I ordered takeout via the website and the order was ready when we got there and accurate. The steak quesadilla was great as was my favorite esquites (corn side dish). Definitely the best Mexican Restaurant in Dunedin! read more

Popular Mexican in Dunedin for a reason! Super clean and cute and Food was amazing! Veronica- sweet server- recommended the pork Suiza and it was Amazing! Our burrito was a little cold but the other food made up for it. Will definitely return! read more

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The salsa was fresh and delicious (the first batch is on the house but you pay for refills). The star of the meal were the Barria tacos - delicious! I've been craving them since we went . The second entree, enchiladas with Mole sauce, wasn't what I was expecting - didn't care for the flavor - it was kind of flat. I was expecting it to taste like the mole my husband (a chef) makes... nutty, spicy and a little sweet - well rounded, hitting all the tastebuds. Considering how expensive it is to dine out lately, I found their prices were relatively reasonable. We'll definitely go back. read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Barria tacos - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

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I got to try this hidden little gem last night. I'd heard it was good for years and had never gotten there. I had the Camerones Diablo (shrimp w/spicy sauce that tastes like ancho chilis) served with black beans and rice. It was fantastic. This morning I had leftovers in a breakfast burrito. Fantastic again! read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Camerones Diablo - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

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I was disappointed by my experience. I specifically ordered refried beans in my burrito, but was served whole black beans instead. When I questioned it, the waitress insisted they were "refried black beans," which was confusing and honestly felt dismissive. Refried beans, just like the ones I make from scratch at home, whether made from pinto or black beans, are mashed and have a creamy consistency, not whole beans. Wanting actual refried beans is not "Tex-Mex," as was suggested to me, especially when refried beans are listed on your menu. If whole beans are what is being served, it would be more accurate to describe them that way rather than calling them refried. What is "Tex-mex" is that crema was listed on the menu, but sour cream was served instead. Small details matter, especially when they are specifically advertised. More than anything, I left feeling insulted, gaslit and dismissed rather than addressed respectfully. read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - ....refried - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

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Wow! Amazing food. Chunky salsa, free chips and salsa. Had the fajita burrito, and it was huge. The rice and beans were flavorful. Get a side order of oregano potatoes! read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

One of the best (if not thee best) Mexican places in Dunedin. The staff, food and prices are wonderful and there is nothing for me to complain about! I love that I was seated as soon as I walked in and given menus and water without the need of being asked. The place is very nicely decorated and welcoming! The staff was friendly, making sure the chips they brought over were never empty. The chips had the perfect crunch to them and the salsa was heavenly and refreshing. I decided on the Chilaquiles and was so glad I did. The queso fresco was heavenly and the right consistency. I loved how there was a nice amount on the food without it being covered with it! I also decided to get a couple tacos and they were heavenly as well. The corn tortillas were fresh and the amount of meat inside was crazy! The sauce it came to dip in was heavenly and I wanted to drink it straight up because of the flavor it had! I also got a mango michelada with modelo. This thing was MASSIVE! I had to power through to finish it by the end. I loved the tajin rim and had to have some of it with every sip! read more

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In my opinion, this is one of the best spots in the area to get some authentic Mexican food. Whenever I'm on this coast I make a point to come here because it's that good. The food is served quickly, the portion sizes are great, the prices are very reasonable & everything I've had has been delicious. The servers are friendly & the dining area is always clean when I visit. It's a bit on the smaller side like a lot of taquerias but they do a great job at turning tables to keep the business flowing. I usually order their carne asada taco platter which comes with 3 tacos, rice & beans for only $15. It hits the spot every time. The steak has a good flavor to it but it's cooked closer to medium than medium rare so don't expect to see any pink. Most street tacos are like this but it's not dry or overcooked. My only complaint is I wish you could mix & match the protein because I'd like to try some other fillings without committing to 3. A couple extra limes on the side would also be nice but it never hurts to ask after they're served. The tostadas are also fantastic. They're piled high on a layer of beans with your choice of meat, cheese, lettuce, sour cream & a piece of avocado. You really can't go wrong ordering them. They're crunchy, flavorful & super filling. Be sure to also get some chips, salsa & guacamole. The chips come out warm & their salsa is refreshing. Their homemade guac is delicious. It has plenty of chunky avocado pieces & super fresh every time I order it. If I lived nearby this would definitely be my go-to spot. If you're in the area or even within a 30 minute drive it's worth it to stop by. read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Traditional Carne Asada & Pollo Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

