I don't know why there's so many low reviews for this restaurant but it's a very clean and casual place with high quality food for prices that are basically under average for Berkeley and the East Bay. They use quality meat like Mary's chicken for their ingredients. For example, I ordered two shrimp crispy tacos for $11. Yesterday I paid 15 dollars for a bowl of almost nothing for Loatian food in El Sobrante for perspective. These two shrimp tacos were filled with shrimp, cheese, two kinds of salsa and lettuce. I was very full afterwards and my husband ordered two crispy chicken tacos and he was full too. Everyone I know agrees that the crispy tacos here are the best. This place always has a lot of seniors on fixed incomes and they are treated with a smile. It's a nice neighborhood place that is affordable for everyone. It's close to the gourmet ghetto which is full of shops and cafes. Such a cute area. read more

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I had lunch here last week and ordered a burrito, it tasted great, but was really small.....so much so that I went across the street to Andronico's for a protein bar after. I grew up eating at this location, but must admit that this was my first time back in 10 years or so. I really appreciate the care that they put into sourcing ethically raised meat, and am wondering if the premium they pay for there ingredients has had an implication on the portion sizes? I'm not mad, I get it, inflation is a painful. Everyone was really nice as usual and the place still has a great vibe. I was just kinda bummed about the small burrito. read more

On Solano, so there are plenty of parking spots out front and along the residential streets if you're trying to save a little on parking. Ordering is at the end of the counter. There is plenty of indoor seating with lots of natural light. Ended up getting a fish burrito, which comes with chips. No salsa was in the bag; you might need to ask for some, but I ended up grabbing and going. The fish was freshly cooked so took a little longer than the other burritos and tacos that were being churned out. It was a decent fish burrito, definitely fulfilled my craving for it, but not the best I've ever had. Price is to be expected for the bay area. Overall, a place to fulfill your Mexican food cravings if you're in the area. Might stop by if I'm in the area, but at this point wouldn't go out of my way. read more

Grabbing food to-go, I was in the Berkeley area and decided it had been a while since I was at Cactus Taqueria on Solano. With metered parking outside (it's a busy street, so leave additional time if in a hurry), I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, the menu was actually everything our family needed and more. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious and vibrant, with indoor/outdoor options to enjoy. It looks like they also serve weekend brunch and alcohol, how fun. The staff were happy and informative, the line moved quick, and for a larger to-go order, I received my food in less than 10 minutes. They have an expansive menu with a little something on it for everyone ~ from their Bocaditos menu, I ordered a few of the Shen's Burritos (tiny burritos perfect for kiddos with refried beans and jack cheese), a Mexican Iced Coffee, a Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken (queso fresco, cotija cheese, tortilla strips), and a Carne Asada Plate. Other items that caught my eye: Chile Relleno, Enchiladas, and their Pescado menu. Also of course, their dessert menu too :) Upon getting home, everything was still warm and fresh. The family was happy and the food was quite delicious ~ all happy customers! I love a menu that gives us all something to pick and choose from, especially in smaller portions for the 'new eaters' of the family. Would love to come back soon to try the weekend brunch, or even just a mid-week marg. Prices are fair and overall, just a truly solid experience. read more

Clean well lit casual place for standard fare Mexican breakfast and lunch cuisine such as burritos, tacos, enchiladas and the like. Cashier was surprisingly a bit unfriendly, unsmiling even though I was the only customer about 10 minutes after 12 noon in the lunch hour on a weekday. Kinda odd that the place wasn't exactly bustling at lunchtime. Order up, and they'll yell out your number so keep that receipt handy... The food was decent, fresh but nothing special and a bit on the bland side for the two chicken enchiladas in the green sauce that I ordered. I did like their thick but crisp tortilla chips which had a whole-grain texture to them that I enjoyed more. They used to be better, or maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. I'd say stick with their burritos if you find yourself here. Again the service was a little off putting.. I wish I could still recommend this place but there is a lot of competition here on Solano Ave.. read more

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Cures depression and seasonal blues. I love the enchiladas with green sauce! Always good vibes and reliable food.

