Cactus South Lake Union — Restaurant in Seattle

I had a few things here. We started off with the chips & guac, which also came with salsa. I found the tortilla chips to be really good - they were quite fresh, thin, and crunchy. The guac and salsa they provided weren't bad either - I thought the guac was light on seasoning but had a decent avocado flavor

The main entree I had here was the Poblano Chile Relleno. This was a green chili pepper stuffed with cheese, on a bed of some rice and beans I can't say this was my favorite. The stuffing being nothing but cheese got pretty one-note after a bit. The taste of the Monterey Jack cheese wasn't bad, but it felt plain. As for the outside, it was a large green chili covered with a light layer of breading from the frying process. The outside breading was a little bit crunchy, but I thought the chili pepper itself wasn't very spicy, and was more on the sweeter side. Also, eating such a large pepper didn't feel amazing in the stomach

I did quite like the rice & beans provided in the plate, though. There was just the right amount of it, and there was a slight, but not excessive, sweetness to the whole thing. Pretty pleasant as a palate cleanser

We ordered churros as a dessert as well, and these were pretty solid. They weren't as sweet as churros normally are, as it was a bit light on powdered sugar, but I found that to be better because it let you focus more on the churro itself than just tasting sugar. It was also a bit light on cinnamon, but the actual churro was fried very well and managed to be both crispy and soft. The Mexican chocolate provided as a dipping sauce was great as well

Since it was our first time, they brought out a free Three Milk Cuban Flan for us. I'm really glad they did, because this was astoundingly good. It tastes a bit like Tres Leches cake, owing to the same combination of three types of milks, but this has an amazingly soft texture and you can really taste the egg in there as well. It resembled a pudding in a way, but was so soft and sweet it was hard not to eat more.

This place is pretty expensive. For chips & salsa/guac that's free in a lot of other Mexican restaurants, it cost $10 here. Same with the churros. Each entree we had cost around $20 as well, which was a lot if you were getting just tacos or a chimichanga. The free flan helped, but expect to spend $30/person here.

Overall, the entree was middle of the pack, but the appetizers and dessert were excellent. A little bit too expensive for my...

Upscale Mexican spot in the heart of Seattle—good food, but prepare for the price tag. I recently visited Cactus, a modern Mexican restaurant that’s popular with the downtown Seattle crowd—especially Amazon employees working nearby. I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars because while the food and drinks are well-crafted, the pricing and automatic gratuity policy can make the bill feel heavier than expected.

Ambiance: 4.5/5 The restaurant has a vibrant, modern vibe with stylish decor and a lively energy—especially during peak hours. It’s clearly designed to attract the after-work crowd and weekend diners alike. Be aware that it can get pretty packed, so I recommend making a reservation if you’re going during lunch or dinner rush.

Authenticity: 4/5 Cactus leans more toward modern Mexican fusion than traditional recipes, but the flavors are well-balanced and thoughtfully prepared. You won’t find ultra-traditional dishes here, but the kitchen does a great job of elevating Mexican staples with a creative twist.

Flavor: 4.5/5 Every dish we tried was solid. Fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and well-executed cooking all around. Their taco platters and enchiladas were especially impressive, and they have a strong cocktail list to match. It’s clear they care about flavor and presentation.

Cost: 3.5/5 This is where things start to dip. The prices are on the higher side, and when you’re dining with a large group, they automatically add a 20% gratuity. With food and drink costs already higher than average, the total can quickly add up. While I respect tipping, I prefer when it’s optional based on service quality—not automatic.

Service: 4/5 The staff are efficient and friendly, despite how busy the place gets. That said, wait times can be long during peak hours, and you might end up waiting even with a reservation. Still, the team handles the volume well overall.

Final Verdict: 4/5 If you’re in downtown Seattle looking for flavorful modern Mexican food in a trendy setting, Cactus is a dependable choice. Just go in knowing that it’s a bit pricey, and the automatic gratuity might catch you off guard. Good food, good drinks—just bring a...

Called an hour before needing a table to see if there was a wait or reservation available for 5. I was informed they had no reservations and I needed to go online to put my name on the waitlist.

Which I understand due to the lead time, so I added my name on the waitlist, and we walked over to the restaurant a few blocks away. Once we got there, I was told the Waitlist was down, and they had no table for us.

They said there was no way they could seat us, and that we needed to find somewhere else. This was hard because we had a very limited window to eat, and we couldn't confirm the time for us to get lunch until we got closer due to working an event. As a manager, trying to treat my team out for lunch, this turned into a bad experience of Cactus.

The walk and time spent trying to eat here forced us to hunt for something quick before walking back to the building. Due to this, I can't rely on this place for service, nor would I refer it to any of my co-workers/ partners.

We substituted picking up food from El Grito Taqueria, and the food was excellent! They weren't slammed like Cactus, they were very friendly and were able to get us food before we had to run back to our event. 10/10 would recommend El Grito Taqueria if you need something guaranteed...