The Cactus Mexican Restaurant

Authentic Mexican food, generous portions. We lucked out and went when the special was $5 tacos and $1 churros.
We will definitely return to this restaurant.

I have a very mixed review on this place.
It started off as one of my go-to spots to get bussin tacos. Easily a 4 or 5 star. The service was also decent when I would go pickup.
I recently had a birthday to celebrate and choose this as the dinner venue. I called to book, and the worker who answered had music blaring in the background and constantly asked "What? ". Anyways, he confirmed it was booked and to let him know if anything changes. OK. I then tried to follow-up to confirm the number of people a few days before the event, no answer. Called them again, nothing. Called 7 times the day of, no answer. I arrived at the restaurant early to see what was going on. Turns out that they went on Christmas Break, and failed to inform me that they actually couldn't host my party since they were closed. I now had 13 people who I had to get into a taco restaurant within 30min. Guanaquita (El Salvadorian) came to the rescue. And they also have bussin tacos.
Won't be coming here any more because of this. It's really unfortunate too cause I raved about this spot, but the way I was treated was undeserved.

The only word i can use to describe the food, atmosphere, and service, is beautiful. The flavors of every dish we tried, were so balanced, working together perfectly. Everything from the complimentary chips and dip, to the appetizers, to entres, and churros. All of the food and the flavors were just simply beautiful. Service was welcoming and friendly throughout dinner. Even with multiple (2 families of 8 and 2 families of 5) large parties that they were catering to, they still took the time to make sure that my girlfriend and i were taken care of.

The Cactus in Waterloo, ON, is a charming family-owned Mexican restaurant that truly stands out. The welcoming atmosphere and diverse menu cater to all tastes. Their margaritas are a highlight, impeccably crafted and enhancing the overall authenticity of the experience. Don't miss the churros – served hot and irresistibly sweet, they provide a perfect conclusion to a delightful meal. The Cactus excels in delivering a genuine and flavorful Mexican dining experience in the heart of Waterloo.

Arguably the best Authentic Mexican restaurant in Kitchener-Waterloo. I regularly visit this restaurant from work and on personal visits and never get tired. Fajitas and Enchiladas are a must-try. Friendly owner and family-run. You’ll feel the Mexican hospitality and warmth.

Oh man! It was amazing!
If you want real Mexican food without a plane ticket tag, here is the place. It was delicious! I had the mole, and my husband had the Rojas sauce. What a treat! The Margherita was also very authentic. I just have to say.authentic also means stronger than the Canadian version of it. Be aware. But sooooo delicious! We will be back.and soon!

I’m from Mexico and this is one of the only places in Canada that I have found to be as delicious and authentic as Mexico!
The owners and staff are so friendly and the food is amazing of course.
I have brought my family and friends here numerous times and they have all loved it!
They are very good at catering the food to your liking too (if you like spicy or not, if you eat meat or are vegetarian).
Couldn’t recommend this place more! Best Mexican restaurant in Ontario

Extremely RUDE!

We get there at 7.30 and closing time stated 8 PM.
Before we enter the restaurant a guy told us we will be closing at 8. And he was literally not willing to serve us or any new customers. He came to take order and even didn't explain the dishes in the menu clearly.

We pulled off from that place without having food.

Delicious food! I got the tacos dorados and my boyfriend got the big burrito. The burrito was overflowing with meats and toppings and flavour! It was hard to pick from the menu as everything looked so good- will have to be back to try some more!

Went here with The Tri City Food Ninjas. The food was very authentic and very good! The staff was impressive in their handling of such a large group

The Ninjas checked out The Cactus tonight!

The staff was so pleasant. They were attentive, fast and had a very warm demeanour. I can tell they really appreciate every customer that walks through the door.

The food was amazing. I loved learning that most of their menu is gluten free.

I got the Carne Asada. Everything on my plate was seasoned and cooked perfectly. It was fresh, flavourful and the best corn tortillas I have had in a while.

Over all. Would 10/10 recommend. These folks put their heart into this and deserve all the success in the world:)

Authentic Mexican restaurant. Service is slow because almost everything is made by hand and fresh per coming orders. Worth the wait

Everything you would expect from a Mexican restaurant. We had a taco plate (3 different tacos, all delicious) and a vegetarian burrito. The meals were the perfect size. And the margarita was excellent. With 2 drinks, sharing a churro for dessert, and tip, the bill was under $50. Service was great too.

I've only ever ordered the double meat enchiladas, which are a little pricey, but still taste quite good!

This may be one of my favorite places to eat ever. I can eat a lot and the burrito managed to completely make me full for the next 10 hours.definately worth a visit if you like this kind of food.

Food is good but important stuff they lack on. They didn't give us water or even ask for water. Secondly and most importantly he charged for the food we didn't even order so we would have end up paying $30 more if i didn'task for my receipt. It was not busy at all to make an error. Guy didn't even apologize for his mistake. So guys please make sure to check your bill.

Just moved from California to Waterloo and was sad about giving up excellent Mexican food. Luckily we found this restaurant! My litmus test for Mexican restaurants is the beans and rice, and this place definitely delivered on that end. Overall, the food is not California level, but it's pretty close and definitely hits the spot when the craving hits!

