Cactus Restaurant

07/30/2008 Posted by chrisjpeguero74

I gotta say that the owners of Cactus did do two things right - marketing and location. The food on the other hand was terrible...one step up from Taco Bell - except much much much more expensive. It's hard to find good Mexican food in this town and cactus does not fit the bill. Service was impeccable, location was beautiful, drinks were excellent - - food was terrible for the price. I have never felt so ripped off in a dining experience before. One clue for eating ethnic food - if there are no ethnic people from which the food is supposed to be from - -it probably is food being catered to people who don't really know the cuisine - folks who may regularly visit those countries but are shielded by real experiences because they are stuck in resorts serving the exact food that Cactus serves, paying the same prices. If you want real ethnic Mexican - don't go to Cactus. If you want to eat chips and guac with expensive drinks with a nice view - - go to Cactus - - you'll love it!

Pros: service, drinks, guac, location

Cons: price, food

12/18/2007 Posted by rossdale45

Ok, The drinks are great, the view is unbeatable, and the service is friendly and fun. But, the food is pretty average. I had the Blue tamale and infact arrived on our plate-Green, not blue.(curious.) The banana leaf made the polenta green and hard to chew. The wild boar(in the tamale) was quite tasty, however. You know, we'll have to go back in the summer and try it again especially for drinks and gossip. Fun spot.

Pros: view, drinks, view, drinks

Cons: Food could be better, meat market atmosphere

08/02/2007 Posted by hanayun1

My boyfriend and I frequent Cactus for their affordable happy hour appetizers and for the best mojitos in town! The portions are huge so bring your appetite and a couple of friends :o)

Pros: delicious mojitos

Cons: inconsistent service

07/31/2007 Posted by xtine17

If you like delicious, fresh Mexican fare with a twist in a chic modern building with beach views, this is a great place. A hearty welcome to another restaurant with delectable food in West Seattle-- we NEED it! The acoustics are the only reason I can't give the place 5 stars. Unlike other Cactus locations, there was no line and wait here; we were seated promptly on a Friday evening. The service was cordial and the food was phenomenal - even better than at the original Madison Park location. You will never get greasy, heavy Mexican fare here -- it's all fresh and fantastic. Sizzling tender fajitas with fresh veggies and guacamole in portions that will leave you satisfied. I really wanted the flan but I thought I'd pop! Also, the bill was very reasonable for all that we consumed. Though I agree that the acoustics could be better, I think giving the place one star for only that reason is extremely harsh, unfair, and unwarranted. It's a classy-beachy restaurant after all, and there's no way I'd want the owners to ruin the modern chic interior with "stuff" (or heaven forbid, carpet!) to cut down on noise-- which is all they could do at this point. So it's fair to say that I'd deal with the noise so as to not detract from the visual harmony of the interior. It's also in a gorgeous setting, so if noise gets on your nerves, help yourself to another fabulous margarita! Then your attitude might consider the setting "lively" rather than "noisy." If you're looking for a quiet intimacy, this is obviously not the right choice.

Pros: fresh and fabulous Mexican

Cons: noise (only if you're sensitive to it & easily annoyed)

07/18/2007 Posted by seattletim

Eat here if you like quality Mexican food with a twist - and enjoy eating in an echo chamber with people yelling in your ear all through dinner. This restaurant is crowded and unbearably loud. To me, this takes your mind off the quality of the food that they serve. THe server we had was excellent - the food good - the room tastefully decorated. Why do they not seem to care about the noise level when so much attention goes into everything else? Why pay this much to be tortured? A few drapes and acoustic tiles and the problem would be solved. As it is now, Cactus is unbearable and not worth the wait. There are many other restaurants with pleasant and caring environments nearby. Please fix this - I want to enjoy your restaurant.

Pros: Friendly and attentive service, creative Mexican food, location on the beach

Cons: Deafening environment, hard to talk with dinner mates, tortuously loud