Cactus Taqueria

Fresh ingredients, tasty yet still a good deal less fatty (I love that too in a Mexican restaurant, but Cactus uses less and is still outstanding). Usually 2-3 salsas available, plus side hit chiles, roasted whole hot chiles if your early enough, and lime or lemon wedges that I sometimes use in my soda, but maybe it goes well on the shrimp tacos or other items. It's a fairly loud place, but in a friendly, vivacious way.

The best tacos they are crisp and fresh. Very good prices under 7$ for 3 tacos. Set up like Chipotle way better food. I give 5 stars for fresh cheep and off the beaten path

Drove from Sacramento to hit this place up. Best veggie burrito hands down. Fresh, clean and delicious ingredients make the wait for an empty table well worth it. Three dollar bean and cheese burritos with whole grain tortilla chips keep the kids drooling to come back.

I go here often and enjoy their food a lot. Some of their dishes are a bit hit or miss bit none the less its good quality. I've experienced some mess ups of my order but not enough to make it extremely significant. I do really enjoy the food though and still haven't found a better burrito

Absolutely loved this restaurant! The flavors of authentic Mexican dishes were amazing and everything tasted fresh. The prices are fair and the service was quick so we did not have to wait long for our order. The place has a bright and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for families. I was also happy to find great gluten free options on the menu. Parking can be a bit tight in the area, but the food and experience make it totally worth visiting!

I've been eating at Cactus Taquerias both in the Rockridge since that first opened many years ago, and North Berkeley when it opened. Sometimes I would park at Rockridge BART, grab a burrito And take it with me over to San Francisco for a Giants game. Took a friend and my sister to the Solano avenue Cactus, and they were both blown away last night. One had the Caesar salad and a taco, and my sister had tacos including a mushroom taco. She was less satisfied with the mushroom taco (she's a chef and said too much sauce which had the mushroom flavor) but loved the empanadillas. I had the Tostada camarón with pinto beans. I was the one who ordered the empanadillas for the first time and boy were they yummy. I hadn't been to Cactus for a couple of years so that's a nice treat. This is always one of my solid go-to places whether I've got guests or whatever and want a dying casual or pick up something for later They also have a nice little beer selection as well as sodas and agua frescas. Menu is pretty clear as what is vegetarian or and what is not and the staff is very helpful and will accommodate any dietary issue. Parking in the area can be a little tight, although not as tight as lower Solano avenue, and there's usually something within walking distance. There's also a bunch of other shops nearby and a Pegasus bookstore.

This is the best taco I have ever had in my whole life. I bought the crispy chicken tacos and they were phenomenal. The fried cheese and tortilla with all the flavors and sauces made it phenomenal!

Been coming here since I was a baby and the food has never failed to wow us. Service is quick the atmosphere is amazing

Very customizable, fresh, and tasty! We got vegan platos con vegetables. We also topped it with tamitillo (sp??) sauce. Soo good

Delmar Purdy

Absolutely loved this restaurant! The flavors of authentic Mexican dishes were amazing and everything tasted fresh. The prices are fair and the service was quick so we did not have to wait long for our order. The place has a bright and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for families. I was also happy to find great gluten free options on the menu. Parking can be a bit tight in the area, but the food and experience make it totally worth visiting!

Marcus Pun

I've been eating at Cactus Taquerias both in the Rockridge since that first opened many years ago, and North Berkeley when it opened. Sometimes I would park at Rockridge BART, grab a burrito And take it with me over to San Francisco for a Giants game. Took a friend and my sister to the Solano avenue Cactus, and they were both blown away last night. One had the Caesar salad and a taco, and my sister had tacos including a mushroom taco. She was less satisfied with the mushroom taco (she's a chef and said too much sauce which had the mushroom flavor) but loved the empanadillas. I had the Tostada camarón with pinto beans. I was the one who ordered the empanadillas for the first time and boy were they yummy. I hadn't been to Cactus for a couple of years so that's a nice treat. This is always one of my solid go-to places whether I've got guests or whatever and want a dying casual or pick up something for later They also have a nice little beer selection as well as sodas and agua frescas. Menu is pretty clear as what is vegetarian or and what is not and the staff is very helpful and will accommodate any dietary issue. Parking in the area can be a little tight, although not as tight as lower Solano avenue, and there's usually something within walking distance. There's also a bunch of other shops nearby and a Pegasus bookstore.

