The Fat Cactus Gardens image

The Fat Cactus Gardens

Restaurant Tex mex restaurant

Tex-Mex menu and burgers in a relaxed, colourful space with a terrace, plus margaritas and tequila. People often mention great, good, service, Great, vibe, time, friendly, Mexican, staff, drinks,


Address

5 Park Rd, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

Website

www.fatcactus.co.za

Contact

+27 21 422 5022

Rating on Google Maps

4.40 (2K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Wednesday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Thursday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Friday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Saturday: (Day of Reconciliation), 12 to 11 pm, Hours might differ
  • Sunday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Monday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Tuesday: 12 to 11 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: great (27) good (23) service (21) Great (19) vibe (13) time (11) friendly (11) Mexican (9) staff (9) drinks (9)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 4/5 Carina du P. 1 year ago on Google
    We enjoyed the starter nachos (nice portion), the poppers and the amazeballs. Loved the food. Strawberry and lime jug was the best mix, the mango and lime was just a little too sweet. Haven't been to fat cactus in ages but was glad to know the food is still top notch. Will definitely be back.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marcelle A. 1 year ago on Google
    First time visit. Great menu, reasonable pricing and super delish real deal Mexican food. Enjoyed every bite, full of fresh flavours. We were there at lunch time but I reckon there is a great evening vibe, happy hour and all! Slightly confusing American cowboy decor but hey, if the food is good, it's good!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Avesshen G. 2 years ago on Google
    Such a great vibe and the Mexican Food is amazing 👌🌵 they also have really good happy hour deals so it’s always packed with the vibe . The staff is also really welcoming.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Mugisha H. 9 months ago on Google
    Nice, fun restaurant. Food is good, nothing remarkable but good place to hang out during the day. Blue cheese and bacon nachos were an interesting new option for me. Second visit was really disappointing, salsa smelt off so I didn’t have it. Batter on my friend’s chilli poppers was undercooked and she got sick. Waitress was also quite bad, seemed like she was training though.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rowan B. 8 months ago on Google
    Seriously good Mexican food. Very impressed. The atmosphere and service here is great too. Highly recommend.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jan M. 2 years ago on Google
    I love this place! Ordered a glass of Haute Cabriere and soaked in the atmosphere after a friendly waitress loaned me her iPhone charger! The decor and the music is right up my alley!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Carien de B. 1 year ago on Google
    Great late lunch, excellent food, mangoritas and service. Also a very friendly vibe.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Marlene M. 2 years ago on Google
    Cute place for beer, shots and apps food. I'm Mexican and wasn't impressed by their food but their nacho appetizers were tasty and their Sol beer paired good with them.

  • 5/5 Robin-lee Van R. 3 years ago on Google
    The burritos 🌯 at this place is my all time favorite. Worth the price and really filling. 10/10 for Presentation 10/10 for service 10/10 for taste

  • 4/5 Thando S. 3 years ago on Google
    Awesome Tacos

  • 5/5 aqeel g. 3 years ago on Google
    Great

  • 5/5 Kalynne V. 3 years ago on Google
    Delicious food, friendly staff and down to earth environment. Had a great time!

  • 2/5 Rohland van N. 3 years ago on Google
    Decent service, awful food. Fail

  • 5/5 Gugu M. 3 years ago on Google
    Loved it Wanted to go back there today but it was closed Their portions are great and the vibe is great I love this place Definitely worth every minute

  • 4/5 Candice M. 3 years ago on Google
    Great atmosphere, the food is always really good and you definitely have to try their homemade tequila!

  • 5/5 franco s. 3 years ago on Google
    Great spot, best Mexican food, Best Margarita's, and great service, I would definitely recommend them

  • 5/5 Michał S. 2 years ago on Google
    Great stuff to eat, fusion of mexican and texas cuisine came up really tasteful! They also have their own tequila, not completely legitimate, but worth a shot

  • 4/5 Christoph Du P. 2 years ago on Google
    Fantastic food from Mexico. Great drinks and a lekker place to go with feinds before a club as it is situated close to ling Street.

  • 4/5 Lisa Nicole W. 2 years ago on Google
    Our waiters Cassie ( if am correct was AMAZING) it reminded me of the USA the Mexican restaurants!!! We will be back! Thank you best place to relax!!!!

  • 5/5 Kimberley T. 2 years ago on Google
    Amazing food! And such a nice vibe.

  • 5/5 Mark S. 2 years ago on Google
    Isabel was the friendliest and best waitress ever. She took great care of us and recommended the best drinks. The ginger bread shot was amazing which she recommended. Will come back on days when she is working!!

