Black Cactus of Avalon

We had an amazing time at Black Cactus tonight. It is upscale - delicious cocktails and excellent food. The decor is lovely - service was wonderful. It is pricey, but the quality is great and you’d be hard pressed to find anything cheaper in Avalon for a fancier night out. Highly recommend.

Awesome food and service! Loved the atmosphere as well. They had live music outside when we went. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Great addition to Avalon

Stopped at the Black Cactus tonight for dinner with daughter and everything was tremendous. I recommend the wood fire shrimp and the 1/2 roasted chicken to everyone. Sam our waitress was superb and super friendly. Will come back anytime

Loved my server! She was so sweet! Owner and staff are so friendly. Great food. Loved the lobster tacos! Fair prices for a restaurant in Avalon

We had a truly amazing meal last night with some of the most interesting flavor combinations I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. The street corn Caesar salad and the pork carnitas with mole sauce were the definite highlights for me. Their signature margaritas were also incredible, the best I have ever had. This combined with wonderful service and the chance to chat with their uber talented and engaging chef Jason made for an unforgettable night. Many thanks.

Feel good shore atmosphere at its best. Beautifully landscaped, exotic backlit stone bar, outdoor fire pit great seating, amazing food like no other in Avalon. A chef to call our own , this wonderful spot is just getting started. Just wait until you see the evolution of Jerseys hot spot, Black Cactus. Thank you for another memorable evening everyone at BC! AWSOME!

Great patio and service. All the food we tried was very good. Lobster Nachos, Calamari, and the Guacamole were all favorites. Excellent margaritas too. If you can forget the $$$ it’s excellent, just be prepared before going in.

Went here for lunch on Saturday at the shore. Best frozen margaritas I have ever had: Service was great, definitely paying for what you get but it all lived up to the bill. Their happy hour from 2-6 was something I would return for

I genuinely do not understand all the poor reviews for this place--particularly the ones complaining about price. Yes, Black Cactus is expensive, but it's not any worse in that regard than any of the other places in Avalon or Stone Harbor of a similar caliber. No one is suprised by the bill at Jay's or Diving Horse. This isn't supposed to be some cheapo taco cabana bar and I get the impression there's some misplaced expectations among some of the other reviewers. I def think Anthony Bourdain was onto something when he puzzled over the fact that people will happily spend $40 a plate at an Italian restaurant but think that Mexican food--which is every bit as complex and rich in heritage--is supposed to be dirt cheap. Anyway, off my soapbox. :) We were one of only two tables in the place on an early September weeknight evening, which was surprising--I really hope they do better in the summer months so they can stick around. We had excellent and super fresh guacamole, flavorful carnitas, fish tacos, and a very interesting and rich chocolate dessert. The drink menu was also varied and nicely done. I enjoyed the Bootsy Collins which had a nice zip and was not overly sweet, and my partner splurged on the El Jefe margarita--very smooth! The only "miss" in my book was the queso. BC's queso is a very light, runny version with no tomatoes, onions, chili, etc. that seemed intentionally aerated. The flavor wasn't bad, but I'd skip that next time as it didn't really scratch the queso "itch" and would likely work better as a sauce over something else. Service was perfectly attentive and the decor is cool. Definitely a welcome, different vibe.

The black cactus is a great new restaurant in Avalon. A lot of younger adults are working here and they're very kind and attentive. I loved my fish tacos there's a picture of them below. The happy hour deal is decent. It's $2 off everything on the menu & a $12 house margarita. I was supposed to get a picture of others included I also love the ambience. You have the option to sit inside or outside. I went twice within my weekend visit because it was so good!

We stumbled on this place while shopping in Avalon yesterday afternoon. Experience was so great that we went again today! The service was amazing. We came without a reservation and the host stand was very accommodating. Our waitress, Kristin, was super helpful. She made great recommendations and was beyond patient/helpful with our kids. The margaritas are out of this world. They are completely clear due to the clean recipe that the staff are super proud of and happy to elaborate on. Appetizers were our favorite. The Mexican corn Caesar salad and guacamole were fresh and well portioned. The tacos are street tacos sized and arrive 2 per order. Short rib and fish options were our faves. The chocolate brownie dessert was OUT OF THIS WORLD on flavor. Kristin also directed us on the best way to eat it (make sure you get all the ingredients in one spoonful) and it was to die for. When we went back tonight we sat at the outside bar where the service was again top notch. Bartender let us try the special frozen margarita (spiced pineapple) and it was so uniquely delicious and FRESH. If price is a concern, they have a great happy hour with drink specials and discounts on food. Can't wait to go back!

