Agozar

I had a party of 22 for the weekend, and every single restaurant I called was hesitant about accommodating our party. They were throwing out ridiculous prices for pre-fix menus and $75 per person. The real problem was, the group of people we had didn't know each other very well, so we needed a fun atmosphere that allowed us to be rambunctious, move around, and have some good, moderately priced food. Agozar was amazing from the minute the hostess answered the phone. The manager was cordial and followed through on prompt call-backs. They even checked up with me the day before our reservation to make sure there weren't any changes to the party. The wait staff then took all 22 INDIVIDUAL drink, appetizer, and main course orders. And then, when serving the meals, they didn't have to ask us who ordered what... they remembered us! The food was INCREDIBLE (the pulled pork dish was a group favorite, as was the calamari), and the plaintains and guacamole really made for great conversation. This is such a good ice breaker, and the environment really suited the big group. Bravo, Agozar... and thanks for putting up with us!

Pros: Food, tapas options, hostess and reservations, atmosphere

Posted 10/17/09

Decided to try this place after reading about it on the Blue Man Group website. We were really happy we did. Great food, great prices & the staff was lots of fun!

Definitely recommend Agozar!

Pros: Amazing food, friendly staff

Posted 09/30/09

This is a great place to be at.
the service is perfect and the food is delicious. I always have a great time with my friends over there. Everyone is friendly & cool.
If you wanna have some fun, go there on friday after work, you won't regret it!! and the people who go to this bar are cool & decent

Besides all that, the owner is hot and his friends even hotter!!

Pros: the best mojitos...

Posted 09/26/09

Definitely a nice spot to attend on the weekend. I don't do the happy hour and haven't tried much of the food. What i did have was tasty. But the bar service is always excellent and I find the mojitos to be some of the best in the city for the money. When you go outside you can see some other spots in the area with all their button down shirt, hard bottom shoed, i'm not from here douchery in full force. Fortunately you will not experience that at Agozar. Its a chill atmosphere. You can wear hats and sneakers. You can drink outside when its warm enough as well. Saturdays they usually have a good DJ. I love this place and always go back for more. I see some bad reviews on here but they are pretty old. I had a blast last weekend. Do you and your friends a favor and check it out. If Ron is bartending you can't go wrong.

Pros: Sick Mojitos cool bartenders

Posted 09/23/09

Considering it was our first time there, the Welcome was not warm. Dissapointment set in from the time we met the host who greeted us with a (Huh?) when we asked if the ask if the Airconditiong was on. The subpar experience contiued when the waiter first approached the table. No introduction, no run down on of the menu, no personality period. When we mentioned that it was our first time there he said "thats nice". Ummm. Food was ok, I have had better Cuban. Apps were small and odd numbered portions. Entrees were better, vaca fita was pretty good. Chocalate cake alamode was pretty in presentaion but dry as new sponge. Over all a dissapointment for spending $200 for 4 people. If your just looking for a place with cheap happy hours drinks, mediocre service and so so atmosphere, then go there, it is the place for you. However if you value your money, time and wish to be happy with your service, meal and drinks, look elsewhere. You'll be glad you did. This is NYC you can get a drink and some eats anywhere but if youre not pleased when you leave you'll be asking your self, "was it really worth it?

Pros: Appetizers were small yet decent, Vaca Frita was Good

Cons: Wait Staff & Host Mediocre at Best, Restrooms Filthy

Posted 07/28/09

A friend and I went for a girls night out. When we arrived the kitchen was about to close but we were able to order. The waitress gave a bit of an attitude. The food was excellent, very good in favor and portion. I had the paella, great highly recommend. Since we arrived with twenty minutes to midnight we asked about the special at the bar. The bartender did the right thing and gave us 2 for 1 on drinks which were very good (sangria). At the end of the night when the bill came it was very fair and reasonable

Pros: the food was excellent

Cons: services need improvement

Posted 07/25/09

Mojito sucks,drink smelled like raw pork,sweet plaintains is merely fried banans,not event sweet,shrimps w garlic sauce is mini tiny shrimps. No go for food.

