Cactus Taqueria

Decent place. Interior was clean. Clean rest room. Pretty standard Mexican food in terms of selection and taste. Some salsas were well done. They provides additional ones when we asked. Sides were a bit pricey I thought.

Disappointed is the best way to describe it, used to be great back in the day. But now, $16 for a burrito? Price alone is insane, yet on top of that, it’s really not even that good, zero flavor and very bland overall. Wouldn’t go back

This place has delicious food and quick counter service. The drink dispenser has flat and sparkling water. Definitely our go-to place for Mexican food while in Rockridge.

My first really bad experience in 25 years: I ordered chile relleno with carne asada and two simple quesadillas. My relleno had NO CARNE ASADA, abundant rice and maybe 3 tbsps of refried beans ~ It also took about 30 minutes from pickup to delivery (distance one mile). I won’t do this again.

The steak tacos are so good here. Crunchy and filled with a lot of romaine lettuce. Just nd to eat it carefully because your food will begin to fall out from the other end of the other side of the taco. I've noticed the prices have risen, but it is still very reasonable. There is usually a line to order your food. After ordering, go toward the pick up area to get complimentary salsa and water and utensils. The place is constantly being bussed by a designated person. Lots of families eat here. I would definitely go here in the future.

I go here a little too often. Very reasonably priced, lots of vegetarian options, their crispy tacos and enchiladas as particularly good. And the service is very friendly and cheerful.

Food is decent but way over priced and everyone that works there seems to be bothered whenever you have to ask for things. The tacos are good enough but $50 for 2 soft tacos with shrimp that looks like it came out of a can, a generic salad with chicken & avocado and a bowl of lentil soup is pretty ridiculous. There's far far better Mexican food to be had at a fraction of the price. Would not recommend.

Good food in affordable price. They use disposable plastic unfortunately which is a HUGE minus for any business, no option to get your drink not in disposable cup.

We've been coming here for ages so we have a soft spot for this place. Though we no longer live close I came by today to pick up lunch for the fam. Parking is street parking which is not easy to find. Plenty of tables if you want to dine in. Food is good and there are also drinks and desserts to accompany should you so desire. Take out can be a bit of a wait.

East bay burrito review #53 Initial taste - 4/7 Meat - 5/7 Beans - 4/7 Rice - 3/7 Cheese - 4/7 Tortilla - 3/7 Salsa - 3/7 Overall - 4/7 rounded up. Not great texture. Tortilla was on the sticky side. The rice is probably best left off the burrito entirely. Steak was pretty good.

New menu is awful. In addition to higher prices and smaller portions, they've made it impossible to feed my kids there. Rice and beans can't be ordered separately now, only mixed in the same container. Their "bocaditos" small bites enchiladas now inexplicably come covered in jalapenos, and there's no option to avoid them. The adult food has had quality reductions too. This used to be a place I could happily feed the whole family at, but now I just have to accept that the restaurant we used to love essentially closed.

Cactus used to be the default goto comfort spot for me and my kids over the last decade. Just like several others reviewers, I am finding a big issue with the new menu in that it doesn't appear to add any star item and downgrades most existing dishes. Mejor Burritos used to feed me and had decent amount of basics including lettuce and cheese. In the new version everything is designed as an add-on including what feels like salsa fresca, and the base price is higher. The new tostada has a strange new sauce and pickled onions that just don't go together. Even rice and beans burrito kids don't recognize as the same. Please bring back the old menu, adjust prices if you have to, but at least make dishes delicious without having to figure out add-ons.

I really dislike being upset with food that is served to me in a restaurant so I often try my best to not be picky but with the nachos of this place it was incredibly hard. Gosh! It was a joke. I wonder if I was being recorded to see my reaction. A $16 plate of nachos (plus extra for guacamole and sour cream) looking like this?! It even had carrots on the nachos but guacamole, sour cream and pico de galo somehow weren't part of the ingredients. Better to take out of the menu you guys. This is a dish I often get in other places so this one was the top of the top in how horrible it was in everything. To be fair, the tacos that my husband got were pretty good.

Consistently great crispy chicken tacos for the 10 or so years I've been coming here. Thank you Cactus!

Tasty crunchy tacos. Salsa could be a bit tastier/spicy other than that the taco are a goto with guacamole added to the taco as a standard.

