Reviews of Cactus Cantina (Restaurant)

Jared Lindros

Great place. Much bigger than you think, and it was packed but the food was great. Freshly made salsa, they also made their own tortillas right in the middle of the restaurant. Margaritas were good if you get something better than cuervo. Highly recommended.

Monica Faucette

The atmosphere here screams fun. Be prepared for a loud experience. The food is mediocre Mexican food, except for the fresh made tortillas that are amazing. In my experience, the service matches the food. If you want to hang out with friends and drink margaritas, Cactus Cantina is a good place to do it.

Tim Johnson

Great food and service

Gregory Woods

He food is always hot n fresh

Kevin Pinto

Love the service but wasn't happy with their salsa

Brian Green

Cheese- sour cream- can’t go wrong.

Mer K

The place has a friendly vibe and the servers are nice. I didn't particularly like the chicken and egg mix meal I ordered. But I liked the salad my friend ordered. I payed about $17 including a cup orange juice with my meal. You notice a lot of families having a good time and enjoying their meal.

Kristina Roger

Great service , food is good . Not super flavorful though . Portions are large , atmosphere is good .

Katherine Alexander

Gluten-free options are limited but they will accommodate you.

Ricky Webster

The food was pretty good, if not a little over priced. We ordered a $50 pitcher of margaritas for the table and i'm pretty sure there was barely any tequila in it. I understand paying $50 for a pitcher, but I would at least expect to get my money's worth. We couldn't even finish them because it was literally just mix.

AJMDF LOCA

Great outdoor patio. Easy margaritas. Ceviche rocks.

Brian Tapp

Solid food and service. Bill was a tad steep for above average Tex mex food.

Jennifer Abrecht

My favorite Mexican restaurant! Salsa has a nice smokey flavor. Margaritas are perfect. Steak fajitas are the best!

Perla Jarillo

Great option for Tex-Mex food. Until now it is the only place where I have founded well done Chiles Rellenos (very popular dish in Mexico). The portions are big, so wait a little bit before eating all the chips and salsa they give you as a free appetizer while you are waiting. My only recommendation is to make the salsa (for the chips) less liquid.

K Lopes

Located in Washington DC Cathedral Heights neighborhood, Cactus Cantina has been a staple, weekly excursion for authentic Mexican with friends. I have never had a bad time, there's never been a wait and as my diet has changed, they are always very accommodating. It's fun for family food nights, meeting up after work or church and a place to plan a date night. They also own Lauriol Plaza; another great Mexican hot spot. Viva Mexicana.

Don Graham

Food was excellent a little expensive but good. Service was Great!!

Ebunoluwa Fabunmi

They had great service but the food wasn't really to my liking.

Emmanuel Lucas

Good food loved the Brisket Tacos only wished they served more than two

Desiree Berry

Went to Cactus Cantina for a birthday and ordered something light....a simple chicken quesadilla. I didn’t know what came with it so I ordered guacamole and pico de gallo. My food came and on the plate with the quesadilla was sour cream, tomatoes, and guacamole. Then the waiter gave me two other small plates with a scoop of guacamole on one and the other had pico de gallo on it. The food was good and so was the quac. The bill comes and i am charged $4 for a side of guacamole and $4 for a side of pico de gallo. My food already came with guacamole and the waitress never told me that. She also never told me that the guacamole or pico de gallo was $4. She took the guacamole off my bill after I said something about it and gave me a “sorry” after asking her why she didn’t tell me that the pico cost extra. If I would’ve paid for both items it would’ve cost almost the same amount as my meal which was $10. Watch your bill here and ask questions. The waitress I had told us nothing.

Thomas Bostroem

Wanted to give a higher rating but just couldn't do it because of terrible and very inefficient service. Food was decent to almost great but stay alert if you have allergies.

Anderson Felix

Not a bad place. But it's your typical Mexican food menu

Edna Hurley

Nice place, it if you want a nice drink, prepare to fork out some serious coins. Food and service was pretty good! We enjoyed ourselves and left broke :)

Max Olack

The food could be better. But it's a great place to hang out

Aalekh Gupta

Cactus cantina combined the relaxed vibe with good food, great service and inexpensive prices. Almost all their tables were full so reservations are recommended. We were a group of 7-8 people and they were able to service us without any hiccups. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Highly recommended!

