First time visiting The Cactus and it was a overall good experience. They gave us complimentary tortilla chips when we sat down which is a bonus. We started off with the Choriqueso which was just okay, would not get again but not terrible. For our mains we got the Enchiladas Rojas (Medium) and Chimichanga. The enchiladas are a must order and a good filling portion. The chimichangas were also good and the rice was flavourful. The price overall was not bad but $3.99 for a can of Diet Coke is a bit much. Overall, I would visit again. read more

Best place for Tacos in KW . Authentic and tasty . Churros rock as well . Burritos killer . You want Mexican in this area cost the Cactus. Mexican drinks and beer as well read more

The Cactus - Here for some take out best tacos in KW - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

The food was amazong 4/5. But overall 3 because : the service was not upto the mark. And there was a hair on my plate, on showing it ot the server ( who happen to be the son of the owner) replaced it but the attitude of the owner was not so comfy. They did not even apologized or it seemed like they did not care. The owner rather acted a little disappointed that we reported the problem (it was just a little hair in the food, not a big deal eh?). He ignored us for the rest of the duration we were there. read more

Here I have 3 tacos. 2 carne (ground beef, which was a tiny bit dry) and carnitas (pulled pork) which was incredibly delicious! I got them "Mexican style" (onion and cilantro) and medium sauce. If you're ever craving authentic Mexican food, come to this restaurant! Support local! The people that work there are always friendly! read more

The Cactus - 2 carne (ground beef, which was a tiny bit dry) and carnitas (pulled pork) I got them "Mexican style" (onion and cilantro) - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Really nice Mexican restaurant in Waterloo! Visited around October and had a lovely meal! read more

The Cactus - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Went for lunch a couple of weeks ago we were there at 12 no one there they wandered in about 5 minutes later So when we ordered our food, it was obvious that nothing was cooked fresh and beef was dry and overcooked tasted like it had been sitting for days in the refrigerator. Have always loved this place but feel like they have given up on quality and service Probably wont go back read more

We were very pleased with our experience at The Cactus. It is a smaller restaurant and I'm guessing it is family owned.They were very friendly to our children. Good/quick service with delicious food. I think the enchilada was the best enchilada I've had in Canada that wasn't made at home. They were fresh and came out pretty quickly. The adult portion sizes are very reasonable and affordable. We were very hungry so ate the entire meal. The kids got quesadillas and really enjoyed them. My 6 year old ended up ordered 2. However at $3.99 for the kids meal it wasn't a huge issue for us. I however wouldn't order a kids meal for a bigger kid expecting a lot of food. My kids were excited by the churros which reminded me of the ones I got at baseball games in California. They were hot but I'm assuming a pre-made churro that they fried on location. read more

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Excellent authentic food. Great portion sizes, flavour, and vegetarian options (the cactus is great!) The service was efficient and friendly. We ordered the guacamole to start and also received a homemade smokey spicy salsa.The mains were amazing as well, and you can get a churro for dessert. Definitely the best Mexican food in Waterloo. read more

The Cactus - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

If you are not eating a taco from this place on a regular basis, I do not know what you are doing with your life. Delicious, light and filling. Nicest people, best food. Killer hot sauce too! read more

This new Mexican restaurant replaced Tres Chiles in the Phillip/Albert plaza, and we decided to try it out for a quick dinner on a weekday night. It was well-populated, but not super crowded, and had a very casual vibe, which was nice. Friendly owners and great service. We ordered some tacos: carnitas and chicken. Food came out relatively quickly. They were good -- nice soft tortillas, lots of meat. Overall I felt like the flavours could have been a bit bolder; the chicken tacos in particular felt a bit flat. That spicy Mexican hot sauce was our saving grace though! Would have loved a bottle of that stuff. read more

The Cactus - a plate of tacos, salsa, and lime wedges - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

We found this place on Yelp. Our family stopped there on our way back from Stratford. We found the other reviews accurate. The place is fairly small but very clean and quiet. Prices are reasonable and the food was very good, authentic and fresh. People running the place are friendly and Spanish speaking. We enjoyed our meal and do recommend the restaurant. read more

The Cactus - Fish taco plate - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Finally, delicious Mexican food in KW! My wife had the chimichanga and she described it as the most delicious chimichanga she ever had. The shell was nice and crisp and the filling was delicious. I ordered the double meat enchiladas. They were filled with carnitas and steak was on the top. The steak was super flavourful and everything was great. The rice was quite soft and tasty. An employee(owner?) asked us partway through the meal if we liked hot sauce (We do!) and a little bowl of home made morita pepper sauce on our table. It was a delicious, smokey/sweet sauce with quite a bit of heat that we used sparingly. If I could buy a jar to bring home I would! The only downside is that things moved slow. Yelp says that they should be opened at 11 but they were closed at 11:55 (we came back just after noon and they were opened). The service was friendly but slow and it took awhile to get our food. It's worth the wait but be sure to allow for extra time if you're trying to have a quick lunch meal. Note: The slow service was from a one time visit, I don't know if that's the norm or if it was just that particular day. read more

A great family owned Mexican restaurant. Great food! We had the pulled pork and chicken burritos well worth it.

