Location
Information
Reviews
Details

Cuisine type

  • American Cuisine,
  • Tex Mex,

Dishes

  • Grill,
  • Hamburger,
  • Nachos,
  • Taco,
  • Steak,

Features

  • Restaurant With Bar,

Products and Services

  • Churros,
  • Salsa,
  • Picadillo,
  • Churro,
  • Good For Groups,

Languages Spoken

  • French,
  • English,
Location
2 By Ward Market Sq, Ottawa, ON K1N 7A1
Useful Information

Opening Hours *Holiday hours

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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Rates:

  • $11 To $25,

Methods of Payment:

Ratings & Reviews - Blue Cactus

How would you rate this business?
3/5
  • Excellent
  • Very good
  • Average
  • Poor
  • Terrible
2
4
11
3
3
  • Atmosphere:
  • Food:
  • Service:
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Restaurantica12
By

Hit and Miss...

Have been here for lunch a few times with work buddies, don't expect much and am and never disappointed. Dinner though, I expect a lot more. The food was very good, from the penne to the halibut to the fajitas, they were all hot, tasty and well presented. I would go back for the food. The service, well, there seem to be a lot of servers around but they are all over the place. They tire me out watching them run around and seemingly not get anything done. Lots of tables had their hand up trying to flag someone down. A serious need of organization. Yes, I would go back, the food was quite good.

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Restaurantica12
By

A definite yes!

Though typically busy, this place is worth making the reservation for! A tightly packed atmosphere, this restaurant offers the comfortable food in a bustling restaurant. Service great, food quality great. Bonus on the cute bus boys!

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Restaurantica12
By

My friends visiting us from Paris wanted to go in...

My friends visiting us from Paris wanted to go in a good restaurant. I was suggested Blue Cactus. We went there with my girlfriend and friends at around 9.00pm at night. The following day, 3 of us were sick, sharing our restrooms! I still remember, most of the food had been warmed up in the microwave (hot outside and cold inside). We all had chicken (was this chicken!?). The one not being sick had ordered frecnh fries and a burger. Two days later, we went back to talk to the management. The Manager obviously didn't care. Since then, I never went there and will never go back! When someone asks me about a restaurant, I tell them anywhere but this one!

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 1/5
Service: 1/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Will be back!

I loved this place! They sat us down right away. The service was fast and efficient and the food was excellent! Portion sizes are fantastic, just the right size. The waitress was very attentive, which I know is hard when you have a lot of tables. I will certainly go back.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
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Restaurantica12
By

It's a cool hangout place. I love the banana...

It's a cool hangout place. I love the banana bailey colada. My boyfriend and I came in looking for a table to sit and eat. There was going to be a 20 minute wait and were like OK we'll wait at the bar. We ordered drinks from there and nobody came to get us for a table and we saw many getting cleared. I went there for a friends' party and that was my first time there, the service for the party was quick and excellent. I wouldn't mind having a dinner party there. I tcan get pricey though!!

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Our server was friendly but absent. A member of...

Our server was friendly but absent. A member of our group ordered the Blue Cactus Pizza. When it arrived it looked quite good but proved to be under-cooked. Would not go back due to the marginal service and the under-cooked food. Too bad because it has a very nice interior and relaxing atmosphere.

Atmosphere: 2/5
Food: 2/5
Service: 2/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Been going to this place for the last 5 year, use...

Been going to this place for the last 5 year, use to be good but terrible lately. Service is non existant, food is often cold.

Atmosphere: 1/5
Food: 1/5
Service: 1/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Very nice atmosphere inside the place. Went on a...

Very nice atmosphere inside the place. Went on a Sunday afternoon and it seemed like they were under staffed. The menu was limited though the food we ordered tasted great. I never had chicken that tasted like mango before and I was quite impressed. My only complaint was that it was a bit dry and could of used a bit of sauce. The service was very slow and the waitress never came back for refills or to check up on how things were. I also noticed a table next to me having issues with them not receiving any kind of sauce for their food/salad. I'd probably only go back for a drink or two, I wouldn't make a point of eating at the place though. Limited menu and slow service hampered it. The prices of the food were fair, drinks were a bit pricey.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 2/5
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Restaurantica12
By

We sat at the bar to start- and what a beautiful...

We sat at the bar to start- and what a beautiful bar it is, the design and decor is very trendy. The bartender was friendly yet hardly spoke to us...seemed shy?! Not an appropriate job for someone who can hardly say two words to a customer. During our meal we enjoyed great music; our server was very pleasant and had much knowledge of the menu. Keep up the good work staff and management!

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Shame on me for not reading the restaurant...

