The food is quite good and the atmosphere during the day is enjoyable - lunchroom style. However, if you are looking for a quiet, peaceful place to enjoy dinner, stay away! Cactus on Solano has become THE place to go with several obnoxious, misbehaved brats bent on annoying as many people as possible, and parents who don't seem to give a damn about rude kids. There is a fountain in the dining area which is never on, with a large sign warning you to stay off---obviously because rude parents have allowed their brats to climb all over it. Don't get me wrong, I love children and raised two of my own, but unlike the Cactus crowd, I raised them to be respectful of other people. In summary: Food - A Atmosphere - B Brat Factor - F- read more

Cactus is not like most other burrito places. There is some deeper river of flavor that I just don't get from most other burritos. I typically get "un burrito mejor, de pollo asado, sin salsa, con frijoles refritos". I usually order in spanish, it seems to cheer them up. I like that it is predominantly self-serve, although I do think they could add some more wall hangings or noise dampening materials, as it does get a bit loud if you dine in. There is a table close to the glass window in the front that is perfect for lunch, because you get great sun and you can people watch (south facing buildings are the best). I highly recommend it. I do wish that their burritos hadn't gotten smaller however, I like to be more full. I guess the economy affects even Cactus :( Oh yea, niman ranch meat. I spent some time in Colombus Ohio and people there didn't know what "grass fed" meant when I asked about the filet mignon. I'm glad Cactus serves good quality meat. read more

No thankyou. The food was very sub par. Very disappointing. Its a great spot for kids but I just couldn't get through the food.

Not terrible, it's acceptable food however I found a hair in my food and the beans were super hard. Chicken was pretty rubbery as well.

The food was great but the service was lousy they messed up the burrito and asked her to fix it and they said they did with the receipt said

Ordered nachos...now this review was taken down...so here goes again: Chips were burned, cheese was melted, pushed to one side, hardly any other toppings, meat was one of them, nowhere to be found. Carrots on nachos??????? Bad, very, very bad experience. The group sitting next to us also ordered nachos, and were looking at them in disbelief as well. Really, yelp - you allow far more negative, but honest reviews, so stop removing mine...they are honest, and fair. If the individuals or business owners don't like bad reviews, here's a hint: Be human, do your job, and provide good service. read more

In the Berkeley - Albany area, when you want a yummy burrito or taco fast go to Cactus! We usually get simple items like rice, bean, cheese and chicken burritos. I like their rice and beans, but I think they should get a bigger salsa bar. It is located at the top of Solano next to Pegasus book store. We like that because we usually go in and read. read more

Pretty good Mexican food. My son is 12 and loves eating there. The only downfall is, some of the staff are not that warm.

I love Cactus beyond my ability to express. This place has fed me several times a month for at least two years. Seriously. Friendly and casual, their burritos far and away destroy any other burritos I've had in the Bay Area. The meats are high quality and safe to eat, too. My current favorite is the burrito mejor, chile verde con pollo, add guacamole. You can have it on a spinach tortilla if you like. I dribble some chipotle salsa on it from time to time too, as I'm working away on it. For drinks, they've got beer on tap and in bottles, and aguas frescas, which I adore. They've got some standard flavors that they carry every day, like cantaloupe ("melon") and watermelon ("sandia"), but my favorites are the rare ones that pop up only so often, like Tamarindo and Hibiscus. Some days we like hanging out in the place, but it can be a bit crowded and noisy, so what we'll usually do is call ahead with an order, then swing by to pick it up on our way to a park or some place. It's utterly non-pretentious, very affordable and delicious. I wouldn't go here on a first date by any means, but for a mellow, easy meal with my wife and kid, it's hard to find anything better. read more

Good news: In the top seven for best cheap Mexican food on the planet, as I can say from 2 decades or so of experience. Bad news: The furnishings also have 2 decades or so of experience. Time to spruce things up a bit!! read more

My family comes here all the time and we love it. It's cheap, healthy, and good! The place is usually crowded but the food is fresh and filling. I usually get the crispy chicken taco, enchalada, or chicken tamale. I would definately recomend this place for a casual lunch or dinner. read more

Service is hit or miss, Minus one star. One of the last times I visited, they left the cream off my large burrito. I went up to ask for some and the lady behind the counter insisted she had put cream on myu burrito. I had to open it and show her before she would give it to me. Really. That said, we ran into some friends there the other night and mistakingly took home their leftovers instead of ours - crispy tacos! Never would of thought to order those because of the "crispy" factor, but they were delish! So, four stars for always excellent, reasonably priced food. read more

