Cactus Cantina Gulf Shores — Restaurant in Gulf Shores

I usually get cactus cantina to go most of the time instead of dining in. I love the one in Foley and the ones in Orange Beach! I hardly eat “in person” at the one in Gulf shores, but I did tonight and I WILL NOT return. The staff was made up of majority unprofessionals who acted as if they have been drinking on the job honestly. Our waitress was very nice and professional but the rest of the ones working were not. I have diabetes and no gallbladder and have to use the restroom immediately after eating most of the time. The restroom here is a single use one for women and a single use one for men. Upon entering the women’s restroom I immediately notice that it is disgusting but I have no other choice but to use it (because with the meds I’m on it’s either that or have an accident on myself). The restroom was covered in garbage and toilet paper all over the floor. There looked to be what looked like dried vomit on one of the toilet paper holders. The paper towel dispenser was empty and instead of them putting the roll back in the dispenser to be used properly the roll was setting on the side of the sink to get splashed with water is very time someone used the sink water. The sink and floors were in desperate need of a clean. You can tell that no one had tended to the bathroom in a long while. While I was using the restroom an employee was waiting to use the restroom and proceeded to stand outside the door (where I could hear everything they were saying). And kept saying she had to pee real bad and knocking on the bathroom door. When I came out of the restroom she looked at me and realized I was a customer and said “oh sorry”. I walked passed her and bk to my table. At which time she decides to act a fool at how the bathroom smelled and gets some of her coworkers in on the “joke” she actually grabbed a male coworker to go in the bathroom (a women’s bathroom) to sniff it to continue to joke and laugh about it. I watched the whole situation unfold in front of me with embarrassment and horror. I guess they didn’t realize I was watching but it makes me wonder if the lady was even sober. She had been drinking out of her Stanley cup quiet a lot and makes me wonder if there was more than just “water or soda” in her cup. I proceed to tell my husband about the situation upon leaving and he tells me while I was in the restroom he saw a big cockroach run across the floor and our waitress saw it and just walked past it like it was normal. I don’t know who owns or manages this place but I would do a check in on my establishment and employees...

So here’s my issue. We call to order chicken fajitas to go with corn tortillas. No big deal. We inform the lady on the phone we have celiac so if they can make sure the tortillas were corn and let them know there’s an allergy that would be great. We understand not every place can confirm 100% no gluten contamination. We get it. But all we ask is that a business tries it’s best when we make a calculated risk. Ideally the only thing involved in fajitas that would be contaminated would be flour tortillas and any space they touch. We both have worked in food service so we know all it requires is some diligence and a wipe down. The real issue was when in response to us saying there was a gluten allergy, the lady on the phone said, “ We don’t know what that is!” And “There’s differing opinions on what gluten is!” Very hostile and it was clear the lady did not want our business even when we tried to educate her that gluten is just any by product of wheat. I feel like a nag for saying it, but she really did make us feel less than. And for educational purposes, a gluten allergy isn’t like mild lactose intolerance or some other food sensitivity. It can cause muscular spasms, throat closings, hives, stomach and mouth ulcers, and more. So we know we take risks when we go out to eat and when we are able to we like to trust that our food will be handled with care gluten free or not. This phone call made me feel like they didn’t care what food they were slinging and only wanted money from tourists using the path of least resistance. We have always enjoyed these locations around baldwin county and when we first moved here, we were so excited because we finally found passable salsa. But thankfully since then we have found better local businesses that appreciate our patronage and don’t try to belittle us for something...

There is absolutely nothing nice I can say about our experience. First we waited 20 minutes for our table, not bad but then they tried to fit 7 at us at a table for 4. We asked if there was another table and the hostess said we could sit at separate tables. We said that we were trying to eat out together so they said there was but it would be 15 minutes for it to be bussed. Ok we walked back out and waited. We are finally sat at a table (mind you they were at about 50% capacity.) and apparently you dont have to sweep there. Every table had chips crushed underneath it. The menus were sopping wet and had to be pried apart. We sat for 10 minutes for a drink order. We then sat 25 minutes waiting for straws after our drinks were delivered. Another 10 minutes later our orders were taken, well actually we were asked if we were ready and then the server stated she didn't have a pen. Our food was delivered fairly quickly. However the fajita nachos veggies were completely raw and had the ends of the peppers in it. The fried ice cream wasn't fried at all but a ball of ice cream rolled in corn flakes. However the garnish was fried and served in a pool of grease on the plate. We had to ask for straws, ask for refills, ask for spoons, ask to have our check taken, all because the server would quickly turn away as fast as possible and run to the door. We felt like we were a bother. The food sucked, the service sucked, and honestly if we hadn't been there as a family for mothers day I would have walked out long before I even ordered. They were not short staffed, they were not that busy, they just did not care. One table next to us were tired of waiting for their check to be taken so the wife left and hit an atm and came back with her husband still sitting there. This was our first time, we...