Cactus

Ridiculously overpriced. The food was good but definitely not for the price. Was offered chips and salsa and gauc when we first sat down and we said yes. Opened up our menu to find out the chips, salsa and gauc was $ 16 – 18!!! What?!? All of the salsas were disgusting and I could whip up a batch of guacamole in under 2 minutes that would taste better than that. The service was good and the place was clean. I just would never come back because of the price tags.

I’ve been here 3xs now, the first time I came here I would’ve given the place 4 stars. But each subsequent time I’ve come back I’ve left disappointed and shaved a star off. Their craft drinks have always been good, but not strong enough to numb the section of my brain that senses whether or not I’m enjoying my meal. The first visit I went with the Clam Bake, which was so good I couldn’t wait to come back and try what else Cactus has on their menu. Visit 2, got the Duck Carnitas, which to this day, maybe the worst thing I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant. I think the death the duck was dealt was by way of electrocution, not the slow roasted finishing expected when you see ‘Carnitas’ attached to a menu item. It tasted as if the duck was microwaved for 30 mins on the ‘face melting high’ setting, then put under a heat lamp over night to keep it warm; the bourbon hibiscus cocktail I had with it was solid though! On to visit 3, went with the Puerco which was supposed to be a take on Puerco pibil, however it came out sliced which was odd, the pork was ‘meh’ at best, and whatever the hell it was that they put on top of the sliced pork appeared to be a mix of cat vomit and mushrooms with a cumin dusting. This was also the night we were introduced to the ‘Leeward Winds’, which wafts a tasty odor of stagnant water and hobo feces directly at the Cacti outdoor seating. This would’ve made for a less than enjoyable experience even if I was just belting down their low grade tequila. Either way, utter disappointment. The jalapeño cucumber margarita was on point!
Be ware:
Duck carnitas, avoid at all costs
Puerco, avoid at all costs
Make sure you check the winds if you’re sitting outside, if they’re blowing AT the restaurant, sit inside or you’ll be smelling hobo excrement and sulfur-​raw sewage your whole meal, no joke.
Side note, the service is always good!

Came with friends New Year’s Eve for lunch and had the cheese and mushroom dip– ok but not spectacular. Chips and Guac are good. Love the salsa trio. The sweet potato fries are great and the swirl Margarita is outstanding. Coming back for dinner and the swirl!

This place was amazing! Great asado tacos, great special salad and the croquettas as well. We would eat here often if convenient.

My husband and I have always had solid lunch experiences at Cactus (attentive wait staff, delicious sandwiches and drinks), so our disappointing dinner came as a surprise — and slight sticker shock.
Lots of diners were out on a Monday when we went, and we understand that it may have been an off night, but the service was inexcusably poor. Our waiter failed to introduce himself or offer any sort of greeting. Our orders were taken after quite a bit of time had lapsed, and after diners who had been seated after us. My husband’s promised steak knife failed to appear, and for a $ 40 special entrée, we really expected more bang for our buck (at that price point, we are veering into Nice Steakhouse Range). I also couldn’t help but feel that tourists and an older set get the edge here. It may be my emotional pregnancy hormones partially at work here, but I don’t require special treatment, just something like fairness.
(I should say that the busser was on the ball, however! He deserves a gold star.)
We will be back because the food is tasty and offers something different — and there are only so many restaurants to go between in Kailua! Hopefully next time the dinner service will be on par with its lunch service. And note to self: inquire about the specials to avoid sticker shock (prices are not listed)!

I dined here for dinner following the recommendation of a local who knows the area well. I would return to dine again if im on the windward side. Slightly pricey, but not absurd.
Food: some was quite flavorful and well presented. Adequate portion size. Fresh and clean. I had the risotto and highly recommend it. We also had a sliced steak that was very slightly overcooked, and perhaps slightly below average.
Service: happy and prompt. Lots of laughing and smiling by the wait staff, creates a happy environment for patrons.
Venue: good location, parking easy. The table layout is fairly open and exposed, rather than cozy or private tables.
Families with kids were there, but due to the open and noise-​amplifying layout, consider leaving the young kids with a sitter.

This is my favorite restaurant in Kailua hands down. The menu is unique and the flavors are always outstanding. My favorites are the ceviche, peppers, and salad special. I like that ingredients are local and that the menu changes based on what’s fresh and available on island. I’m not really into frozen drinks but I make an exception for their sangria, it is delicious. Service is great but when they have a full house keep in mind the food is worth the wait.

Went to Cactus despite the hot and cold reviews and I’m so glad we did! Frozen sangria was amazing. Queso fundido was just ok, probably wouldn’t get it again. Our entrees (pork shoulder and chicken chilena) were well-​flavored and very fresh tasting! Be sure to make a reservation. We will be back!

