Joe L.
Yelp
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.