Agave

[Luckylies]

Has anybody been to Agave? it's in the West Village on 7th ave south- Anyway I went there yesterday evening with a friend to grab a snack and a margarita. I had been there before, but only for drinks. It seemed like a place with ditzy staff generally, but I figured since it was not busy (read : two other customers) they should have no problem accomidating us. Turns out the two other patrons were my dental hygenist and a friend of hers! neato, I like my hygenist, very nice lady. Anyway my friend and I opted to sit at a table next to them in the glassed in sidewalk portion of the restaurant. the view was nice for people watching but it was a bit chilly as there were not many people to warm up the room.

My friend and I ordered the queso fundito and the guacamole (each about 12 bucks) I had to have the queso warmed up a bit because it was not entirely melted, even thought it was served in a little fondue pot over a candle. Cute, and once it was warm- tasty. It was served with some chips and one tortilla. One? a little skimpy, but I figured if I ate the whole thing I could just ask for another one. The guacamole was wonderful and big fist sized portion served in a fried tortilla cup. The avocado was perfectly ripe and well seasoned, it was really good guacamole sereved with a big heap of blue corn chips. The margaritas were okay. I say this because I asked for them "not too sweet" and the waitress gave me a confused look and refered to the bartender by saying "she makes them the same way every time" duh, that's why I stated a preference. anyhow she was a bit of a ditz but nothing especially noteworthy.

So anyhow, as we are snacking and eating some of the staff are entering for the dinner shift, they keep coming in and out of the side door of the patio for cigarettes, this of course lets cold air into the already chilly area (couldn't they go out the front? the only four patrons were sitting directly next to the door) I thought it was rude and thoughtless but whatever, not the biggest deal in the world. Here is the story of what made Agave, the worst:

After chatting for a while back and forth between the tables, my Hygenist friend and her friend get the check and leave. The manager and a busboy begin to clear the table and I hear the manager make some sort of disparaging remark and then say "what trash, the quality of our clientle has really declined, those people were really disgusting" while raking up a fuss and rolling his eyes. my jaw dropped, so did my friends. We were both three feet away from him and heard him clear as day. I could not believe my ears. What was this man talking about? he was clearly talking about my friend and her friend (customers) right in front of me (a person) and a (customer). What the fuck? I must of been misinterpreting I thought, so I gave it a moment to set in, one look at my friends face suggested, nope, this dude just insulted your friends- bigtime. I had the waitress call the manager over (yep, the schmuck was in fact the manger) and I asked him what business he had insulting customers infront of other customers. I also made it clear that we were friend of the people he had just put down. His first response was "who? those people who put gum on the table?". He still had tons of attitude and was rolling his eyes. Listen, I hate the idea that my friends may or may not have put gum on the table, but who knows? They really do not seem like the type of people who would do something like that, but you really never know.

Anyway, what they may or may not have done was far beside the point, he had insulted me and my friends without any allusion that he meant to do otherwise. After explaining to the the manager how upset and angry I was that he insulted me and my friends he gave me a weak pretend apology and walked off. Still I couldn't believe what had just occured. I had been insulted and dismissed. My appetite was gone, as was my friends. We asked for the check and not a single drink was comped, nothing. No way of apology, nothing. 60 dollars for two drinks, two half eaten appetizers and plenty of insult. I will never go back. What kind of establishment allows such a crass, disgusting person serve as their liason to the public? My feelings are still hurt, and my worldview altered.

[WolfChef]

Now you know why it only had 2 occupied tables. As for the gum, there are far worse things a customer can do. And just how much does a margarita cost there? $15

[Luckylies]

I think the margaritas were about 12 bucks (even though they have an advertised happy hour where the drinks are 1/2 price) I sub'd my choice in tequilla for something that cost the same on the menu so who knows why I was charged full price...also, the waitress did not mention that they had half price drinks at all The place has a nice selection of tequillas and if the maragaritas were good, could justify the price... they weren't, they couldn't.

[Jinmyo]

Egad.

That's simply terrible.

