Prickly Pear Southwest Cafe in Ann Arbor

This place always has great food! Ive eaten here about a dozen times and always walk out happy. Their dishes are always consistent and delicious. Margaritas are great, and ate not shy on the pour! This is a go-to restaurant when we are in the AA area and cant make up our minds on where to eat. Space tight but well worth it. During the summer months I believe they still have a rear patio for extra room. Looking forward to my next time back!

Unique dishes, but entire dining room feels cramped. You WILL kick whomever you are sitting across from. No complaints about the food though. Definitely worth a try if youve never been there.

Delish! Salsa is fresh and homemade, tastes like everything just came off the vine. They made me my favorite NY Strip Quesadilla which isnt even on the menu any more and it was perfectly cooked. This place hits the spot!

Not impressed. Service was horrible. Our server never checked on us and took over 15 minutes to cash us out and they were not busy. The food was bland. Not beer on tap and the margarita tasted terrible. Not worth the price for what they serve.

Table of four, three liked their food. The spinach, cheese, and shrimp dip was divine. Salsa, not so much. Water, and the chunks were hard to scoop. Margarita mix watery, service was nonchalant.

The Prickly Pear offers a cozy dining experience to share with someone special or with a small group. It’s conveniently located near a large public parking structure so no parking hassle.I found the salsa and guacamole dips were fantastic to snack on with a bottle of your favorite beer. I ordered the beef brisket burrito which was absolutely delicious.I was with a large group from my office and was impressed the wait staff served everyone all at the same time.My only criticism is the entrance is extremely close to the dining area which quickly became noticeable on a cold evening.I would Definitely dine here again.

THE absolute best fajitas and "Marges" in the state of Michigan! Share the combo and a pitcher of Margaritas and you will be on your way to a great evening of lively chatter- I equally love dining al fresco,street side, enjoying the hustle bustle of the people passing by... a people watchers and Fashion Polices delight.. ;)

The Best Mexican Ive ever had, the buffalo beef enchiladas are to die for!!! Servings are large and they give you a choice of one or 2 they have their own raspberry vinaigrette thats delicious and they make a tight margarita!! Not tight on the liquor though, 1 is all youll need!

Tasty fajitas in Ann arbor!!Had dinner at this Mexican restaurant on Tuesday, place was very busy and running a bit slow on service.Had shrimp fajitas, it was nicely done though the shrimp were bit small. Enjoyed my meals.

Best Happy Hour in Ann Arbor. All margarita (including pitchersHALF PRICE. SCALLOP Quesadillas for $5. Other stuff too - and even though the margaritas are half price, they are full strength. From 3 PM to 5:30PM every day, including weekends -at least at the moment and when the weather is nice there 2 outdoor seating venues - one in the front on Main St and one in the back as well. Cannot go wrong.

Pretty good! LOVED the portobello and chutney quesadilla, and their guac is super yummy. Some of what we got was slightly dry though, and the rice and beans were a little bit blah and sweet. Would certainly try their food again though

When i get a hankering for a buffalo brisket chimi, beans, rice ,tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and guac. Im off to the Prickly Pear

Tasty beautifully plated Mexican cuisine.Prickly Pear had fantastic entrees that both looked and tasted good. Pictured below I had the three meat (duck, pork, buffalotostados, which I recommend. Dessert was fantastic also. The only downside to this restaurant was there were no beers on draft, and the chips that were given as an appetizer didnt seem like they were home made.

We stopped by for dinner prior to a show at The Ark. the prices were rather high for what I would call Americanized Mexican food. 3 fish tacos with a tiny bowl of black beans and white rice for $19. The tacos had less than 2 tablespoons of fish combined, the tortillas were dry as a bone and the toppings were almost tasteless. The waiter was nice. With all the great dining options in A2 I will most likely not dine here again.

Hot, free tortilla chips! Mexican beers! Very good fajitas (chicken, beef, shrimpand some fun and unusual appetizers. Also great house margarita!