I gave this place a second chance, but it didn’t work out. We ordered our food and before the waiter left she offered guacamole. I asked, «like chips and salsa?» She said yes, so my assumption was that they were complimentary. I only realized and asked when they brought the dish to find out they were $ 11. When I asked that, I said «I thought they were complimentary like at other Mexican restaurants.» The waiter seemed offended at this seemed to argue that they are not a Mexican restaurant. Ok sorry, maybe it’s Latin. All I wanted to tell her was that I felt deceived into getting the dish. She offered to take it back, but I said no, I was hungry after all.
Well these $ 11 chips were oily, salty and a bit stale. The guacamole was a bit brown.
I ordered the kabotcha enchiladas for $ 18. When it came, it looked like a stack of pancakes covered in brown gravy. Tasted like 4 corn tortillas, with cheese in between and some terrible mole sauce. Just kinda disappointing for the price.
Atmosphere was nice, hostess and most of the wait staff were friendly. In the end, food just wasn’t worth the price. Kalapawai is in the same price range across the street and tastes much better!

This place is really yummy. Must try Croquetas. And «Queso» Fries. Day boat fish roasted in banana leaves takes 25 min to make but it worth it.
One star down for service.

Would definitely recommend it!
We were a party of four. I had the veggie risotto with goat cheese mousse (it was fantastic!), my friends had fish (wrapped in banana leaf), salad and steak. We tried a few different Tequilas from the bar and had margaritas. Everyone enjoyed their food a lot!
Overall, the food and the service were amazing! Their food is local and very fresh.
I saw they were only rated 3 ½ stars on Unilocal so I never went there to eat, except one day we decided to get drinks only and turns out they have a new owner who is also the chef and he is very passionate about support local ingredients.
Love this place!

I missed any sign that this place wasn’t mexican and is «latin» food. I think it’s best described as fruh-​fruh mexican fusion with a lot of great ideas that just don’t work.
Outside dinning smells like sewer (no exaggeration)
Was over charged for our meal
Waitress made serveral mistakes and missed delivering drinks, didn’t give us water refills either, took forks away after apps and didn’t replace with meal, didn’t fix problems and make us feel good about the experience.
This place tries too hard, food presentation looks good, taste lacks, set up bad, service very bad, price too high.

Got the «big island mushroom» enchilada. Was mostly over fried corn tortilla and cheese, barely actually any veggies inside and nothing on top to garnish or on the side.
Bad service. Rude. Not genuine. Over priced. Food isn’t good. Clearly didn’t like my food because it was barely eaten and they didn’t even ask. Guava margarita was good.

Attended this restaurant for Father’s Day with my hubby and son and really enjoyed. My hubby wanted to sit at the chefs table — for anyone interested in watching the chef cook. But it was already reserved — so make sure you makena reservation! We ended up sitting outside which was lovely to sit and relax and look at the sky and the majestic mountains and clouds. Very beautiful — just note that it is right at the street corner so if younare picky about roadside noise I would suggest sitting inside.
All of the staff we came across were extremely sweet and offered great service. I had the Seafood inspiration along with the chili sweet potatoe fries. J enjoyed the Salmon and the black rice and husband was a big fan of their duck. I would recommend either but definitely give the fries a try if you love sweet potatoes. I didnt try it this time but I keep hearing rave reviews about the fry bread so if you go definitely dont leave without getting some!

Was over in Kailua looking for a lunch spot and decided to check out Cactus. I was super stoked when I checked out the menu. Croquetas, empanadas, cubanos, tostones… but once my food came I was pretty disappointed. The tostones were not crispy at all and the «chipotle crema» was haphazardly squirted on top. My cubano was just okay. It definitely wasn’t a cubano. Tomato, avocado and carrots? They also gave me the butt of a tomato.
Bummer, I love Latin American food. This place has potential but could definitely use some work. And the prices were a little too high.

One day I decided to get my mom out of her daily routine and parent-​nap her after work. I picked her up and drove out to Kailua for a beach walk and asked her what she wanted for dinner. We go to Kailua for breakfast all the time but were stumped for dinner options. Of course, we turned to Unilocal and found Cactus!
We chose Cactus because the menu had choices that were different from anywhere else in Hawaii. We ordered something that sounded like caprese, the croquettes, the fish wrapped in banana leaf, the clam bake, and the banana empanadas. I had some kind of specialty non alcoholic drink I really enjoyed but can’t remember what it was. We really liked the dessert, the clam bake, and the croquettes but everything else was just okay. My entrée (the banana leaf wrapped fish) was kind of dry and I ended up eating a lot of my moms clam bake.
Contrary to the other reviews, our server was very polite and attentive. I definitely would come back again to try some of their other items.

