My wife and I went here for a later lunch and I didn't think the restaurant was open. It appeared dark and empty from outside. The place was empty around 3:30p. We we greeted immediately and seated. I found it odd they only handed us one menu. We were given complimentary pico de Gallo. It was just okay. It defiantly lacked salt, acid, and cilantro. The chips were pretty good. I ordered the fried cod tacos, Baja style. I really enjoyed these tacos. The fish had a nice flavor, along with the res cabbage crunch and the Baja sauce. I doctored them up with some tasty guacamole and the meek pico de Gallo. A little heat would have been a great addition. The rice and black beans were above average. These were some of the best fried fish tacos I have had in recent memory. My wife had the chicken Gordita. It was a ton of food on her plate. The Gordita Tortilla was really thick and chewy. I thought it was pretty good as far as texture. It did need a little more flavor. The pulled chicken filling has potential. The flavor was there, but it needed more of that classic Mexican pulled chicken flavor. If this was seasoned more it could be something special. There was a good amount of cheese and flavorful beans in the tortilla. Overall the dish was dry, as it was topped with a simple tablespoon of sour cream. In my opinion it needed a salsa verde or something with attitude to top it off. The Gordita has potential, and I appreciate the dish for what it is, but it could be so much better. We ordered queso and we both really enjoyed the cheese blend there. The biggest negative I took away here was the service. Three waitresses and an otherwise empty restaurant. I was never offered a drink refill. I received one table touch, minutes after my food initially arrived. I would have liked to ask for some sauce options for the Gordita, but there wasn't a waitress to be found. Literally a ghost town. I had to politely interrupt a conversation between waitresses to ask for a to-go box. Later, I observed Three waitresses chatting at the POS station all on their phones. This would not fly in my restaurant. I had to get up and find a waitress to ask for my check. Food was decent and I was impressed with the fish taco. The Gordita needs a nudge to be a better balanced dish. Service needs remedial training or sanctions. I would give 3.5 stars if that was an option. Food was 3.5/5. Service was 1/5. read more

Cactus Blue - Fried Cod Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Emmaus, Pennsylvania

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Fav Mexican but I just paid $14 for salsa. See pix for size. Absolutely ridiculous read more

Cactus Blue - Mexican Near Me - Emmaus, Pennsylvania

Love this place but bring your own bottle. I always get chimichanga it comes with rice and beans. Free chips and salsa to start.

Fabulous pulled pork nachos from your food truck at Bear Swamp Beverage! You can make this a regular stop! I'll spread the word! read more

Cactus Blue - Fabulous pulled pork nachos! From the food truck! - Mexican Near Me - Emmaus, Pennsylvania

Food was really good Service was good I will be back many times can't believe I've missed out on this place for so long. read more

This restaurant came with recommendation from a latino friend. And probably the best quesadillas I've ever had in this area! The veggies are fresh and the fresh mozzarella inside tasted amazing next to our bottomless handmade chips basket. The guacamole was amazing too. Vegetarian items are clearly marked, but vegan options might prove to be a little more difficult. BYOB - as staff can whip up margaritas if you supply your own rum. The restaurant and service is warm and very inviting and has won many local awards. It's located right off of 22 and not far from the hospital. Four stars because I wish they had Sunday hours though understandable as its not a huge deal. read more

I drive by Cactus Blue a lot during my commute and recently my boyfriend and I went in to check it out. The restaurant itself has an odd charm about it. The lights were flickering a little when we went in and we got a 'dancing table' that wobbled back and forth throughout the meal. However despite all that I can say with confidence that this is some of the best Mexican food I have ever seen, smelled or tasted in my life. Their chicken tortilla soup was fresh and the tortilla strips were crunchy, not soggy as if they had been sitting in the broth all day. The Trio Blue that my boyfriend got was fresh, well made, warm and filled with flavor. I tried the flautas and they were absolutely remarkable. The tortillas were crispy and full, the chicken was well seasoned and pulled just right. And their guacamole was well blended and fresh. To finish off the meal we just had to try their sizzling fried ice cream. The shell was thin and had coconut in it which was exactly what I wanted. When the shell of fried ice cream is too thick you feel like you're just eating dough. It was topped with whipped cream, caramel and chocolate drizzle and sat on a bed of funnel cake fries. Yes, it will make you feel as though you're going to have a heart attack or immediately get diabetes but it is absolutely 100% worth it. A lot of the reviews for this place are mixed, and I'm sure that the chefs have good days and bad like all restaurants, but if you enjoy Mexican food and you happen to be in the Lehigh Valley area I definitely recommend trying them out. read more