Absolutely amazing food. The dishes here are authentic southwestern dishes with perfect presentation. The restaurant was very accommodating of our party of about 12 people. Margarita pitchers all around!

You cant go wrong with lunch or dinner at this wonderful restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor. Margarita, excellent. Service, prompt, courteous and only there when you need them. Soups here are amazing. The mushroom is my favorite, closely followed by the butternut squash. I had the duck and cojita cheese enchiladas: magnifico!!

Service was a little slow but the food was very good. Just make sure you understand this is a TexMex spot and not authentic Mexican food. The salsa is a sweeter mango-like salsa and their chicken fajitas are delicious!

Cute little space, with the exception of the ceiling fan it seemed very clean and well kept. I thought the bathrooms were strangely adorable and the booths were grand, lovely dark wood and comfortable, a little hard to get out of but super nice nonetheless. The food was overpriced for the portion sizes but with this location and food quality its understandable. The chips tasted home made, salsa was chunky but rather bland. The vegetarian trio was indeed served on a large chip as someone else had noted. But regardless I was full, even sans cheese. Our server was very pleasant and made us feel welcome. I would probably return, but wouldnt want to sit under that fan.

Food was good not great. The location of this place is awesome you can sit street side or inside. The layout of the restaurant is a bit crowded but thats expected in downtown Ann arbor. The bathrooms are down right bad. I dont wanna say third world country but shallow ceilings, dirty walls, broken stuff, and just old...I wouldnt let that ruin your experience Im hoping someone from management reads this and just fixes it. I would definitely go back and eat again.

Small dining room is often packed, sidewalk tables seasonally. Incredibly, we were able to be seated immediately at dinnertime during Ann Arbor Art Fair. The shrimp & scallop quesadillas (delicious, get them!my friend & I shared were split for us in the kitchen by the staff. Table service was provided by a very capable server who seems to have served me almost every time Ive been there over the years. He does a nice job of being attentive while never appearing to hover. Great mojitos & chips & salsa rounded out the meal nicely for very reasonable cost. Great stop!

Wow, Im impressed by how bad it was. Our group ordered one veggie trio, one steak fajitas and one seafood trio.The "trios" claim to be tostadas, but what you actually get is basically three tortilla chips. A tostada in Mexican food is a whoke corn tortilla thats has been fried or baked with many toppings and garnishes. In the case of the veggie trio, it is one small chip with a couple of avocado pieces, one with black beans, and one with some unidentifiable veggie mix. I would have been embarrassed to have someone see me prepare this at home. It looked like the meal you put together when you run out of groceries. But prickly pear charges you like $14 for it.The seafood trio, did have seafood on each of the chips but not anything else. It was also underwhelming to say the least.I dont understand how this place is in business in Ann Arbor.

Great little restaurant, the food was delicious. I had the seafood tostoda and the guacamole for an appetizer. The place doesnt look like muck from the outside but dont pass it by. If you are downtown I would recommend stopping in.

Food is good, location nice, just the building is old, right on the main-street. They have a nice out door seating too. The food was great and a lot.

A favorite in Ann Arbor. Casual, but not pub food. I love the scallop and shrimp quesadilla. Prices are decent, margaritas are tasty and service is very good.

My dad and I love this place. Very high quality food in a medium price range. My dad gets the shrimp and scallops quesadilla every time and its so good he refuses to try anything else. I recommend the vegetable tostada trio for vegetarians looking for a great meal that will fill you up, but is also light and healthy. Chips and salsa are provided, and smaller dishes like the tostada trio come with a side of rice & beans to help ensure you get full amino acids and enough to not be hungry after. Ive been going here 10+ years. Never had a bad experience with the staff, and its always a pleasure overall. Perfect combination of fancy and casual. Try it out!

Food is solid, and we always leave satisfied. Fajitas and margaritas are a must.

Prickly Pear used to be amazing... Sadly that is no longer the case. The food is now bland or overly salty, and poorly executed. I was there with family and we all ordered very different items, and each was a failure in their own way. The steak fajitas were overcooked and cut in 1/2 inch thick slabs, the beef burrito was 90% beans, and the quesadilla was dry and the sauce was sweet with lots of cinnamon... The rice was soggy, the beans were overly salty with little else for flavor... This used to be such a great restaurant.