Posted 03/02/09

I planned a Happy Hour get-together for 10 of my friends/co-workers at Agozar this past Friday. Because Agozar is such a small place (per their website pictures), I made the reservations a week in advance and there were no problems. They even confirmed the night before. This was our first time there and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. It was conveniently located from the "6" train so no one got lost. The service was excellent and very attentive. We took advantage of the 2 for one Happy Hour drinks and tapas. There was a nice crowd, it was clean, the music was good and not so loud that we had to scream to hear each other talk and the drinks definitely weren't weak like in many other bars/lounges in NYC. A great time was had by everyone... I definitely recommend this place for a fun Happy Hour!

Pros: Great appetizers and drink selection

Cons: The place is kinda small so if you're a big group, you should make reservations.

Posted 02/02/09

My three friends and I stopped in to get some drinks and tapas--everyone there, from the staff, the "regulars" and the other people there were so friendly. The drinks were wonderful and the service was exceptional. I would love to go back. THere was a great special--2 drinks for the price of 1, and we were there on a Saturday night at 11! They even gave us the same deal for the tapas. The only thing is that the place is a bit small/cramped.

Pros: friendly people, great drinks

Cons: small place

Posted 12/27/08

I work closely to Agozar, so I stop by every 2 weeks or so for the Happy Hour and usually I stay a bit later because I get nestled in with my friends and we always have a good time there. I have been coming here for about 2 years and I have to say the service was poor a few months ago, but I came back because of the value and because it was one of our top hang out spots. I have to say the managers have gotten rid of the horrible service. Jorge has always been a sweetheart and they just hired the first girl I've seen in a while. She was our waitress last night and she did a great job. I sat in the dining room and the place was swamped, but I was never thirsty and our tapas were not only delicious, but they cleared the plates as soon as we finished each to make room for more. Janet was taking care of 2 huge parties and she constantly checked on us and glanced over. I've always liked the food and the atmosphere. The service took a slump for a while, but they took care of that problem. Everything came out quickly and we were given service with a genuine smile. GREAT PLACE DURING A RECESSION! This place has turned itself around :) 2 thumbs up for sure...

Pros: Great Food, Upbeat Bar, Exceptional Service

Cons: Small Restaurant (it is NY)

Posted 12/12/08

We had an so-so exp here...while we have come here for years and I now have to agree with other reviewers , the service is unacceptable , we have been loyal to this team that brought a great happy hour to the bowery.
Unfortunately they have just lost another 8+ customers. Along with the slow service that has become an every night thing here, we celebrated my birthday there last week in the evening, We were so upset at the $$$ we spent here and the slow "unfriendly" service we received. The food was so so ...drinks were way watered down and extremely slow during happy hour,at trying to get your "buy one get one" Sadly this place has gone "down the tubes" If you have not done you research and must go here to meet people I can only recommend the chorizo, its probably the their tastiest dish I guess, but by far the greasiest I have ever had. Don't bother with the happy hour...its stinks

Pros: none anymore

Cons: too many, slow,rude, not worth the $$

Posted 10/11/08

This place has it all. Great food, ambience, and service. The mojitos are the best anywhere and there is a happy hour everyday.

Pros: Great food, ambience, service

Posted 10/02/08

this place is the place to be, if you are in the mood for quality cuban food then this is the place to be, in addition they have great service, i have been there 3 times and intend on going again, they usually have a dj on the weekends, and are always playing todays hip music, i recomend anyone to give this place a try, you wont regret it, youll walk out with a smile,

Posted 10/01/08

Some friends and I went on Saturday night and had a fantastic time. Our mojitos were awesome...they definitely have a selection. The waiter was polite and friendly and knew all the right things to recommend. We especially loved the stuffed tomato with chorizo & raisins, yum. Everything just melts in your mouth. All the tapas were really nice and the best part is, the prices...definitely helps with a big group. We'll definitely be back. I highly recommend it.

