In October 2020, business partners Mathew Baum and Matthew Faul opened the first location of Agave Bandido in Pembroke Pines. With its colorful decor and creative culinary flair, this high-volume Mexican restaurant and tequila bar thrived in vibrant south Florida. In March, the duo opened a second Agave Bandido location in Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch where it’s already making a splash on the local food scene.

“The thing that we’re really taking on as our niche is taking a downtown large city vibe and bringing it to densely-populated suburbs,” says Faul who is the COO of Agave Bandido. To achieve this vision, every facet of the restaurant is, in Faul’s words, “over-the-top”.

That’s immediately evident starting with the decor. Agave Bandido is not your abuela’s Mexican restaurant. Though the restaurant is colorful, it has a moody, sophisticated vibe thanks to the use of saturated jewel tones throughout the space. Spray-painted murals adorn the walls and cascade along the ceiling, adding that urban edge, while light fixtures crafted from skulls and blown glass bring a touch of whimsy.

The food at Agave Bandito is as inventive as the decor. The cuisine can be best described as Mexican-inspired: while the dishes do feature many ingredients traditionally found in Mexican cooking, they have a contemporary flair to them. One of the most popular dishes at Agave bandido is the Birria Tacos. The beef is slow-cooked until it is tender and falling apart. The liquid from the beef is reserved as a consomme. That consomme is brushed on taco shells, imbuing them with a rich flavor, before they’re grilled on the flat top where they get super crispy, a beautiful contrast to the tender, juicy beef inside. The Birria Tacos are topped with salty cotija cheese, crisp radishes, and savory cilantro, adding more depth of flavor. Additional consomme is served on the side as a dipping sauce for the tacos.

As delicious as the food is, the bar menu may be even more impressive.

“Our hyperfocus is definitely tequila,” Faul says. At the Lakewood Ranch location, between 150 and 200 different types of tequila are available for diners to enjoy. They also offer a variety of mixed drinks, many of them tequila-based.

“Besides our classic margarita, our top-selling cocktail is the Chill and Go which is like a pina colada margarita. We top it with torched coconut shavings, pineapple fronds, and a chunk of pineapple,” Faul says. “It’s super flavorful and refreshing.”

Faul also recommends the Fueguito, a mildly spiced raspberry margarita that can be smoked under a dome at the bar or tableside where the dome will be removed in front of the diner.

“It’s a perfect social media experience,” says Faul.

Speaking of cocktails, be sure to head upstairs and check out Maya, the hidden Speaktiki (a Polynesian twist on a speakeasy). This cocktail-only area features lounge seating and offers higher-end bourbons, tequilas, wines, and tiki-style drinks among other beverage offerings.

Agave Bandido is open from 11am-10pm Sunday-Tuesday; 11am-11pm Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11am-1am Fridays and Saturdays. To learn more, check out their website at agavebandido.com

Agave Bandido, 1550 Lakefront Dr, Sarasota, 941-260-8866. 

Pictured: Smoked at the bar or tableside, the Fueguito cocktail is a drink and a show. Photo provided by Wolverine Restaurants.

ACG Productions LLC, Sarasota Democratic Black Caucus, and the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition proudly announce the Juneteenth Jubilee Jam: A Party with a Purpose!, set to take place on June 22, 2024, at the Historic Leonard Reid House in Sarasota. This event commemorates Juneteenth, the historic day marking the end of slavery in the United States, and serves as a celebration of freedom, culture, and community empowerment. For more information: jrglover444@gmail.com.

June 22, 2024, 6-9pm, Historic Leonard Reid House, 2529 Orange Avenue, Sarasota. 

Join Hamlet’s Eatery every Wednesday for Not Your Typical Trivia night. Each week we will have a local celeb host with a theme of their choice. Doors open at 6pm for dinner and trivia is from 6:30-8pm. There will be prizes for top teams and last place always receives Free Fries (because losing is still fun)! This Wednesday, June 19th is a special Wildlife theme night of trivia. Proceeds will benefit Wild World Rescue hosted by Stacey & Mike Gilkison and Greg & Kate Hebert. The last Wednesday is Live Music Bingo with Sabrina. Hamlet’s is located in the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime at 821 Apricot Ave in Sarasota. For more information visit www.Hamletseatery.com or call 941-445-1938 to make your reservation. 

