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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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I live near Cactus Cantina and have eaten there twice. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering how pricey the Glover Park-Georgetown area can get. I have also never had anything less than exemplary service. The wait staff is easily among the friendliest in DC.
However, though the drinks are consistent winners - they make a mean margarita and sangria - I have mixed feelings about the food itself. I've ordered the shrimp fajitas, which were decent but fairly bland, and the chicken tacos, which were not only bland but barely tacos -- some lettuce, tomato and chicken in a taco shell. You had to pay extra for anything else. Having said that, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume I just ordered their weak dishes, because the friends I've been with on both occasions have had much better experiences with the food.
Bottom line: this is a great place to gather with friends for Mexican-themed drinks, but the food can be hit-or-miss.
It saddens me that District Columbians believe Cactus Cantina is actually Mexican food. Wake up!
Every dish tastes the same: too much cheese, too many beans, and no flavor. The safest thing on the menu are the flautas primarily because they are not doused in flavorless salsa or lathered in cheese.
Make the pilgrimage out West if you want authentic Mexican food and do not settle for cheap imitations.
I came here about five years ago, had a very nice dinner with even nicer company, but it took me five years to come back because 2Amy's is next door, and there has never been a time when I would not rather be there.
That's still true, but this weekend 2Amy's was sporting waits of 45 minutes (and deep throngs at the bar) and we were hungry, so we tried the Cactus Cantina. My recommendation is . . . .
. . . . utterly unchanged. They make their own tortillas, so you may as well get something that showcases them, and the chips, salsa, and margaritas are all darn good too. The underlying food is fine, but not that spicy nor prepared in a really exciting way. Fajitas seemed to be as good of a choice as anything else.
So, basically, I wouldn't intentionally go here instead of to 2Amy's, but when you're hungry and 2Amy's won't feed you, it's really quite an acceptable substitute.
I like mexican food...ALOT. So its pretty difficult for me to find a place that serves up the basics - guac, salsa, chips, fajitas, margarita's - that I don't find some redeeming qualities in. However, some do it better than others. That being said cactus cantina faithfully fills the bill and my belly with tasty mexican fare. And they do it well.
It's hit or miss, but I'm giving it 4 stars because when it's a hit, it's really pretty sweet.
Margaritas are great, chips and salsa are great, and the food is often great. I go there quite often for lunch and have been both impressed and disappointed, maybe at a 2:1 ratio.
For the food, here's a run down of stuff I've tried:
The Good: enchiladas, BBQ ribs etc, chicken plates, soups and beans.
The Bad: Mahi tacos, a tilapia plate. Maybe avoid their seafood?
They have a lot of outdoor seating which is another plus.
I wouldn't say it's the best mexican food I've ever had, but it's delicious and has a great atmosphere. The sangria and chips and queso alone are worth going for. No reservations accepted, but the wait is never that long.
The best Mexican restaurant in DC!
This is my go-to place for Mexican food. The margeritas are good, but make sure to get them on the rocks instead of frozen.
Fajitas are as good as any I have ever had.
My boyfriend LOVES to fish tacos here.
But the best part are the endless chips and salsa--the chips are so fresh they're still hot, and there is a new batch of salsa that is made every hour so you know its fresh.
Best fajitas in the DC area, hands-down (and that's coming from a Texan). Also like the salsa here. It's one of the two restaurants I miss most since moving to Reston from DC. .
In my 5 years in Houston, I never lived less than a couple blocks from a Taqueria. Upon moving to DC, I set out to find decent queso the same week I set up electricity and internet. Happily, Cactus Cantina is only a few blocks up Wisconsin, and it not only has good queso, but the margaritas and salsa are pretty tasty, too.
Vegetarians, be warned: the refried beans and spanish rice must be made with lard, because all veggie options come with really bland white rice & black beans. That said, I'm not above substituting for the flavorful sides, and if your ethics are flexible, they taste substantially better. The vegetable fajitas are my favorite main dish on the menu, but honestly, I mainly go for the queso. Mmmmm the queso.