1st time there and it was spectacular Our server was so helpful the food and drinks were amazing. Loved the vibe and the decor. I had the yellow fin tuna special for dinner and it gets 5 stars. Great drinks!! A wonderful experience

Service was great but food was not. It had no flavor at all. Did not even finish our small portioned meals. Overpriced tourist spot. Won't be back.

What a surprise! In the land of pizza and pasta, it was clear this place employs and supports a real chef with a culinary vision. Welcoming, authentically looking stand alone place, 2 blocks from the ocean. Simple Mexican turned top notch (with a price). Hands down, best margarita I've had at the shore, done the right way, no lime green sour mix found here. $9 at HH and $18 outside of it, was a bit of sticker shock. The locals will be up in arms about that in no time, as they should. The Espresso martini was also awesome. Expensive but awesome. Truffle guac, and tuna tartar done very creatively. Short rib (likely chuck roast as short rib chunks are not this big but who's to argue) with polenta was a bit overstated, as the polenta was either an afterthought or overly thought, served as a white foam/sauce atop the meat..quite the curveball. The thought of polenta sold us and we were a bit let down for the price, to see it served this way, and it ended up sending the dish into the sticker shock category since it lacked substance. It was almost bechamel/cheesy, not corn at all. The server confirmed that the sauce was indeed the "polenta" component and we dealt with it. We were the only table in the place for 2 hours on a Thursday evening in late September, which was concerning. Even being in Avalon, I'd say the prices leave people wondering where else they could go for cheaper. A Mexican dinner shouldn't be $300 for 2, though that may be the cost these days for quality.

Service was wonderful! I had wine but those at the table who had margaritas said they lacked the fruit flavor they were supposed to be. Strawberry and Mango tasted exactly the same and not fruity. The classic margarita was pretty watered down or at least tasted like it. We only did appetizers and they were all good! Coming from Southern California when I saw a Tamale I was excited but this is very NOT traditional however... it was very tasty! Nachos were the best thing we got but everyone said the tacos were good too! Overall decent.. can't say anything about the entrees but I'd go again to try a full dinner

Very good food and service! Great atmosphere especially silly the outdoor area! Would go back in a second

Ordered guacamole and chips. two people. Asked for more chips to finish the guac up and they literally told me they would have charge for them! The original bowl was small with no more than 15 chips to begin with. Not special either. just chips. No thanks. Pricy margaritas and chips with tip was $100.00.

This place is hands down my favorite place in Avalon. The frozen margaritas are insanely delicious along with the cuisine. I had to order one of everything. The late night happy hour is a great deal as well with very friendly service all around. The ambiance makes for really good pictures with your favorite people.

Wow. My friend ordered a Bulleit old fashioned, the manager whispered to him that they didn't have bulleit, but had blantons, which he had never heard of. He said sure, and was charged $40 for a single old fashioned. If that sounds like your kind of restaurant then please go. I definitely will not.

The place is very nice, sat outside didn't look at the inside. Service was pleasant and attentive. Had a specialty margarita but really wasn't special, nothing exceptional about except the price. I had a street corn caesar salad which was very good. Next was a summer squash tostada, not a bad little appetizer but unfortunately was my only choice since there were zero entree options for vegetarians.

The prix fixe menu is $85 a person. For this price and the claim of upscale dining, I was expecting more from this place. We had a terrible dining experience here. We made a reservation, we were on time, and we were seated immediately. We waiting over 20 minutes to be greeted by a server or staff member. After 20 minutes, I went to the host stand and reminded them we have been waiting a while and a server came over immediately. The hosts were very kind and very apologetic. The server was very nice, but she was definitely overwhelmed with the amount of tables she had to handle. The pacing of the meals was slow between some courses and other times they were running the next course before we were finished with the previous one. The cocktails were terrible and extremely overpriced. I sent back a $20 paloma. I could not finish it. I left hungry. I got the lobster tacos and found a shell in my meal. The portions were very small. The pictures attached are the main course of the tacos. The steak tacos were okay. The steak tacos were flavorless and with an interesting tasting sauce. Overall the food was average at best. You would think we would at least get real strawberries in the dessert. The service was bad. By the end of the meal, the server could tell we were unhappy and became rude. The outdoor dining space is very nice! The overall vibe of the place is cool. I would not recommend this place.