Cactus Blue - The sizzling fried ice cream, as mentioned in my review. - Mexican Near Me - Emmaus, Pennsylvania

Best Mexican food in the Lehigh Valley!! So good! My husband and I left so full and satisfied!! Quality authentic food and amazing customer service! Emilie is the best server read more

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I am originally from Cali and have a very rich palette for amazing Mexican food. First time I went, this would get 5/5 stars in Cali. Second time, something was up with the food. Everytime thereafter I have a tough time getting it as good as the first time. Regardless, it's incredible for Bethlehem, PA. read more

Loved my meal, taco was packed with delicious tasting meat, chili and corn bread was great. Big portions of everything, I do wish that menu included more, it was smaller than i expected but Im guessing that is due to economy. My wife and I had plenty to take home which they make easy with self-service take-out packaging and utensils.We will be back for takeout read more

I've only had takeout from here. Maybe 20-30 times over the last year. The kids love the tacos and queso. Here is the issue. They changed the quantity of the queso by at least half and yet charge the same amount of money. It's ok to change the amount of queso but please be fair to your faithful customers and adjust the price as well. read more

Cactus Blue - It's like a side order! - Mexican Near Me - Emmaus, Pennsylvania

They masked vibes me when I told the girl I had asthma and I'm not required to mask, she freaked out at me. I left and went to another restauran and won't be back. This, when daily cases in the Northampton county is less than 2 cases a day. Shame on this restaurant for treating us so poorly. read more

The food is great; however they need to hire more staff, otherwise you're waiting for forever for your food.

Don't know what happened to this place but the food was sub par. Had a table of 11, half from out of town and it was embarrassing. Dry, tasteless overall and chicken wasn't fresh or worse microwave reheated. Tighten up the ship or another 14 years is not in your future. read more

Cactus Blue is a great place whether we are in the middle of a pandemic or not! We have ordered about once a month through quarantine. They include fresh, homemade tortilla chips and pico de gallo with every order. We love the trio meals because they have a bit of everything. My favorite entree is the enchiladas (beef and chicken...one of each). The husband and son love the chimichanga. My littles love the kid's meal because it has tacos, fries or rice, orange, and a churro. Yesterday I placed an order for pick up and didn't receive the second bag. My phone number was outdated on the chownow site so they actually delivered the food!! Amazing service and amazing mexican food:) read more

Don't go there. They refused to seat our party of six because they could not handle a party of six at 5:30 pm without reservations. No wait at On the Border tonight! read more

We were regulars at Cactus Blue when it was in Bethlehem. We loved the ambiance, the staff, and the food, which was always excellent. Perhaps if we didn't know how good it was, we might not have been so disappointed when we visited the location in Emmaus tonight. They no longer offer table service. Instead, you order at a window and your food is brought out to you. There are small round metal tables in the dining area and a bar facing a wall for seating. It was cold in the restaurant to the point that we ate with our jackets on. We arrived later in the evening and it wasn't crowded at all, so we sat at a table. We ordered Queso and chips. The plate of chips (they used to serve them in a large basket) and the 4 oz. cup of Queso were the first disappointment. The Queso was ok, but smaller and not the rich cheesy recipe that they used to have, and the amount of chips for 4 people was meager. For entrees we had chicken fajitas, a steak burrito and a chicken burrito bowl. The steak burrito was good. The steak had good flavor and might have been grilled, it was hard to tell. It was full of meat and all the fixings. The chicken fajita and chicken fajita bowl were served with shredded, possibly canned, chicken. We have never had a fajita with shredded chicken, they are always served with grilled chicken. The onions and peppers were served hidden under rice. Black beans were served on half the plate on top of rice. Everything is served on cardboard to-go boxes. Gone are the sizzling grilled veggies and meat on a cast iron skillet. Plastic 2 ounce containers provided the salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Plastic containers also are used to serve shredded cheese and shredded lettuce. The staff was polite and came over to check on us after serving. It is a BYOB. We did not have dessert, because they close at 8 PM on Saturday night, and we were there until almost 8 because we didn't know that they closed so early, until we realized they were cleaning around us. Dinner for 4 was about $60. We would not hurry back and are disappointed that the owners decided to change so much about a place that was so good. read more

