In culinary terms, there’s nothing quite compares to Mexican food done right.
To some, it might feel a little simplistic. This isn't a view I hold. What I love about Mexican food is it's a celebration of flavours and usually rather sizable portions. In Leeds, I feel Lupe’s Cantina is the gold star for masterful Mexican meals.
Although, when trying to crown the best Mexican eatery in Leeds I’ve repeatedly heard really positive things about the menu at Leeds city centre venue Neon Cactus. So, it was only right I finally popped in for a visit.
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We intended to visit on a Saturday night and thankfully despite being quite late in the week, at time of enquiring, we managed to book a table. A good thing too as when we arrived early evening at Neon Cactus the only table free on the top floor of the Call Lane venue was the one reserved for us. A good sign and clear evidence of its popularity.
Oddly, before being seated we kind of bumped into someone who initially we weren’t 100 per cent sure if they worked there. But clearly when they showed us our table they obviously did.
Heading to a gig after our meal, we were in a little bit of a rush, and admittedly that was unbeknownst to the staff. The bar-come-restaurant, which stays open until 4am most evenings, was clearly busy, it was a Saturday evening after all, but it did take between 10 to 15 minutes to put in our drinks order which felt too long of a stretch. In fairness, it was more a case of not knowing whether we should have been ordering at the bar or if Neon Cactus offered waiting service. Sadly, it did feel a little muddled and confused.
To clarify, once things got moving and our order placed the waiting staff who served us were very helpful and friendly. One of the things which didn't help was it was difficult, at times, to quite place who did or didn’t work at Neon Cactus.
In terms of the offering, the drinks menu is packed with a plethora of appealing options and if you love tequila then you’ll be in luck. Because, like any good Mexican-inspired establishment, there’s lots of tequila treats to choose from. During our Saturday evening visit, we sampled the strawberry margarita (£9) and the smoke and mirrors cocktails (£9.50).
While, on the food menu, diners can choose from nachos, tacos, burritos and wings among other offerings. Neon Cactus, set over two floors, is stylish and slick with its interior giving a nod to Mexico’s famous Day of The Dead festivities. If the music is a little more Call Lane than Mexico City.
All through our visit, Neon Cactus was atmospheric and one of the livelier venues in Leeds city centre. There were ‘wooos’, cheers and the odd loud cackle. It was fun and there’s no denying the venue likes the idea of throwing a good party.
On the walls, like the menu, you’ll find the odd swear word or two. I swear like a trooper so it didn’t bother me in the slightest although gimmicks like that did, at times, scream of ‘look how edgy we are’ and displayed the same kind of ‘attitude’ Poochie came brimming with when he joined Itchy and Scratchy.
As previously mentioned, after the initial slow start, the waiting staff were very helpful. When ordering we asked if our starter could come with the main meals. It was explained they couldn’t quite stretch to that but the mains would follow shortly after our soy nachos starter (£9.50) - in fairness they came still while we were eating them which suited us.
The huge appetiser was delightful with a good generous mix of soy chilli, vegan nacho cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and salsa. Having made a mere dent in our nachos, our main meals arrived soon after.
My dining companion opted for the eye-catching pork tacos (£7.50). They consisted of marinated pork, homemade pineapple salsa, onions and coriander.
I feasted on the birria chicken burrito, requested and delivered without the advertised coleslaw, which included Mexican rice and the ‘drunk as f**k’ beans. The latter element, a nice little Neon Cactus speciality, refried beans cooked in tequila and Mexican beer.
Both of us were in agreement, the food was excellent, clearly produced with quality ingredients. And, while the offerings at both are very contrasting, in terms of food, Neon Cactus is a more than worthy alternative to Lupe’s Cantina.
Hopefully offering a little constructive feedback, just if that additional attentive element could be added to the service operation or, alternatively, stripped back and patrons order at the bar. As at the end of our meal, which came in at a very reasonable £44.50, the service, which has also been referenced in some of the reviews I’ve seen elsewhere, just took that shine away. Again, I do appreciate, it was a busy Saturday evening and, as I referenced, there were some positives on an individual level but, in general, it just felt like something wasn’t quite ticking right. Whether it was as part of the general set up or if maybe there was a staff member or two absent.
At the conclusion, It did feel like quite a lengthy time for our plates to be left on the table without an offer of trying the churros or bunuelos listed in Neon Cactus’ desserts . They still weren’t removed by the time we eventually had to ask for the bill. It is a shame as the fantastic food was just a little let down.
Despite, the venue being good as a bar and also, through the food quality, as a restaurant the two did not quite marry together.
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The bill
- Strawberry margarita - £9
- Smoke and mirrors - £9.50
- Soy nachos - £9.50
- Birria chicken burrito - £9
- Pork tacos - £7.50
- Service charge - £4.45 (optional addition)
Total: £48.95
35 Call Lane, Leeds, LS1 7BT. To book a table visit the Neon Cactus website or call 0113 245 8400.
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