Cactus Charly

I'm a local Maplewoodian--my entire life--and I have never been disappointed with Cactus Charly. Their food is excellent, as well as the presentation of it; the atmosphere is colorful, and the service has been great. Last night was one of the best meals that I have had, as well as everyone in my party. Our waiter was charming and handled our table with style and smiles. We always have orders that have substitutions and he just excelled. As you can see from the photos that I have below, the food looked amazing. I have read some reviews where people do not give the dinners as much praise as I am doing here. This can happen anywhere. But I have had many family meals here and huge celebrations. And every single time we are happy. When out of towners come to visit, we always take them here. Perhaps if I were to change one thing, it would possibly be the chips. I've never flipped over their taste, but I love the salsa I would like it to be even a bit thicker but it has excellent flavor! I also wish they had a liquor license because I love a Margarita with Mexican. But it is a BYOB establishment. The main strip of town has many restaurants and each of these has been supplied with fun outdoor seating by the township. On a summer's night this strip is hopping with diners sitting outside and enjoying their meals. Unfortunately Cactus Charly is "off the beaten track" so it is a quieter spot. It only has a few tables on the sidewalk. This is a shame because if it were on the main street it would packed. I love the vibe of Cactus Charly and if you like Mexican, you should certainly go here!

Wonderful food, service, and atmosphere! Not from the area but went here on a whim after trekking South Mountain/Hemlock Falls with my sister, and was not disappointed. Ordered the Nachos with Shredded Chicken and the Enchiladas De Cangrejo, and loved every bite! And they even have the Mexican Coke with cane sugar. Will definitely visit again when I'm in the area!

Food is tasty and some of the dishes are priced pretty well. Typical menu items for a Mexican place but also a lot of variety so most people will find something they like. Highly recommend the enchiladas de camarón. The green sauce is great and they are generous with the protein. Despite that, there are a ton of over priced menu items that I wouldn't recommend. Depending on what you get, the portion size can be small. Outside seating is available. Staff is friendly but there seemed to be only 1 waitress so things can move slow on a busy dinner night.

After reading countless reviews I felt it's time to give my review. I've been coming here since 2012 so quite a long time for me. The food is delicious, I love the salsa and put it on everything when I get a meal here. The service is always great and I've never had a bad experience. I'm not sure what other people are referring to when they speak negative of the service. I've always had great service year after year. If you like Mexican cuisine this is certainly the place for you.

Let me just say!! This is definitely one of the best Mexican food that I had in awhile. This is located in Maplewood Village and it's way better than the other place. It takes awhile for the food to come since it is extremely fresh, which I love. Just thinking about makes me want another enchiladas, which by the way the Green sauce was so damn good and the tortilla was so good the crabmeat was so tasty. I am definitely going back with my friend. We just love this place. My friend had the 3 steak soft taco, she said they taste like heaven. Lol

Really friendly, family owned place. Good portion sizes, good value, good food. A little slice of home for those of us from down by the border.

Food has NO TASTE. NO SEASONING. Chicken tacos was white… like they boiled the chicken. fish tacos had no taste. The beans are refried beans which should be specified when ordering. Never again!!!!

We’ve been going here for years! The food is the best! Great service! Great atmosphere! This is our go-to Mexican spot! BYOB

The food is hot and tasty, and the portions are definitely filling! My family and I recently stopped by for an impromptu dinner, and the kids were happy with their chicken tacos and quesadillas, which is always a relief. My chicken burrito could've easily been two meals, but it was so delicious that I couldn't help myself from finishing it. The atmosphere is always festive, even when there's only a few diners seated. Yet the place almost always seems to fill up quickly. The service is all right. There's usually only one server when we've been, so if you're in a hurry, you might want to order everything (including dessert) all at once, or you can bug the cashier for an extra set of tableware or another drink. Oh, it's also BYOB, so feel free to stop at the liquor store across the street or around the corner before arriving (or after ordering)!

