I live close, so have been here more times than I'd like to admit. Â Wish there was better Mexican food closer, but there's not. Â Inside is dark and kinda old looking, but clean enough. Â Food is average at best. Â Wait staff is nice, but kitchen takes forever to get the food out. Â I'm not sure why when Mexican food is mostly prepped ahead of time and pretty much just assembly as orders come in. Â Don't care for going to their bar due to the bartender. Â I think his name is Casey and he's arrogant and treats everybody like he's better than they are.
Review Source:I am a regular at Cactus. Â I love the atmosphere of the place and their flour chips. Â They have a great menu and my husband loves the specials. Â I usually have my usual enchiladas. Â I have read some of these reviews and none of them of recent years. Â I really think you should give Cactus another try. Â Great people, good food, and lots of good drinks to quench your thirst.
Review Source:Absolutely HORRIBLE!!!
So here it is... Â We have the night to ourselves, and we are trying to think of a quick place to head to for dinner. Â Just me and the wife. Â We literally live less than 3 blocks from this restaurant and thought we should give it one more shot... Â Why do I say "one more shot"? Â The last time we were there we were horrified then as well. Â The difference this time, the place was uber busy when we went the first time, so we chocked up the horrible food to it being slammed. Â
We walk in and were greeted by our server John. Â Who, might I add was the only thing this place had going for it tonight. Â Quickly seated at a table for two by the window. Â Nice seating. Â We were in kind of a hurry so we were short and sweet. Â I ordered a Corona, and the wife ordered and iced tea. Â Upon his return we were ready. Â Well, at least my wife was. Â She decided on the carnitas... Â After careful consideration I did as well. Â This would be a mistake on both our parts.
I literally hadn't even had a drink of my beer and the food is arriving at our table. Â My wife and I both look at each other like seriously, that was a little too fast.
These carnitas were quite literally the most horrible thing I have eaten in a restaurant in California. Â I mean come on... Â Its California!!! Â How do you screw up carnitas. Â Let me tell you they did. Â Parts of them were soooo dry they could be used as weapons, while the others were so grease soaked they were completely inedible. Â I managed to eat about 2/3's of mine before dropping the fork. Â Mainly only because I was hungry. Â The wife didn't even get two bites in. Â Oh wait, it gets better... Â The beans were canned and flavorless. Â The rice was room temperature and flavorless. Â It was just bad. Â Now get this. Â Upon telling the server that the meal was absolutely horrible, he went back to the kitchen, and nobody did anything. Â No manager came out, no cook apologized for the horrible food. Â And now here I sit with the worst stomach ache typing yet another bad review for a restaurant that needs to wake up and put some care into their food. Â
Would I recommend this place to anyone? Â Never!!! Â Well unless I didn't care for them...
HORRIBLE!!!
And the only reason I gave it the one star, because Yelp wouldn't let me not give it any stars...
What can I say about The Cactus...? Well first off this was my second try at this restaurant and it did not get better, if anything it got a whole lot worse. Â It was pretty dark and only a few tables had customers. Â I order carnitas one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Â Oh server took our order and returned to our table in less than 5 minutes with both (my husband ordered it too) plates.
Oh the food... It was like a horror story on a plate. Â I had a few lumps of some gelatinous goo on my plate accompanied by pasty tepid out of box "Spanish" rice and canned beans with flavorless white cheese stuff on top. Â I poked my fork around the mysterious gelatinous meat like substance to find dried out pork (?) that could take a person's eye. Â I attempted a few bites, thinking maybe it just looks bad, nope it was really bad. Â I told our server John that it was horrible (poor kid) he asked if I wanted anything else, I told him no. Â
Shout out to John, he was kind, understanding and needs to find a job with a restaurant that serves good, fresh food so he can make some good tip money.
