Blue Cactus welcomed us on a very hot Saturday afternoon for lunch and drinks. We barely had to wait before we were greeted and sat down. Our waiter (Drake) was definitely very helpful and extremely friendly! We ordered the cajun shrimp tacos and the chicken tacos, as well as two classic burgers. Everything was delicious and the portions were generous and worth the price. The drinks were also very good, generous and well priced! try their mojito or the bloody caesar!! Overall they have a beautiful terrasse located in the middle of ByWard Market and that is perfect for a hot summer day!

It's surprisingly good and the price is very reasonable. During our one week Ottawa stay, we had two dinners at Blue Cactus. The food is absolutely amazing and service was great. The big size mango margaritas is a must have.

Everything was great! Great drinks and food, thought the portions could've been a bit better for the fajitas. WAY too much sour cream and guacamole compared to such little amount of lettuce, rice and peppers. Had to ask for more lettuce but didn't want to bother asking for more rice & peppers. So if you're ordering for 2, get the one that feeds 3-4 ! ( or ask for extra )

Nice restaurant with good menu options, lots of room including tables for large groups. The service was amazing, our waiter was professional and patient even though we were a group. The food and drinks were very good. The place is on the noisy side but then again, we sure we're contributing to it!! I recommend making reservations, when we left around 21:30 there was a line-up to go in.

Located in the heart of ByWard market, Blue Cactus has a welcoming ambience and a lot of items to choose from their menu. Their portions size about right, serves 2 in most cases. The prices are not too steep and their cocktails are well made. Would definitely recommend this place for youth and hound adults as it could get loud when full. They do have a bar counter with multiple screens playing sports if one is looking for that. Considering they have ample seating space, it’s not too difficult to find seating here for walk ins. Would defiantly recommend their salad and Blue Cactus special cocktail.

Georgia was our server on St Patty’s evening. The place was just slammed busy. Michelle was awesome, super friendly and didn’t make us feel rushed in the madness. The food was quick and yummy. Especially the dessert! We had a nice chat and she sent us off with a wonderful experience. Six stars for Michelle. Ps…security was doing a great job too. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

If you like big drinks this might be the place for you!! The booze is excellent!!! Big and boozy! The nachos were also excellent! The 3 layer dip not so much! Bleh! Staff was friendly and helpful; the prices reasonable. Had a good time here worth a look!

The salad was a bit stale with the buttermilk fried chicken

It was pretty busy when we walked in. They quickly seated us. The food was pretty good—we did the fajitas. The serving was great for two people. Looking forward to going back.

Nice location and layout! Food is incredibly tasty and properly priced. Staff are friendly and respectful. Will come again!!!

Was very busy, about a two hour wait, but it was the first Saturday after the covid lockdown went into phase 1, so busy was to be expected. The food was delicious, and the drinks were amazing, although the nacho portions were a bit smaller than expected (we got seated a little bit after last call for kitchen, so that would likely be why--I'd definitely go back again to see if it was their standard size, because the nachos were really good). The staff were great and definitely giving it their all.

Had a chicken burgers and fries, even though my bun looked rough I thought it was pretty good. Their drinks are amazing. Had a raspberry mojito and I thought it was one of the best fruity drinks I’ve had. Their triples for 10$ u can’t go wrong. Great place to go and great environment. Awesome staff also . For me easy 4.3 stars.

Decent food and prices. But the atmosphere is well worth it. Lots of seating area and the patio is huge. Staff are friendly and are quick to serve.

Wednesday evening dinner on the patio. Service was fast and the restaurant was clean. We ordered the fajitas and club sandwich. Large portions and very tasty

A bit expensive. Decently quick service. Friendly staff. Nice environment

I originally was apprehensive of eating out during a pandemic and was pleasantly suprized to see how much care everyone took to ensure patron's safety with all protocols applied AND keeping a jovial atmosphere. I was kept warm in their patio with many pillars of gas torches making the experience even more special.

Awesome food. Tennesee iced tea was our fav

Wonderful service, great food! The server went out of his way to provide shade for us!

Great service and food.

Nice place with many features food . l order Chimichanga and it was good .

Great service, calamari was very good

The greeter was a bit grumpy, and her only job really is to smile and be nice. The server was young and a bit inexperienced but did a great job nevertheless. The fajitas were excellent, so were the hot wings.

