Unfortunately this use to be my favorite place but their food has gotten cheap and skimpy, and their service has acquired a huge dose of attitude and ambivalence. We were regulars and were always nice and tipped generously, but it seems to have taken the trip on the downward spiral with the servers being bitter and taking it out on the customers. Sad.
(3)
Alex S.
I love Cactus downtown, and based off of that my boyfriend and I wanted to try this place. The restaurant was empty but the waitress decided to ignore us half the time and the service was so slow. 10 minutes before we got chips and salsa, which seemed to have came in a reused salsa tube that hadnt been washed, then she walked away for ten more minutes, finally came back to take our drink orders, returned 10 minutes later with the wrong drinks. Whatever. So we ordered just simple chicken tacos. Within the first bite my boyfriend pulled a chicken bone out of his mouth, we then lost our appetite and wanted to leave. When we got the bill we were charged for the expensive beer we ordered but got cheap beer instead and we were double charged for the tacos. I had no patience to try and argue with her so we paid the bill and left. Needless to say I will NEVER eat at this location again. It doesn't even deserve the one star I gave it.
(1)
Matt U.
We came to El Cactus in search of "our Mexican place" and unfortunately it was mediocre. It has the look and feel of a great little Mexican spots, but we were really underwhelmed by the food. I had their signature burrito and it was par at best. The sauce was good, meat decent, but the kicker was that they really skimped on the cheese. Sounds like a small thing, but when my wife and I looked at it and said, "huh, seems like they wanted to save money on this burrito" that was pretty much it. She had some enchiladas that were pretty good, but not enough for a return visit. Our philosophy on Mexican has become - it better be really good, because it's not hard to make decent Mexican at home. This didn't pass the, I could make this test. Service was great, very friendly and provided some really good recommendations. Beers were pretty standards. Overall, it was very mediocre Mexican and with a lot of options in town and "Mexican food" aisle in your nearest grocery store, this didn't pass the "We can do it ourselves test"
(2)
Megan K.
As far as Mexican food goes in the Iowa City area, this is my favorite. The menudo is incredible - try it if you've never had it. It's a soup made traditionally with beef stomach and hominy in a flavorful, clear broth. It comes with several sides to add in - lettuce, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime. Mmmmmmmm. The gorditas are also a favorite. And the crazy chicken. I highly doubt there is anything authentic about "crazy chicken" but it is a pile of sliced chicken, chorizo, queso blanco, and rice. YUM. Also - try the cheese crispy for an appetizer. So good. Chips and salsa are very good - which is highly important for a Mexican restaurant :) Prices are a little on the higher side for this type of Mexican restaurant. I wouldn't call it "expensive" but prices range from $7.99-$11.99 which is slightly higher than other places I've been to. But, honestly I haven't been to other places in the area in a while because this is the only Mexican place I go to anymore.
(4)
Gypsy B.
It's a good, solid mexican place, but I wouldn't call it spectacular. Their $5 giant margaritas help...But the refried beans are too watery and the rice is bland - and those are the true measure of an excellent Mexican place. Also, I don't consider "red gravy" a true enchilada sauce....Maybe it's all my years in the Southwest, Arizona and in Mexico, but I find this mysterious red sauce (not hot) occasionally and I think it's an attempt to cater to the Iowa gringos. The atmostphere is homey though...and overall I'd eat there again.
(3)
ken w.
This is my favorite Mexican place in Iowa City. Mostly the Mexican in Iowa City is average to bad, but this is the standout. The Carne Asada tacos blew my mind. Their enchilada sauce (and enchiladas, in general) are first rate as well as their salsas (especially their top notch salsa verde). Their beans are somewhat sub-par but that's the only downside I could see.
(5)
Carla P.
Little hole in the wall with yummy food. They get busy and have a limited amount of tables. Staff was very nice and helpful. Their serving is big and price is low. I would recommend this place.
(4)
Larry H.