This place is price gouging!!!! Tell me why a fish taco costs $12 but a burrito costs $14!?? And this is the most non- Mexican food I've ever had!! The burrito was pathetic it was as thin as a cigarette!! And they really tried it with this fake Mexican food and their ridiculously high prices! Never again!!!! You are better off eating at the taco truck in East Oakland at least you will have cheaper prices with more flavor. Buyer beware!!!

Great location on the corner of college avenue by the bart, mediocre service, average quality of food. It's definitely a solid option if you're looking for convenient and safe mexican food.

mid AF now... The only thing that was ever good was the crispy shrimp tacos but you HAD to get the pinapple salsa otherwise it wasnt it. Now they charge $2 for salsa.. at a mexican restaurant.. What are tacos without salsa?? They also charge $2 for pickled jalapeños which is weak. At 7:45 they started shouting "we want to go home" in english and shortly after started yelling it in spanish. Used to love this place but there are way better places around Oakland.

Cactus Taqueria does not miss! It's tough to find parking right in front, as the Rockridge Bart Station is right across the street, and many of the surrounding businesses are thriving. The line is sometimes out the door, but ALWAYS moves very fast! The customer service is amazing, and the food tastes great. When you come to Oakland, a visit here is mandatory. My recommendations: 1. Burrito Mejor - Carne Asada & Shrimp Mix 2. Crunchy Tacos (available in 3s) 3. Watermelon Fresca Enjoy!

I used to come to cactus once a week for 23 years over the past 2 years the burritos have had no flavor no spices The tamales I used to order at Christmas for friends and family are dry with hardly any meat or cheese inside for the price. Salsa bar was great but they stopped having many varieties after COVID

MISSING ITEMS! Is it that hard to check the order before handing it to a customer?! This is the third time I have ordered food from Cactus where something is missing from the order. After the second time, I swore I'd never eat here again. tbh, the food is average...super plain "Mexican" food, and expensive for what it is. My kid begged me for the crispy chicken tacos and so I reluctantly ordered dinner again from them after a two year hiatus. I should have gone in to check the order myself but I didn't. Yep, missing a burrito. AGAIN. I'm done. The worst part is they said they can't refund my credit card because it was an online DD order through their site (not DD app). I was offered a gift card. F this business. The only thing they have going for them is their location.

I'm so confused that you can do grilled veggies on everything else on the menu EXCEPT for crispy taco. Por que? It's super stupid and you should take grilled veggies off all together. Everyone loves a crispy taco and to have a cook that is willing but a cashier that says no speaks volumes. No wonder the business here has declined in recent years. Tostada, soft taco, burrito, quesadilla all good but crispy taco, no? Was it too popular and if so doesn't that say something??? Welp last time I come here! And y'all messed up our orders to the point of us leaving all together

They don't provide any salsa on their deliveries. No option to request it online. And they skimp on cheese on all things like burritos, etc. Go elsewhere !

I have been there a few times lately and I always order the same, food to go. Chicken burrito, no rice, black beans, veggies, sour cream and guacamole. They are incapable of putting together this order. I get home with my burrito and there is always something missing. Today, I asked my wife to get it for me and once again, no sour cream, no guacamole and a tinny portion of chicken for $12.95. I quit, I am not going back again. The amount of negligence is just unbelievable.

The only taqueria I know of on this side of the bridge to have hormone-free meat and so the only taqueria I frequented all through the pandemic, and now. I've noticed the portion size decrease, as some recent reviews have mentioned, but as I won't eat any other quality of meat I'm still a huge fan.

I love this place! I'm picky with Mexican food, but everything I've had here has been great so far! The flavor of all the food and quality has always been good. Good menu selection. And they are very quick to get your order out and have never messed up my orders. The taco was bigger than most tacos... if you want something lighter or aren't super hungry one is enough, and if you're on the hungry side I would order 2, but it does come with chips. The burrito was the perfect size and the meat quality is juicy and fresh. I like their pinto beans. When you pick up your order ask for their extra salsas next to pick up... there's 3 different kinds and they're all great. You order at the counter and they work on your order and there's plenty of seating. Someone comes quickly to clean your tray and plates quickly after you're done.

So apparently they now charge for pico de gallo, which is just lame. And I think their burritos are so-so. However, just made a find -- bean nachos are $11 and are enough to feed two. The chips are thick and stay crispy, and they put ample cheese and beans and it's tasty! Oh and please train the staff working the food line -- so much attitude!