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We love Happy Cactus! This has been our favorite Mexican restaurant in the Palm Harbor area. The food is always amazing and the service is great. The enchiladas were amazing and I will definitely order them again. read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Happy margarita-lime - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

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Great Mexican place. Small inside but very authentic. Great menu with all kinds of options. read more

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We ate dinner last evening there and enjoyed the friendly service and the real authentic Mexican food. We have had several years experience eating Mexican food while living in El Paso, Abilene and Ft Worth, Texas. This place does it right. I had the authentic Chili Rellenos dinner and my wife had the Taquitos dinner. We also enjoyed a great maragarita before eating. Alfredo, the manager came by each table asking if we had any questions regarding the menu. He was so friendly, even though busy doing multi tasking. We will return again when we're in the area. Highly recommend the place if you're looking for good food and service. read more

We love this place, the margaritas are fresh with no pre made mix, the food is great, and the service is even better. We've been here several times and never had a bad experience. read more

I was excited to try this place for dinner on the way to the beach for sunset! Located in the plaza right before the Dunedin Causeway. The restaurant is small, but decorated very cute! They have a small bar, and maybe 10-12 tables inside. We were seated quickly, but after that, service was pretty slow. We sat towards the back and not sure if they forgot about us or what! We consistently had to flag someone down for water refills, more chips, our check, etc. Otherwise, the food was quite good! The white queso was served with warm chips, and we devoured it while waiting for our fajitas. We got the mixed plate to share, and the shrimp and chicken were perfect, but about half the steak was fatty and inedible, which was disappointing. Also, we said we were sharing them, but they only brought us three tortillas...so we again had to flag someone down to get a few more. The food was good enough that will give them another shot, but a few things about this visit were disappointing. read more

Service and food were both great-- I love that such a great option for Mexican is so close by. I like that they offer everything either traditional or tex-mex style. I had the birria tacos and they were fantastic!! read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Birria tacos, tex mex style - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

Stopped in at 11:35am to discover they were not open until 12:00pm, on a Saturday. ‍ Decided to wait the 25 minutes until they opened to give it a try. At almost 12:10 someone opens the front door and said I'm sorry we are running behind and will not open until 1:00pm. WTF! There are almost 20 other customers waiting to get in as well whom I assume went elsewhere as we did. If this is how they operate I have no desire to go back and even try this place out. Definitely a one star rating based solely on poor business operations and communication. Someone could have come out a lot sooner to notify the people standing outside. read more

One of the best Mexican restaurants in the area. I highly recommend and I have been to a lot of them all over Pinellas county as well as Hillsborough county. This place is good, and the food is very authentic. read more

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We stopped in to one of our favorite local Mexican restaurants for lunch today, Happy Cactus. We were seated immediately in our usual booth and our server took our drink order. My wife had two Tex style carnitas tacos and I had enmoladas (mole) chicken enchiladas with their rice & black beans cup. Both were excellent. We always look forward to dining here as the food here is a notch higher than most Mexican restaurants. read more

Food is very good. Reason for 3 stars the menu was very limited due to cinco de mayo version, very little to no flexibility and potions are getting really small. I sure hope this restaurant goes back to the way it used to be otherwise I will be exploring other Mexican restaurants in the area. read more