Tried El Cactus based on a tip from fellow Yelp-er, Liliana Z. Went on a week night and it was fairly busy (60-70% packed in a 10-ish table space.) The chips were great! They provide 2 salsas (mild and hot) for your to start your dinner. The server recommended their special, which is a fajita with EVERYTHING on it. I mean, its got shrimp, chicken, a thin slab of steak on top of the fajita veggies, all for $13. For the sake of comparison, my friend and I got the special and the usual combo, tamale, burrito and enchilada. The tamale was moist and very well composed. I can't say much for the burrito or enchilada, it just doesn't have enough flavors. The "works" fajita looks excitingly intimidating! I was hoping that the taste was as aggressive as the size of the meal, but I was sorely disappointed. The meat and veggies all tasted the same. Its just such a shame to mix the goods together simply to have it taste the same. Its as if I was back at HuHot Mongolian BBQ again! To me, the food at El Cactus tastes like food made by the newly married girl, who recently learned how to cook. She's following all the instructions, but she has yet to pick up the "secret" from her abuela. Overall, the food does taste authentic, like home made, but that's about it. Remember that sometimes, tia Maria makes the food, and you eat it because you are hungry. Now you can return to El Cactus for that trip down memory lane. Give it a few tries and like tia Maria's food, it'll feed your hunger, but you will leave searching for something else (like food at your friend Brian's house).
(3)
Julie J.
We regularly frequent the Iowa City location, but it isn't listed on Yelp. Either way, food is spectacular. Everytime we introduce this place to friends from out of town, they are blown away and want to come back. We've been to most of the mexican restaurants in this area, and Cactus is just the best. The refried beans are flavorful, the salsa is the best I think I've ever had, and they have some new entrees they are trying out, so we went for them and were in bliss. It's a small place, but they make it comfortable. Waitstaff is very friendly. I think I have a clue as to this waitress is that other reviewers don't like. We didn't like her either, but we don't see her work at the Iowa City location anymore. Super clumsy and seemed a little tackless about when to take our plates "you done with that?" instead of "may I take your plate?" sort of thing. Dropping dishes and glasses in the back... and we would overhear her apologizing to other customers about the service, and she messed up our order once. ha ha. If we see her, we just walk out. Food is terrific though, and the other waitstaff is absolutely friendly, attentive, and on top of things. I'd hate to punish the restaurant based on one lousy waitress.
(4)
Kim G.
Good chips and salsa and friendly service. Generous portions and a large menu to choose from. Had a chicken burrito and enchilada and enjoyed both. Also had a 22 oz margarita on special.
(4)
Jason W.
Very good food, great service. A bit small, but definitely one of the better options for Mexican food in Iowa City/Coralville. We had a party of 20+ and they split checks and were incredibly quick with drinks and food on a busy night. Will definitely visit again.
(4)
Derek S.
I ate here for lunch with some coworkers. It was pretty decent food. Nothing special, but fairly quick and convenient for lunch. Atmosphere is what you'd expect: booths aren't the most comfortable, cheesy mural on the wall. I would go back, but I'm not running around telling all my friends they must eat there either.
(3)
Todd M.
I liked the place. The staff was friendly and accomodating. I had the pollo blanco which was good. I had a feeling that the food was prepared with some care and thought.
(3)
Ana N.
good food,good atmosphere and friendly staff love their steak gorditas...........check it out if u like authentic mexican cusine
(5)
Sandra A.
I made the mistake of taking the handful of recommendations folks have given me and ate at El Cactus the other day. Now, I have nothing against a Mexican restaurant that serves gringo Mexican. Nothing against only having pollo or carne asasda (no lengua, cabeaza, etc.). Nothing against the senseless tacky you're-on-vacation-in-Mexico tchotchkes on all visible surfaces. Nothing against a full menu of items that are mostly recombinations of chips and cheese. But I do have something against a restaurant that mostly serves chips and cheese putting the word "Authentic" in its name. This restaurant is anything but authentic; I don't know why they'd announce themselves as being so. This is Mexican the way Olive Garden is Italian. The real problem is: even for gringo Mexican it was a lousy, lazy restaurant. The tortas we ordered came on bread that couldn't have even been yestreday's. It was at least two days old, brick hard. The servers seemed more or less impatient with the gringos eating their cheese and chips. To whoever it was who said, "You know where they have great Mexican, El Cactus in Coralville", shame on you. Or, I'm sorry that you think this is worth your money.
(1)
Dulcinea C.
