When Los Agaves Mexican Grill opened in Sisters in February, I wondered if the countrified community of 2,000 could support another south-of-the-border restaurant.

As the new kid in town, Los Agaves was only a couple of blocks east of long-established Rancho Viejo Mexican Restaurant and no more than three blocks west of a branch of Central Oregon’s El Caporal group. And that didn’t take into account a couple of Mexican fast-food outlets in Sisters.

But the town’s El Caporal closed early this month, and three months after opening — in the former home of Divine Earth, Soba Asian Bistro and Soji Noodles, at the southwest corner of Cascade Avenue (state Highway 126) and Spruce Street — Los Agaves has more than held its own against stiff competition.

Owners Jim and Laura Fernandez, formerly of the El Caporal family, have introduced a menu that toes the line between traditional and contemporary, pleasing both taco lovers and more adventurous diners. Modern ranch decor, and a service staff that bends over backward to please patrons, add to the restaurant’s appeal.

Just down the road, Rancho Viejo is keeping pace. Known as El Rancho Grande before it was purchased in the fall of 2007 by Javier Luna, it boasts a classic cantina atmosphere and a menu of old and new Mexican favorites to please a faithful clientele.

After visits to both restaurants, I’m convinced that Sisters can, indeed, support both of these restaurants — as well as its taco stalls.

Los Agaves

A patron’s first clue that Los Agaves is a classy joint is that Western-themed oil paintings by Dyrk Godby are hanging on its walls.

Godby, a Sisters resident, is a cowboy from his boots to the brim of his 10-gallon hat. His art hangs in galleries throughout the West and is on the wall at Colorado’s Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. As a singer-songwriter, he has performed with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

Los Agaves’ decor also features barbed-wire art and a clock emblazoned with an image of screen cowboy John Wayne. Its name honors the agave plant, from which tequila is produced.

New arrivals are greeted by a bustling margarita bar even before they reach the adjoining dining rooms, in which tables are casually arranged on stone-tile floors. A patio area beckons diners to sit outdoors under sunny skies.

When two companions and I dropped by, we were delighted by a menu that departs from the taco-and-burrito norm of many Mexican restaurants.

As executive chef, Jim Fernandez offers a choice of such dishes as milanesa de puerco (breaded pork loin with fresh avocado sauce) and pollito al horno (baked game hen rubbed with a chipotle-cinnamon spice).

Two of us started with cups of soup. The creamy poblano soup was made with cheddar cheese, poblano peppers, green chilies and tomatillos. Although it had a mild zing, it was not as spicy as the chicken tortilla soup.

I would have preferred crispy tortilla strips to soggy, but the multiple flavors of avocado, tomato, cilantro, onion, celery and carrot redeemed the stew.

My enchiladas verdes were excellent. An ample serving of chicken breast meat was rolled within four corn tortillas, covered with house-made salsa verde, a green tomatillo sauce. On top was a green-leaf lettuce salad with tomatoes, radishes, avocado and crumbled queso fresco cheese.

The camarones (shrimp) Veracruz ordered by one of my companions were perfectly cooked, although the menu description didn’t mention that the eight crustaceans were sauteed with mushrooms in a light garlic sauce. I would have loved that, but my friend did not, so she busied herself separating the mushrooms out. A chipotle house dressing was presented in a cup on the side. The dish was presented with a side salad of lettuce, tomatoes, onion and avocado.

My other friend loved her carne asada. The steak was grilled rare, just as she likes it. But what set this preparation aside from others was its presentation: It was offered with broiled bites of nopal cactus, longaniza sausage (similar to chorizo), jalapeno peppers and scallions.

All dinner entrees came with a choice of two sides — soup, salad, rice or beans. We found both the black beans and the refried pinto beans to be well prepared, along with the poblano rice with bits of pepper; we did not sample the Spanish rice.

Rancho Viejo

Across Cascade Avenue and a block and a half west, I found the ambience at Rancho Viejo to be significantly different than at Los Agaves.

Owner Javier Luna spent his early childhood in Zacatecas in central Mexico before his field-working family immigrated to California in the late 1980s. He earned a degree at San Jose State University and took his credentials straight into restaurant management.

This is a family-oriented establishment, with most seating at large private booths. Horseshoes (turned upright for luck, of course) adorn the aisle-facing sides of the heavy wooden booths. Blue- and rust-colored tiles provide a vibrant accent to the predominantly ocher-hued walls and upholstery.

