So we were a big fan of going for date night once every week, but have since tapered off. Started to notice a quality change in food and service. Is it because we were regulars who tipped +20%? Still my favorite place for Mexican and a "must eat here" if visiting the area. But damn guys / gals ... lay off the pepper on the free chips .... read more

Flavorful Mexican food joint in the Lakes Region. It's always busy, especially during the summer. However, on this visit on a winter holiday, the place was expectedly empty. I ordered vegetarian fajitas and requested no cheese or sour cream, and the server was thoughtful and insightful enough to ask if I wanted butter (more dairy). I sure appreciated that. Portions are huge and it's a great value. The grilled vegetables were tasty, and the Mexican rice and refried beans were simply okay. The chips and salsa were addictive, possibly too salty, but still kept me coming back for more. Service was otherwise slow and spotty, but completely understandable given the day. I like this place better than T Bones! Give it a try if you want some generously portioned Mexican. read more

If I could leave no stars I would. The manager was racist and did not want to admit fault. we were seated and the waitress did not come back to check on us for two hours after we ordered our food. no check ins or apologies! We asked for the manager to share our experience and she stated she did not care and did not want to hear it . We were very upset. we asked for a manager a second time and she banned us from the restaurant because we were " too difficult " and didn't want our food anymore . She was about 5"2 , tan , and slim we will never go back !!!! read more

Best experience I e had at a restaurant in some time! Staff was very attentive and courteous! Nachos were amazing (definitely sharable). We split the fajitas and there was more than enough. Steak marinade melted in your mouth! Drinks refilled without asking. If you are in the Laconia area, check them out. Definitely worth a stop In. read more

Cactus Jacks used to be my favorite place to go for a quick bite but recently they completely removed corn tortillas and enchiladas off their menu. Being gluten free, this was my favorite meal to order as I always knew it would be safe for me to eat, but now instead they just give you the corn tortillas that they use for their chips.... Seems like a cheap move to me to just completely stop ordering corn tortillas and excludes a portion of the population that can't have gluten to save a buck. Do better. read more

The 4 of us had dinner here as part of a birthday week celebration. We all had different entrees and all of us raved about the food. Nicole's was spectacular as a server. We would absolutely recommend this place, and look forward to stopping on in again. read more

We love Cactus Jacks! Always consistently good food and service. Today we had Sam for the first time. She was SO fun, knowledgeable and kind! Even when the whole restaurants computer system went down...customers were "out of line" swearing, aggravated. She kept her cool, composure and dealt with it. Impressive. Will ask for Sam from now on! read more

Excellent for drunk food on the way home from a concert! Liked sitting at the bar, crowded and lively bunch there even late.

Food was very good but it was the service, specifically the manager Kylie who earned the 5 star rating. My wife and I along with 4 kids went for dinner on Saturday 7/21 and were greeted at the hostess desk bby Kylie who was outgoing and very friendly. She did her best to find us a table that sat six people. The entire meal was very good but at one point towards the end our wait service became a bit slow (they were very crowed that night). At one point Kylie herself jumped in to make sure we had everything we needed and apologized for the slow down in service. At the end she brought us our check and once again apologized. CJ's a great lunch and dinner place and Kylie is a valuable asset to the restaurant. We'll be back. read more

Disappointing! Its impossible to find Mexican restaurants (let alone restaurants in general without driving 30 minutes) when I'm up at my lake house in Gilford. However, this place finally opened a few summers back and I couldn't be more excited about it. Poor me, if only I knew that my nachos would be served with gross pulled chicken (or rather shredded up stringy chicken instead), that margaritas would be weak, or that service would be anything but speedy, I wouldn't have bothered. Dear Lakes Region, Can you please open a delicious Mexican restaurant for the sake of all margarita and fajita lovers? You are truly terrorizing my summers with your inability to do so. read more

Cactus Jacks is probably my "go to" place in the Lakes Region for a bar scene, especially if there's a game on to watch! The food is ok, but I prefer the bar for the drinks and atmosphere. As I stated, the food is nothing to write home about. It's fairly average, and won't disappoint you or impress you. That's good enough for many people. The bar is well laid out, open, and roomy. They also have many flat screen TV's, and usually offer drink specials during games...which brings in guys like me. They could offer better beer options on tap, but they do make good margaritas and mixed drinks. The drinks can really rack up the bill here though; they're not cheap... Overall, if you're in the 21-35 age range, you'll prob really like this place. It's upbeat, pretty modern, and hip. I rate this restaurant 3.5/5 stars because the food is only average, and they're a bit overpriced. read more