Batrae

Been coming here since I was a baby and the food has never failed to wow us. Service is quick the atmosphere is amazing

Dave Smiley

This is the best taco I have ever had in my whole life. I bought the crispy chicken tacos and they were phenomenal. The fried cheese and tortilla with all the flavors and sauces made it phenomenal!

Lacey Alvarez

Very customizable, fresh, and tasty! We got vegan platos con vegetables. We also topped it with tamitillo (sp??) sauce. Soo good

Love love LOVE taco deli! They also make it easy to eat with the allergen listings. If you’re gluten or dairy free like I am they can accommodate.

Their tres leches cake is the best. The taste is pure and sweet yet complex and subtle. It is thoroughly soaked but keeps its texture. It is light and airy yet rich and indulgent. Go here for the cake, but don’t leave without trying the crispy steak tacos, they slap too.

One of our favorite spots for take away burritos and crispy tacos. Everything is always tasty and fresh. We hit them up fairly regularly once a week and our orders are always correct (online order) unlike the experience of some reviewers.

The crunchy tacossss!! Must try, yum.

Lisa K

Love love LOVE taco deli! They also make it easy to eat with the allergen listings. If you’re gluten or dairy free like I am they can accommodate.

Zev Buffett-Davis

Their tres leches cake is the best. The taste is pure and sweet yet complex and subtle. It is thoroughly soaked but keeps its texture. It is light and airy yet rich and indulgent. Go here for the cake, but don’t leave without trying the crispy steak tacos, they slap too.

Erin Wheeler

One of our favorite spots for take away burritos and crispy tacos. Everything is always tasty and fresh. We hit them up fairly regularly once a week and our orders are always correct (online order) unlike the experience of some reviewers.

Great food. I had the fish tostida. Feels fresh and healthy and great value for your money. The servers are nice and friendly. The only downside is that the place is has a somewhat shabby feel, not a place for your date, but a great choice if you are hungry, in a hurry, and still care for what goes into your stomach.

Go to taqueria - food is good and reasonable. Only issue is orders are often times with errors and ingredients often missed in salad..wish more attention were paid to the details of the regular menus.

Very good Berkeley taqueria. Quick, well distanced seating area with high ceilings and good air circulation. We tried the beef crispy tacos, the shrimp soft tacos, and the salsa fresca. All were very good.

Great food. It's hard to hear when ordering, due to ventilation/kitchen noise, so our order wasn't quite right last time, but still tasty. Just make sure your order is heard correctly.

Fun place, always bustling with hungry people. Nice selection of Mexican dishes with daily specials such as Pozole or Mole. Some dishes a bit on the bland side, but a free salsa selection and other condiments make up for it. In love with the Tres Leches cake!

Good fresh Mexican food. I think the portions could have been a little bit bigger for the tostada but the plate was enough food but grown up taste on that veggie enchilada, not for kids. Bitter from kale but I don't mind that.

Really good good, with good portion size. The price of their tortillas as a bunch is a little high. We ordered ahead for catering and we were really happy with their range of choices. Some veggie, some chicken, some carnitas. Staff was very helpful.

The food is good quality, but the experience is a little chaotic, reflecting a busy restaurant and not quite enough seating at busy times. When your food is ready, they call out your number and you have to retrieve your food from the counter. When you are done, you need to bus your own dishes. So, overall, this is organized as a fast-food restaurant, although the food is healthier and better quality than we usually associate with fast food. It's a bit out of the way for our family, but we still go occasionally since everyone likes the food. I try to avoid the busiest times, since the crowding can detract from the experience.

This is a great place to eat traditional Mexican food. Prices are reasonable and there was no long line to wait for the food. The place is well light and is family friendly. Food is also gluten free friendly. The only problem is parking which is always an issue in the location of the restaurant.

Julian Gonzalez

This is a great place to eat traditional Mexican food. Prices are reasonable and there was no long line to wait for the food. The place is well light and is family friendly. Food is also gluten free friendly. The only problem is parking which is always an issue in the location of the restaurant.

The crispy tacos and strawberry drink were amazing as always. Salsa could be little hotter and tastier. Service needs some improvement like to go bag, utensils, napkins etc

Subigya Khatiwada

The crispy tacos and strawberry drink were amazing as always. Salsa could be little hotter and tastier. Service needs some improvement like to go bag, utensils, napkins etc

Jen “Jen” Black

Good fresh Mexican food. I think the portions could have been a little bit bigger for the tostada but the plate was enough food but grown up taste on that veggie enchilada, not for kids. Bitter from kale but I don't mind that.