Got the chimichanga and it was pretty okay. Disappointed tho with the overall service. The guy seemed pretty nice but he didn't cater to any of my requests for example I asked how much the horchata was and he just served me it and charged me, and I asked him to make it very spicy and he did not add anything. Felt like saying I didn't want the horchata after this incident.

We love this place! It’s hard to find a actual authentic Mexican place to eat- this place has never disappointed we have been multiple times and the owner & staff are always welcoming.

Price is a bit more on the premium side but you are rewarded with a delicious authentic Mexican cuisine experience. If you're tired of going to generic burrito places, look no further - this is the real deal.

Family and I went and we were the first to sit down with reservations though not needed as the place was empty. Then another larger group come in right after and they got all the attention, orders first, drinks first and even apps all before our order was even taken.

If you've ever had real Mexican food, not resort Mexican food. But the authentic kind from a Mexican restaurant in Mexico, then your going to be very disappointed.

It had absolutely no flavor and the flavor it did have tasted old. Especially the steak, it was terrible, it tasted like the cheapest steak, but at a high cost. We had 2 Micheladas $20.30, I had the Carne Asada $20.99 and my husband had Enchiladas Double Meat $22.99 and the total came to $70! The portions were not that big either.

The owner himself seems really careless and arrogant. We didn't get our drinks until we got our food, which was so wierd, any other restaurant you get your drink immediately. Also food only comes out 1 at a time, my husband got his meal 7 minutes before I got mine. And it's worth mentioning again the steak is terrible!

Amazing the food it's delicious the service it's fine sometimes the forgot to give the chips but it's ok the food it's really good, we like it so much

The flavor is superb and complex. Everything is homemade and you will taste it. Only the likes of seven lives in Toronto can match mexican food here.

My body was born in Asia, but tonight, my heart is mexican.

Price is a bit more on the premium side but you are rewarded with a delicious authentic Mexican cuisine experience. If you're tired of going to generic burrito places, look no further - this is the real deal.

Food was excellent - fresh and well prepared. Service team seemed a bit overwhelmed with the crowd.

Like usually every week we ordered take out from this place this time we received very a little rice and was hard and cold the only thing warn was the frijoles in the container, I found a toothpick in my tacos were covered too much sauce and savour cream they were very soggy the fajitas slightly undercooked chicken still pink the guacamole was sour and salty burn my mouth, I never leave a reviews what a disappointment experience maybe they changed administrators again.

Amazing guacamole! Delicious meal. Had the Alambre de pastor. Sadly they were out of churros. Can't wait to go back to try them. I hear they are good!

This is the most authentic Mexican place I have ever been to, the staff is amazing. I would definitely go again but not very allergy friendly. I am gluten free and could only choose one kind of taco

The most amazing service, beautiful decor, and authentic Mexican food! Absolutely delicious and THE best burritos and churros in this region.

This place is amazing. My wife loves their vegan burrito (potato or mushroom with no dairy) and my current favorite is the carnitas. Their hot sauce is like nothing we've had before. I asked if they could sell me some and they obliged. We've been driving across town for this place every week since we found it

I really wanted this place to be good, as we don't live very far away. Unfortunately it was very very bad. We ordered 1 of each taco and every single one of them tasted like the meat / fish was under a heat lamp all day long.

It was so dry we couldn't even finish them and we got horrible stomach aches and sickness later on after eating them, border-line food poisoning. I am usually a very fair reviewer but this was probably the worst take out experience I have ever had.

Maybe covid has affected them in a negative way, or maybe this was just an off day, but we will not be returning and do not recommend.

We had carne asada, enchilada, suadero taco, and churros! All great! Felt like we were back in Mexico.

The Cactus Mexican Restaurant is a hidden gem! It was my second time trying this place and the food was delicious! I ordered the green enchiladas. The dish comes with chips, rice and beans. The more saucy the better! Taco de bistec came with 3 tacos. The tacos must be eaten fresh to prevent from it becoming soggy. I would go back and try more items from the menu.

Amazing food at affordable prices. The owner is friendly and patient while explaining the menu and recommending various items we would enjoy. We got take out for 10 people, food was fresh and hot even after a 10 minute drive home. Everyone was from out of town and couldn't believe how delicious the food was!

I'll be back.

Great experience! The food had different flavors than usual Mexican restaurant. It was excellent. I will revisit in future.

The best Mexican restaurant I have ever been to. You *have* to try it out if you like mexican food! Beautifully flavoured and well priced. Loved the hospitality as well <3

If you're deciding on where to go or whether you'd like the Cactus, just go here! You'll have a great time.

I’ll preface this by saying we’re huge fans of traditional Mexican cuisine. I was disappointed by our meals here after hearing such great things. Our food was really dried out and didn’t look fresh at all. We also ended up receiving one item which was not what we ordered. Saving grace for this meal were the churros and kids chicken quesadillas which were fresh and tasted quite good.

The dinner was delicious. It was great to have authentic Mexican spicing: the flavours I remember from the restaurants and street vendors in Puerto Vallarta and Los Barriles. I was happy to see that they were so busy.

