I do this every spring and I never learn
Apr 05, 2005
It's about that time of the year again...
It's about that time when the weather starts to warm up again and I start to say to myself, "Gee, wouldn't it be nice to go to Cactus Cantina and sit outside eating some queso and drink a margarita."
Except, when I go, I realize, "Hmm, this seems familiar for some reason."
And then I realize why. There is a horrible wait to sit outside (usually over an hour), so I end up sitting inside (because the wait is ONLY a half-hour). The queso is basically cheese whiz with some onions in it and horribly disappointing. The service is always even worse than the last time I went, and I end up wishing that I had stayed home and made myself spaghettios and a poor man's margarita with Mountain Dew and tequila.
Oh well, what do we have if we don't have our traditions? Same time next year?
It could have been worse. You could have waited longer, for worse food and paid more money to eat at LauriHole Plaza. At least Cactus Cantina has the margarita like slushies.
Posted by: TC | Apr 06, 2005 at 09:19 AM
Maybe what you should do, sort of as a public service, is provide a list and review of outdoor dining around DC. I would certainly appreciate it. I mean, they're pretty easy to find if you're walking by, but a comprehensive list with your ratings of food and the patios themselves would be excellent.
By the way, I have been reading throught your archives and followed your advice on two recent occasions and am now a passionate fan of 2 Amys and Heritage India. I never want to eat anywhere else ever again.
Posted by: Elizabeth | Apr 06, 2005 at 10:44 AM
A little north on Wisconsin, you will find Guapos, next to Starbucks, across from Best Buy. You may have better food and service there. Then there's the new, much larger, Rio Grande in Bethesda.
Posted by: Bill Fant | Apr 06, 2005 at 12:05 PM
I had a green pork burrito on La Frontera Cantina's patio this afternoon with a a Silver Margarita and it was fabulous. I have no idea why there is never a crowd at that place -- we go there frequently and always enjoy it.
I don't think they've had any health code violations, but don't see how to search the dchealth.dc.gov website...
Posted by: hudson | Apr 06, 2005 at 05:08 PM
You are right on about this strange Rite of Spring many of us do. I paid my annual visit to Banana Cafe on The Hill on Saturday and although there was no wait for a table, our party waited 90 minutes for our food to arrive. This may be my third spring in a row that I've subjected myself and others to indifferent service and mediocre food there - perhaps in hopes that it will someday change?
Posted by: DCJono | Apr 11, 2005 at 04:48 PM
Cactus Cantina is wildly overrated, and I have no idea why (except that it looks like a fun place from the outside, I guess). I used to go there pretty often in high school, when my friends worked there, but these days I prefer to walk on by.
Posted by: Jake | Apr 12, 2005 at 01:38 PM