Okay back on point... No manager ever came to apologize, we got stuck paying for lousy, possibly tainted pork. Â Believe me a picture says a lot and I have a picture I will be sharing on my blog October Monday tomorrow... Â
Wait! Â Did I forget to mention the table with 3 ladies? Â When they heard me complain to our server about the horrible meal one of the ladies asked what I had, the horror story was not only on my plate but the gelatinous goo pork creature had struck on her plate too! Â The server stood there telling my husband, the 3 ladies and me that we were not the only people to complain about this hideous carnitas monster... Â There have been others. Â So dinners beware!
Would I recommend The Cactus? Â NO, I would not wish this type of food on anyone. Â The Cactus has it name right, a bad experience where you get stuck paying for bad flavorless canned/boxed side dishes and dried meat hidden under lumps of gelatinous goo pork!
Couldn't get any worse. We are Woodbridge locals from the Greens and I can now say I'd rather eat at Taco Bell. The service, price, cleanliness, food, portions for what you pay, and seating area are much more appropriate at TB. I've been here before but the owners needs to dump about $50k for new tables, chairs, menus, walls, old grout, grimy silverware, newly hired wait staff....dare I see the kitchen and food storage. Food was bad, service was a joke....I still feel grimy from sitting there with my family. Sorry, but this place needs a complete overhaul. It's off our list for good until they do. Even the wishing well coin fountain is disgusting and needs major cleaning or removal. Get with it.
Review Source:We have driven by this restaurant a few times and it looks nice form the outside. Â Located in a historic building in Woodbridge.
Recently we were on our way to do some wine tasting and saw that Costco had gift cards for Cactus so we bought some. Â We stopped by Cactus later that day, on a Sat @ 1:00 pm. Â The place was dark, even the bar had no lights on. Â Many of the tables had not been bussed. Â We were approached by a waiter after a few minutes and he told us he was the only one working.
We decided to go to the bar area and we sat for a bit. Â The waiter approached us again and said he was also the bartender...... Â So, we sat in the dark bar area for about 10 minutes and decided to leave.
The floors in the bar have loose floor boards and the place just didn't seem that clean. Â
We have since returned our gift cards, a first for us.
Just average. Food is decent, tasted pre-cooked and warmed up, service was so-so, there were only 3 tables the server had yet he wasn't very attentive. The ambiance is the greatest thing Cactus has going for it, it's very charming and warm. It's pricey for what you get. I didn't try the bar or any alcoholic beverages which is where the highest ratings generally seem to be coming from.
Review Source:We Love Cactus. There was a time that we shied away from cactus but that was years ago and now we are regulars there. Some friday night can get a little hectic but what resurant doesn't?
The Bar  is always busy and Crystal and Casey bust their butts to keep up, koodos to them. Efram puts out some tasty meals and his specials are off the chart.
If you haven't tried Cactus in a while I suggest you give them another try.
I enjoyed the atmosphere and that's about it! Â The food was not impressive at all. Â I did like the tortilla chips, but, the salsa just tasted like they opened a can of tomato sauce and VOILA! Â Tried this place twice to see if I would like it and the answer is NO! Â These two stars are based on the atmosphere alone.
Review Source:I visited Cactus a few weeks back with a couple of friends and their two kids.
We arrived around 5:00 on a Sunday and the restaurant was quiet and cold.
The menu is always somewhat impressive due to it's size, but when the food comes out, it's always mediocre. Â I ordered the Maya burrito which somewhat lacked in flavor. Â I asked for their "hot" salsa, which I added to liven the burrito up a bit.
The serivcer was nice, nothing to complain about. Â
I feel like Cactus was the "it place" for Mexican food at one time. Â Now when I go there, it just feels like they need an update.
Wishing Cactus was what it used to be!
The place looks amazing as far as decor. It has so much potential and it's such a shame. The service is absolutely horrible. They need to hire more waiters. We walked in and didn't get acknowledged for about 15 minutes, and there were other parties in front of us waiting to just put their name in. A "hi welcome to cactus, I will be with you in a moment" would have been better than nothing. The food was average. Nothing to write home about. BIG disappointment.