It's related to Lauriol and for that it already has my respect thanks to their shared recipe for that amazing warm salsa and those light chips. On top of that this place is your standard Tex-Mex on the east coast fare. Not to say it isn't good, just to say you know what you're going to get, and it's going to be A) Tasty 2) Filling.
I always gorge on the chips, because I have no self control when it comes to fried corn products, and anything remotely spicy and tomatoey. I work close by, so it's a solid option to go to for lunch, and there is never a crowd at that time. Service can be kind of slow, but I think that's due to the fact that the servers have to haul ass across half a block restaurant from the kitchen to your table. So I make few complaints. But then again I don't complain a lot because they sure love shoving those amazing chips down my gullet.
Oh Cactus Cantina, how I love you. I've been entering your doors for years now. I remember sitting outside with a good friend of mine a few days before I think 4th grade started, sipping from those cool kiddie cups and eating a taco. You're not authentic at all (well, maybe for Tex-Mex) but you're so tasty that I don't care.
The chips. Super thin, super crispy, super tasty! The hot salsa they come with tastes great. The tacos? Hearty and satisfying. But above all, the chicken nachos reign supreme for me. You get a whole bunch of chips (sturdier than the standard chips you get when you sit down) covered in cheese, refried beans (yummm!) and chicken. Available for dippin' are sour cream and guacamole, and some pico de gallo to garnish it. They list it as an appetizer but I often have it as a meal and it has yet to fail at filling me up. Finish your meal off with the sopapillas (these puffed up pastry things that you dip in honey) and some coffee and you're good.
Great Washington Family spot. I love bringing my children and having a relaxing evening. Great Steak Fajitas and drinks. Staff arevWonderful to kids and kid.
If you, like me, woke up with a craving for storebought strawberry margaritas, tasteless tortilla chips and chlorine-flavored guacamole, then Cactus Cantina will hit the spot! I hate to hold up Guapo's as a gourmet standard, but I can get much better Mexican food without an obnoxious bus ride all across town.
How does a restaurant this aggressively subpar stay in business? Its entire clientele consists of people who are too drunk and/or too tired to go to wait for 2 Amys.
In conclusion, the friend of mine who recommended this place is no longer to be trusted.
This place is just ok. I had some spinach enchiladas and they were quite bland. I don't think this is a destination for food, but moreso for hanging with friends on the decks, drinking margaritas, and then having some food so you can drink more margaritas.
In other words, the meal is the secondary focus.
It is lauriol plaza for families. Super big and crazy crowded, food is average, with a couple of hits (I love the carne asada).
Big bland, and good for groups and families.
Full disclosure: I grew up in Texas (and my parents have since relocated to Phoenix), so I'm used to getting cheap, delicious Mexican food anywhere, so I may be a bit of a Tex-Mex snob (if that's even possible).
Cactus Cantina was decent. Nice drink selection. Chips and salsa were good (even if the chips were greasy enough to the point of translucency). I ordered the chicken tacos al carbon which were decent, if a little pricey ($13) for a two-taco platter. I probably wouldn't order them again if I came back.
All in all, a decent place. Probably wouldn't trek across town to come here or drag an out-of-town guest here, but wouldn't object if someone suggested we go here and were nearby.
Went here yesterday for a catered event. Tortilla chips are ok, I like Rio Grande's better. They're thicker and pretty bland. The fajitas were really good and there was a lot of selection to put in the fajita (steak, chicken, peppers, onions, guac, sauteed vegetables, etc.) Meat was cooked nicely and was juicy.
Margaritas are also good here. We had them by the pitcher.
