{Disclaimer: Bob and I were guests at Agave & Rye’s Soft Opening. Our food was provided at no charge; no additional compensation or consideration was provided. All opinions are our own.

Bob and I were recently invited to attend the soft opening of Agave & Rye. We were immediately impressed by the fun decor. The tributes to Muhammad Ali were such a fun touch, a nod the local hero’s famous “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” line and a play on the regional restaurant chain’s bee mascot.

And, oh my, y’all. The food at Agave & Rye is so good. We started with the sweet corn fritters with Serrano aoli, which might be my new favorite food anywhere. These were amazing, with just the right balance between sweet, salty, and spicy. I absolutely adored them.

Agave & Rye Corn Fritters | Louisville KY Food Blog

We also went with an order of tortilla chips with all the sides. The queso, guac, and salsa were all fantastic, and the huge chips were great.

When our tacos arrived, we were in for a treat. Now, Agave & Rye bills their concept as the home of the Epic Taco, and they lived up to this claim in every sense. The tacos were huge — you could easily make a meal on one or two tacos alone — and filled with creative and fresh ingredients. I think my favorite was The Alderman, filled with carne asada steak, Mexican street corn salad, cojita cheese and arbol salsa. It was incredible.

After dinner, we made our way to the back of the restaurant, where a large area is filled with free-to-play vintage arcade games. I may have spent a while at the Pac-Man game, and can certainly see myself passing an afternoon with a margarita or two, an order of those corn fritters, and challenging my Pac-Man score! Agave & Rye is one of those rare spots that works as well on the drinks and entertainment front as on its menu.

We left Agave & Rye with smiles on our faces and a bag full of leftovers. It’s a great addition to the HIghlands food scene, and I can’t wait to go back! Thanks so much to Agave & Rye for hosting us!