tacos. The bisque, frites, and tacos were really yummy, and the salad was good. We had the molten chocolate cake for dessert, and it was a typically tasty molten chocolate cake. The service was a little slow, but they generally seemed to know what they were doing.

I am very happy with this addition to the neighborhood, and from the number of people who were there by the time we left, it looks like many others have been waiting for a place like this to open up around here. Yes, it's a little pricey, but I'm willing to pay for a great meal that I don't have to go to Manhattan for.

[C-J]

We just got back from dinner there.  The menu and prices are very similar to Agave (we are big fans of that place) but the food was still phenemonal.   Everything we had was really good.  The design is beautiful and the bar was packed.  Probably 65% of the tables were taken as well by the time we left.

Our only complaint was the service.  Our waitress didn't know the menu at all and left us for dead once the food hit the table.  Everyone was kind of running around lost which is to be expected for opening night so is forgiveable.  One of the owners stopped by and it sounds like they have a lot of plans for the back area including a garden.  

Overall this place is a welcomed addition to the neighbourhood once they get the kinks worked out.  For opening night though I was pleased - especially with the guacamole.   :mrgreen:

P.S. They already have their liquor license so I strongly suggest the blood orange vodka mojito!

[krocker]

I just walked past the restaurant on my way home and the place was packed.  And everyone getting off the subway was stopping in front of it to check it out.  So hopefully that's a good sign for lasting success.  Can't wait to check it out.

[lanseaux]

Just got back from there as well.  My other half had to leave early, but we had started chatting to the people at the table next to us and they asked me to join them -- so I had a right good time.   :mrgreen:

We only sampled a few of the apps (guacamole and chips, fried oysters, and calamari), but they were all delicious.  The oysters were a real stand-out.  I usually prefer my oysters raw, but these were done perfectly so that they were still, oh, oyster-y inside, with a light, crispy crust.  The blue tortilla chips with the guacamole were really first-rate.  The dips with the calamari were tasty and bit unusual (one was chipotle with a really nice smoky flavour and I think the other was lime), but the calamari themselves, while good, weren't anything unusual.

Our new friends got the soft salmon tacos and the short ribs.  Both were pronounced excellent, and the short ribs looked absolutely amazing - and smelled heavenly.  Definitely on my to-try list.

Our waiter was attentive and knowledgeable (and cute!), although he admitted that he was there only for the night - he's usually at Agave.  I got the impression from the moment I walked in that that was true for the majority of the staff.

A lot of the mixed drinks sounded great - and I'm not much of a mixed drink person, but I do have to recommend the delicious (and deadly, if pricey), special margarita made with agave nectar.  They've got a great tequila menu as well, including tequila flights.

I thought the liquor prices were on the high side for Astoria, and the app prices as well, but the entrees were generally between $20 and $25 -- not cheap, but not sky-high, either.  There were two shepherd's pies on the menu -- one was $14, and the other was $15.

Just saw krocker's post as I was about to post -- yes, by the time we were leaving around 9:45, it was PACKED.  Almost not a seat to be had, and I think they have 55 tables (tables, not seats) - we saw a list at a waiters' station.  They have at least 72 seats at two-tops along the sides that can be combined in numerous ways to seat larger parties, plus a number of larger tables in the middle, not including the bar area at the back.