Rana Emad

Pretty good tex mex restaurant. Their guacamole and chips were really good. I had tacos and even though the flavors were great, they got soggy on the bottom so the tortilla sort of fell apart. We had the quesadilla (chicken and cheese) and that was really good! They have two size options (full and half). The full option has two tortillas and the half is just one tortilla folded. The sea food soup was also surprisingly good. The broth was very flavorful and the seafood itself was nicely cooked (not over/under cooked).

m rivera

Went yesterday with a group of friends. The server was very unattentive and delayed one of my friends order. We were waiting for a drink refill and he was no where to be found. We looked around and we saw him talking another young server. I ordered the chicken and veggies fajitas which my personal favorite, however last night, the food was flavorless and didn't taste great. And they raised the price of the food. I think that I will no longer return back. The food is too overpriced and the service provided was poor.

Jill Eckart

Great service! Delicious vegetarian fajitas, complimentary chips and salsa, and warm homemade tortillas make for a delicious meal.

Esra Akkaya

My favorite place in washington dc. I had dinner twice and loved steak fajitas served with beans, rice and avocado salad and tortillas which are made in front of us. Service and meals are excellent. Ambiance is really nice. It is mostly crowded and you may wait for a place unless you do not have a reservation in a rush hour. Highly recommended!

Anna Nicol

We come here at least once a month to get a pitcher of margaritas and dinner. I have almost always gotten the saltado de pollo, which has been fantastic every time. My boyfriend loves the fish tacos. But really, you can't go wrong! Our go to place when we want some good, affordable food!

David Kiley

Really good food and friendly staff.

Mauricio Blanco

They have a great meat!!

Glen Charles

Good food, but not handicap friendly

Daniel Gibson

First of all, the service staff was great. Nice demeanor and made sure everything was good and tried to fix what wasn't. However two out of 6 plates were very cold and had to get warmed up. The soft tortilla on the tacos were very rubbery and unpleasant. Two of our (different) drinks went back for a refill and the cups were swapped. I got my drink in my friend's cup (his straw was bitten and mine wasn't) the place was very loud and crowded but that wasn't a bother as we were just grabbing a quick bite. Advising that it may not be a go to spot for a nice quiet night out. I would return but will probably order the fajitas to not have the microwaved tortilla issue. That was my main issue.

Tony Towler

Great nachos and happy hour. Queso yummers!

D L

The food remains delicious and the service, especially, around the bar, has been much better. Huge restaurant with several dining areas including a couple that can be sectioned off for a big group/ party. It's usually busy but it's worth the trip just for the flour tortillas. If you have gluten intolerance, my apologies. The only food I've had here that wasn't wonderful were the breakfast tacos. The tacos and sides were both just okay. It's a new food item so hopefully it'll get better. Sad that there are no good breakfast tacos in this area... The fajitas (all types) are by far my favorite. I'm glad this place has stuck around with all the new restaurants and upgrades to this area.

Cole Rosner

Great Mexican food, lots of food for cheap prices. Service is nice as well. Pitchers of margaritas are expensive for the area as well. The Burrito Gordo is amazing as are the fajitas!

Cory Middleton

Great service, laid back atmosphere, and amazing spicy margaritas. Highly recommended if you're in the area. Locally owned and operated as well.

Heidi Kurniawan

This is a classic Tex-Mex cantina place with the most delicious flour tortillas. The atmosphere is lively and fun, and the patio can get especially crowded on a nice day. I got the Monday special chicken and veggie fajitas, and it was enough food for three people, especially with the free chips and salsa that it comes with. A family-friendly restaurant with a large variety of options for everyone. The chips and salsa were fine; not anything to write home about, but of course I appreciate that they're free and I classically filled up way too much on them before my entree even arrived!

Thomas Rossetti

Great place. Been exactly the same for years and I love it. Always excellent food and excellent service.

Eduardo Roca

Always good Tex Mex food and pleasant atmosphere. Have been going to this place since I was a kid, definitely a must visit for DC restaurants.