Today I went out of my way to get my favorite dish from cactus. Anaheim chicken enchiladas. I have been getting it since the early 2000's. I was so excited! When I opened by box, I looked different. The enchilada sauce looked and tasted like it was from a can. The rice looked like rice a roni and had no flavor. Im starting to think cactus might have new owners because this place has slowly gone down hill. Its sad. read more

Cactus Taqueria - Anaheim chicken enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is my go to when I'm in the area, and I get extra burritos for leftovers. It is always fresh and delicious. If I were closer I'd be here at least once a week! read more

I just had the most horrible experience on an order through DoorDash. There is at least one manager there who is very nasty and rude, as I have experienced a nasty man when I go into the restaurant as well. I order from here often, sometimes in person at the restaurant and sometimes through DoorDash. Tonight I ordered through DoorDash. I am someone who has a big issue with unrecyclable plastics and wanting to avoid them. I usually order the crispy chicken tacos, but they always come with a side of tomato in a nonrecyclable plastic cup. Tonight I also ordered Mexican rice, but it also comes in a plastic container. So I called to ask to have the rice in a box, but he just said yes and hung up. So I called again to request the tomato to be put onto the lettuce that accompanies the tacos instead of in a plastic cup. I was told okay, but he did not do that. The received order had the tomato on the tacos, which meant I had nothing to put on the lettuce to eat it. The rice came with a VERY small portion. It usually is a pint plastic container filled tightly to the top. I called to complain, and he was nasty and argumentative. So I asked to speak to the manager. He said he was the manager, so I asked to speak to the owner. He said the owner never comes into the restaurant, so I asked for the owner's name, at which point he hung up. I then called again several times and was hung up on without anyone answering. This is unacceptable, and it seems to me he is trying to avoid the manager knowing how he treats people. read more

Gricelda messed up my nachos by not adding asada i had to wait for my food to be redone and ontop off that she made me pay out of pocket for her error and i had to pay twice for a meal that wasnt that good .. you wouldve thought out of curtesy they would have added meat atleast for free but no i had too pay twice when i clearly not once but twice asked her to add meat on my nachos .. its ok tho never coming back again thank you gricelda ! read more

Great casual restaurant for all ages. Interesting menu with good pescatarian options as long as you notice that Fish is its own section. We were able to place our order right away, and it was brought to our table within about 10 minutes. Tasty fish burrito. The watermelon agua fresca was fresh and delicious, like drinking watermelon. read more

Authentic is the word that describes this place!! Love the tacos, burritos, and of course the litmus test of all Mexican food, the rice and beans. A little pricey but worth it. Dining is casual and friendly and of course very authentic. Could use a chip and salsa bar. Chips and salsa a extra... read more

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Haven't been here in years. Decided to give it a go since we always go to the same places. WOW what a disappointment. With all the Mexican food around...gotta be on your top game. I remember this place and the one on rockridge back when they were a staple. What happened? read more

They have good food and you get it reasonably fast. One thing though is there chips are not that good

I've been eating here since 2001, and for most of that time it's been absolutely amazing. Not any more, though. Both the quality and service are taking a serious nose dive. Once upon a time, you could get crispy tacos with roasted veggies. They weren't on the menu, but it's easy enough to sub out meat for roasted veggies. Right? I tried to channel my inner Jack Nicholson from the Movie China town, who wanted toast but ended up having to order a chicken salad sandwich on toasted bread, hold the chicken salad. No dice, though. Cactus stood firm in their refusal to make vegetarian crispy tacos. Cactus also stood firm in their refusal to make a wet burrito, something I've been enjoying there for decades. I didn't even try to figure out a way through that. It wasn't worth it. I tipped, we ate. My wife's food came out cold, but we didn't bother complaining because I'm sure it would have been as effective as Don Quixote jousting a windmill. My daughter had a veggie plate even though she had her heart set on crispy tacos. She complained that it wasn't very good. My burrito was mediocre as well. Then we went home. And we're never going back. There are way, way too many amazing Mexican restaurants in the east bay to keep going to this one. I'll miss Cactus, but the Cactus I knew and loved is gone. It happens. Maybe a better restaurant will open in that space when they eventually fold. One can hope. read more