Its an Ann Arbor institution. But maybe its time to hang their hat. Or reinvent the menu. Everything that Ive had there over the many years is just decent, not great. Every time I go there Im reminded of why I dont go there. I love Prickly Pear but they need to put some work into their menu. Lighten/freshen it up a bit.

The food here is always good. Always unique.

An alright spot for dinner if youre a Texas expat. Just tell em "spicy".The margaritas dont taste great but theyre strong. I have no problem with that.

Out favorite, long term, restaurant in all of Ann Arbor, even since they removed my go-to dish, Chicken Sope (please bring it back, I beg you!!! The salsa is so fresh you can eat it with a spoon.The butternut squash soup is, well, buttery. The Mushroom Soup is delectable. The basic house salad is taken to a new level because of the homemade dressing!

service was very slow and sloppy and the food was mediocre at best. Daily special swordfish fajitas looked/tasted like it was cooked in a microwave and the chicken poblano rellenos was mushy and luke warm. margaritas tasted like they were premixed. Been coming here since 1995, but we are moving on. . . too may good restaurants in Ann Arbor to waste time and money on this place. Sad.

Okay so the tacos are real good. But theyre soooooo expensive. You can get a superior taco for literally a fraction of the price if you venture outside of downtown. Margaritas are VERY good, but still steeply priced. Overall I felt like I was paying for Main St. rather than Southwest food, not worth the cost.

Not traditional Mexican food. Higher end very rich food. Both of us LOVED the first half of meal, but second half was a struggle to get down.

That key lime pie! The most authentic and fabulous I have ever tasted in a world of bland green stuff topped with meringue. The fish tacos were excellent too and my dining companion remarked on the authenticity of the enchiladas. Our waiter said he was new there and was very kindly and attentive to us. (I forgot his exact name, but it starts with a "T." Thanks T!Highly recommend.

Good food at reasonable prices. It is a place I like to go to have a relaxing lunch (or dinnerwith a friend. Complimentary fresh chips and salsa. I really like the three mushroom soup. Although it is so rich that next time I will have the cup instead of the bowl with my salad.

The food was amazing!! Downfalls: The waiter was not friendly nor polite. There were nets (those fly/bugsflying around our table which killed my experience. My waiter acted as though it was no big deal. But that was by far gross especially while eating!

Looking for a quick bite, happened across this little gem. The best gazpacho I ever had, and I make my own. The E l cado soup also excellent. My friend and I split a burrito, more than enough food. Overall fantastic experience, definitely recommend.

My experience was one of the worst Ive had in a long time. The service was un-kind, and un-caring. Some of the staff was rude. I assume maybe it was because I asked to be moved from the back under the tent. I did so because it smelled awful of mildew. Our server took forever to acknowledge us, and only did so after I asked. Our meal came to us in a normal time. I ordered the pulled pork tacos at the servers recommendation. The meat was 85% wet, slimy globs of fat. It was not edible. I sent it back for something safer. Nobody ever acknowledged that I had to send it back. Never heard from a manager, no compensation on the bill. I had to tell the server I had an issue with it. He never asked how our food was. When he brought the replacement meal he STILL never asked if I was satisfied. We never heard from him again until we asked for our bill. I will never go back.

There are so many great restaurants in this area, this place isnt worth your time...If no stars were an option that would best describe this place. First off it took 15 minutes to be seated by a hostess. Once we sat down we got a waiter that put the prick in prickly pear. This guy was the worst Ive seen in a while. I ordered a margarita and asked gor it to come with my meal...but it arrived when we got our salsa. Then we received the check before we got out food. When I asked the waiter about it he said its fine because "its hell to get later". Once we finally received our food an hour later it was sub-par. While conversing with my dinner guest the bus boy came and picked up my plate and I wasnt finished eatin,g so I basically paid $20 for a half serving of steak fajitas. Then we asked for additional ice for our tea and 30 minutes later we were brought a cup of ice.

