We've always been a little hesitant about eating Mexican food here in Seattle. It's just not something the area is known for and I just don't expect it to be any good here.

That said, we had heard a few good things about a restaurant named Cactus and decided to give it a try. We didn't expect Tex-Mex, but we expected a southwestern style of food, which is about as close as we can get.

There are a couple locations and we went to the one on Alki, which was close to Alki Point. Parking is a little tricky over there, but we parked along the water and walked a little ways to get there.

Unlike virtually every real Tex-Mex place in Texas, you have to order chips & salsa, which we did. We also decided to get some guacamole. The chips were pretty good, they were thin and not very greasy. The guacamole was creamy, but needed some salt for flavor.

Lesley got the house chimichanga with chicken in a crispy flour tortilla and I got the butternut squash enchilada. My enchilada wasn't really an enchilada as I would think of it - it was almost like a two-layered tostada. It was very nice to have the familiar flavors of cheese, guacamole, and onions, and the atypical ingredients of butternut squash and spinach went well with it. The caramelization of the onions added some sweetness to the meal. Combined with rice and black beans, it was a solidly enjoyable lunch.

Anyway, this southwestern fare fared well by our high standard for Mexican-themed food and while we're in no hurry to return, we might go back sometime.