Pink Cactus
By Elise Devoe, @CookinWithBooze
Spring Street is blowing up with new restaurants and Pink Cactus is a welcome addition! They specialize in authentic Oaxacan cuisine with plenty of tequila and mezcal cocktails to wash it down. My fellow Tastemakers and I started out with shared apps and moved into a four-course meal paired with cocktails. The menu items look familiar like chicken tacos and enchiladas, but you get hit with a flavor bomb from the authentic mole sauces that have such depth of flavor like you’ve never had before!
1st Course: Salsas and Guac paired with a Pink Cactus Margarita
I am somewhat of a margarita snob and let me tell you, Pink Cactus delivers. Their pink cactus margarita was not too sweet, had a nice kick of lime, and you could actually taste the tequila! That checks all my boxes. The salsa appetizer comes with 3 different salsas each with varying heat. The salsa verde was my personal favorite.
Up next was the guacamole which tasted super fresh and light. Another unique aspect of Pink Cactus is that instead of chips they give you big tostadas that you break apart. It’s nice because no one gets jipped with the crumbly chips at the bottom!
2nd Course: Tortilla Soup paired with the Guanábana
When I think of Tortilla soup I think of comfort and Pink Cactus’ tortilla soup is sure to give you all the warm and fuzzies! In addition to being rich and delicious, $1 from every tortilla soup ordered between now and 12/21 will benefit The Green Heart Project. The soup is topped off with creamy avocado chunks and cotija cheese to offset the slightly spicy soup. The Guanabana was a great complement to the tortilla soup as it was also creamy and slightly sweet from the addition of guava and jackfruit.
3rd Course: Chicken Tacos paired with the Espuma
The Espuma is probably one of the more unique cocktails I’ve had in a while. The base is kiwi and tequila, which I’ve never had before. The kiwi gives the cocktail a smooth texture and it’s topped off with a coconut lemon foam, which is a creamy yet light addition. The Espuma was my favorite cocktail of the night purely because of its uniqueness!
Next we move on to the chicken tacos with salsa roja, crema, and topped off street taco style with radish, pickled red onion, and cilantro. The salsa roja had a rich and slightly spicy flavor and the radish and pickled red onion added an acidity and crunch that had you coming back for more!
4th Course: Family Style dishes
The last course was definitely my favorite of the night. We had the opportunity to enjoy selections from the “para compartir”(for sharing) section of the menu which included a whole fish with mole amarillo and a whole chicken with mole negro. The chicken was really the star of the show for me because the mole negro was so rich and flavorful I just couldn’t stop eating it! The shisitos served alongside had a nice acidity to them and it made for a perfect bite.
The whole fish was super flavorful and served alongside tortillas so you could make your own tacos! The skin of the fish was crispy and the fish itself was cooked to perfection! If you are eating with a group, this is the perfect way to have a fun shared experience.
I cannot wait to come back to Pink Cactus for more authentic eats and happy hour margaritas! Everything we had was so flavorful and I’m excited to have authentic Mexican cuisine down the street from me!
