This item ran as Jessica Carrington’s Two Scoops restaurant review in the Aug. 20 Villager.

The new Ash and Agave located in the Cherry Creek mall is now open offering Mexican coastal cuisine to the area. The new space formerly occupied by California Pizza Kitchen looks totally different. “The restaurant is beautiful with a very fun vibe, and the menu is incredible!”

Carrington wrote that she met Chef Cesar Lugado and could tell his passion behind the menu items. At a curved booth for four, while sipping cocktails including the prickly pear paloma and Flor de Fuego, the table sampled the raw bar — Baja fresh oysters and Veracruz lobster ceviche — then shared items including “everything” roasted carrots, chargrilled octopus, sweet corn fritters (“a fun cross between French fries and a funnel cake”), and the dip duo.

Tacos ordered: skirt steak Gaucho, surf and turf with shrimp, and the tempura fried sea bass Pescado, all served with verde rice and charro beans. Casa birria included buttered lobster, queso Oaxaca, cashew lime crema, flour tortilla, and pineapple pico — the Quesolangosta. Desserts included dulce de leche cake with homemade coconut ice cream, churros and cheesecake.

Favorites she named: Veracruz lobster ceviche made with very fresh seafood, shellfish, and clamato; the dip duo of pimento cheese and chilled chipotle queso alongside guacamole; and the pescado taco with light tempura fried sea bass, salsa limon, dressed cabbage, and corn tortilla. “A big round of applause goes to their super flavorful charro beans.”

She did not get to the wood-fired grill lineup, which included rotisserie chicken, Pacific sea bass a la Veracruz, beef short rib barbacoa, BBQ’d shrimp pastor, pork carnitas, Chicago cut filet, lamb rack and gaucho sausage plus coal roasted sweet potato enchiladas. Reservations: ashagave.com.

Print source: The Villager, Vol. 44 No. 39, Aug. 20, 2026, page 2. Issuu edition. Print-backed Dining & Travel. Adjacent Sunday Familia Night advertising is not treated as the review.

Dining & Travel

Two Scoops: Ash and Agave brings Mexican coastal cuisine to Cherry Creek