I have been coming to Cactus for almost 22 years. It is AMAZING and the employees are very kind. I also get an agua fresca (my favorite is strawberry) and a burrito. read more

I in initially try to over the order over the phone and I was with the child that I was needing and he wasn't sure what he wanted and the lady was very rude over the phone because we were asking questions about what was in the burrito. Then we decided to go in so that we could see the menu and ask more questions and we were continuously met with rude servers specifically one woman named Griselda at the counter. We eventually ordered our food and went to the car and waited and then when I came back to get it there was only one bag of chips in the bag. I proceeded to Confirm with her that the meal I ordered came with a bag of chips and I also ordered chips on the side yet only received one bag and she continued to be rude and assured me that she had combine them even though the bag of chips was very small. The food wasn't bad it but wasn't particularly good either. The customer service was absolutely terrible. I will not be returning here anytime soon - there are much better Mexican restaurants with better customer service on Solono and in the area. read more

There is so much to love about Cactus Tacqueria: Fresh, tasty Mexican food with a full salsa bar on the side. I have trouble choosing between the fish tacos and chile relleno plate. Aguas frescas are not to be missed. Service is fast and cheerful -- great place for a lunch-break during the workday! read more

I've been working in the area recently and have passed this place a lot, and I was curious to try the food. I finally decided to give this place a try last Sunday. I was short on time and knew I had to get lunch for the rest of my crew of 4 people, so I decided to order ahead before the lunch rush. I called twice with both times the phone rang about 20 times, but no answer. I saw that I could place an online order so I did that instead. Had to create an account with caviar and download the app, kind of annoying but I wasn't tripping. I get a notification that my food was ready and I get there a few minutes after that. It wasn't busy at all just one person in line and one waiting on their food. I get in line and I'm told there is no order with my name. I give the woman my information and show her the confirmation on my phone, but she couldn't figure it out, she asked for help from another girl and after scrambling for a few minutes they finally figured it out and at this point they started making the order and tell me it will be out shortly. Even though I was very short on time at this point, I still wasn't tripping. I finally get the order and rush back to feed my hungry coworkers, at this point I realized they didn't give us utensils or napkins and I didn't have any way of getting any at that point. Some of us didn't get handheld food like burritos so those of us couldn't eat the food we had ordered. The ones that got burritos and empanadas shared half their food to the ones that needed the utensils. I also paid for extra hot salsa and didn't get it. I was pretty annoyed at this point, but the worst part was the food, especially for the price... the only reason I'm giving two stars instead of one is because the empanadas were decent, everything else was pretty bad. I don't think I've ever tried more bland burritos, I even tried to taste some of the chile relleno I ordered when I got home a couple hours later hoping I would change my mind but it was also bad. Overall it was a bad experience all around and I don't think I'll be going back. read more

Three words - crispy shrimp taco. Those are darn good. You have to be savvy at this joint - for while everything is fresh and good quality, some of the preparations have me wishing for Cancun in the Mission. I personally stay awat fromthe Burritos, and stick with: the crispy tacos the tamales the plates. great salsa bar. prices are high but reasonable for the quality. read more

The food was prepared fast and it tasted good. The crispy tacos were especially nice and the queisadillas just fine. The fresh watermelon drink (acqua fresca de sandia) was some of the best I've had. If you hate undisciplined children do not come here... Update: on a return visit I waited to be served without being acknowledged for five minutes as the staff did kitchen work (there was no line). Tables had not been bussed and it looked uninviting; needless to say I took my friend out the door and down the street. read more

This is some of the best Mexican you'll find for the price in East Bay. They use organic meat and quality ingredients. They also have real Mexicans working there. Not College students pretending to be Mexican. The Tres Leches cake is awesome as well. Always have to get a piece any time I go there. The only drawback is that there is often yuppie families in line and their spawn run around terrorizing everyone and screaming. Its not their fault though. Its the consequence of delivering quality service. Its still worth it Going will convince you to get your tubes tied or get a vasectomy. Orale Carnal read more

I especially like the crispy tacos... they are outstanding. It can be a madhouse sometimes, but that's because they are so popular. It's one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, that and Picante. I think they have a huge staff, bigger than any other fast-food Mexican place I've seen, and I think it's because they are always cooking fresh food to keep up with the demand read more