  • 5/5 Shauna K. 9 months ago on Google
    Always such a good time at Fat cactus. The frozen margarita Jugs are just the best. Food is ridiculously good (The chicken Burrito is my fave) and the service is always super fast and friendly.

  • 4/5 Adrian P. 2 years ago on Google
    Always a stop when I am in Cape Town. The Covid protocols were okay. Decor at the store was wonderul.and tasteful. The iceberg beer is an absolute winner coupled with the amazing gingerbread tequila. Food was really good. The potstickers are quite awesome. Quite disappointed with the wings though. They are advertised as crispy fried but were very soft and felt like microwave heating.

  • 5/5 Daniella V. 4 months ago on Google
    Been going here for years. Amazing food and drinks. Current favourites are the fish tacos, gingerbread tequila, castle lite ice berg, and the mangorita! Great vibes and service, so much fun to go with friends. Always love the experience!

  • 3/5 Audrie V. 4 months ago on Google
    Our second visit and a bit disappointed with the food this time. We had been before at lunchtime and the food was much better then. Service was great but food was average and took a long time to arrive . Cheesy nachos were very disappointing. The sloppy beef had too much sauce … could be so much better. Atmosphere was good and so was the tequila so that kind of made up for it and we had a great evening.

  • 4/5 Robin G. 4 months ago on Google
    It's a quite nice place for hearty food and drinks. A cool idea is their combination of beer and Margarita. The food we ordered was good but far away from genuine Mexican food... doesn't seem to be the objective here. Service was good bur not high above average (parts of our order were forgotten). Really nice place but not spectacular.

  • 5/5 Wanja C. 1 year ago on Google
    Delicious cocktails. They were nice enough to mix the frozen Mangorita and Frozen Lime for me. It was so good. It also arrived very quickly at the table. Great servive, well informed staff willing to go the extra mile. Highly recommend.

  • 4/5 Devan P. 1 year ago on Google
    Wonderful reception by our waitress who resembled Gisele Bundchen the Brazilian model...the atmosphere was great and the place was quite full... We sat outside undercover with heated area...the food is excellent burgers start from around R120 but you have to have the Mexican... That was excellent...portions are meduim...food was good...caters for vegetarian to beef, chicken and lamb... The lamb was around R220...

  • 4/5 Es* L. 8 months ago on Google
    Defnitley more for a much younger generation than me. Very noisy and very busy. Lager mafe very intresting with ice on top. Fibrant atmosphere. Very limited parking outside be here early.

  • 5/5 Martijn L. 1 year ago on Google
    We had a very nice time here. The nachos were very tasty. The service was nice.

  • 5/5 Anja T. 1 year ago on Google
    We love this place. We have get togethers here all the time during the summer months. Food is great. Vegan and Vegetarian options. Love the gingerbread tequila. You have to book in advance and expect it to be super busy. Space is small but cosy. Bathrooms can be cleaner, but it’s not too bad.

  • 5/5 Roseline K. 6 months ago on Google
    10/10 on all aspects. This is hands down the only place I’d go for tacos and nachos, there’s sooo much flavour in these dishes and its extremely affordable too if you’re getting both items and sharing with a friend.

  • 4/5 Nonhlanhla M. 1 year ago on Google
    Great Tacos. Nice ambience. Really chilled place to chill with your friends. Gets quite crowded after 6 but it doesn't affect your experience at all.

  • 5/5 Vicky K. 1 year ago on Google
    Great vibe, interesting menu, not only your normal options. You have to try the Iceberg beers, it is very refreshing. Perfect for an outing with friends, small and larger groups.

  • 5/5 NJ A. 11 months ago on Google
    Great restaurant with colourful interior, friendly staff, and fabulous food, and we had a lovely jug of Strawberry Margarita...

  • 4/5 Evert 3 years ago on Google
    There's a reason this place has been here for so long, great food, excellent service, friendly staff, one of my favorite spots in Cape Town.

  • 5/5 Hannah M. 3 years ago on Google
    Best frozen margaritas and chilli poppers in town. It's our go to after any beach day.

  • 3/5 brendan M. 3 years ago on Google
    Falafel tacos made me sick

  • 4/5 Riel M. 3 years ago on Google
    Food was very good!

  • 4/5 Ethan S. 3 years ago on Google
    Food was delicious and service was really great.

  • 5/5 steve k. 3 years ago on Google
    Such a vibe... Groovy as, man😎

  • 5/5 Wesley de C. 3 years ago on Google
    Love Fat Cactus, great service best margarita jugs around.