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is excited to welcome Billy Ocean to Sarasota on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 7:30pm. Tickets go on sale on Friday, June 21 at 10am EDT. Tickets start at $48 and can be purchased at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact Ellen Dyer, group sale manager, at ellen.dyer@sarasotafl.gov. 

Arts Advocates is pleased to announce its schedule of July and August events. Art talks include “6 of 26: Six of the Original Florida Highwaymen Artists’ Paintings in the Arts Advocates Collection” and “Late Bloomers: Contemporary Women Artists Who Achieved Fame in Their Senior Years.” A special showcase featuring the 2024 Arts Advocates scholarship recipients runs through July and August, and the “Behind the Curtain: Exploring the Van Wezel from the Art to the Stage” tours return on August 19. Unless otherwise indicated, registration is required at ArtsAdvocates.org. To learn more about or become a member of Arts Advocates, or to register for programs and events, visit ArtsAdvocates.org. 

Pictured: ArtsAdvocates Van Wezel tour includes Thunder on the Beach by Ben Stahl.

Shumaker lawyer Danielle M. Lutyk has been appointed to serve on the Florida Bar’s 12th Circuit Grievance Committee “C.” She will serve a three-year term on the Committee, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the legal profession by evaluating complaints against attorneys and ensuring that the Florida Bar's standards are met. Danielle, an associate in Shumaker’s Litigation and Disputes Service Line, has been a member of the Florida Bar for seven years. Her experience and dedication to the principles of legal ethics make her a valuable addition to the Committee. Danielle has consistently demonstrated a commitment to fairness, justice, and the rule of law in her practice, where she focuses on all phases of civil and business litigation. An experienced civil litigator, Danielle’s attention to detail and adaptable nature makes her a strong advocate for clients. She has represented individuals and corporations in both trial and appellate actions and brings a wealth of knowledge from her broad experience. Grievance committees are made up of volunteer members, at least one-third of whom are not lawyers. Each of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits has at least one such committee. The grievance committee reviews complaints with much the same purpose as a grand jury. 

A resort-style pool, children’s play spaces and other amenities are now open in Lakespur, a multigenerational neighborhood of single-family homes nestled along lakes, heavily forested preserves and wetlands in Wellen Park. The amenity campus was officially unveiled during a grand opening event June 8. Emphasizing lifestyle and social connections among residents, the private amenities feature plenty of spaces to play and relax, including a firepit lounge and a coastal-inspired poolside cabana with a party kitchen, restrooms, under-roof gathering venues and terraces overlooking a fireplace. Canvas canopies provide shade for cabana-inspired sitting areas around the large pool, which offers a sun shelf and lap lanes separated by a water feature. There’s also an event lawn for fitness classes, cornhole and outdoor games, an area for food trucks and a dog park. Introduced in spring 2023, Lakespur offers 138 single-family homes by national builders Lennar and Pulte Homes in its first phase. Twelve one- and two-story floor plans are designed for families of all sizes and feature two to five bedrooms, 1,670 to 3,321 square feet under air and covered lanais for outdoor living. Two model homes by Pulte Homes are open daily for viewing. Lennar Homes is conducting model tours and sales from their Antigua neighborhood in Wellen Park. Subsequent phases will include both single- and multi-family product types. Lakespur connects to Wellen Park’s Oakheart Trail and is within walking distance of future K-12 grade schools and close to youth activities, making the neighborhood a popular option for nature enthusiasts and families with children. Lakespur is also convenient to Downtown Wellen and Atlanta Braves spring training and family friendly events at CoolToday Park. 

Pictured: The Lakespur amenity campus was officially unveiled during a grand opening event June 8.