Chesterfield Valley has a new restaurant, located at 104 Chesterfield Towne Centre, in the former home of El Maguey. Owned by cousins Jose Pedro Iniesta Flores and Abelino Piascencia Romo, Blue Agave Cocina y Margaritas is bringing a new style of Mexican food to the area.
With a focus on fresh ingredients, proteins like steak, chicken and seafood, Blue Agave’s offerings aren’t what you’d typically find at a Mexican restaurant. While there are traditional selections like nachos, tacos, fajitas and burritos, along with rice and beans, the menu also boasts items like shrimp fettucini in a cream sauce or grilled chicken served with mashed potatoes.
“We have a lot of the most popular Mexican plates, but we also have things like mashed potatoes. We tried to make something different,” Iniesta shared of the menu.
Iniesta and Piascencia also own a restaurant in Jerseyville called Casa Tequila, which serves more traditional-style Mexican fare. He chose the Chesterfield area since he has a house nearby, and he saw it as a good opportunity to bring something different to the community. The transition from the former restaurant to the new concept happened quickly, with the entire process taking about two months. “It was a lot of work,” Iniesta said.
The team replaced almost everything in the kitchen as well as in the bathrooms, and the dining area received a coat of paint along with a few other minor changes. Although there’s more work to be done, the main goal was to open as soon as possible.
Later down the line, Iniesta plans to revamp the bar area to make space for around a dozen bar seats, which will add to restaurant’s current seating for 150, as well as add different tables that can accommodate larger groups. Those future plans also include updating the style of the booths and tables in the dining room from the current wood pieces with crimson accents to reflect the current brand’s colors of black and deep azure blue.
Although the establishment opened earlier this month, there’s been chatter on social media about the food, as well as a great response from the community when dining in the restaurant.
“It’s been really busy and people have been talking about the food on Facebook,” he said.
The menu features a number of sauces, or moles, which are all housemade, and incorporate many flavors and styles. Ranging from a cream sauce that’s lightly seasoned with chipotle to a traditional mole poblano and a green sauce that tops the veggie enchiladas entree, which is made from pureed spinach.
With seafood selections ranging from favorites like ceviche and shrimp diablo, to unique offerings such as the costa marina, mahi mahi and shrimp atop a bed of rice, topped with a sweet roasted garlic sauce, onions, tomato and avocado slices. The menu also features seafood dishes with a tropical influence, like the Pacific Shrimp served with pineapple in a creamy coconut sauce with rice and vegetables, or the Salmon Mango Tropical, a pan-roasted salmon fillet served on a bed of mashed potatoes, topped with a chipotle-mango sauce and topped with fresh mango chunks.
Other protein offerings include classics like arroz con pollo, fajitas available with steak, chicken, shrimp, pork or chorizo, as well as steak entrees, such as the Steak El Rancho, a grilled T-bone served with rice, mixed vegetables and a loaded baked potato, which comes topped with sauteed shrimp and a chipotle cream sauce. There’s also a few desserts available, like flan, sopapillas with ice cream and fried ice cream.
The margaritas at the establishment are available in a variety of flavors, from the more traditional like strawberry or mango, to the unexpected like apple, blueberry or jalapeno, and are served in 12-, 27- or 46-ounce glasses, or by the pitcher. There’s also a selection of beer and wines, in addition to soft drinks like fountain drinks, tea and lemonade.
The restaurant is planning a grand opening celebration on Friday, Sept. 5, with drink specials and live music beginning at 5 p.m. Follow the business on Facebook to get more details on the grand opening plans.
This article appears in August 2025.