The exterior of Agave Mexican Restaurant. Sherry Roberts photo.
There is ample seating and a banquet room. Sherry Roberts photo.
Booths are available, too. Sherry Roberts photo.
If you are ever tooling along Interstate 80 in eastern Iowa at lunch or dinner time and you enjoy authentic Mexican food, consider driving into the city of West Branch, birthplace of President Herbert Hoover, at mile marker 254. There you’ll find Agave Mexican Restaurant (agavemexicanrestaurantwb.com) at 321 E. Main St., just five minutes from the interstate. There is free parking right outside the door.
Agave is not fancy, but it’s comfortable and clean. More important, the food and service have been great both times we have eaten there. Since there are plenty of tables and booths, it’s unlikely you’ll have to wait for a seat.
Agave has an extensive menu. Most meals run $8 to $9 each and, in some cases, less. Steak dinners go for $11.99. There are also daily lunch specials. My wife and I generally opt for one of the roughly 20 combination dinners that sell for just $8.50 each. Most recently I ordered a combination that included one burrito, one enchilada, rice and refried beans. The place serves complimentary taco chips and salsa while you wait for your meal.
The restaurant has a banquet room for private parties and includes a bar with some big-screen TVs so you won’t miss your favorite football or baseball game. Happy hour is 3 to 7 daily. Restaurant hours are 11 to 9 Sunday through Thursday and 11 to 10 Friday and Saturday. The phone number is (319) 643-2090, and they take MasterCard and Visa.