Pros: bartenders..;-)

Posted 10/01/08

The place is really cute but the food was not great by a long shot. The owners are not friendly at all . We approached the woman (owner) because our meat too rare and our waiter was no where to be found(we ordered it well). It was returned to us CHARRED and with a bad attitude!! We were horrified and vowed never to come by here again. I have never ever left this kind of review for any NYC resteraunt but I was so upset by the service I had to. Not for nothing though we paid a large amount of money for food that was burnt and nothing was really tasty at all. Actually the empanadas WERE a bit dry if you don't use the VERY SMALL amount of sauce they give you, and don't dare ask for more ( we learned that as well ,during our dinner) UGHH we were just totally upset leaving there,it put a damper on our whole night. All that money and we left so hungry AND thirsty!! The drinks were not the best.

Pros: ??????????

Cons: rude, small portions, not tasty

Posted 09/15/08

I was so excited to eat at this spot...I invited 6 other people to say farewell to a friend the other night. The atmosphere was good, the food and drinks, not so good. The frozen drinks from everyones opinion was watered down & very icy, which made any flavoring they added tasted bitter. The mojitos were really too sweet and very weak. The only drink with a kick was the sangria Which i see from regular drinker's isn't great either . The appetizers - we ordered the tapas plater for $25.00, the menu boasts of many selections, when it came it was only 1 piece each of grilled pork, chicken & shrimp, a bit of smashed beans, some plantain chips and 2 SMALL pieces of churizo -- that's it for 25 dollars? The pieces were so tiny it was unreal! Where was the rest of the food? The entrees - most of us ordered the paella which wasn't very tasty and it wasn't enough! It seemed as if I ordered from the kid's menu, but there wasn't one! Most latin restaurants feed you a good sized portion of food -- what went wrong Agozar? Many five star resteraunts can get away with really tasty food in small portions leaving you satisfied and not stuffed, but Agozar is not THAT resteraunt and the food is fatty so you can't enjoy all of it ..you definatly leave hungry and mad. Stop skimping on the food! Our bill was over $400 and we all left this place hungry! We were disappointed.

Pros: nice atmosphere

Cons: small, untasty portions, really weak drinks

Posted 09/09/08

I recently took a date here for what I was hoping to be a romantic evening. I was completely blown away at how perfect Agozar met my expectations that evening. We started off in the dining area where we were treated to delicious traditional 'tapas' such as empanadas, mini cuban sandwiches, and calamari with an interesting honey dipping sauce. I then moved on to a nice sized portion of a traditional cuban classic, Pernil, which stimulated my tastebuds. The food alone gave me a great sense of satisfaction, when my date suggested some drinks at the bar as there was a DJ playing festive Spanish music. As we moved to the bar, the staff was gracious in assisting our move. We weren't hurried from the table or rushed out of the restaurant which is a huge pet peeve of mine. The bar staff was superb. Alex and Rod (I think) were so attentive and friendly that I felt as if they had known me for a long time, although this was my first encounter. My date and I sipped flavored mojitos and danced (or attempted to anyways) for several hours before making our way home. The fact that Agozar provided a complete evening of enjoyment is the reason I had to spread the word. I left full from a delicious meal, exhausted from what I call some fancy hip shaking, and with a smile stretched across my face knowing I was able to impress my date with a romantic evening. I highly recommend Agozar for anyone looking for an entertaining night in the city!!!

Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere

Cons: Size

Posted 09/04/08

This place has gone down the tubes. Our opinion is the food is a total "tourist trap" it's really dry and terribly bland. I think people who do not dine out often and never eat "ethnic foods" will find it a great ..but most find it an insult to latin food establishments as a whole. I would rather PAY for two good tapas instead of the buy one crappy get one crappy they offer here during happy hour . We too had a bad experience here, same stuff, bad attitudes too cramped, weak drinks ..all around. Unless you accept the dry flavorless food and sweet but "empty" mojitoes your going to have a frustrating night. The wait is the longest ever to get a drink at their bar (one of the most narrowest I have ever seen) I thought the picture on their website made it look small ..but it really is super narrow. Way too uncomfortable to have a good time, unless you are "hammered" and that will not happen during their happy hour. It stinks because we work right in the neighborhood it would have been nice to have a 5-10 happy hour ..some things just sound too good ya know? I swear you would think these people here were getting payed NOT too smile here.