After debating where my boyfriend and I should go for our one year anniversary, we both decided we wanted Mexican food. I'm Hispanic and originally from Texas, so I've had my share of very authentic and very Americanized Mexican food. The food at El Cactus was more leaning towards the Americanized side, however, there are a few items that are spot on authentic and would definitely recommend. Regardless, all the food we tried here was delicious! The tamale that came with my boyfriends combo, which also had a burrito and enchilada, was very good. I was surprised at its flavor, for I was definitely not expecting to taste such an authentic and flavorful chicken tamale in Iowa. I ordered the Enchiladas Mazatlan and found the cheesy spinach topping warm, gooey, and tasty. The shrimp and crab inside seemed fine enough, though nothing spectacular. Good rice and beans, but not the best I have. The chips and salsa were relatively average. Honestly, I've had better salsas at chain restaurants. I would definitely recommend anything chicken based on my boyfriend's reaction to his various chicken entrees. I ordered a root beer after ordering a water, thinking I would be yet again downing disgusting Coralville water, however the water seemed a bit filtered, so I ended up not needing the root beer. He forgot to bring it anyway, but I didn't mind to bother him, as I simply asked him to remove it. Waiter wasn't quite constant. Waited a tad longer than wanted to for check.
(4)
Maria E.
My favorite Mexican cuisine in the area!!!! I love their chips, so crispy and hot! I love their rice and burritos are great... Always get the fried ice cream too! The owner is great, he knows me and my boyfriend and I always notice him always talking to everyone that is in there, recognizing them by name and everything. The marks are worth the money, I always get a nice buzz on the jumbos! Whooooo Cactus! **NOT the same owners as The Cactus downtown IC
(4)
Sarita N.
The food here was pretty good, considering we're talking Iowa. The chips and salsa were fresh and spicy, and the chile rellano tasty. My husband liked the cheese they used. I had a beef chimichanga which was good, but I was struggling with the flavors. It was different from what I'm used to in Idaho so it may be a regional thing. I felt the food was overall flavorful and unique. The only thing that took me aback were the peas in the Spanish rice. Lol. Nice place.
(3)
Pedro D.
Came here on Thursday night, table for 7. The dinning room had a few tables occupied. The service was good, even though we were 7. I had the steak taco dinner. It came with beans and rice. The steak, beans rice was bland. I was disappointed because we have been here before a number of times and the food has been slowly declining. I know they have opened other three other Cactus locations around town but this was the original. Now it has suffered the same fate most restaurants when they expand to quickly. Their quality goes down. Too bad. Please save this sinking ship!
(2)
Amaya T.
We enjoy the chips & salsa. The food is good, not great. The staff seem friendly. I wish they served fountain drinks, Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Local F.
Good food.
(3)Michelle B.
Unfortunately this use to be my favorite place but their food has gotten cheap and skimpy, and their service has acquired a huge dose of attitude and ambivalence. We were regulars and were always nice and tipped generously, but it seems to have taken the trip on the downward spiral with the servers being bitter and taking it out on the customers. Sad.
(3)Alex S.
I love Cactus downtown, and based off of that my boyfriend and I wanted to try this place. The restaurant was empty but the waitress decided to ignore us half the time and the service was so slow. 10 minutes before we got chips and salsa, which seemed to have came in a reused salsa tube that hadnt been washed, then she walked away for ten more minutes, finally came back to take our drink orders, returned 10 minutes later with the wrong drinks. Whatever. So we ordered just simple chicken tacos. Within the first bite my boyfriend pulled a chicken bone out of his mouth, we then lost our appetite and wanted to leave. When we got the bill we were charged for the expensive beer we ordered but got cheap beer instead and we were double charged for the tacos. I had no patience to try and argue with her so we paid the bill and left. Needless to say I will NEVER eat at this location again. It doesn't even deserve the one star I gave it.
(1)Matt U.
We came to El Cactus in search of "our Mexican place" and unfortunately it was mediocre. It has the look and feel of a great little Mexican spots, but we were really underwhelmed by the food. I had their signature burrito and it was par at best. The sauce was good, meat decent, but the kicker was that they really skimped on the cheese. Sounds like a small thing, but when my wife and I looked at it and said, "huh, seems like they wanted to save money on this burrito" that was pretty much it. She had some enchiladas that were pretty good, but not enough for a return visit. Our philosophy on Mexican has become - it better be really good, because it's not hard to make decent Mexican at home. This didn't pass the, I could make this test. Service was great, very friendly and provided some really good recommendations. Beers were pretty standards. Overall, it was very mediocre Mexican and with a lot of options in town and "Mexican food" aisle in your nearest grocery store, this didn't pass the "We can do it ourselves test"
(2)Megan K.