David Kenney

Very Kid Friendly. Great place for group outings or a family dinner.

Judy Balsanek

Excellent Food and Service ~ Family Oriented

Tamara Parker

My fav DC restaurant forever.

Jean-François Ager

Great mexican food. Professionals employees.

Olga Barkaleva

Portions are really huge, but taste... It's definitely could be better. At least, they've got tasty salsa and nachos.

D DF

I went with my wife Sunday, the host was really welcoming. But the waiters were all unprofessional, sad, and with not idea how to work on a restaurant. I was really disappointed with the service. Seems that it changed manager.

Hank LeMieux

Busy/lots of fun, wide selection of tasty Tex-Mex dishes, solid margaritas, light/crispy chips.

Asheley Jordan

Great food, fun atmosphere, but we were told our server "went upstairs with the manager" and she never came back. We had to hunt someone down to pay our bill. Other than that, great place!

C.J. McNally

best steak fajitas

Matthew Belew

It is a fun place

Jeff Clough

Decent. No more overpriced than anything else in DC.

nickzas

A well known place and that's for a reason. If you've been to Lauriol Plaza you'll find yourself at home here. A really varied menu with all of the classic Mexican foods you could want. I've had tacos, chimichangas, grilled meats, and more and I've enjoyed them all!

Rebecca Jones

Love the service and the food is always great.

Anthony Bruno

Excellent food and service. Great frozen margaritas! I could definitely lose an afternoon here with a few friends. Nice split atmosphere with a lively bar area up front and a family friendly dining area to the side. It can get busy but theirs plenty of seating. My only nit pick is its a bit pricey for Mexican food. I guess they have to cover the NWDC rent...

Nikki Goode

Great food and even greater service!

Hey Ron G.

Love the Cactus Cantina, Lariol Plaza twin, but more casual, bit cheaper, atmosphere rocks (not as formal).

Mark Weinress

Decent food, not very authentic and nothing great. It's friendly and it's a large place. It's been here forever, so a lot of people like it better than I do

Nicholas Weihbrecht

Solid Tex Mex restaurant with solid margaritas

Kevin Kulas

Was trying to go somewhere else, but the other place was closed. Was pleasantly surprised by the food here. I like the chips as they are thinner and the salsa was very good. Had the chicken and spinach quesadillas which were also good. I might have given it 5 stars if I had a main course.

Tobias E

Light and crispy chips and smooth salsa is always a delight. Lunch beers were small and overpriced but the food was good. I got the lunch special chicken and veggies fajitas and my wife got the brisket tacos. Both were tasty and well prepared.

Michael Quinn

Nice neighborhood spot, but the food is thoroughly mediocre.

isai pineda

the attencion is so bad

Anthoni LA Edwards

Great atmosphere, good food, portion size platters were well portioned and really busy for a friday night.

David MacDougall

Fast service with sterile staff as to be expected. Food was tasty and plentiful. Salsa and chips on point. Wide variety of menu choices. Huge place. Friendly greeting. Enter off Wisconsin Ave, not the side street.

Yuloff Creative

the chips and salsa were amazing

Tatisha Mckay

Margaritas here are really good. Mixed really well.

Yildiz Kosoglu

Great place, great food.

Tommy Lawrence

Was not the best Mexican food in DC, Guapos has done better. The margaritas were good, the queso was excellent, but the service, tacos, and seafood dish was subpar. The shrimp tacos were made with homemade tortillas, that fell apart under the wetness of the taco. The seafood was bland and didn't have enough flavor to it. The queso though, we would go back for the queso!

Dr. Morteza Delroba

Love this place , on my way to Georgetown. Great menu and service , can be crowded some evenings.

Emily Butler

When I worked at American University, this was a frequent staff spot for us and it never disappointed. They make one of my favorite quesos and keep the chips and dip flowing. The restaurant is MASSIVE so its always easy to snag a table. The food has always been delicious and service is usually quick and attentive. I love all their seafood options. Margs and sangria are also quite good. Their patio is nice (if you can snag a table there, as it fills up!).

