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Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila
7228 E. First Ave., Scottsdale | 480-970-9002

     What’s more native to our Valley than sitting outside on a gorgeous spring night sipping margaritas and snacking on a taco? You can do all that and more with a visit to downtown Scottsdale’s Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila.
     The crowd the Friday night we went was a mix of age groups—everyone from retired couples to college students.
     The interior of this funky eatery with its insanely stocked bar is bright and appealing with lots of colorful modern Mexican art on cheery yellow walls.
     The bartender was staying very busy mixing up an array of exotic margarita choices with ingredients like papaya or pomegranate all paired with some first class tequila selections.
     We elected to enjoy the night air outside on the narrow patio that runs alongside the restaurant.
     Our server brought out warm, crisp chips and two sauces, one a fiery chunky salsa and the other a milder green.
     We started out sharing an order of Queso Fundido con Chorizo ($7). The thick cheese sauce is full of tasty chorizo bits but so thick that we laughingly used knife and fork to get the stretchy strings of the stuff onto the chips rather than being able to dip them.
     The long list of tacos offered on the menu has something for everyone. I was curious about the Salmon with Sauteed Vegetables ($5) or the Veggie Taco with Melted Oaxacan Cheese ($3), but went instead with the traditional Carne Asada ($3). Full of plump, seasoned bits of beef with onion and flecks of cilantro, the taco almost did not even need salsa.
     Their menu offers plenty of salad and soup selections along with some interesting sides like a Jicama Fruit Salad ($3) and Guajillo Mashed Potatoes ($3). Companion has an addiction to Chile Rellenos and Cien Agave’s version did not disappoint. A perfect combination of crunch, chiles and cheese had my fellow diner giving a firm thumbs up.
     Enchiladas are my own weakness and I could not resist the tempting menu selection of Lobster Enchiladas ($15). Actually more like a badly rolled taco, the lobster mix was loosely placed in a raw corn tortilla, then had some green enchilada sauce ladled over the pair.
     I would have preferred the dish baked, but the Kahula Flan ($6) we split almost made up for it. With just the right hint of Kahula without being overpowering, the light brown creamy dessert was a perfect end to a spicy evening.