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    Cactus Cantina Mexican Grill

    3.8 (214 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    CACTUS CANTINA MEXICAN GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    3 Street Corn Elote Tacos (steak) with rice and black beans
    Sonja A.

    Amazing food and incredible service! We had Bre as our server and she was 10/10! The chips and salsa were free flowing and the drinks were delicious and cold. She had honest recommendations and helped direct us to our ideal meal. Top notch place, we went there last night and will eat there again tonight!!!

    Table chips and salsa (mild)
    Kevin G.

    Not many places along this stretch of road to eat. Luckily, we pulled into this strip mall and walked in the Cactuse Cantina. Very friendly, efficient front hostess stand got us seated quickly for a late lunch around 1:45. Many were finishing up lunch. Our waiter was very friendly and took great care of us throughout our visit. The decor is very clean with concrete flors which made the noise level a bit high but tolerable to have a conversation. The chips and salsa were very good. The salsa was mild and not very hot spice. I had the steak quesadilla and she had the grilled chicken salad. Both were very tasty and way more than enough foor for lunch. Next time we drive trough this area, we will return. Plenty of parking here but, it was after the lunch hour when we arrived.

    This is the one to go to!
    Sean M.

    On our 4-day trip to OBA, my group of four, originally from California but now living in Tennessee, wanted a break from seafood for dinner. Finding authentic Mexican food in the South can be tricky, but this spot was a gem! As the designated food-finder in our group, I hit the jackpot with this place. Our server, Gabby, was phenomenal--she nailed every detail of our complex orders without jotting anything down, and everything arrived spot-on. The food was absolutely delicious, and the margaritas were perfection. If our trip was longer, we'd have been back for sure. The vibe inside is cool, airy, and artistic. Pro tip: there are two locations in town, but this one's rumored to be the best. Can't wait to return on our next visit!

    Carnitas and peach margarita
    Cindy Aka Noni Y.

    Good food, excellent service. Great prices ; atmosphere open and fun. Will be back soon.

    Birria Quesadilla
    Joey P.

    Stopped in while in town on business. The service was top notch and although not officially on the menu, the birria quesadilla was fantastic and the guacamole was some of the best I've ever had. Highly recommend!

    Having a nice lunch, love the updated menu!
    Barrett O.

    There are five Cactus Cantina locations on the Gulf Coast: one in my hometown of Gulf Shores, two in Orange Beach, one in Fairhope, and the one I recently visited for the first time in Orange Beach on Canal Road, Alabama. This makes it three out of five locations that I've been to. There are also an additional two locations in Pensacola, Florida. I'm writing this after my second visit - first with my significant other and yesterday with my Friends & Neighbors group of 14, so I have sampled quite a few dishes. The Canal Road location is one of the more recent openings, and it's clean, spacious, and comfortable. The people are really friendly and work hard to make you happy, which is great! Before we talk about the food, I'm always hesitant to be overly critical of Mexican restaurants due to my many decades of time spent in Mexico, Los Angeles, and the Southwest, as well as my experience cooking this cuisine. However, here goes. Our server was Brason, and he worked really hard for our group of 14, all while maintaining a smile and a great disposition. Kudos to you, Brason! Big shout-outs also go to Assistant Manager John, who made sure we had our tables set up and ensured everything went well. The first thing to discuss is the chips and salsa. If they get that wrong, then it may be a bad sign, but the salsa was okay, although a little more heartiness would be my preference. The chips were light, non-greasy, and had a fresh crispness, so it was a good start. I'm not a fan of their queso, however, as it was watery and bland, but their guacamole was not bad at all. Once our orders were in, the food came out hot and in a timely manner. I had the steak burrito and shrimp taco with refried beans, which were good. The burrito and taco had an Americanized take on Mexican cuisine, which is expected at the majority of Mexican restaurants in the area. Cactus Cantina doesn't claim to be an authentic-style Mexican restaurant, and they're not, but they do a nice job with the expected fare. A big standout were the refried beans, which had large pieces of pinto beans rather than just a paste, along with sautéed onions and a nice blend of spices. The quesadilla was pretty good, as were the tacos, but the shrimp and grits were just so-so. The churros, however, were a delight. I'm impressed with some of their newer additions to the menu, especially the seafood. The Gulf fish, crab, shrimp, and even lobster additions are great selections. They've also added Birria Tacos, Street Corn Elote Tacos, and Smash Burger Tacos. My significant other particularly enjoyed their Boom-Boom Shrimp. Cactus Cantina offers a nice happy hour every day at 3 PM with $2.50 draft beers, $4 well drinks and tequila shots, and 8-ounce house wines for $3 per glass. Daily lunch specials are available as well. Bottom line: I would return to Cactus Cantina because the atmosphere and people make it a good dining experience. Hours: Monday - Sunday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Website: https://www.mycactuscantina.com/

    Wall mural
    Julie O.

    We had just finished a dolphin tour and needed something fast. Chips and fresh salsa to the rescue I had the fajita Quesadilla, and hubby had fish tacos. Good food and great service!!!

    House margarita
    Martita C.