Ordered for takeout. Our meals were both amazing. Will be adding this to our regular takeout rotation!

My wife daughter and I love eating here. The family who owns the this amazing authentic Mexican restaurant are very professional, polite and welcoming. The food is fantastic and they never disappoint. We always look forward to returning to dine in.

El pozole sabe muy rico, aunque lo preparan con carne deshebrada y parece más una Birria con maíz, aunque repito sabe bueno.
La sopa de tortilla sabe muy rica
Los Tacos que sirven son pequeños y llenos de lechuga, en especial el de pescado nunca distingui el sabor y cuestan casi $5 cada uno.
Cerveza Modelo Especial y Negra Modelo en $6.99

The pozole tastes very delicious, although they prepare it with shredded meat and it looks more like a Birria with corn, although I repeat it tastes good.
The tortilla soup tastes very good
The tacos they serve are small and full of lettuce, especially the one with fish that never distinguished the flavor and they cost almost $ 5 each.
Modelo Especial and Negra Modelo beer at $ 6.99

Small Family owned business. Great food at very affordable price.
Try them if you are craving Mexican food.

Always awesome food and awesome service. The best part is they truly appreciate you and your support. By looking at the pictures and eating thier food quite regularly I can tell it is true Mexican food. See you again real soon.

Went here for the first time for takeout, we ordered a chicken and beef burrito. They were delicious, fresh, and reasonably priced. I would definitely come back

3 hot, fresh and delicious Tacos el Pastor and an ice cold Mexican Coke.so good. Perfect Friday late lunch.

Some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. Just note it's a little pricy, ended up paying $30 dollars for my meal.

Delicious Milaneza great taste and definitely worth the price! Would definitely recommend going there!

Hands down the BEST Mexican food I've had in Canada. So authentic! The mole is to die for and everything else is perfection.

Also, if you call them for delivery they will tell you to text them your order and you can avoid the apps.

Love, love, love this place. If I could eat here every week, I would! I have had quite a few options on the menu and my favourite is the Chimichanga! Portions are huge and worth every penny!

Excellent food, exceptional moilaise sauce, and even better hot sauce.

Strongly suggest.

LOVE it! The best mexican food in this part of Ontario. Soooo delicious and authentic.and I would know! Ask for the unlisted items for a culinary adventure. My favorite: sopes.not on the menu.

Would not recommend, especially through Uber Eats. My experience with my order was disappointing. My order was placed through Uber eats with a couple small changes to menu items including: 1. Removing tomatoes from all items in the order, 2. Add beef to the nachos ($5 upcharge). I called the restaurant after placing my order to confirm they received these changes. The man I spoke to over the phone was not very pleasant but did agree he saw the order notes and ensured the restaurant would comply. Although, once I received my food this was not the case. A dish in my order was incorrect and there were tomatoes placed on this dish. Further, the nachos did not have any beef and were shy on the cheese. Also, the quality of the food was just not what was expected. My overall order contained 4 tacos, nachos (with beef $5 upcharge) and a chicken burrito. The entire order was just about $75 after all fees included. Overall, my experience with the restaurant was poor, I was not a fan of the food and I would not say it was worth the price or disappointment. I will not return or order again from here.

The size of the taco was actually pretty decent. Having lived on the west coast in the past, I have had my fair share of mexican food. The flavour was actually pretty good. The only thing is that the meats for example the carnitas were about 20% too salty.

Hoping that the restaurant can bring back the 3 tacos for $9.99 deal.:) Would be more inclined to buy 3 in this case. Otherwise would just buy a burrito since I would actually be full for $11.

Looking forward to try other items on the menu.

Authentic mexican flavours. Amazing food. I ordered enchiladas and loved them. They delivered the food incredibly fast, it was my first time ordering here and I’ll be ordering again soon

We had a great time there today. 4 girlies margaritas.were the best I've had in ages.just had the tortilla soup. I want the recipe it's that good!
Go go go!

Delicious food and friendly service! I always get the chicken fajitas. The pozole is great too - not sure of any other places in the area that make it. The mole is also excellent. All of it is excellent: D

Absolutely speechless. Not in the good way. I have had authentic Mexican food in Vegas and I was so excited to see a local Mexican restaurant here in KW. However the food would make any Mexican cry from shame. Ordered the enchiladas de mole. The chicken was dryer than cardboard and flavourless. The tostadas with chorizo was okay but in no universe should they be charging $14.00 for it. Their rice was mushy and coffee was burnt. Not strong. Burnt and the churros. They were heavy as bricks and salty for some reason.

Left smelling like a deep fryer as well.

Never coming back.

Came here today because I was curious and I have to say it was good! The food had flavour for the most part. I would give this place 5 stars but I love my food and I felt it was just missing a little salt other then that food was really good and they have good choices for the menu. As for service it was only okay, they were attentive but just didn't feel welcoming. Decor is simple but nice and place is kept clean!

Extraordinary dining experience. The young waiter was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Every dish tasted homemade. Ingredients were super fresh.whatever you think you're getting, it's about 100x better than you can expect. Best mexican restaurant in the tri-cities, I will absolutely go back.