The Velvet Cactus

Bring your rubber gloves so you can flip through the menu. Not sure when or if they ever clean them. Not appetizing to say the least.

We had some great appetizers Mexican style egg rolls, jerk chicken on skewers and their wonderful three dip combo. It consisted of white bean dip, guacamole and queso We dined outside on the patio which is always fun. They had fans circulating to keep you cool.

I’ll make this review short and sweet. Velvet Cactus is a cool place with a bit of an ecclectic, funky vibe. The free chips are thin and crispy. The salsa has a little bit of a kick, but not overly spicy.
When you order the 2 taco combo platter you can mix and match from the various fillings on the soft flour tortillas. My faves are the grilled shrimp taco and the fried tilapia taco. The tuna one is really good too. The platter comes with two sides and unlike most Mexican restaurants, they offer some different side item selections like cheese grits and vegetable skewers. Overall the staff offers Friendly service and pretty quick too! Plus on those really hot summer days, they have misters lightly spraying the entrance/​waiting area and that’s a welcome addition in our hot NOLA summers.

I’ve only ate here once when it first opened but the food and service was excellent. I always forget about it because it’s in kind of a weird location but I can’t wait to go back.

Stopped by for a late lunch and fortunately could order the Saturday –Sunday only brunch offerings which are available till 2 pm (the menu says 3). Our timing also meant parking was abundant even though we live only 2 blocks away. Due to the threat of rain as noted by The Weather Channel, we chose to eat inside instead of the tree shade covers patio.
The MOJO Pulled pork is one of those brunch offerings and is very, very good. This selection is an ample serving of well shredded pork loaded with smoky flavor (and an subtle suggestion of black pepper). Nice and moist and served on grilled toast.
It is topped with 2 poached eggs –soft yokes and firm whites– and the flavors meld very well. The selection is served with a hearty sized portion of cheese grits and potatoes.
My wife chose the Mexican Scramble, also a weekend brunch only selection, which obviously was centered on scrambled eggs but incorporated sautéed onions, red, and green peppers. It likewise came with home fries and the tasty cheese grits. She was pleased with the traditional blend of Mexican spices. Flavor without the machismo heat.
There is always a wide selection of mixed drinks, beers, and wines. My choice today was Abita’s AndyGator. Tried and true liquid muscle relaxant especially if you are not driving.

What’s not to like about this place?
The service is wonderful. Girls are swamped in this place with all the clientele pouring in but they manage nicely and with a smile. Seating was easy and they have plenty of bar seating inside and out if you are waiting for your seat or a party to arrive which to me is oustanding.
Food is very good. I tried the Ahi Tuna Tacos with sweet plantain and coleslaw for my sides and was very impressed. Tasted delicious. I see why so many people come here.
The atmosphere is very inviting and laid back. Almost makes you feel like you are at a resort or eating overseas somewhere in the islands. Very relaxing.
Price wasn’t too bad for what they have. Drinks aren’t too pricey and the margaritas hit the spot.
Parking is done just right. They have private parking and some right out of the front that should be open unless there is something going on in the area. I have never had an issue.
All in all I would have to say I loved my experience here. Very clean, fun, relaxing. Food is terrific and the staff is more than helpful and friendly. Will definitely be a spot I return to. Enjoy!

This is actually my first visit. This restaurant has been on my bucket list for awhile and today I finally decided to visit. I had really high hopes for this place and walked in filled with giddiness and excitement. My waitress was excellent and service in general was attentive. The drinks were ok but too much on the sweet side and pretty weak. The prices are on the high side. The crawfish Banditos were ok. They were tortillas stuffed with crawfish, cheese and seasoning then deep fried. The chicken fajitas were also good. The chicken had a wonderful taste to it. You were able to choir two sides. I choose cheese grits and bancheros beans. I instantly fell in love with the grits. The grits were the highlight of the meal. The décor is very eclectic. All in all, it was just ok! For a $ 60 tab, I wasn’t super impressed enough to return to Lakeview to visit this location.

Overpriced drinks, horrible service. The final straw was trying to place a to go order over the phone and being rudely told that they don’t take to go orders over the phone. The concept of good customer service is totally lost on these people.