Disgusting. The bathroom facilities in Cactus on Solano are not fit for human beings. Dirty, broken plumbing, overflowing, no soap or handtowels. Filthy. Is this where the employees wash up??? I'm keeping my kids away. It's a health hazard. I reported the conditions to staff, but no one seemed to care. There are a lot of icky bathrooms for some reason in Berkeley restaurants (and people should speak up), but this is the worst. If this is what the bathrooms look like, imagine the back kitchen! I am notifying the Berkeley Environmental Health Dept, 510-981-5310. Keep the number handy and help make Berkeley a cleaner and healthier place to live. read more

I've had one of each of their crispy tacos and the only one worth it, and now I'm addicted to the vegetable crispy taco! Amazing flavor and the only reason I keep coming back. read more

I actually had Amexican food and did not feel like a beached whale! So after Pilates Simone F and I wanted something fast but somewhat healthy to eat as we drove down Solano my trusty Yelp app found two places Gordo Taqueria and Cactus and for some reason we picked Cactus. Since we were on a semi-health kick we decided on two Fish burritos and a chicken Pozole to share, we also order two aguas de melon. I like the fact that they have a large salsa bar but none really had any flavor my favorites were the Habanero and and the Cabbage salad. The burritos were small but actually they were the perfect size, nice and packed nothing spilling onto your hands no loads of sour cream or tons of rice. It was all equally balanced and they fish was cooked to order. The sopa had a bit too much chicken for my taste but it flavors were great. The agua de melon was great- not to sweet and just right. If in the area again and hungry for a light meal I would definitely stop here again. read more

Cactus last night, like we do (at least) once a week every week, and have for the last 8(!) years. Why? Food good, inexpensive, the kids love it as much as the grown-ups, lots of variations to keep it interesting, small dishes for when you're not too hungry or you are a little kid. Last night I had the soup -I always get the soup - lentil with some red pepper, it rotates but I order it regardless. Sometimes it's better than others. Last night the lentils were cooked just right and the broth was savory but not too salty, I always grab a lime to squeeze in but last night the acid was there so I saved the lime and put it on my beans. I had a chile relleno too - lots of gooey cheese in a spicy poblano in a batter which is a little wet by the time you get it from the nice tomato sauce they put over it. Beans and rice and a little lettuce accompany. I usually get a beer, used to get the Jamaica Red but it's not on tap anymore (despite the menu board on the wall -darn I love that beer!), I like to get a bottle of Anchor or the Lagunitas IPA now. I always get soup then something else, an enchilada or taco or tamale. Always 3 salsas to get for dipping the chips that come with many of the dishes. The rest of the family usually gets a burrito, they make it to order so my daughter likes to get a "pink" burrito (tomato tortilla) and my wife likes to get a "green" burrito (spinach tortilla). They almost never get phased when you add variations to the standard fare, and with the kids and other dietary concerns we always have special requests! Why might you not love it? It takes a while to get used to the rhythm. It's busy almost always & there is often a line. You can tell non-regulars because they panic about getting a table - don't worry, 98% of the time there will be a table when you are ready to sit. They did cut the portion sizes down about 6 months ago so the burritos often seem small these days (we order a few little dishes, small rice and beans or extra tortillas now to make up for it). Sometimes they make a mistake, which can be momentarily tragic for a child when he bites in and discovers salsa! But they always fix it and its been great to watch my son gain confidence as he's learned to return a dish. Anyway, we love it. The staff is always great and efficient. It's comfort. We go there at the end of a long week or as an escape on a weekend afternoon. Last night it was a perfect first stop as we split up and my wife and son went off to their special Wednesday night class and my daughter and I headed home for Our Wednesday Night! read more

Very good. I tasted a little sample of the red mole before anything and I was already pretty impressed. I got a chicken burrito with beans and rice and the red mole, it was a little bit messy to eat but it was easily in the top 3 best burritos I have ever eaten. I would definitely go back and try something new. read more

I love this place....order from here often with the office and love it so much I decided to cross the bridge again just so my family can enjoy it!! Hubby LOVED everything, the kids loved their burritos & steak nachos!! Crispy tacos are still my fav!! read more