  • 4/5 Anton G. 3 years ago on Google
    The service is good. The food is great. The drinks are not too expensive. The only I had, it was to full. No social distancing.

  • 1/5 Ernest M. 3 years ago on Google
    Really awful experience. From a moth in my 0% beer, to a burnt bitter burger. Waitress was lovely, she apologized but yhoo

  • 5/5 Yusuf C. 3 years ago on Google
    Love there burgers

  • 5/5 Jacqued J. 4 years ago on Google
    Great space with laid-back atmosphere and the Tex-Mex theme is a great concept. Service was good with friendly and attentive staff, the food was great and cooked to order. Great vibe for small and large groups.

  • 5/5 Robbie G. 3 years ago on Google
    Super friendly staff, amazing service and reasonably priced...

  • 5/5 Bradley L. 3 years ago on Google
    Very tasty food, lovely drinks (especially the margarita jugs when they do serve alcohol) If you want to kick back and relax after a long day and have some authentically delicious Mexican food and refreshing drinks with mates, this is the place to go!

  • 5/5 Lindy C. 3 years ago on Google
    Loved the whole experience, especially the gingerbread tequila 😋

  • 4/5 Lulamela M. 3 years ago on Google
    Everytime I visit Capetown I keep coming back for Tacos! The food is amazing, lots of options, great tequila and the place is just alive! We have always had to wait for a Table in the evening but the staff is very observant. Once a table is available they come to you immediately without having to follow up.

  • 5/5 Mr M. 3 years ago on Google
    As always a fantastic experience. Always a go too branch on special occasions and once again I'm blown away with a all around old fashion service. A special mention to Emma who served us with outstanding hospitality and friendliness service and very professional. Well done. I will as always spread the good word and recommend this branch.

  • 3/5 vaughan s. 3 years ago on Google
    I had a great experience at this restaurant HOWEVER...I constantly had to search for a waiter. When I finally received my Lime margarita jug...there were pieces of strawberry pulp in the jug most probably from the previous customer which was really disgusting. But overall I love fat cactus. They just gave us shots on the house to make up for it. I will definitely come back!

  • 4/5 Jade h. 3 years ago on Google
    I always love my time spent at Fat Cactus. Good food value, drinks and sitting area

  • 5/5 Rose Tuyeni P. 3 years ago on Google
    Superb service; delicious food! Great vibe.

  • 4/5 Cindy J. 3 years ago on Google
    Quite a busy restaurant, the food was really good. I had a burrito which was to die for, extremely filling too I could have definitely shared!

  • 5/5 Jaun B. 3 years ago on Google
    Great food and drink.

  • 5/5 Carolize H. 3 years ago on Google
    Best mexican food in town!

  • 5/5 Andrea P. 3 years ago on Google
    Awesome food and fast, friendly service

  • 5/5 Keir T. 3 years ago on Google
    Generous frozen margaritas, delicious food, great service - though watch out sitting in the covered outdoor area when it's windy.

  • 5/5 Jess W. 3 years ago on Google
    I still think about the nachos...

  • 5/5 Rhona C. 3 years ago on Google
    Had the best nachos, chillie poppers and Margueritas, will definitely be back.

  • 5/5 Therese H. 3 years ago on Google
    What an incredible vibe at The Fat Cactus in Gardens. The service was excellent. My husband and I sat at the bar. The barmen were on top of their game making sure we had a drink at all times. Manager was up and down all night. Very friendly and working very hard to make sure everyone was kept happy. Food excellent. Well done. During this difficult time of Covid one looks for some light heartedness and kindness and you definitely feel at home at The Fat Cactus. Well done to the team

  • 4/5 Tiaan K. 3 years ago on Google
    Great food, would highly recommend.

  • 5/5 Antonio Van Der S. 3 years ago on Google
    Great food great vibe

  • 5/5 Lee-Anne S. 3 years ago on Google
    Always a fun night out

  • 5/5 Kurgan Kenani Leather W. 3 years ago on Google
    Very festive, great good, great service, good value. Out door area for safer covid friendly seating

  • 5/5 Saskia A. 3 years ago on Google
    Great food, great drinks (happy hour special is the best!) and an overall vibe! 👌🏽

  • 5/5 Andrew C. 3 years ago on Google
    Exceptional food and great jugs of margaritas!! Book a table as it fills up Fast!! Best Natho's ever!!!

  • 5/5 Post F. 3 years ago on Google
    Good service, great staff, quality and. Authentic food.


Call +27 21 422 5022 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Paid parking lot
    • ✓️ Free of charge street parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Vegan options
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Happy-hour drinks
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating
  • From the business
    • ✓️ Identifies as women-owned

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