Our waitress was really nice but it took a little too long to get our drinks out. All the food we ordered ranged somewhere between just fine and very good (never great), but the prices are honestly outrageous for the quality and portions of what they're serving. It looks like a nice place to listen to live music in their outdoor patio but nobody was playing the night we went. I'm not sure if anyone ever plays there at all, but that's what it would probably take to get me to go back and give it another chance

Great food, we especially enjoyed the guacamole and the duck wings. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for good Mexican food down the shore.

Great frozen margaritas. I always get the salsa/chips and the guac. Husband likes the caesar salad. Both the inside and the outside of the restaurant are great. Our server Lauren was attentive and nice.

Very cool outside setting and even cooler bar. Nice bar snacks Tequila frozen drink very good

This food was amazing the churros were very good. The service was very good our waiter was nice. The restaurant inside was very cool and outside looked nice. Would recommend.

Amazingly good food and drinks. Upscale dining like this is new to New Jersey Shore but it's about time. Tired of the same old mid level food and drinks. They have their place but when we really want to go out we want to eat well in a take you away atmosphere with great service and food To think about as you enjoy it. The chef is Jason Cichonski who is one of Philly's top rated superstars in the culinary world. Folks in NJ will learn soon enough what has just landed for the better in beautiful Avalon! First class all around. More limes please!

Usually don't post a lot of reviews but this place was definitely deserving of one! Ambiance was awesome, food delicious and somehow service topped it all. No need to go into specifics but both our waitress and the manager went above and beyond to ensure we had a pleasant dining experience without us having to say a word. As non locals coming here for the weekend only I can't recommend this place enough, and will definitely be coming back every time we're in town!

Our Server was excellent very attentive and pleasant. Food was excellent as well. We had the chicken tinga and short rib tacos for lunch. Prices are a bit high for portions but very tasty if that matters more!

Wow. What a great experience. From the food, to the service and the cocktails, everything was wonderful. The Duck carnitas and guacamole were highlights. Perfect end to a holiday weekend.

Visited "black cactus " avalon,nj-stopped in during happy hour at a "10" seat bar -was never approached by bartender and a bartender coming on at 5pm was setting up -was never ackmowledged at bar by anyone -asked the bartender" coming on" next shift if coujd get a drink and response was extremely abrupt and says she was not "om " work, just setting up bar ...not people friendly --very disappointed !!!!!!

$40 for 2 drinks served with palpable disdain from the bartender & an overwrought, overpriced menu. Skip.

Ten out of ten for service and atmosphere. And the food... OMG I'm so happy this place is here. We went for brunch on a Sunday and they had awesome live music too. We had the chilaquiles, the roasted corn caesar with grilled shrimps, the guacamole with white truffle and the ceviche fruit salad. I will remember and crave all these dishes for a long time.

We went to BC on Saturday night, 6/21. We had a party of eight and sat outside. Although we loved our waitress Emma, our dinner tacos were tasteless and very small. They (2) arrived on a small plate with no salsa or sour cream and nothing else. The only dish we enjoyed was the street corn appetizer. We ordered calamari, which was chewey, and the sauce with it was way too spicy for dipping. The margaritas were not good either. We will not go back again.

Food is extremely overpriced, and one time I went and tried to order drinks and they didn't believe that one of our ID's was real so they refused to serve any of us. We asked them to bring out the scanner and the general manager said he wouldn't serve us even if they scanned (so why have a scanner?). Extremely rude service and you can get much better food for significantly cheaper elsewhere. Would not recommend to anyone.

Rude! We attempted to go here for happy hour and sit in the bar area. Apparently, you have to have reservations to even sit at the bar. Nasty host and hostess. Drinks were not good and certainly not worth the price. We had previously been here during the off season when it was a different bartender and wait staff and it was a much better experience. Not worth it! Save your money and go where people will actually treat you respectfully.

Had a great dinner with friends. Did a la carte. Branzino was delicious- maybe the best I've had. Guacamole is very good as is the "Caesar" salad. All shareable so the price isn't as high ...

Flawless execution from the staff last night Food came out without a hitch Upscale dining experience in Avalon, New Jersey. It was awesome.