Pros: good for tourists

Cons: terrible for new yorker's..rude, way too cramped for happy hour

Posted 09/03/08

i brought a friend who was visiting here to experience nyc's best, and i had an amazing time!!!! the bartenders were great [i think one was the owner], and custom made our mojitos for us. we were also happy with the calamari [with this amazing honey glaze] and empanadas... and we danced a little salsa when the music came on. i would definitely recommend this place, and i will return with all my visitors... i know you can also sit in the dining room section, if you want more privacy. overall, i had a great time and just had to write my first citysearch review about the place... hope you enjoy it as much as i did

Pros: great drinks, great bartenders

Posted 09/03/08

I have to say, i was reccomended this place trough friends, and oh boy were they right, the happy hour deal is the best in the city, two for one drinks, and appetizers, and for that long....yes...very good deal, the drinks are delicious...and with the selection of tapas make sure to try everything, just make sure to arrive a bit early since the "bar/lounge" where happy hour is hold fills up rather quickly,( i don t know if they allow reservations for the lounge) is a great place to meet up with friends and have just a relaxed, casual, happy time, service is great, and if you spot a waiter walking around wih a hat on, try to get him, the best and friendliest i had in a long time, over all, i can't wait to go back....

Pros: happy hour deals, service, great music

Cons: a bit crowded at some point

Posted 09/02/08

We came here to eat dinner and meet friends for their "great" happy hour. I see the frustration with this place. I think they think they are "bigger and better" then they really are. We were under the impression because we sat at the side of the bar (for dinner) that we could take part in the happy hour for the last 1/2 hour of our meal
.....ok so we were wrong, no biggie we will move to "the bar when we were done..I just had to share with others how rude they were about telling us. WE just spent over $350 on a meal and some drinks. We went to the bar for happy hour and we were not impressed.. The service is way slow there too and not pleasant at all..I am sure no bar owner truly "enjoys" giving you a free drink but why the sour looks ? Don't have a happy hour then, ya know?
By the time you get your drinks its over anyway. For dinner we had the grilled steak , vaca frita,empanadas shrimp,tapas ropa vieja, The food was so so,, nothing to rave about., a bit bland and any kick anything had was very "adobe-ey" tasting The tapas weren't fresh, neither was the shrimp or bass. All in all I would not go back for food, however, if you like overly sweet mojitos that are weak as can be this may be your spot, if you can make your way to the bar (way too small and crowded) you can drink them at buy one get one 5-8. My choice would be to go to a shorter happy hour and have a few GOOD drinks and tastier tapas.

Pros: good plantain chips

Cons: slow , rude service with small portions of bland food

Posted 08/28/08

not authentic cuban..we were really disappointed. The service was really bad and very rude. The happy hour is the worst , you wait forever for your drinks. The place is so small and people are cramped like crazy, way to busy to have a decent time. They say it is 5-8pm but it is actually the equivalent to 6-7 because of the slow service and the way you have to squeeze through to get your next drink. The place gets way too crowded. I have to say the mojitos were ok but not strong at all and they took forever to get to us for happy hour. I would not come back. We ordered the steak,chicken and tapas before happy hour ..the best part was the sweet plantains they give you for free..seriously. Everything else is really dry or really greasy. Do your research before you haul a group down here...for anything

Pros: nice decor??

Cons: terrible service, way too stuffy, not a good "happy hour"

Posted 08/25/08

Mojitos , tapas , happy hour and Regular dinner are great at this place ! I come down here with co workers very often ! I personally recommend this place for a great time ! Happy hour is always busy so make sure to get in as early as possible . my personal happy hour recommndation - Sangria glass with chicharron de pollo!