Sad... I liked this place but check your order before you leave...they screwed up.. ordered the enchiladas de mole and they left out the ... essential to me ... rice. It felt like a half portion of overpriced food. Not worth the aggravation and there are better nearby alternatives I am sure. Used to be s friday night ritual for us but no more. Time to order elsewhere.

We ordered from Uber Eats New Years Day. I've never eaten here before, and I wanted tacos, so Cactus Charly it is! I ordered the shrimp tacos. It was served with a side of beans and rice, and the onions, cilatro, and salsa verde were served in little containers to pour over shrimp. Overall, the tacos were delicious, I only wish they were seasoned, but the onions cilantro and sauce were enough. The rice and beans were good but still lacked, maybe salt? Was missing something. My son got the ground beef enchiladas. I had a bite, and they were also delicious. Our food came with a bag of chips and salsa, and that was much appreciated. Like as if we were at the restaurant and they give you a basket of chips. I feel like I would order again. Test it some other dishes, or get the shrimp tacos again, lol.

Actually 2.5 stars. The ambiance was "authentic" let's say, and the food wanted to be, maybe. The veg enchiladas had a lot of boiled potato, and frozen corn. Maybe a little broccoli and onion. The kids cheese quesadilla was a taco size tortilla folded over. The service was fine I guess.

A friend of mine asked me to give Cactus Charly a try. The steak tacos were flavorful and tender, with a nice char on the outside. Served on soft corn tortillas and I topped it with the cilantro, onions, and salsa; that we're packed on the side. The portion size was generous for the price. The refried beans were cooked well. The rice could have used a little more salt/ seasoning. However, the star of the night to me was the Fried ice cream. The coating of the crushed corn flakes was spot on. Crispy, crunchy and flavorful. The cinnamon was on point as well!! Every bite was spot on! While fried ice cream is not a traditional Mexican dish, it has become popular in Mexican restaurants in the United States. It is believed to have originated in the United States in the 1890s and has since spread to other parts of the world.

Food is great. Always ready for pickup within an hour or less. I recommend the enchiladas with mole sauce.

We love their fajitas, so fresh, so good we get the special with the steak chicken and shrimp. We are probably here 2 to 3 times a month fresh delicious, Mexican food

Skip the chicken "fingers" and fries... very skimpy and needed to make food for my son.

Every place has a signature dish that makes them stand out, and for Cactus Charly their salsa verde chicken enchiladas hit the spot. For a first timer, that really stood out to me and I would get them again. Their chips and salsa are really good, they're fresh and you get a huge portion.

Great service and food. Hostess was very friendly and got the details of our order correct. Have gone back several times!

I always try mexican chicken soup. This is one is really good. It had lot of good vegetables.

It's OK. 3 Stars. Not my favorite Mexican restaurant, but it is in a nice location in Maplewood Village if you're in the area and want to dine in somewhere.

Maybe it was what we ordered, but the food here didn't seem that authentic to me. On top of that, it was loud with a lot of families who let their kids run around their tables. Lots of better Mexican restaurant choices to try in the area

Do not recommend, first impression means everything, while the service was okay, the appearance of the server who was handling the kitchen and table at the same time was not the most appealing. I ate a little of the food which wasn't very tasty with a yucky feeling in my stomach., and literally got a stomach ache after eating the food.

Everything is great, the food, the service,.... But it could use some lower lighting and a liquor license!!!!