I am still not a fan of the new menu but they have a special of veggie crispy tacos and they are yummy -- expensive but yummy.

5 stars for their crispy tacos. Doesn't matter which protein you pick, they're all good. Get the crispy tacos, a side of crema, and ask for their habanero salsa. Make sure you eat them there for the best results. You can thank me later.

Cactus remains one of our favorite places for tasty, healthy mexican. We always check their specials to see what they may have in addition to the regular menu (flautas are my favorite). Although they finally raised their prices some this past year (after keeping them low through the pandemic! - thank you!), this is still a reasonably priced place to eat. We tend to get take-out. The acoustics inside are a bit loud, especially as this is a family-friendly place.

This was once a 'go to' taqueria. But no more. They switched out their recipies that kept families coming here for the past two decades. Now the food tastes terrible, possesses none of the elements that made it once great. Take a hard pass on this once great restaurant and go somewhere else where the food tastes good.

Eh, they're really not trying very hard here. They don't have to because of their location and overall lack of Mexican food on College Ave. Do yourself a favor and walk a few extra blocks to La Esquinita. You'll spend the same amount of money and the food is just way, way better.

They took the crispy veggie tacos off the menu and it's a literal actual tragedy. I've been coming to this restaurant for 15 years for these tacos, but without them I won't be coming back.

Crispy tacos are the best! My family will make the trip just for this menu item. Line moves quickly.

I would normally give Cactus 5 stars. Heck, I would've given them 6 if I could! But they just redid their menu and they've gotten rid of the Nachitos. The horror!! Cactus has been one of my favorites for around 20 years now, and Crispy Chicken Tacos and a side of Nachitos was hands down one of the best meals ever! If you've never had the Nachitos, they're just a plate of tortilla chips with a ton of melted cheese on top, toasted to perfection. It's simple, but man are they delicious! My whole family loves them, and we all get our own orders because nobody is willing to share. But now they're gone, and we're devastated. I will still give Cactus 4 stars because their Crispy Chicken Tacos are amazing, but this wrong must be set right. Cactus, I will amend my review in a heartbeat and give you the full 5 stars you should be getting if you just bring back our beloved Nachitos! Please, we're begging you!!!

New menu, New ownership. Low quality and small portions. Won't return--super disappointing given a 20 plus run with them, starting with their original location down college ave.

7/6/23 Seems to be a solid place to fulfill your #MexicanFastFood cravings at relatively "cheap" prices, for your voracious American-sized appetites. One good thing that I appreciate is that most cheaper restaurants don't grill their carne asada, nor do they even use quality beef "steak". Well, I'm happy to say this is one of those rare places that do carne asada taco/burrito filling right. Nothing pisses me off more than finding braised/stewed beef in my "carne asada" burrito. 1. Crispy Tacos, Grilled Steak $9.55: Ah, tacos like my childhood, you know, the not-legit hard shell ones. I love that they fill these things up with plenty of meat and cheese, and even some guac. As mentioned, this is grilled steak, not some braised bullcrap. Okay, yeah, it's not medium rare, or even medium well, but hey, it's still legit unlike most other places. 9/10 1a. I think they accidentally gave us a 3rd taco--shrimp even! It was great--smallish but not tiny shrimp, and again plenty of them. Plump. Lots of filling. 9/10 2. Fish Taco $9.55: This is the one item I'd HIGHLY suggest not to get. I don't understand it at all. When I opened the box I was like what's this--a fish salad? I see pan fried fish cuts, with crap tons of white sauce over what I think are beans and rice. Like...... an open burrito stuffing on small taco tortillas??? There's not really any way to eat this properly, other than with a fork/spoon. No way in hell you can pick this up. It's pretty lame. Also, the fish is alright, but overcooked. But luckily whatever kind of fish it is (tilapia?) even overcooked it's edible. 2/10 3. Chile Relleno $10.95: It's a pretty standard relleno, and it comes with beans, rice, and lettuce/salad. 5/10 4. Mejor [their spelling] Burrito, Carnitas $10.95: Your typical (quite large, 2 meals worth) burrito but with good carnitas. I'm not sure if they were fried or braised, but sorta tasted like a hybrid. And yeah, it's stuffed to the brim. 8/10 5. Black Beans Side $2.55: Cooked well, but otherwise nothing of note. 5/10 6. Chips: Not freshly fried. Some kind of store-bought. 3/10 I think if you want to #DoorDash your Mexican fast food, this is a great choice. 5/5 #fastfood #oakland #mexicanfood #mexicancuisine #grilledcarneasada #carneasadaburrito #carneasadatacos

