We are always looking for great Mexican food. Since we've moved to Washington we still drive to Portland for Mexican food as we can never find anything authentic but this place is great and it's not just Mexican they have a little of everything. We will for sure be back read more

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Are you kidding me right now? This is really sad to me that the Yaya has become another drinking hole in the couv! Honestly, I had not been in for about 4 years ! However, back in the day this was a great spot to grab some tasty nosh and a meal that not only tasted fresh and had a little step above Applebee's or your typical chain . Not the case any longer . The fish tacos I got with grilled fish were disgusting and I mean I couldn't eat but one and felt like I was going to get sick. The rice was Burt and the guacamole was dark like it was old and off. Sucks to be not the spot anymore but for a drink ! read more

Just had great lunch with Jenn as our amazing server. Today's special was 6 beer battered Prawns, salad (We love these dressings: Peanut vinegarette has cilantro, blue cheese and avocado ranch) and half a cheese quesadilla for $10.95. It comes with chips, salsa and black eyed peas bean dip. Wednesday is a good day to go for sure. Thursday's lunch special is seafood chowder. We love their food and margaritas. read more

Cactus Ya Ya - Wed. lunch special 6 beer battered prawns twith yummy salad and a 1/2 a Cheese quesadilla. - Mexican Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

Kind of bland. Adding some cilantro and other fresh herbs/spices could really help the food out in a cost-effective manner. There really weren't any interesting garnishes or dressings that the food had which could make it stand out. It was the typical tex-mex fare seen all over. The drinks were really strong, and we actually enjoyed the chips and salsa at the beginning enough to order a second basket. but the tortillas were all flour and the dishes were uninspiring. Server was great and the ambiance was fine. A bit pricey, especially with the drinks. I prefer the Cantina Cathedral next door off of 164th and Mill Plain. I don't think we will be back. TL;DR- Pros: fun atmosphere with large portions, hard drinks, and good service. Cons: Bland food, pricey, strange fusion of Asian and Tex-Mex read more

Good place, good food, was pretty busy and food came out a little slow. Couldn't hear myself think it was so loud, but the staff were nice!

Sorry guys - dropped to poor service. Waitress's walked past our table multiple times without a greeting. And there was one waitress that had her boyfriend or some creepy guy that sat at a table for longer than we were there & when we left he was STILL there. She sat at the table, talked to him more than she talked to her tables .... Where are the managers? Is this appropriate? read more

We recently visited your restaurant -we were on a road trip from Seattle, and drove 30 Minutes out of our way to visit you- we were excited! Unfortunately we were turned away at the door because your staff was unwilling to accommodate our small chihuahua on the patio. (In a carrier) It was Monday, at 1pm and your restaurant was dead. There was no other other soul on your patio. Normally I would leave my dog in the car, however, it was so hot outside that my dog could literally die if left him the car. There are only roughly 2-3 months of sunny weather here in the NW, thus only a few months out of the year that you would be 'inconvenienced' by guests with dogs. Something you should consider, it's perfectly legal. Please keep in mind that we tried to offer problem solving suggestions whereby the tiny dog wouldn't technically be on the patio side of the fence, but the parking lot side- still then, the refusal to cooperate with us at any level was apparent. We went down the road and found another restaurant and patio perfectly willing to accept us, and we spent over $100 - your loss. As is the loss of our patronage. read more

SooOoo....what happens when you mix Thai food with Mexican food? The Cactus Ya-Ya! Too bad this place has received so many bad reviews, because I thought it was a great place to eat. They have a full bar on one end of the restaurant and a family safe area on the other end. The decor was really nice and clean. It wasn't a full house when we came, but when we left it was packed. First came the chips, salsa and black-eyed pea/bean dip. I really liked the dips especially the black eye bean dip. Unique taste that I wouldn't expect at a Tex-Mex restaurant. For Appetizers, we ordered the Ya-ya Chicken rolls. For $6.50 they were DE-licious! They came with a peanut sauce and soy-ginger sauce. Man, that peanut sauce was awesome. I ordered the Beef skewers for $8.75 They were marinated, grilled & served over rice. You could have a choice of different beans with warm tortillas & a side. I really thought the food tasted great. And a BIG Plus.... there was NO PORK lard was mixed in the beans. (Believe me, I asked and they said NO lard involved) I'm sorry, but I'm not a fan of Pork Lard and most Mexican restaurants will use lard in their beans to make them tastier. Even the Mexican chain food restaurants will use lard. So always ask if they do, or you may be sick later. Anyway, my meal was also served with that awesome peanut sauce. What a trip for the tongue. My hubby ordered the Veggie Quesdilla for $7.75 He said it tasted really good, but he didn't care for the salsa inside of the quesdilia. Service was fast and the waiter was very efficient in filling our water glasses. Great food for the price. It's worth the ride and I will defiantly be going back. read more

