Bottom line: I've definitely had better in Riverside. My fiancé and I decided to try something new before we hit up the movies. We're frequent visitors to Mission Grove but had never been to Cactus Cantina and decided to give it a go. I will say that the ambiance was nice and everyone was friendly, and the service was quick. We ordered: the mozzarella sticks, club sandwich, and carnitas plate. 1. The mozzarella sticks were average. Definitely pre-packaged and frozen, but edible. The marinara was similarly bland, but not terrible. 2. The club sandwich was, according to the fiancé, "so bland [he] can't taste anything in it, save the occasional bit of bacon." It wasn't terrible, just not anything to write home about. 3. The carnitas was much more peppery than I'm accustomed to from literally any of my favourite haunts, and unfortunately on the dry side. Again, not inedible, and I finished most of my plate, but the portioning was on the small side (I ran out of rice before my third tortilla, and I wasn't even filling them entirely) on top of it. Drinks-wise, I ordered a pineapple juice (served warm/room temp. yikes.) and fiancé ordered a strawberry lemonade which was very obviously a powdered mix (there was residue at the bottom of the glass). Again, not terrible, just average. I did have a bit of an issue. I very explicitly declined a different drink prior to the pineapple juice once I found out the brand for two reasons: one, I disliked it; two, I have allergies to some ingredients in that drink. Our waitress -- who, to her credit, was incredibly sweet and was only doing it out of kindness -- brought the drink anyway and said I should try it. Again I think this was an attempt to be friendly and kind, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat. To sum up: I don't think it was worth the $40.50 plus tip that I spent. Your mileage may, however, vary, depending on your tastes, but from someone who eats Mexican food frequently this was just so bland and I'd rather go to a hole-in-the-wall place. Unfortunately, I will not become a repeat customer here. read more

I had a big party, celebrating my birthday. Let me just say that the fajitas are my staple. I love them. So delicious. Anyway I had a large party of 9. Not only were they super accommodating, our waitress Julia was simply amazing. She was super attentive and made 9 people happy! read more

Impressive food and impressive service. Been coming here for years and turning all my friends onto it as well. My favorite dish so far is their chile relleno, which I don't think I've ever been able to finish in one sitting (BIG portions). I hear their carne asada is to die for, so I'll be trying that soon. Plus the management is good people, and they have strong ties to the community. A couple customers at my own business have told me to come to Cactus for some of the charitable events they've hosted. I like knowing that my money supports stuff like that even when I'm just eating out. read more

Great name on the outside, but the inside doesn't look anything like the name. The restaurant appears to be outdated like a mom and pop dinner on route 66. The menu will also confuse you as it does not match the name on the outside of the building. read more

Cactus Cantina - New American Near Me - Riverside, California

Great food friendly service. Our server Mia was the best friendly accommodating and genuine. Will definitely be back and ask for her. Ty

Not authentic Mexican food but very nice staff and the food was delicious! Only downside is I wish they had better salsa and chips and the atmosphere / style looks old compared to the food. read more

Food is excellent service is great tonight I had the Asada wet Burrito with green sauce damn it was good ordered one to go for later hahah.

Went there for dinner and had a Mexican combo plate. The food was very bland, had to cover it in salsa for flavoring. Ordered a second margarita and the waitress forgot to bring it. I had to ask her a second time for my margarita. She brought the drink and after a few sips, I noticed it was leaking from a large crack in the side of the glass. I advised her that the margarita glass had a large crack in the side and was leaking. She took the glass back to the bar and returned with a small glass containing the margarita. She asked if I wanted more ice in the glass. I asked if that was the same drink and she confirmed that it was. I told her that I had concerns that there could be pieces of glass in the original drink. She finally returned it and brought out a new drink. Will never go back to this place!!! read more

This Place Is Really Good ! Salsa on Point, Chips on Point ! And Food Is Pretty Darn Good ! And the Area is Pristine ! I Want To Be The Duke of this Place read more

Cactus Cantina - Hangar 24 Chips & Salsa - New American Near Me - Riverside, California

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First time here came for happy hour but Whalen I got here was informed that they no longer have it. I ordered the shrimp fajitas it was pretty good and a Cadillac margarita it was ok my daughter ordered the shrimp enchiladas she said it was ok so maybe will come again and try something different but really wish they still had happy hour read more

A long overdue review!! live across the street and this is our "go to" dinner spot! I have to be honest the only thing I've order here is the Carne Asada plate and that's saying something because I come here about twice a month! It's delicious! My father cooks THE BEST carne asada ever and I would eat carne asada here every day if could! The seasoning is on point, it's always tender (and literally every time I order it it's like this) and cooked to my liking (medium, and yes a true medium). It is a thicker cut compared to traditional carne asada that I'm used to but it's not a bad thing at all! My husband orders the the rib eye special and he enjoys it. The fajitas smell amazing as they serve them on a sizzling platter BUT I stick to my fav!!! It does get packed during dinner times but for two people the wait is around 15mins. Everyone is always friendly and attentive even on busier days and the gentleman at the front who I'm assuming is the owner is always very welcoming! Will be back again soon! read more

