Cactus Club Cafe (Bentall 5)

Added Oct 7, 2009 by whoelius of Vancouver (19 Reviews)

Surprisingly High Quality
My fiancée and I whimsically chose Cactus Club Cafe on Burrard Street for lunch on Tuesday afternoon, the day of the Bellini specials.

We were seated after waiting a couple of minutes and we took the advice of the waitress, going for the Bellinis. They were awesome; tartier, more fruity and whipped much better than at Earl's.

I chose one of the lunch specials: the short rib sandwich, and my lovely lady went for the three mini bacon cheeseburgers. I was thrilled with my food. The beef was ludicrously soft and the sandwich was perfectly moist. Even the accompanying fries were perfect. Maybe I can squeeze in a minor complaint about my au jus, which was bland.

The lady says her meal was really good. She was surprised though when she was asked whether she wanted yam fries or salad, and when she picked yam fries we discovered later that we'd been charged an extra $4. The manner of the waitress' question suggested it was one or the other as part of the meal, especially given that it was $12. $12 just for three 3-inch burgers is extortionate, in my opinion, and so is $4 for a handful of fries.

I felt like I had room for dessert once I'd had my wonderful sandwich, so we shared the white chocolate cheesecake. It was the best cheesecake I've had in Vancouver. It was lightly whipped and the biscuit base was excellent. I don't like dark chocolate, so we got the dark chocolate sauce on the side in a bowl, and my fiancée liked that too.

We had a different waiter towards the end, a tall young man whose manner was terrific. Never have I felt so comfortable about asking for or receiving a cup of tea. Had he been our waiter throughout, I'd have rated the service with 5 stars. Indeed, the tea he brought was fantastic.

My main meal was $16, which despite its brilliance still seems very high. $16 for a sandwich? A superb sandwich, unquestionably it was, but it was a sandwich. Our Tuesday lunch came to $56.

The restaurant is nice. The decor is modern and the waiting staff look nice, particularly the jiggly females.

I'd certainly recommend Cactus Club Cafe to fans of Earl's or anyone looking for a good lunch.

Added Sep 16, 2009 by ravingfoodie of downtown, Vancouver (11 Reviews)

Kudos!
Went back to CC a few times and was extremely impressed with the quality of the food matched with the exemplary service. Sure, the servers all have a certain "quality" about them but they have a very sincere and caring attitude. RF's influence has been a very determining factor in visiting this restaurant over and over again. Can't get enough of that butternut squash ravioli with truffle oil (with or without the prawns), and their beef carpaccio coupled with a glass of Amarone (yes, you can get a glass of Amarone,,,not the whole or half bottle) is a great match.
You can not go wrong with this restaurant at all. Varied menu and their desserts are very complemting too. By far, the best out of Joeys, Earl's, and Milestones!

Added Jul 25, 2009 by dragondrea of Vancouver (43 Reviews)

Awesome
My partner and I stopped in on a whim Friday night. We were about to take the Skytrain home and I saw this Cactus Club location from Burrard St. You can't miss it really--it's huge and very sparkly. So we went in for drinks and appies.

I remember Cactus Club of old being good but not great; the food consistent and enjoyable, but not amazing. Maybe it's just this location, but they've really stepped up their game.

Service was 100% exceptional. The hostess was kind and hospitable, and our server was superb. I like how they recommend items on the menu if you're stuck deciding what to choose.

We started with tuna tataki and yam fries. The tuna was delicious, served with an astringent and fruity sauce. Yam fries aren't really my taste, but my partner loved them. I loved dipping them in the dressing on the tuna. Very good.

I also like the lounge feel of the whole restaurant, and that they were playing Star Wars. Music was great. Bathrooms on the 2nd floor was annoying, but the screens in the stalls were very cool.

I'll definitely be back.

Added Jun 11, 2009 by Jenlovesherfood of Kits (9 Reviews)

Hilarious people watching and delicious chocolate bars!
Oh Catcus Club - we all know what we go there for!

Last week some friends and I hit the patio for a well rounded dinner of Reisling, rice bowls and desserts.

The bonus of course is the fabulous people watching! Come for the filling very reasonably priced food (some designed by Mr. Rob Feenie!) and stay for the free street side entertainment.

Service was very friendly and quick, our server forgot one drink and quickly made up for it. Mains tasted very fresh and the yogurt sauce on my chicken rice bowl was nice and tangy.

A good casual dinner out.

Added May 28, 2009 by sinner of North Vancouver (74 Reviews)

Eye Candy for the Downtown Broker Crowd
What can I say?... It's "a bit better than Earl's" chain food... The mostly male crowd doesn't come here for the food... really... There were at least 6 guys in there at 3 PM who are stockbrokers checking out the eye candy..

Things I like...
- They refill my non-alcoholic drink without asking.
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad was light, fresh and not soggy.
- The eye-candy... Hey, I'm a red-blooded man too... The waitresses are good looking and they actually smile.
- My ex-boss picked up the bill! Sweet!
- They brought MILK with my coffee, like I asked. Lazy waitresses just usually bring cream instead of actually pouring out some milk.