Cool vibe! Prix fixe menu of $85 each is crazy for Mexican. $40 PER PERSON cancellation charge for reservations. $18 margaritas was just ok too. So after spending $300 for 2 on a Mexican dinner, we were still hungry. Hopefully they go to an al a carte menu and drop the crazy high $ cancellation fee.

excellent food, really good drinks and a friendly staff. short rib tacos were incredible, la medicina marg is a must for ginger lovers! indoor and outdoor bars are really cool. great spot for a drink and apps

I was so excited to hear that a Mexican restaurant was coming to Avalon since we seem to mostly have only Italian eateries. I initially didn't make a reservation because it was a prix fixe menu of $85 per person, which I thought was very steep for Mexican food. However, on our last trip to NJ, I noticed they are now allowing customers to order a la carte. (Prix fixe is still available but everyone at your table has to order from it - they don't allow the rest of your party to dine a la carte if one person is prix fixe). I have to be honest: the food was just okay. I had lobster tacos (3) and the lobster meat was almost unbearably sweet. My husband ordered 3 short rib tacos and he enjoyed them. Since we're used to other Mexican restaurants with the bottomless chips/salsa, we ordered guacamole as a starter and we were only given about 5 homemade tortilla chips. When we asked our server for more so we could finish the guac, she only brought out 3 chips! The cocktails were delicious and the ambiance is really nice - especially outside (inside is nice, too, but very small). The bill for 3 of us was $236. We each had tacos, one order of guacamole to share, one tomato salad to share, one beer, and a margarita. My daughter drank water. I know there's always a premium to eat at restaurants in Avalon but this just seems over-priced and under-delivered. I don't see us returning.

Food was delicious, would definitely try other items on the menu. However, service was very poor. Server was rude and we felt extremely rushed despite many tables available. One person came to collect our plates, dropped food on my seat and looked at me without speaking until I picked it up and put it on their tray. No apology. Friends of ours also had dinner there the same night and commented how poor their service was as well. Cocktails were good, just pricey. I will just go to the bar next time to order food and drinks.

Outstanding dining experience. In particular the special old fashioned had outstanding flavor, and the lobster tacos were off the charts. Beautiful setting as well, outstanding ambiance!

This was our first time at the restaurant. We went for a Sunday night happy hour. Service was great, friendly and attentive. The margaritas were very well made. Two of our party tried the holiday special margarita and the Jingle Juice abd really enjoyed them. We tried most of the happy hour menu and it was all tasty and well presented. The highlights were the duck wing carnitas, the tacos and the Guacamole. All had a unique twist from what you might get other places. We will certainly be back.

Very disappointed. I was so excited to try this new restaurant in Avalon. The setting is beautiful but the food, beverages and service were definitely not worth the high prices. This establishment won't last.

so surprised with the relatively low reviews. I ve been there six times! yeah I looked up menu first so I knew the prices. food was great! service was great. pretty sure everyone checks out menu before booking. if it's too expensive- don't go. one lady gave them a bad review and she hadn't even eaten there! I hope they do well because I don't want to go back to Italian or seafood as my only choices. everyone begs for a new kind of restaurant and then trashes it? Food prices have gone up for everyone - or haven't you noticed? And I'm spending just as much per person with takeout seafood and Italian. If you can't afford it- you don't have to go.

Everyone was so excited to go to this restaurant. On first glance, ambiance is amazing. Beautiful, warm and fun space! The $85.00 price fixed menu was overpriced. The food was ok but very small portions for the price. The guacamole was enough for one person (not expensive to make, but they charged too much. The one thing I will say was excellent was the Branzino - very good, but overpriced. We will try Taco Tuesdays and hope for the best!

Really great food and fast service. Margarita was delicious and we loved the elote Caesar, chips and Guac, pork carnitas tacos, and the steak. Portions were good size and it was great to be able to sit outside, even without a reservation. Definitely one of the better restaurants on the island

Food is AMAZING but you will be disappointed if you're looking for chainfood Mexican! It's special! Great cocktails too. Definitely a bit pricey but not out of range for a high end restaurant. They are definitely still working out the kinks but I'm optimistic that they will be a premier restaurant which is needed in Avalon!