Really good Mexican food and great paintings to look at.
This was a great find the food was awesome. I had the taco plate. You get to pick two tacos two sides. The velvet steak was savory and spicy and the smoky brisket taco had a great creamy sauce that just went well with the brisket.
Some drinks weren’t all that great I must say. I had the red sangria and it kinda tasted like drinking lipstick. Passed it around the table and nobody liked it. However when we tried the margarita it was decent.
Ambience is family friendly themed restaurant. It gets pretty busy especially on taco Tuesday and the line was 40min long. Even after we ate the line was still out the door long.
Service was decent. I felt bad the for the server she was clearly swamped. But didn’t get anything wrong and was friendly that’s all I really ask for in a server.

It’s a really average Mexican restaurant. The only good thing is its location and they have patio. Food is really salty and over cook. Waste of time for Mexican food

This is a review of an outdoor event that Velvet Cactus put on for Cinco de Mayo.
So, usually I don’t like reviewing a place based on an event experience, but I had food and drinks here, so here we are. I was here last week for the Velvet Cactus Cinco de Mayo celebration. This is a 3 day out door party that consisted of food, drinks and different bands.
On the day I went, it was packed. The Molly Ringwalds were set to play and they had a huge stage set up in their parking lot. There were different booths where you could get food, margaritas, beer, and soft drinks. The main reason I wanted to review was because of how they handled the crowd. The place was PACKED and the staff got people through the lines quickly with barely any wait.
While I was here I tried the frozen margaritas and the pork tacos. The margarita was delicious and the tacos were outstanding! For $ 9 you got three tacos that were PACKED with delicious pork that was spiced perfectly. I had never really had any desire to go here, but after trying these tacos, I know I will be back for more.
Another thing that impressed me was how clean they kept the indoor bathrooms. I don’t use port-​o-​lets if I can avoid it and the staff was cool with people coming in and using the restrooms inside. They stayed on top of keeping the area clean and stocked with everything you might need– it was great.
I am definitely going to return to Velvet Cactus for more tacos and to sample more of their menu.

After finding a parking spot (–1 star for the parking), you walk in, go to the host stand and state how many are in your party. On nice days, you can sit on the patio. There are garage style doors that open and bring the outdoors inside. Service is awesome, even when they are packed. The wait staff regularly comes by and checks on you to ensure you are enjoying yourself.
Parking can be a bit tight on busy times, as this is a popular restaurant. I have tried several plates at this point in time, and I love the new twist on their adult beverages. They have special twists on beverages, such as the Caribbean Hot chocolate (with rum) and the blueberry lemonade mojito that are all a delight. Their quesadillas are wonderful, soft and cheesy and there is not one that I would not recommend. The burritos are also huge and packed with all of the good stuff. The tacos are also a delight. I can not say that any one particular item is my favorite.
I love the artwork on the walls that are for sale. I look forward to coming back and enjoying them often.

If you want good Mexican food and some bomb margaritas for a good price this is the place to go. The inside is decorated with lots of local art and it’s a great atmosphere, very colorful, nice and spacious, always full of lively people. There is also a really nice, shaded patio with a fountain for guests to sit outside as well as a nice bar with a good assortment of booze. The margaritas are pretty awesome and the frozen ones are massive. I’ve gotten the shrimp and chicken quesadillas multiple times which have consistently been really, really good. The nachos are also good and the portions they give you are great for the price. Service is also always good and attentive!
Also, be sure to check out any drink deals they might be having or special events. They recently had a bunch of drink specials for Cinco de Mayo with live music outside in their parking area and it was a lot of fun.

The smoked pork taco is ah-​mazing! So are the plantains and tamales
Don’t even me started on margaritas !!! The only bad thing about this place is sometimes there’s a very long wait.

This place is like stepping into an installation art market that sells Mexican inspired food.
So many nice eccentric art pieces to ooooh and aaaaah over. If there’s a bit of a wait, grab a margarita at the bar and step outside to sit in one of the many chairs on the sidewalk.
They have the text when table ready feature so that’s a great thing if there is a wait. Don’t be afraid to ask for outdoor seating!

Brunch fest was a bust, so we came to the Velvet Cactus for lunch. I’m used to eating in Uptown, so when my friends and I saw a street parking spot 8 blocks away, we grabbed it. MISTAKE. They have a parking lot and there’s plenty of street parking nearby. This place is pretty big. We had a big group and were seated right away. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we sat on the patio, outside. They also had heaters for cold nights.
They had a great selection of margaritas! I got the strawberry jalapeño margarita. I love a cocktail with a kick! I tried my friend’s blood orange mango margarita and it was also delicious. So I’d say… margaritas are solid! For food, I got the taco plate. Choose any two tacos and any two sides. I got the Deep South (chicken, bacon, avocado) and Diego’s Fish (fried tilapia). Both were great and complimented each other well. The tacos were a good size and larger than an average street taco. Since it was brunch time, the cheese grits and breakfast potatoes were fair game and I took advantage! I thought everything was solid and I would order all the same again. It was a lot of food for one person, but I charged through and didn’t bring home any left overs… like a champ!

