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What it is: Cactus Mexican Grill is a locally owned alternative to Mexican fast food restaurants like Chipotle, Pancheros or Qdoba. Owner Leopoldo Ruiz has 14 years of experience as a cook at 801 Steak and Chop House and Jimmy’s American Café, and is now stepping out on his own at 1679 N.W. 86th St. in Clive, the former strip mall location of Boilin’ Crawfish.
During a weekday lunch hour, we had the place to ourselves, and were in and out in less than a half hour. We chose menu items off the dry/erase marker boards hanging above a counter where orders are taken and also prepared. The service was quick, but awkward, as if the employees didn’t quite have the process down yet.
The décor is a bit all over the place, alternating between modern and traditional. The space has exposed ductwork, a stone fireplace, a wood-paneled chair rail, a flat panel TV, traditional Mexican artwork, and one orange wall. But the menu is focused, and the food was good, so Cactus Mexican Grill has the opportunity to fare better than its predecessor.
The menu: The menu includes steak, chicken, pork, or beef tacos in soft corn, crispy, or soft flour shells; salads; enchiladas; quesadillas; chimichangas; and healthily portioned burritos that are stuffed with steak, chicken, pork, or veggies, as well as refried beans, rice, and cheese. In addition to the standard menu fare, Cactus Mexican Grill also serves up Jarritos, flavored Mexican soda. Alcohol is not currently served, though the owner is seeking a license to serve beer and margaritas.
What we tried: We ordered a steak burrito ($5.25) and beef tacos in a soft flour shell (3 for $4.99). While we waited for our food to be assembled, we started with cheese dip ($2.75), chips, and salsa ($2.75). While the cheese dip was nothing remarkable and left quite a bit to be desired, the salsa was fresh and delicious, finely chopped with a nice texture and blend of flavors.
My dining partner felt her beef tacos were pretty standard, as far as tacos go. Three was more than enough to satiate her appetite, but the tacos won't draw her back into the restaurant. My other dining partner and I fared better with our steak burritos, with well-seasoned cubes of steak playing nicely with the creamy refried beans. The sauce came on the side, however, which made eating it a bit awkward. A fork and knife shredded through the paper liner, and the burritos are so large that they’re a bit messy to pick up and eat. Regardless, the flavors were there, and we agreed we would order it again.
Why you should go: Though the space doesn’t know what it wants to be, and the service has a few quirks to work through, Cactus Grill shows promise as a locally owned contender in the fast food Mexican market.
