Agave by Imperial

The cousins behind The Imperial Tandoor took on a second Peterborough restaurant on George Street North — this time a modern Mexican kitchen and tequila bar, with a name that carries the family's first business forward into a second cuisine. Agave by Imperial sits in downtown Peterborough as a full-service dining room and bar, built around traditional Mexican recipes treated with contemporary technique and a colorful, plated presentation. The kitchen is more ambitious than the strip's casual cantinas, and the bar reads as the central program rather than the supporting cast.

Order strategy for a first visit is straightforward. The Queso Birria Tacos lead the current menu — braised lamb folded with cheese, pickled onions, cilantro, lime, salsa habanero, and a consomme for dipping. The Molcajete de Carnes is the table's sharing move: grilled chorizo, seared beef, grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, cheese, jalapenos, three tortillas, and salsa agave, served in the volcanic-stone bowl the dish takes its name from. Watermelon Ceviche cuts a different note — watermelon with cucumber, cherry tomato, onion, habanero, avocado, and a tostada for crunch. Mexican Street Corn, Guacamole & Chips, and Crispy Coliflor Tacos fill out the antojitos and shareables, and Crispy Fish Tacos sit alongside the chorizo-and-cheese classic on the taco list. Dessert holds at Churros and Tres Leches Cake.