Cactus Restaurant

Pros: Tasty if you like southwest like pepper jack, grilled chicken, and avacados. I recently had the spicy brisket tacos and although a bit greasy the flavors were good. Cons: If your a parent this place isn't particularly kid friendly. more

Cactus in Madison Park is a good place to meet the ya-yas for happy hour, a light meal or whenever. They have nice outdoor seating that allows you to enjoy our nice summer Seattle evenings and people watch. Inside the decor is light / spanish style. The menu has something for everyone, I'm a carnivore and have gone there with my veggie friends before, it hasn't been an issue. The people are nice and the ambiance is unpretentious. The plus, Madison Park is out of mainstream and situated by Lake Washington between 520 and I-90 bridge. Street parking is aplenty. I highly suggest their wonderful margaritas, mojitos, the fry bread and fajitas. more

I visited Cactus for the first time earlier this week and loved it. It is a bit loud so if you want a quiet dinner this isn't the place but for a fun night out with friends I recommend it. The decor is great, lots to look at, the food is fantastic - love their salsa - and the drinks are yummmy!! Can't wait to go back. more

I agree with all - Cactus is a great and refreshing alternative to the humdrum mexican restaurants found around Seattle - and for anyone who has spent time in the southwest, it will feel close to authentic, with a bit of trendy splashed in. I can't wait for them to open their new place on Alki in the old grocery store - with open walls on the water side - should be incredible! more

This is my husband's and my favorite date spot. The food is great. It's not the kind of mexican food that's covered in dripping cheese - it's more of a SW feel with a lot of fresh food. They often run a wait but give you a pager so you can wander down to the beach and enjoy the view while you wait. :) more

This is not my favorite restaurant but during the summer this place is fun. You can sit outside on the patio and sip margaritas all day long and watch all the people walk buy. more

I've been going to Cactus for a number of years. Went again the other night and realized I hadn't reviewed them. First I should set the scene. Cactus is typically busy and a little crowded, dark, and filled with all kinds of kitschy Southwestern decor. The food is normally OK, consisting of some standards (carne asada, carne asada tacos, fish tacos, etc) and some twists on those standards (I had a butternut squash and spinach enchilada with their great mole sauce, more on that later). Maybe we caught them on an off night. It wasn't that crowded so we were seated immediately. We waited 5 minutes or more for water, but our server was nice enough that we overlooked it. Then the chips and salsa showed up. Normally they have great chips and salsa - the chips are multi-colored and the salsa has great flavor. Our salsa was great, but our chips were stale. When we pointed it out our server said "we are out of chips - that's the last basket, but I'll look for another one." He didn't, but the manager did and those chips were fine. By the way, how does a Mexican joint run out of chips? Our appetizer was a queso with crab. It was great. Flavorful and rich, but not overpowering. The best part of the meal. My wife had a mushroom quesadilla, which was good but a little heavy on the crema. My enchilada was good. The combo of butternut squash, spinach and goat and jack cheese was OK. The mole made the dish. Will I go back to cactus - yes. Been going too long not to drop by from time to time. But it's fallen off my list of top Mexican places in Seattle. more

I'm surprised to see some of the criticism that people are proffering for Cactus. I went there for the first time this past weekend, and all things considered, had a fantastic experience. The wait was admittedly pretty bad -- but it was a Saturday night at 7pm, and the Attic next door served as an excellent waiting lobby. I was very pleased to see the breadth and variety offered on the menu. There are a lot of Latin influences, but given the Native American and Spanish-themed dishes, this is not just some "Mexican restaurant." The food is creative in both taste and presentation, the wait staff was friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere is boisterous and exciting. Oh yeah, and this place has far and away THE best nachos I've ever had in a restaurant. more

If you haven't tried the mojitos at Cactus, drop everything and run--don't walk-- to Madison and park it at the bar. Their mango mojito is possibly the best fruity drink I've ever tasted, and their margaritas come in at a close second. And if you're even the slightest bit hungry, give the butternut squash enchiladas a try. Great location (right near the water), delicious menu options, and phenomenal drinks make this restaurant one of my Seattle favorites. more

Ok, so Cactus is Southwest and not Spain, but nevertheless it deserves a hearty "Bravo!" for its exquisite cuisine and lively ambiance. The restaurant comes complete with a bar, which is known for its delicious mojitos and margaritas. Or if you fancy a drink sans tequila or rum, the bar has an adequate selection of beer, wine and spirits to fit anyone's taste. The food is delectable and the menu is varied enough so to avoid boring the tongue. If you're into sweet, try the Navajo fry bread, which won't disappoint. Also, you can count on a dessert with chocolate to be on the menu. While Cactus has a number of appetizers such as the ceviche, coconut prawns and the smoked chicken quesadilla, it really outdoes itself in the entree department. The pollo relleno, fajitas and Navajo torta are all quality dishes. However, the icing on the cake is the chicken fried chicken, which is a ridiculous indulgence. The restaurant itself is a little small, and looks especially so on a busy Friday night, so be prepared for a short wait. However, it's well worth it, especially after a cocktail. more

The food here is pretty decent and they make a nice mojito, but its a bit overpriced. The fajita's were one of the best meals I had here, but don't come here expecting burrito's, its just not there. Most nights I walk by there, its really busy, so I am guessing that a lot of people like it, but then again, there aren't a TON of restaurants right there, although, personally I would go to the Attic or either of the 2 italian restaurants. On a side note, although I am sure there are others, its the only place I have ever seen Navajo Fry bread on the main menu, so if that's something you like, come check it out. more

Cactus is a pain to get into when the weather is nice, but hang out at the bar and order a round of mojitos! The drinks are delish and tapas are yummy too. Not exactly authentic anything (southwest, mexican or spanish), the food is really tasty and I'm never disappointed. The chef is amazing and comes up with great nightly specials. Recently I had a fabulous margarita cheesecake with salt on the side. more

Cactus is in Madison park and can be pretty chi-chi in terms of the Seattle-Wanna-be-Hollywood factor. However, the food was excellent. There is a chicken fried chicken that my husband asked about and when described as "basically a big chicken tender with southwest spices and chipotle gravy over cheesy mashed potatoes.." He replied, "You had me at chicken tender". It was great. I had the steak salad which was very tasty too. We didn't have drinks which can drive up the bill VERY fast but we managed to get out of there without feeling guilty. The side of Guac is $5, which is steep too. The people watching is rich though! more

Yum....... Okay, The Catcus can be a bit of a scene where beautiful people adorn the tables and wealthy people sometimes make you feel poor, but who cares - The Cactus has much more to offer. And if you really don't want to be a part of the scene, I suggest sitting at one of the bars where your back will face the crowd. The grilled asparagus is out of this world. The margaritas (The Ultimate is simply the ultimate), the mojitos, and the sangria our to die for - AND Ben the bar tender is especially easy on the eyes. But the best part of this restuarant is the owner, Brett. He is there in the afternoons and makes his guests feel very welcomed and appreciated. I do suggest lunch, it's much easier to get in and the food is just as good. more

In my early 20s,Cactus was a place I would have frequented-nice looking people, nice drinks, nice, nice, nice. I'm looking for authentic foods and interesting people now and Cactus comes up short. If you know the Marina in SF, this location reminds me of that. Pretty, nice and just plain boring! more