I'd like to go back sometime just for a regular dinner adn see how it compares to rio grande
If you're planning to go to Cactus Cantina, do yourself a favor and take a quick look down Macomb Street before you go inside. Do you see the people loitering outside of 2Amy's? They'll happily spend 30-35 minutes to eat good, but not great, pizza. You? You're in the mood for a fish taco. You want carne asada or chicken fajitas. You're getting complimentary homemade tortillas with your meal. You're going to walk into Cactus Cantina and get seated within 15 minutes and you're going to have the best Mexican food in the District.
Everyone raves about Lauriol Plaza (the "parent restaurant" of Cactus) and Guapo's (which, I'll admit, has much better salsa), but for my money, this is the freshest, most delicious Mexican-themed meal you're going to have. I'm really, really surprised at all of these negative reviews, because I've going to this place since I've moved down here about a year ago and I've never had a problem. Sure, the waiters and waitresses are almost all exclusively American University students, so cut them a little slack when they forget to bring out that extra bowl of free chips you just "have to have right now." Not that I've ever needed to ask a server for a forgotten or misplaced item.
You'll walk in and be amazed by the homemade tortilla maker in which a man who will look remarkably like Cooder the carny from The Simpsons (http://upload.wikimedi...) mechanically drops balls of rolled up dough into a slot to be conveyed along by a metallic belt. If smoking were allowed indoors, this man would have an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. You'll all but ignore his presence here and watch the transformation from sphere to tortilla before taking your seat, ordering your meal, and leaving satisfied.
The painted walls indoors are a cute touch but are really nothing to stare at, and the plastic green patio chairs leave much to be desired, but the atmosphere is friendly, the mood is lively, and the food is all fresh and made to order. They proudly boast that there are no can openers in the kitchen, and I believe it.
People will complain about screaming kids, but, again, either I've become incredibly adept at blocking them out, or they just aren't as prevalent as some people would lead you to believe. If you want unruly, boisterous children, go next door to 2Amy's... you'll be in your idea of Heaven (or maybe Valhalla).
Quick notes:
Brunch and dinner are priced about the same. Meals will run you anywhere from $11.95 to $21.95.
Drinks are moderately priced - $4-6 for a beer; $7.50 for a margarita swirl.
Don't fill up on chips (you will anyway, I'm sure) because you'll ruin your appetite.
Typical wait time is between 10 and 20 minutes, but 95% of the time, you'll be seated in 15 or less.
Note for you vegetarians: the saffron rice is made with a beef stock. Order white rice with black beans. Our vegan server informed us of this tidbit that didn't make the menu.
Don't go in there with your fake Mexican accent asking "esse" if he can seat you at a "camesa por cuatro." They'll find you offensive (and probably mentally ill).
Trust me, (and not some of these yelpers who base their recommendation on one visit) go here, and enjoy. :)
I visited Cactus Cantina for the first time in the middle of a hot streak of burrito consumption. Maybe my opinion is slightly skewed due to a beautiful evening and a seat on the crowded and chatty patio, but I'm now a repeat customer.
Outside of the burrito, the fish tacos (Mahi Mahi) are phenom with some delicious fruit salsa and the margaritas are strong. Not a massive fan of their salsa that comes with appetizer chips, but really, it's chips and salsa to chow on while drinks start to flow.
Fish taco + margarita + sweet patio = victory.
Food it gets 2 stars max, but service bumps it up to 3. I'm from Arizona and more familiar with Sonoran style Mexican food, but I've also had Tex-Mex. I'm really not sure what this was. And I'm surprised that people think this place has phenomenal food. Especially for the price. You could get better food at one of the Betos drive thrus in AZ for half the price. Sorry, but $10 or more for a lunch plate at a Mexican restaurant is too much.
Although they were making homemade tortillas in a tortilla spitter outer thingy, the crispy shell I got for my taco was not fresh and appeared to be store bought. You know the kind on the top shelf of the Mexican food aisle in the grocery store. The flavorless ones that break before you even open the package. Eh...
Like I said our sever was amazing and we even got a smile out of him. The first server with a smile in a week. They have a great patio and the inside is open and fun, looks like a great place for large groups. I'd come back for drinks on the patio, but that's about it.
