During trip June 13-28, we had dinner three times at Cactus Blue. We dined with parties of four, six, and seventeen. In these three times, with all our fiends, it seemed most of the menu items were ordered. Everyone thought the food was wonderful! Regardless of the size of our group, we had close personal attention with great service. Great food, great service. We look forward to dining with them, many times, during our fifteen day trip coming up this Christmas.

OK - first and foremost Sandy - I am J.E.A.L.O.U.S. 15 days a Christmas after just being there for two weeks. AARGH! Take me with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Secondly I must agree about Cactus Blue. We only ate there once during our trip in June but it was fantastic. I really enjoyed the food as did everyone in our party of 9. Had RAVE reviews for the Ahi Tuna and everything else that we ate.

Anywho - If I promise to be nice will you take me with you - I can be your Scuba Sherpa!!!

After just returning (boohoo) from Bonaire, I agree with Sandy. The owners of Cactus Blue are Corine and Hoggin who are precious people, the epitome of graciousness and culinary expertise. And...they're just great folks. I fell in love with their mango/papaya/guava??? salsa. And they were able to prepare a chicken quesadia that rivals any here at home in San Antonio, Texas, which anyone knows is the capital of TexMex food. But with the fruit salsa....devine. Every meal we had was wonderful. And Corine opened the place back up for us even though we arrived after closing for lunch on our last day. Very accommodating! Great food, great people, even great entertainment with Moogie, a one man band. GO THERE, you won't be disappointed!

Wow...different from our experience...Glad you had enjoyed it

I have to agree grasshopper. Different from mine also..totaly

Wayne, I don't know what your experience was, but here's mine.

I think if you aren't starving, and want a nice place to relax, have some drinks, and not be rushed, Cactus Blue would be worth a try. IMHO, I "think" what they are trying to achieve is a classy, fine dining experience.

A group of unamed friends and I went there for dinner. We were supposed to meet around 7:30PM. I got there first, and no one else in our party was there so I sat at the bar and had a glass of wine. Then another person in our group showed up. He sat at the bar with me and ordered a coke. We were talking, and the waitress kept coming up in between us shouting "EXCUSE ME!!!" to get a water pitcher. There were 3 water pitchers on the other side of the bar. After about the 3rd time she did this, I looked at my friend and said "let's move down so we don't bother the waitress." So we moved down a couple seats. Now, if I were the waitress, I would have moved the water pitchers to a place where the customers were not interrupted...it was just odd. She was obviously very annoyed that we were sitting where we were, at the bar, and in front of the water pictures and in her way...(and we were the only ones at the bar)...oh well...

The rest of the party showed up and we got seated. There were 2 teens in our group, and they were starving (along with the rest of us). So, the waitress came up and gave us the "drink menu." We took it and politely asked for the appetizer menu. We were told very "firmly" that we would get the appetizer and dinner menu after we ordered drinks, and were served our drinks. We politely told her we were really hungry, but she wouldn't budge. Order the drinks first, then you get the food menu. Okey dokey...so we ordered drinks, were served our drinks, then were given the appetizer and dinner menu. (Only 3 out of the party of 6 ordered a drink.)

The appetizers took about 45 minutes, and the main course followed soon after. The food was good, but in my personal opinion, if a customer wants to order food, let them see the menu, don't force them to order drinks before you give them the dinner menu. I also had to fill our water glasses several times (since I knew where the water pitchers were) as no one was around to fill them...My friends did give me a good tip though

On a side note, said friend and I were getting ready to walk into the water at a dive site on the South side, and a truck pulled up, a young man got out and put an orange flyer on the truck next to ours, and then walked up to us to hand one to us (don't know what he expected us to do with it as we were heading into the water). It was of course, the infamous Cactus Blue flyer. Said friend looked at said kid, and said "do NOT put one of those on my truck. I do NOT want to get out of the water and find one of those on my truck." Well when we got out, there was one on the ground, but none on the truck

When we were there last month we started collecting the Cactus Blue flyers...we had approximately 10 in the glove compartment of our truck, we were going to stop by and give them back to them so as not to liter the dive sites but thought better of it and just threw them away. It is an annoyance!

Cynde, Thanks for posting your experience at Cactus Blue. I am not surprised at all.

HMMMMMMMMMM---------------------Interesting!
When we were there for two weeks in June: found no flyers on the trucks; found no flyers on the grounds around shore dive sites; but did have great food and service.
I wonder, if those that have less than a good impression of the place perhaps visited when the business was in the" new stage". Most new businesses have their own "trial and error" issues.
Just a thought.

Sandy, I was the the end of the second week in July. Around July 14th or so. It was recent.

Grasshopper:
I am surprised and feel badly you had that type of experience. Our's was so very different.

I just got back from dinner at Cactus Blue and have to say it was a really good experience. I had a nice chat with Corinna who is a very nice lady.

I ordered a side salad and the filet (there's a big surprise) but couldn't decide on the mushroom sauce or the garlic butter sauce so I got both! It was very very good and the fries were among the best I've had on the island.

I was dining alone and was not starving when I got there. I did get the drink menu first which has never happened....

I got to say this. This restaurant has so many Dr. Jeckel and Mrs. Hyde reviews that it is too scary. Worse than playing the slot machines in Atlantic City! LOL!

I forgot to add that I got very personal attention from Corinna. She came and chatted with me for quite some time and we discussed recipes as the salad dressing was one of the best I've had. We also discussed our children as I was really missing Riley....

I know there was an issue with what is included in dinner prices, but maybe they've changed the menu because it was very clear to me. The fries came with the steak, but the salad was extra. I was okay with that and it was just delish ! I will definitely return; maybe not this trip, I'm running outta time! Wahhh!

Kelly, glad you had a good time there, my experience was far different from yours, that is for sure.

And my experiences (all good experiences) at Cactus Blue have been much different from yours Debbie. Stuff happens, but after a point it's time to move on to other things...

Jake

Yes, Jake, I agree it is. In my case it will be to the places where I know and feel comfortable and welcome. Point taken.

You got to be careful around cactus. Back when I lived on the outside I watched this old goat who had learned how to nibble his way through the cactus fence the rancher planted. He was telling the young goats how to do it. One day...no more old goat and there was a big dinner party that night!!!!

I just have to say that I loved Cactus Blue. We just got back from a two week visit to Bonaire and I was pleasantly surprised to find a restaurant with a unique menu and style, as well as very good prices. The owners were wonderful and were just having a good time. The person who had the bad experience never said how many folks were at their table. Any table with 6 or more people is going to cause a delay in food delivery no matter where they eat. Cactus Blue now serves chips and salsa to every table when they order drinks. Please try this place out when you visit the island.