I had a really bad experience at cactus today. I ordered guacamole a Carne Asada super burrito and a three cheese Super burrito. When I went to eat them later I found out they were cilantro and every single burrito. I hate and I know about half the population doesn't like it very much either. So why wasn't it disclosed that it was gonna be in my burrito or my cheese burrito. Upon complaint the woman was not very nice but did offer to replace the burritos. I went down and picked up the burritos and later after going to eat them I discovered that they were exactly the same as what I ordered before with cilantro in every part of the burrito. It was a horrible experience and I will not be going back

Cactus has always been our go to place on Wednesdays. Food was always consistently good and prices were consistently low. Post pandemic their prices keep going up and up while their quality keeps going down and down. Not only that, but the salsa bar has all but disappeared. Now, they only allow you two small vial of salsa, one green and one red salsa. Also, they used to give me a solid pile of chips with a burrito, and now I can count the chips on one hand, sad. Not a very happy customer!

The best crispy tacos ever! My favorite is the chicken. I rarely try anything else because they really are the best and can't leave with out getting them. I love how fresh everything is and packed full of flavor. They also use the best lettuce on top(it is never wimpy). The employees are always nice and constantly keeping it clean. I have been coming here for years and never disappoints. I highly recommend and the chicken crispy tacos are a must!

Fed my son from age 2-15. He never turns cactus down. A favorite of many families. Bring back the red mole chicken!

This is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants to go to. I haven't been here since the pandemic but I am glad they are still here serving delicious food. They used to have a salsa bar with a variety of salsa choices but due to the pandemic, they have cut it down to 3 salsa flavors (salsa verde, habanero, and a pineapple flavor one) that are given at the counter. Atmosphere: Large opened space with many seating. They have both indoor and outdoor dining. It is fairly clean. Service: Staff was friendly. Quick and efficient Food: My friend and I ordered the Rancheras Chicken with Chipotle Chiles Enchiladas. It came with rice and beans. I thought dish was okay because the enchiladas were lacking some flavor. I added some of the salsa to give it more taste. I am not vegetarian but I prefer the Grilled Vegetable Enchilada over the Rancheras Chicken. We also ordered the Steak Plate that came with beans, rice, salsa, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guac and 3 tortillas. This is one of my favorite items on the menu. Every time I come here, I order the Chicken plate and I loved it. However, this time, I wanted to try the steak. The steak was tender, juicy and very flavorful! I'm glad I changed it up this time. I think the plates are worth it for its price. They give a good amount of food and they taste pretty good! We also got a side of chips for $1! I love to eat it with the toppings on the Plate and salsa! Lastly, we ordered the Strawberry Agua Fresca! This was my favorite drink there! It was refreshing! It's delicious and it was much needed to quench my thirst! Overall, I recommend coming here if you are in the Rockridge area. The service is great. The food is delicious and worth it for its price. I really miss the salsa bar but the 3 salsa choices they currently have are still pretty good.

Used to be ok now miserable cold burritos , workers do not know how to wrap burrito more than 10 + I experienced my burrito fillings dropped from the cold tortilla that they feed people , they are being too too lazy to give them nice and warm tortilla atleast , so unpleasant and horrible food Cactus Taqueria Oakland and Berkeley have now and serving people , what a shame serving this type bad food now in a Mexican Taquria that used to be East Bay favorite

Loved to be back! Tonight tried the shrimp taco and friend tried the grilled veggie taco. Size is just enough. Vibe is so different from how it used to be back pre-covid. Best to park across the Bart parking.

The crispy tacos was very good, so was the rice and chips. The chips kinda taste like quinoa chips, which I personally like, but they weren't like typical tortilla chips. The tacos comes with a brownish sauce that's kinda smoky. I didn't like it and didn't put it on all of my tacos.

I used to love Cactus's crispy tacos, but lately they've been pretty tasteless and drowning in guacamole. This place has gone downhill, I won't be coming back.

