Oh how far Cactus has fallen. We were told they will no longer substitute different meats for their salads as they used to. For a taqueria this is just odd to me. Then, when our food came, the salad came missing ingredients. When I went to the front to ask for the salsa fresca that comes with it, they said 'that salad doesn't come with it'. I pointed at the menu printed on the wall behind them showing that it does in fact come with it. I don't know what's going on here, but this place is just going downhill. A number of months ago they tried to get rid of their habanero salsa but brought it back after a lot of complaints. I'm hoping they make adjustments and allow substitutions for the type of chicken on their salads again. I don't mind paying a bit more, but if you aren't going to allow changes anymore, you've lost a long time customer. read more

I've been a regular for the past 20 years. They have always messed up my order here and there. Overall though, it's been consistent, fresh and fast. They have been my go-to Mexican spot. New ownership has changed the offerings. Many workers are new. It has become so restrictive, that for the price, the value isn't there anymore. They haggle with me over a salsa. My experience is important. I mourn the loss of one of my favorite restaurants. I have given the change several months of visiting once a week. It is consistently subpar. Especially for the added price and hassle. I won't go back. read more

I got the bean and cheese mejor burrito and an horchata. Burrito: it was smaller than other places, but it was still more than enough. I was only able to finish half. My friend got one with chicken and that one was much wider, so if you're not vegetarian it's definitely worth it to get meat. Overall the pico and lettuce tasted very fresh and the salsa had a good flavor, although I'd prefer something spicier. Horchata: 10/10!! It's sweet + creamy and it doesn't taste like the powder mixes. Overall would recommend! It's reasonably priced and provides quick service. read more

Cactus Taqueria - Bean and cheese mejor burrito and horchata - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Damn. This place just gets worse. Never again. There are so many better options than over-priced , bland food made by unhappy workers lorded over by angry managers. Wack!!! read more

I used to absolutely love this place when they had the vegetable crispy tacos on the menu. I went today and unfortunately they no longer offer it and the rest of the food was just okay. Without the vegetable crispy tacos, I won't be returning unfortunately. read more

I was almost done with Bay Area Mexican food because Los Angeles had me in a chokehold. I'm so glad I didn't give up the food at Cactus Taqueria was absolutely delicious and I got it to go just imagine eating here with a Michelada lol I will be back. read more

Used this site a lot during Covid for take out. Decent food and prices. Parking is easiest across the street in the bank lot.

My go to place for burritos!! I have been going here since I was a kid and it's just so good and nostalgic!

Order line here at Cactus Taqueria a very lively place. Well I work just across the street from this restaurant. Don't visit it often because the competition in the area is plenteous but I assure this place doesn't fall behind in no gifts... read more

Cactus Taqueria - Inside decorating - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Continue to love Cactus after 20+ years . They're consistent, fresh, and the people working there are very nice. Love Cactus!

Cactus is our go-to for takeout Mexican! We each have our favorite, but everything is good! read more

Really 3.5. Good. Not great. Quality isn't as good as it used to be. Price has gone up. They are good at taking things off that you request removed, but not so good at adding extras that you paid extra. Two times in a row, no Mexican creme I paid extra for on my burrito. read more

I disliked Cactus in the past, but I gave them another couple of tries recently and all the food I had was delicious. I especially liked the roasted veggie filling. Often the vegetarian option is a couple of sad limp vegetables, but their roasted vegetables mix is legitimately good. The salsas are also delicious. I'm taking a star off for their relatively high prices - if I ate lunch here regularly I'd go broke quickly. read more

Not sure why this place doesn't have better ratings. It's the perfect to go / quick bite to eat spot! To die for: the crispy tacos! Omg And I always get the green salsa bc it's mild and I add a squeeze of lime for some zing! read more

Cactus Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ordered the chilaquiles..what a sad disappointment. No onions, no avocado slices, no nada. The agua Fresca (watermelon flavored) was decent, though a bit watery. This poor quality explains why pickup was ready when we picked it up, less than 5 minutes. read more

Cactus Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Their food is fine but their super burritos are the same size as the regular burrito size. Plan on buying another meal after leaving here if you want to be satisfied. A super is is supposed to bigger. read more

I freaking love this style of cal/mexi food being a no meat eater. Lots of fresh and grilled or sautéed vegetables available and salads that are not just iceberg and tomatoes. Their desserts are not to miss out on!!! as well as their aqua frescas and soup of the day. Now for the part that I don't like talking about but, just to prepare you, dear reader, the customer service folks hate the world! Haha, they are really grumpy. But you know, DONT TAKE IT PERSONAL! you'll miss out on good veggie mexi. And also know exactly what you want to eat cause the she doesn't have time for your ummms. I don't know. I kinda like grumpy people. My hubs liked his enchiladas (that he was not able to get one veg and one chicken..) and his burrito, and oh yeah, the chips are poopy. I swear this place is refreshing and good though. Thanks for reading! read more