This is my go to place when on Solano Avenue. It doesn't matter if I've eaten Mexican food the night before, I always enjoy a plate of crispy chicken tacos!! They are consistently delicious! They satisfy the crunch factor I look for in crispy tacos with the flavor of well-seasoned chicken, guacamole, lettuce and melted cheese. My husband and I never share a plate. We have to get our own or we'll never speak to one another until our next visit. It's true. It's happened!! I'm so glad I was alone this trip so I could dispense with the usual chatter that accompanies our meals. As I finished my tacos, I met eyes with another patron and we silently agreed that there are our favorite tacos EV-ER! Neither of us made a sound until every morsel was cleaned from our plates! Finger licking good!! When I finally sat back, I noticed a pint-sized patron attacking his plate with gusto. Clearly, we're not alone in our enjoyment of the food here! Try the crispy chicken tacos! I dare you!! read more

this place USED to be my most favorite place to eat...that was until Father's day of this year. There is something to say for changes in management and employees, for years on end you could find the same sweet women preparing your food with dedication and love, a la mexicana. But now there arejust a bunch of bitter old hags making your food and messing up orders. When I pointed out that there had been a mistake ( I kindly did this) I got MAD MAD attitude, and when they remade it for me they asked ME TO PAY FOR IT!??!?!?!?! WHAT THE FUCK!/? I am still confused by this. the food has sky rocketed over the past several years ( I became a regular when it opened, but moved out of the area so it had become a once in a while place for me...) What made matters worse is that the food tasted like crap, the shrimp burrito I had was WATERY and gross! they have good as Aguas frescas though and 3 leches cake, but it is not worth it...go somewhere else, head to richmond try 3 hermanas, much more worth it. Cactus bring back your old cooks and service people I promise your reviews will change. read more

Cactus makes me a little sad each time I visit. I like the idea, I like the taste, I like the convenience. I don't like how sad the employees always look. I don't like that no matter how hard I try and no matter how often I visit (I work nearby and eat here AT LEAST three times a week) that I can't get anyone to crack a smile or treat me like a real person. I really, didn't like it when I bit into a chunk of chicken in my vegetarian plate. I really, really, really, didn't like it when I brought it back and timidly asked for a refund (I was as kind and courteous as possible, it's not my style to bite off employees heads for honest mistakes, I work in retail and I realize shit happens, I judge people by how they handle their mistakes, not by the mistakes themselves) and was treated like I was asking far too much and should stop having stupid dietary rules. They just wanted to replace the food. At that point I had no appetite. In my opinion, they should have refunded my money AND replaced my food. That's what I would have done at my old restaurant job. Along with profusely apologizing. I didn't even get a sorry. I really like the burritos so I still go back for them and the aguas frescas are fresh and delicious, the perfect afternoon treat. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Edit - 8/27/08 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The Owner messaged me after I wrote my review and apologized as well as letting me know that they have been taking steps to increase customer service. I'm adding a star for effort and for the fact that as I stated before, my experiences have not been bad enough to keep me away entirely. read more

I just went here for the first time after hearing lots of great things and wasn't sure if this place would live up to the hype. Now that I've experienced it, I too can say that their crispy chicken tacos are one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten and their salsa verde is awesome! The one bummer about the crispy tacos is that you can't get them without cheese, it's a non-negotiable thing, but other than that, they are fabulous! If I had the metabolism of a 10 year old and wasn't concerned about heart disease, I'd eat them every day. read more

Having had fab meals at Cactus Taqueria in Oakland, I was looking forward to dinner at THIS (Berkeley) location. NEVER AGAIN. Just like Lucille (SF)'s rating of 10/20/12, both my husband and I came down with food poisoning within 24 hours. HORRENDOUS. Shoulda known something wasn't quite right: little to NO condiments at "help yourself" bar and... NO... ZERO ice for hubby's coke. Service is not all that great, either: staff does not greet nor too friendly, hospitable. DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

This place makes me so sad. I decided to walk here instead of Gordo's today. It was the blandest burrito I've had in a long time. Carne asada tasted boiled or steamed not grilled. The best part was the watermelon fresca. At least those still taste good. My favorite use to be the crispy chicken tacos. They are not good anymore. They freeze the tacos with chicken and cheese and drop em in the fryer and put everything on the side. They use to make them fresh and they were amazing. read more

I am actually frustrated at this point. NOT GOOD FOOD. BAD. Go to Gordos, Cactus, Picante.... go away, people. This place sucks.

