First, let me say I love the food at Agave. LOVE it. I’ve posted several photos and glowing reviews on Facebook and have recommended it to all my family and friends. It’s great to have an authentic Mexican place with a nice atmosphere and food...that’s muy rico.
Today, however, the service and attitude of the manager on duty ruined my experience. Friends and I visited the restaurant at lunch, and planned ahead, ordering in advance so we’d have ample time to eat and get back to work by 1. I searched the online menu, and found that the fish tacos were on their “lunch” menu for $10. I’m watching my pennies a bit, and this seemed like a great deal, so I chose those.
Our food was ready when we arrived, and was delicious, as usual. When it came time to pay, my bill said I owed $15. Not an exorbitant amount, but a 50% markup from what was promised. When I asked about the discrepancy, the server said, “Oh, no - it’s $15 on the menu. I’ll have to let my manager know”. I asked if I was expected to pay the higher price, and showed her the online menu. She got her manager, who stomped over, clearly annoyed, and told me this must have been an old menu, or the “express menu” price. Again, I showed her the current website, THEIR website, that clearly displayed the LUNCH menu (not express), with the $10 price. I explained (quite patiently, I thought) that I would have ordered something different if that hadn’t been the price. She got even huffier, waved her arms in the air and said “Just give her $3 off” as she turned to leave, visibly angry.
Because we were in a hurry, and because I didn’t want to subject my friends to any more negative energy, I paid the (still higher than advertised) $12 bill. I apologized (because I’m Canadian) to the server, explaining that I knew it wasn’t her fault, and that I thought her manager was rather rude. She still seemed mildly annoyed with me too.
In a nutshell, I think Agave should have honoured their advertised price. I know that $5 is not a huge amount, but it is a big difference in price, and I would have chosen differently had I known the actual cost. I have always enjoyed Agave, but now I find myself questioning whether I will ever return, or continue to recommend them. In the service industry, a little accountability, respect and politeness goes a long way.More