Cactus Charly is an authentic Mexican spot with good food! This place is small and will get busy especially on the weekend. Upon walking in, the host/cashier station is located towards the back (which is like 10 steps LOL) so you would have to walk to them to put your name down and get seated. Warning: There is no room to wait in the restaurant. When I visited, they were doing construction outside so hopefully they have seats. The inside of the restaurant showcased Mexican culture with murals on the wall, tables and chairs. The service was extremely slow since there was only one person taking orders and another person bringing out the orders. What didn't sit well with me is that even when the waiter had down time, he did not go around to the tables to see if they wanted to order anything else or if everything was okay. Catching his attention was difficult when he was running around the restaurant. I think if there was more people working, guests could've gotten in and out and people waiting could've gotten seated faster. I understand the stress of being understaffed so I wasn't hard on him when he did come to the table. The portion sizes are great! I ordered a vegetarian burrito which came with a small salad, rice and beans. Hands down one of the best burritos i've had. It was also my first time having horchata and I fell in love. They serve it in a big cup so you'll have enough for the duration of your time there. You also get free chips and salsa to start out your meal there. This restaurant is also BYOB. I saw a guy order a margarita in which they provided the margarita glass and mix, the guy gave the waiter his tequila and he mixed it right in front of him; pretty cool! MUST KNOW: Now here's the kicker, make sure you read the sign at the front of the door where it says the prices reflected is what you pay in cash. If you pay in card you will be charged a fee. My table found that out AFTER paying. It's pretty hard to see the sign when there was construction in the front and I was trying not to fall over into a ditch. Also, someone in front of us was holding the door to where the sign wasn't visible so I feel like they should have that disclaimer on the menu and before you pay. When the waiter took the payment he should've stated there was a fee on the cards and how much the fee is. Any-who, the food great and the ambiance stunning. I would go back and remember CASH ONLY to avoid having to pay for a card fee.

Service was great, waitress was friendly. I had loaded nachos which was good. I was not impressed by the Tres Leche cake.

Well CC messed up majorly, tried to put in an order at noon on 5/5 for a 6 pick up, but they said they can't do that. Told to call back later and food ready to 45min. So try to call at 5:30, no answer, so put order in thru grub hub, said food ready at 6:30. At 8pm went to CC to tipped the Grub hub person $20 and told her to go, I will take care of order. CC supposing stopped taking orders at 6. There were 20 people outside waiting for orders at 8. It's 8:30, my order is still not been called out. There is someone here been waiting since 5:30. Every time someone comes out they say 5-10 minutes for my order. No apologies

I'm pretty local to the area so I come here often enough and once again I was not disappointed with my meal. I'm glad that this place is still BYOB. Food was good, nice size portions and quick service.

The owner is racist and rude.I would never recommend this one. there are better Mexican restaurants in the area. save your time ,money and dignity. The service was slow, food was salty and all items are charged extra 2$ as COVID surcharge, if you pay by card you are charged extra fees. I don't mind paying extra as we all know the after effects of COVID. But you don't lose a penny to be polite and nice. The owner keep yelling at us and asked us to leave, well we left and never came back.

A busy Saturday night- the place was packed. It's a bring your own tequila and they will make the margarita. Now to the food: Fajita pork - ok Snapper with Mexican spices - better than expected. Margarita- bring your own tequila

Perfectly fine local Mexican spot. Small, seat yourself, byob that on this particular night, had one person working the entire room. Service wasn't bad at all considering this. Food itself was solid, shrimp ceviche and an interesting version shrimp cocktail served in a cocktail sauce were good starters. And the steak fajitas were flavorful enough to prompt a return visit.

Ive been to this place a few times for the experience but now that we are stuck inside i was able to test the food with out the experience. The experience definitely was the savings grave for this plsve. I got the shrimp scallops and mussles special. The dcallops was chewy abd everything tasted fake or generic. Was not fresh or authentic at all. So if you want authentic mexican look elswhere if you just want quick microwave mexican-ish food theres your place

Service practically non existent. Got my order wrong with no apology or offer to fix.Taco salad was literally a green salad in a shell. Would not recommend.

I visited this restaurant recently and was very surprised that their prices on the menu and their website is not what they are currently charging. I brought the price gouging to the attention of the woman at the register and she proceeded to confirm that she sells the items for more that what the menu stated and saw no problem with, I expressed to her that, that's misleading. She then proceeded to throw money in my face and being NASTY! and RUDE!, can you believe this?! I sure couldn't.! I was very upset. No apology nothing. Then she decided not to make my order and return my money. Needless to say I told her I would report her to consumer affairs and I would never return to that restaurant. I am sharing my story so the public can be aware of the price gouging and the disrespectful behavior at this restaurant. Concern Citizen

This is the food I have been missing all my life. The dishes are not the run of the mill Mexican food. I have ordered multiple times and each time my meal has been delicious, authentic and unlike anything I have ever eaten before. I can't wait to try everything on the menu.

