Silver Cactus Grill

The Silver Cactus Grill can be summed up in one word: different. This is fitting, as this charming Mexican establishment calls Eastown, a neighborhood that prides itself on being different, its home.

So what's different you ask? Well for starters, it's authenticity. Sure, the west side of town has several outstanding, authentic Mexican restaurants to its credit. The east side of town, to the best of my knowledge, had none, until the Silver Cactus Grill opened.

Next up, its digs. For some reason I've yet to fully comprehend, most authentic Mexican restaurants in West Michigan are dives to one degree or another. Even Little Mexico, which I love dearly, feels like it was last decorated 20+ years ago. Silver Cactus, on the other hand is an unexpected combination of a vintage Art Deco building, lofty ceilings, exposed brick and furnishings that look like they come from Ikea. In short, it's a modern urban restaurant.

Finally, the menu. It looks great, but when I was there (May 5th) they had something even better: An all-you-care-to-eat Taco Bar. Not just tacos, but 4 meat selections, corn and flour tortillas, a few sauces and several choices of topings (including gobs of fresh Cilantro and Pico de Gallo). I had 8 tacos in all...each as tasty as the last. We also enjoyed some chips and salsa (average at best, actually) and a few samples of pineapple with chili-powder and deep-fried chips-with-cinnammon.

If the rest of the food is as good as the taco bar, we're all in for a treat. I'll be back to try this place again.