New Lakewood Ranch Mexican restaurant, tequila bar announces opening date

Jimmy Geurts, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Updated ·2 min read

A new Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, and the latest addition to the dining and drinking options in Lakewood Ranch's Sarasota County development Waterside Place, is set to soon make its debut.

Agave Bandido will open to the public March 11, according to a publicist. The restaurant, which has another already open location in Pembroke Pines, is part of the South Florida-based Wolverine Management. The management group also operates multiple locations of the craft beer bar/restaurant chain The Brass Tap, which recently announced plans to expand to Sarasota and Manatee counties, as well as Unit B Eatery + Spirits in Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines.

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The Mexican restaurant and tequila bar was pioneered by restauranteurs Mathew Baum and Matthew Faul, who were inspired by the Latin-American culture of South Florida.

"Agave Bandido at Waterside Place is poised to be a standout culinary destination, bringing the spirit of Mexico to Sarasota with its vibrant ambiance, exceptional cuisine, and exclusive experiences," Baum said in a statement.

Agave Bandido, which offers a "contemporary twist on traditional Mexican cuisine" with menu items such as pork belly tacos (pictured here), plans to open to the public March 11 in Lakewood Ranch's Waterside Place, according to a publicist. The restaurant has another already open location in Pembroke Pines.
Agave Bandido, which offers a "contemporary twist on traditional Mexican cuisine" with menu items such as pork belly tacos (pictured here), plans to open to the public March 11 in Lakewood Ranch's Waterside Place, according to a publicist. The restaurant has another already open location in Pembroke Pines.

Described as a "contemporary twist on traditional Mexican cuisine," Agave Bandido will have a menu with dishes such as guacamole made tableside, birria tacos and sizzling fajitas. The restaurant will also offer a weekly Taco Tuesday special with $3 tacos all day for dine-in customers.

Agave Bandido's drink menu plans to feature more than 200 tequila selections, a "Mayan-inspired SpeakTiki," and craft margaritas and cocktails made with fresh ingredients such as guava, mango, and coconut.

Agave Bandido will also feature more than 200 tequila selections, craft margaritas and cocktails, and a "Mayan-inspired SpeakTiki" (pictured here in a rendering.)
Agave Bandido will also feature more than 200 tequila selections, craft margaritas and cocktails, and a "Mayan-inspired SpeakTiki" (pictured here in a rendering.)

The restaurant will join other Waterside Place dining destinations such as the already open Italian restaurant Osteria 500, Korean steakhouse Korê Steakhouse, brewpub Good Liquid Brewing Company, and breakfast/lunch spot Forked at Waterside, along with upcoming openings including gastropub Allswell, sushi bar and Japanese kitchen Dear Fish, and Deep Lagoon Seafood and Oyster House.

Agave Bandido will be at 1550 Lakefront Drive, Sarasota. For more information, visit agavebandido.com.

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at [email protected]. Support local journalismby subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New Mexican restaurant bar Agave Bandido open Lakewood Ranch Sarasota

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