Best spot for stiff drinks in the city. It’s a semi chill spot where you don’t have to worry about overcrowding and the food is solid. Come here with a few friends at night for the best experience. Their service is also pretty quick and friendly which is an added bonus. Have fun, hangout and enjoy 😊

The food was disappointing . We ordered the streak and potatoes, with Cajun shrimp . We asked for medium rare steak , it was over cooked , was barely even pink in the center , the Cajun shrimp wasn't even Cajun basically they just put a pinch of paprika and they called it a day . The potatoes were disappointing , not even creamy or anything really basic . Anyways the service was good the server was super nice and she was always smiling , if it wasn't for her good service , they would of got a 1 star .

Stopped by for a quick snack and some beers on a Beautiful Saturday near lunch time. Sat outside to people watch as we quenched our thirst and a bite to eat to plan our day. Good food, good drinks, good service and good atmosphere.

I recently visited blue cactus and the service was AMAZING. Our server Gillian was friendly, funny, and genuinely seemed happy to be there. She catered to our groups different allergies and recommended different food and drink options we could try. Overall nothing but positive things to say about the drinks, food and service. Next time we’re at Blue Cactus Gillian will be our go to server!

Brought my 19 year old daughter for her birthday. Service was excellent, food portion was huge for the price and the margaritas were delicious. My daughter was given a free dessert of her choice. Definitely recommend.

The service was great! I went for a school trip and they dealt with our group so well. The food was delicious and it was an amazing experience

I used to order a chicken sandwich (Tijuana club) from here with a buy one get one deal, they were pretty good. I recently ordered the banquet burger for their March but one get one deal and I must say I am disappointed. The ingredients are all fresh however despite this positive the burger was not enjoyable, the patty was under seasoned and lacking in the toppings department aside from the onions which were cut far too thick. The result was a burger that tasted far too strongly of onion interspersed between the large amount of bland ground beef. I was going to leave this review at 3.5 stars as the Tijuana clubs were always good and I would recommend them, sadly google doesn’t do half stars.

Our server Bryce was absolutely fantastic, management was fantastic! Food was good, drinks were good, and everything was on the ball! Could not have asked for a better server, and wait staff is good! Fun time, would reccomend! Georgia the manager was also fantastic!

Nice place. Food was pretty good. We ordered nachos, wings and calamari to start. Burgers and tacos for main course. The service was really good. A little on the expensive side, but overall was good.

The restaurant has a privileged location. The sangria I order was very tasty. The food was ok. Fries were cold . Definitely They have to improve the quality of the food.

Had very good time having a drink and a little snack. The staff was so sweet and the atmosphere was so nice. Great experience 👍🏻

The food was kind of bland for a mexican dish. I wish there was more seasoning and sauce inside my meal (chimichanga). Overall good prices for drinks and specials.

Upon a recent stay in downtown Ottawa and while walking in the Byward Market area, my partner suggested we stop into the establishment for a few drinks. Having observed many other patios visibly busier on a crowded night, I was hesitant. I presumed there must have been an issue with the place and I was proven right. We came into the host stand and waited to be seated and nobody came or looked at us. I was initially patient, presuming that staff was busy, although the place was almost empty. We ended up seating ourselves. 5-10min goes by, still no one, although staff is walking around. Another 5 mins goes by when the server comes and asks us what we'd like to drink to which I politely asked for a drink menu to decide. We eventually order our drinks and my drink wasn't correct, so I wait for the server to return to check on us - no return visit. I then proceed to the bar, where the male bartender is with not a single person sat at the bar (another flag). I ask him that my drink needs to be altered, and he states that I needed to do that through my server. Having already waited 15 min+ for a drink, I asked him if he could change it as he obviously just made it. He declines unless through the server. I replied that I would leave the drink on the bar and I was leaving the restaurant. He didn't seem to mind and neither did I. Considering there was not very many customers in the restaurant I believed it was better not to spend my money where it wasn't appreciated. This place would be absolutely scary to test the service levels if it was busy as I'm sure it gets exposed every time it is. If you like poor service, long wait times (when it's empty) and indifferent staff...this could be your sanctuary!

$10 triples! How could this be beat? Only if you added free perfectly salted popcorn right? Well you guessed it blue cactus has it all Great waiters and waitresses! Food is also good I love their fried chicken and sizzling fajitas

(Translated by Google) No hot drinks menu available in the afternoon. A bilingual waitress would have been appreciated ... (Original) Pas de carte de boissons chaudes disponible en après midi. Une serveuse bilingue aurait été apprécié...