Love cactus blue!! Their chips and salsa are amazing. The fajitas are massive and out of this world. Love the combo plates. Definitely big enough to bring home. Very nice people here and always accommodating! Our go to Mexican restaurant. read more

Really love Cactus Blue especially for lunch outings with friends! Relatively inexpensive menu with huge portions and fast turnaround. My favorite is definitely the beef enchiladas with the red sauce. The chimichangas are so damn good too!! Wait staff is super nice. Dinner menu is absolutely delicious! Great variety of Mexican sodas. read more

This is a tough one. While I can see how many of the "newcomers" to Cactus Blue at their new location would love it...for me...a customer of the original Cactus Blue since they first opened (close to 20 years?) it's not the same. I went there for a takeout order and my wife went in while I waited in the car, so I can't comment on the place itself. However she seemed a little confused after coming out. The menu changed and she found it a bit strange/off inside. I guess she was just used to the old set up which was an actual "restaurant" and was expecting the same. Anyway we got our food home and our first shock was that they no longer give tortilla chips and salsa with takeout! Actually the whole menu has changed and there is no longer a "lunch menu." Now to the food. Like I said I can see newcomers liking it but comparing it to the original Bethlehem restaurant not even close. Less food for one thing and it just doesn't taste the same. Not bad but just not as good. I've had takeout from the original place many times especially in the last few years due to the pandemic. This is not the same. I had the Enchiladas, something I've ordered many times over the years. I was very confused...what is this? Certainly not Cactus Blue Enchiladas! Sorry, I gave it a try thinking it was the same old Cactus Blue. It's not so we won't be back. The original Cactus Blue was the best Mexican restaurant around and the food was comparable to when I was in Mexico. Like I said, for the newbees, they don't know. But this is just not the same. What shame. Goodbye Cactus Blue. read more

The food was good, but I wish I knew that it was BYOB before we had gotten there. If you go around dinner time the service is semi-slow and they should definitely post everywhere on any website or social media that they do not serve alcohol and it is BYOB. Also the location is very weird but overall the food was good. read more

I'd heard from several friends that Cactus Blue was the best place to go in the Lehigh Valley for authentic Mexican cuisine. Having grown up in Texas, I am constantly searching for that genuine distinctive flavor that reminds me of home, so my wife and I decided to stop in for dinner. Unfortunately, the fare did not live up to expectations. My dinner consisted of three fish tacos which, to be frank, tasted like nothing more than fried fish fillets wrapped in a flour tortillas with chopped lettuce. The dish was absolutely devoid of any seasoning or acidity. The food was so bland, and I was so disappointed, that I only ate one of the the tacos, at which point the server assumed that I was overstuffed and offered me a "to go" carton. I did take my leftovers with me, but only so that I could reconstruct them at home into something edible. read more

This place is garbage, dont waste your money. Came here with my girlfriend and the service amd food is horrendous. Dont ever come here, you will find better food anywhere else but here. read more

Not a great location but everything else is good! The apps and food came out quick and was very delicious! I loved the burrito and the mild/ spicy salsa. Can easily be recommended as a go to authentic Mexican restaurant! The staff was very friendly and constantly checked on our table even through a rush! Overall great experience and will be coming back in the near future! read more

Love this restaurant the staff is amazing the food is amazing and it's byob!! Definitely recommend! They also have a big truck that comes to the arts park in Allentown and the food is great then! read more

While visiting friends in the area, we ordered takeout from Cactus Blue. The five of us devoured our food - and low key fought over the dellicious chips and guacamole. I never eat enchiladas but for some reason I ordered the chicken enchiladas with verde sauce. What a great decision! read more

I wish I could give this place less than one star. We called ahead of time, asked if we could make a reservation and they said that we didn't need one before 7PM. Once we arrived around 5:30PM we were asked if we had a reservation, (meanwhile half the restaurant was empty) and was told that we could sit outside while we wait 40 minutes for a table. So we did in the freezing rain, but two hours later when we asked for a table we were told it would only be a few more minutes. The manager had an attitude and acted like our wishes to sit inside out of the rain were obscene. The waitress was nice and seemed apologetic but did nothing to change the circumstances. We will never come back, I will make sure to tell people to stay away from here. Super disappointing. read more