This place many moons ago used to be decent, at least toddler good. The last few years, there has been absolutely no flavor, just down right bland, and they always mess up the order. I ordered a chicked mejor burrito and there was no chicken in it, ordered steak crispy tacos another time, no steak inside, this is an ongoing theme. I'm just one customer, imagine all the other Cactus Taqueria orders roaming Oakland in despair. I truly want to like this place and have been a loyal customer for so many years, I just can no longer make this commitment work out.

The food is so fresh and well seasoned. The crispy streak tacos are like no other, the sauces combine well with the steak and the crunchy shell. Service is astounding, they have the kindest people on staff ensuring you get your food quickly and easily. Ambiance is amazing. Everyone here was friendly, they had music playing in the back and it's self seating!

Visited this restaurant on a Tuesday evening to satisfy my craving for Mexican food, and I left feeling more than satisfied! Indoor dining is open, and there's an option for outdoor seating (but patio dining closes an hour before closing time). The inside dining area is rather spacious, with plenty of spaced-out tables and chairs for guests to sit and enjoy the food. We ordered chicken & anaheim chiles enchiladas and a 3-piece order of grilled chicken crispy tacos. I checked Yelp before ordering, and many recommended ordering the crispy tacos -- after tasting it, I understand why everyone was raving about them. The tacos were the perfectly crispy and scrumptious, and the grilled chicken was marinated to perfection. The guacamole was generous as well! The enchiladas were just as delicious. The cheese complimented each flavor well, and the rice and beans were extremely flavorful. I definitely recommend checking this place out -- if you stop by, order the crispy tacos!!!!

I used to love this place. Maybe it's just in a lull right now, or it just can get so much consistent business by virtue of location. Today's meal was such a disappointment. The last few times there have also been pretty bad. The fish tostada legit had still frozen pieces of fish on it. One of the burritos was almost all cilantro and mealy tomatoes, when it was supposed to be only beans and cheese. The tops of the to go containers were all wiped with greasy hand prints and tossed in the bag like they themselves were throwing it away.

I ordered a mejor burrito, beans and cheese, with whole wheat tortilla, online; there were no charges for the modifications and it was $8.95 before tax and tip. It was ready for pick up on time and came with some chips. The burrito is a pretty decent size for the price, and tasted good, so it's a solid option if you're vegetarian.

I stop here after work once in awhile and I like some things, like the empanadas with mole and the crispy chicken tacos. This is definitely CalMex food, not authentic Mexican food. That means it's a lot more bland than it should be, but probably perfect for the neighborhood it is in. The service people are mostly nice but it can be really slow getting your food. Like thirty minutes for two tacos even when it's not busy. And they don't like you to ask where your food is, they won't even check. It is clean and the restaurant is bright and light filled, which counts for a lot. Their aguas frescas are very good. For their prices, they should definitely serve better corn tortillas and better tortilla chips, not the cardboard like ones.

Crunchy Chicken tacos. Lots of them! The wedding cookies and tres leches cake there are bomb too. It really all I want is tacos. I had them with carne asada and shrimp too but I really love the chicken crispy tacos. They have melted cheese, grilled chicken, salsa, guacamole, and shredded lettuce. Crazy good with a cerveza.

We went here a week ago and it was very disappointing. Two fish tacos with about 3 small chunks of fish each, a teaspoon of rice, a few hard chips, some beans and slaw (?). New menu, higher prices, less food. Darn.

It's time to say goodbye after at least 15 years feeding me and my pals, then my wife, and most recently my two kids, who are basically teenagers. Recently ordered burritos for them, tacos for me, to go. When we unpacked our food at home, my wife asked if I accidentally ordered off the kids menu. The burritos were so small, I was shocked. My daughter, a huge fan, was extremely disappointed. All that for $60. No thank you. Goodbye Cactus.

This is one of the most affordable and delicious place to eat in this area. I ordered the chicken plate and it was enough for two people to share. I recommend asking for their different sauces when you pick up the food. This plate was under $15 and came with 3-4 tortillas.

Prices are now literally insane for the amount of food. They increased prices by a ton and reduced portions of almost everything. Makes me sad. As always, wished they served better chips. Miss the salsa bar, now have to pay for basic chips and salsa (up to $10!!), they took away a ton of salsa options too and the little cups of salsa & guacamole are the size you would get for free anywhere else. If you are gonna charge an Astronomical price for salsa - please give more than 2tbsp. I think the food is decent, but the price makes me want to go anywhere else but here now - a total bummer.