Amazing presentation and tastes. Attentive service.
Appetizers:
We had the guacamole and homemade chips. You will find it hard to stop eating the chips – they are perfect; guacamole is rich and the perfect blend of creamy and chunky.
Dinner:
Steak and Mushroom Tacos:
TDF!!! The steak was melt in your mouth, and the mushrooms were incredibly seasoned with hints of things that taste familiar, but that you’ve never had in that combination. Rice was delicious!
Chicken Chilena:
Potato-​crusted chicken with papaya slaw on a bed of black beans and quinoa. Subtle, nuanced flavors – this dish will sneak up on you. Arrive hungry: it’s deceptively large. (In the good way)
Dessert:
Pineapple Upside-​Down Cake
Homemade caramel sauce. My grandmother would’ve been forced to say it was DELICIOUS. (High praise coming from an expert in the kitchen)
CACTUS is an uncommon experience in a sea of sameness.

Well this is funky. Came with the family and one of the problems was we were expecting Mexican but discovered it was more South American or Latin cuisine. I wish I knew Latin so I could better read the menu… da-​dum-​chi!
My family has explored the Southern Americas (without me of course) so they knew more about what was going on than I did. Being totally unfamiliar with S-​Am grinds I had high hopes for the continent that brought us great quality soccer, cocaine, hard working inhabitants of the southwestern US, communist cultural icons, Ozzie Guillen and the like.
Unfortunately my palate wasn’t tuned in or prepared for my dish. I got mushroom beef tacos that had good fresh ingredients but I wasn’t accustomed to the flavors at all. There was like real vinegary overtones to everything and unique spices or spice combos that were spicy but threw me off. Also as I write this my stomach which is usually an iron vault of great tolerance for the exotic or spoiled, is wondering what I ate. I don’t feel sick it’s – just like I dunno different – like a mini gut cactus. It isn’t at all that I thought the meal was bad and the presentation was nice (see pictures) it’s just totally new to me and my tastebuds and tum tum are not yet worldly enough to appreciate what’s going on at Cactus. Perhaps after I get in touch with my inner Anthony Bourdain I’ll be ready for round 2 with Cactus.

Argentina via Hawaii.
Cactus is about the flavors of Argentina portrayed by Hawaii ingredients. The entire menu is locally sourced including outstanding preparations of featuring Big Island grass fed beef and Shinsato farms kurobuta pork. The free ranged, natural pasture raised animals closely mimic the flavors found in Argentina. The supporting ingredients are locally sourced, extremely fresh, and adds a twist that is uniquely Hawaiian.
Tip: Focus on Argentinean staples (look for words like Assado, Chimichuri, Provolenta, Empanadas) and be prepared to share. Flavors compliment each other well.
For starters, the house made Argentine fry bread is excellent. Crisp on the outside, chewy yet airy on the inside; ripping hot when brought to the table, its hint of corn meal flavor matching perfectly with the manzano chili jelly. The Big Island boar peccadillo empanadas, excellent. Eat them right away, the gaminess of the boar filling pairs perfectly with the sweet, sour, spicy tamarind mango salsa. Finally the Provoleta; plancha grilled, salt rubbed provolone with a tomato sweet pepper salsa and grilled bread. Rustic. The bitterness of the bread, the salinity of the ooey gooey cheese blending perfectly with the sweet, pronounced pepper flavor and acidic tomato. Just good eats.
Grass fed beef is king in Argentina, that said, do not pass on any of the beef mains. The Big Isle Assado taco is very good. Thick cut pieces of tender pieces of marinated then cooked temp beef with hints of chimichurri and queso fresco has a wonderful, pronounced mineral flavor of grass rearing. The same can be said for the torta using the same filling.
A cubano (not Argentinean OBV) is also worthy. The perfect combination of Shinsato farms roast pork, thick sliced bacon, avocado, jack cheese, pickled chilies in a toothsome roll just flat out good eats. Juicy, flavorful, very hearty. Use of the pickled chilies brilliantly brings acidity and a gentle heat to wake the pallet before the next bite.
Very friendly Kailua service.
A small list of Argentinean wines, nice selection of tequilas. Fair prices.
Now if only they would put a ton of steaks with chimichurri on the menu. Ahhhh.

This is a great Latin American food spot in Kailua. I’m usually hesitant about having Mexican while visiting Hawaii because I live in California now and I’ve been spoiled, but my friend had tried Cactus and enjoyed it.
Everything I ate had layers of flavor and texture, it was amazing! The queso fundido, a four cheese dip with tomatoes (we added smoked mushrooms) was so cheesy and rich. Perfect with the fresh tortilla chips!
We also tried the mahimahi fish tacos which had a nice fried and battered fish with guacamole and slaw. It was pretty good, but a huge mouthful for a taco.
The Peruanito chicken sandwich was also tasty. I like that the ciabatta bun had a nice garlicky flavor. They really take their time to make sure everything is flavorful. I got the sweet potato fries which had a nice spice on it.
This is a fusion restaurant with flavors and dishes inspired by Mexico, Peru and Argentina. I would consider the food inventive rather than traditional, I didn’t mind. They also incorporate local produce which is nice!
Servers and staff were friendly. The place is also very clean and has nice décor. Also heavy duty disposable napkins!