I had the Chicken Florentine and my girlfriend had this chicken cutlet topped with a cream sauce and crab - both were exceptional! The chicken was cooked well and was tender, which complemented the sauce very nicely. The real gem was the bacon wrapped scallops served with a raspberry jalapeño sauce (not shown here, but these scallops were excellent too). Those were amazing! For dessert we had a combination of the fried ice cream and the triple chocolate cake- they paired really well together and were the perfect way to end the night. If you're searching for a nice restaurant in Salisbury, Taverna is high on the list! read more

Cactus Taverna - Stuffed Chicken Chicken Florentine - Mediterranean Near Me - Salisbury, Maryland

My buddy wanted some good Mexican food so we chose this place because it looked interesting as a Mexican-fusion restaurant. He got the Texas Fajitas and was very satisfied with them. I got the blackened tuna and enjoyed it as well. I particularly liked the flavors of the fish mixed with the sweetness of the mango chutney giving it a sweet and savory profile. Service was good. The restaurant is dimly lit so not great for food photos but great if you're looking for a more intimate setting...as two motorcycle bros we weren't haha but it would be great for a date night. Next time I would try the paella. read more

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First time patron and I've passed this place for years. Let me start with the good. The hostess was very nice and friendly. We ordered out, so no rating on service. I wanted the shrimp and scallop enchiladas but husband abstaining from carbs so we settled on the shrimp and scallops Mariscos Saltado. We figured we could scrap the fries but were unaware they mixed it in with the onion and peppers. The entire dish was nasty. No seasoning, no flavor. The gravy was disgusting. Shrimp, scallops, onion and peppers with a little salt and pepper can be exceptionally delicious. This was far from that. The added peas and french fries made it worse. The black beans were tasteless. Even the complimentary salsa was deficient in flavor. Never again. read more

A nice place for a date night or a special occasion. Service was great and food was amazing.

The atmosphere was amazing. The owner/hostess/host interacted with all patrons, including the two children in the restaurant. The food was delicious even the takeout we ordered. I wasn't surprised by the prices of the food. The seafood was fresh and the steak my husband had was very good. My husband and daughter had the fried oysters and raved about them for days. My family will return in the future. Keep up the good work Cactus Taverna. read more

WOW! A fusion of Mediterranean, Spanish, and Mexican. AWESOME! Hubby and I had fried eggplant half stuffed with shrimp and scallops. I had marinara, hubs had Seafood sauce. We also had Alligator appetizer. Food was beyond awesome! Such flavors. Very laid back, serene but fun. You are crazy if you don't give it a try. Thomas was our server, worked hard to meet my food allergy issues. Again, dining here is a must! read more

Strip mall restaurant, full service inside with a friendly staff. Didn't know what to expect because of the ambiguous name. Wish I wasn't a solo party, because I would have loved to see a variety of dishes. Restaurant had a Mediterranean flair, but some diverse influences. Had the rack of lamb, and it was a full rack, but not anemic like one sees at the grocery. This was hearty and full, cooked to a perfect medium rare, nicely seasoned, served with asparagus and rice and beans. Paired well with the house Merlot, though a nice Zinfandel would been a good choice. I usually consider lamb a risky and expensive gamble when I dine out. This was well worth the gamble. I will try this place again when I visit. The area. read more

Prices seem a little high when you look at the menu but the food alone is worth it. Employees are committed and attentive. The atmosphere is very nice, especially when they have performers. Perfect for a date night. read more

Let's start off with the ambience. I love that when you walk in, someone is playing the piano and you can see that the inside is designed to be a Mediterranean atmosphere. The lights were beautiful and I just love how quiet and chill this place was. The service was great! The waitress was really nice. Appetizer: Chips and salsa - the salsa can definitely use a little spice (it was not spicy) chips were not salted but I definitely love my chips not salted (: We also got the Gambas Al Ajillo as an appetizer. This was my favorite dish out of all of them! It was a buttery/creamy shrimpy dish and well cooked! It came with a side of sliced bread as well. The Calamari was what you would expect at a regular restaurant - it had some sprinkled Parmesan on it. I got the Mariscos saltando and it came with scallops and shrimp cooked with Peruvian sauce and it went well with peppers and onions in the dish. The only thing that was kind of off was the fries that was inside the dish. The dish also came with a side of beans and rice. My overall rating is definitely more based on the food vs the service. I thought the service and ambiance was a 5/5 but the food definitely could have used something more. The waitress was very nice here and packed up all of our leftovers for us! read more

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AMAZING! I came on a business trip but this place was definitely 10/10. I had the Lamb shack and it was incredibly tender and flavorful. I wish I got a picture but the food looked so good it was already gone before I could. Our server kept our water glasses full and it's very beautiful inside. Edit: I was convinced to get the FLAN best flan I've ever had the picture doesn't do it justice. We also had a free shot of port wine. Wonderful place. I almost forgot to mention live piano music. read more

Cactus Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Salisbury, Maryland

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Was more Mexican than Mediterranean. Food we had was ok not great! Otherwise the place was ok!

