If you’ve been following social media lately–especially since September–you’ve probably been finding yourself hungry.
That was when it seemed like all our local friends started posting photos of their gorgeously plated meal at Cactus Street Cantina. Faced with a feed full of tacos bursting with colorful fresh toppings, ceviche bristling with vibrant greens and mouthwatering shrimp, and specials that exude authentic flavors you can practically taste through the screen, you’d be forgiven for getting a little bit peckish.
If you’ve been lured in by the kaleidoscopic array of fresh ingredients, you’ve experienced what so many of your friends and neighbors have. The food is what brings you in, but it’s the sense of community that truly sets Cactus Street apart.
“It’s become a real neighborhood place,” said co-owner Tracy Wilson. “It feels like every time someone comes in, they see someone they know. And then they sit down and try the food and it all comes together.”
The owners certainly spot a familiar face with every visit. Before they were business partners, Wilson and Lauren Jordan were a pair of renowned figures in the Lowcountry food and beverage scene as managers of Captain Woody’s locations on the island and in Bluffton. But long before that, for nearly 20 years in fact, they have been friends and each other’s biggest supporters.
Theirs is a friendship built on decades in the trenches and in the offices of the culinary world, one that endured while Wilson left food and beverage to launch a career in mortgage lending. In this new venture, their easygoing chemistry has formed the foundation of a true neighborhood restaurant.
Adolph Aguilar, Lauren Jordan and Tracy Wilson.
“We met when we both worked at Shuckers, and we’d always talk about one day having our own place,” Jordan said. “Honestly, it was just time. We were both in that headspace of feeling good about moving on. The people who had Gr8 Bites lived in my neighborhood and put out on Facebook that they were relocating. I just said, ‘Tracy, maybe this is it.’”
It was like the universe was paving the way to Cactus Street, with pieces falling into place all around the two friends. The first piece to fall into place was the location, a spot that both had been eyeing for years.
“We’re very particular about where we wanted to be,” Wilson said. “And I felt like as soon as I walked in here, I could envision exactly how I wanted it to be.”
A brief scare, in which they almost lost their spot to another restaurant, only strengthened their determination that Cactus Street had to be on the north end, with its neighborhood-friendly vibe enhanced by all the communities around it.
Cactus Street Cantina: The dining room is delightfully colorful, and the restaurant’s location on the north end of Hilton Head Island makes it convenient to many full-time residents.
“We didn’t just want to open a restaurant. It was really about wanting to open it in the right place,” Jordan said. “As we looked around the island, I didn’t want to be anywhere else but Main Street.”
The second piece that fell into place was their chef, Adolph Aguilar. Another seasoned veteran of the island’s restaurant scene, Aguilar had been jonesing for a chance to chart his own culinary path after serving in other people’s kitchens for years. As Wilson and Jordan approached him, he’d been toying with the idea of launching a food truck as a gateway to his own restaurant.
“When we first started talking about this, we always knew we wanted Adolph with us,” Jordan said. But Adolph didn’t just want to be their chef. He wanted to be their partner, putting his full devotion behind the concept.
“When he asked if he could buy in, we just said, ‘absolutely.’ We’d be stupid to say ‘no,’” Wilson said.
“Probably one of the smartest decisions we made was bringing him in,” Jordan said.
Traditional Torta: Refried Beans, Mayo, Lettuce, Red Onions, Avocado & Queso Fresco served on Traditional Locally made Telara Bread.
Aguilar not only brought his considerable skills in the kitchen and his lengthy experience working alongside his new partners, he rolled in with an entire crew of trusted chefs. Representing the dream team of people he’d worked with over the years, this back of house team has elevated the Mexican staples that define any neighborhood spot.
“They all take so much pride in what they do … Honestly, Adolph’s dream is to do fine dining. If he had his way, we’d have white linen tablecloths on every table,” said Jordan with a laugh. That refined approach informs a menu that puts a premium on authenticity and fresh ingredients. Whether it’s in one of the more traditional items such as the TNT tacos, the sublime street corn, or the tortas, or among the many surprises on the menu, it all starts with quality.
Dessert Crepes: Delicate and thin dessert crepes, lightly folded and filled with an array of sweet delights and topped with whipped cream and/or fresh fruit
“We tried to do a few things that were traditional, then a few things you couldn’t get somewhere else, like the mango quesadilla,” Wilson said. “So, you could stay with something traditional or try something new that would bring you back.”
“I tell people when they sit down, ‘Listen, you have a lot of reading to do,” Jordan said. “But there’s so much variety you’ll have to come back to try it.”
Southwest Taco Salad with Shrimp
While the food might get you in the door–likely more than once–it’s the sense of community that makes you want to be a regular. Whether meeting friends for their happy hour ($5 house margaritas and $7 food specials; need we say more?) or just stopping in to see some friendly faces, grab one of their specialty bowls and help build our community in a more literal sense–10% of all bowl sales goes to a different local charity each month.
“It’s a nice way to give back,” Wilson said. “And after 20 years being a part of this community, that’s something we just wanted to do.”
Call it giving back or paying it forward. After all, the determination of two friends can be enough to create a good restaurant. But that determination, paired with the passion of an experienced chef and his team, the support of longtime loyal customers and F&B mentors, and a little help from the universe, has created something more than a restaurant at Cactus Street Cantina. It has built a community.
