Cactus Restaurant
(206) 324-4140
4220 E Madison St
Seattle,
WA
98112
47.636
-122.278
Neighborhoods: Capitol Hill, Madison Park
What People Are Saying About Cactus Restaurant
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
This Madison Park neighborhood spot draws in everyone from families socializing over sangria to boisterous parties of folks fresh out of college. On weekend nights, it's likely that hordes of customers are waiting to be seated, but a little patience will be rewarded with a meal that seldom disappoints.
The Food
The menu offers everything from classic fajitas to sweet Yucatan carnitas. For extra heat, try the fiery green-chili soup; those with spice phobias should head straight for the mild Santa Fe enchiladas. Seafood lovers might order zarzuela, a rich Spanish stew, and create a little fusion fun with an accompanying side order of the Indian fry bread drizzled with honey. Mesquite-barbecued chicken tends to dryness that not even an extra mojito can hide.
User Reviews
juanalonso
April 06, 2009
It had been a while since I had been to the Cactus Restuarant on Madison so reminded by the Rachel Ray Vacation show, we headed down on Sunday around 4pm. I remember how great the food used to be and still is. The butternut squash enchiladas are genius! The food is top notch. What it suffers from is what I find in a lot of Seattle restaurants; bad service and weak drinks. Our waiter would have been more at home guiding a Universal Studios tour bus. He kept repeating exactly the same routine in the same tour-bus style at every table but I'm not sure he listened to anything the customers said. The first thing he pushed was the guacamole. We said yes but he never brought it. He later said "Oh yeah, that was totally my fault". Duh, it sure wasn't mine. There was no attempt to make it better. Also, the tamales were being "pushed" as well because they were "made fresh daily". does that mean the rest of the food is stale? The "Cactus" margarita was super weak, perhaps the bartender also "forgot" to put tequila in it. The table next to us also complained among themselves about the poor service and weak drinks. It could have been a great experience but the lack of care from management, (and yes, it's the management's fault if you have lousy staff), made the experience more like mediocre inspite of the excellent food. I'd like to give it another try, but I won't take anyone there that I'm trying to "Seattle impress".
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c3b
June 16, 2008
I have heard for years on how great Cactus is.... NOT!!! The food was lacking in flavor , the drinks where just OK??? and the service person was not very freindly.
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justin70
March 12, 2008
I live close by the Cactus so it used to be my spot in the hood to meet friends. I still go there occassionally because the Mojitos and Margaritas are great but the food has really taken a turn downhill. My recommendation is to go for a drink and the nachos for an early happy hour. If you go later you will end up waiting for an hour or more for mediocre food and will be disappointed.
read full reviewThe Details on Cactus Restaurant
Know Before You Go:
Portions are generous: Both "big plates" and tapas provide ample opportunity for sharing and tasting.
When to Go:
Service is notably better on weeknights, when the restaurant is less crowded.
Category:
Payment Methods:
Check, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Family-Friendly Dining, Outdoor Dining
