This week the search for the best Tacos in Chatt Town takes us to El Agave in Ringgold, Ga.
There are three El Agave restaurants. One is on signal Mountain Road, Chattanooga, the other is on Taft Highway in Signal Mountain and the one I tried is off Battlefield Parkway.
This place has a big interior with walls painted in different colors, lots of table seating and booths and a friendly staff. It shares the building structure with a CVS Store and is near the new CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital that recently opened. This Ringgold Road El Agave opened in March of 2024 and seems to be busy. There was constant foot traffic both times I dined here.
Beverage options include sodas, aqua frescas, beers and Margaritas. The menu is several pages long with everything you can expect from a mid-size Mexican restaurant. As soon as you’re seated, they bring you chips and salsa. Their table salsa was a deep red color, more so than I’ve seen elsewhere. The flavor was bold and intense. It’s the best table salsa I’ve had so far.
Street tacos are on the menu. Your protein choices are steak, chicken, Al Pastor pork, carnitas or chorizo. They are topped with cilantro and onions on a corn tortilla. They also have shrimp and fish tacos that are topped with lettuce, avocado and pico-de-gallo. They also offer healthy tacos flacos, your choice of chicken or steak served on leaf lettuce.
During my first visit I ordered carnitas street tacos. Three come to an order and for an added cost you can add a side of refried beans or something off their side menu. In this case, the tacos were sufficient on their own. I also ordered their cheese dip appetizer.
The cheese dip was creamy, not much heat to it, but still flavorful. The salsa verde that came with the tacos was mild, the carnitas tender and the tortillas were warm and crisp around the edges. I poured some salsa verde and a little cheese dip on my first taco and took a bite. Honestly, this was a great taco paired with that mild cheese and salsa. I was able to bring home a taco and leftover salsa and cheese, which mom immediately claimed for her dinner. I should have known better.
On another visit, I ordered my favorite lunch combo meal – Speedy Gonzales. It’s an American style beef taco; an enchilada served with your choice of refried beans or rice. I also tried their El Agave guacamole.
The guacamole was decent but lacked a little salt. The taco was surprisingly juicy, but the taco shell was still crunchy. I don’t mean juicy in a bad way either. It had tons of flavor. I took a forkful of guacamole and tucked it into my taco. That fixed the guacamole immediately. I gobbled up that taco in seconds.
The enchilada was covered in their red Ranchero sauce, and the refried beans were thick. I like them that way so I can scoop up a bite on a chip and mix it with the Ranchero sauce. This time the only thing I brought home for leftovers was a little bit of guacamole, which my mom ate on top of toasted bread. I can’t seem to catch a break with her anymore.
I mean there is almost an entire leftover pesto chicken pizza in the fridge, from the Chattanooga Pizza Company, but okay, go ahead and steal my guacamole when I’m not looking. Guess I’m having pizza later.
El Agave Ringgold, GA.
- 4793 Battlefield Parkway, Ringgold, GA 30736
- (706) 841-0433
- Website: https://elagavemexican.org/
- $$ - $$$
What’s your favorite taco place and why? Send me an email at Pattyl@brewermediagroup.com