After sampling almost every happy hour spot in East Vancouver this is my favorite. There are no drink specials but a large selection of happy hour eats. The bar is awesome! The backdrop is a large porcelain bathtub filled with ice, cold pint glasses and bottled beer. Sweet! The bar regulars are very regular and very friendly. Every bartender there is standout amazing. Adina, Jennifer, Leah and Kayla make sure that this is a "first name basis" bar and seem to know the names of everyone who frequent the place including me, and I've only been going there a month or so. The interior seems like it is always changing up and feels very "homey". Nice lighting and comfortable seating are a huge plus for me. The food is Southwest American or as those of us who have spent any time in the Southwest call it: "White-Boy Mexican" food. This isn't a disparagement, I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've eaten there. The peanut sauce they serve with the Ya Ya rolls is freakin' amazing! I love the skewers and the Caesar salad on the happy hour menu and the fish tacos are epic! When I moved to Vancouver I was afraid I might be stuck going to places like Olive Garden or Red Robin. Thank you CYY for giving me a home away from home and saving me from chain restaurant hell! read more

Had I ever been to Cactus YaYa before? No. Will I go again? YaYa! Walked in to a dimly lit room, brightened by candlelight. Chips (the good stuff!) and salsa (2 varieties!) on the table. One was a standard red salsa, the other was a chunky pinto bean salsa, both very good. At first bite the pinto bean one reminded me of Christmas for some odd reason, but I continued to devour the piney taste. Now normally I have a steadfast rule of only ordering chicken fajitas at Mexican restaurants, but I saw chicken skewers and was intrigued. When they arrived there were two skewers with 4-5 large, tender pieces of chicken, separated by green bell peppers and onion. Sides were rice (a tiny bit undercooked) and black beans covered in cheese. A few flour tortillas were also included on the side. DELICIOUS!! I also got their most popular margarita-and let me tell you one goes a long way. Also very good. Should you also give it a try? YaYa! (Ok I'm done I swear) read more

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Overpriced bland food. Had to add salt and pepper to my chicken tostada which had ONE Xlarge chip and mostly lettuce. The shredded chicken I paid extra for had NO flavor. Margarita was ok and the service was excellent! Nice hostess and server. Attentive staff and the meal came out quick. Sadly, I craved the tasty food from previous years. Will give it another try in a few more months since it could just be the challenges of running a restaurant during the pandemic. Complimentary chips and salsa when one is seated is a nice touch. read more

Came here for the first time today ( 7*23*16) I really like the modern type decor and that they had a patio. Staff was very nice! I really liked the chips, very fresh and both salsas that accompanied it! I ordered the Southwestern Penne Pasta with a salad on the side. Wasn't crazy about it by any means. The pasta unfortunately had no flavor. Significant other ordered the nuclear margarita, which we both enjoyed and the fish tacos that were good, but nothing special! The menu has a lot of different choices, and I feel like our next visit could be a 4 or even 5 star with the right dish choice! Also VERY affordable and sizable portions. Will be back to try more! read more

I love this place-TEX MEX Yummy! A little loud during peak hours. Happy Hour prices are great. Staff is super duper. Long live cactus ya ya! read more

Came in to use a gift certificate, and I would have rather just stayed home. Service was really slow, and food was terrible. It tasted of nothing, just bland mush. If that's what I was looking for, I would have ordered oatmeal! We didn't drink anything, because I refuse to order drinks at place where Absolut vodka is considered top shelf. It's a good thing too because I have a feeling the only way this place would be tolerable is if you were about twelve sheets to the wind. When we asked to send our food back, waitress was really uncooperative and confrontational about the entire thing. I wont be back under any circumstances. read more

I used to eat here often when I lived in the couve. Was over yesterday so suggested it. The food was not good. The steak was was so tough...as if it were microwaved. The cheese enchiladas were flavorless. We had more food and it too was unimpressive. Chips were stale. Server never came back after bringing the food...until we all were done eating to get the credit card. Luckily a lady walked by with water. I will just keep the memories when it was a good place to eat and socialize. read more