As far as Mexican food goes in the Iowa City area, this is my favorite. The menudo is incredible - try it if you've never had it. It's a soup made traditionally with beef stomach and hominy in a flavorful, clear broth. It comes with several sides to add in - lettuce, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime. Mmmmmmmm. The gorditas are also a favorite. And the crazy chicken. I highly doubt there is anything authentic about "crazy chicken" but it is a pile of sliced chicken, chorizo, queso blanco, and rice. YUM. Also - try the cheese crispy for an appetizer. So good. Chips and salsa are very good - which is highly important for a Mexican restaurant :) Prices are a little on the higher side for this type of Mexican restaurant. I wouldn't call it "expensive" but prices range from $7.99-$11.99 which is slightly higher than other places I've been to. But, honestly I haven't been to other places in the area in a while because this is the only Mexican place I go to anymore.
(4)Gypsy B.
It's a good, solid mexican place, but I wouldn't call it spectacular. Their $5 giant margaritas help...But the refried beans are too watery and the rice is bland - and those are the true measure of an excellent Mexican place. Also, I don't consider "red gravy" a true enchilada sauce....Maybe it's all my years in the Southwest, Arizona and in Mexico, but I find this mysterious red sauce (not hot) occasionally and I think it's an attempt to cater to the Iowa gringos. The atmostphere is homey though...and overall I'd eat there again.
(3)ken w.
This is my favorite Mexican place in Iowa City. Mostly the Mexican in Iowa City is average to bad, but this is the standout. The Carne Asada tacos blew my mind. Their enchilada sauce (and enchiladas, in general) are first rate as well as their salsas (especially their top notch salsa verde). Their beans are somewhat sub-par but that's the only downside I could see.
(5)Carla P.
Little hole in the wall with yummy food. They get busy and have a limited amount of tables. Staff was very nice and helpful. Their serving is big and price is low. I would recommend this place.
(4)Larry H.
Tried El Cactus based on a tip from fellow Yelp-er, Liliana Z. Went on a week night and it was fairly busy (60-70% packed in a 10-ish table space.) The chips were great! They provide 2 salsas (mild and hot) for your to start your dinner. The server recommended their special, which is a fajita with EVERYTHING on it. I mean, its got shrimp, chicken, a thin slab of steak on top of the fajita veggies, all for $13. For the sake of comparison, my friend and I got the special and the usual combo, tamale, burrito and enchilada. The tamale was moist and very well composed. I can't say much for the burrito or enchilada, it just doesn't have enough flavors. The "works" fajita looks excitingly intimidating! I was hoping that the taste was as aggressive as the size of the meal, but I was sorely disappointed. The meat and veggies all tasted the same. Its just such a shame to mix the goods together simply to have it taste the same. Its as if I was back at HuHot Mongolian BBQ again! To me, the food at El Cactus tastes like food made by the newly married girl, who recently learned how to cook. She's following all the instructions, but she has yet to pick up the "secret" from her abuela. Overall, the food does taste authentic, like home made, but that's about it. Remember that sometimes, tia Maria makes the food, and you eat it because you are hungry. Now you can return to El Cactus for that trip down memory lane. Give it a few tries and like tia Maria's food, it'll feed your hunger, but you will leave searching for something else (like food at your friend Brian's house).
(3)Julie J.
We regularly frequent the Iowa City location, but it isn't listed on Yelp. Either way, food is spectacular. Everytime we introduce this place to friends from out of town, they are blown away and want to come back. We've been to most of the mexican restaurants in this area, and Cactus is just the best. The refried beans are flavorful, the salsa is the best I think I've ever had, and they have some new entrees they are trying out, so we went for them and were in bliss. It's a small place, but they make it comfortable. Waitstaff is very friendly. I think I have a clue as to this waitress is that other reviewers don't like. We didn't like her either, but we don't see her work at the Iowa City location anymore. Super clumsy and seemed a little tackless about when to take our plates "you done with that?" instead of "may I take your plate?" sort of thing. Dropping dishes and glasses in the back... and we would overhear her apologizing to other customers about the service, and she messed up our order once. ha ha. If we see her, we just walk out. Food is terrific though, and the other waitstaff is absolutely friendly, attentive, and on top of things. I'd hate to punish the restaurant based on one lousy waitress.
(4)Kim G.
Good chips and salsa and friendly service. Generous portions and a large menu to choose from. Had a chicken burrito and enchilada and enjoyed both. Also had a 22 oz margarita on special.
(4)Jason W.
Very good food, great service. A bit small, but definitely one of the better options for Mexican food in Iowa City/Coralville. We had a party of 20+ and they split checks and were incredibly quick with drinks and food on a busy night. Will definitely visit again.