[adegiulio]

        Anyway, what they may or may not have done was far beside the point,

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Lucky, I've read your stuff here on eG enough to know that I usually agree whole-heartedly with what you say. I know I am going to get flamed for this, but I don't think what they (your friends) did is "beside the point". If they did in fact stick gum on the table, they deserve the non-present insults sent their way. How rude, disgusting, and inconsiderate is it to stick gum to a table? I'm sure she wouldnt think of doing it at home, so why in public? Actions like that make my blood boil. When people have so little courtesy as to not even put the gum in a wrapper, piece of paper, or even a little piece of tortilla, I have no patience for that. I agree that as professionals, they shouldn't be discussing their feelings in front of other guests, however any ill feelings toward your friend (if they were in fact the guilty party) I feel are justified.

If they (your friends) didn't do it, then the guy is just a jerk. Either way, it does sound like they have an attitude problem there, but so do half the people in the restaurant biz.

[Luckylies]

here's the thing- I'm not sure they did anything... I also suspect they did not. Again who knows? What I do know is if they did stick gum to the table or whatever, it is gross and certainly deserves contempt. Yet, I said it was besides the point because the manager showed contempt towards me, and had there been anybody else in the establishment they too would have been also put down. He made a comment about the quality of the customers as a whole, siting my friend as an example.

I did not mention it before, but the manager was also quite rude while collecting their check (he treated them as if it was beneath him to collect their bill - while they had tried in vain for a few minutes to get the attention of the waitress) he said something alsong the lines of " ah, yes, I suppose I can take care of that for you" while again making a face as he turned around (I could see, they could not)

The percieved attitude of the people in the restaurant biz is brought down by people like this, but in no way indicated by him. There are assholes everywhere, why they choose to get involved in a service industry is beyond me.

[Lreda]

While I certainly do not condone the actions of the manager and to tell you the truth, if I found a customer to complain about a big mouth manager talking about customers in FOH, they'd be gone toot sweet. However.......... Gum on the table cause they're buzzed, feminine products flushed down the toilet with two disposals within arm's reach and 4 signs begging not to flush down the toilet, blah, blah, blah. These are things I have to deal with everyday. I'm a gardener, plumber, electrician and Mr Fix-It. It sucks to do extra work when people could be considerate. There's two sides to every story and if your service and food weren't great I'm sure you're friend's food wasn't sparking either. You can't get free cocktails because you heard the staff cracking on your hygenist. You did the best thing, you voiced your experience. Chances are most of us won't go.

[Luckylies]

You can't get free cocktails because you heard the staff cracking on your hygenist. You did the best thing, you voiced your experience. Chances are most of us won't go.

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When I complained to the manager I wasn't looking for free drinks, I was looking for an apology. From one person to another. Not from a manager to a customer (I didn't even know he was the manager until I asked the waitress later ) I wanted him to voice the fact that he knew what he had said hurt my feeling and he was sorry. When this person failed to apologise personally (rolling eyes etc.) I figured perhaps he would later muster up some managerial skill and try to make right by the restaurant. Sometimes in life it is hard to say "sorry, I acted like a dick" especially if you feel like what you said or did was justified. This was no normal life though, it was also a business transaction. I lost money and time on this transaction for food that was not eaten, time that was wasted, and feelings that were hurt. If the manager could not eek out a personal apology, an apology from the restaurant, in the form of free drinks or food or whatever would have at least shown an awareness that this was a business transaction that went terribly wrong. Nobody is suggesting that this man is the restaurants brain trust, but c'mon, it's standard practice to comp drinks or food when customers are upset with an aspect of their meal.

[Liz B-F]

I agree that as professionals, they shouldn't be discussing their feelings in front of other guests, however any ill feelings toward your friend (if they were in fact the guilty party) I feel are justified.

The two things that strike me about this story--and the reason I won't try eating at Agave now--are the fact that a manager was saying anything at all about the "quality of clientele" in front of customers who were having a meal, and the way both the waitress and manager handled customer complaints and requests. Eye-rolling? $12 margaritas that are made the "same way every time"? (Fine for a $6 margarita, but $12 drinks should have rare mezcal in them or be home-infused with rosemary...getting off topic here, though.)

If your friends did indeed put gum on the table, it would've been understandable if the staff had been frosty to them. But he said that the quality of the clientele had gone downhill in front of other customers--customers who definitely didn't put gum on the table! And then a half-hearted apology?

At Agave's price level, part of the deal should be good, accomodating service. I can understand a manager having a crappy day and being upset by customers leaving gum on the table, if they did so, but he should've gone back into manager mode after his slip and tried to make up for the mistake of spilling out over the sides in front of other customers. Either a full-fledged apology should have been offered or a drink comped, probably both.

I will stick with Suenos.