    Friendly staff, love the margaritas . Chips and salsa nice and fresh. They have several locations. I've been mostly to the one on canal in orange beach. Haven't tried food . Just gone for drinks

    Steak Fajita Quesadilla
    Casey H.

    The absolute best Mexican restaurant I have ever been to. I got a steak fajita and it was so so good. The large bowl of queso was also amazing. Atmosphere was just fine the booths are large and they have tv's. The service was great our waitress was awesome. Would recommend this place to any & everyone. Was $16 for the fajita quesadilla but not too bad.

    Tacos Mexicanos
    Adam S.

    I enjoyed the finest Mexican cuisine in the Alabama coast! The Cactus Cantina served us the finest food, particularly the best guacamole ever!!! The burrito ranchero was perfect and so were the tacos Mexicano! Our service was excellent and the restaurant offered the best ambiance in the lunch hours! The Cactus Cantina is a perfect example of great service and food, so give them a try!!

    Mike D.

    Good service and great deal with happy hour 3-6 tacos 1.50$, and drink specials. Classic Mexican style ambiance. No padded seats

    Cactus Cantina Orange Beach, AL
    Rhonda C.

    Food was delicious & fast! Service by Joseph was awesome! Ambiance, nice & quit, you could hear our conversation at our table!

    Chimichanga Plate

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    2 months ago

    Carson was a great bartender beer was ice cold salsa was fantastic tacos wee delicious

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    1 year ago

    Very good Mexican food. Fast service and friendly staff. I had the chicken taquitos and the coconut margarita for Cinco de mayo!

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    1 year ago

    Service was great. Food inexpensive and tasty. Can on a margarita special time so that was nice too

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    1 year ago

    Stay away from everyone of these. Others out there great service but shotty food. JMO

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    1 year ago

    Food and service were excellent. I loved the black beans and cheese grits. Never had grits before since we live in Southern California.

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    1 year ago

    The portions were very large. The waiter was quick and friendly. The restaurant was clean.

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    Page 1 of 6

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    Cactus Cantina Perdido Beach Blvd

    Cactus Cantina Perdido Beach Blvd

    3.7
    (351 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    We got fajitas, chicken, rice, shrimp, guacamole, chips, and salsa. The guacamole app was great!…read moreAnd very large! The chicken and shrimp were awesome. I didn't really care for my hubby's steak (fajitas) but he'll probably tell you it was good. Haha. I didn't care for the style of rice or refried beans. But I'm probably just picky. Looking around, I saw a lot of people with margaritas and other adult beverages. Their margs seemed to be very popular! There are people walking around taking photos of your table and giving you the option to purchase the photos. Something to consider if you have foster kids or have a unique situation where you'd prefer not to be photographed. There's a rubber duck claw machine up front that kept my kids VERY BUSY! They loved it. I probably wouldn't go back, especially cuz I like to eat seafood when I'm at the beach, but it was decent enough!

    Well I really wanted to like this place....stopped in on a Friday evening shortly before 6:30. We…read moreordered margaritas, guacamole, a cheese dip and a kids meal. We then ordered our meals after we received our water. The dips then came out followed shortly by the kids meal. The Margaritas took a bit to come out, we were told the bar was slammed. Okay, I get it, Friday evening, Spring Break, no worries. Our food was another story...After we watched 6 other tables with 4 or more guests that came in after us (4 and a toddler) order, eat, pay and leave and we still didn't have our food, and had been told 3 separate times that the kitchen was running behind (eye roll), and an hour had now lapsed since being seated, it was time to ask for a manager. How can 6 other tables that got seated and ordered AFTER us, order, get their appetizers, bar drinks and food, pay and leave and another table get seated and get their food and we still didn't have our food if the kitchen was running behind? (I think perhaps someone forgot to enter our order...???) We were done, the toddler was now screaming, we were ready to go. I did say I'd pay for what we did receive, a kids meal, the drinks and the guacamole and the Manager told us she would take care of this. Thank you! . There's also a photographer that goes around taking pictures and will give you a postcard for free, and offers additional pictures for purchase. (Giving 2-stars only because the guac and drinks were fantastic! And I can imagine the food is wonderful as well. Sorry we didn't get to find out.)

    Photos
    Entrance to Cactus Cantina
    Entrance to Cactus Cantina
    "Fajita meat"
    "Fajita meat"
    Letrero

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    Letrero
    Luna's Eat & Drink

    Luna's Eat & Drink

    4.4
    (929 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Went there for lunch. Amazing experience all the way around. I will definitely be back for the food…read morethe atmosphere and the service and the beer selection. ATMOSPHERE Nothing too special about the atmosphere here. I just love that. It was nice clean open area with large windows and plenty of seating and easy to get around. The bar area look cool and the layout was nice. FOOD this is why you came here, right! All kinds of fish cooked all kinds of different ways. Delicious gumbo. Love that pimento cheese ball appetizer with that blueberry pepper jelly! For lunch, I had the meat and three. It was all good, especially the collard greens. SERVICE THIS WAS MAYBE SOME OF THE BEST SERVICE I HAD THE WHOLE TIME I WAS IN ORANGE BEACH THIS WEEKEND. OUR SERVER WAS SO AMAZING. I HATE THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME, BUT SHE WAS ON TOP OF IT AND SUPER DELIGHTFUL. DRINKS The bar area looked really nice. Most of my table had iced tea which everybody enjoyed. I also got a beer from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I was very impressed by their beer selection and they are a verified venue on the Untappd app so you can go to that app to look at all the beer selection and even filter and sort the beers so that you can have an easier time selecting the proper beverage. It even came out in a glass that matched the beer that I had! I like that extra touch.