The food was decent at best. My fiance had asked for a side of refried beans which came out cold, my burrito had a serious wrap to meat ratio issue and our margaritas had literally no tequila in them whatsoever. Our waitress, although polite and accommodating, was no where to be seen when we needed something and only returned to refill water as we were finishing up. Granted we came in around 330 in the afternoon I expected much more. I dont think Ill be visiting this restaurant again any time soon. Great potential yet lousy experience.

The chips and salsa they provide is fresh and delicious. They always have good specials to pick from and their menu has many good choices. Great Southwest / Mexican option with a quaint atmosphere.

I definitely enjoyed their version of Tex Mex. It was a good combination of flavors. The only thing I didnt like were the mojitos. They promptly without questioning took it off the bill, which was very nice and they seemed concerned we were mad about it, we were not bc the service and food were beyond amazing.

Love the buffalo meat enchiladas, which have been a special for at least 10 years. Margaritas are fantastic. Sit inside in the cozy, air-conditioned booths or on the front or back porch.

I absolutely loved this place and would go again when Im back in Ann Arbor. The tables in the middle of the restaurant feel slightly cramped, but the food made up for that. I ordered stuffed poblano peppers and they were extremely creative and tasted amazing. My girlfriend ordered the plantain quesadilla and it was equally delicious (probably will have to order that one myself next time). The portions are generous, which for someone who has quite an appetite was great. The place also had a separate hand-written menu with their weekly specials that also looked great.Everyone in the place had margaritas at their tables, so we ordered a couple. They were good, but Ive definitely had better margaritas.Again, overall, was extremely happy with the food and overall experience.

Where do i start?? bad service bad food and no manager?? ordered a Tanqueray and tonic while i water for my wife to get there… she arrived 10-12 min later and ordered a margarita(still no drink for me)when he brought her drink out i was informed that they were out of gin…22 minutes after my order. the wife ordered the shrimp quesadilla… wow it reeked of fish. made us gag, un edible. i ordered chicken enchilada. tasted like chicken from a can. gross. mind you the place was about 25% full on monday @ 7 pm we were there until 830. not by choice. the service was awful. all of this and nooo manager after i asked the server and hostess. i would hide in the back as well if this were the sh!% show i was running. avoid at all cost.

Some friends and I were visiting Ann Arbor from out of town, and we finally decided on the Prickly Pear for dinner. When we entered the hostess asked how many were in our party and it took us a minute to remember how many were in our large group. He rudely said "We need to know. Its kind of important here." He finally sat us at 2 tables. I was seated at a center table and we never were assigned a waiter. Our other table had meals and drinks long before us, so we finally flagged someone down to order. The drinks we ordered came long after we had finished our meals, and though they gave us half off the drinks, the food was not great either. MOST IMPORTANTLY after giving the "waiter" our cards to pay he came back confused as to whose cards went with which bill, very unprofessional. After about a half hour of just waiting to pay we left. The next day I found I was CHARGED TWICE for my meal, once for my total with tip and one with just the total. When I called them to sort it out, they claimed that their books only had the correct total in once. My bank account clearly shows otherwise. I now have to file a dispute with my bank and have my card shut off for weeks just for a meal that wasnt even worth the money to begin with.

If you want good food and bad service than this is the place for you. I made online reservations one week in advance and stopped in to double check on it one hour in advance. At that time there were plenty of tables available. When I returned at the time of the reservation the only table available was worst one. Right next to the kitchen. What kind of manager reserves the worst table for a guaranteed customer? It is unfortunate because I like the food. Its not like they are the only Mexican restaurant in the area. The bonus was we chose to go somewhere else for dinner and had an AMAZING meal at the Chop House just down the street.

Its an excellent value Southern style restaurant that starts by immediately serving you chips and salsa and giving you a menu. The fajita for two is $20 and was beyond filling for my date and I.My only gripe is that the space is somewhat cramped and when its full, its a shoulder-rubbing environment.