Cactus Rose Cafe — Restaurant in Indian Trail

I decided to try this restaurant after a friend recommended it. Sadly, my experience was not as good as my friend's must have been.

Before I go into details, let me first say that I have worked in the restaurant industry many years ago. I understand that bad days happen. However, I give an honest opinion when I take the time to write these reviews. My review history will show that I try to be fair.

We went for a late lunch last Tuesday. The restaurant was not busy at all. Most aren't at 2pm on a weekday. We ordered nachos for an appetizer which we were extremely disappointed with. Hardly any flavor and the presentation was anything but appealing. Now I don't expect some 5 star fine dining food presentation or anything. However, it looked as if someone in the kitchen took a basket of the free tortilla chips they serve out of a basket, tossed on some cheese & very bland beef, & stuck it under a heat lamp for a few minutes. I was told that this place is known for authentic Mexican food. I've had better nachos at Taco Bell if that tells you anything.

We ordered beef fajita burritos. This is one of my favorite dishes that I order at another Mexican restaurant. What I quickly learned is that the quality of food here is no where close to the other place I go. I won't mention the place here but I have reviewed them a few times.

We could not taste any seasoning on the beef or vegetables. We asked the server if the meat was grilled. It is not. If we understood our server correctly, they cook it on a flat top. Regardless, it was terribly bland as was the rice & beans.

The food is a bit on the pricey side considering the poor quality. Our bill for nachos, 2 fajita burritos & 2 teas was around $43.

On the bright side, our server was good. She's the sole reason for the 2 star review. This could have been just a bad shift for them. Perhaps going at 2pm wasn't the best idea. I'm not sure if we'll give it another try or not. If we do, it certainly won't be...

Delicious food, great menu, even better service! For those who remember Pedro's from E. Independence Blvd. in Charlotte, it's the same menu and recipes. One of the owners is Pedro's nephew. UPDATED COMMENT: Looking at the few negative comments has forced me to add remarks. These comments must have been made by people with an agenda, or they were at a different restaurant. The lady who complained about a lack of meat in a CHEESE quesadilla needs to understand something: CHEESE QUESADILLAS DON'T HAVE MEAT IN THEM, DUMMY! If you want meat in it, don't order a CHEESE quesadilla! Order one with meat! How do the others say the food isn't authentic? Where have you been eating Mexican food--Taco Bell? My wife and I eat at Cactus Rose on an average of twice a week. I have never observed any rudeness on the part of ANY one there, manager included. Some people look too hard for an excuse to be offended. They need to grow up and act...

We eat at Cactus Rose often. The food is great and the service is great. I don't think the people making the negative comments about it know what they are talking about. The waitresses are nice and do a great job. The manager/owners are good people and treat people right. As far as the cheese quesadilla not having meat....what did she expect? It's cheese. If you want meat added, ask for it! As far as rude people...they must have been talking about themselves, not the manager, owners or waitresses. As far as the food..the menu comes from the first Mexican restaurant in Charlotte called Pedeo's, which was originally opened by Pedro himself. I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone. Pedro's nephew and Deborah are the owner's and managers. The kitchen is spotless. Deborah bends over backwards to keep customers happy. Also, we love our special waitress, Candy! I love Cactus Rose, the food and the people so I give...