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Bargain beer and a decent quesadilla make ending the weekend all the easier.

Monday Apr 28, 2008.     By Erin Brereton

Lifestyle Feed

I typically don't like to go out on Sunday nights; not that it takes much to get ready for my week, but Sunday is my fun day, my I-don't-have-to-run-day, if you will. But after my computer crashed one Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago, and I spent the entire day trying to reboot the thing—unsuccessfully—I wanted to forget about the ordeal and bury my stress in a big cocktail.

Luckily, two of my friends had invited me to dinner at Blue Agave, a restaurant where the drinks are huge and the food is sort of an afterthought. On my last Agave outing, I was amazed at the overall level of patron intoxication. When I walked in to the restaurant this time, the crowd looked just as festive: It was Sunday night, but inside Agave, it felt like Friday.

Such is the magic of the Agaver, as my friend calls it, which I quickly discovered upon ordering a Corona and lime. It offers a Sunday drink special, which, unlike many bars, doesn't involve bloody marys or other breakfast drinks. A bucket of four Coronas costs just $12—perfect for us, because we each got one and asked for a glass to split the fourth.

The mood around us was just as merry. A large group to our left was ordering up another a round; waiters were racing back and forth with beverages; and seating was hard to come by at the bar—partially because it was crowded, and partially because no one wanted to sit next to the couple who was enthusiastically making out.

We noticed the frisky pair before we even ordered. Maybe they were a couple in love or maybe even a couple of strangers, but one thing was clear: Somebody wanted a big, teeming glass of nookie with their burrito. And it was being served.

We ordered some entrees, and started snacking on the chips and salsa. The salsa was a little too spicy for my taste and the chips were really greasy, but, like just about anything put in front of me (pretzels, candy, kittens), I managed to consume most of them.

I ordered a veggie quesadilla, which was by no means bad, but not the best I've ever had; it could've benefited from a few more vegetables. But I did like the fact that you could order the dish a la carte from the appetizer menu, or as an entree with sides. The menu has a nice number of vegetarian, and you can get many items, like the burritos, with two side items: Mexican rice, vegetables and more. And while I can't say on either visit that I've found the food to be outrageously inventive or unique, it's decent Mexican fare, and it comes in big portions. Overall, a decent deal.

Which was good, because there was something decidedly indecent going on at the bar. The make-out couple had gotten—somehow—even more amorous. The girl was partially on his lap, and they were rolling back and forth on the barstool. (I haven't seen someone mount anything so fast since I rented "Seabiscuit.") Aye caramba!

So we decided it was time to call it a night. A little late-week revelry is fine, but it was Sunday, after all.

Curious about cheap Coronas? Check out the Blue Agave at 1050 N. State St. or (312) 335-8900.

Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap. If you know of the mythic happy hour that she missed, do clue her in.