Yay Frozen margaritas and chips and salsa... bought by my employed friend... Last time I ate here it was edible but not incredible.
Going to bed now to sleep it off...
Addendum: Now that I'm sober, I'll flesh this out a bit. This place is popular with families and the after-work crowd. Outdoor seating is well shaded. The homemade tortilla maker in the center of the restaurant entertains ADD kids and adults alike.
Great margaritas and food, but very crowded around dinner hours.
What do I remember from my trip to Cactus Cantina? Not a whole heck of a lot. The food was relatively unremarkable, just your generic Mexican. Good food but not all that striking. The tortilla chips were delicious and fresh.
But the better question is WHY I don't remember much of my trip to cactus cantina. Pitchers of swirl margaritas. They are, by far, the most delicious thing in this establishment.
Oh and if you're meeting a group, the entire group must be present to even be placed in the seating queue. I might have given this place 4 stars if they had been willing to put us on the list when we got there, not when everyone showed up half an hour later.
I love making lists and no one knows that better than my beautiful friend and gracious host Tanya A., she is one of my only friends who really "gets" that about me. So this review is dedicated to T-Pain:
1. A pitcher of white sangria to start the meal. Delish!
2. The guac was fresh but kinda bland. In the future please include:
a) more lime
b) more cilantro
c) more jalapenos
3. The tortilla chips were actually very good.
4. They have lomo saltado?? YES please! And it's pretty good!
5. Bistec cubano was pretty tasty.
6. The white rice and black beans also needed some sabor but were good for the American palate.
7. The service was good.
I get a very strong feeling that Cactus Cantina is the overflow dining establishment for 2 Amy's next door. 1 1/2 hour wait for pizza?!?! OMGWTFBBQ! NO! My kids can't wait that long - off to eat tex-mex next door ...
This place was chaos personified! Kids literally running around the restaurant playing tag and hiding under tables, bumping into wait staff. I have a kid - it is unfucking acceptable to think a restaurant is a jungle gym. Was it terrible of me to hope and pray that little Timmy would run into one of the servers and get six Coronas and a basket of chips and salsa poured over his head? Yeah, I'm probably going straight to hell.
The service didn't make the experience any better. Ordered the guacamole and queso appetizer - it came out AFTER the entrees. Yes, I know how difficult it can be to scoop out guacamole from a tub and ladle out some cheese.
The only saving grace was that 1) we were starving and 2) the salsa and chips are pretty damn good. The beef fajitas weren't half bad either.
Cactus Cantina is honestly the tex-mex food I compare all other tex-mex to.
The fajitas are just to die for. The steak is incredibly juicy and served piping hot - combined with pico, guac, grilled peppers and onions, and wrapped in a freshly made, soft flour tortilla, it simply can't be beat.
The complimentary salsa that comes with chips at the beginning is also phenomenal. Not spicy, but flavorful and tomato-y.
This place is GREAT for large groups - the restaurant is huge, and they'll gladly do a big party and give you a semi-private space for it.
I wil say right off the bat that i enjoyed the atmosphere here over the one at Lauriol Plaza. Overall, though, I would characterize the food as mediocre. Salsa is decent, veggie fajitas were a little bit odd, but tasty. I am a little bitter that I had to pay $2 extra for some sour cream for my fajitas, but I might get over it. I didn't find the service to be overly friendly, either. I may go back, if the occasion presents itself, but honestly, I'm feeiing pretty indifferent about Cactus Cantina.
I guess I shouldn't really complain because I do come here all the time, but this is mostly based on proximity and not because Cactus Cantina is really any good.
I had to work pretty hard to come up with these, but here are the positives of this place:
1. It has lots of tables so you normally don't have to wait long
2. The food is always very hot
3. They offer cheese dip with a side of guacamole as an appetizer, which is GENIOUS so I don't have to agonize over which one to get
Here are the negatives:
1. The food is always just mediocre, especially the meat, which is always chewy and cut in strips that are too big
2. The salsa is runny
3. The catfish tacos I got one time were disturbing
All in all, you could do worse, but don't expect too much here. An upgrade is Lariol Plaza, which is the same blah food but in a much cooler building.