I'm always on the lookout for fresh, authentic Mexican food. Seriously, if I see tacos on the menu that have lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese on it I know it's not authentic Mexican food. Give me the small ones on corn tortillas topped with cilantro and onion with radish and lime on the side and I know I've hit the jackpot! Anyway, the food here was so delicious that I'd probably go so far as to say this was one of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever eaten at. The tacos were great but the tostadas I ordered were simply amazing. The steak was marinated and so tender and the crema and cotija cheese, avocado and crispy tortilla made for the best textures and flavor with each bite. It was served with a side of rice and beans that were also delicious. The guacamole and homemade chips here were outstanding. The prices were SO reasonable. The restaurant was very clean and the staff couldn't have been any friendlier. I really wish this restaurant wasn't so far from where I live but I will definitely be back when I'm in the area. Don't miss out on this excellent restaurant, I promise you won't be sorry if you eat here! read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Carne asada (steak) tostadas with rice and beans. So delicious! - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

Wow!!!! This place is always amazing!! Staff is friendly and inviting. Food always comes out quickly; fresh and all handmade. Margaritas also handmade and fresh ingredients-no sour mix. We are already planning our next visit. Can't recommend this place highly enough. Get you some soon!! read more

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The food here is excellent and authentic. I had the carnitas 3 taco plate, Tex-Mex style. I especially enjoyed the side of beans and rice. The rice was so soft and delicious. The beans, to me, were far better than the standard mashed sides served at other restaurants. This meal was a pleasant experience. The wife had the shrimp fajitas that she delighted over. Her side of beans was a nice surprise as they tasted like chili beans with meat. Again, they were much better than what we're usually served elsewhere. So good. Even the salsa served with the gratuitous chips was outstanding. Freshly made and with cilantro. Yummy. Overall, a nice and delicious meal. We will return to try out some of their other dishes, for sure. read more

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Best Mexican food I have ever had and I'm picky. Everything was extremely fresh and tasty, the atmosphere is fun too.

Waited for 20 minutes for them to open today (4/25/26). At 12:05 ( noon is scheduled time to open) someone came out and told us and about 29 other people waiting that they wouldn't be open until 1:00 today. Very disappointed read more

Had lunch here recently and stopped in around 130, just after the lunch rush. The food was pretty good, but the service was unfortunately pretty slow. It was probably 15 minutes after we sat down before we got our pitcher of margaritas and chips and salsa. It's a cute place inside and we enjoyed it, but the pace took something away from our visit. They don't really have lunch specials, which is usually a staple. read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Inside seating - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

Had a great night, the service and food was excellent. Real authentic Mexican food five stars.

The best, most authentic Mexican food we've had. Alfredo was super helpful and fun to talk to.

Stopped here for dinner and was seated right away. Had nachos chips and salsa with a xxdos equis beer. Protein was chicken burrito stuffed with Mex rice pinto beans onions and topped with guacamole and side of rice and black beans. Fresh everything cooked just right. read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Grilled chicken El burrito with guacamole and tomato onions cilantro - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

I will give this place 5 stars because the traditional tacos I ordered were actually amazing. I like how the menu is more contained than some other Mexican restaurants--allowing the cooks to maximize the dishes they are really good at. One redaction: the water they serve is undrinkable. Literally--I was not the only one at my table to use the word horrible. I will be back--but I will bring my own yeti of clean water. read more

Looking for typical American Tex-Mex? This may NOT be the place for you. However, if you're seeking out fresh, more creative Mexican food, this is where you should be. We stopped in on a busy Friday night, and had about a 15 minute wait for a table. Our server was very fun, attentive, and efficient. We ordered a basket of chips and salsa (free-1 per table). The chips are prepped for each order, and the salsa was zingy and very tasty. The chips were hot and fresh tasting. We each got a Margarita-also tasty and freshly made. For dinner, my wife got Steak Diablo-a very flavorful plate of steak, beans, rice, and tortillas. I got the Pollo Tostadas. They had a slightly sweet sauce, with great flavor. Prices are reasonable and serving sizes were generous. Definitely worth a try! read more

