After attending an event in the area, we stopped by Cactus Tavern for a late night bite to eat and a drink on a Saturday night. Located on Cave Creek Road, I had passed by this bar several times and was excited to finally try it out. While I parked across the street at the venue where I was for my event prior, I did notice that they had a decent amount of free parking available. Ambiance (4/5): Cactus Tavern is a dive bar with some Arizona flair. Given the name of the bar, I expected some cactus decor. It did not disappoint...including square lights with cactus cut-outs above each table. There are several high top tables as well as seating at the bar. It's not a huge bar, probably fits 50 people or so, and it was about 90% at capacity when I was there. They also have one pool table. Seems like the type of place where regulars come, which is always a plus in my book. Service (4.5/5): Our waitress did a great job taking care of us despite being quite busy. She was friendly, efficient, and made some recommendations when I asked for some. Pro tip: they give you a cash discount, so if you'd like to save a little bit, make sure you bring cash. Drinks (4/5): With it being a dive bar, the options are going to be on a simpler side. They had eight or so beers on tap, so not a large selection, but I ended up going with a WOW Wheat. A few local beers, plus some usual suspects like Coors Light, Dos Equis, Modelo, etc. While the selection didn't blow my socks off, the prices are reasonable. That counts for a lot. Food (4.5/5): According to Yelp, Cactus Tavern is known for their quesabirria tacos. Since quesabirria is one of my favorite Mexican foods, I couldn't say no. I'm glad I didn't. You get three quesabirria tacos (birria meat, cilantro, cheese, and onions), fresh off the griddle, served with a green salsa and consommé. These were hands down some of the best birria tacos I've ever had. They were served right off the grill, the meat was flavorful, and the oozy cheese was delicious. With a side of elote (on the cob), it made for the perfect meal. This is not your typical bar food, y'all. It's a notch or two above. I was pleasantly surprised. And like the drinks, the food prices are affordable too. Pro tip #2: if you're looking for deals beyond the cash discount, they have daily discounts on various items including a burger and a pint, Philly cheesesteak, etc. depending on the day. read more

Its been about 4 years, but Cactus Tavern is still a great stop. Enjoyed some Sunday Football and a great lunch with younger Son. Offspring ordered the bacon cheese burger and fries. We ordered a cheese quesadilla and I ordered a pound of wings. The wings were fried, grilled and re-sauced with sweet chili. Still a dive bar ambiance with the best wings, excellent service, and good food. read more

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Cactus Tavern has all the elements of a good neighborhood bar, friendly bartender, pool, touch tunes, darts, extensive bar food menu, cheap strong drinks and a good vibe. It's nothing amazing but it was fun and the kitchen stays open until 11. The fries were decent, a 6/10 on the fry scale. My friends had the wangs. They enjoyed them. It's close by so I will be back. read more

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Stopped in with low expectations and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the friendly service. We tried the fish basket (excellent), chicken basket (very good) and the daily special which was meat loaf and mashed potatoes, everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. Great value - recommended. read more

Love this bar! Drinks are very reasonably priced and they have food (which I vow to try at some point). Music is always great and not so loud you can't hear yourself think. Darts and pool table are usually available and there's no shortage of seating or parking. SO happy to have this amazing establishment right around the corner. read more

Always a great time when we come in either by ourselves or with a group. Weekdays are AWESOME with Suzy and we just had a fun Saturday night with Lindsay. She is always top notch! read more

Everything about it is great. Great food that isn't bar quality. Drinks are not overpriced and nice atmosphere. Bartenders never let me wait for a drink either. Need I say more???? read more

Fast, friendly service and the food was great. Would describe as a "nice" neighborhood dive bar read more

Cactus Tavern - Sonora hot dog & elote - Sports Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The cheaps are drink here. & strong. bartender was not fucking around. Phenomenal burger. Bartender was a vibe. Music could be better. Bathroom was a cultural experience. read more

Food, service, and atmosphere all are amazing! I enjoy hanging out there. The servers and bartenders are great. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Very friendly neighborhood bar with really great food! Our server was super nice, offered suggestions, and the food came out quickly. We sat at the huge corner table for our party of 6. They have a pool table, dart board, and pretty cool looking bar. read more

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Service and good phenomenal. Excellent service from the young man and the young women at the front