Picked this place to have a last minute dinner on our way back home from Ocean city. We tried to avoid the restaurants at the beach and ended up here after a quick search on Yelp. We were not disappointed. Restaurant had a nice, serene ambiance not to mention friendly staff/server and best of all our food was very good. read more

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Great local restaurant, come here multiple times a month. Amazing fresh specials, love the grouper with crab imperial on top! Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Unique decor, and low key live music. Perfect spot! read more

First time and was incredibly impressed. Our server was such a sweet heart, very attentive and kind, answered all our questions and made sure that we were well taken care of. We got an array of things and everyone highly enjoyed their meals. They were nice enough to accommodate my weird dietary issues, I got the tuna steak and it was HUGE. So good, and cooked to perfection. The owner came up and greeted us and thanked us for coming in. We were there for my birthday dinner and they gave me a delicious slice of limoncello cake and even sang to me, which was so sweet. Awesome experience, definitely want to come back because we all had a hard time deciding on what to eat because it all looked great. The interior is cozy and dark, perfect for a date night. Overall phenomenal experience. Thanks so much! read more

SO SO I had paella and it was not great. One person had the filet topped with crab meat, and advise the crab was watery. Another had the lamb shank and enjoyed it. Service was excellent, just not the food. read more

Food was delicious! Service was friendly and very efficient. Was not expecting such a cute restaurant when we pulled into the parking lot. Would highly recommend read more

Went in a large family for dinner, which was great. In fact, everything was enjoyable. The food, service, and ambiance were good.

Im giving this place four stars off of their service and most importantly the Seafood Enchilada!! Those two things alone made up for the things that didn't thrill me. I started with the Coconut Martini which was ok I just felt like it was one noted. Maybe some citrus would have balanced it out. For my starter I got the alligator which was ok. I think I enjoyed the alligator itself without the sauce. For my taste it wad too sweet for the alligator and maybe would have preferred a ranch or creamy sauce. But still try it! Now for the main event!! The Seafood Enchilada!! These were the best seafood enchiladas I've had in a longg time. For something sooo basic as seafood, sauce and cheese they were amazing!!! Upon my first bite I was in lovee and immediately texted my mother who loveees seafood enchiladas. I also enjoyed how instead of pico it was served with tomato and cucumber salad. Overall highly recommend!! The service stood out as well. I enjoyed how pleasant my waitress was and how the owner or manager came and personally checked in on all the customers. The complimentary shot made the whole experience a memorable one. The service and those bomb enchiladas will definitely be the reason I'll be returning!! read more

Great fajitas!!! Wonderful place, clean, it smelt of good food!!! We will be there again soon!!! read more

Genuinely a diamond in the rough!! Wife and I enjoy going on a weekend dinner for two or we've brought family and friends for birthdays and graduation....Whatever the reason , the staff,the owner or the people or person playing live music are wonderful Mediterranean food I will post pictures" galore " my next visit... Price point is a bit more than say, typical chain restaurants. Just wait until (usually the owner) Comes around table with a flask of wine and will squeeze flask to get a fine stream of wine going right into you mouth...(duh, must be 21) Nevertheless, fun for all... read more

Great Service, and the appeal is deceiving from the road. Very nice inside and the food is amazing. Free shot of wine at the end is a very nice touch. read more

Food is always good, music is very nice, prices a little on high side but I don't mind paying for quality food. And there food is really good, try the alligator it's very good in the raspberry sauce read more

The outside may not look like much, but once you place your order allow them service once I assure you'll return again! Food is definitely delicious and service is great! read more

Awesome service, super friendly staff. Very quick serve time. I got a fish fillet (called grouper fillet) and everything was made perfectly. The fish was cooked perfectly, extremely tender; melted in my mouth. All of the sauces taste amazing. A bit pricey but you definitely get your money's worth. read more

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Great place to eat, the grouper is delicious. The owner and staff are great. Definitely check them out!