Pros: Happy Hour

Cons: very busy

Posted 08/23/08

What a terrible happy hour! I don't know what the hype was about it. Whatever it used to be ..it is not now.
We even gave it a second shot this week. Originally we had dinner with some friends 2 weeks ago and the food was not great, but we wanted to check out heir 5-8 happy hour (that does NOT apply to folks dining on the side of the bar??) So we tried again this week. The mojitos were way watered down with sugar water and the they took forever to get to us. The plantain chips were yummy but thats about it. I guess this is a great place to go if you have a large amount of patience o work down the street but don't hop on the subway or taxi for it ...that's for sure. Way too small of a place to meet friends and hang. Also,the staff's unfriendliness is quite annoying . I defenitly can't recommend this place.

Pros: none for me

Cons: left hungry and thirsty!

Posted 08/22/08

No they are not authentic cuban at all, anyone seeking that will be highly disappointed. The tapas are super dry and the stuff they called chicken was questionable. The owner is not very friendly at all. The advertised happy hour seems great but once you get there you will notice there is only ONE bartender for the entire bar and tables outside, plus he is making drinks for the people in the dining area. So once happy hour is done and you do the math ..your not so "happy". Time flies in there with really slow and terrible service, there are many other places with great happy hours that may not be until 8pm but you will definitely get more drinks out of them then you would here.

Pros: decent mojitos

Cons: not a good "hapy hour" value at all!

Posted 08/19/08

I recently was thrown a farewell party at Agozar and I just wanted to say how great of time I had at this restaurant. The happy hour special was amazing!! Cant find a lot of places that hold happy hour for that long. We had a pretty large group so I was amazed of how quick they were to cater to our orders. Every tapa meal we tried was better than the next. The drinks were really good too. I recommend the cococnut mojito !! I even stayed later in the night for dinner with a couple of friends and everyone's meals were delicious. Thanks again to the people at agozar for making my party a memorable one.

Posted 07/23/08

I had been to Agozar last year and had a great time so I was pretty surprised at the poor attitude that I was greeted with when I returned yesterday with my husband, another couple and their small child. The woman behind the bar told us that we had to leave the restaurant because they were not open for "another 5 minutes." We were not even welcomed to sit at the bar and wait for these few minutes (even though it felt like 100 degrees outside)! Since we were obviously offended we opted to leave entirely and spend our money elsewhere. We won't be coming back.

Posted 07/20/08

I went here last night with 2 of my girlfriends. The happy hour (buy 1 get 1 tapas and drinks) is SUCH a great deal! the food was excellent. Great music, great atmosphere. We were ordering tapas all night and the food came out quickly, but the waiter was kind of slow (took awhile to take our orders, took awhile to get our check), but nothing unbearable. The sangria was good, though not the best I've had, and my friend had a margarita and said it was kind of tasteless but definetely not lacking liquor. That being said, we had a great time and I will be going back here again. I would definetely recommend going here to enjoy happy hour and catch up with friends!

Pros: Great happy hour. Good food

Cons: service is a little slow

Posted 07/08/08

My only advice to those going for the food with a party is that when coming here, be specific on whether you would want to take part in the happy hour special advertised. I'd reserve over the phone and NOT ONLINE because there is no space for you to specify whether you wanted to take part in the special and that they might bring you to their dining room and not bar lounge (which i thought was the same thing since there was no mention of the dining room being separate from the bar lounge) and end up charging you full price for absolutely everything.

My advice to Agozar would be to be more specific that there is actually a bar lounge AND a dining room in the place!!
SAY: ***Happy hour EXCLUDED in the "dining room"

Finally, service was good at the bar area the first time we came and horrible when we came with the group. We waited for our food a half an hour or more (which was worth the wait given it was delicious) EACH TIME we ordered more tapas so since we ordered food more than 2 times, you can imagine how long the wait was.

IF we do come back (for the food only), I would probably go with only 1 or 2 other people, not more and stay at the bar only. Drinks were pretty great too. Bartender was very nice the first time we came before this unpleasant experience.

The manager was considerate enough to offer us a 25% off next time we come (that is IF we come) but i do not feel that is enough given we paid over $300 that evening and we weren't even full because although the food was good, it came in small portions (tapas). We ended up going to chinatown and got handmade dumplings at Dumpling house instead. $24 was enough to feed 8 people and we had leftovers.