Review Source:Average food. LOUSY service. Â I think it was the kitchen's fault but lousy nonetheless. Â The owner is missing out big time. Â With a prime space he could have the best spot around, but they're too cheap to hire enough staff. Â Went to dinner for two, and it took wayyyyyyyyyyyy too long.
Review Source:Went here for dad's birthday dinner. He went here last year as well. Menu seemed large, several pages worth. I had a house margarita on the rocks. To much sweet n sour, not enough tequila. I ordered the beef taquitos which came with refried  beans, rice, salad and topped with sour cream and guacamole. It seemed to take a while for our food to arrive. Unfortunately I wasn't timing it. 2 adult meals came first and 1 kid meal. My meal and the other kid meal took the longest. Our waitress said she dropped my salad so she had to go start over. The second kid meal was a hamburger. It looked charred, like overcooked black charred. Dad had the calamari steak which was surprisngly very good. Tasted very fresh. The sauteed mushrooms and shrimp on top were delicious.
My meal was average. Nothing to brag about. The rice was clumpy, the beans were beans... nothing special. I was, however, pleasantly surprised at the amount of shredded beef inside the taquitos. They were stuffed full. Nobody had any complaints about the meal. Because it was dad's birthday, they gave him the whoe shpeal. Sombrero, sang happy birthday to him and included a free desert. His meal was also free.
Overall an "ok" experience. I'm sure we'll be back because its one of dad's favorite places.
Oh, Cactus, you used to be a decent place to go...
What happened?
First of all, Cactus really isn't super-authentic Mexican food. It's more of a white washed, gravy covered, salty mess. Instead of having crisp, clean, fresh flavors-- most everything tastes the same because it is all covered in the same sauce.
That is, if you can ever get your food-- the service at Cactus is notoriously SLOW. Don't expect the waitresses to be very friendly or helpful either.
The great thing about Cactus is the sheer size of the restaurant. It's huge! The room upstairs is great for parties-- think drinks and appetizers. Also, the bar is fun to hang out in with friends. Especially when there is live music!
The patio is nice on summer evenings. But because of the river being across the street, expect to be eaten by mosquitoes. Also, beware of smokers out there!
I guess you will have to try it for yourself. If you are looking for average food and a nice long wait, it'll be perfect.
This place is not good. My favorite Mexican place in the area was Porfis but that place has been gone for years. I've never been able to find a replacement in the Lodi/Woodbridge area since then. The service is always pretty slow, and it always seems like the cups/silverware are a little dirty. I've definitely had better food too. Most of the time, the chips taste a little stale. Last time I was there I had a taco which was soggy by the time I got it, and an enchilada that was so-so. To be honest, I avoid this place. I'd rather drive to Stockton.
Review Source:Decent food, horrible service.
I ate here on Tuesday night, June 28th. We waited at the host stand for several minutes before someone finally came and greeted us. Although, she didn't say a word such as "welcome to Cactus" or "sorry about the wait" she just hastily grabbed menus and literally threw them on a table and turned without another word. I was pretty taken aback by her attitude. Sorry we inconvienced you to do your job and seat us.
Our server was nice and did his best despite being very over levereged. How did I know he was covering a huge section? He complained about it when he first got to our table. No biggie everyone needs to let off steam.
Quesedilla was good, but how can you screw that up? I luckily get to avoid Lodi most of the year except for when visiting the in-laws. I'm also lucky to get to avoid Cactus in the future.
Cactus: Â the only reason to visit Woodbridge, unless you have an opulent golf membership.
Above average Mexican food is served in the most bizarre restaurant setup I've ever seen. Â If you're put on the second story you can spy on the people eating below you, or you could be unlucky and be seated in a dark miserable cranny in the architecture and be neglected by the staff for a while. Â Supposedly the building is haunted, which has most likely provided free publicity for them, rather than scaring customers away. Â
Anyway, the food's not bad. Â The thick sliced tortilla chips are always a treat and you can't go wrong with the carne asada. Â Watch out though, some of the other customers tend to be obnoxious.