Where to begin with Cactus Jack's?? Well to start, there is a steakhouse upstairs (same ownership I imagine) called T-Bones, which also looked inviting. When we came in we were tired and hungry from a long day of hiking upstate and, not knowing the area, had chosen this spot at random. We asked the host which wait was shorter, upstairs or down. They quoted about a 20-25 minute wait at either restaurant but thought that downstairs might be slightly quicker, so down to Cactus Jack's we went. Despite the fact that they were clearly busy, the upstairs host called down so that they could expect us downstairs - which was appreciated. We were received in a very friendly manner and asked if we wanted to wait on a couch in a waiting area or in the bar - both inviting options. Upon entering the bar area, we were waiting to order drinks as you typically would in a bar, but then a server came up to us, pulled extra chairs over to a small empty table for us and offered to bring us out beverages, which he did very quickly. Only moments after this, the manager offered us a large table in a semi-separate area of the restaurant, saying that a large group had canceled their reservation so they would like to offer it to us (there were only 4 of us). We took our full drinks to the table, at which point the first server in the bar transferred us to a restaurant server and refused to let us pay or tip him separately for his service to avoid the hassle for us. The service continued to be absolutely stellar. Our waiter "invented" an appetizer for us so that we could try multiple choices without an upcharge, and all of our food was fast and delicious. They even gladly changed the television station for us so that the guys could watch a particular game that was on. At the end of the meal, the waiter overheard one member of our group mention that he could use Tums for his heartburn and he went so far as to offer him a Tum! At the end of our meal, we asked for a manager who was equally friendly and we raved about the service to him - he was highly appreciative. I could not say enough positive things about our experience at Cactus Jack's. If we lived close by, I have no doubt that we would be back frequently! read more

One of the best Mexican Restaurants around town! Great food and drinks! I love the fact that it's open later than 9 pm. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 was because the food tends to be over seasoned with spices. read more

Downstairs from T-Bones and operated by the same people. Full bar + more Tex-Mex and Western style food, as well as steaks and seafood. Excellent ribs, nachos, etc. The onion rings here are better than those upstairs. One of the few late night dining spots in the area. Consistently good food and service. read more

We stopped there yesterday for lunch. The food was really good. My wife had the steak and cheese wrap, it was fantastic. I had the chicken wrap, it was delicious. The food is made fresh. Our waitress Sam was quite possibly the nicest person we have ever met. She was very nice to my children and she even remembered their names when we were leaving. read more

Literally walked in at 12:31am with over 20 patrons being served and was told they were closed for the night. Absolutely ridiculous.

Service was great. Try their spinach and artichoke dip and Cajun seasoned bread. Their wings are ok.

Drove in from Boston pretty late and I was starving. Googled "laconia late night eats" and came across this place. It was Thursday, before the 4th of July and the place was pretty busy when we arrived. Sat down, the waitress quickly came over and I ordered The Jamaican Margarita; great for those that don't like a lot of sour mix in their marg. Cajun Seafood Stew was delicious! My only complaint was that I ordered a cup, when I should of ordered a bowl. Baja Fish tacos weren't great. The fish tasted frozen and the season was a bit bland. The service was okay, but not great. Had to wave down my waitress 3 times to order more drinks. read more

Wish i could give less stars.. I've worked in the service industry for about a decade and I've never seen such rude staff. And the manager supported it. Terrible service. read more

Got to have the jerk wings, best around anywhere. Pork Carnitas are very good also, comes with rice and refried beans. read more

Cactus Jack's - New American Near Me - Laconia, New Hampshire

I stopped here on my way down to Concord for a conference so I was eating alone. I went to the bar which is a great place to eat on a crowded night (it was only 5 p.m. but the place was already packed). The waitress was friendly, and my food was served very quickly. I got the pulled pork tacos, and they were really really good. Sweet potato fries excellent as well, not greasy. I had to force myself to stop eating them. My one and only complaint is that the wait staff should spend a little less time talking to each other and be a wee bit more attentive to the customers. I hesitate to say this because I am not one to throw anyone under the bus, but it took some work to get someone's attention as they were engrossed in their own world. read more

We were seated promptly. Food was good. Our server was a little slow in taking our order as bringing check after. We will definitely go back though as their food is delicious read more

Cactus Jacks usually is pretty good but this time it was awful. Our waitress Alyssa took 20 min to give us our drinks, in those 20 min she spent time doing her side work. It then took another 15 min for food to come out. I got wings and a side salad by the time my salad came out i was already 3/4 of the way done with my wings. She then never came up to ask if everything was okay. Not impressed. read more

