Fat Cactus Cantina — Restaurant in New Brunswick

Let me start by saying, me and my bf have been coming here since they first opened. We have brought several people here because we truly felt like their signature drink "the avocado margarita" was what really set this place apart from other Mexican restaurants in and around the area. So why 3 stars? Well, when we first got in the hostess wasn't the friendliest and when I asked if we can have a booth instead of a table she grabbed all the menus aggressively and moved to a booth without saying anything to assure us it was okay to switch. Second, we go to order our drinks and then our server wasn't even sure about the avocado margarita, she went to ask the bartender or whoever but when she came back she just stated that they no longer have the ingredients to make it so that's why it's not on the menu anymore? Anyway, my bf wants to order the frozen coolata which to his dismay they also didn't have that anymore?! It was only 5:40 by the time we sat down so I don't know. Then we just compromised and got two FROZEN strawberry and mango margaritas, look at the photo attached and tell me if those look frozen to you. Our drinks didn't come in margarita glasses, they weren't frozen, and my mango also just tasted like orange juice not a hint of mango in site. Truly disappointing and sort of ruined date night for us. The food was okay, but I do feel like any other good Mexican restaurant could make the same food, so that makes this place overpriced for the same food you'd get at another Mexican restaurant. I just feel like this place has cool decor and fun vibe and they really used to set themselves apart from other restaurants by having these fun and creative drinks. I think they are kinda falling off now. Our server was nice, and did what she could. Sadly I never once say a restaurant manager around checking in on guests cause I was going to let them know but they never came around. I'm so sad and disappointed to have to give this place 3 stars but I really think it feel off. Also weird side note, there is a man going around with a camera asking to take your photo (I thought it was for like restaurant promo), nope it was then printed and brought to us so we could buy?! That felt like a club things or like a cheap restaurant thing why the heck would we wanna buy a photo taking from a random dude with a mediocre DSLR camera that he printed two seconds ago and still has yellow lighting?! We all have smart photos now! That was a huge miss and just weird...

I honestly have no idea how this restaurant has a 4.5-star rating on Google. My girlfriend and I decided to try The Fat Cactus Cantina after seeing them on social media and checking out their reviews, but I have to say, we were extremely disappointed.

First, let me start by saying that I rarely ever write bad reviews. I usually try to give places the benefit of the doubt, but this experience was just too underwhelming not to mention.

The staff were friendly, and the atmosphere was decent, but the food? It was terrible. We started with the Mexican corn as an appetizer, and right away, I knew we were in for a letdown. The corn tasted like it came straight out of a can. Barely seasoned, no flavor, just extremely underwhelming and uninspired.

For our main meals, we ordered two different types of tacos, and I have to say, these were hands down the worst tacos I’ve ever had at a restaurant. The meat was completely bland, the tortillas tasted like they were straight from a grocery store package, and to top it off, they just threw some shredded cheese on there that wasn’t even melted. It honestly felt like a few Rutgers students across the street threw these meals together in their dorm rooms.

Absolutely no effort, just a lazy attempt at food that left me wondering how this place is even in business.

To make matters worse, for the quality of food we received, the prices were outrageous. And I want to be clear... I don’t want to sound like I’m just complaining about prices when going out to eat, because I don’t mind paying for good food. But this place was that bad. It felt like I got completely ripped off for what we were served.

With so many great spots out there serving quality Mexican food, I can’t see myself ever coming back here. The high ratings really don’t make sense based on our experience.

If you’re looking for good Mexican food,...

First off, my family wanted to sit outside, so the hostess took us outside and for some reason walked us to the furthest table from the establishment and said "oh there's a bunch of bugs out here I don't think you want to sit out here" my husband decided to sit inside. I wanted to object because someone was outside right in front of the establishment with no issues of bugs, but I knew my husband preferred inside anyway, so I let it go. (I've been in the business. I know they just didn't want to deal with having to serve one family outside) we sit down and try to order while you're screaming at the waiter over the music. Maybe that's some people's vibe, but if I wanted to scream over music, I would go to a lounge. The waiter must've been new because I asked him which quesadilla was beef. He told me one was ground beef, and the other was like steak. I said, "Are you sure, I'm pretty sure this one is pork." He assured me it wasn't. Against my better judgment, I ordered it, and sure enough, it's pork. He tried to tell me he told me it was pulled pork. No. False! I don't eat pork, I never would've ordered that. The food itself was average. Everything was spicy, which takes from the flavor, but I'm sure that was the point. (Just spice it up, people will love it, yet there's no flavor.) I paid almost $6 for an order of tostones, and I got three pieces. Do you understand that? THREE PIECES! THEY SELL THEM 3 FOR A DOLLAR AND I BARELY GOT HALF OF ONE. If I hated spicy food, I would give 1 star, but because I'm okay with spice, I gave 3. The bowl of rice was tiny as well, but it was delicious. Overall, there was nothing special about this place, and after we left, we saw 4 different families sitting outside on the opposite end of where the hostess took us. And guess what? No flies! Get new staff and lower...