Cactus Cantina - New American Near Me - Riverside, California

Okay, first I have to say I've only really been to the bar. I think I may have ordered food but I don't really remember.... Cuz like I said I was at the bar... for awhile ;) Its cute. Decent place to get a drink before a movie. Affordable cocktails. Decent chips and salsa. Maybe I'll go for dinner after a movie one night. But not a place I absolutely have to run back to and try again. read more

I love their steaks! Always cooked to perfection! My husband always orders their Mexican breakfast. Their bloody Marys are really good as well. The ambiance is very western and full of older people. It's perfect for a casual hangout/place to grab a bit w/ friends read more

The food seemed decent! Although the service was horrible! I received my food cold.... so I returned it! The margarita was not that great....but the second one my husband ordered was good? So not very consistent.....the waitress was rude and would walk away before we could get another word in. We had to repeatedly ask for the same thing over and over since she apparently had a hard time remembering...I would give this place another try BUT definitely not with the same waitress.... Btw my husband has been there before and seen the waitresses drinking early in the day while working lol SOOOO apparently the other reviews were right on about this! No wonder the service sux....half the time they're probably buzzed! Maybe the owner needs to put some cameras everywhere and watch it! read more

Came here to have drinks and an appetizer with my wife. Service was fair to good but unfortunately the Queso Dip they served with our chips and salsa was really nasty. It is kind of a shame as I use to really like this place. I mean it was never 4 stars but you use to be able to get a decent meal here at a fair price. We won't be back. read more

I'm not clear why someone would put anything under 4 stars? Every time I come to Cactus Cantina (off and on for a few years) I receive excellent service, the staff is great, and the food is excellent!!! So I see a two star review, "I didn't like the tacos." These aren't street tacos for crying out loud!!! This is a Mexican/American cuisine, but Americanized to fit the taste of most folks in this area. If you read this review, ask the staff to suggest a meal. The Fillet Medallions are off the hook!!!! The Rib Eye is to die for!!!! The Loaded Nachos....never had better!!!! The service is impeccable and the staff is more personable/attentive than any staff I've met under the busy circumstances...they do an excellent job, they work hard, and put an extravagant amount of effort into each and every customer. read more

Cactus Cantina - 28oz Long Islands, really well made and the service is fast! - New American Near Me - Riverside, California

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When you receive good food and great service want to call it out. Taylor, our server was great she attended to our table without fail even though she had several tables to attend to. All with a smile. Cactus Cantina is always a great local place and with employees like Taylor you can see why it's a local favorite! read more

We went to cactus cantina tonight and the server took her friends who were behind us their drink order and ignored us..we had been waiting for 25 min which was not a problem until she served them first, We left and i called Kathy (who said she was the manager) to let her know as we were very good customers but obviously not as good as her friends, This had nothing to do with Covid 19, this was just a rude server read more

I used to visit all the time, the place was fantastic! I went back and took my daughter on Feb 17, 2019. Boy has this place changed. We arrived to no hostess seating us, the three waitresses in the building were running around like crazy. The bartender finally came from behind the bar to seat us. She told me we had to sit at a bar top or wait for a waitress to seat us. We sat at the bar top and ordered, drinks came fast as we were at the bar and ordered a appetizer. The food was HORRIBLE all the items were overly deep fried and burnt. After that we decided not to stay and asked for our bill. I would recommend for the price to go somewhere else! Horrible service horrible food read more

Been he 3 times with my family. Each time was a great experience. The food is incredible, the customer service is beyond measure, and the atmosphere is nothing but pleasant. Can't wait to come back. The Big Daddy, and Omlet Oasis are big favorites with us. read more

I would highly recommend this restaurant. There is great service especially from the worker Mia. The food is great and the place was clean and safe. read more

This is THE BEST Mexican restaurant we've been to and I don't say that lightly considering we grew up on Macayo's in Las Vegas! I can't wait to take our Vegas friends here when they come visit! read more

My type of atmosphere , the food was good I had fajitas ! The bar tender was super sweet and attentive . I am new here so I think it's a local hang out , it just had a friendly vibe ! It was a little hard to see the menu due to lighting but the Fish tank was amazing !! read more

The next time you go to the Cactus Cantina make sure you sit at a table served by Ashley. She was very pleasant and a delight to be served by. Our carnitas and steak tacos were delicious and very filling. We really enjoyed our experience there. read more

Great food, prices and customer service. Enjoyed the atmosphere here. My family loves it to. Love the steak and my wife the sweet potato. If you like steak, prime rib, lobster and ribs, this is the place to go. read more

