Walking into the new El Agave off Poplar Avenue recently felt like a dream, mainly because I had been staring at the lights-on-no-one’s-home San Diego Cantina building for years.

The Mississippi-based Mexican restaurant chain opened early this summer in what was Mi Pueblo until 2017, then what was supposed to become San Diego Cantina. 

On a recent Sunday, I finally tried the new Mexican restaurant at 5007 Black Road, located in the shadow of Malco Theatres’ Paradiso Cinema Grill & IMAX. 

The building looked great, with murals and greenery everywhere and nice flooring. I could tell the former owner did extensive renovations to it over the past several years. 

I asked to sit on the balcony, as co-owner Moises Lemus suggested when I interviewed him about the location a while back. Lemus said it was his favorite part of the restaurant. 

After sitting there for lunch, I agreed.

El Agave has a balcony dining area. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

They served chips and salsa almost as soon as we sat down, and the restaurant-style salsa was refreshing. It tasted exactly how I wanted it to: mild spice, tangy and smooth. 

I have been a big fan of birria — slow-cooked, braised beef — lately, so when I saw quesabirria on the menu, I said, “That, please!”

The nice-sized birria quesadilla, sliced in two, came with a cup of consommé broth for dipping, a separate spicy sauce and two lime slices to squeeze on top — which I recommend for extra pizzazz.

The cheese melted into the birria, creating the perfect bite each time against the crispiness of the grilled tortilla. Dipping the quesabirria in the broth made it even more delicious.

The spicy sauce on the side was too intense for me, as I am sensitive to some peppers, but if I could handle it, I would partake without hesitation. 

All this to say, El Agave will become a staple in my restaurant visits.

This week in food news

In-N-Out is developing its first Memphis location at 5341 Poplar Ave. (Courtesy In-N-Out Burger)

Andy Ashby wrote about In-N-Out Burger targeting a second site in Memphis in the former Bahama Breeze on Germantown Parkway. This would be the second Memphis-area location the California-based fast-food chain could open. The first, which has been confirmed officially, will be at 5341 Poplar Ave.

Christin Yates reported on nonprofit The Sow Project’s new weekly meal delivery service, offering prepared entrees, sides, brunch items, breads and desserts delivered to your door. The workforce development program’s new service provides sustainable revenue and helps students prepare for jobs outside the program.

Alexandra Brown unwraps a freshly smoked salmon at Sow Project's kitchen at Girls, Inc. Aug. 2., 2026. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file) 

In this week’s What to Order, Jennifer Chandler wrote about The Four Way’s cornbread dressing and catfish. The soul food restaurant — also one of the oldest in Memphis — has an a la carte menu, and Chandler said cornbread dressing is always a staple for her.

Chandler also gave readers a lentil soup recipe from Rawgirls founders Amy and Hannah Pickles. The recipe is included in the Pickles’ new cookbook and follows news that Rawgirls' current owner closed its food truck location.

Don’t forget: Memphis Black Restaurant Week has a new name, Taste of Memphis: Black Dining Week, and is this week. New leader, Sage Memphis restaurant owner Charles Nwankwo, took over after founder Cynthia Daniels moved out of the 901. Nwankwo wanted to keep the week going, because it generates significant revenue and brand awareness for local Black restaurants. 

Noah McLane toured the new Satellite Music Hall next to Crosstown Concourse and wrote about the features, including Chef Ryan DeRieux’s menu. It includes dishes such as chili crunch chicken wings with a black garlic and tofu sauce, beef skewers and taiyaki — a fluffy waffle stuffed with cookie butter, Nutella or strawberry jam. 

Kevin Woods (left), co-founder and beekeeper at Bee 901 Co. shows Sophia Surrett (right) how to collect honey. (Courtesy Rachel Jared)

I became a beekeeper for an afternoon as I visited some of the nonprofit Bee 901 Co.’s hives. Since 2017, the nonprofit has donated 100% of its honey sales to other nonprofits or members of the local community who are in need. Co-founder Kevin Woods showed me how to care for honeybees, keep a healthy hive and mimic the hardworking, collaborative nature of the bees.

I also went to the University of Memphis football team’s first home game to try the stadium’s three new $7 value meals, but they didn’t turn out to be much of a deal. You can read about it here. But, for the Memphis Tigers’ and their fans’ sake, I hope they fix it. 

If you’re craving a chicken tender meal at a good price, you can get a $14 chicken tender meal with steak fries at Dog & Bone in Overton Square. The British pub offers a menu of across-the-pond classics, but don’t knock the crispy chicken tenders; they are this week’s $15 Deal. 

I wrote in Food Files about a food-truck operator set to open a brick-and-mortar on Stage Road. Scrapped the Plate (pronounced scraped) will also continue its food truck operations at the same time. 

Daily Memphian reporter Sophia Surrett, left, with Mark Wahlberg. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Lastly, I met actor Mark Wahlberg and chef Paul Wahlberg alongside Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The ceremony marked Wahlburgers as the new culinary and hospitality partner of Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. 

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