Jack's Back Pack

Cactus Cantina is an institution in the neighborhood. I rarely get the chance to spend time north of downtown, but when I do I always insist on coming here. Masitas de Puerco is my go to order (roasted Cuban pork) and is one of those items you may likely never order at a Mexican restaurant (let alone find on the menu). Food is fresh, large seating with list of arrangements and great outdoor patios. Across the street from National Cathedral, so if you find yourself up this way on a DC trip, stop in, you will not be disappointed.

Roger Myers

Good Tex Mex... good ambiance... Indoor / Outdoor seating. Take home portions. Good service and decor. Casual

Laura Burns

Staff is great, good food , affordable prices

Cem KILIÇKAPLAN

The place has a lot of space and seating and a nice decoration with some unique items, such as old Mexican movie posters.. I had dinner here twice and both times it was crowded. However they have enough seating. There is also an outdoor seating available, but it is not really enjoyable as it directly faces the avenue, so there is a lot of traffic noise. I tried different dishes and they were all nice. Their beer selection was also good. The staff was OK.

Kim Kennedy

I love this place, I visit from Florida, so clean and food fresh, excellent, great bartender, young guy Walter, sweet

Freedom Lover

I love this place! No surprise it's always busy. My favorite is the seafood enchiladas. And It's way too easy to eat too much of their tortilla chips before your order arrives specially if you're having drinks.

Aria Brown

This is one of my favorite places to go. The homemade salsa & tortilla chips are awesome. I usually get the enchiladas, but the last time I went. I ordered a salmon & shrimp dish that wasn't good. The sauce didn't have any flavor & it didn't pair well with the seafood. The frozen peach margaritas are good. Overall it's a good place.

AJ XYZ

Quesadilla was fresh made in the dining room and tasty.

Jason Searight

enormous location but great food. Felt a bit lonely in there because it was so big.

Kathy Bovino

Cactus Cantina has a fun atmosphere both inside and out and consistently great food. Their tortillas are made in house using a tortilla machine and their salsa is delicious. You cannot go wrong with any choice- terrific enchiladas ( love the seafood and the shredded beef especially), chili rejano. Definitely my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. I would miss it if I ever had to move!

Seth Kirshen

Always good quality food, lively atmosphere and great service. One of our regular neighborhood spots to grab dinner.

Triste Fille

Busy but the staff were very friendly and welcoming

Ben Miller

Greatest beef fajitas in the world. Delicious margaritas. Can't beat that. Go here!

Shimeles Beyene

Place is crowded and it is hard to get convenient seat. I give that to their nice service. I loved the bar limited menu but they do it fine. love the beer

Andrea Naletto

Tex mex place. even the tortilla chips are average. fast service

Jane Stark

The staff here is amazing! They were compassionate when one of party had a health issue and went above and beyond to help us through it. Oh yeah, and food and margaritas were great too!

sergio candia

I love to come here. Food is really good, drinks, ambience, you name it. This place is the best.

Norman Gold

Average Mexican food but very popular

Pattie Nantume

We go here often but the food never disappoints. Flavorful tex-mex with great chips and guacamole

Samuel L

Pretty good atmosphere. Lots of chips and salsa, food and drinks are average.

Bianca Rezende

I love this restaurant so much. The food is always soo good and the people there are always so nice. They're also family and kids friendly, so I totally recommend it!

Dan Epley

Great food!

animecost

the frozen margarita drink were awesome

Esin Eskinat

apparently within one week they decided to decrease the size of their drinks by adding more ice or water instead of increasing the prices. I would be ok with paying more for a decent drink but now I am really sorry that I lost my favorite friday lunch spot.

George Taube

Not bad Tex-Mex. Great for lunch or an informal dinner with friends. Parking is on the street. Service was excellent. Great to go with children. Chips are one of the best I ever had.

Ryan Cantrell

Great food, good service, good prices.

Edith Carballo

I had the tacos with Shrimp and they were great.

Mark Campolongo

The staff was very pleasant, but they didn't get the order right. We decided to just eat what was brought since the items were some of what we were thinking about. The meals were all quite good.

George Junca

Great service and wide variety of options on menu

Chaturbhuj bhojwani

Excellent food, my kids love this place this is their favorite spot.

Cristina Giraldo

Service is good.food is ok. Overpriced.

