The Velvet Cactus

Today, we were warmly greeted and quickly seated… however, that was that for interaction with the staff. We waited for 10 minutes after already having spent about 10 minutes perusing the menu… and yet no one had come by even to ask us for a drink order or to deliver complimentary tortillas. While looking around, it was busy-​ish and yet every table there had food. Ours held only our menus and furtive stares. We arrived very hungry and left disappointed at the complete lack of service. This was the first bad experience we’ve had and, unfortunately, the overlooking of customers awaiting any service was at the most inopportune time. We left even more hungry.

Man, I really wanted to like this place. I had my hopes set pretty high since day one. after it first opened, it was practically impossible to get a table without a 45 minute wait, so I decided to wait a while to try it until the hype wore down. Finally, one of my closest friends wanted to celebrate her birthday there with a large group of people. I was excited A) because it was a Monday and nothing pairs better with a Monday than a margarita! and B) because tacos are greater than life. seriously. don’t challenge that because you will lose.
As soon as you sit down at your table, the server brings out fresh (lightly salted, if at all) tortilla chips with piping hot salsa. this concept may sound weird, but it’s freaking delicious. I’d even venture to say it’s the best salsa in BR. keeping it hot for as long at the do really carmelizes the natural sugars and makes an almost marinara-​like
flavor. it’s to die for. moving on!
I ordered a frozen margarita mixed with sangria. for 9bucks & something cents, I wasn’t mad. quite possibly one of the best margaritas in town. not to sweet, no too salty, not too zesty, just perfect. one more, please.
I had never eaten here before, so I wanted a little taste of everything. I ordered combination enchiladas: one chicken, one beef, and one shrimp. the enchilada platter came with a choice of two sides, so I picked cheesey grits & creole slaw. oy vey, I was so disappointed I don’t even know where to begin.
1) all three of my enchiladas were dry. it was sad,
especially since the menu described my shrimp as coming with a «jalapeño crema»… maybe they were talking about the pile of hatred pickled jalapeños topped with a dollop of sour cream on the side? that was by far the weirdest part of the whole meal. like… wtf? so not only were the tortillas simply stuffed with meat and nothing but, they weren’t even smothered in a sauce. just shredded «Mexican blend» cellulose-​coated cheese that simply couldn’t melt because it was so processed. it would be really nice if a Mexican place could actually have chihuahua cheese once in a while. sigh. whatever.
2) my sides… I ordered cheesey grits and coleslaw. the coleslaw may have been made in house, but tasted almost exactly like Cane’s slaw. aka pointless. I was sad. cheesey grits were cheesey and the salt content was good, but everything else was lacking. I was hoping for some more flavor — maybe the kick of a jalapeño or some chili powder, or maybe even garlic! something other than salt.
3) the seafood… scared me. I had one shrink enchilada. it was almost as if the chef knew how fishy the shrimp were, so he decided to counteract it with salt. blech. like, seriously. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but when 9 out of 10 things just aren’t right, there’s a real problem.
all in all, I’m sad. I’ll likely only return here if they start having some badass happy hour deals. a note on that– the bar is small. like 8 seats small.
good luck finding one. save yourself time and money (cause this place is stupid expensive) and
go to superior grill

The family me took me here for my birthday. It was a great experience. The salsa was quality a little on the hot side. We got a variety if food from fish tacos to fajitas. Everything was done to order and was delicious. The fajitas meat was incredible, it was like little pieces of steak.

Unilocal! Exactly our reaction upon entering the joint for our first time… but that’s a good thing. «Funky Mexicana» is the visual vibe they present. A pleasant atmosphere in which to visit your dining companions. The sitting area was a tad tight, but everyone seems to work around that. Our savvy server (John B.) guided we two newbies through a menu as vibrant as the décor. We started with Tex Mex Eggrolls and a smoky raspberry-​chipotle sauce that was subtle and light. I did the Cabo Quesadillas at John B.‘s suggestion and enjoyed the frisky blend of grilled shrimp, fire-​roasted corn, mango and Jack cheese. She had the Chimichanga, whose simple name belies the complex taste treat of smoked brisket, black beans, and queso sauce. All washed down with tasty house margaritas (one frozen, one OTR) that may have been from mixes but you couldn’t tell, even to the last sip. While we waited for dessert, we had a nice chat with the manager. The Ice Cream Nachos were original, and though the chips were not puffed like the photos shown, they were sweet cinnamon-​tinged tortilla chips not as heavy as typical sopapillas. From the quirky décor to the fresh ingredients and the master-​craftsman assembly thereof, to the family manner in which we were treated, this experience went beyond unique in the realm of the sublime… with to-​go boxes for left-​overs! Cheers!