    I went after church on Sunday with my sister and brother in law about 1:45 pm. The place wasn't…read morecrowded. Had a laid back beach vibe. They had a meat and three sides which is a southern thing. I chose the fresh catch. with side salad, boiled red potatoes, and greens. I had asked the server for the salad first. But it was brought with the meal. The salad was fresh and crisp, with a surprise of a small Peppa dew pepper. Blazing red with a little heat and delicious. Haven't seen them in a restaurant ever. Unfortunately my fish and potatoes were cold, cold and butter congealed. The greens were warm and good I had also ordered the cornbread. It was refreshing to see that it wasn't the usual cake like kind, plus not the ultra sweet kind either. More bread like with a hint of sweetness. Delicious. The fish and potatoes had a nice flavor but unfortunately the cold food spoiled the experience. Since I was a guest of my sister I didn't say anything about the cold food. What a disappointment. Maybe when I return things will be better.

    Photos
    Interior restaurant
    Interior restaurant
    The Do It Yourselfer
    The Do It Yourselfer
    Exterior front of restaurant

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    Exterior front of restaurant
    Mexico Lindo

    Mexico Lindo

    2.9
    (79 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    These folks are trying. Went on Cinco after other places packed and they were full but not waiting…read morelist full. You could tell they were overwhelmed but doing their best. We used our Yelp checkin for free cheese dip. One thing they have to improve is the house margarita. It is awful. 1 star. Little to no tequila in it. Free chips are a bit on the heavy side vs light and airy. Salsa is salsa. Our server was very friendly and doing his best. 4 star. Food from two burritos to Texas fajitas was edible but nothing memorable. 2.5 stars. Overall a generous 3 but more like 2.75.

    Queso came out nice and cold, so off to a great start. Then the food arrived, in a timely manner,…read morebut 2 out of the 3 entrees ordered were incorrect. I sent mine back, and no more than 10 seconds later she returned to the table with the exact same dish but now had lettuce and tomatoes thrown on top of it. On top of the wrong dish. *ahem* I said screw it, took my first bite, and it was very cold. Not lukewarm, not "not quite hot"-- it tasted like it just came out of sitting in a fridge for a couple of hours. Completely awful, nearly inedible, lucky for them I was starving so I ate it, but you know in movies when people are captured and their abductors give them a sloppy plate of nasty looking food in some basement, but that's all they get so they desperately have to eat it? Yeah... The second dish, a burrito (incorrect one), was also cold. She ate it anyway because at this point what the hell. The pork sandwich was randomly hot and supposedly quite good, I didn't try it. Anyway, meh. But Mom was sweet enough to take us out for lunch so that in itself was nice. Love ya Momster But anyway yeah don't go here.

    Photos
    Mexico Lindo
    Mexico Lindo
    My p31 completely destroyed. Chile relleno, beef enchilada and a chicken quesadilla. No evidence.

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    My p31 completely destroyed. Chile relleno, beef enchilada and a chicken quesadilla. No evidence.
    The Sloop

    The Sloop

    4.6
    (260 reviews)
    6.3 mi
    $$

    It's been 6 years since my 4 star and gotta report that this spot is a solid 5 and continuing to…read moreimpress!!! ​My honey and I were already regular locals back then, but over the years they have somehow continue to kick things another level when you're not paying attention :-); The Philly cheesesteaks are still the absolute gold standard around here, which is saying a lot coming from someone who used to live right in Philadelphia and knows the real deal. I have a few faves like the cheesy mushrooms and the BBQ shrimp, and nowadaya you can't just look at the regular menu. You have to check out their daily specials board because they are constantly knocking it out of the park with creative new dishes and fresh catches. ​The atmosphere is just even more welcoming, but the outdoor seating is much improved with some sand and stage, perfect for enjoying the coastal breeze. They updated their operating hours too, so they are now open daily from 11 AM to 10 PM. Whether you want to escape the usual tourist trap seafood lines, watch a game on their big screens, or just grab a ice cold beer, or really strong drink, with friendly folks, this place just keeps getting better. If you haven't been by lately, you are seriously missing out. Highly recommended!!! 5/26/26

    Great service, fantastic mai tai, excellent cheesesteaks. The Caesar salad was the best I've had in…read more20 years, except the family didn't like it had tomatoes (they were great). Wonderful place to go on a Friday or Saturday night when everyplace else has 1 to 2 hour waits. We will definitely be back!

    Photos
    OMG I'm in heaven!
    OMG I'm in heaven!
    Cheesesteak with homemade chips
    Cheesesteak with homemade chips
    A lot of parking

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    A lot of parking

    Cactus Cantina Mexican Grill - mexican - Updated June 2026

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