Devon Williams Mulhollen

Chips are great. Dinner is OK. Great for kids!

Alison Sleva

Indoor/outdoor seating. Great food - chips and salsa were put out extremely fast. Even my three year old loved the salsa. Frozen margarita was delicious! This was my first time there, but I have a strong feeling that we will be back

Brian Holm-Hansen

The tamales were very good. The seafood soup was very tasty with scallops, shrimp, mussels, calimari, and fish in a light broth. Hearty, rustic bread was served with the soup. The delicous steak was served with grilled onions, a grilled jalepeno, advocado pico de gallo. To top it all off, Negra Modelo is on draft and served in a frosted mug. Cheers!

Julie Osborn

Live out of state now, but had to stop at one of my favorite places. Prices are pretty high now, but food was good.

Kim Arceneaux

Great food and service.

Mike Fiore

It was recommended for having good Mexican food. Being from Arizona, I have a high bar for what is considered good Mexican.. this place wasn't bad for the east coast.

johnny O.

Good food and fast service

Jarrett Hughes

Attentive service no wait good value for food

Pete Graybash

Been visiting for at least 15 years. Love the food! Fresh tortillas and salsa are excellent.

Manny Rivera

Great spot with great food. I recommend the steak platter (any of their variety). Everyone if friendly and courteous. Overall, service and food are exceptional.

Pete

Monday to Thursday are always busy. Friday to Saturday you will have to wait but trust me it’s worth the time. This restaurant is huge and have many selection of food and drinks. If you like Mexican Food, you have to check out this place with you are in the DC area. Vegetarian you guys are in luck, plenty of options in here. Staffs are always very friendly. I been to this restaurant, since when I was in High School with my family and friends. This is one of our favorite places in the DMV. Every time after a good meal, meet and my friends will have to walk down the street to the Washington National Cathedral to digest our food. Every second in this restaurant is worth it of your time.

Zach Hardy

Ate here tonight and honestly I felt underwhelmed by the food. Large portions and it was fine but not really worth the money. Flavors felt bland and watered-down compared to some of the cheaper Tex-Mex places you can find in parts of MoCo and NoVA. Guess restaurants feel the need to spiffy-up the food for the DC crowd.

Josh Poland

Homemade tortillas and good quality ingredients. One of the best Mexican places in DC. It's not noisy and the decor is unique. The service was OK, but the food running was a bit disorganized. Otherwise these are the tortillas dreams are made of and I can't wait to come back.

Zack Z

Cactus Cantina is by far the best resturant I have been to in D.C. the service is outstanding and the food is impecable. Plenty of room to bring the whole family with the killer family meal prices. Gotta love Cactus Cantina!

aj solomon

Had a nice dinner here before performing at the National Cathedral which is just down the street. The service was excellent. the place was clean. The food was fresh and the guacamole two thumbs up.

Holger Paas

My favorite restaurant in Washington DC. Great location! Great ambience! Great service! Love the homemade tortillas. I highly recommend the chicken & steak fajitas.

M. Marzulla

Food is always great here. The place was packed, but we were still seated right away and the service was great!

Kimberly Wheeler

The tacos, beans and rice were delicious. Everything came out quickly and the staff was very nice.

Kathy Aghassy

Great food and drink.

Bert Thomas

I feel like they've updated this place. Looks even better than I remember. Food is incredible.

Gretchen Carlton

Good food. Relaxed atmosphere.

D PHall

Really great food! Friendly staff

Jamie Hamilton

The food and service are fine. There are other, smaller, authentic Mexican restaurants that I prefer but my son really enjoyed watching the staff make corn tortillas while we ate, so, four stars.

Paul Uppole

Fajitas best thing on the menu and very worth the trip

Perry- Hudson

We had an awesome time as a family, the table next to us had a birthday and got empanadas with a candle for dessert. The waitress was friendly and engaging. Great food for a fair price.

Tony Fuentes

Before we left DC years ago we would frequent Cactus Cantina often and always loved it. Years later we return and we're happy to report that it hasn't changed. The service is still great, the food is still delicious, and the environment is still cozy and kid friendly. Great memories have been made here. Thank you Cactus.

Kane Lewis

It was literally just ok...