Price went up a lot unfortunately, 20% all at once. This used to be our family favorite, now Talavera down the street is the same cost but larger portions.

I don't intend to nickel and dime any small business, but I've noticed more than once they will automatically ring you up for their more expensive "side" prices rather than the "add on" price ($4+ for a small container of guac instead of $2.45), and then frustrate when you point it out. Watch your wallet.

The food was pretty average in taste. On the plus side, it was prepared quickly, reasonably priced, and had vegetarian options. I tried the "roasted veggies burrito"—it was filling, but even with two salsas added, it lacked flavor.

Decent as other reviewers have noted. No fajita burritos. Seems odd to me. Like other restaurants on Solano, the effort to be a great restaurant just isn't there.

The restaurants could be 5 stars if it weren’t for the combination of food prep staff lacking any regard (integrity) for the quality of the freshly cooked orders and the customers experience. They have the potential to deliver 4.5 starred food, minimally. However, the food prep staff let the food the cooks prepare (e.g., crispy tacos) sit there for 5+ minutes getting soggy and cooling off, usually until you nudge them, before calling your number. Sometimes all 3 food prep staff are making burritos and do not keep tabs on the this, but often two are idle and chatting. Last night I went in about 14 minutes before they closed to make a a small to-go order (2 crispy tacos; not ideal, I know, but they are STILL open). They were counting money, putting food away, etc. They were slow and very reluctant to acknowledge me. They took my order and money curtly and then my number was called in about 3 minutes. Because one can see them prepare these and put in deep fryer, I was aware that they take about 8 minutes or so. As I suspected, when I went out the car to eat, they were cool, just okay at best.

We love Cactus and have supported them for probably 20 years the restaurant has a relatively new manager who is not friendly, the prices have increased and the portions are much smaller all of the workers are amazing but there seems to be a bad vibe since the new manager has been there...please make a change.

Lauren Richmond

We love Cactus and have supported them for probably 20 years the restaurant has a relatively new manager who is not friendly, the prices have increased and the portions are much smaller all of the workers are amazing but there seems to be a bad vibe since the new manager has been there...please make a change.

Marisa Smith

The restaurants could be 5 stars if it weren’t for the combination of food prep staff lacking any regard (integrity) for the quality of the freshly cooked orders and the customers experience. They have the potential to deliver 4.5 starred food, minimally. However, the food prep staff let the food the cooks prepare (e.g., crispy tacos) sit there for 5+ minutes getting soggy and cooling off, usually until you nudge them, before calling your number. Sometimes all 3 food prep staff are making burritos and do not keep tabs on the this, but often two are idle and chatting. Last night I went in about 14 minutes before they closed to make a a small to-go order (2 crispy tacos; not ideal, I know, but they are STILL open). They were counting money, putting food away, etc. They were slow and very reluctant to acknowledge me. They took my order and money curtly and then my number was called in about 3 minutes. Because one can see them prepare these and put in deep fryer, I was aware that they take about 8 minutes or so. As I suspected, when I went out the car to eat, they were cool, just okay at best.

Snigdha Agarwal

The food was pretty average in taste. On the plus side, it was prepared quickly, reasonably priced, and had vegetarian options. I tried the "roasted veggies burrito"—it was filling, but even with two salsas added, it lacked flavor.

J B

Decent as other reviewers have noted. No fajita burritos. Seems odd to me. Like other restaurants on Solano, the effort to be a great restaurant just isn't there.

David Cleary

I don't intend to nickel and dime any small business, but I've noticed more than once they will automatically ring you up for their more expensive "side" prices rather than the "add on" price ($4+ for a small container of guac instead of $2.45), and then frustrate when you point it out. Watch your wallet.

The prices went up and the food portions got smaller. Went from $9 a full burrito to $12 for the same burrito but smaller. The service is good, the workers are nice, but this is a major impact on the customer. The cake they sell for deseret went from 4.50 to 6 a slice.. and the size of the slice is never consistent... I was a regular..