Pros: great food and drinks

Cons: slow serivce, happy hour special not specified enough

Posted 05/29/08

I went in for lunch today and even though there were only a few other people there it was obviously not because of the food. I had sangria and a garlic chicken breast that came with rice and beans. It was all super good. I ended the meal with flan and it was really great too. The waitress was really nice and friendly and made excellent suggestions (the idea for a cocktail with lunch and the recommendation of sangria was right on).

Overall, this place should be much busier. The value is great (two drinks, a meal and dessert for 25 bucks) and the staff is too. I will definitely go again.

Posted 05/12/08

We had to make last minute reservations and got accomodated w/o a problem . We got to enjoy their 2 for happy hour and then had some of the best Cuban tapas around. The Churraso is highly recommended along with their delicious Cuban Cigar for desserts!! Our Pitchers of great Mojitos sealed the deal ! We will defintely being returning. Make sure to sample all the tapas . Its 2 for 1, you cant beat that !

Pros: Delicious Tapas and entrees

Cons: No Cons here

Posted 05/09/08

one of the worst dining experiences in quite a while. $50 pitcher of mojito with no alcohol, tiny portions, seriously the smallest shrimp i've ever seen for $2/ea. food, drinks, everything just took FOREVER. i swear i was thirsty and hungry the whole night. we sat down at 9:30 and didn't get our check until 1. i was trying to be cool, i mean i should have known better than to try to get spanish food south of 100th st but when they included a $15 cake charge for cutting my b-day cake, after spending $300 across 5 people, i lost it. go to son cubano, at least you get what you pay for, there.

Pros: none

Cons: slow service, food, drinks, small portions, expensive

Posted 05/04/08

I went to have dinner with my girlfriend and from the moment we got there something seemed off. They sat us in the back room, by what should have been a locked door (since it is not the main entrance or exit and was right on top of our table). Since it was not locked, people kept entering and leaving through it creating a draft and letting the rain in.

That was just the beginning. I asked for tostones in a Cuban restaurant and the waiter had no idea what I was talking about. He asked the cook and they said they don't make it. That was only slightly disappointing I still held out hope that my ropa vieja and my gf's pernil would be tasty and all would be fine.

The portions were tiny, which may have been a blessing in disguise, since the food was bland. The ropa vieja was dry and the pernil wasn't properly seasoned. The food was not terrible, but I don't eat out for 'not terrible'.

To add insult to injury, when the bill came there was an automatic 20% gratuity added. That put us over the edge. I was livid. We paid for our food and left. The included gratuity was omitted. Worst dining experience in quite a while.

Pros: Two for one drink specials are a good deal.

Cons: Bland food, snall portions, bad service, audacity to include 20% gratuity

Posted 04/30/08

Had a group reservation last night after doing some research. The place is split into two areas - a bar area and a dining room area. The pictures on their website don't do the interior justice - it's really quite nice and pretty inside. The food was great - as one of the reviewers said order the calamari - it's good. I also recommend the fried beef dish which I have forgotten the name for. Some minor gripes: sangria was a bit off and funky tasting and also, they start pumping in the "club music" at around 10:30 so you probably wouldn't want to do a late night date here. Otherwise, overall - not a bad spot to have a group dinner - nothing special or amazing experience wise, but a solid pick for a dine out night with your friends in NYC.

Pros: good food, nice interior

Cons: funky sangria, club music came in a bit early

Posted 04/19/08

I thought the food was good (especially the steak). The service was a bit slow. To me, it seemed like there were a lot of underage drinkers there -- I'm guessing NYU students. I saw one kid who looked about 16 with a beer. Also, when leaving I noticed a girl was allowed to smoke INSIDE the restaurant next to the front door. Even though I liked the food, I wouldn't go back or recommend this place because of the smoking and what looked like under age drinking.

Posted 03/15/08

The tapas is fabulous, the mojitos and sangria are to die for. I just can't get over this place.

Service is spectacular, decor is great, and the people (both eating and working) make a great atmosphere. This will remain one of my favorite spots for a long time.

