Cactus Cantina — Restaurant in Washington

Been here, eaten and drank on about 6 occasions. Food is consistently very good and quantity sufficient for the price. Beer comes in one size which is small. House margaritas on the rocks are good but made in a machine. Bathrooms and restaurant is kept clean in areas open to public. Most of the staff are pleasant enough and willing to engage. New review April 27, 2018. Conviently close can be challenging at some point. So, we've been patrons of the Cactus Cantina for approximately 6 late lunch early dinners now. Including the late lunch we just consumed; April 27, 2018. My previous reviews on Google had rated this restaurant in the range of (4.0-4.4) as I recall. As I have frequently cited, consistency is critical. This business has been here many years and obviously has a well established word-of-mouth following and loyals. As I stated to my partner/wife, we will not be going back anytime soon, never-say-never rule being cited here. So, you perhaps are wondering, what has changed? As is often the the case; there are at least a few factors effecting this newest review. First, and perhaps not foremost is that there is much competition for/alternative Mexican/South America options within a reasonable radius. I'm telling you now; based on what I have read and yet to experience, if you truly want a better overall quality of food in this style, take the time.to read some reviews and make a decision on those reviews which are more substantive, and then make a decision! The quality and quantity here at Cactus Cantina has slipped. The crispy tacos are good but thin and lacking on the meat, "where's the beef.? I had the con pollo version. The plate was alot of fluff, lettuce and lacked the size, it matters right! The side of guacamole was pathetic, smaller than the past experiences. The side of pinto beans was very good and the blacks as well, had my partners. Partners fish tacos were good but not very good, same theme here; Cactus Cantina seems to have opted in for reducing the quantity on the "core" ingredients and attempting to pass-off this in a manner most do not recognize unless you are paying attention, care, and/or otherwise recognize. I took many pictures which I hope to add with the date here. The service was very good this time and has been very good except on one occasion. The interior is spacious with many different areas which would be very good to potentially have a office party or otherwise. Enjoy? The new rating should be in the range of...

I met a girlfriend here for lunch as I was on that side of town. I had never been before, and she recommended it. I arrived first, and the gentleman who greeted and seated me was very friendly and turned out to be our server. He checked on me a few times as I waited for my gf to arrive and brought chips and salsa. You always know a good Mexican restaurant by the chips and salsa. The chips were warm, crispy and fresh and the salsa had a little spice, but not too much.

Once she arrived and was seated, he quickly came over to take orders. We knew we'd be there for a while so we ordered a pitcher of spicy margarita, but they were out of the tequila, so we settled for a pitcher of the house. Though it was a house margarita, it was still tasty.

As I had never been, I was torn between the spinach and seafood enchiladas and the sante fe platter. He said the seafood enchiladas were very good and the Santa fe platter was very popular among the vegetarian customers. My gf opted for the seafood enchiladas so I ordered the Santa fe platter. The food came out fairly quickly. It looked better than it tasted.

I didn't get a pic of the seafood enchiladas as she cut me a piece before I had an opportunity. It was full of shrimp and scallops, but they weren't seasoned, so you can't just eat a piece of the seafood without the sauce. The tortillas were a little thicker than she expected, remembered or liked. The Sante Fe platter looked like it was going to be delicious, but it too disappointed. The cheese in the cheese enchilada was more of a congealed glob than melted, the chile relleno was ok, but the pepper and the cheese inside were mild and the pepper itself was crunchy. It was more like eating a green bell pepper with cheese. The guacamole taco is guacamole inside a hard shell taco. It came to the table like at the top of the shell with toppings on the side. Not what I was expecting at all.

Though the food was disappointing, the company, drinks and service were great. The restaurant is a very family friendly environment as we saw groups of all ages. If I were on that side again, I would only go to Cactus...

Okay look I'm usually a positive reviewer but this place was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me.

I think service is just as important as food. This place really is huge so I get there's lots of work to be done. But none of the waiters or waitresses had any urgency infact we had 3 bowls of chips before we got our waters. Now I will say the only human I saw running and working was a food runner named Juan. Even the owner /manager came out and moved at snail speed. I noticed only the food runners were really going fast. Very dissatisfied with service except Juan and his team.

After 40 minutes of no one waiting on us, I had to speak up to get service.

On to the food.

I will say If none of the above happened they would have gotten 5 stars cause the chips and food was beautiful shout out to the chef. Drinks were also great so bar tenders keep it up. I will say my last picture does have a small hair in it. I really would not have even mentioned it if the service was better.

I really wanted to leave a better review but I just couldn't. I would like to give this place one more chance in the future because food was so tasty and dressed...