It's just ok. No authentic flavor at all! it just tastes boring and american-made. also a little pricey for burritos.. rice, beans, salsa a little meat? really cant understand why some many people think it is good??

got the ceviche which was just not ceviche? tasted like a shrimp cocktail, way too tomato heavy and not enough acidity. it was fine but not the best. my friend left her agua fresca on the counter and when she went back the employees didn't believe her even though she had the receipt. probably won't be coming back when there are plenty of tastier mexican options nearby

Good agua frescas - ok food. Horrible tortilla chips. Don't know what's in them but they taste like cardboard. Kind of a basic issue for a Mexican restaurant, wouldn't you think? My husband will eat anything, but not their chips.

Im confused they charged me $5.50 to add vegetables. It’s good but there’s better places to get burritos in berkeley

Delta Kayler

Im confused they charged me $5.50 to add vegetables. It’s good but there’s better places to get burritos in berkeley

Honestly I’m very disappointed ☹️ in the service here I heard really great things so I decided to treat my staff to a small party. Now I called earlier to see if they did party trays. So the quoted me at $77 I thought it was cheap but okay. Then I had to makeup everything micro manage every step. The idea was I wanted a taco bar. Then My staff goes to get it the price was completely different which would of be fine if they included everything. The women on the phone should of told me she was unsure or that they don’t do parties. My in home care workers work very hard and this was a disappointment. I called two days in advance I was clear on what I wanted. I double tripled check but obviously my business was not that important. Will I order from them again no because party trays are not there strong suit. I just wished they told me earlier I could of took my business else where ?

I’m surprised on how they could get our orders so wrong when they are printed so clearly on the receipt. It sucks to pay extra for sour cream and cheese and not even receive it in our food.

Got a phone order almost completely wrong. When there is food alergys this is life or death to some people. They marked the burritos with almost no details. 2 of the burritos were simply marked with a + symbol, what the hell does that mean. This was for 6 burritos, I cant imagine that they can do other orders correctly, this was so basic. No sour cream and cheese on one of them was the order but no way to tell if mine was with no sour cream untill i was halfway through the burrito, total fail, have been there many times not going back. Not recommending this place. There is a reason chipotle is a national chain.

After 30 years of being a loyal customer, my family is done with Cactus. This used to be a favorite, but the quality has declined and the service has been terrible for years. They often make mistakes with our orders, and the few times the mistakes have been big enough to call them on it, the response has been completely unapologetic, and even insulting. They have acted like we are liars. Absolutely unacceptable way to treat customers, especially when you're the one who screwed up. AGAIN. And more recently they have imposed both price increases and skimpflation. Terrible service, inconsistent food quality, poor attention to detail... Not anymore. It takes a LOT to lose a customer of three decades. I hit my limit.

Terrible place. No authenticity, bland food, and couldn’t even put the salsa In the bag. Horchata taste like milk and ice with hint of cinnamon like salt bayed the cinnamon in the horchata.This embarrassment to the Bay Area and please pick anywhere else as this place is a waste of money and time.

"I've never had such bad, tasteless food. The burrito was miserable-very small and served on a dirty plate. The beans were almost raw and so dry they nearly broke my teeth. It is way too expensive ($15+) for such low-quality fast food. This was my last time going there."Dirty food-- This is their address 1881 Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA

aa pp

"I've never had such bad, tasteless food. The burrito was miserable-very small and served on a dirty plate. The beans were almost raw and so dry they nearly broke my teeth. It is way too expensive ($15+) for such low-quality fast food. This was my last time going there."Dirty food-- This is their address 1881 Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA

Fleming B

Got a phone order almost completely wrong. When there is food alergys this is life or death to some people. They marked the burritos with almost no details. 2 of the burritos were simply marked with a + symbol, what the hell does that mean. This was for 6 burritos, I cant imagine that they can do other orders correctly, this was so basic. No sour cream and cheese on one of them was the order but no way to tell if mine was with no sour cream untill i was halfway through the burrito, total fail, have been there many times not going back. Not recommending this place. There is a reason chipotle is a national chain.

John J

After 30 years of being a loyal customer, my family is done with Cactus. This used to be a favorite, but the quality has declined and the service has been terrible for years. They often make mistakes with our orders, and the few times the mistakes have been big enough to call them on it, the response has been completely unapologetic, and even insulting. They have acted like we are liars. Absolutely unacceptable way to treat customers, especially when you're the one who screwed up. AGAIN. And more recently they have imposed both price increases and skimpflation. Terrible service, inconsistent food quality, poor attention to detail... Not anymore. It takes a LOT to lose a customer of three decades. I hit my limit.