CT has an old time restaurant atmosphere. Quiet. Intimate lighting. Real cloth napkins. Great service. They even had a piano man playing popular tunes. The paella is amazing. The wine selection is great with reasonable prices. I need to go there more often. read more

We've been coming here for years and always enjoy our meal. The atmosphere is so nice..peaceful and romantic. There's often live music. The food is normally amazing, last time we went it wasn't as good as usual I'm hoping it was just an off night. My only suggestion would be different/better options for sides. The beans/rice and vegetables they serve is very bland. Service is always great never had an issue. The owner often walks around talking to the patrons. Overall we love it here. read more

I grew up in the 'bury and come home often - Cactus Taverna is one of our favs to visit. Always an experience and never disappoints. I never order mexican - always order one of their mediterranean style dishes. The evening I was there the food and service was just delightful - we opted for the Salmon Veracruz and Lamb Shank. Keep an open mind when you visit - the decor will throw you off! read more

Cactus Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Salisbury, Maryland

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A Salisbury tradition! An amazing fusion of Spain / Greece and Central American cuisine. This place is long standing and wonderful! Enjoy tapas, sangria and wine Margaritas! Come hungry leave satisfied! read more

Very nice Tex Mex restaurant! The atmosphere, service and food were great! They had a live musician performing, which was nice, but the music didn't match the restaurant, since the singer wasn't singing Latin music. However, the hostess, servers and management were all very friendly and hospitable. The server, who we had, definitely knew everything you need to know about the food at the restaurant, and gave great recommendations. Also, the managers came around to ask how things were going. For the food, I got to try the fried calamari, lomo saltado and mariscos saltado. The fried calamari was delicious! It didn't really have that crunch, but the squid wasn't rubbery or super chewy. It was very easy to eat and the flavors really popped out after a squeeze of lemon. Both the lomo saltado and mariscos saltado had a lot of flavor that was similar to those of a Chinese food dish. The lomo saltado comes with a lot of meat, while the mariscos saltado comes with a few pieces of shrimp and scallops each. Those dishes do come with yellow rice and black beans, but I wish it came with a lot more rice because then the dish wouldn't be so heavy on the protein and veggies side. Overall, I really liked this restaurant because the service was wonderful and the staff really got to know you on a more personal level rather than rush to get people in and out like a fast food restaurant. read more

Cactus Taverna - Lomo saltado - Mediterranean Near Me - Salisbury, Maryland

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I wanted to dine July 4th and due to it felling on a Sunday and being a federal holiday many restaurants in the area had closed early which forced my hand to try something new. I am not complaining because I would have never had the pleasure of dining here if not. When I walked in the lights were dim and only three tables were occupied. I started to look at the board of chef specials and all sounded delicious. Once seated I was greeted and provided a drink menu and regular one and quickly served salsa and chips. The salsa was flavorful and packed a nice punch. My waiter wish I knew his name he was one of the young males in a sea of females. He ran through the specials and once I expressed being torn between the lamb and the surf and turf he provided exceptional detail of each entree. I went with the surf and turf which we're two 4 ounce filets with crab meat on top and a seafood hollandaise sauce along with 4 jumbo gulf shrimp. I typically dislike filet as a cut of beef due to the thickness maki g ever the best restaurants piece tough to my liking. This cut however was on the thinner side and had a warm pink center and could be cut with a knife. The sauce was flavorful and had me scraping the plate for more. The dish was served with rice and beans which was not memorable but I did enjoy the string beans which were blanched and served drizzled in olive oil. I appreciated to complete my meal I was served a shot of port wine. All in all I will for sure be back. I am already planning to have my birthday dinner there in September. read more

Cactus Taverna - the interior of a restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Salisbury, Maryland

Awful food. I should have known when I walked in and there was hardly anyone there. The steak was tough and had a weird flavor. It was obviously not a good cut of steak and the crab imperial was so thin it was more a soup than any crab imperial I've ever had. That was my sons meal and he couldn't eat it so we switched. I had the tuna in mango sauce which was equally disgusting. I ate what I could because I was hungry but my kid was grossed out by both meals and could only eat the rice. We are both very adventurous eaters but this food was just not good - and definitely not worth the price. I will say that our server was very pleasant. read more

This restaurant is not Mexican, Spanish or Mediterranean in any way shape or form....they serve flavorless grilled seafood and should be called a seafood grill.. the salsa was store bought tomato sauce or pasta sauce with some springs onions, regular onions and a few tomatoes thrown together. We also had the lomo saltado which is supposed to be a flavorful Peruvian beef dish served on a bed of thick cut French fries...the lomo Saltado here was basically beef chunks with the vegetables from a fajita plate and McDonald's fries thrown together...the HUMMUS in this apparently Mediterranean fusion restaurant was just coarsely ground chickpeas garnished with the same fajita plate veggies aka long cut onions and green peppers...I think the pita was from either ALDIS or FOOD LION cut up into tiny triangles...the plates only look good and they have a dude playing the sax..trying to make up for the bland & flavorless food I guess..if you gave five stars you've probably never eaten real Mexican, Spanish or Mediterranean food or travelled very far out of Delmarva... Please try the hummus at a restaurant like RUMIS or the salsa at PLAZA TAPATIA and try the lomo saltado at POLLO RICO in pocomoke city..that's REAL FOOD! that's food back from our homes! read more

