Velvet Cactus

When the Velvet Cactus first opened up a few years ago, I was SO excited. Mexican food is my favorite cuisine and the outdoor ambiance was incredibly enticing! Outwardly, I was sucked right in!  The drinks seemed like they’d be fresh and tasty, but turned out tasting like cheap tequila and fruit-flavored syrup.  The perfect gem that I thought we'd found, simply, was not.  I thought my first visit was going to be my last, and I don’t think I was alone: if you Google the restaurant, the third entry reads, “Bad Mexican, Terrible Drinks.” 

Recently, however, we rediscovered the Velvet Cactus.  Word on the street is that they have a new chef.  I don’t know if that’s true, but man was it good!  We started with the Queso Blanco, which was fabulous (how can it not be? It’s a bowl of gooey melted cheese!).  I also spotted a bowl of guacamole on the table!  I’m a bit of a guacamole snob; I like it fresh, not too much cilantro, a bite of acid and NO RED ONION!  This one was perfect, a bit of acid, salt and of course, that amazing fresh avocado flavor.  In fact, now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think that that was for the table.  I think that I snagged someone else’s appetizer! Oops! Sorry Kim! ;) I blame the tequila!

We went for a birthday party with a large crowd.  The staff was overly accommodating and even split up the check, even though they “weren't supposed to.”  Whatever that means.  My husband and I were charged for an extra $10 margarita on our tab and instead of correcting the mistake; the server explained that she couldn't remove it without undoing ALL the tabs (perhaps this falls under ‘not supposed to’).  She asked that we find a way for our friends to buy us a drink later that evening.  Whatever.  Annoying, but if that were true, I can understand.  After all that they did for us, it wasn't a huge deal.  I don’t know how she kept us all straight in the first place.  That was a feat.  One mis-placed drink is actually quite impressive considering the size of our group. The waters stayed full, the drinks were flowing and the chips stayed HOT!  When selecting a drink, stay away from the Watermelon or Strawberry foo-foo drinks.  Keep it simple. The Patron Perfect Margarita was great, the other too were far too sweet!

As for the entrees, I ordered the shrimp enchiladas with a grilled veggie skewer and rice pilaf.  The veggies were AWESOME!  I loved the seasoning and they were cooked just right.  NOT mushy and still had some bite.  The shrimp enchiladas were also amazing.  I ordered only one because I normally don’t like them, but wanted to something new.  It was worth it! 

 Honestly, my least favorite part about Mexican food in New Orleans is the Spanish rice.  NOBODY can get it right. But Velvet Cactus got it!  It’s not Spanish rice, but it was nice to have a paella style pilaf.  It wasn’t a mushy scoop of sloppy rice.  Each grain was firm and seasoned well.  Not the standard heating pan of rice with spicy tomato puree.  

The restaurant was incredibly busy!  Like… crazy!  

There were children with their parents, college kids and retirees.  We were the loud, noisy, 30-something bunch (well, everyone except me, I’m still 20-something! hehehe).  Sorry friends.  When it comes to a ‘family friendly’ environment, I honestly would bring my kids here and they would love it.  Fountains, eclectic art, bright colors; it would sing to them.  I just wouldn’t bring them late (9pm) on a weekend.  It has more of a bar feel and less of restaurant vibe.  Yes, their food is still being served, but not as quickly as the tequila.  I caught myself in a few conversations that were loud (so that we could hear each other over the atmospheric noise) only to turn and see a young child within ear shot (oops).  It was completely unintentional, but equally horrifying for us and, I’m sure, the parents.  It felt like a bar, so it was shocking when you’d turn and see a child.

Seemingly, we were the last people in New Orleans to give this place another try.  They are nowhere near a secret nor are they hurting for business even amongst the construction on Harrison!  On this one, I was pleasantly surprised.  Happy Birthday to my dear friend!  It was truly a night to remember!