John McGowan

The service was amazing, I am not one to write a good review if it's not deserving. This place is authentic and yummy, great for a meal out. Try the tamales! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Francisco Hernandez

Great service and food

Nia Frieson

Great food. Great atmosphere. Great prices.

Glenda Chandler

Seasoning not very good. Staff friendly but I think the waiter stole my credit card number. Left there and got a 2000.00 charge to a car lot.

Gary House

Had not been there for a couple years, I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the chips and salsa and the chicken and vegetable fajitas were excellent.

Aa-Ron G

Cactus!! Better than Lariol Plaza (same owner...less fancy...less expensive..better parking) Fajitas and quesadillas. Get 'em.

tcaf90

My family and I have been coming here since I was a kid, and it has been consistently delicious over the 20 years I've been a customer. I'm so glad they've stayed open and in the same location all this time. I hope they never close! I will always recommended their food. :)

Derek DiGiacomo

Nothing fancy! Nothing superfluous. Cactus Cantina is just a really good Tex Mex spot. The space is huge but knowledgeably staffed. Can sometimes feel like a party inside, but I guess that's kind of the point...

Rose Hacle

Love those margaritas! The food is good as well

Beck Wofford

GREAT chips & salsa. I had the shrimp tacos. The shrimp was very fresh and had a good green sauce with the

Terry Atwell

Food & service are excellant!!

Dennis Davenport

Good Tex-Mex restaurant with typical dishes and some a little different. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is relaxing, albeit a little noisy at times. I would recommend Cactus Cantina for anyone who likes Tex-Mex.

Yves Newvillamor

Still one of my favorite Tex Mex to eat in. Great service. Price is not overpriced and well worth it. The platter is recommended if you are coming in with lots of people. Great atmosphere. Street parking can be tough but there is paid parking by the Giant.

Robert Fuhrer

Tex-Mex very good & popular place!

Vlogger Bogger Sports

Really good food

Eric Suh

The food is great here, along with the staff. Also, for you football fans, they have Dish Network so you can watch any game that's on that day.

Carole Tea

Excellent

Patrick Rusk

A favorite of mine in DC for 23 years. Lots of delicious options, ample portions. Alcoholic beverages too expensive for me, though.

David Woodhead

We love the authentic Tex-Mex food in a lively environment with lots of outdoor seating, a block and a half from National Cathedral

Joshua DeMoss

As a displaced in Texan in DC, this place hits the spot. The salsa is delicious and every dish I’ve had hits the spot. If I want Tex-Mex and no I’ll get solid food every time, I go to cactus cantina.

Merry L

I love Cactus for a quick spot of Mexican! Food is delicious, and staff are very courteous.

Cameron Goble

Actually may be the worst mexican style food in a 100 mile radius. I consider taco bell better Mexican food and it's not really even Mexican.

blakemo98

Always a good time here. Food was good, server was great and the food came out fast. I recommend this place for a meal any day of the week.

Dimple Jariwala

Great food and atmosphere

Geoff Thomas

A bargain spot with good food and attentive staff. Been there for dinner and lunch. Both times took a doggy bag back. Well seasoned, with a wide variety of TexMex favourites.

Pamela Maria Carpousis

Always tasty. Food's very consistent, and speedy for this hungry gal. They get those chips and salsa on the table nice'n fast! Cosmos could use some work. You know how good it smells coming in? Well, it smells so good coming out, that I want to go back in and eat all over again!

karen kreutzberg

Exceptional place known to DC locals. This restaurants been operating for over 30 years in the same family. quality is consistently great. Great buzz. beautiful meal & traffic value. it’s a winner!

Eddie Mason

Every time I come here I feel like I’m overpaying for mediocre mexican food. I just do not understand what everyone loves about this place. There are many better tasting and cheaper options around DC.

Wayne Horton-Martin

Mostly standard Tex Mex. Service was top notch - waiter appeared whenever you needed anything and was invisible otherwise. Drop a Napkin? Bam he was handing you a fresh one. Large restaurant. Went for early dinner at five and it was packed. Save room for sopapillas or churro.

Bruce Campbell

Been going there 25 yrs always nice good food nice staff