Whilst waiting for 2 Amys pizza, my party decided to grab drinks over at Cactus Cantina. Walking in, I was immediately reminded of Chevy's... there was a tortilla machine, the space was huge (a la suburbia), and it was obviously tex-mex grub. We didn't care though, since all we wanted were drinks, chips, and salsa.
It was around this time that I realized where I really was... written on the back of the menu were the words, "Try our other restaurant, Lauriol Plaza!"
AHHHHhhh! NOOOOooooo! Not Lauriol Plaza!!!!
Well, after drinks, chips, and salsa, I can say this place is far more promising than its evil twin. The salsa was cold (never cold at Lauriol), the chips were cooked slightly better, and -what really made me give Cactus Cantina 4 stars- the NA "frozen lemonade" (virgin margarita) I had was the muthaf*%#in' BOMB!
As someone who gave up alcohol, there are nights I stay up weeping about the loss of my margaritas. It's just not the same without Tequila, and most restaurants won't even make a virgin one... "What do you want, lime juice and ice?" they snicker. "Yeah, that's exactly what I want!" (roll eyes).
Well all those "virgin margarita haters" can take a lesson from Cactus Cantina. This NA margarita was magical... it captured the essence of a margarita, despite the (surprising) absence of tequila. Like, WHOA! I had to make everyone in my party try it just to make sure it was non-alcoholic. I'm glad the consensus was "no tequila," because I wasn't giving that sucker up!
I could have had 12, but alas, it was time to head over to 2 Amy's. Oh, Cactus, Why can't your evil twin (2 blocks from my home) make these NA Margaritas?! WHY?!
The bottom line: Don't come here on Friday or Saturday nights because service here is maybe one step above atrocious those nights. Waiters are unaccommodating and it also takes eons to get them to even notice that your glass is empty (which is pretty ridiculous since at $6.50 per margarita, the waiter is definitely making money just by getting another round of drinks).
Come here for lunch on the weekends or dinner during the week.
Also don't come here if it's cloudy out and still expect to sit outside. We were told no one was being seated outside the rest of the evening because they had stopped seating there earlier when it looked like rain. Even though the clouds had since passed, they weren't going to sit us out there. Why? Because it would be unfair to the customers who were seated inside earlier when it looked like rain. What is this, freaking elementary school?
It's Lauriol but in a different building in a different part of town.
The Good:
- Queso! Sooo good!…
Read more »
You'll have to excuse the snobbery, but for a Texas transplant in DC, I expect a little more when you label your food "Tex-mex." I came here one night when the wait for Two Amy's was too long, not expecting much. The food was mediocre all around, with the typical Mexican seasonings.
If you like your food a little less adventurous and bland you might like this place. What I found was missing was the traditional extra flavor and spiciness that's I've always associated with the Tex-mex I had when I lived in Texas. I will say that I've been here for an after work drink with my co-workers and thoroughly enjoyed the margaritas.
Ok la... A good location and place for anyone looking for Mexican foods. The service can't be a problem,...
Overall is recommended
Living a block away from the Cactus Cantina has made me into a semi-regular customer. If I am ever in the mood for Mexican, I'll stop around the corner for the delicious fajitas or other delicious special.
With several other Mexican places near by, I find Cactus Cantina to be the best of the bunch. While its not as good as its sister restaurant Lauriol Plaza, the wait and location make it an easier dining experience.
From the tastier chips and salsa (than Guapo's, in Tenleytown) to the fajitas and margaritas, this place is a solid mexican restaurant and I would recommend it to anyone, from tourists stopping by the Cathedral, to locals.