I wanted to like this place- truly, I did- but it fell short of my expectations. My husband and I went here expecting to be wowed by the food, based on word of mouth and other Yelp reviews. We weren't. As others have commented, the menu is so random. The place bills itself as Mediterranean, but half the dishes are said to have a Peruvian sauce. And then there are Mexican dishes - which suits the cactus name, I suppose. There are a few Mediterranean options as well - but far fewer than you'd expect. They seem to love crab imperial here too - half the specials and many entrees featured it. I was confused as to why we got chips and salsa when we sat down at a Mediterranean restaurant. And why they were playing what sounded like Middle Eastern pop music. But... Whatever. We are go with the flow people. We ordered Queso Fundido - and I'm not going to blaspheme the place and say it was Velveeta.... But my husband looked at me when it arrived and said, "This looks like Velveeta". Upon tasting it, it tasted very processed cheese sauce to me. So it may not be.... But don't expect otherwise. I opted to order one of the appetizer specials for my entree- Stuffed Shrimp, shrimp with crab imperial. I figured since crab imperial was all over the menu, it must be great. The shrimp were fried - which was a surprise to me, but would have been okay but they tasted like generic fried shrimp and had the uniformity indicative of having come right out of a bag pre-breaded and tossed into the fryer. The crab imperial was heavy on the peppers, light on the crab, and the entire dish was lukewarm. My husband chose seafood enchiladas and said that they were good - and that they did have a good amount of seafood in them. Will we go back? Maybe. I love lamb and they do have lamb on the menu- a rarity in Salisbury, and that may be enough to tempt me to try it again. I will say this - I like the interior. Sitting in a booth, it's a more intimate setting than many places in town so it would be a nice date night place (unless you got stuck at one of the out of place metal chaired tables- that is a downer on the ambiance). read more

Cactus Taverna - Queso Fundido - Mediterranean Near Me - Salisbury, Maryland

The chicken fajitas are out of this world! They are so good! The cactus tavern is like a hidden gem doesn't look like much on the outside but it's pretty nice on the inside. The only result I give them 4 's is, because it's a little pricey. read more

Do not be fooled by the name: this is not a Mexican restaurant. And this is NOT an insult. Cactus Taverna is a combination of Mexican, Italian, and, I believe, even Middle Eastern. Yes, Middle Eastern. Admittedly, I could not place the music or the flavors more precisely but the music, at least, and the salsa were decidedly of Middle East origin. Again, this is NOT an insult So what is Cactus Taverna? After a single visit, I'm still trying to figure it out. And, admittedly, I kind of like that. The chips were decent; however, the salsa was enticing: an intriguing mix that while absent of heat contains a healthy dose of cumin. Although I ordered Mexican standbys such as black bean soup and enchiladas, both decidedly better than the offerings of Plaza Tapatia yet unremarkable beyond that, the menu and specials offered a "Maza" appetizer (a plate of humus, pita, stuffed grape leaves, and feta), Chicken Florentine, and various steak and seafood dishes more at home in a Middle Eastern, Greak, or steak house style restaurants. Our server was outstanding. Even though my wife and I were in somewhat of a hurry that evening, he handily accommodated us. I suspect that there is more excitement to be had further from the Mexican dishes on the menu. Further visits will shed more light. read more

Cactus Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Salisbury, Maryland

Do NOT let the blah strip center fool you. This place is awesome. Adrian was our server; he was delightful. There were a lot of specials the night we went. Best fajitas I've had....So good. Staff is very friendly Highly recommended. read more

The worst meal I have ever had from any restaurant. We order the special, Grouper w/crab imperial, the fish was mushy, crab imperial was running. Fish was way under cooked plus didn't taste like Grouper. The asparagus stalks were woody, rice and beans were served in a separate dish which appeared they sat out in the dish for a period of time, uneatable. We used to love going to this place, things have changed, won't go back read more

Dinner away from our Virginia Beach home. Both Yelp and Map search showed Cactus Taverna with great reviews. We prefer Non- Chain establishments. We reviewed the menu and knew what we wanted BUT then we heard the specials! Fried Alligator Bites (Freshly wrestled by our waiter ) Dinner Specials: Pollo Asparagus - the best sauce! Grouper Imperial Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted even better. Our waiter Adrian was very attentive to our questions and made suggestions to help us make good selections. He was a delight to talk to. We were too full for desert so he brought us a nice port. We will definitely stop here next time we are in town and will spread the word to our friends who travel this way. read more

This was such a great find. We were trying to find a quick stop off the highway on the way to Chincateague Island, and this blew our expectations away. Unique and yummy experience. Super quick, and attentive service. We immediately got served chips and salsa right when we got seated, and our food came out super quickly after we ordered. The manager came out with his daughter as well to pour drinks for everyone out of a cool-looking pitcher. There was also live music. Such a pleasant experience. And thus, here I am submitting my very first Yelp review! read more