This place is pretty good love the food and the service is alright ambiance is pretty spot on for the name. The only thing that could be cleared up a little more is the bathroom which does not smell great, but, don't take that as a bad thing just a customer problem hopefully. read more

On a business trip to Phoenix, and we had the late night hungries. We found the Cactus Tavern and decided to give it a shot. It advertises itself as a dive bar, and I think it is appropriate. It's small, dark, but fun. There's a pool table and maybe a game or two. They have tabs! The menu is typical bar food, although we were pleased to find quesabirria tacos. We gave them a whirl. The tacos were good, shells were grilled crispy and the beef was tender. The consumer was, well, odd. It had a red color and frankly, wasn't tasty. The server did a great job. She was busy but she stayed on top of everything. Standard beers on tap, but it was cold and got to me quickly. I bet this place can get pretty hopping. Nice to find a fun local bar! read more

We came here for a quick lunch bite and a drink. The bartender was great. The cocktail I got was good. Not a LOT of beer options but enough that my partner was satisfied. We each got burgers. I got it medium rare, it was more well-done but it was good enough that I did not mind at all. Could tell the bartender knew everyone coming in and out. Also, when someone left their trunk door open, they announced it which was nice. Showed they looked out for one another. Reminds me of like Moe's Tavern in Simpson's - and I sorta love it! Like Cheers, everyone knows your name! read more

Great first experience here. Only one IPA on tap, always with there were more, but it was a good one so it is ok. Cheeseburger sliders were quite tasty and would be ordered again. Service was fast and friendly. Definitely dive bar vibes, but with a clean bathroom. I will be back for sure. Good place to watch a game, although for MNF they kept the music going, not sure if they switch it to the broadcast if asked. read more

Absolutely horrible should be considered a bar not a "bar and grill" was told my child yelling is making people tab out before me and my wife could even order anything. Basically kicked out for having a child most bars have food no need to say it's a grill especially if children are not allowed. read more

Cactus Tavern is exactly what you want your neighborhood bar to be: close by, reasonably priced, solid bartenders/servers, great food, fun atmosphere. They check all the boxes. read more

Best unknown bar in North Phoenix. Food is phenomenal. Get the Western Chicken Sandwich with a side salad and you won't be disappointed. The chef here is amazing. There are many chicken places in Phoenix but I can tell you that there isn't a better chicken sandwich in town! read more

Great tavern, the people are friendly and the bar tender was great and running here but off. We just had a great BLT and onion straws read more

Great vibe and I loved the live music. We split a Philly cheese steak and onion rings. It was a good size and delicious! The staff were very friendly. read more

The best pasta this side of Little Italy! My cousin from Sicily was in town and he had 3 helpings! This is a picture of him read more

Cactus Tavern - My cousin from Sicily! Mario! He lova da pasta! - Sports Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I really liked this place! A girlfriend of mine invited me out for a quick bite to eat and though I admit, they don't have many options apart from salads for vegetarians on their menu, they do at least have those. I found myself saying, "if they had one veggie burger that they did well, they'd likely expand their clientele". It was a cozy bar, just like I like them. Not in the sense of space because it's actually a pretty decent size, but the vibe, the vibe felt cozy. The staff was attentive and kept my water full, even though I wasn't drinking which I appreciated. The place is covered in signage decor that is pretty rad. The ladies bathroom made me want to snap pics of all the awesome signs in there and had me curious as to whether the men's was just as fun. So, onto the food. I was not on my vegetarianish kick because well, I wanted to give their Mexican shrimp cocktail a go. It was pretty good. Didn't have quite as much spice to it as I like but the flavor was there and I enjoyed it thoroughly. They also had carne asada tacos on special that day (these are not on their regular menu) but they were BOMB! Bomb is an understatement actually, because they pack a ton of heat. I was surprised actually and whatever the green sauce was on them, should never change. 3 street size tacos with a side of rice and beans, which were also tasty. If I lived closer I could see this being a spot I would frequent often. They're also following rules for the current happenings, sanitize between customers, masks on, the whole deal. Good job Cactus Tavern and I dig your cutsie lights. read more

Cactus Tavern - Cool lights - Sports Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Fun place to stop in for a drink.. great service and atmosphere. They have churros too!

