Southwestern cuisine: the best places to taste it in Cape Town Central

Fat Cactus

83/100 (3510 ratings)

Restaurants

Bar

Mexican

Vegan Options

Central American

Mexican

Southwestern

Bar

Vegetarian Friendly

Central American

Gluten Free Options

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Dinner

Lunch

After-hours

Brunch

Drinks

Tapas

Tacos

Ribs

Burger

Fajitas

Nachos

Pork

Wings

Chili

Sit down

Mexican

Central American

Bar

Reservations

Seating

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Serves Alcohol

Full Bar

Outdoor Seating

Takeout

Television

Dinner

Lunch

Drinks

After-hours

Brunch

Mid-range

"Fat cactus is always a good bet, you can’t go wrong with a moggyrita and the pulled pork tacos are my all time favourite! Vibe is great, you..."

Liza

"Stopped here as part of the Burger Brews beer route. Had some Rosebank beer, and they had a special of free small nachos when you order a portion of..."

Carl Thomas

"Awesome vibe. Youthful, fun and fresh. Tangy Mexican flavors with a kick. Food is extremely filling. Place is quite loud and crowded though. Enjoyed..."

Kaylynn Mocke

"Great vibe, usually Mexican is heavy in one of the four main elements but here their dishes are perfectly well balanced flavors of proteins, spices,..."

Michael Dowden

"Fat Cactus has a really good vibe. There's indoor and outdoor seating, is great for groups, however, can get a bit loud. This is a perfect place to..."

Sahaj Singh

"One word, nachos... These are some of my favorite nachos and the pitcher of margaritas doesn’t hurt. A great little spot on Park street in Gardens,..."

Nicholas_Jon_D

"What a lovely lovely place. We are visiting SA from India, have been to Fat Cactus twice already. Just love the vibe here. The menu and the food is..."

Srishti Agrawal

"One of the best nachos in Cape Town!!!! The service was quick and friendly! Really awesome vibe and cosy from the cold and wet outside. Will..."

Jomari Steyn

"Love Fat Cactus! Great place, great vibe. Food is good and the staff are very friendly. Their Gingerbread tequila is amazing! And they now have Gin..."

Elmari

"Went with a group of about 20 people. Such a great young vibe, especially since the World Cup was on. Food was delicious, packed with..."

Carmelita Dos Ramos

"Was recommended by a friend to give this place a try to satisfy the craving for Mexican food. Amazing service on a busy evening and food was a..."

Kyle Nathan Groenewald

"This is honestly my favourite place to eat and drink! The frozen Gin and Tonic is AMAZING! The staff and manager are the coolest people, always..."

Amy Wardle

"Always a good time at Fat cactus. Nothing like a few frozen margarita jugs to get the night started. Their food is also amazing! The nachos and the..."

Nadia Beverley Abrahams

"The risotto cheese balls and poppers are my favourite so is he nachos (or anything with melted cheese!), simply delicious! You have to try a ginger..."

Yajna Gold

"Awesome ambiance, great service and an extensive, imaginative menu makes every visit to Fat Cactus a treat. The special lunch menu was a welcome..."

Sunellevz

"Honestly, if I could change one thing about The Fat Cactus in Gardens, it would be to bring it to my front doorstep. I had the time of my life here...."

Ivi Malotana

"Went here for lunch and a bit of wifi. Had the starter cheesy nachos, which was a generous serving and filled the gap. The service was great and..."

@natsnotfazed

"BEST service yet from our waiter, Niel. (Would defiantly suggest asking for him to serve you next time you go). Thanks for making our experience at..."

Danielle Sara Eberlin

"Amazing food, everything on the menu tastes great, from fajitas to tortillas to their mountain of Nachos and have to try their Ice Berg Draught beer..."

Ricardo Teixeira

"Really great vibe and a huge variety of Mexican food on the menu. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Vegan cheese available for vegan..."