Good food and service. The first time I have been but my wife and daughter have visited prior. It is a different flair on mexican from what I am use to, however enjoyed it quite a bit. My son and I split the Ricardo Montebaun, pork and brisket enchiladas and the girls split the chicken cheese enchiladas. Darn good food, the cheese grits were a big hit as well, along with the desert churros with cinnamon.
I was not a big fan of the fried plantanes, however just didnt like the texture.
The service was more than I expected, Amelia was very polite, explained the menu well and I have not experienced that at higher profile restaurants so job well done with that.
Will certainly be back and recommend

I love this place. The are, even the building catches my eye. I sat at the bar and it was open to the hotside like you are sitting on the porch. And it was pretty nice out there the food was awesome the hosts and the servers are very nice and while you wait you can either watch TV, look outside at the landscape which was very nice, or you can check out some of the artwork, I love it, 5 thumbs up

Food was pretty good. Steak and chicken fajitas were excellent. Shrimp enchiladas left a little to be desired, but weren’t horrible in the least. Portion sizes were generous and deserving, given the prices. Atmosphere was interesting, not bad. Margaritas were mid range. Guac was fresh in terms of same day, but it was clear that it had been sitting in a fridge all day. No harm, no foul.
That said, any bar that has to advertise itself as a dive, isn’t a real dive. Hipster art adorns every inch. I read reviews from people expecting authentic mexican food. If you spent five seconds in the parking lot and still expected authentic mexican and not just good food and a diverse menu, you’re an idiot.
Will visit again.

If this is the future of tex-​mex, please send me back to the past!
I have heard great things about this place, but wow… was it ever incorrect.
The atmosphere is hipster chic, which I can accept. The décor was nice… but I have never experienced bland food at a tex-​mex restaurant until today.
We were seated at the further est booth (back near the restrooms…) which actually almost got the blame for the terrible smell at the beginning of our meal when the chips & salsa arrived. Something that literally smelled like a skunk started wafting up from the table, and I honestly thought it was the smell from the restrooms. But one dip of the chips in that salsa made us both realize that smell was from the salsa itself. It was close to boiling (since when is salsa hot in temperature?) Neither of us (and we both love salsa) touched the salsa after the first chip, and we had to ask the waiter to remove it from the table because it really stank. In its place, we ordered the queso with the molinda beef, which was very bland but we had to have something to get rid of the salsa aftertaste.
My steak fajitas arrived sizzling, which was the only good thing about them. The meat was literally slabs of steak, and again, incredibly bland. There was a very small dollop of sour cream, and very little other items to add any flavor to the fajitas. What I found really odd was the entire half of WHOLE raw onion; huge chunky raw rings that were laying on top of the dish. Was this supposed to be used in the food somehow? I have no idea.
The side dishes of the borranio beans and the creole slaw were basicall left untouched after one bite. Totally void of flavor on both items, and a waste of food.
I know the restaurant has been around long enough that all the usual opening kinks must have been worked out by now. I doubt I will come back.

This place is just your average take on Tex-​Mex type Mexican food. It isn’t spectacular but gets the job done. By far the best things about this restaurant have to be the (alcoholic) drinks and ambiance. The feel of this restaurant is so lively. It’s absolutely beautiful with the art work on the walls and the awesome outside dining area. For the chillier of evenings there are heated lights. It makes for a pretty nice date night, just don’t expect to get any authentic Mexican food.

«Meh,» describes this place well.
I’ve dined here on several occasions and the quality of each experience grows less and less pleasant. I would best describe this place as a «kitschy-​voodoo tex-​mex restaurant» that’s great for group drinks, but I wouldn’t come here for the food.
Ambiance: kitschy New Orleans tex-​mex
Drinks: stay away from their margaritas – way too syrupy and sweet. Stick with the beers.
Food: mediocre at best. I would rate the food a step above Chili’s.
Service: …what service?
Keep in mind this was Sunday night and the restaurant was only half full… I consider myself a pretty patient person, especially towards service industry workers as I have spent many years in the field. However, when there is blatant rudeness towards me, I’m going to lose my shit. Not only did the server lack in manners, but he also lacked in skill-​set, and attentiveness. Entrée came before appetizer (of cheese dip and guac, c’mon were they in the back milking the cow to make the cheese?), I literally had to go get my own plates from the service station (because he was sitting down chatting with his colleagues), then order drinks from another server. When I asked for the check he brought a box and a bag – which was great, but when I mentioned that I wanted the check he sassed me and said «DO YOU WANT THIS, OR NO?»
Really?

