Bites Nearby: Cactus Blue

If you're in the mood for Mexican,  is conveniently located on Schoenersville Road at Route 22 in Bethlehem. The eatery opened in December 2004 to bring authentic dishes native to the Mexican city of Puebla to the Lehigh Valley.

Lunch is served from 11am to 3:30pm, and the restaurant's mid-day menu includes veggie, chicken or beef chimichangas, enchiladas and more. The Quesadilla Tinga is described as grilled tortilias filled with shredded beef, chorizo sausage, tomatoes, onions and chipotle sauce. Tacos “Blue” are available with veggies, chicken, beef, shrimp or steak, and your choice of corn or flour tortillas filled with lettuce, fresh cilantro, guacamole and cheese.

My family and I stopped by Cactus Blue for dinner on a rainy evening, and the warm atmosphere was most welcoming. As soon as we walked in the front door we were taken to a table where a friendly server took our drink orders and brought us a plate full of homemade nachos with fresh salsa.

I debated ordering an appetizer because the platanos sounded delicious, as did the guacamole (especially because we ate the chips and salsa in record time and I was craving more), but we passed because I was eyeing up the dessert menu.

For dinner I ordered the Tostonita, which is a crisp round flour tortilla covered with refried black beans, lettuce and shredded beef (also available with chicken), and topped with pico de gallo, guacamole and cheese. It was amazing and also came with a side of rice and refried black beans. For $12 it was a generous portion and the best Mexican dinner I had had in a very long time.

My husband debated ordering the Chicken Mole, which is grilled chicken topped with Catcus Blue Mole Sauce, cheese and toasted sesame seeds. The server was kind enough to bring a sample of the sauce since we had never heard of it, and described it as a sauce made with chile peppers and chocolate.

The mole sauce was good, but my husband went for Bert’s Enchiladas, which consisted of a flour tortilla stuffed with chicken, cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, sautéed onions and jalapeno peppers, and smothered with mild tomatillo sauce. For a $13 entrée it was a generous portion and very reasonably priced as far as we were concerned.

Cactus Blue also has something for the younger crowd, with a menu specifically for those 12 and under. All meals on this menu are served with French fries or Mexican rice. The usual favorites such as chicken fingers and a hot dog were listed, as were cheese or chicken quesadillas, beef tacos and a bean and cheese burrito. My little man went for the hot dog, knowing that he would be able to finish it and still have room for dessert.

Speaking of dessert, Cactus Blue offers a selection of tempting treats such as a Banana and Cream Churro, Tres Leches Cake, Chocolate Bread Pudding and Caramel Flan. We went for our favorite Mexican treat--Fried Ice Cream. Cactus Blue’s version was as delicious as it was amazing to look at. A scoop of vanilla ice cream coated with a crispy cinnamon and sugar crust and served in a sweet tortilla shell topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and a cherry really hit the spot.

Overall our evening out cost less than $50, not including tip, and no one left hungry. I even had lunch for the next day since I couldn’t finish my meal.

Cactus Blue was voted Best Mexican Restaurant in the Valley annually from 2005 to 2009--five years in a row--by the readers of Lehigh Valley Magazine. It was also named "Decadent Dish-Mexican" by Lehigh Valley Style in 2006, 2007 and 2008, so it’s not hard to see why the restaurant's reputation has grown.

Cactus Blue is BYOB and offers two separate seating areas, but reservations are recommended.

A quote on the restaurant's website also sums up why it’s become such a popular eatery in Bethlehem: “We take pride in the fact that none of our guests has ever gone home hungry and many of our guests are now more like friends and family than ‘customers.’” 

Cactus Blue is at 2915 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem, and the restaurant's phone number is 610-814-3000.

The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 10pm, and during Musikfest 2011 you can find Cactus Blue's food at Americaplatz.

For more information, including the full menu, visit its website or check out its Facebook page.