I came here with the family, meeting a friend and his family. Credits to this place for being able to accomodate a group of 9 people, including a gaggle of little kids. We ordered at the counter before finding a seat. As it is the case everywhere after inflation, the prices seemed high for what you were getting. We all ordered something that sounded good though and were happy to tuck in. I usually expect Mexican joints to serve large portions. This seemed more like a "Mexican" joint, sort of halfway between an authentic Mexican restaurant and a Chipotle. The portion sizes were a more manageable amount. That may be good for your average bear, but I miscalculated, and ended up not ordering enough for the kids. I'd order more if I went again. read more

Not the best burrito experience. My boss' son recommended this place and we went there for a lunch meeting. Probably, I had an unrealistic expectation from them. Place is okay. Staff were nice. But because I have tried burritos at different places, theirs was not quite I had hoped for. Not asking anyone to refrain from this place. May be, mine was a one off incident. I will give them another try. read more

Cactus has been my go-to taco place for years. I've got my favorite places for burritos, for sit-down Mexican-American food, for tostada salad, etc. But if you're looking for crispy tacos (veggie, fish, shrimp, chicken, beef), Cactus is where you want to go. Crispy, messy, delicious! Order at the counter and pick up when they call your number. Staff are efficient, if not overly helpful. And they make great food, so I don't need them to be my friend. Oh- the aguas fresca is always yummy, no matter what flavor they have. The dining area is made to get people in and back out again. Not very comfortable and always cold (to me). Unless it's a HOT day, I always wear my jacket inside. read more

I wish I read the reviews before I dined here. Service was sub par. All of my questions were met with a frustrated response and the food was overpriced. $12 for a fish taco that was mostly rice and cabbage. read more

I stopped in about two months ago. Their food is reliably delicious. I waited for someone to take my order. There were two people behind the counter. When no one responded to my presence, I asked if someone could help me. The two people turned towards me and neither responded verbally or physically. As I tried to determine whether to leave or not, someone whose shift was done started to walk out the door she said someone will be with you in a minute. I decided not to wait that minute, and I left. I will try again, but I echo the two reviews that I read today, that the service has definitely slipped. I know that we are all a bit overwhelmed these days. read more

I spent about $40, asked for a few chips to accompany guacamole and got alot of attitude and about 7 chips, thanks, will not be return

Still a solid option after many years. Quick, fair prices, ample portions. Burrito mejor with carnitas will jeep you going for 10 hours. Agua fescas and alfajores and tres leches cake all round things out nicely. Go for it! read more

I'm sure the staff will continue to be excellent in their service. The restaurant space itself is the kind of space you might stop for a quick lunch or to pick up takeout. BUT They took the crispy veggie tacos off the menu and it's a literal actual tragedy. I've been coming to this restaurant for 15 years for these tacos, but without them I won't be coming back. read more

Really, Cactus, what the hell are you doing? You had messed up my order before, giving me two crispy chicken tacos instead of two crispy shrimp, even though I'm a pescatarian and can't eat it. And then you offered no recourse for that error. Convenient for you. So it must be my fault that I thought I'd give you another shot. This time, I ordered five crispy tacos: one steak, two chicken, and two shrimp. I GOT FIVE CHICKEN TACOS. How can it be this bad? You used to be one of our go-tos during the pandemic. We never had an issue, and the prices were always reasonable. Goodbye. You won't last much longer. read more

What happened? This has been a family favorite for YEARS and yesterday's tacos tasted like they had cheez wiz in them. Raised prices, smaller portions, menu items erased, quality of food obviously changed with no more signs on their counter of how they proudly serve organic and locally farmed foods. I'm so sad to leave this review. But being charged more for lacking quality isn't my forte. P.S.....We all miss the fountain and salsa bar btw. read more

I have used them for many office catering in the past and the food is OUTSTANDING but today I ordered a small tray of chicken & steak small tray of beans and cilantro 2 guacamole 2 salsas chips & tortillas 12 flour 24 corn small tray of roasted veggie ($123.00) $697.00 in the apst the most I paid was $500 the cashier told me that they raised the prices & I said how much 1000%. I'm not happy but I'll take my business somewhere else in the future. You have to see the food for $700 & receipt read more