Good food and excellent service were my takeaways from our first visit. The house margarita was good. The salsa was subpar, something about being warm just seemed odd. El Big Burrito was tasty; filled with rice, beans, and cheese, and topped with jalapeño cream. It can also be filled with your choice of meat– chicken, ground beef, fajita beef, shrimp. And there is an option to drown it in cheese.
I also had a taste of their brisket tacos and they were phenomenal.
We’ll definitely return.

We’ve been by here many times in an attempt to try this fun looking spot — as luck would have it for once they weren’t slammed. So glad we were persistent ~ we were impressed by the quality and freshness of the food. Gratis chips were not greasy and served with hot salsa to munch on while waiting on your order. Say no to mucho munching though, the entrees are impressing and ample. Husband briefly scanned the menu and immediately selected mojo pulled pork on the brunch menu. Enjoyed with pleasure. Served with cheese grits, some of the best I’ve eaten! DIVINE! The taco salad was tasty fresh and although the chicken addon had very good flavor, I really could have enjoyed without adding meat. With black beans and corn it was filling enough. We will return to try the tacos and other items that enticed and since I’m not a «day drinker» margaritas on the next occasion!

First off, I love the outdoor patio. The water fountain adds a nice ambiance. The restaurant was full, but just a short 5 minute wait for an area seating 10 people.
We skipped the appetizers and went straight to the entrees. I ordered the cheese enchiladas and had chips and salsa while waiting. The chips had a strange, salty flavor to them. It wasn’t bad, just different.
It did not take long to get the food out. My wife had hard shell tacos. On her first bite, grease dripped off the taco and landed straight onto her shirt. She didn’t care for the taste and did not finish her meal.
My chhese enchiladas were not bad. I think if I were to go back, I’d order something different. A couple seated next to us had gotten what looked like a beef burrito and it was huge.
I really think the patio stole the show on this visit.

A great place to enjoy with friends, however the salsa is gross. For me I think the salsa is the first selling point on any Mexican restaurant and this salsa has an aweful taste. The other menu options are very tasty however most can be a little pricy.
The saff is very attentive and interactive making the busy dinner rush feel more homely. Our server was Kelly, don’t let her brightly colored hair scare you off. This server knows her stuff. She made excellent recommendations and even helped us when our 18 month old son got a little too fussy. That’s not something you see or expect in a resuarant and the fact that she took even a minute to help us was a blessing.

After two tries here I am in the not returning camp. I just don’t get it unless having a funky name and expensive art on the walls is the hallmark of a top notch culinary experience,
$ 11 «house» margs are decent but better be at these prices. Had to return some of the more «froofy» cocktails we ordered as they tasted like nothing more than a red fizzy liquid. Weird.
Beef fajitas were the weirdest meat I have ever encountered on this particular dish and burritos are largely rice and beans with a little protein thrown in to make you think you are getting your money’s worth.
Service is a bit on the inconsistent side as well but they are a busy crew usually.
So loud you might not hear a jet engine start up inside.
Bottom line, I just don’t feel it when I leave here and if I am not planning my next trip in when I visit a place then I am not a big fan. Sorry to say.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere, service, food and drinks. The menu had a lot of variety, the patio was nice with cooling misters, and the drinks were unique. We celebrated my birthday here with friends and the waitress even wore a party hat with us. They were great and I’ll be back! Great salsa too!
Only downsides, the ceviche was a little bland, the queso was your average queso (and super thick,) I tried my friends fried chicken burrito and the chicken tasted a little dry. My husbands tacos were ok, not bad. There’s a lot of wow factor to the atmosphere and menu variety, and it’s not fully delivered with the flavor, it has more potential. With that being said, I think everyone will enjoy it and I’ll be back.

Spice and personality are the keywords for this new Baton Rouge establishment.
The outdoor area is beautiful. The pond and fountain is really cool. The interior is very eclectic! There is local art of every sort adorning the walls of the dining room. Nothing is the same — walls are in interesting sections. The ceiling is the same way, very mixed media. So much to look at!
Once you finish looking around the room, open the menu! There are interesting combinations of Mexican cuisine. My lunch companion and I started with the queso and chips. It was a good choice except that I ate way too many!!!
For lunch I had the fish tacos. They are stuffed absolutely full of fresh, fun ingredients. Don’t order these if you don’t like produce! They are chock full of fresh slaw and pico. The sauce is delicious and the fish was cooked nicely. I ordered the slaw and the chipotle grits for side items. The grits were SPICY. Beware and know what you’re ordering! Fire grits! The slaw, sadly, I didn’t get to eat because I was stuffed!
In short — I’d go here again!