Best sliders and wings in phoenix easily.... incredible. Kitchen service is impeccable and bar staff are attentive and on point. You really can't have anything less than an amazing night at Cactus. In between a quality dive and a fine bar & grill so you can decide for yourself. read more

Newer owners not very considerate to old, long-time customers. Food OK but significant price increases not supported. Parking can be difficult. read more

I cannot express my disappointment with my first visit to your tavern. Alaina was bartending. I've never been more ignored and disrespected ever. She ignored us openly, She made it clear we weren't welcome... even though my friends are regulars. They'll never be back... and neither will I. read more

Wife had the fish basket upgraded to onion strings and I had the combo seafood basket with fries. Good fish, shrimp and fries. Onion rings were the lightly breaded kind and had a great crisp batter and onion flavor but they were a little greasy maybe the oil wasn't hot enough. The fries and onion strings did not have a fishy flavor so they must fry them in separate oil . Looking forward to trying their burgers. read more

Food is great, I always get it to go though but the staff is always very nice and helpful.

Best bar in Phoenix! Walk in and every bartender knows what I drink every time. Food is amazing, prices are even better! Great ambiance and local vibe. read more

Food was AMAZING!!! Honestly great burger and good wings. The drinks and service were great. Definitely coming back.

Great hole in the wall. Had a great time with a local named Jeff. We drank beer, ate chicken wings and danced the night away with a number of local whores. Fun times! read more

Visited the Cactus Tavern for the first time this weekend. It is near our house and our car was in the shop. Seems like a perfectly comfortable little neighborhood bar. A number of varied beers on tap and the food was pretty good. I had a fish basket and my husband had a burger. Clientele was older that night. Our server was attentive. The music was a little bit loud for my taste, but I'd go again. read more

An absolute must! Stopped in for the first time and it didn't disappoint!!!!! Food was so good! Service was amazing! The drinks were perfect, the food was delicious. It's a relaxed locals sports bar! Our server was so nice! She walked us through menu. Really the food is worth it!! We will definitely go back! read more

Stopped in tonight because they had live music... amazing food and the best part was the service. Lindsey, Nicole and Andy were great. Mozz sticks were great. Awesome place. read more

I ordered fish and chips. They brought me frozen fries and fish sticks. Pathetic. I won't be back. Update: frozen fries means like fries you buy at store and cook yourself. Versus fresh cut fries. The manager should be clarified my food was not actually frozen. If my food arrived frozen regardless of delivery service or not, that's a health code violation. My food temp was not the issue. I did get poor food though. If I wanted fish sticks and store fries, I would have went to Walmart frozen foods and cooked my own food at home. And to pass of the poor food presentation onto the delivery service is irresponsible and even more reason not to eat in person. The delivery service did not prepare food. Shameful read more

Cactus Tavern - Fish Basket. Pathetic fish sticks. What a waste. I won't be back - Sports Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Each and every one of the bar and kitchen staff are friendly and helpful. If you just want to stop by in the middle of the day--or anytime for that matter--and grab a bite to eat and a soda, because your job might frown on you for smelling of alcohol on your return, this is the place to go! They don't talk down to you because you order a non-alcoholic beverage. That means a lot to me. Kris is amazing! I was shocked when she remembered my name after just one prior visit. That has happened to me maybe twice in my entire life. Now I can add her to my list of favorite bar staff in the area! The food is decent but don't expect a Cordon Bleu experience. C'mon! It's a bar-restaurant! People who complain about the food need to go to a haughty Scottsdale way-too-pricey-for-what-you-get restaurant. I personally like the food at Cactus Tavern! All in all, I really like this cozy little bar. I think they have great people and great staff. read more

One of our favorites!!! Susie is the best bartender EVER! The food is great and that Rocky Point shrimp cocktail is exactly like Mexico!!!! read more

This place has become my husband and I's go-to spot because it is within walking distance of our house. The drinks are super cheap and the service is great. The food is amazing. I wings are crazy crispy and sauced perfectly. The shrimp basket is fantastic, battered and fried to perfection plus it comes with homemade shrimp cocktail sauce. My husband swears the French dip is better then Houston's. The onion strings are to die for as well, kind of like a better version of a blooming onion. I can't wait to try the fish and chips in the winter! read more

Excellent food been back twice in a week lol the fish tacos are amazing ! Staff warm and attentive we will be back and great to have in the neighborhood. read more