Why Cactus Cantina? I've never really got the attraction of this place. It's certainly not the food, which I would describe with the back-handed adjective of "passable." And I'm not even one of those Tex-Mex snobs comparing it to food out "West." To me, it doesn't even really compare favorably to Guapos. It's not the service, which is not exactly swift, on top of an often lengthy wait for a table. It's not atmosphere, unless screaming kiddies and crazy crap on the walls decor is what you're looking for. Maybe it's the chips and salsa, which have been my favorite part of the meal each time I've been to Cactus. In that case, I would suggest you get a table, gouge yourself on the complimentary chips and salsa, and then act as if some emergency swept you away before you get a chance to actually order anything.
As far as Mexican food goes, this place is flamosh (made up the word).
I know tasty morsels of happiness when they enter my mouth!
The fajitas are an array of succulent slices of heaven dripping in moppable juices and pieces of perfectly grilled onion, green pepper and whatever else goes into it, served up in a hot plate. I don't know about anything else on the menu, that's all i ever order. when i love something I keep eating it and simultaneously ordering it!
I haven't noticed that many Latin people working there, which is peculiar. Because they seem to be everywhere else yet somehow here the staff are mostly German league Rugby players, famous ones actually. Naaaaaah! I'm just pulling your leg about the Latins! Its full of them!
Daiquiri's are also great!
Coming here you have to know that (a) You probably are not going to have the most authentic food (b) There's a good chance you'll wait for a bit for an outside table on a nice day and (c) There will probably be a lot of children around during dinnertime.
Cactus Catina kind of has a chain restaurant feeling (even though there's only its sister restaurant, Lauriol Plaza, Adams Morgan), but it kind of makes me like the place even more. They're not trying to be the most innovative, authentic or hip Mexican restaurant around. Rather, they are trying to provide a fun dining experience, with good food, big portions and reasonable price. You can easily split meals here. They also have an extensive drink list. For some reason I really enjoy the way they prepare their chicken in their fajitas and salads. It's tender, juicy and nicely seasoned, which for some reason is very difficult for many restaurants to accomplish for a simple chicken breast.
For a tex-mex place, this place is pretty darn good.
I cannot get over their chips and salsa. I'm drooling just thinking about them. The chips are perfectly crispy and not too greasy. You can definitely taste the corn. The salsa is always chilled and fresh tasting. I wonder if I should attempt making it at home. If I could, I would make a whole batch and stash it away in my fridge until it bursts. Anyway, I definitely do like their fajitas. Always sizzling hot on the stone, nicely seasoned, and absolutely delicious. I'm not a big Tex-Mex girl because I'd rather get some REAL Mexican food if I had a choice, but I definitely wouldn't mind coming back here.
I prefer it to Guapos, but for reasons I don't even know.
Perhaps it's because this is the place I first learned that limes go inside coronas and also that I didn't much care for coronas. For that...it's got a special place in my heart.
CC is one of those DC restaurants that's been around since I can remember. I have been there on numerous occasions...I am surprised I never reviewed it. It's a convenient start of the night place especially during the summer because of the outside deck. It's large enough that the wait is usually minimal. The service is not the greatest but the food is better than most Mexican chains. The sister location, Lauriol Plaza is also good but way more crowded.
CC has reasonable prices on food. I usually order the Spinach Enchiladas comes with veg beans. It's really good because they used fresh spinach. I never have a complaint about the food. I would say it's not a 5 star place because it's a bit run down or maybe it's just a cleanliness issue and the parking in that area sucks.
Cactus Cantina is an OK place. A solid 3 star restaurant. They have a nice outdoor patio area. Those chips and salsa sure are addicting. Unfortunately the service was incredibly slow. On the bright side, they do have delicious swirl margaritas (which I desperately needed to help me block out all those families with ill behaved children). Would I recommend the place? - probably not...
Washington, DC
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
Category: Mexican
Washington, DC
Category: Tex-Mex
Neighborhood: Tenleytown
Category: Mexican
Bethesda, MD
Category: Mexican
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