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The food was very delicious and flavorful. The service was also quick. Will definitely be back! read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

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Met three friends here for lunch. They frequent this restaurant often, and love the food. This was my first time, so I tried the tacos. The service was excellent - food came hot, as soon as it was done. My tacos came first. The sauce and seasonings were very good. I thought the chicken was a little dry, and needed the sauces. The steak was cooked a little too much for me - it too was dried out. I won't get them next time, but try the quesadilla or enchiladas. They looked better than mine. The place is beautifully decorated. I enjoyed looking around to see everything inside. I will be back with friends. And I think Husband will like this place. read more

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With so many Mexican restaurants in the area, it's really hard to give them a fair review. Had a party of 10.... Made the reservation a day before. The proportions were good, the green salsa was the highlight, and margaritas were clean... however, the server rarely spoke to us, asked for water 3 times ( from other servers) and never received it, they charged us extra for chips, and the dip trio appetizer was "pricey" compared to standard norms. Could take them or leave them. For the area, not bad but better authentic food can be found elsewhere around the Tampa Bay Area. read more

Consistent food quality with decent service. Service is okay and cocktails could be better. The wings are our favorite and the tacos and enchiladas from different regions are good. Worth a try read more

Waitress and manager were extremely disrespectful. I wanted to order something that came with a couple things I didn't like, so I made sure to ask and make sure i was able to remove those items and instead add a different sauce with it that i did like and the waitress was nice and agreed (she also came back a second time repeating what I ordered and the changes to make sure it was all correct and it was). She then brought us our food without the sauce I had asked to substitute it for and i was nice about it and told her that i ordered it without the sauce it was brought out in and she was rude about it and wouldn't let me explain it to her and when i tried to she interrupted me in the middle of me speaking and said "let me talk" and after that the disrespect just got worse. She then just walked away while I was still talking and i then asked for the manager and when the manager eventually came to the table she was just as disrespectful if not more. And she eventually also just walked away without understanding and letting us explain what was wrong. I'm still under 18 keep in mind so at this point i didn't know what to do so i contacted a parent and they called so they could try to maybe resolve the situation and without them even being able to say anything the manager told them to "f*ck off" and hung up on them. overall extremely bad experience, horrible customer service, and overall worst restaurant i've been to. read more

No tamales on menu. No refried beans? Everything seems ridiculously expensive and basic at best. We decided to forego.

After reading all the great reviews I decided to try this family run restaurant. I love mole sauce and there were raves about theirs. I ordered the enchiladas with mole sauce, rice and beans were the sides with it. What a disappointment. The mole had no flavor-and was a pale brown color. The chicken was dry, and chewy. My rice came minus the beans, which I asked for and was brought some. My server was friendly and attentive. My other surprise was that my beer was served in a bottle, While the table next to me got cold glasses with their bottles. The restaurant was packed with people waiting outside. There are tables in the front half and booths along the back wall. There were many larger groups at the tables and it was very loud. Plenty of parking in front of the restaurant. I may have to go back during a less busy time to try them again. read more

Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina - rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Dunedin, Florida

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The food is amazing! The drinks are amazing and the staff are quick, efficient and friendly.

Authentic, delicious Mexican food! Definitely recommend the queso. Adorable little restaurant with tons of seating.

Oh my god. I am Mexican, my grandma, all of my aunts and my mom all live(d) there and were born and raised there. I have eaten all of their cooking, which is amazing. This was the BEST Mexican food I've had in Mexico or the US. The ambiance was very authentic and the servers were great. read more

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Can't wait to go back try other things! I ordered the Enchiladas Suizas. Was asked if I wanted green or red sauce, and replied half and half. Unfortunately it was right when they opened so the waitress came back and said the red sauce wasn't ready yet. So I had to "settle" for just green. Damn those were the best enchiladas I've ever had! I've seen reviews where ppl say this place isn't authentic, but the sauce proves they aren't just saving old stuff from the day before. Service is nice and the restaurant is clean and charming. read more