Cactus Taqueria - Tres leches cake. Whatever. I wanted to eat it - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Wow- noticing all the reviews for this place have fallen from 4-5 star down to 1-3 stars over the last few months. Coincidentally they changed up their menu just then. Why Cactus? Why mess with a really good thing? Your tostadas were amazing- now they're little things with chips IN the box instead of a bag. Soggy. (There's no way that's a big cash drain). I don't know... please change things back so we can enjoy it again. read more

I have been a regular customer for over 20 years but due to the increase in price along with the decline in the quality of the food I will no longer get food here. Tonight I ordered my usual burrito mejor with a whole wheat tortilla but I got a dried out spinach tortilla instead which was inedible. I used to feel a sense of well-being after eating their food but tonight I just have a yucky feeling in my stomach. read more

It is a bit confusing to order in person - you walk all the way down to the register to order. I definitely stood near the front of the store for a few minutes and no one acknowledged me or told me to order down at the register. So, learn from me and my ineptitude. The food here is alright. I got the signature fish taco and it's weirdly big. It's like a small rice bowl that happens to have two tortillas under it, and the fish smelled a little fishy. I ordered something else, too, but honestly I have forgotten what it was so it must have not been amazing or terrible. read more

Alert; this place is an Allergy hazard. I am allergic to sour cream and this is the 4th time I've come here requesting a specific burrito with NO SOUR CREAM. Each time is has sour cream. I didn't realize until about half way through and hopefully I do not end up in the hospital. I have been coming here for years and this place has gone down hill and it's very sad. There was nobody in line and the cashier rushed me through the order. When I told her "can you please read over the order again, it's been made wrong here 4 times." She seemed frustrated. She read it back and it seemed correct. However when I opened it up it was SMOTHERED in sour cream. I'm not sure who is creating the problem here.... The last time I came it after opening I was ignored for 5 minutes. When asking the ladies who were sitting down if they were open and if I could order they said "give us a few minutes" and they took 5 minutes to talk and sit in the dining area. I have worked in customer service for YEARS and I've never experienced such horrible service. It's sad because my family has been coming here for years, but they too have had similar issues. Might I suggest that the owner trains the staff on customer service, or holds a meeting about the seriousness off food allergies? This can literally shut down a business if it happens too many times. read more

Cactus Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Even my 8 year-old kid has noticed the big drop in quality. We only kept coming back because the kids liked it. It's a very bad idea to have a price hike coincide with noticeably worse ingredients, so much so that even a third grader can see the decline. read more

I've been a patron here for over 20 years from the gift go when they opened. In the last 6 months they made a decision to stop serving the pineapple salsa. I wish that wasn't so. I wish that due to their assessment of high waist, they would instead sell it in jars. I would buy it! I sincerely miss the pineapple salsa!!! Also, they no longer serve the cabbage slaw with the shrimp taco. The combination of those two with the crispy shrimp taco made it the best in the Bay Area. That's sincerely hope they would change their mind. Some of the new menu items are worth trying. read more

Cactus Taqueria has changed. It's not as good as it use to be. We started to notice its decline when the pandemic hit. The first big change was that they got rid of their amazing self-serve salsa bar with all these different varieties of homemade salsas as well as other fresh toppings, slices of limes, etc. That makes sense since there was a pandemic. But they have never brought it back. In fact they have cut way back on their salsas styles, and you have to ask for them, since a lot of their dishes are starting to lack flavor and could really used some help. Then the flavors and ingredients of the food started to change. And it's continued to go downhill ever since. Our favorite dish use to be the crispy tacos. They were DELICIOUS, dripping with juicy goodness hot out of the deep fryer, and very addicting. Our favorites were the veggie ones, followed by the chicken ones. What changed? Well for starters, they got rid of the veggie tacos from their menu! They also drastically changed the chicken ones. They use to be filled with shredded chicken that tasted like it was slow cooked and simmered in its own juices. It was tender and delicious with perfect savory goodness. They replaced it with ordinary cut-up chicken chunks instead, seasoned with some mediocre seasoning to cover up the bland tasting meat. They also changed the taco shells. They use to be much more flavorful, thicker, and were oily hot fresh out of the deep fat fryer. Now the taco shells seem thin, bland, and very dry. Not satisfying at all. It seems like they changed the way they cooked them. Because our favorites were drastically changed or removed, we ended up trying the shrimp ones, and they were bland and uninteresting. Very disappointing. We miss the old Cactus Taqueria, before the pandemic happened. read more

I love love love the crispy tacos, pico de gallo and chips. Everything is always fresh. But I was really bummed when I didn't even have a napkin let alone utensil which I can do without. But really, to go food with NO NAPKINS. Ugh that drives me crazy. Get it together people. Put some napkins in the bag. Why should I have to check??? So go eat here because it's yummy BUT ask for napkins unless you don't need them!! read more

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I ordered a carne asada burrito and I pretty much got a rice burrito hardly any meat in it at all and for paying almost 20$ for a agua fresca and a very small burrito is not worth it read more

Cactus Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great food. Gross interiors. Why can't they paint??!! It's been 20 years at least Yuck No excuse read more

we wonder what happened to Cactus on Solano. For years we've enjoyed their grilled veggie tostadas. But this week when we phoned in our order we were told 'the menu has changed.'. We ended up with tiny tortillas, a small mound of shredded lettuce, no beans at all, a few cold veggies, and very little flavor. And a price increase. What an unfortunate surprise! read more

Food was tasty but not exceptional. The burritos keep getting smaller. I got a mejor burrito and it was skinny and skimpy.