I don't know why this place is even still in business, the building is Huge but the restaurant is tiny! The bar is even smaller maybe seats 15 people TOTAL. Yah suspect, Yaya. No one was sitting outside and it was sunny so we thought, hey, let's go there! We figured out quickly why no one was outside because despite the fact that we had to walk through the miniscule bar to get to the patio THERE'S NO HAPPY HOUR OUT on the patio. The staff was rude and slow and the food sucked. Hey at least the 9 dollar margaritas were decent... Jk. They were average at best. Don't waste your money, they don't need it anyway with all that under ground cash coming in. read more

This place has great food love their happy hour menu (daily 3-6 and 9-closing) and great regular menu. It's a nice place with a few TV's for sports but can get very loud. Overall nice place year round. Enjoy your next visit :-) read more

My goodness! I was SO PLEASED with the waitress and bartenders! Very pleasant and very sweet! They didn't forget anything and the food was not only in large portions I can't eat all of... it was so, so tasty! The margaritas were perfect, fresh squeezed IPA was super yummy and they surprised me with such a sweet and tasty rosé. Being a waitress for years, I have high expectations. Thank you all for exceeding those! read more

Hadn't been here in years, but was craving a nuclear margarita and meeting a friend from the east side of town. I live on the westside and rarely head to the 164th corridor as the traffic lights and traffic are daunting. Anyway we had GREAT service from Kim. She was attentive but not intrusive. Food was as it always has been. The same menu which I appreciate and it was great to sit outside! read more

It was good not amazing but good service was great. We were trying to do happy hour but it was too loud and crowed so we decided to do something more quieter ! Food was ok I order a quesadilla and its was ok defiantly not what I expected my husband order a chicken sandwich and it looked great and he loved it I in the Other hand didn't love my food but it wasn't terrible seems like a place w lots of locals so I loved that but again definitely not so good food .. Also if u don't sit in the bar area u won't be able to get happy hour FYI read more

Cactus Ya Ya - I had a house special quesadillas with corn tortilla - Mexican Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

Great food. Excellent drinks. Service was great. Liked the atmosphere. Would definitely come back .

My oh my is this place S-L-O-W. We went here for what we thought was a quick lunch. 90 mins later we were back in the parking lot. I had the steak fajitas. The fajitas were fine. Nice carmelization of the onions. Steak quality was ok but not anything special. Just could not get over the wait. Man.... read more

Came here for happy hour on a Sunday. Great happy hour menu! Got the Baja fish tacos. SO YUMMY! My boyfriend even ordered another order of them for seconds! Chips, salsa and bean dip were delicious. Blended margaritas were great! Try the one with raspberry liquor. The service was good. Our waitress forgot to bring us guacamole but she apologized with a chocolate taco for dessert. So sweet! We loved everything about this place and can't wait to go back! read more

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I have loved this place for many years starting way back when I was going through college and we would get off our serving shifts and head over for a drink. While their full menu is good they really earn 5 stars because of their happy hour. It's self seat in the bar from 3 to 6 and 9 to close (except for Sundays when they don't open until 4). I've always been able to find a seat. You get complementary chips, salsa and dip, that looks like bean dip but is actually made from black eyed peas. I'm picky about chips & salsa & I love these! The happy hour menu isn't that big, but the highlight is the Ya Ya rolls. There are three varieties: smoked salmon and cheddar, steak and pepper jack, and peanut chicken. The salmon and chicken come with a delicious spicy soy ginger sauce, and the steak comes with sour cream and guacamole. There aren't happy hour drink prices, but drinks are stiff. Two margaritas is all you need! Service is friendly, and you get full for cheap! read more

Excellent service, great prices, huge portions! I go there 1-7 times per week with my best friend to chow down on their super nachos. It's a sick addiction we have, but haven't yet discovered a support group. So, we regularly indulge. We have our regular server Kim who is AH MAZE ING. She knows our order. Like, by heart. We're kinda picky, so it's nice! Just one tip, though... they don't really have happy hour, so don't waste your time going there looking for special pricing. read more

I wouldn't consider this Mexican! The bean dip tasted like bean&bacon soup and the rice tasted Italian. Like pasta. Weirdest thing ever. I got the chimichanga and none of the flavors between that, the rice or the beans stood out. Almost tasteless. The red sauce on top of burritos and my chimichanga was like a red meat sauce. Another Italian-type aspect. We can't forget the stale chips. Talk of the down and I was SO disappointed! Quite gross, actually. read more