We have dined here twice, each time we felt it was overpriced, drinks watered down, food just OK. When you pay close to $500.00 for three people, 2 drinks total and food. $800.00 for 5 adults 8 watered down drinks and mediocre food. It's time to let them know they need a revamp. We dine a lot in Avalon and surrounding shore points, we were hoping this new restaurant would be a great addition in Avalon.

We go out to dinner often and have no problem spending money on good food and drinks. While I was hesitant about this being worth $85/pp, I still wanted to give it a try. This was one of the worst dining experiences I have had. Our waitress was great, and the entire rest of the experience was not. Here are just the highlights: 1. For four people, getting 1-2 drinks, we spent $600!!! 2. Our drinks- not good. Margaritas tasted like water and I could not even finish my peppercorn Paloma. At $18-20 a cocktail, I should have at least enjoyed my drink so I can't even recommend to check out the cool bar or atmosphere with drinks. 3. Guacamole tasted good but came with THREE chips. Two of us had gotten it so we asked for more chips and we got THREE more to split. The best part was they charged us $1 for the additional chips. Why even bother? That's just a slap in the face at this price point. 4. The tacos. Lobster were good, but not good enough for $85pp. I get 3 amazing tacos for $13 in Philly. However, the steak tacos had no flavor. I literally took the salt off the rim of my drink to put in my taco. My husband wasn't having it so he was honest with the waitress because we were paying so much. At this point the manager was great, came over and said "no problem, we'll bring you two lobster tacos." Who brings out the lobster tacos but the chef. He insisted on our feedback and we obliged but he was not happy. His tone and body language were so rude. He ended up coming back and slamming a bottle of hot sauce on our table. Our waitress could tell the chef was not happy by the interaction, was embarrassed, and apologized. By this point I couldn't even eat my dessert. I was excited for something other than Italian down the shore, I unfortunately will not be back.

I had high expectations for our first meal based on the cape may county article from earlier in the year but left sorely disappointed in the experience. I'm giving them a few weeks to work out the kinks and plan to give it another go. Things that left me disappointed. 1. Cocktails. I ordered a house margarita, which was delivered to the table with no salt, in a warm glass, and looked like it had been poured out of a pitcher, taste was just mediocre. There are several alternatives on Island that have a much tastier Margarita. I ordered a 2nd cocktail which also left me sorely disappointed. I didn't drink it, gave gentle feedback; they left it on the bill. 2. We tried several of the items from the tasting menu, and ordered more from each section of the Prix Fixe ($85/person) than standard. While it looked pretty, the food itself was just ok, ....but...I believe it will be good with time. I suspect there are issues with food delivery as items were either room temperature or on the cusp of cold by the time they reached us (it wasn't busy, several tables were open). 3. Service was just ok, nothing special. My water glass was left unattended unless I requested additional water, pacing was a little off. Normally, I'd say who cares, but according to the article and price point, they are reaching for an elevated experience/"high end clientele"; service should match those goals. 4. I do like the ambience and outdoor space is always great at the beach. I think once they work out the kinks it may be worth the overall experience, which is what I believe they are selling (portions on both food and drinks are small, you will leave hungry). The more time their servers, chefs and support staff get under their belt, I'm sure the better it will get! Final Thoughts: Our bill was just over $300 for 2 people. The restaurant should NOT be thought of as a "Mexican Restaurant", it is not a replacement for tortilla flats :-(. If you enter with that expectation, you will never be satisfied. If they improve their service and offerings and you're willing to embrace what they are trying to create/sell (from their own words), I think over time this could be a great new option!

Food was absolutely amazing -- chef was creative and all dishes were delicious. However, the price was insane -- $85/person, prix fixe, not including alcohol and NOT BYOB is crazy. Each course was relatively small, and given one of the courses being a "taco" course with two tortillas and another being desserts, we still left hungry. Our bill, for three people who each got 1-2 drinks, came to over $450 with tip. For this price we were expecting A LOT more food, or for alcohol to be included. Overall amazing food, but Black Cactus certainly needs to sort out their menu/pricing model. Lively bar but decor was plain and left something to be desired at this price point. Also, $40/person cancellation fee with less than 24 hours notice... come on.

Just spent $242 on a meal for 2 at Black Cactus but won't be going back. It is a very millennial crowd here. The food was meh. Looks like a good bar crowd with people wandering in Wearing board shorts and T shirts. Maybe it will improve with time

Great atmosphere, incredible food, great staff and service - overall a solid 10. Great to have a new restaurant like this in Avalon!