This is a nice place in a nice spot. The food is average except for their Crispy Tacos which are awesome! However, their portions keep getting smaller, and the chips are terrible. Guys, up your chip game! read more

Congratulations Cactus! You have earned an additional star and yes I am a fan once again. My Top things so far: 1. 3 crispy steak taco's crispy shell that has a thin layer of cheese , carne asada thick slices of freshly grill carne asada topped with lettuce and tomatoes and a side of lemon.($7.50) 2. Casa salad, greens, jicama, carrots with chipotle dressing, it is a party in my mouth bursting with tangy flavors.($4.50) 2. Fish burrito, is so fresh and the avocado slices makes it a good combination with the usual rice and beans. I enjoy the self serve salsa bar my favorite is the green salsa it is mild but the flavor in the salsa is one of the best I have had. tres 23 doze read more

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The cheese enchilada I had on my first visit wasn't any better than any other place that I frequent. The chips cost an extra dollar and I did not order them. The dining room is large and I suspect it would be very loud if all the tables were full. I figured I would not go out of my way to come back anytime soon. Then I tried a bit of the chipotle salsa on my rice and I was planning when I could come back. The salsa had a wonderful smoky taste with just a bit of heat. The other menu item that I wanted to have again was an Alfajores. This Latin American cookie is a lighter shortbread type of cookie. It is filled with dulce de leche, a caramel of sorts then dusted with powdered sugar. It is very tasty cookie. I read some of the yelp comments after I came home. People seemed to like the crispy deep fried taco. With salsa and cookies on my mind, I went back to try the tacos. It seemed the reasonable thing to do was to try a chicken and a steak taco. I thought the chicken was a bit dry. However the steak taco, stuffed with tender meat, guacamole, cheese, spicy salsa de arbol, and salsa fresca was perfect. I will definitely be back for the tacos, cookies and salsa read more

Cactus Taqueria has always been a great, consistent place to go for fresh Mexican food. Pre-SIP, they also had a wonderful salsa bar. My go to dish is the fabulous crispy chicken tacos. Sometimes I dream about them. Made fresh to order with crisp lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and cheese, its the perfect meal. I get a side of refried beans with cheese and go to the salsa bar, and I'm a happy camper. Now, during SIP, it can be hard to reach them by phone to place your order, but be persistent and it will happen. You do need to ask for your favorite salsa and they do limit the quantity but still super tasty. Thank me later. read more

I was not really up for going out, but we decided to stop into my guy's favorite little burrito spot on Solano to get a couple to go. This girl grew up in the Mission, so I am skeptical about certain taquerias. I decided to just take his word on Cactus and try it out. I looked at the menus and the calendar specials, the chile verde pork stuck out and I was set. I ordered a regular burrito with jalapenos and salsa. My guy went for the chcicken asada mejor (super) with the works. Both were very good. At $12, it was probably the cheapest date we've had in awhile. It's also a great option for Vegetarians, kids and people who do or do not like it spicy, because they make your food to order. read more

I dont know why but they continuously and creatively mess up my and others orders.

I literally can't count the number of times I've had food from Cactus over the years, and despite that fact I only JUST discovered that they have two rice options! I had no idea that you can order secret items, like their cilantro green rice instead of the yummy Spanish red rice! Solano Ave. is rich because of places like Cactus. This is a place for everyone: great value, variety, and quality Mexican food. The combinations here are limitless! But if you are lost, know that this is everything a burrito is supposed to be like, regardless of whether you get the regular, the tomato, the spinach, or the whole wheat tortilla to wrap it in. I walk my dogs by here every night and their lights are the last to go off because they clean this place diligently, daily. read more

Great food but horrible service by the cashiers. They are mean, nasty and stingy. No wonder the restauarant was empty on a Friday night. We have gone here every Friday for many years and the customer service by the cashiers keeps getting worse and worse. They should be fired. read more

Great home cooked Mexican food prepared by the nice ladies at the counter. I love open kitchens! My favorites are the tostadas, crispy tacos and veggie burritos. read more

Continue to love their food. The service has gone from bad to worse. Pickup lines are disorganized and longer. Cashier line crawls for dining in. Seems like the owner doesn't care or doesn't know. I'm starting to explore other options which is sad as I've been a customer for 10+ years but losing my patience. read more

I see similar reviews to this. Ya, the food is good. We've been regulars for a long time but the service is just awful now. I'll spare all the details but the last time I went the gal wouldn't take my carry out order 20 minutes before closing.... folks waiting for food, still doing lots of prep. That was the third bad experience in just a few weeks...Again the food is good but I'm never going back. read more