Sam Corcoran

"Atmosphere is great , would recommend fans or a cooling system for the outside section as it gets extremely hot. The service is fast and friendly...."

Octavia Venables

"The Fat Cactus is an unassuming spot with no frills or fanciness, and its claim to fame is "Cape Town's best Tex Mex since 98'"!They have..."

Lauras World

"What a fabulous find on a Sunday in the city when everything else is closed! Gees, cold drinks and great service. I’m keen to be back...."

Lisa Botha Gibbon

"Easy dining. Fab atmosthphere . Brilliant decor and excellent service . A must to visit. Very well priced booze a bit on the heavy side..."

Andre Breytenbach

"This place is AMAZING!! The waiter and manager were both very friendly and came to come check on us frequently also they were easy to speak to. The..."

Camilynn Camz Conradie

"I was very impressed with the service here, specially since the restaurant was absolutely packed! The food was pretty good, and I highly..."

Andrea L

"The service was fantastic! Our waiter was friendly and entertaining. The margaritas and gingerbread tequila are good. The food was hit and miss..."

Jessica Zef

"I recently visited The Fat Cactus in Cape Town. I was first introduced to The Fat Cactus by my benedict and some of his friends who’d visited it..."

Www.getinmybelly.co.za

"Had such an amazing time here with some friends. The waiter was super friendly and very quick with her service. I had the chicken salad and..."

SquatForPancakes

"I had an amazing dinner and drinks session with a few friends last night. The restaurant itself is very vibey and can get quite loud but..."

Laylah Fay

"The drinks here are brilliant. The iceberg comes highly recommended. The food is also tasty fresh and fast with a great kick. Hands down the best..."

Jaryd Kay

"Fun spot. Great for ambience, good basic Mexican food and a loud, crowds spot. Good service good food! Will go back any time except if I want a glass..."

Richard

"Great place to chill with friends for drinks. Nachos are amazing. Guy that looked like the manager seated us and was extremely friendly. Offered us..."

Nicole Andrews

"This is definitely the kind of place where you have to book a table in advance. It is loud and vibey, perfect for a fun dinner with a group of..."

Sara Lohmaier

"Went to Fat cactus with friends. They assured me that it would be a "Jol". As we entered we just saw a sea of people. The place was packed with young..."

Tsepiso Mbali

"Always a good bet for a quick bite and drink. Friendly and attentive staff, tasty food and overall chilled environment and way less pretentious than..."

Shnapple

"Went here for a friends birthday and it was a great vibe, authentic Mexican style restaurant with a noisy atmosphere and very full. We really enjoyed..."

Aidan Samuels

"Been coming here for a while and never failed to impress, great vibe great service. Highly recommend this place to anyone and easy choice for good..."

Loic Quentin

"This is a classic place to come for tasty Mexican food and even tastier margarita jugs! I always end up ordering my usual nachos, my weakness! But..."

Sarah Mcghie

"I love Mexican food. The Fat Cactus is the perfect relaxed place for super tasty Mexican enchiladas and fajitas and with a super chill vibe. Great..."

John Brand

"I love Fat Cactus so much so that I visited twice on a recent trip to Cape Town. Th food is unpretentious, flavourful, huge portions and decently..."

Sam

"Really good Mexican fair, big fan of the 1/2margarita 1/2 daiquiri jugs and big platter with multiple little nibbles. The portion size is generous..."

Chris Rafael

"The best Chili Poppers in Cape Town! Been frequenting this franchise since the original one opened in Mobray in 1996. Totally consistent- friendly..."

Susan Searle

"We finally gave The Fat Cactus a try and we were not disappointed!The atmosphere was great, a very relaxed vibe, and the food was to die for!..."

Lauren Angela Jeffrey

"Quality food and great drinks. Always a cool vibe 👌🏼Ordered margaritas and nachos and was impressed. Reasonably priced and always..."

CapeTownFoodie

"The chillies are hot and the fire burns....the cocktails were OK (it was happy hour) and the service fine too. I will go back, the only drawback was..."