Came here for happy hour for the first time with friends! Camille at the bar passed us by several times… SEVERAL TIMES! After she whispered something to the other bartender, we finally received service. Once we got our table the service and food was GREAT! We wanted to speak to the manager about the service at the bar but he was «busy». Eventually he came over (about 20 minutes later) and my friend explained what happened. Overall this is a nice place and the food is really good!

This place is classic Lakeview cute– spacious, sparkly clean, and straight up the best atmosphere for a Tex Mex place I’ve been so far. Parking is ample, and there are also street/​median spots if that’s not enough. Their bar is big, and there’s this really silly chair that is a booty with sexy fishnet legs. Seating indoor and outdoor alike is plentiful as well.
I came here on a Monday night with a group of 3. Their happy hour menu looked good (I unfortunately missed it by an hour) and they had an awesome all day margarita special– top shelf for a dollar less than the normal cost of a house marg.
For appetizers, we got the queso in addition to the complimentary chips and salsa (which they should be… side eyes at Juan’s). The queso came out fast but was a tad salty. Entrée-​wise two of us got the taco plate, my friend the quesadilla, and the final friend just one taco. My god their portions are huge! The single taco was so large that you couldn’t even fold it closed ha! Likewise, my friend’s quesadilla looked more like a large pizza (She managed two slices before admitting defeat).
My taco plate was alright, I had the southern comfort and the pork pibil. The southern comfort was my favorite of the two– the crunchy chicken added a nice texture. The pibil however was lost in the heaping goop of slaw. Possibly unpopular opinion but I appreciated their thicker flour tortillas. For the amount they pile on those tacos, you need something sturdy. The plantains were nice and sweet and the borracho beans satisfactory.
In conclusion, while they’re not the best tasting I’ve had in town, they more than make up the gap with their humongous portions and really fun, spacious atmosphere. It reminds me a lot of the fun tex mex places in Houston. I’ll be back for sure, if nothing else to get a picture with that silly bar chair.

What a cool place. Deep in the Lakeview neighborhood, this place offers some really delicious American-​Mexican food in a cool artsy/​quirky atmosphere. They have a nice (nonsmoking) patio area, an inside dining room and a separate bar with TVs for games.
The happy hours are pretty good! $ 7 for a top-​shelf margarita. YUM! Although, the salsa they serve is more of a chilpote flavor and I’m not a fan.
I typically get a taco plate. The chef mixes it up daily with a special taco. The velvet steak tacos are delicious, as are the vegetarian ones. You get to choose your sides, things like veggie skewers (YUM!) rice, beans, plantains, etc. Not just the same ‘olé, same ‘olé. Runs around $ 12 for the plate or you can get them a la carte.
Service is pretty good to boot, typically not that long of a wait. If you do find yourself waiting, they have some time-​killing outdoor games to play like ring toss and cornhole.

Well, this place is pretty great. I love the doors when you walk in. Mosaic sugar skull on the doors.
We came because I am on a margarita kick and today was two for one.
So I’ll start there. The margarita on the rocks with salt. They come two at a time for happy hour. The one I started sipping on was so strong I couldn’t enjoy it. I hate to waste but I kept telling Jeff I am gonna end up wasting these because all I taste is tequila. Well toward the end of the meal I tried the second one which was much much better and I drank the whole thing. Still a shame the free one was not good. I’m sure people are rolling their eyes right now but I like to taste the delicious flavored of my drinks not the liquor. Anyways that’s where they lost the star.
Back to the story, the food…
The food and service is excellent. Let’s start with Claire. She was great. Attentive without bothering!
The trio dip was great I had it for my meal as I already knew going into it my calories were reserved for margaritas tonight. It was so much that I took half the dips home for a snack later.
We ordered the egg rolls and although I didn’t try any Jeff says there were good as usual.
He also ordered the cochinitta and OMG I tried one bite and it was delishih. We ordered double grits as the side because anywhere that has grits, they are going in my belly. Everything was so good. I will be back but next time for the regular prices specialty margaritas and definitely the food!!!