And... nothing beats the happy hour on the drinks and tapas.

Pros: Value, Food, Service

Posted 10/12/07

Had my birthday party this past Saturday at Agozar. My large party was gracefully accommodated . We had a great Prefix menu picked out with tapas and pitchers. I Highly recommend the Flavored Mojitos. Just as I thought my night couldn't get any better I realized I was enjoying drinks at the bar along Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash!! Needless to say it was a Great time!!!

Pros: Great accomadations for special occassions!

Posted 08/27/07

A bunch of coworkers and myself headed down there on a Thursday and I have to say the HAPPY HOUR is amazing. 2 for 1 drinks and tapas !! The coconut mojito and sangria are to die for. The food is amazing and our waitress made sure our large group was attended !! This is definately a place I would recommend for great food, great drinks and a fun environment. Not to mention that the food is delicious.

Posted 07/12/07

Agozar is the BEST cuban restaurant in the city! It's decor is fabulous, and the food and drinks are awsome! Diana, the owner, was so accomodating to me when i was planning my party. An overall great experience!

Posted 06/27/07

Love this place!! It was recommended by one of my friends who attended a bachelorette party a few weeks ago. We had ceviche mixto and papitas rellenas as appetizers and for entree I had the mouth watering parillada and my friend had the paella which was equally as delicious. The staff was helpful and seating was prompt. They also have a buy one get one special throughout the week, I highly suggest trying their flavored mojitos (strawberry mango is my favorite).
Overall it was a great experience. I give it two very satisfied thumbs up !!!

Pros: Great atmosphere, Great Food , Great Staff!!

Cons: This place is not a secret others love it as well , very busy

Posted 06/23/07

Our group ate at Agozar last night (Tuesday) to celebrate a friend's birthday... 7 of us were seated promptly, but the waiter took longer than we wanted to bring out drinks. The pitchers of Mojito were delicious -- if anything, too sweet, but then again that's a Mojito. We also had a few pitchers of sangria, which proved to be just as sugary and sweet... again, maybe a bit too sweet. We shared all 8 different tapas as appetizers (half price until 8pm... so cheap!), which really were the best part of the meal. For a main dish (they call them "platos fuertes"), I had a skirt steak with mashed potatoes, peppers and onions. The peppers and onions were phenomenal and went great with the steak. Unfortunately the steak didn't have as much flavor as I'd hoped, but the dish was still very enjoyable. 4 people in our group split two orders of the traditional Argentinean "parillada" -- mixed grilled platter for 2 (comes with skirt steak, chorizo, chicken breast and pork loin). From what they told me, the meats weren't as flavorful as expected and they were disappointed with their choice. Overall, it was a good dining experience but Agozar didn't serve the top cuisine in the city. The service was a bit slow and we ended up waiting about 10-15 minutes between our appetizers and our main dishes, when that wait should be no longer than 5 minutes. The drinks were strong, though, and I walked out a bit tipsy for sure. I would certainly go back there, but only for a low-key gathering or to drink with friends. Great location, cheap drinks, decent food... Agozar is worth a visit.

Pros: Strong/Cheap Drinks, Great Location, Fun Atmosphere

Cons: Slow Service, Average Main Dishes

Posted 05/29/07

I had the unfortunate experience of bringing a large group of 20 to this restaurant which was not a good idea. The service was horrible, with only one waiter for the entire group and working with Diana herself was just as worse. She is not a very nice or inviting person. As one of the owners she was a very unpleasant person to talk to. REAL BAD ATTITUDE PROBLEM! This would be a nice place for an intimate dinner of no more than 4 or 5. They had no coordination with the service even though you are obligated to have a prefixed menu. THAT DIDN'T WORK! The sad part was that I was told one thing over the phone when I made my reservation for example: my guest could take advantage of the half price drinks until 7p.m. It was completely something else when me and my guest got there. My friends were not to upset but definitely complained. Overall the food was ok loved the mojitos and empanadas but the service sucked! I do not recommend this place as a group gathering for dinner reservations.

