Sol Agave
“I still remember the moment I realized that food had the power to bring people back to their childhood,” Jorge Galvez told me, seated at a corner table at Sol Agave in downtown Salt Lake City. “Someone took a bite and said it reminded them of their grandmother’s cooking. That’s when I knew - this was bigger than just a restaurant.”
Born in Mexico, Jorge moved to Orange County, California with his family when he was nine. His mother, who spoke no English at the time, worked long hours on an assembly line making sandwiches for Subway and later at Baja Fresh. “Her work ethic, her heart - that’s what has always guided me,” he said. Every Sunday, the extended family continues to gather in her kitchen. “She doesn’t know how to cook just for two people,” Jorge laughed. “She still makes enough for all of us, knowing we’ll pop in.”
Jorge’s younger brother, Jesús Galvez, is the founder of Sol Agave. In 2014, he launched the original concept out of a food truck in Orange County, California with two partners, Oscar Perez and Edgar Estrada. They served dishes rooted in their heritage but high in quality—organic ingredients, prime cuts, handmade tortillas, and layers of flavor that transported people back to Cabo or Puerto Vallarta. The food truck’s success led to a brick-and-mortar location in San Juan Capistrano, then others followed in Southern California.
At the time, Jorge was living in Utah, building a career in the corporate world. He had spent more than fifteen years in management roles - opening restaurants for Rubio’s, Panda Express, and Costa Vida, helping with marketing, training, and business development. But he always felt something was missing. “I was doing well on paper,” he said, “but I wanted to be part of something that represented my people. I wanted to serve the food I grew up with, only elevated, done right.”
When the pandemic hit, California’s restaurant restrictions pushed the team to look elsewhere. Jorge saw an opportunity. “In June 2020, I took a leap of faith and opened our first Sol Agave in Utah,” he said. The location in American Fork was a 2,600-square-foot space, formerly a Rubio’s - one Jorge himself had helped open years earlier. “At first, no one knew who we were. We had to earn it one plate at a time.” But they have. “That little restaurant created a lot of big relationships,” Jorge said, noting that their patrons ran the gamut from everyday locals to the governor and the owner of the Utah Jazz.
The Salt Lake City location came next. “We built this space from the ground up,” Jorge explained. “It took two years. There was nothing here before.” His brother - “the one with the design eye”- oversaw the interiors, inspired by traditional Mexican elements with a contemporary flair. Jorge pointed to the textured walls, reclaimed materials, and patterned plate display, which echoed the one his mother still has at home. “It feels like Mexico,” he said, “but also like today.”
Now serving nearly 600 covers a day, the restaurant buzzes with business travelers from nearby hotels, convention-goers, and locals who have made Sol Agave their go-to destination. “We’re not trying to be a spot you visit every day,” Jorge said. “But when it’s your birthday, or you’re celebrating something special, we want to be the place you choose.”
The menu is a blend of tradition and innovation. Slow-braised carnitas come with fresh guacamole, salsa cruda, and handmade tortillas. Portobello mushroom tacos are popular among vegetarians. Pork belly bites - deconstructed tacos served with greens and honey serrano sauce - let diners build their own.
Then there is the butter cake. “It’s not even a Mexican dessert,” Jorge admitted, grinning. “But it’s our number one seller.” Topped with a chocolate tamarindo mousse, their version of this ultra-sweet treat has won top honors two years running at Utah’s Sugar High event, beating out dedicated pastry shops. “In American Fork alone, we sell almost 300 a day.”
Jorge is especially proud of the restaurant’s sense of family - both behind the scenes and in the dining room. His brother-in-law, Lucino Guerrero, is the chef in Salt Lake, and many staff members have been with them from the beginning. One longtime team member described Sol Agave as “a place that helped me get back on my feet when I had nowhere else to go.” Jorge nodded: “If you take care of your team, they’ll take care of your guests.”
For Jorge, hospitality is about more than just food - it is about presence, care, and intention. “No spreadsheet can tell you what someone is going through,” he said. “That’s why empathy is a big part of our culture here. People should feel welcomed the second they walk in.”
Plans are already underway for more Sol Agave locations and a second Blind Rabbit Kitchen, their modern steakhouse in Sugar House. “I don’t get to see my wife and kids as often as I’d like,” Jorge reflected. “But they believe in me, and that fuels everything I do.”
