I visited Mexican Cactus Taco Bar expecting your typical strip mall taco joint with decent tacos…read moreand some TVs to watch a World Cup match, but WOW did I underestimate what I was in for.
I knew from the second we walked in, based on the list of made-in-house horchatas and agua frescas, that we were going to be in for a good meal. The menu was refreshingly unique compared to your basic street taco style setup or the usual Tex-Mex mashup of inauthentic tacos topped with shredded cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Our group of 3 adults, plus my 7 year old niece, shared a bowl of guacamole, which was phenomenal and came mixed with sunflower seeds and topped with crumbled cotija, alongside house-made corn tortilla chips. We also split an elote cup, which was great.
My wife got a classic horchata, which was deliciously sweet (but not overly so) with a nice slight punch of cinnamon. I went with water but will definitely try an agua fresca next time.
I ordered two tacos, both on house-made flour tortillas (I like corn tortillas but prefer flour when made fresh). The Pollo Azteca, with marinated grilled chicken tenderloin, mango pico, and a drizzle of crema, was phenomenal, and had more flavor than most chicken tacos I've had before. The star of my meal, however, was the Al Pastor, with adobo marinated pork tenderloin, diced pineapple, onions, and cilantro, with a slice of lime to squeeze on top. This was hands down one of the best tacos I've ever had in my life. I was floored.
I also tried my wife's Carne Asada tacos, which came topped with cilantro and onions, and a slice of lime, on their house made corn tortillas. The steak was incredibly flavorful, and the corn tortillas were tender without being chewy. We shared a side of rice and beans, which was good, but not the star of the show. The rice was your typical Mexican yellow rice, and the beans were more of a soupy whole-beans style, which reminded me of my Colombian mother-in-law's recipe.
The staff makes four homemade salsas, ranging from mild to pretty spicy, and I loved all of them with the exception of the mild.
My niece got the kids' cheese quesadilla, which was a simple melted Oaxaca cheese between a flour tortilla, served with rice, beans, and a little side of crema.
The last thing I will rave about is the service. The staff was incredibly nice from the minute we walked in, pleasant to talk to when delivering our order and asking how everything was tasting, to the moment we bussed our tables and headed for the door.
I cannot wait to come back again, and I hope they stay very busy until I'm able to do so, because I want this place to be around for a very long time!