Shame on me for not reading the restaurant reviews beforehand. Blue Cactus appeared to be a fun place with good atmosphere. It was busy, so we knew we would have to wait a bit...but two tables who sat down after us were served, ate their food and were ready to pay before we got our food. When she brought the food, the waitress apologized and said they would take the meal off the bill, which was good and that's why service gets a "2". However she didn't check up on us and when she gave us the bill, we never saw her again. Eventually after about 15 minutes, we just grabbed another server to run our credit card through. All told, dinner took 2.5 hours. The food was ok, but not worth it to me to go back.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 1/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Had a horrible waiter, the service sucked. The...

Had a horrible waiter, the service sucked. The layout of it sucks if you get put upstairs. Great food and good prices, lots of Tv's.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 1/5
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Restaurantica12
By

The food is ok, I like the nachos the best. The...

The food is ok, I like the nachos the best. The drinks are really good, especially the cactus sized ones. The service is so so, the servers never seem to really care about the costumers' needs. They keep talking amongst themselves. Over all ok.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
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Restaurantica12
By

By far the best restaurant in Ottawa. Great food...

By far the best restaurant in Ottawa. Great food and the best looking staff in Ottawa. Atmosphere is great. Friday and Saturday nights seem to girls night out in there cause it has to be at least eighty percent women. great to people watch and enjoy a nice steak. I have already become a regular.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
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Restaurantica12
By

I had a great time for dinner at Blue Cactus...

I had a great time for dinner at Blue Cactus! The atmosphere is really nice and the food is very good also. (Someone who reviewed earlier had nothing good to say, but maybe they are just a negative person) Happen to know who they are and they are not 19-25 try 40 plus.... why do men lie about there age?

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
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Restaurantica12
By

I had a birthday gathering at the Blue Cactus and...

I had a birthday gathering at the Blue Cactus and they were one of the only restaurants in the market that would accommodate the group of 20+ without a ridiculous set menu. The service was fantastic considering the size of the group - the waitress did a great job. I visit the Blue Cactus often for drinks: always good! The food isn't gourmet, but it's certainly good. I recommend the shrimp and brie club, as well as the frozen drinks of course!

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
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Restaurantica12
By

The food has never been an issue here, as it is...

The food has never been an issue here, as it is always great. However, whether I have been to this restaurant with 1 other person or 10 other people, whether it has been a busy night or a slow Tuesday, the service is ALWAYS bad. We ordered our drinks at 7pm and didn't receive them until 7:30. We didn't order any appetizers, but our food still took about 1 hour to receive. Our waitress would disappear periodically, and every time we would ask for a refill on our drinks it would take at least 10 minutes to get them. Our server was not knowledgeable, and did not seem as if she cared to make any money off of us. In fact, every time I have been to this restaurant our server has seemed more annoyed than happy to serve us. Our server spilled beer on one of the guests, and screwed up 2 of our orders - we didn't bother sending them back because it would have taken too long.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 2/5
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Restaurantica12
By

We waited for 3 hours, meanwhile enjoying a...

We waited for 3 hours, meanwhile enjoying a delicous strawberry dacquari, the best of my life. james had a beer. we were overlooked on the wait list, probably because yenny is much better looking than the other patrons. Once seated the eatables were reasonable but we were too tired to stay for much longer, and retired early to our hotel for a nightcap.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 1/5
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Restaurantica12
By

The service was terrible. The wait between...

The service was terrible. The wait between placing our order and receiving our order was longer then it should have been in the middle of the afternoon when there weren't a lot of customers in the restaurant. Our waiter's shift ended halfway through our meal and no one was asked to take over our table, so we stared at empty plates for 20 minutes while waiters kept walking by us. We finally had to flag one down, and he didn't look too impressed. The food was good, but with so many other restaurants nearby, we probably won't be returning any time soon.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 1/5
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Restaurantica12
By

This is a decent enough place, but the food, the...

This is a decent enough place, but the food, the entire set-up, and the clientele screams of "girl's night out," replete with big-haired women sitting in the front window, sipping margaritas and comparing notes on every hottie that walked by. If that's what you're after... paydirt! If not, you might eat your standard fare and feel the need to leave sooner than later.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
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Restaurantica12
By

This was a trendy place trying to please all...

This was a trendy place trying to please all types of people. So it's not hard to believe that it has gotten a mediocre rating from myself. It was an average restaurant.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
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Let the good times roll at these Ottawa happy hour hotspots

Let the good times roll at these Ottawa happy hour hotspots

What's better than happy hour? Having access to a happy hour menu all-day, every day. At Blue Cactus, they offer their happy hour menu each and every day, serving up discounted cocktails and snacks. You can enjoy triples for just $10 and craft pints for $6.75. If you're hungry, there are four delicious yet affordable snacks to try: nachos, chicken wings, fajitas, or sweet potato fries with Padano cheese and chili-lime mayo.

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