Might be my favorite pub to go too. Great atmosphere and a huge menu to pick from. Burgers to anything Mexican. Even can ask to get the prime rib from upstairs. The salsa they give you is really tasty. read more

My wife and I went to Cactus Jack's for dinner on a Saturday night. It was decently full, but the parking lot was packed due to the very busy steakhouse upstairs (T-Bones). We weren't incredibly hungry, so we both got a beer and then split a couple of appetizers. The atmosphere was cool - low lighting, nice bar, a bunch of stuff stuck to the walls (but in a way-less-obnoxious-than-Applebee's kind of way). Plus there was no wait, and it's seat-yourself. Their beer selection wasn't huge, but the prices were reasonable. The craft brew options left a little to be desired (unless you really, really like Sam Adams... and that's it), but they did have one house ale (T-Bone IPA) which I thoroughly enjoyed. I will admit that I'm not sure why it was listed as an IPA, because it wasn't one... it was a much more balanced, ESB-like ale and there was not a lot of 'hop' character. Still, it was very good. We split the fried pickles and an order of wings (I know that's not exactly the healthiest dinner, but hey... you're reading this to get my opinion of the restaurant, not analyze my eating habits). Our very friendly waiter brought over some chips and salsa while we waited. The house salsa is unique, but quite good - a nice, smoky chipotle flavor was a pleasant surprise. As far as our actual, food, the fried pickles were excellent - well-breaded, crispy, and served with a generous amount of chipotle ranch for dipping. The wings were the real reason I decided to write this review. They let you select 2 different styles for your order (which is pretty great), so we got the buffalo and the Carribean Jerk-style. The buffalo wings were excellent, but the jerk wings were life-changing. They were dry-rubbed with rosemary, thyme, oregano, cayenne and black pepper, and then blackened to perfection, and served with a slice of lemon to squeeze over the top. They have a flavor that is totally unique, and plenty of heat to back it up. I specifically remembering taking the first bite and thinking, "Oh! This is exactly what I always thought 'jerk' seasoning is supposed to taste like!" I enjoyed these wings so much that I wouldn't be surprised, if I died tomorrow, to find them available in the buffet line in heaven. They're actually that good. Overall, a good experience. I'll definitely be back for the wings, and to try some of their actual entrees. We had a very nice dinner overall and I'd definitely bring friends and family back here. read more

Last night I went with my sons and ordered steak fajitas. The onions were not cooked and surprisingly red onions. The steak was cut up into tiny pieces and did not taste good at all. The whole thing tasted kind of sour believe it or not. The food took close to an hour to arrive. My son ordered veggie fajitas and they delivered chicken fajitas so he had to wait another 15 minutes. I will not be going back. read more

One of the worst dining experiences pandemic or not. Very poor food, very poor service, mixed up food orders, forgotten meals and screwed up bills. I strongly recommend choosing a different establishment to patronize. read more

On Weds 8/24 early evening with two friends. Ordered ribeye steak, was delivered a sirloin strip steak. Server told me that is our ribeye. Manager stated the same. This is what we are serving for that item. Offered to replace the meal with something else. I was fine with the meal delivered except it was not what I ordered or was looking for. Plus I did not want to make my friends wait for me to get another meal. I asked for $5 off was told no. I was really craving a good ribeye. False advertisement as the menu states 12oz Ribeye Steak. No notice it may be substituted and I was not told/asked if that was acceptable either. Strip sirloin and Ribeye are very different cuts of meat. If you order this expecting a ribeye steak you will be disappointed. Let me say that I really do like Cactus Jacks and T-Bones but this is wrong. Either change your menu or add a statement like ribeye steak may be substituted. Plus you have a $3 surcharge for this item. Which made me hesitate to order it but again I was really looking forward to a ribeye steak and ordered it anyway. I also posted on Cactus Jacks Feedback site and got no response. Disappointed but will probably return but not for ribeye steak. I have pictures of the meal showing it is clearly a strip sirloin and the menu but I could not figure out how to add them to this post. read more

Went there last night with my family. Worst food I have ever had. Taco meat was inedible incredibly salty and very dry. Pulled pork was dry and tasteless. One pound of ribs all bone the little bit of meat on the bone was dry and tough. Waiter was awful, never checked in with us after delivering the food, we had to ask another waiter to bring the check. And that was after most of us left the restaurant. I would not recommend eating here to anyone and can't even give them one star. Save you money eat somewhere else!!!! read more