Pros: the drinks are good great happy hour special and the empanadas are tasty

Cons: bad service, horrible place for group dining of more than 5, bad attitudes

Posted 04/27/07

There is no way that you can beat the value of the happy hour! My boyfriend and I found this restaurant on CitySearch a few months ago, and have made at least one trip there weekly since. With the amount of food and liquor we get, we always expect the bill to be over $100, and then see that it is like $45. The staff is also very nice and personable, although they can be a little understaffed on Friday and Saturday nights - or it could just be hard to get through the throngs of people on those nights. The empanaditas are savory, the sweet plantains are perfect and the plantain chips and guacamole taste as if they were made fresh when you ordered them. The mixed grill is also very tasty, but ask the waiter how to turn off the little grill before he leaves the table. The mojitos are all excellent, especially the raspberry ones and the sangrito. If you are going to try it for the first time, go on Monday - Thursday so you don't get annoyed at the crowd on Fridays.

Pros: Great value, excellent food, romantic, friendly staff

Cons: Gets crowded on Fridays, happy hour limited to the bar so not good for huge groups

Posted 04/27/07

ok, cheesy title..sorry.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the restaurant. A friend and I ventured in for dinner and drinks one evening, and were pleasantly surprised of how good the food was since the signs for the restaurant make it look a little low-brow to me. We came in at 8:10, and even though happy hour had ended at 8, the bartender was nice and let it slide for our first round of sangria. Most bartenders are so rigid about the happy hour end time, but not at Agozar.
We had a lamb and chicken dish, I don't remember specifically what it was, but it was great!
My only complaint woul be the service, since it took forever to get a waiters attention and we were two young cute girls! Come on!

Pros: Inexpensive, great food, fun ambience

Cons: sllloooowwww service

Posted 02/27/07

If you go there for Happy Hour (5-8pm), you get BOGO drinks & tapas. They were all delicious. I had dinner here as well & the Corn Fritter Appetizer was to die for. I wanted to order that with the Dulce Leche dessert & just have that as dinner! The Paella came in a huge portion & was very good. The Ropa Vieja was a bit salty but if you mix it w/ the rice & beans it tasted fine. The pork loin was ok too, but the Corn Fritter & dessert made the trip very worthwhile.

They no longer offer the Corn Fritter! That was my favorite part.

Pros: Corn Fritters, Dulce Leche dessert, BOGO drinks & tapas

Cons: ropa vieje a little too salty

Posted 01/30/07

Some forget that you're not simply paying for an amount of food, or the organizational skills of the host.

You're getting the unique culinary creations from the chef. You're getting a fun, inviting interior. You're getting great music from a wonderful female-fronted Bossa Nova band.

Agozar has a lot of personality, and is a great place. It's definitely not ideal for everyone, but that's always the case when something is distinctive. Stop by early on a weeknight and peek your head in, have a drink at the bar, and test for yourself whether it's for you. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Pros: Great food, fun interior, Bossa Nova

Cons: Uptight people may scoff at the lax service

Posted 01/04/07

THEIR HAPPY HOURS ARE THE BEST ITS M-F FROM 5-8PM..... THE TAPAS ARE SO TASTY AND THEIR MOJOITOS ARE TO DIE FOR!!!!! HONESTLY, I ONLY GO FOR THE HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS SINCE THE PRICES ARE GREAT BUT WHEN THEIR HAPPY HOUR IS OVER I AM OVER, BECAUSE THEIR ACTUAL ENTREES ARENT THAT GREAT!!!!!!

Pros: HAPPY HOUR PRICES

Posted 12/16/06

Recommend el Coco for drink. The bartender there makes it really good! Buy one get one free on mixed drinks Mon-Fri; i think till 8PM. The tapas are half price (around $3-$4 after discount) during happy hour. Recommend the chorizos if you're going to order Tapas. I went with a large group and the people at the restaurant were fairly accomodating. I shared an entree (a real entree to share - its on the menu) with another girl and boy was it wayy too big for us to finish. Prices are fair. Food was average.

Pros: Happy hour - BOGO on drinks; 1/2 off on tapas

Cons: None from my experience

Posted 11/01/06