Dearest Cactus Blue, you have restored my faith in Mexican food east of the Mississippi. I went with some friends who live in the area who were dying to try it. They know I grew up in the West/southwest where some of the Mexican food is better than the Mexican food in Mexico, and I am always a bit apprehensive about "Mexican food" east of the Mississippi. After hearing amazing things about the restaurant they were convinced that I would like it. I was more excited about BYOB than the food, which I was certain would be edible but not mexican. I was floored by how amazing everything was. Fresh salsa, house fried tortilla chips, delicious guacamole, and tasty margaritas.... Well, tasty mix with our Cabo Wabo tequila. When the food came out I was even more impressed. Everything was well seasoned and marinated. The Mexican rice was fantastic and reminded me of home. My only complaint is that all of the food lacked for the Mexican spiciness. I am the kind of gal who wants my mouth to feel like I could breathe fire. But beggars for delicious Mexican food can't be choosers. 4.5 stars. They lost .5 for mild salsa and food, but I round up so they get 5. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. read more

Being from California... my boyfriend and I are REALLY picky when it come to mexican food. We still believe that CA has by far some of the best mexican food! We tried Cactus Blue when we first moved here and were not impressed AT ALL! I had the flautas - they were overcooked and tasteless. My boyfriend had a chicken burrito which was nothing to brag about - it also came 15 minutes after everyone else's food because the waitress had forgotten his order. On the Border has better mexican food - which doesn't say much because it is a chain. The best thing about this place is that it is BYOB... I do not recommend Cactus Blue to anyone. read more

I must give a huge thanks to Groupon for cluing me into this amazing Mexican restaurant. I hadn't heard of it before their deal and am so glad I bought it. This afternoon, boyfriend and I used the aforementioned Groupon for lunch. Excellent decision. When we first walked in, I was a bit wary because the one waitress seemed annoyed we showed up and she had to sit us. Luckily she did not serve us, Caitlin did. (Caitlin, if you read this, I'm sorry that you might spell your name one of the dozen other ways to spell it). However you spell it, Caitlin was awesome - very friendly and constantly checking in to make sure we were good. And she immediately brought us chips (thick, crunchy, delicious) and pico de gallo - anyone that brings me tortilla chips and pico de gallo when I enter the room is A-OK in my book. Since we were there for the lunch time prices, we needed to order an app instead of just our meals to hit the $20 on the Groupon. We went with the platanos (friend plantains) that came with a slightly spicy and delicious chipotle cream sauce and a much less spicy but equally tasty mild tomato sauce. The plantains were very thick and cut on a diagonal and definitely tasty and filling. We took home half of them so we could even dig into our meals. I ordered a chicken chimichanga that was fried to perfection and oozing with cheese, beans, onions, and tomatoes, all topped with salsa, sour cream and guac. I left most the refried beans and Mexican rice alone so I could take on the 'changa. Also an excellent decision. Boyfriend went with beef enchiladas for his meal and I can only assume that they were amazing because he housed them. I will certainly go back and recommend it to friends. Next time I think I'll skip an appetizer in favor of dessert - a banana and cream churro sounds amazing! read more

Let me start off by saying that this place is a hidden gem. When we first pulled up, we were kinda sketched out because of the building and how dated it was. But we decided to go and get a meal. There were four of us and we went on a Wednesday night. It was not crowded but when we left it sure was busy. The chips and salsa were excellent - the chips where crunchy and the salsa was fresh and had great flavor We all ordered different things off the menu from Tacos, to Chimichangas and Tostonita as well as a combo. The food was HUGE portions and all came with fresh rice and beans. The beans were black and came with cheese on top. They tasted great. Our meals were cooked perfectly and filled us up! After coming here i realize this is one of the best mexican places in the Lehigh Valley! I would recommend it to locals and visitors alike!! read more

My favorite place for Mexican in the Lehigh Valley. The FRESH salsa and tortilla chips are so good! I usually order the chimichangas, which are crispy and loaded with cheese. :) Fried ice cream is impressive in presentation and so so delicious. It's definitely a little different from traditional Mexican food and has its own unique flare. The atmosphere is cozy and small. From what I remember, it's BYOB, but they usually remind you when you call. One caveat- the place is easy to find but located in a small shopping strip in a somewhat high-traffic area. I once got into a car accident on the way there, right in front of the restaurant! So, safe travels and happy eating! read more