Cactus Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Came here on a Sunday during the dinner rush (6:40 pm) and we waited in line for 30 minutes before we reached the register. There were about 7 people in line ahead of us and the line moved incredibly slow because the ladies working were prioritizing answering and taking phone-in orders over the folks waiting in line. We also noticed mobile orders were being prioritized as well. Thankfully once we ordered, it only took 10 minutes to get our food, which judging by how long we waited in line, we thought it would be longer. Food was delicious and fresh tasting. I will come back purely based on the taste but next time I'll be mindful to not come during rush hour or use mobile ordering. They really need to be conscience of people waiting in line so that it keeps moving instead of taking several phone orders between every in person customer. Other places usually prioritize in person customers and place phone calls on hold so I was surprised that it works this way here. Parking on Solano is a hit or miss depending on time of day. read more

Cactus Taqueria - Super Chicken burrito with watermelon agua fresca - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I went in there today. I stood and waited for someone to acknowledge me. There were 3 workers behind the counter. None of them even looked up at me, even though there was no one else to wait on. I left. Really rude employees. By the way, I am in my 70s. Go somewhere else. read more

Cosistant, we'll made Mexican food at an actual affordable price. This restaurant has two locations and they are both great.

The food is pretty good but they often forget part of the takeout orders so be sure to check before you leave.

Much improved !!!!! The food is good and the chips outstanding. so tasty big difference. !!! Generous portions and very tasty Thank you . Usually do take out. read more

Cactus has good Mexican food, but they have one of the best Tres Leches cakes I've tasted in a long while. I'm giving Cactus a full star for the cake alone. Thank you Cactus for being my local Mexican restaurant. I will definitely repeat. BB read more

Cactus Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

The old Cactus is gone, replaced with a bad mimic. Really rude front counter man, watery and strange tasting horchata, simply bad burrito. For anyone who's loved Cactus for the past 20 years, know that the only thing the same is the name. The quality of ingredents is low, the food is not tasty, and the man taking orders is downright hostile. What a loss. read more

the food was alright. over priced for the amount you get. when i walked in i was confused on where to order and tried to order with the first woman working at the counter but she was a little rude when telling me to not order with her. seems very americanized inside. they seem to use humane meat so that's a plus for them. read more

Cactus Taqueria - mar 2025 menu prices - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Polite staff, food is very flavorful. The seats could be more comfortable instead of wood . Maybe a cushion .

Food is good and fresh. Ordered two quesadillas--one chicken, one beef. They taste good but a bit on the skimpy side read more

Cactus Taqueria - Beef quesadilla was better - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

So yummy! Fresh with big portions and quick service! I got the shrimp and chicken crispy tacos and they were delicious!!! I'll be a regular customer! read more

Cactus used to be reliably good quality, fresh and flavorful. My order a few weeks ago was so unappetizing I barely ate half of it. Tostadas were half crispy, chicken and steak fillings were dried out and underseasoned, topped with a sad sprinkling of shredded lettuce. I understand many restaurants are having trouble bouncing back after COVID restrictions, but they're not going to make it they think this is good enough. read more

I am so so so sad that I can't enjoy eating here anymore. They have turned what used to be a local gem into a mediocre mexican place that has no character of its own. :( The veggie crispy tacos were my favorite thing in the whole world-- my whole family loved them and to discontinue them was a tragedy. All their crispy tacos now taste dry, as if they're trying to be healthier. So I thought... their burritos at least are still good! But when my bf and I got the mejor burritos last night, they didn't come with any of the add-ons that make it super, except for the most pitiful amount of cheese. I think that was the last straw for me and I'm unfortunately going to have to kiss this place goodbye read more

I had been eating here more than 20 years but in the past couple years the employees attitudes have really just driven me away which usually doesn't effect me but over time it has been consistently bad here. From refusing to take orders over the phone, rudeness for no reason whatsoever. Not caring about wrong orders etc. Also In the past year they trimmed the menu down and will not let you order the various dishes the way you want or the way they used to make them, all that combined with significant price increases means I will not be back!!! Luckily there are numerous other options for Mexican food around!!!! read more