Rating based on my experience: I have been there once so far and would certainly go back! I ordered a tortilla soup and a chicken taco which were excellent. I was very impressed with the soup. My friend ordered a chimichanga which I was able to try and it was also great! I felt the sizes were good, soup and chimichanga were large in my opinion but not excessively over the top. The service was super friendly and professional. Our waiter was very excited for us to try our dishes and hear what we thought. The restaurant was clean and had a great selection of more authentic Mexican food. There is a large space so big groups can go too. Overall: great food would come and and recommend. Seemed like a very homey and comforting establishment. read more

Love the food here, authentic Mexican and the staff is very friendly. I have been back multiple times. The beef quasadillas are my favourite. Good portion sizes and prices. The restaurant itself is smaller but the service is efficient. read more

It's a nice place to have a dinner for Mexican taste. I had chicken fajita and I like it. Live to go back again.

The food is very traditional Mexican, but in my experience was lacking flavour. It was actually not very warm when I received my food.

We tried this place based on reviews and the good was terrible no flavour at all , everything tasted like it was boiled in plain water .. very disappointed .. don't waste your money here read more

Authentic mexican food, I should know, I'm mexican. I highly recommend the burritos and quesadillas. Looking forward to try out the soups.

Great, authentic Mexican food, especially in a city like Waterloo. Definitely try the chimichanga and their a hot sauces! Super friendly owners, and service speed has been getting faster every time I go here. Ask for the student discount! read more

We tried out this restaurant as we have also eaten at their Cambridge restaurant as well. The family that runs it is very professional and nice. This is real Mexican food, not the typical Tex-Mex that you usually get at most restaurants. We had the Chimichangas, Gringas and Tacos. For dessert we had churros and Mexican hot chocolate as well. The place is well worth your time and money to check it out. read more

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I was expecting great things because of the reviews. I ordered the vegetarian enchilada. I was expecting the normal peppers and onions. I was asked if I wanted cactus. I said okay but then also listed that I would like peppers etc. When I got the entree it was a soft corn tortilla filled with nothing but cactus. It had not been drained and the awful tasting pickling liquid had soaked the tortilla. The smell was bad and it tasted worse. The rice was tasteless but the refried beans were good. The service was bad from the start and we had a very long wait for our meals. No one came to check how our food was, nor did they come to clear our plates or even bring us the bill. Ended up having to pay full entree price for a small portion of refried beans. We will not return. read more

so last Saturday we tried once again to have lunch at The Cactus. Opening time is stated as 11am , about a month ago we attempted to go for lunch the restaurant was not open by 1230 with no one apparently on site. This time around by 1145 the restaurant was still not open and again nobody on site. With a stated opening time of 11 I find that with no one on site AFTER you are supposed to be open to start prep it would be difficult to get ahead for the day. We have been there for dinner and everything was fantastic but to run a business successfully your staff needs to be present read more

Good home made food! Seems to be owned and run by a family and the food definitely tastes like you got invited over to someone's house for a meal. The service does take a little longer but it's completely worth it! We keep returning every time we're in the tri city area! read more

Very few people the Friday night I went in so service was fast and good. Meals were good nice flavours Medium to Large portions a good value IMO Drinks were good I had the steak which is diced up not a steak as you might think my wife had the tacos both were good. The place a bit off the main path a plaza it was clean and nice. If you like Mex food this would be a reasonable place to try . I will go back read more

Tried The Cactus for the first time... the service was quick, the price was great, and the food was tasty. We all enjoyed the chimichanga the best. Will return. read more

Went here for lunch this week and this is probably the best Mexican restaurant that KW has to offer. The food is delicious and very well priced. I had the chicken tacquitos and they were very good. It seems to be a family business so you can feel good about supporting locals. We will be back! read more

This is probably the closest you'll get to "proper" Mexican in K-W. prices are reasonable and service is great. My only complaint would be the dining room and decor. You'd never know it's a Mexican restaurant when you walk in, boring dark and empty. One thing I love about Mexican restaurants is how they put slot of focus on the whole experience in the dining room-this place could easily pass for a sub shop (which is what it once was). Also needs to have the typical chips and salsa for every table when you arrive. read more

Visited the Waterloo location and was greeted warmly. Was told they are authentic and in fact are Mexican. Proof of the pudding (sorry) they were offering cow's tongue as the special. He joked about how everyone is grossed out when he mentions it but it is something loved by Mexicans. This place has a really good vibe. I ordered the chimichanga and a beer (Mexican), friend had tacos. The gentleman disappeared into the kitchen and we could hear the light-hearted banter he was having (with his wife?) as the food was being prepared. Again enjoyable. The food arrived promptly and it was love at first bite. We looked at each other and immediately put this on our resto rotation. Bonus, not only was the food good it was inexpensive. This is in the plaza at Philip and Albert where Tim's is. If you like Mexican do yourself a favour and try this place. You'll leave with your mouth singing. read more