Family Dinner at the Sol Agave in Mission Viejo

You guys…get ready for a flavor explosion that will knock you off your senses. You know me…I’m always in search of a new restaurant to try. It’s one of my things. After scrolling through Yelp, I landed on Sol Agave in Mission Viejo. Oh boy, oh boy…and it was good. If you’re a local or traveling to Southern California, this spot guarantees a taste of Mexican food culture. 

(Note: This is not a paid endorsement. I am just a foodie by nature and love sharing good eats with my friends.)

Even better, their new location is conveniently located at the Kaleidoscope marketplace off Crown Valley Parkway and the 5 Freeway, it sits between Riptide and Union Marketplace with an ambiance that is quite different than its neighbors.

We called around 4:15 on a Saturday night to make 5:30 reservations for our little family of 3. You can also make reservations on Yelp and Open Table directly. When we arrived, we were seated at a booth that had a panoramic view of the entire restaurant and bar. There were not a lot of people there at the time but it quickly filled up. Right away, the server greeted us and let us know they are having Happy Hour until 6:00 pm (it’s Saturday, people….that doesn’t happen too often). We ordered the fresh Ceviche fish and shrimp appetizer, the grilled pineapple margarita and Patron margarita. Jax just had water (boring, right?). We also had a nice presentation of chips, salsa, refried beans and cotija cheese. It was on point!

Then it was time to order. The server shared his favorite dishes in a way that made me feel like I just HAD to try it or I’d have FOMO. And so we did. Ryan ordered the Michoacán inspired carnitas dinner, which is an area dubbed as the birthplace of carnitas and a popular dish of the area in Mexico.

I ordered the Mar y Tierra, the filet mignon enchiladas with cheese and onions, topped in a creamy sherry wine sauce that I could drink by itself. It was topped off with two gigantic grilled Mexican shrimp, skewered and seasoned very  modestly. It was served with a side of Veracruz style white rice with yellow corn scattered throughout. It was a total party of flavors. Our son, just shared off our plate. He’s been a super light eater these days. (3 years olds, right?) He had both of our dishes and gobbled them up as well.

Mar y Tierra Enchiladas

Next, my husband had a Sol Agave Old Fashioned which was quite a production. They brought over a butane bottle for fire, a shaker, and a whiskey snifter. Moments later, a wood platter arrived, adorned with a large, perfectly shaped, square ice cube, orange peel, and a sprig of rosemary. Somewhere in there was nibs of chocolate. The server went to work. He fired up the orange peel and rosemary, then trapped it in the snifter glass until it produced smoke to fill the entire glass. He released it and had us both smell the glass which had the most lovely smokey smell of herbs, then added the liquor which oddly paired nicely with the smoke. It was truly a lovely experience. I had a sip (or two) and it was quite delicious. Not very strong at all.

Grilled pineapple and jalapeno margarita

Finally, stuffed with all the food and drink we could have, we had to have the warm butter cake, with surgery crust, topped with fresh vanilla ice cream, a dash of cinnamon, paired with chocolate abuelita sauce. It is not on the menu but they are considering adding it to the menu in the future. It compared closely, if not  better than  a Mastro’s Steakhouse warm butter cake. I can’t eat gluten but I had a tiny bite. I pretty much teared up, it was so good. Let’s just say, I miss cake!

Butter cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate abuelita drizzle

All and all, we had a lovely dinner and it was a delight to eat there. We will definitely be back and it’s so close to us. We felt we were on a little date night, even with our cute little toddler with us.

How to truly experience the Sol Agave right:

• Let them know you are celebrating something special to make your dining experience nice
• Kid friendly and kid menu available
• Great for date nights if you get your own private table in the back – maybe start at the bar
• Great for MNOs and GNOs (Moms’ Night Out & Girls’ Night Out)
• Go early – before 6:00
• Happy Hour until 6:00 pm – even on a weekend
• Say “yes” to the margaritas
• Chips, salsa, and refried beans served
• Yes, get the ceviche
• Try the Sol Agave Old Fashioned – it’s an experience
• Ask for the Warm Butter cake – it may not be on the menu, or it may. It’s worth every calorie.

Location

Mission Viejo – 27741 Crown Valley Prkwy, Mission Viejo, CA, 92691

www.solagave.com

Need more convincing? Check out their Yelp reviews and my review here.

History

• Chef Manny and Chef Valasco’s vision started in a 17 ft. Food Truck in 2014
• They dreamed of creating authentic Mexican food that has complex flavors, sourced organically, and good for the body
• Also located in SJC at 31111 Rancho Viejo Rd, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675.

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