Pots of giant silk flowers and a hanging wagon-wheel lamp make bold statements in this convivial atmosphere. The welcome is further extended by servers who always seem to have a smile and kind words, even as they hurry to take and deliver orders in a timely manner.

When a companion and I visited, the best thing about the complimentary basket of chips that launched our meal was not the spicy salsa, which we enjoyed, but a dish of cabbage-heavy pico de gallo, which we gobbled so quickly that we almost inhaled it. Fortunately, free refills were not an issue.

As a steak lover, my friend again ordered the carne asada. My comparison to Los Agaves, it was excellent beef, although it was grilled closer to medium than to her preference of rare.

Passing on the steak-and-spinach enchilada and a Mexican chicken “caresser” salad (the description sounded suspiciously like a Caesar), I ordered a dish called “sea enchiladas.” Two flour tortillas encased a blend of scallops, shrimp and crab — the real thing, not artificial “krab” — with queso melted over them.

One of the enchiladas was garnished with minced green onions, the other with red bell peppers. A sweet cabbage slaw was laid on top between the two enchiladas. I found the preparation very tasty.

Unfortunately, both plates suffered because of mediocre Spanish rice and beans, presented with each plate. The rice had little moisture to it. The beans — her pinto beans, my black beans — were no better than marginal in flavor.

SMALL BITES

The Black Horse Saloon , long known as Bend’s liveliest biker bar, reopened May 20 as Maverick’s Country Bar and Grill after undergoing a full makeover. Owner Mike Schoelz said live country dance music and mechanical bull-riding contests will be regular features, along with pool, bingo, bocce ball and other games. 20565 Brinson Blvd. (at Boyd Acres Road), Bend; 541-382-4270.

Matt Davis and Rich Hall, formerly the owner and executive chef of Marz Interplanetary Bistro, have opened The Marz Cart mobile kitchen on Bend’s west side. Hall is serving the world cuisine for which Marz restaurant was best known, including green and red Thai curries, hoisin-glazed barbecued ribs, grilled artichokes and Argentinean churrasco steak. Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day at Skjersaa’s Sport Shop, 130 S.W. Century Drive, Bend; www.facebook.com/TheMarzCart or 541-815-8169.

RECENT REVIEWS

Pronghorn Club (A-): Fine Pacific Northwest cuisine highlights the menu at Cascada and Chanterelle in the elegant, Tuscan-style Clubhouse building. Trailhead 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every day; Cascada 3 to 8 p.m. every day; Chanterelle prix-fixe dinners by reservation at 6:30 p.m. Fridays. 65600 Pronghorn Club Drive (off Powell Butte Highway), Bend; www.prong hornclub.com or 541-693-5300.

Boken (A): With an exotic, pub-style atmosphere that is at once Asian and hip, this breezeway cafe adds a new dimension to dining in downtown Bend. Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, 852 N.W. Brooks St., Bend; www.bokenbend.com or 541-706-9091.

Rancho Viejo

Location: 150 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Price range: Lunch $6.50 to $12.95; dinner appetizers $5.50 to $13.95, entrees $10.50 to $21.45

Credit cards: Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Kids’ menu: Yes

Vegetarian menu: Numerous options

Alcoholic beverages: Full bar

Outdoor seating: Yes

Reservations: Accepted

Contact: www.facebook.com or 541-549-3594

Scorecard

OVERALL: B+

Food: B. Mediocre rice and beans detract from a menu of solid south-of-the-border dishes.

Service: A-. Servers always have a smile while taking and delivering orders in a timely manner.

Atmosphere: B+. Classic and colorful cantina atmosphere, with large private dining booths.

Value: B. Some prices are on the high side for a family-oriented Mexican cafe.

Los Agaves Mexican Grill

Location: 291 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day

Price range: Lunch $6 to $8; dinner appetizers $7 to $12, entrees $10 to $18

Credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa.

Kids’ menu: Eight choices priced at $5

Vegetarian menu: Several choices including spinach enchiladas

Alcoholic beverages: Full bar

Outdoor seating: Yes

Reservations: Suggested for larger parties

Contact: www.losagavessisters.com or 541-549-0777

Scorecard

OVERALL: A-

Food: A-. Creative menu offers tasty new twists on old Mexican favorites.

Service: A. Friendly staff works hard to be respond to diners’ requests.

Atmosphere: A-. Contemporary Western oils hang inside; a spacious patio offers sunny dining.

Value: A-. Modest prices undercut many other Mexican restaurants in Central Oregon.

Next week: The Downtowner at The Summit

Visit www.bendbulletin.com/restaurants for readers’ ratings of more than 150 Central Oregon restaurants.