First time here and it was really cute! I am a critic for horchata and this wasn't bad. It was really creamy and delish! I just wonder if it was powder or homemade because it had some suds on top. We got tacos, chicken, shrimp, and steak; which were all yummy! The guacamole was probably the most disappointing maybe needed some salt ‍

I was actually leaning more toward "meh" with this review, but I'm in a good mood today. This is a popular family-friendly spot right in Maplewood Village. It's not a big place, maybe 15 tables, with not much atmosphere to speak of, despite the colorful and vibrant culture that is being represented. I know authentic Mexican food and the food here probably qualifies as such, but what it did not qualify as, in my estimation, is overly flavorful. I had three tacos, all of which were pretty bland. The chicken was dry and generally lacking, the carnitas was overcooked and not tender (although did have a little bit of heat, which was a plus), and the shrimp was decent. In retrospect, if I had three of the latter, I probably would have been happier. I'm not trying to hate, but I just really love tacos and these were a disappointment. The rest of the food we ordered was also fair to middling (quesadillas and enchiladas). Nothing was terrible, I was just hoping and expecting more, I guess. The whole experience left me feeling kind of blah. Service was decent, but the place was pretty empty. Prices are ok, but maybe a little on the high side given the quality. I'll probably give them another shot, but overall, my maiden voyage to Cactus Charly was underwhelming.

Cactus is a very traditional mexican food spot. Delicious!! Its now deemed a staple in maplewood village, a small restaurant but every bit worth it. You can order anything and be delighted. Dont miss Cactus if in the area..

Got take out from here tonight. The refried beans tasted that they were rotten. I almost threw up after the first bite. Wife ate hers and is currently throwing up. Do not eat from here.

We know it's Cinco De Mayo. We fully expect you to be overwhelmed with orders, we fully expect to have a very long wait, and yet, guess what? We expect you to be somewhat apologetic if you TWICE forget to actually cook the food that we have been waiting in line over an hour for, and have already paid for. We ESPECIALLY do not expect to be spoken to rudely by the manager and told to "Go Away". Ok done! We will not be back.

So I gave this place another chance despite the service last time. This time our server was much friendlier and more attentive than he was the last time. I still am not sure why the do not have more help. Food was good and came out piping hot. They have redeemed themselves!

Ordered fish tacos for takeout. The absolute worst Mexican food I've ever ordered and I'm a big fan of Mexican food. My tacos were soggy and tasteless. The whole meal was just bad except for the yellow rice. It's hard to mess that up. I'll never be ordering there again.

Regrettably, this was an unpleasant meal. Lunch for three, with an order of guacamole ran over $60. In the middle of summer, neither the lettuce nor the tomato seemed fresh, these items and the entrees had no texture. Moreover, the restaurant was empty when we entered at 1:30 pm yet the host who also acted us our server seemed put off when we entered the restaurant and remained so each time we interacted. Two pluses: the guacamole was tasty as one would expect for the $9 price tag; and the decor is bright and cheery with interesting mural work throughout.

Was looking for a new Mexican restaurant after recently moving to Millburn. We found Cactus Charly & after ordering way too much takeout, I have to say, it was worth every penny!! The stuffed avocado app was incredibly fresh & soo delicious! My favorite dish was the crab enchiladas. But there was no bad dish! They gave 2 bags of chips & a pint of yummy salsa as well! Looking forward to sitting in the actual restaurant & try something new!

I just ordered steak tacos, and it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be based on a 4.2 review. I'm pure Mexican, and this was not good. I'm kind of upset that I wasted 11.50 for 3 tacos that were not good at all. Thr side order of beans were good though.

I've had a lot of Mexican but I really loved the way they served the enchiladas here. Nice layer of cheese and baked so it had a nice toasted layer. Really satisfying and affordable. A very small spot but got lucky with seating with no wait. Would love to come back.