Julian Meyer

"T'was the eve of love, Valentine's Day, and as expected, Fat Cactus delivered fall-in-love good food. The fact that they make their own..."

Jana Ferreira

"Absolutely delicious!!! Ahhh and such incredible nachos! Homemade, plus there's dairy free cheese available 😍😍 service was spot on, must give..."

Talia Lee Cohen

"Vibrant, festive, fast service, friendly staff. Blue cheese and bacon nachos yeah that's right blue cheese and bacon. And of course the famous..."

Dayne Williams

"This is my second Fat Cactus experience but now at a different venue. They’re keeping the standard high! Again, the food was delicious - the best..."

FoodMissionary

"The perfect spot to meet up with good friends and enjoy delicious food and amazing drinks, is located right in the middle of Cape Town, with a buzz..."

TwoTastyTummies

"Just moved to Cape Town and decided to check out the Fat Cactus! Absolutely amazing! From the drinks to the food to the company definitely a ten out..."

Dayne

"We came for a late lunch yesterday and the outside area was buzzing with people ordering their happy hour margaritas. We sat inside which was quite..."

Akira Wing

"I think this restaurant speaks for itself.. Margherita jugs, a menu which makes choosing difficult, and a vibe like none other! As a creature of..."

Mandy Jones

"I usually always stick to the nachos and chilli poppers which are my favourites on the menu but this time I tried the chicken fajitas and my partner..."

Sai Maharaj

"Too many great things about the place. THE MOGARITA JUG is amazing & the so is the price! The food is just as amazing. I've probably been to the..."

Sanelisiwe Sani Sibanyoni

"We recently had a girls' night at The Fat Cactus and it was a great time.We had a few margaritas to start off with, I had the mango flavour..."

Chanel Pillay

"Not my favourite Fat Cactus, but it's still a great place for sundowners/post drinks if you're in the CBD/surrounds. Came here after first..."

Danieljake

"I have never really been in a Mexican vibe restaurant, but The Fat Cactus is definitely worth going to for Mexican food. Loved the menu! So many..."

Rachael Laura Wahl

"Awesome nachos! Lots of drink to choose from. Great atmosphere to hangout with friends. Parking a bit of an issue - Just park underground..."

Ben Kilian

"Today is Mexico's Independence Day, and in that spirit some colleagues and I came here last night for dinner. and I shared their Frida Frittas,..."

Melanie Du Toit

"Loved this place! The food was delicious and the service was good. My favourite part about today was those pulled pork tacos. They equalled happiness..."

Saltnsas

"Great food, great atmosphere. Service is friendly, but was slightly slow, though to be fair, we were there at a very busy time. Loved it overall...."

Owais Diyan

"Awesome social hub in gardens. The food is delicious, the staff are young and friendly. The atmosphere and vibe is on fleek and busy which is great...."

Leonardo Sforza

"Mexican is always a go-to cuisine when you feel like eating out and something spicy! I'm a fan of their frozen margaritas, esp since you can mix -..."

Megan Bellinger

"Definitely one of the best Mexican Eat Outs in Cape Town - Their Fajitas, Amazeballs, Popper and Ginger Bread Tequila are a must!!!! The staff are..."

Shainy

"Always a great choice for a relaxed night out with friends. Be assured you will not go home hungry and certainly will be satisfied if you enjoy..."

Mreviews

"Fat Cactus always makes for lots of fun and will definitely bring you relief when you need your Mexican fix. I love the frozen margarita jugs. They..."

Jonathan Holmes

"Always enjoy some fat cactus. Another place that requires a booking. It's a vibey Mexican spot that offers some really nice Mexican dishes. I've had..."

Ulisha Moodley

"Ahhh fat cactus, what can I say? Top quality joint. The food is so good - all of it. My favourite meal is the pulled pork hard shell tacos, but even..."