Had the opportunity to organize a luncheon for 35 of my colleagues. During this very difficult Covid environment, we were delighted that Ida was able to accommodate our needs. With many different restrictions surrounding Covid protocol, Blue Cactus came through! We were somewhat worried on what some of my colleagues had requested but Ida and her team captained the menu and delivered a delicious lunch that met everyone’s needs and wants. The separately boxed soups, salads and main courses were all up to our expectations. The cutlery wrapped in linen napkins was a nice touch . Fabulous job and kudos to Ida, Jon and Bob for a great catered experience! We’re already looking forward to our next event. Thank you for the 5 Star experience!

Great food great service great ambiance

Very good

Good time love the plane

Great food and atmosphere. A bit noisy though

Can't go wrong with their well-priced triples! The food is also very tasty (good portions). The staff is generally quite friendly as well. Fun atmosphere!

Blue Cactus is the "not that expensive but still good" type of restaurant! Last time, I ordered a tuna salad, a shot of tequila and 2 long island for less then 70$ taxes and tip included. The service is not bad, but it takes forever to receive anything since covid-19. Just like any restaurant in Ottawa, since covid-19, make sure to have a reservation in advance to be able to go in.

Food was excellent. Our server, Cameron, was absolutely phenomenal! Couldn't have had a better experience. 🙏🏼💗

5 Star service from Graham! His service was absolutely top notch, food came hot and fast! Offered substitutes for menu items we could not have, and because it was my wife's birthday we got an amazing discount. Highly recommended!

Great restaurant. They have outdoor seating now due to covid. We ordered the tuna bowl salad which was delicious. We also ordered the southwest chicken salad which to be honest was nothing special. A regular salad that you can make yourself. The waiter was very nice. The service was fast. Had a good time overall.

Good food. Warm friendly atmosphere. Burger's good. My daughter is enjoying the super mixed vegetables and quinoa bowl. The live music just started. A nice spot.

I was visiting Ottawa for the week so I went here with a couple of friends one night. Initially we called to see if we could make a reservation but the person on the phone very bluntly responded saying that they weren't taking any reservations then hung up. Eventually when we arrived we were seated quickly. Service was good. Food was alright but slightly overpriced from what I had anticipated. Otherwise, I did enjoy the flavours from their shrimp lettuce wraps, and their fries!

I love the atmosphere. The staff are super friendly and courteous

Fast and super courteous staff make this a must come back favourite. Oh, and the food was really delicious - I had the steak wrap.

Great food and services!! A nice place to go, much better than some others we tried around...

The music is spot on and the service was great!

Great experience! They are taking the necessary covid precautions. Great food, exceptional service.

Great nachos, great service and really great music Sunday afternoon. Thanks so much.

Good drinks...burger was a little dry. Overall, popular spot for a younger crowd.

Popped in for a quick drink, great service, friendly staff!!

Menu is diverse and the food and drinks are great. Location being in the heart of the Byward Market is quite nice and the service was decent, but the interior/atmosphere is rather forgettable and boring. Overall, I'd say it's a bit overpriced, but the free birthday entree makes it worth it. Update: Wish I could give it a 3.5. I really like the food and drinks, but the apps are definitely not worth it quite over priced for being lower quality than your average pub.

Great ambiance, staff was cheerful and courteous and the bacon cheeseburger was perfect. Loved the terrace with fire heaters in November. Made me forget we were in 2020.

What a great place! Wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The Tuna Poke bowl is delish!!

Unfortunately, the experience we had tonight was less than terrible. Not what we're used to from the blue cactus. We had the nacho layered dip....Costco does it better :(. Our burger was...tasteless and cold. We give it a 2 because the fries were good, the server was nice and the patio heater created a good atmosphere

Was told they have 20 mins wait time, took my phone number saying “next table is yours”. Nobody bothered to call me ever since, leaving me waiting for promised “next table” for couple of hours.

Fantastic food, friendly service, and a lovely vibe.

It’s a busy spot, especially on weekends. Menu has variety of option. We ordered Chicken chimichanga and Etoufee. Staff was accommodating and able to change up my meal.

Good for Drinks/Cocktails and Snack. We enjoyed a cold Rose and chips with guacamole. Nice bar atmosphere and fast service

Food was okay. Some of the staff were being very casual in their application of the COVID safety guidelines, particularly related to wearing masks.

Food was pretty good, if the price was knocked down 5-10$ on every item it would be an easy 5 stars. Nothing really unique or worth the price.

Nothing special, average food and service.