Fresh ingredients and super cute decor. Never would have thought that Maplewood would become home to such a solid authentic Mexican restaurant. The guacamole and frijoles refritos (which come with corn tortillas) are delicious appetizers. Recommendations: Mexican burrito, chorizo tacos, aguacate relleno, and Mexican salad.

Definitely returning...chorizo tacos were great!

One word! The food is So gooooood!!!!! I would never say such thing on my second review of the same place. As always you have to try it to believe it. #happyeating.

Cactus Charleys was a lovely experience. I got the shrimp fajitas which were delicious. It came with rice, beans, and guacamole which was more than enough food. Salsa and chips could have been better; I just like my salsa chunkier. I was also able to eat in a large group which many other restraints in the are could not accommodate!

Not impressed! Cute little restaurant in downtown Maplewood. Great decor, and authentic feel. However, service was super slow. Waiter brought me chicken enchiladas instead of burrito. Since the food took so long to produce I didn't want to get the issue fixed fearing waiting another 15 minutes.

Was recommeded this restaurant by a friend. This place is amazing. I def recommend this to everyone. :)

have done lots of take out with teens. lots of money spent at cactus charly over the years. dining in -- one.. i have never been to a Mexican restaurant that when you ask for more salsa for your food, they tell you it's an extra $2 charge..... i also thought i'd use restaurants.com and buy some vouchers -- bought a few $5 vouchers to use - there were no restrictions printed on the certificate. went on a weekend and was told i couldn't use it, after the bill came.. disappointed... went again, a weekday.. showed them the app... and was told that you had to present a hard copy of certificate.... who prints anything anymore?! disappointed.. needless to say overall: unpleasant service... food is so so & overpriced

Best mexican food in north jersey. Menu has lots of choices, and I have never had a bad meal. Tastes and feels more like authentic mexican than your standard tex-mex. They do a great job and we are and will be regulars.

Excellent chicken chimichangas. Delivery was quick. There were some issues with incorrect charging; however, that was rectified immediately. Highly recommend.

Came here on a Sunday and it was not to busy. It's on the small side and not on the main street in the village where all the restaurants are located. Loved the wall art, especially the sombrero. Went well with the vibe of the place. It's a long menu which always makes me nervous. I ordered the fish tacos. The priciest thing on the menu after the Carne al Carbon. I was expecting the fish to be fried but it wasn't. It appeared to have been stewed. The fish was delicious if you ignored the chunk of garlic (or not if you are a garlic fan) but it made for a very soggy taco. My daughter got fries (it was a LOT) because that's all any 4 year old will eat. My bill was very reasonable. Overall, I don't have any complaints. I will most likely return but will not be getting the fish taco. Service was great, which is another reason to return.

We had the combo which included an enchilada, chili relleno, and taco. The taco became soggy from the enchilada sauce, so it wasn't very good. The refried beans were burnt and hard. The relleno was decent but nothing to brag about. The burrito was mediocre. The beef tasted more like pork than beef. The burrito itself was not rolled correctly and fell apart.

This was an interesting experience. First of all, it's a smaller restaurant, maybe 13 tables and some outside seating. We sat inside, the tables outside were full. They sat us next to the kitchen, and next to a floor model air conditioner. For some reason, this AC unit spit out water which rained down upon my party and myself. Eventually we had to ask to sit at another table. Their only seemed to be two waiters, and they seemed a little frazzled. I don't k is if there was an issue with the kitchen, but we waited a while for our food, and when we inquired, we were brought out another tables meal. Luckily we didn't start eating until things were settled. We started with Queso Fundito (I think), and we weren't sure what to expect. It was a plate of melted cheeses with some chorizo and other things and four tortillas. It tasted good, but it at the end of the day it way a cheese tortilla with a slight chorizo flavor. For dinner I had Enchiladas with the Mole Poblano sauce. These were really good. My companions had the Enchiladas Ranchero and the Burrito. The burrito was enormous. Both of them them enjoyed their meals.