Cactus Restaurant

11/14/08

excellent by candace p. at InsiderPages

Contributor at Insider Pages

I was surprised at the variety at this restaurant. I took my friend there for her birthday and had the cactus margarita and it was fabulous. I'm not usually a margarita fan but i loved his one. I also had the squash dish and it was very good! They brought out a brownie and ice cream dessert for my friend for her birthday which was nice and it also tasted very good. The atmosphere was comfortable and the service was top notch. This is an all around quality restaurant.

10/27/09

Quality has Taken a Vacation

by charliewookie at Citysearch

I have loved this restaurant since it opened a few years ago for the great atmosphere, friendly prompt service and its unique creative dishes. This week I was very disappointed in the carnitas which are actually pulled pork in a sweet barbeque sauce. It tasted terrible on the nachos and the tacos. It should not be called carnitas. Carnitas are succulent pieces or pork fried in lard and cut into small pieces with no sweet sauce. The salsa was boring as well. The new menu is not as exciting as the previous one. I like consistency in my eating establishments. Add some specials but leave the rest alone. Also they charge for chips and salsa which I find really pretentious. Seriously.

• Pros: Great atmosphere and service, interesting dishes
• Cons: Menu changed and carnitas are pulled pork.

08/18/09

Great spot for dinner and drinks

by dltlgirl at Citysearch

Loved the place! Great drinks, fast service, friendly fun atmosphere. You have to pay $3.00 to park after 5 pm.

• Pros: Friendly / Fast Service
• Cons: Parking

06/22/09

Great place to DRINK!!

by red_nina at Citysearch

Cactus is a great place for drinks, the food is ok, better for Happy hour. A good place to take a date, please leave the kids at home. The staff is fun, it's nice to see the same people there. They don't judge you if you drink too many margaritas, either. LOL

• Pros: Strong drinks!

04/27/09

Food has gotten really bad

by luckyram at Citysearch

We used to really like this place but that was few years ago. Now the food is just plain bad:-( We went there recently - rice and beans are bland. Beans seem to be out of can. Enchilada was made with deep fried tortillas - really oily! And the fish tacos were nothing special. Mexican food can be very flavorful and tasty - food here is just badly made.

• Pros: great location, decor
• Cons: Bad food!

12/18/08

I love this place

by labradley at Citysearch

This place is pretty hip in Kirkland these days and is always crowded at happy hour, but it's always fun too. The outdoor seating isn't in the sun if that's what you're hoping for, but they have those big outdoor heaters that still make it a nice place to hang out. And the bar staff is very efficient.

• Pros: good food, fun atmosphere
• Cons: crowded, outdoor seating not in the sun

06/29/08

Over Rated and Unimpressive

by cutebirdie at Citysearch

I am confused as to why people are willling to wait for a table to this restaurant. Admittedly, my sense of smell is probably more acute and efficient than most folks, but this restaurant was reeking of some type of stale urine when we visited it for lunch today. First of all, when we approached one of their workers (who was moving around their outside tables) at approximately 11:00 a.m. to ask what time this restaurant would open for lunch, he told us he wasn't sure. Okay! He obviously is clueless. We decided to wait for another half hour and lo and behold they were open! Good. So, we were excited to try this popular restaurant. As we entered the restaurant, the host was not friendly at all; he actually scowled at us as we came in. What's up with him? Then, after we were seated, we noticed the table was very sticky (in most places). Okay! So hygiene was not on the top of their list, along w/ the stale urine smell. I was very amazed that this place was considered "one of the best for Mexican food" in Kirkland. Not so in my opinion. The food was okay tasting, but not worth the uneasiness that I felt all during lunch. The smell, the unfriendly host, the cordial (but aloof) waiter, and the ill-trained bus boy were all bad advertisement for this restaurant.

• Pros: Food was okay
• Cons: Cleanliness, Parking

05/27/08

Not a good experience

by freewill81 at Citysearch

I heard from a few people that Cactus is amazing but my first experience was less than stellar. First of all, I might as well have been sharing a table with the people next to me because thats how close we were sitting. Secondly the service was slightly pushy and rushed. Third I had the Sonoran Spa Chicken ( I think thats what it is called) and I liked the combination of flavors until I bit into a burnt portion of the chicken. Yuck its hard to get that taste out of your mouth. Now I hate being a "Debbie Downer" but I didn't feel that the food or service was worth what I paid.

• Pros: good guacamole, cute decor
• Cons: pushy service

01/23/08

A fun place to go

by greiber at Citysearch

As you will see from many of the reviews here, there real reason to go to this place is the drinks. The food is also good, though the place next door (Jalisco Mexican) actually has better food. None-the-less, the meals are clever and fun and the place has happy, fuzzy, warm vibe that has never disappointed my wife or me.

You can bring your kids here fairly easily, assuming you and they can handle the 30-45 minute wait for a table that is pretty standard for this place on weekends. Conversely, if you are a hipster looking to tear up the town, you don't need to worry that you are stumbling into the Mexican Chuckie-Cheese. The pleasant bar and the deep booths lets everyone do their thing in the same place without overly crossing paths.

• Pros: It is a fun place that does everything reasonably well
• Cons: There is often a long wait and it can be noisy.

11/30/07

Very Loud

by italianmomma at Citysearch

The only reason Cactus doesn't get five stars from me is the noise factor. I adore the food. I think it's creative and approachable...and I'd eat it once a week - except the restaurant is so darn noisy. They even have a great kids menu, which is a bonus to find in such a wonderful restaurant. I'll keep going back, but I'll probably stick to non-rush hours.

• Pros: Great food, tasty margaritas
• Cons: Noise

06/22/07

The mojitos rock.

by emily9802 at Citysearch

The food here is fantastic and reasonably priced. The squash enchiladas with mole alone are worth the visit, and the $2 Navajo fry bread with honey dipping sauce is delicious. They now have a mojito menu and the prickly pear version is excellent. We always call ahead and put our names on the list - it really cuts down on the wait. As a bonus, there's free parking in the Kirkland library nearby and we've always been able to find a spot there, even Saturday nights.

• Pros: Good drinks, good food, free parking
• Cons: Can get very crowded - call ahead