My favorite item is the chile relleno plate, and that's mostly what I've gotten. Last night, I tried the camarones plate. Pretty fresh ingredients; I think the camarones could have used a bit more seasoning (no, they were not diablo style). also like the aguas frescas--YUM. read more

It's okay. Nothing to write home about. We usually get the chicken caesar salad and carne asada burrito and share. I enjoy the salsas but I find the food a little bland so I'm not a huge fan. read more

I don't love Cactus's crispy tacos as much as I love the ones at Nick's, but when I'm on this side of the bay, this is where I like to go for quick Mexican. I like the shrimp tacos and I like their combination plates, and I love their guacamole. It can get very crowded and the tables are not very comfortable, and since people don't bus their tables the whole place always seems only semi-clean, but the food always brings me back. read more

They don't have fajitas except for 2 days out of the month. How can a not cheap Americanized Mexican place not have fajitas?

I normally love Cactus and have been to both locations a number of times (no, it's not the most authentic Mexican but it's decent food for a decent price). We usually get their crispy tacos, chile relleno, or chile verde plate, and usually some horchata or other agua fresca. We came here for dinner last week and it almost seemed like there was a change in management. There is usually a long line here but in the past, the employees have been great at keeping it moving fast. But that night, there were multiple employees behind the counter doing god-knows-what but only one person actually helping people order. So there were only a couple of people waiting to pay but about 15 people waiting in line to order their food, in a line that's crawling. We finally got our food and both husband and I noticed the portions were much smaller than what we have gotten before. He liked his pork plate but I thought my chile relleno was better during previous visits. So I don't know what happened here - maybe it was just an off night - but I hope this isn't the new normal for them. Also, please be prepared for hordes of children when you come here. read more

I've been a loyal customer of Cactus' College Ave location since I moved to the neighborhood about a year ago. It was once a great option for quick, well priced, tasty food. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be going back any time soon after a very odd recent customer service incident that honestly didn't feel too great. I tried ordering lunch for my partner and I on the phone, but accidentally called the wrong location (actually... this incident is how I learned there were 2 locations). It was my mistake for not looking more closely at the number I was calling, but again, since I didn't realize there were 2 locations, I didn't think twice before hitting "call" on my phone. After my order was taken, the employee I spoke with mentioned it was "pickup on Solano" and then hung up immediately before I could say anything. I called back right away to correct the mistake, expecting it to be an easy fix (I was even willing to just cancel my order at Solano and call the right location to reorder). Unfortunately, the person on the phone was really rude to me when she realized I made a mistake -- like really rude. She kept yelling at me, "I SAID Solano and you didn't listen". Yes, I realized that she said that, which is why I called back immediately to correct the mistake. After she said that about 5 or so times with attitude, I tried to explain how it happened and I don't even know why I had to work so hard to justify the fact that it was an accident -- it was just a silly mistake that anyone could've made, it's not a crime. In the middle of me talking (calmly and apologetically by the way; I was still committed to ordering from Cactus and wanted to be polite), she hung up. It felt like a very aggresive 'F You' and I really don't understand why this was the response to a simple mistake (Also -- yes, I get my meal would've just been a drop in the bucket as far as revenue for the day goes and they have a bunch of other orders to worry about, so it's silly to make a fuss over 1 lunch order. And it was probably annoying to realize someone made a mistake, but it's just the principle of being treated that way after apologizing to the employee I put my order in with....). I don't like getting people in trouble because she may have been having a bad day and this pandemic has been hard on essential workers, but I don't think it's very kind or acceptable to be treated this way. I also tried emailing Cactus to let them know about the incident in private, but didn't get a response. All I wanted to do was to get them to be aware of the incident (not to identify the person who snapped at me, but just the fact that it happened) and ask if they could mention something to staff members who need to be told to be a bit nicer to customers on the phone. I take it from the lack of response that Cactus doesn't give a single care about their customers at all. Goodbye to my recurring lunches from you and looking forward to ordering from somewhere else from now on. read more

The only thing I can say in their defense ,it was the day after Labor Day weekend ,and maybe they haven't had a shipment for a few days. I ordered fish burrito ,and took one bite ,couldn't even swallow .The smell of the rotten fish was so bad ,I had to go and wash my mouth. And to add insult to injury when I brought it up to their attention ,The girl at the counter says "ITS FISH ,OBVIOUSLY IT SHOULD SMELL". Nice location ,But was the last time for me. read more