Have to change to one star. Should really be no star. The last three times I've gone there have been bugs in the restaurant. 1st time it was a cockroach. The staff was unfazed by it and it seemed like it was pretty normal for it to happen. Why did I come back two more times? I was pregnant (& possibly out of my mind) and craving their ranchero sauce. The last time we just got up and left. Nasty. Â The service is always bad. Save yourself and choose a different Mexican restaurant. There are plenty in Lodi.
Review Source:Just had a scenic drive from Galt to Woodbridge, through the wineries to the pleasant Cactus Mexican restaurant. Â Firstly, great service. Â Secondly, ample food. Â Couldn't eat all the food placed before me (those that know me know I have a healthy appetite). Â Good portion of guac to go with the chips.
Highly recommend to any one who wants a relaxing Sunday drive through the countryside with this restaurant at the end (or middle). Â Or just go to Cactus and skip the drive!
I was a little worried because the parking lot was so full but very excited when we walked in and were seated immediately I enjoyed the home made chips and salsa was a little bland for me not to much flavor or heat. Our server came over soon after which was great we ordered our dinner and waited and waited it took some time to get our dinner and our food came before my two year old's who did not understand why she had nothing about 5 minutes later her food arrived and we were told to grab her plate because the food and plate was so hot you could hear it sizzle!!! No lie! That's what they said!
Lot's of items on the menu to choose from ordered a taco dinner (beef and chicken) The beef one was great the chicken had no flavor at all!! Â My husband ordered the fajita's the beef looked dried and overcooked the toppings had cheese, sour cream and guacamole the cheese looked nasty it must of been sitting for a while. Â
Had to ask for more tea and water after sitting with no drinks :(...
Next table had a taco salad that thing was huge and looked so yummy might give it one more try just to taste that!
3 Stars, down from 4.
Wow! What has the Economy done to restaurants? Prices have gone up tremendously! In the case of Cactus Mexican Dining... there is now absolutely NO difference in price between Lunch and Dinner.
On the end of my bike ride today I stopped into one of my favorite Mexican restaurants to see how they have changed over the last six months.
Chips & Salsa (***) - a little watery today. I guess the management of Cactus wanted to test another kind of Salsa... Instead of their Red Chili Salsa that was essentially blended, the new Salsa was essentially Dry with all the Vegetables Diced. New Vegetable was Diced Cactus in the mixture... quite a bit better than their Wet Red Chili Salsa... Looks like Cactus' attempt at a "Healthy" Salsa.
Chile Del Mar (**** 1/2 $13.95) - A Pasilla Chile stuffed with Grilled Shrimp and Scallops and Cheese (sound good yet?) topped with a flour / Egg coating and that is topped with a Green Tomatilla Sauce along with melted Cheese (looked like Cheddar). At least Cactus did not skimp on the portions on this entree... but have increased the price by $1.00. Now, there is absolutely no difference between Lunch and Dinner prices... this entree is one of the most expensive entrees on or off the menu.
Sides consisted of Black Beans with grated Cheese lightly flaked on, Mexican Rice, and a small Tortilla Bowl of Iceberg Salad with a Ranch Dressing.
Flour Tortilla (***) - Not home-made any more. What a disappointment! When Cactus used to make their own Flour Tortillas, I needn't ride to Stockton just to have some Home-Made Tortillas. Now, it's just store bought stuff.
Flan (** $3.60) I didn't want to get a shock with the Dessert... I asked the newbie waitress to describe the Flan to see if It would be different than the Flan I had last time... (Flan with a line of Raspberry Sauce on top of the Flan). When she described the Flan the Raspberry was not in her description... She went back into the Kitchen to inquire about the preparation of the Flan... When she came back, she said the Chefs could prepare the Flan like I described.
When the Flan arrived, the Flan sat in a moat of Raspberry Sauce, watery Caramel and watery Chocolate Syrup (I never asked for Chocolate!) , and a daub of Whipped Cream on top. Obviously, this was FAR different than the Flan I had over a year ago. I guess the Dessert Chef at that time vacated his position. Not very good today.