We are regulars here and love the family atmosphere. We usually sit at the bar and love all the bartenders. Ashley usually serves us and makes a great lemon drop! All the food is amazing especially the filet medallions. I recommend going on a Weekday or sometimes there is a wait on the weekends...even when it's busy it's not too hard to get a seat. read more

I live so close but never made it to Cactus Cantina until yesterday. Went with my two kids and husband, and we tried a variety of food. The menu is extensive, pretty much everything you could ask for. My husband and son had Mexican food, enchiladas and tacos. Both liked it very much. I had fried shrimp and mashed potatoes, and my daughter had a kids meal with chicken strips and french fries. All the food was good, and the service was excellent. The portions were huge, and I thought it was a good value. We didn't have anything from the bar, but four meals with sodas only came to $44. I have enough leftovers to make a complete meal tonight also. I'm sure we'll be back. read more

Very good food with a good sized menu. Service is good as well. Some weekend mornings they have fresh made cinnamon buns that are big and fantastic! read more

The environment is cool. But, the food I got was bland. I got the enchilada plate. The rice tasted like pasta with no sauce. The beans tasted like penny's. The enchiladas sauce tasted like bland ketchup dressing. Don't come here expecting Mexican food to taste authentic nor attempted to be done right. Service was good and the staff is attentive. Maybe other food is good, just not the Mexican food. read more

I go here often because it is close to my girlfriends house. If we want some appetizers and drinks it's hard to go wrong. I think the quality is better than some of the other choices of chains we have in the area and the portions are much bigger. Service has always been friendly, for the most part. read more

My family and I came for dinner and it was horrible. I had to send back my water glass three times because it had what looked like salad dressing inside of it. Then on top of that my grandfather ordered a steak that caused him to get sick later that night. I would not recommend it. read more

This place is a hidden gem!! They have amazing food, amazing service, great atmosphere, amazing music playing! Can't beat the price!! Drinks are reasonably priced as well as the food. The perfect little spot to have dinner before you head over to Galaxy Theaters! Don't miss out on this place! read more

My wife and I have been patrons of Cactus Cantina for 15 years or so. We like to support our local businesses here in Orangecrest. Unfortunately today we had a bad experience worth sharing. When we started eating our food we noticed our silverware was dirty. We asked the waitress to bring another set which she did. When she brought the second set we noticed that the fork had a piece of lettuce on it and the knife had food residue on it as well. When she returned to check on us I told her about the silverware and asked to speak with the manager. She quickly tried to take the piece of lettuce off of the fork and she told me that no one was here right now. I then asked so no one is in charge right now? She did not reply. She quickly took the silverware away and returned with a fresh set. This was an unfortunate way of dealing with the situation. Our intent was not to complain but to bring the problem forward to management to address going forward. I run a business as well and would appreciate that courtesy by a customer to fix a problem. Unfortunately the knee jerk reaction was to bary it under the carpet. That's a shame. Then at the end the waitress brought a brownie to the table in an attempt to make up for it. Nice gesture but I would have preferred the problem addressed for their own sake. Management please train your employees how to deal with these type of situations and address quality issues. read more

Amazing waitress Maite was the best. Service was amazing and so was the food. Had a great breakfast with my family here.

Came here with a large group of friends. They wouldn't take a reservation, but they put us in a large side area with privacy. The service was really good. The food was good also. Mexican and American on the menu. Full bar with plenty of seating. The decorations are a western theme and the place is nice and clean. read more

Fun gathering place that won't deny your wallet too hard. We went as a small group from work to have a beer and relax with some food and found the atmosphere to be alive and filled with conversation and laughter. The service was friendly and there were lots of neighborhood "regulars" The beer was tall and cold, and the food was good and plentiful when served. The patio had a sports team enjoying the beautiful night and food. The location next to the theater keeps the place full and vibrant. read more

Wife and I decided to give this place a try since it near to our home. We were both disappointed with the meal that we ordered. Food was very bland there was no flavor to our meals. I really doubt we will teturn because there are other places far better than Cactus Cantina. read more

I had my daughter's baby shower on the patio yesterday and they were so welcoming, the waitress was amazing !she did everything from taking orders to delivering food to busing the tables to making sure all the kids in the party had what they needed, She was amazing. I highly recommend MIA REW and Cactus Cantina! The food was delicious and large portions too read more

This place is t super fancy, but decent prices for the food you get! Kid friendly and yummy cocktails! Always friendly workers!!!

Grateful for the service! A small group of friends wanted to get together for a memorial, over breakfast and drinks, on a week day. We mentioned Cactus as an option since we frequently go there. The small group quickly turned into over 30 people. We called several times changing the details the evening before. The staff kindly accommodated everything. We had the banquet room and extra staff they had brought in. The service was great! Food and drinks were good too. Very happy with the experience! They definitely gained new customers that day too. read more