Fresh Food. Fresh Drinks.
Our team had a *muy bien* time dining at Cactus Modern Mexican & Cantina by Venue (www.cactusmmc.com)! The family-oriented, modern Mexican restaurant just celebrated its one-year anniversary in Lincoln. After visiting, it’s easy to see why it’s become such a popular spot for drinks, appetizers, or a yummy meal. Before getting to any main dishes, we treated ourselves to some drinks and of course, chips and dip!
For the drinks, our server recommended a few great options for sharing. We got a pitcher of the Prickly Pear Margarita which came out in a large glass beaker and each of us were given a cup with the option of salt, lime salt, fire salt, or sugar around the rim. This is a good margarita for people who don’t want something that is super sweet but still flavorful. We also got one of their fishbowl-style Cactus Margarita Pitchers…talk about Instagrammable! The H20-Melon flavor was fruity and sweet, and our group enjoyed being able to easily share across the table with the large colorful straws.
We highly recommend ordering the Hot Mess which is a delicious blend of sauces and ingredients, including seasoned beef, the chef’s queso—made with asadero and Monterey Jack finished with fire roasted poblano—and guacamole, perfect for dipping their warm, fresh house corn tortilla chips in! Note: It’s not called the Hot Mess because it’s spicy; it’s actually pretty mild. The name comes from how the dip starts to look after stirring all the ingredients together in the bowl!
The next bites we took were into the Crab and Cream Cheese Taquitos and the Barbacoa and Cream Cheese Taquitos. The house-made lump crab taquitos were very fresh. Our group especially loved the barbacoa taquitos because of how juicy and tender the meat was, and they just had that authentic taquito taste you know and love. Plus, the smoky ranch that came with the barbacoa really highlighted the flavors.
With all of our senses tingling at this point, we moved on to the Fried Taco Enchiladas. These were something else! Highly recommend. One of us noted that they kind of tasted like a grilled cheese and a taco had a baby. They are made by taking the tortilla, dipping it in enchilada sauce, and frying it with the toppings inside—the true authentic way. Tip: Sprinkle some green pepper Cholula sauce on top of these for an extra desirable taste.
Cactus has some awesome, reasonably priced combo options for taco platters. We got the Surf and Turf, which came with Carne Asada and Baja Fish tacos. It also came with sides of rice, beans, and fire-roasted corn. Our group loved being able to dish up our own servings on our plates.
Finally, if you’re not in a food coma by this time, don’t overlook the mouthwatering dessert items on the menu. Our group shared the Dulce De Leche Cheesecake, Mexican Chocolate Cake, and Tres Leches Cake. They were all perfectly made, but we really liked the hints of cinnamon in the Mexican Chocolate Cake and the Tres Leches Cake quenched the sweet tooth in all of us.
Muchas gracias Cactus for a wonderful Taco Tuesday. (We did actually happen to go on a Tuesday, but they have amazing specials every day of the week!) Our hope is that all of our readers get to experience the freshness that Cactus ~literally~ brings to the table in every drink and food item on their menu.