Nicole O'Neill

"Nachos at the fat cactus makes me so happy! Love the strawberry juice and the sliders. Much rather prefer this branch than the other. Service is..."

Tabassum Smiley Aleem

"Absolutely superb tacos! I had a craving and the steak tacos really hit the spot. They were delicious and filling and quite a large portion size. My..."

Azele Anne Naicker

"Love this place, definitely one of those soul food places! So yummy, we had nachos and burritos and they are so yummy! Definitely have to visit them..."

Juanita Rene Stears

"Had an excellent evening out with cousins 😄Obviously I had a moggy rita - all 3 flavours in 1 glass of deliciousness! For supper, I had..."

Liezl

"Love this little restaurant in Gardens. I used to live quite close by, so it's become a meeting spot of sorts . Big tip- phone ahead. It's miserable..."

Sumendra Chetty

"Awesome gingerbread tequila and margarita jugs!! The food is also very tasty and authentic Mexican cuisine. I was very impressed and also loved the..."

FoodieC

"Fat Cactus is probably my favourite Mexican Place in the city, haven't had a single negative experience here yet although I was a little disappointed..."

Zanenkululeko Belot

"Friends and I needed to kill some time before an event today so we popped into Fat Cactus for a snack and some drinks. We shared Nachos, chilli..."

Nicol Miller

"Fat Cactus is without a doubt my favourite Mexican spot in Cape Town. You can’t visit this place without having fun – the food is amazing and the..."

Marcia Relling

"Good food but slow service and appalling noise levels from drunk patrons making it impossible to hold a conversation. The quality of the food was..."

Tally Leach

"The food here is amazing and I have not had a bad experience. One of my favourite things to have here is the frozen cocktail. So yummy, but dangerous..."

Nicola Barrett

"Fat Cactus is located down the roads of one of the busiest streets in CBD, Cape Town, but yet provides a serenity of its own away from the traffic..."

Jamie Jacobs

"Awesome vibe here with awesome Margherita jugs. I was disappointed with the chilli poppers that all my friends had previously recommended..."

Gabriel Stein

"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..."

Roseline Kolony

"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..."

**Es* Louw**

"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..."

Robin G

"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..."

Shauna Kelly

"Been going here for years. Amazing food and drinks. Current favourites are the fish tacos, gingerbread tequila, castle lite ice berg, and the..."

Daniella Viola

"Great restaurant with colourful interior, friendly staff, and fabulous food, and we had a lovely jug of Strawberry..."

NJ Allen

"First time visit. Great menu, reasonable pricing and super delish real deal Mexican food. Enjoyed every bite, full of fresh flavours. We were there..."

Marcelle Armstrong

"Great food and atmosphere. The mojito just had too much crushed ice, especially at R75 it should be more drink, less..."

Francisco Lakay

"The food is excellent and the frozen margarita jugs are THE BEST. It's also always full and vibey, even on a Monday night. Best to always book ahead..."

Niki Hodson

"It was my first time there, although it was fully booked we got a 2 seater table. The vibe is so fun!! I had the cow boy nachos & it was bomb af!!..."

Kija Nienaber

"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..."

Vicky Krapohl

"Seriously good Mexican food. Very impressed. The atmosphere and service here is great too. Highly..."

Rowan Beard

"Come for the lime margaritas and stay for the good food. Great service to top it off. Would definitely recommend booking a table if you are going in..."

Kate Henry

"Great food, excellent service. The place can get a little noisy, but I suppose it’s par for the course. Food portions are also pretty..."

Darryl Radcliffe

"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..."

Carina du Plessis

"If you're old like me and you want to revisit your youth for a moment or two, here's where you go. It was so good to sit among young folks and absorb..."

Peter Du Preez

"Good atmosphere and great food. Would come back for their nachos and tacos. Friend was also impressed by their fried bar-one and ice..."

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Southwestern cuisine: the best places to taste it in Cape Town Central

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Www.getinmybelly.co.za

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**Es* Louw**