Decided to stop here with a friend after a motorcycle ride. The hostess asked if we had reservations and we didn't, so she looked at us as though we had three heads. Implying that how dare we even walk through the door without reservations. This isn't Spago or Le Cirque and didn't think we would be scolded for not having reservations. After about a 45 minute wait, we were seated. The menu is typical Americanized Mexican food-reminicient of Chi Chi's microwaved chain food from the 1980s. I ordered a stuffed relleno (sp) chile pepper platter. It was average tasting..kind of bland and not too exciting. The whole time we were there it felt as though we were being rushed. We barely had our entrees when the waiter plopped the check on the table-we didn't even get to order dessert. Overall, I have had better Mexican food from Chi Chis that I know was microwaved. This place doesn't even come close to authentic Mexican food. They also seem to cater to a clique of regular customers that get front door red carpet service, while everyone else has to use the back door. read more

We ordered on line )1 hour before pick up but still had to wait half of an hour. The shrimp tacos had 3 small shrimp in each. Baja fish tacos had 1 small fish finger in each. Platter had more rice than anything. Pricey and really not so good. read more

I was visiting Bethlehem PA (my SO's family lives there so that is why) and my SO wanted Mexican food. I jokingly informed her that there are no Mexicans in Bethlehem and therefore no good Mexican food. She advised me that the Cactus Blue had some good reviews and was the best in Bethlehem. Apparently being the best Mexican food in Bethlehem is like being the thinnest guy at fat camp. I had the chicken mole (I love mole), but it was terrible. The chicken was rubbery as if it had been microwaved. The mole sauce didn't taste like any mole I have ever had before. It was edible, but bland. To their credit they didn't over microwave the beans. For desert we had the Mexican fried ice cream which was actually pretty good. But it is ice cream that has been battered and fried with whipped cream on top. How could that not taste good? It is ice cream and it is fried! Anyway, the ice cream is the only reason it gets two stars. read more

I remember coming to this restaurant years ago! This use to b one my favorite Mexican restaurants in town. NOT ANYMORE!!! Horrible food!!! My friend and I went here tonight to be exact on Monday March 19/18 We orderd our food and within 5 minutes the food was brought to our table! Seriously!!! Like faster than fast food!!! This is read flag for me!!! It means the food is not fresh and they just preheated the food in the microwave and brought it to our table! How gross is that!!! My burrito which I orderd and paid more money for steak meat was cold inside and the meat had funny taste. The rice was box rice and beans were straight from the can. DO NOT WASTE TIME OR YOUR MONEY TO GO HERE. I'm one of those people that if the food is bad my body rejects it! Thanks God for that! I came home and my body did exactly that. I'm drinking tea to soothe my stomach read more

Went for lunch and had a very nice experience. Complimentary chips and salsa were very nice and the Quesadilla I had was very good to, service was excellent super attentive! The food came out quickly and was delicious!! read more

Cactus Blue - Quesadillas something - Mexican Near Me - Emmaus, Pennsylvania

Went here today with the boyfriend, and have no choice but to give it 5 stars. The decor is pleasant and sunny (even the bathrooms are pretty), and our waitress was the sweetest. We ordered guac and chips to start, and the portion was GIGANTIC. The chips were flaky and crisp, and the guacamole was well-seasoned. It also came with some very fresh, spicy salsa, with big chunks of tomato. We each ordered a burrito, and mine was a grenade-sized parcel of puddling cheese, smoky roasted peppers, and caramelized onions. The rice was flavorful and came with a small pot of creamy black beans. I would have sprung for dessert, but I was stuffed to the brim with awesome food. Lunch for the two of us came to 25 bucks before tip, and we both took home leftovers that made a perfect dinner. I would go back with a vengeance. read more

Not authentic... My husband is Mexican and we were very disappointed with the food. Real Mexican food, no matter what region, has flavor. Never again. read more

Not bad but not great either. I ordered chicken tacos and the chicken was decently tender but there were lots of bits of cartilage not removed. Seemed a bit bland to me.and lacking in seasoning. Chicken quesadilla only had chicken and cheese in it, nothing else. Served with sour cream and Guacamole that was pretty good. It was ok but not somewhere I'd run to go to again. read more