I’ve been waiting to write my review on this place because I felt I was biased because the one in NOLA is my all time favorite restaurant. Well, after many visits, I realized that this location can stand on its own reputation! The food is awesome and the drinks keep you happy.
Let’s first talk about the nightly drink specials. Where else can you go and every night you are lured in with a new discounted special for drinks? I especially love Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Tuesday they have a $ 11 grand margarita for $ 7… Great deal! Wednesday they have 2 for 1 and you can really have a great time :-)
The food is amazing. The tacos are worth every calorie going in. You have to try the guacamole which is made fresh and very awesome.
Overall this is a great place to eat and hang out!

They don’t take reservations so if you go on the weekend with a large party expect to wait. The restaurant seems about the same size on the inside as the patio seating so it seems rather small. I went on a Saturday night got there around 7 with a party of five and they quoted a 1 – 1.5hour. It took over 1.5hrs.
The one fault I would rate poorly was the host. Firstly, our alert holder went off to let us know we were going to be seated… Then to find out they messed up and it was for a party of two… So we waited, got margaritas, waited, and waited. I went to let him know it’d been over 1.5hrs and he says «well we can’t make people leave» in a unnecessarily harsh tone. He’s right… but he needs to learn how to speak to clientele in a conductible manner.
The frozen margaritas were yummy. They have top shelf, house, and a sugar free one. The main two are made with agave and I like agave. I originally bought a house margarita because the top shelf frozen machine wasn’t working. I tried the top shelf next and it was pretty good hard to tell the difference. They are only two dollars difference in price, house was 7.46 $ and top was 10 $ish I think.
The chips and salsa were good although I was really hungry after the wait and had already had a margarita… My boyfriend didn’t like the salsa. To me it was more a chipotle dark salsa. They told me they have a verde salsa too, but my boyfriend doesn’t like that. I’ll have to try that next time. So we got queso it was a white cheese and I liked that too.
My boyfriend and I shared fajitas that were good, but I was mostly already full from chips and margaritas. The strips of meat were longer and bigger than normal but may have worked out better since I usually overstuff the tortilla. I wanted chicken or shrimp and I let my boyfriend choose another. He said steak but after he got it he told me he had wanted chicken not the steak. I knew I wouldn’t like the steak… beef is always too chewy to me unless it’s filet mignon. My boyfriend said the chicken was better than the steak and he wouldn’t get the steak again. For our sides we got refried beans and the other borracho? Beans that my boyfriend wanted to try. The borracho ones were pinto with dos Equis, chipotle and other stuff. We liked both of the sides. The refried beans were fantastic since they had hidden cheese in them ;).
Highly recommend this restaurant. I want to try their brunch too because they have shrimp and grits and I was able to try the cheese grits from my friends side they were yumm
I forgot to take a pic of their mon-​thurs drink specials list. If I remember correctly Wednesday was buy 1 margarita get two and Thursday was 5 $ house margaritas. I think… I don’t remember the other two at all.
I’ll need to update my review after my next visit to see if the wait/​host has improved. I’ll keep y’all posted!

Ambiance, art, margaritas, fresh ingredients, delicious menu, huge portions, and friendly staff –This place has it all! Whatever your taste buds maybe thinking you will sure to be satisfied at The Velvet Cactus. On my first visit to the Baton Rouge location, I was enticed to purchase (and keep) the skull mug. It holds two frozen margaritas. Get there before 6:30 for Happy Hour Specials! I always start off with one of those! The margaritas are top notch… not too salty, not too tart, not too sweet – frozen consistency is perfect.
I’ve enjoyed several menu items each having rich, distinct flavors. I would start off with the Ceviche served in a huge martini glass over romaine. It is simply delightful and light. The chicken fajitas are always my go to at a Mexican/​Tex-​Mex restaurant. The portions are huge, enough for tomorrow’s lunch. I’ve also enjoyed the Mixed Grill which includes a skewer of veggies, ribs, pulled pork, and fajita chicken, goddddddddd what else? It is a mountain of food. Scroll through my photos and just see!
While you are drinking and/​or dining, feast your eyes on the gallery of art that encompasses the walls of this establishment. All art is open to buy. And if you are an artist, give them a call, show ‘em what you got. Your piece may reign on their wall one day soon!