I had my blog all planned out for today and Whammo! A fantastic new find that I have to tell you about sidetracked me! This is not really a new idea, but certainly it is the BEST incarnation of the idea that I have ever seen, and a local family, already in the restaurant business, owns it.

You should first know that I don’t really ‘do’ fast food. We do eat teriyaki and I think that’s about as close as we come to it. When I worked for the King County Sheriff’s department I occasionally had something from the taco del mar on 4th av in Seattle, but the last time I did that was over 6 years ago, and I don’t think I would like it now. This place’s first impression may seem like fast food; It. Is. Not.

So Mark and I stopped into the Puerto Vallarta restaurant in Port Orchard to have a late lunch (or early dinner) and get a couple dozen tortillas for the freezer, since our stash is low. Gregorio was our waiter and he said it was his second day of working there. (He is really great; ask for him when you go in!) It was hot out and I don’t enjoy the heat. I wanted something light and fresh and authentic (as opposed to the Americanized versions of Mexican food that, even though they are good, don’t always fit the bill) so I asked for something like grilled fish tacos, or ceviche. He said no, they don’t really have that there, but there is a new place that is open that does do those things, and does them well. He told us that the same family that owns the Puerto Vallarta restaurants has opened this new taco-bar style place that we really must try if we like that kind of food.

We decided to go right then! We shared an order of chicken taquitos, finished our beverages and headed over to the Blue Agave. The address is 4800 Jackson Av SE, which is the corner of Sedgwick and Jackson. This is southern Port Orchard and I realize that most of you aren’t near it, but it is worth the trip if you find yourself in the south end of the county.

This is technically a quick-serve restaurant: you walk in and peruse the menu, then order directly from the person who will prepare your food. You can personalize your order just like at a taco-del-mar only this food is WAY better! Everything is freshly prepared daily. You can get a customized burrito wrapped in your choice of tortilla if that is your pleasure. OR… and I do mean OR… you could get Pescado Dorado (Dorado is Mahi Mahi, in case you didn’t know) or Pork Carnitas, or Camarones (shrimp) al Gusto! Those are a few of the entrees… we got appetizers only and let me tell you, the portions are not shy.

Fresh ceviche of shrimp (after I ordered the chef told me that he makes ceviche of pulpo -octopus- every day! This was not on the menu! I AM GOING BACK FOR THAT SOON!!!) Piled high on a freshly fried tostada, and topped with fresh avocado. MMMMM! 1 fish taco and 1 shrimp taco, both on corn tortillas for me, on flour tortillas for Mark. Mark had them top it with their ‘coleslaw’ that is fantastic and the only thing I would have changed would have been some more spice to it. I could add hot sauce, but did not since I wanted to fully taste the foods this first trip. (By the way the shrimp were grilled and the fish was fried; backwards from what I thought it would be.)

Gregorio mentioned other dishes that I did not see on the menu so I think they are very flexible and if you want it, and they can make it, they will. That was too much food for both of us and it was under $10 apiece!!! Oh, and did I mention: THEY HAVE A FULL BAR! You can get un cerveza frio or choose a drink that uses one of their 50 tequilas! Yes, I said 50. (Thus the name, I suppose…) We did not partake and we will check that part of it out next time.

The staff is excited and friendly and very attentive. They brought our food to us, brought us water and asked what else we might like. They are having fun here and they are making great food! Oh and 3 of Kitsap County’s Finest were dining there when we arrived; in my experience cops know good food!

I can’t say enough good about the Blue Agave. We enjoy the P.O. site of Puerto Vallarta, we have also enjoyed the Los Cabos in downtown P.O. The Moctezuma’s in Gig Harbor is terrific and we have yet to try Los Cazadores in Bremerton, but it comes highly recommended. So we have some yummy Mexican food options in the area that I was happy with. And now we have Blue Agave and I am ecstatic! I wonder if they make a jalapeno margarita like Moctezuma’s? I will find out.

What is your favorite local Mexican restaurant? What parts of Mexico do you love? Have you been to the Mayan Riviera, south of Cancun? Talk to me!

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