Victor Cabriales loves the food industry. Sitting at the bar of Ancho & Agave, his beautifully furnished restaurant at Village Pointe, the pride in his eyes is evident as he talks about their scratch kitchen Mexican-fusion concept, his personally picked, locally sourced staff, his commitment to excellence, and the attention to detail that truly sets the restaurant apart. But what sets him apart is that Cabriales isn’t your run-of-the-mill restauranteur. For him, it’s about more than making a buck, bottom lines, or managing efficiencies. For him, it’s about family legacy as, a third-generation chef, the restaurant business has played a pivotal role in his life for as long as he can remember.
“I love the restaurant business. Either you love it or you hate it. I have loved it. I still love it! I’ve always been a part of it. My grandfather, my father, everybody's been in it. Between that and the military, we’ve all done both,” explained Cabriales.
He followed in their footsteps, working in restaurants, serving as a chef in the military, and later, working his way up in the restaurant industry. After over 25 years in the restaurant world — much of that time serving as Executive Chef at various restaurants — Cabriales was ready for more. So when Founder Todd Hovenden tapped him to partner in bringing Ancho & Agave to Omaha, he was up for the challenge.
Having already launched two in Bloomington, Illinois, and Middleton, Wisconsin, Hovenden, also owner of sister concept Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, gave Cabriales the parameters, then set him free to create as he saw fit. Soon, Cabriales was working alongside construction and design teams building out the restaurant he’d be serving as Managing Partner.
“People ask all the time, ‘Is this a chain?’ Well, technically no because we only have three and to me, I have 20+ years [in Omaha], all my managers are from here. We're not the company that comes in and brings managers from other areas. I helped build a team from my chef all the way down to my sous chefs, my front of house managers, [and] every line-level employee. So, the ‘corporate’ stops at me.”
With freedom to oversee operations, Cabriales believes little details matter: fresh cloth napkins hand-rolled for patrons daily, sourcing quality, never-frozen meats (all cleaned, marinated, and smoked in-house), down to the restaurant’s festive striped straws that may cost the restaurant more but add a fun touch.
While the food and drinks at Ancho & Agave are divine in their own right, the ambiance of the restaurant only adds to the experience with inviting tufted leather benches, pops of teals, pinks, yellows, and blues, and an assortment of playful lighting, including a sitting area adorned with an artful installation of several gorgeous lanterns and large colorfully-lit signs throughout the space with playful sayings like “Feel Good,” “Tacos Amigos Tequila,” and “Buen Provecho,” a Spanish term of goodwill and hospitality specifically translating to “Enjoy!” If an outdoor hang is more your vibe, grab a seat in the restaurant’s all-weather front patio complete with a Spanish-inspired wall mural, white brick, cedar ceiling, and planters overflowing with colorful plants and flowers.
While the atmosphere charms and provides a welcome place to imbibe and sit awhile, the food is the real star of the show, especially given Ancho & Agave’s assortment of delectable oversized burritos, street tacos, desserts, and handcrafted margaritas — all made from scratch just for you.
Cabriales says two of Ancho & Agave’s most popular dishes are the Kung Pao Chicken Street Taco — a spicy, Asian-fusion taco with chili-marinated diced chicken, water chestnuts, roasted peanuts, and scallions — and the Fried Chicken “Nashville Hot” Avenue Taco — battered and fried chicken thigh served with shredded pickled carrot, golden raisins, lime aioli, cilantro, and a drizzle of sweet hot sauce. The burritos are well-liked too, with many praising their huge size and the flavorful sauces that accompany them, and there are delicious vegetarian options like the Sweet Potato Street Taco topped with black bean and roasted corn salsa, queso fresco, avocado, toasted pepitas, and a mouthwatering ginger-jalapeño crema sauce.
Having just celebrated its one-year anniversary, many have tasted the fine fruits of Cabriales’s expertise and labor at Ancho & Agave. Swing by today and tell him we sent you. You may find him greeting customers at the host stand, pitching in with his chefs, or behind the bar if needed — a testament to a great leader as well as the heart and culture of his restaurant, because at Ancho and Agave, you’re truly treated like family.
I love the restaurant business. Either you love it or you hate it. I have loved it. I still love it!
While the food and drinks at Ancho & Agave are divine in their own right, the ambiance of the restaurant only adds to the experience with inviting tufted leather benches, pops of teals, pinks, yellows, and blues, and an assortment of playful lighting.