The Cactus Shop
the speakeasy that’s bringing a slice of Mexico to Williamsburg
If you’ve ever walked up and down Kent Street by the waterfront in Williamsburg, you’ve probably noticed the obscenely tall luxury condo buildings, the warehouses with hand-painted advertisements for Audemars Piguet and Moncler and the like on their facades, and, inevitably, the padel club where you’ll probably pay upwards of $500 in membership and initiation fees before you ever step foot on the tarmac courts.
Amidst these harbingers of late-stage gentrification, there is a cozy little storefront nestled between a print house and a weed shop. By day, there’s no visible signage indicating what lies behind the heavy wooden doors; by night, a lone neon sign reading “Live fast, drink slow” is the only hint that something special awaits within.
The Cactus Shop is not just a Mexican speakeasy, it’s a portal that’ll make you feel as if you’ve been transported to a cantina south of the border. This is largely thanks to the vision of co-owner Marnie Gelhard, who along with her husband David Rodriguez, traveled extensively through Mexico a few years ago. When they returned to New York City, they wanted to find a place that captured all the aspects that they loved about Mexico, and quickly realized that there was a glaring lack of places offering good Mexican food and beverages.
All the while, the couple would frequent Oficina Latina, a now-closed cocktail bar in Nolita. It was there that they befriended bartender Luis Zhumi, and the three of them fantasized about opening a bar together one day, using napkins to sketch out ideas about the food, the drinks, and the space. The pieces fell in place when one of David’s friends bought a building on Kent Street and offered the team the first floor apartment to transform into a bar. They started construction in summer of 2021, and The Cactus Shop opened its doors in spring of the following year.
I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into The Cactus Shop for the first time. The initial vestibule is, as the name might suggest, a cozy little cactus shop that does little to belie all the wonders just beyond the interior door (which Marnie refers to as “the portal”). I experienced total sensory overload of the best variety when I finally entered the main bar. The scent of incense, the colorful papel picado strung from the ceilings, the lively reggaeton playing on the speakers – I temporarily forgot that we were in Brooklyn and not Mexico City.
A lot of carefully-crafted details contribute to the teleporting effect of The Cactus Shop. The walls, painted coral pink and vivid blue (emulating Frida Kahlo’s famous Casa Azul), are covered with wheatpasted prints from Oaxaca. Marnie was very deliberate about sourcing items directly from Mexico, often cramming her suitcase to the brim with the tiles and handblown glassware she had acquired on each trip. Not only was she able to find higher quality goods that were more affordable and readily available, she was able to support local artisans while showcasing more authentic representations of Mexican culture at the bar.
On the other side of the bar, co-owner Luis runs the beverage program alongside head bartender Ivan Garcia. They wanted to take advantage of the agave boom in the US, and decided to focus on tequila- and mezcal-based cocktails. In contrast to other bars that use artificial sour mix in their margaritas, Luis and Ivan are adamant about always using fresh ingredients, from lime juice to agave nectar to homemade syrups. While crafting the drinks list, they also drew inspiration from the food menu, reusing spices/herbs/chilis featured in the food. Some of Luis’ favorite drinks include the Cactus Negroni and the Cafe and Banana Old-fashioned (which includes cacao husk and mole bitters).
Since it’s Dry January, I’d be remiss to not mention the N/A cocktail menu at The Cactus Shop. As I sampled my way through the menu, I could tell that a lot of thought went into developing their unique and nuanced flavors. For one, the bar makes their own amaro using a black tea base and different aromatics. They also work closely with the various NA shops around Brooklyn, frequently exploring their inventory to see what new booze-free ingredients they can incorporate. One of my favorite drinks is the Vuela, Vuela, which consists of sage, butterfly pea flower tea (responsible for the earthy notes and gorgeous violet hue), Pentyre botanicals, and lime juice - the perfect combination of floral and bright.
As far as the food, leave it to Chef Eduardo Dominguez who hails from Sinaloa, a coastal state on the Gulf of California. I was surprised to learn that prior to The Cactus Shop, Eduardo had never worked formally on a Mexican menu, and was impressed by the authentic and homemade taste of the dishes, like the flautas ahogadas. Luis explained that while Eduardo was developing the menu, he was constantly on the phone with his mother, learning her recipes as well as her tips and tricks in the kitchen.
When asked about the future, Luis told me that they’re still very far from where they want to be. As the bar approaches its second birthday, the staff are still largely focused on being heads down in the daily operations. Eventually, they envision The Cactus Shop as a hub where they can teach about Mexican culture, specifically educating guests about what makes good tequila/mezcal. Part of this effort will include stocking the bar mostly with small-batch spirits from locally-owned farms in Mexico.
Having lost all sense of time and space, the hours flew by and soon it was time to leave. On my way out, I noticed that there is a beautiful painting of a flowering agave on the interior face of the portal. Marnie shares that in the penultimate stage of the life cycle of agave, the plant flowers before it dies. This is meant to invoke a sense of an ending, a reminder both bitter and sweet of the time we’ve just shared with our friends and loved ones in this special place. However, I didn’t feel too sad as I walked out the door. It’s only a matter of time before I go back.
Thank you to Marnie and Luis for taking the time to chat with me about this hidden gem along the Williamsburg waterfront!
In honor of National Mocktail week (1/15-1/20), The Cactus Shop is offering a complimentary mocktail with every free RSVP. Now’s your chance to try the Vuela, Vuela that I cannot stop raving about 😉