My girlfriend and I went here las night to end our weekend in NH and we had a great time! The drinks were awesome, food was even better, and staff was very friendly. I had a watermelon corona drink which had the mini corona in it, very cool. I had the chimichanga and she had the turkey avocado sandwich, both excellent! Would come back here again for sure! read more

This place is fantastic. Alana served us and was attentive, kind and just simply wonderful. All of the food we ordered was cooked perfectly. Timing, atmosphere and service all exceptional. read more

We have always loved Cactus Jack's and have enjoyed this restaurant for close to 10 years now. So much so, that we travel an hour to go to the nearest one, in Laconia. My giving it only two stars is HUGE to me. Not just because of our disappointing meal there thee weeks ago, but because I fear we have lost our go-to restaurant. The wait staff has always been wonderful, so no complaints there. The last two times I've gone, I've started falling out of love with the food, however. The Nachos Supreme came to our table and not only did it have very little meat, but the cheese was not melted. Very disappointing. It did take a long time between the nachos and our dinner, so the half eaten, half cooked nachos sat in front of us only to remind us how UNappetizing our appetizer was. The margarita my husband ordered (for a mere $11) was all sour mix and very little tequila. He could not drink it. My son ordered the buffalo tacos and loved them. My husband ordered the cheese steak burrito and it was so salty, he left half of it on his plate. Not to call out my husband, but this man does not leave food on his plate...like, ever. The time before this one, my son ordered the nachos and then had the buffalo chicken tacos and between the two, was very sick to his stomach the entire way home. I guess if you think about it, those two things are probably not the best choice of healthy meals, so I don't blame this entirely on Cactus Jack's, but I had some of his nachos and they did not sit in my stomach as well either. read more

I saw "tex mex" and I was thinking it would be like a chili's or something similar to that. I was wrong.. The menu had a lot of stuff on there but nothing looked appetizing. The chips and salsa were nasty, and the entrees weren't much better. The service was ok, but it was confusing whether we needed to seat ourselves or if you got seated. The good news is that I think they put half a bottle of tequila in my margarita, so if you like a stiff drink, this is a good place for that. read more

To put it nicely: a more disgusting Chillis. Recently went to CJ's with a group of friends for my birthday. We waited a solid 30 minutes for a table, had a few overpriced drinks while we waited. 30 mins came and went - still no table. Turns out they gave it to someone else because the hostess thought we left - even though all FIVE of us were sitting right infront of her, at the bar. After we finally sat, our food took another solid hour to come out. At this point we were hangry - half of our meals were cold, as if they had been sitting out for that entire hour we were waiting. Needless to say, I won't be going back. read more

Food was OK, but, it is a tex-mex, so they could kick it up a bit, add a little more heat. Service was average. We had to return a couple drinks. Went with large group on a Sunday night and it was still busy, we needed to wait for enough tables to be put together to fit every one. Plenty of TV's, good place to catch a game and have a few drinks. read more

Been here several times during bike week and never disappointed and will probably continue to go here during future visits to bike week.

Attempted to go there Friday night. Arrived at ~7pm, we were told there would be no more than a 20-30 minute Wait. There was one party of 3 ahead of us at that time. While waiting, we observed Tmultiple parties that arrived after us that were seated ahead of us. After hearing nothing by 8pm we left. We understand it was a busy time, and we hadn't had this issue previously, but we should have minimally received a status update. UPDATE: Management reached out to us and we went back to CJ's and had a great experience! Surely an establishment that wants to resolve issues and not just sweep them under the rug as others have. Based on this positive experience, updated review to 5 stars! read more

Best chicken salad in New England - easily! Meat is always tender and quality of all the food is great. Love this to bring the family or to meet up with friends. And the patio is perfect. Thank you for having a locally owned alternative that's really good. read more

The buffalo chicken is so good!!! Also the tacos for Uno, dos, tres, night are awesome! The whole family loves it here. Drinks are good too and the service is always great. read more

We went on vacation at Laconia on the 13th of June. Was suggested to go to Cactus Jack's, and set out from our hotel. It was a fairly quiet early afternoon, we did seat ourselves. Our waitress came over in a minute or two. The service was great, she was helpful and cheery. We had the jerk chicken skewers, Chicken Chimichangas, and the luncheon two for one (salad and hot chicken fajita roll up.) The skewers were great! The plates were generous. We also got the fried ice cream, and that was also very yummy! The prices were fair. Would definitely go again! read more