Cactus spices things up in Ballymote
THE WONDERFULLY named Cactus café and restaurant in Teeling Street, Ballymote, is already earning a great reputation for wonderful Mexican and Irish food since doors opened a few short weeks ago. Cousins Loander and Jesús from Venezuela, who are well-known through other business ventures in Sligo, among them a Latin American dance school and a popular barber shop, have been planning to bring a Mexican flavour to the north west for some time.
Jesús told the Sligo Weekender: “The ambience and the food will transport you to Mexico and there’s a wide range of choices which will be prepared to your liking, from mild to hot, but we will also cater for more traditional Irish tastes on our menu if that’s your wish. “However, I would love to see people trying the more typical
Mexican-Latin American dishes. “We have a Latin American team in our kitchen and their ability to create food using various spices is wonderful and we think diners will love our traditional Mexican food.” So if you already have a liking for some jalapeno, if you love tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas or a tortilla salad, Cactus in Ballymote is right up your street.
As Covid-19 restrictions ease the café restaurant can cater for lots of diners and the décor has been transformed, Loander describing it as “rustic with a modern, metropolitan look” – with Latin American music ensuring a wonderful atmosphere. Having lived in the area for eight years, many will know the experienced team behind the restaurant, but they may also know them through their involvement in teaching Latin American dance. Over the years they have done so across the county and Sligo Latin Dance has become an integral part of the local scene and the owners have raised funds for local charities over the years.
Cactus has already generated favourable reviews from the public and having given themselves a little time to get on their feet and iron out any teething issues, Loander and Jesús and their team are keen to see people come to their restaurant and enjoy much more than fantastic food, but a night out which will bring them to another world, another culture.
If you want to spice it up or just have a traditional meal, you will be made feel very welcome.
For more on this wonderful venture that adds a new dimension to Sligo’s food trail, why not give them a call at 071 9191546.