(4)Derek S.
I ate here for lunch with some coworkers. It was pretty decent food. Nothing special, but fairly quick and convenient for lunch. Atmosphere is what you'd expect: booths aren't the most comfortable, cheesy mural on the wall. I would go back, but I'm not running around telling all my friends they must eat there either.
(3)Todd M.
I liked the place. The staff was friendly and accomodating. I had the pollo blanco which was good. I had a feeling that the food was prepared with some care and thought.
(3)Ana N.
good food,good atmosphere and friendly staff love their steak gorditas...........check it out if u like authentic mexican cusine
(5)Sandra A.
I made the mistake of taking the handful of recommendations folks have given me and ate at El Cactus the other day. Now, I have nothing against a Mexican restaurant that serves gringo Mexican. Nothing against only having pollo or carne asasda (no lengua, cabeaza, etc.). Nothing against the senseless tacky you're-on-vacation-in-Mexico tchotchkes on all visible surfaces. Nothing against a full menu of items that are mostly recombinations of chips and cheese. But I do have something against a restaurant that mostly serves chips and cheese putting the word "Authentic" in its name. This restaurant is anything but authentic; I don't know why they'd announce themselves as being so. This is Mexican the way Olive Garden is Italian. The real problem is: even for gringo Mexican it was a lousy, lazy restaurant. The tortas we ordered came on bread that couldn't have even been yestreday's. It was at least two days old, brick hard. The servers seemed more or less impatient with the gringos eating their cheese and chips. To whoever it was who said, "You know where they have great Mexican, El Cactus in Coralville", shame on you. Or, I'm sorry that you think this is worth your money.
(1)Dulcinea C.
After debating where my boyfriend and I should go for our one year anniversary, we both decided we wanted Mexican food. I'm Hispanic and originally from Texas, so I've had my share of very authentic and very Americanized Mexican food. The food at El Cactus was more leaning towards the Americanized side, however, there are a few items that are spot on authentic and would definitely recommend. Regardless, all the food we tried here was delicious! The tamale that came with my boyfriends combo, which also had a burrito and enchilada, was very good. I was surprised at its flavor, for I was definitely not expecting to taste such an authentic and flavorful chicken tamale in Iowa. I ordered the Enchiladas Mazatlan and found the cheesy spinach topping warm, gooey, and tasty. The shrimp and crab inside seemed fine enough, though nothing spectacular. Good rice and beans, but not the best I have. The chips and salsa were relatively average. Honestly, I've had better salsas at chain restaurants. I would definitely recommend anything chicken based on my boyfriend's reaction to his various chicken entrees. I ordered a root beer after ordering a water, thinking I would be yet again downing disgusting Coralville water, however the water seemed a bit filtered, so I ended up not needing the root beer. He forgot to bring it anyway, but I didn't mind to bother him, as I simply asked him to remove it. Waiter wasn't quite constant. Waited a tad longer than wanted to for check.
(4)Maria E.
My favorite Mexican cuisine in the area!!!! I love their chips, so crispy and hot! I love their rice and burritos are great... Always get the fried ice cream too! The owner is great, he knows me and my boyfriend and I always notice him always talking to everyone that is in there, recognizing them by name and everything. The marks are worth the money, I always get a nice buzz on the jumbos! Whooooo Cactus! **NOT the same owners as The Cactus downtown IC
(4)Sarita N.
The food here was pretty good, considering we're talking Iowa. The chips and salsa were fresh and spicy, and the chile rellano tasty. My husband liked the cheese they used. I had a beef chimichanga which was good, but I was struggling with the flavors. It was different from what I'm used to in Idaho so it may be a regional thing. I felt the food was overall flavorful and unique. The only thing that took me aback were the peas in the Spanish rice. Lol. Nice place.
(3)Pedro D.
Came here on Thursday night, table for 7. The dinning room had a few tables occupied. The service was good, even though we were 7. I had the steak taco dinner. It came with beans and rice. The steak, beans rice was bland. I was disappointed because we have been here before a number of times and the food has been slowly declining. I know they have opened other three other Cactus locations around town but this was the original. Now it has suffered the same fate most restaurants when they expand to quickly. Their quality goes down. Too bad. Please save this sinking ship!
(2)Amaya T.
We enjoy the chips & salsa. The food is good, not great. The staff seem friendly. I wish they served fountain drinks, Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb.
(4)