Ice Tea (**-In terms of Cactus management policy) In my previous visits to Cactus, the waitresses knew that I had just biked there from quite a distance, and I never, ever did have to ask for a refill... no matter how many times I emptied the glass of Ice Tea. I guess the new policy is fill it up two times... the third time ask "Do you want another glass of Ice Tea?"... the fourth and subsequent times... force 'em (in this case... me) to beg for it! As you see by my intonation... I don't like this new policy at all!
Total: $21.60. One of the more expensive Lunches I've paid for in quite awhile! Value is virtually non-existent at Lunch.
BTW, I have never gone back to a restaurant once I have rated them below four stars. I guess this is my last visit to Cactus.
So for my 100th review I chose this place. Â
The reason behind it is it brings back great memories of Karaoke in the middle of the week and long steamy nights spent with a special someone I still feel feelings for, though no longer am in touch with. Â
The food and drinks are great. Â The decor has a heavy western flare and the people are honest, fun loving individuals. Â I once left my wallet here and they called me to let me know that they had it! Â When I got it back, all the money and everything was intact. Â :-)
Thank you Cactus, for being a part of my life even today.
Went there for lunch on Sunday and I probably will never return.
The place was not busy at all but for some reason it took FOREVER for us to be seen by our waitress, get drinks, get our gravy and cheese, and to get our food.
We were seriously there for over 2 hours and we were a group of 4.
The waitress kept forgetting what we ordered and came to ask us what we ordered after we were sitting for 30 mins.
When we got the food it was not good at all, the beans tasted burnt and the rice was too salty.
While we were there, there were 2 other parties yelling at the manager, and one lady walked over to the kitchen to ask for their tag.
This place is not worth the money and the gas to get there!!
Been here 3 times, each time hoping the service would improve. Â Sadly, it has not. Â Not returning here---EVER. Â You wait forever for someone to seat you, then you wait forever for a waiter. Â The food is crappy and the servers are not friendly.
I'd rather eat at Alebrijes any day of the week!!! Nice owners, and super friendly waitress--Brooke. Â Also, can't beat their salsa or guacamole, Â dare I even mention the camarones momia!!!!
Great breakfast of huevos rancheros. The special spinach enchilada looks great too. The plates are very large and the quality is pretty good. They say some of the preparations lean even more toward the French style than the traditional Mexican. There was a saguariform chip sticking out of the black beans. I had iced tea to drink. It was good and had a sort of fruit taste to it, but not sweet at all (which is good).
Review Source:My 20th high school reunion was here last night. Â
While I won't get into details... and you're probably figuring out how old I am... this place was surprisingly very good.
While looking at how much my classmates have changed, I was eating the chips. Â Two baskets later.... I realized the chips are pretty fucking good. Â And I don't look as bad as I thought I did.
The buffet offerings were pretty good.... but finding someone behind the bar reminded me of that seen in the movie Indecent Proposal.... when they had all of their chips down on black... and the chips landed on red... or vice versa.
Minus one star for all of the empty cocktails and various beverages.
Sipping on water was probably  good thing for me.  That's definitely not what I did in high school  =)
Thank goodness for a decent Mexican restaurant in Lodi/Woodbridge. I really hate eating Mexican food because you always feel over stuffed and like you're going to get the runs.
This is really the only place that I enjoy for Mexican cuisine in Lodi. Angelo's is so-so, Casa Flores is so-so, heck they're all so-so. Cactus is my answer to anyone wanting better.
They make they're own chips here. The meals are very generously portioned. The service is great. The atmosphere is beautiful and you almost get that feeling of being in Mexico, but without the peddler saying, "Buy from me. Almost free for you today."
They also have a full bar area here, which I love because it's open, there's plenty of seating and the drinks are perfectly mixed. It's an exquisite dining experience.
If you need a large hall for parties, the Cactus has an upstairs area perfect for that. The only place that is comparable for something like this is the Lodi Beer Company.
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