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Meh. Mediocre food, tries to have some hipster vibe. Bar fly cougars like it. Too much chili powder added to dishes to make them 'taste' ethnic. read more

We love cactus Ya Ya! Their Ya Ya rolls are a must! Their service is always a bit behind and is never very personable but the food makes up for what the service lacks I usually get the veggie quesadilla or fish tacos. Both are amazing in their own right. The veggies quesadilla is PACKED with veggies and very filling. The fish tacos are authentic and delicious. I can't say I've ever had a meal I didn't enjoy, at Cactus Ya Ya. read more

Still awesome!!!! The service is amazing inside ir out!! They have happy hour which is the best in the couve!!

It's probably been 10 years since I've been to this restaurant and it will be another 10. How do you serve cold Mexican food? Would have complained to the waitress but never saw her after she delivered the order. read more

Went for lunch today, first visit and probably the last. I had the taco. Chips were stale and tasteless. Salsa nothing to brag about. Served also with some black eyed pea dip. It was delicious but not what you would ever expect. The taco came served with the usual "beans and rice." I also ask for two beans and no rice as I don't like Spanish rice anywhere. The beans, I chose pintos, was good boiled beans but was expecting re-fried beans. The entire meal, very disappointing. The service was good and friendly. Sorry, missed the mark for me. read more

I'm torn on this review, I enjoy Cactus Ya Ya, and we've been patrons for over 15 years. My husband, on the other hand, really loves this place - so much so that I planned to host my his 40th birthday party on their patio in July. Unfortunately, although I planned to order food and drinks and spend plenty for the pleasure, they flatly refused to book the patio. Obviously, this is super disappointing... but life goes on.... Will we make the special effort to go to Vancouver and visit Ya Ya's after this? maybe. maybe not. probably not. actually, nope. read more

Delicious food every time I come here. Their salmon is so good! Love the atmosphere and vibe.

I am always on the hunt for the PERFECT fish taco. I may have found that at Cactus YaYa. Finding a Halibut fish taco at all is a wonder to me and I am more than happy to pay a higher price for a better fish. It is beautifully fried with a deliciously crunchy purple cabbage underneath. Some may say that the flour tortilla is not as traditional as the corn, but I love it as it is. The crowning achievement is the green sauce they top it with. I could drink that stuff straight, it's wonderfully tangy and creamy. Their bartender pours a great drink, a good amaretto sour seems to escape many, but not Cactus YaYa! Also their bean salsa is incredibly addicting, I'm obsessed with it and their great mix of salsas for dipping. read more

I really love Cactus Ya Ya.. except for ONE THING!... The guacamole!! They have so many great items.. cilantro sauce, peanut sauce, salsa, fish tacos, steak tacos, Ya Ya rolls, and most of all, the Skinny Cadillac Margarita!... but the guac is terrible! I really love guac with the steak taco and steak ya ya roll, but the guac is so bad I won't even order those items anymore. It's pretty sad that Chipotle has better guac than Ya Ya's. If the guac was better I'd definitely give it 5 stars, but gotta go with 4 because of that... guac is important for this type of cuisine. read more

Our favorite place to go for good drinks and good food. And all the waitstaff here is amazing !

Came once, left and went to the margarita factory. End of story. No interest in coming back.

Wow what a bummer! We love the food and drinks, but after being ignored by your employees we will not be back. After working all day in our own restaurant we choose your restaurant for dinner. No one acknowledged us waiting at the host stand, waiting to be seated. Eye contact was made with three different employees. After the last turned around and walked away we got their point. We choose to spend our money elsewhere. Sorry to the owners, but I thought you should know. read more

Cactus ya ya is literally my favorite place to eat in Vancouver the chips and salsa are amazing and the Baja fish tacos are even better!

No take-home boxes allowed for items ordered off the happy hour menu. Really? Unless it was a buffet, if I paid for it, I should be allowed to take home my left-overs if I want to. I barely had two bites of my food, I was mostly there for drinks, but I wanted to save the rest for later. We asked for boxes and were rebuffed by the server. It was a shock. So we asked to speak to the manager, expressing our distress to her. She said, yeah, she agreed, it was ridiculous that they aren't allowed to hand out boxes for happy hour menu items, but the owner is just kind of a jerk like that. Cool. Yeah, won't be patronizing again. read more