Things I didn't like...
- Bathroom is on the second floor... Come on..
- The waitresses push the extras like "Would you like a full chicken breast with that salad"? It sounded like there was an extra half-ton of chicken breast in the back that had to be unloaded before it went bad.

I'm glad the lines for this place have finally disappeared. Last year looked like a feeding line for free gruel in Ethiopia in 1991.

Added Jan 22, 2009 by genki39 of burnaby (68 Reviews)

pleasantly surprised!
I came here last Thursday nite with my friend after a show. It was about 8pm, and it was fairly busy. The hostess was quite nice and we were seated in about 5 minutes. We both were pretty hungry and had a beer and a burger. The food was quite good. The beer (heineken) was on special that nite, I think 5 bucks. Our server was quite nice even though she did not do a quality check, we only saw here when she took our order, brought our food and gave us the bill, but it's Cactus right? what do you expect. The place itself was really nice, don't know what they spent on it but I'm sure a lot, tv's in the bathrooms, couches upstairs, yeah pretty nice. Overall a pretty good experience.

Added Dec 6, 2008 by LaurenJ of Vancouver (5 Reviews)

Looks hot, but isn't worth it.
I went in the other evening to pick up an order. the Staff was friendly enough but it was sooo packed. The bar area was more like a nightclub, everybody just standing around. I actually had to ask if I could wait for my order outside because I was feeling clausterphobic. Would not reccomend this place unless you need a good dose of "coo"

Added Oct 20, 2008 by Bonka of Vancouver (290 Reviews)

For cool people only
Their new "Cafe" titled restaurants are only different in atmosphere.

Great looking decor with 2 levels, HIGH celings, lots of glass with the main floor crowded with nicely dressed (or wannabe) people; half who probably work Downtown.

We came in for an evening to hang out and it was a packed house. We asked to get a tab started so we could order drinks while we waited for a table. We had to dance around suits and servers alike. The bar area is overcrowded and could use some extra space. It was almost obnoxiously LOUD.

We were seated outside on the patio facing the kitchen. We ordered steaks and drinks. Meals were normal of what we expected from Cactus. Our waitress consistently came by to check on us and get us more drinks. Very friendly albeit you could tell she had a long day.

These new "Cafe" themed offshoots cater to the power lunch crowd as the place is just pretentious enough to attract the like. It's just another new hangout for the people in Downtown or to look cool. It's a good place if you're looking for a new place to try, safe menu choices and like a busy and noisy atmosphere (as my positive rating reflects it). I wouldn't bring a date here.

Added Oct 15, 2008 by bordercollie of north vancouver (194 Reviews)

Too Loud to have a conversation.
My friend and I decided to meet for a early dinner, and decided to try this new location.

What we both noticed, was the large windows, two level to eat and lots of space, and how it looks inside. Don't let this fool you, as my friend and I tried to share a conversation, we both had a hard time hearing one another, often saying, please repeat. If you plan to have romantic dinner or business lunch, this may not be the spot to be properly heard. It get's annoying the loudness of this place, the ambiance looses it appeal and you want to run somewhere quiet.

The bathrooms, are stylish as the other locations, West Van, and definately modern, with TV's in each stall and luxury.

My server was nice, friendly and due to the design of the place, servers repeat going up & down stairs with food and I was amazed no one dropped anything.

We shared spinach dip, had fish taco and chicken wings, and my friend reported the fish taco's to be interesting & good. I don't think she would order it again, but was happy to try it. My chicken wings were typically messy, and got lots of napkins to clean my hands.

When our meal was over, we paid our bill, and when we got outside, the silence of not hearing loud echo's was welcome relief. Would I go back to this location, I doubt it. Its just too loud to relax or have a nice conversation without feeling you need to shout.

Added Oct 8, 2008 by rvr of Yaletown (11 Reviews)

Will not be a regular here
As I work just a block away, I was excited at the prospect of this restaurant opening. I have now been there about 5 times and get more and more disappointed with the attitude of the place. What makes the host and service staff think they are better than everyone? Better looking, maybe, but where do you come off with that attitude?
I have arrived for lunch 20 minutes BEFORE they said they were opening (of course, they're too good to take reservations which is the silliest thing in the corporate environment) and already there would be a long lineup and people already sitting (how is that possible? that was before when they said they were opening). They do take names down and give out those vibrating notifiers, but I don't understand the 20 minute wait when more than half the restaurant is empty.
Food is decent, but definitely not good enough to get away with that snooty attitude by the staff.
I will not go back there again for lunch; I don't have enough time to waste to get there half an hour early just to get a table, then still have to wait to be seated, then endure the slow service. I can't always afford a 2.5 hr lunch.

Added Sep 13, 2008 by oldbrogene of Kits (23 Reviews)

Good Marketing move
All about marketing. Really is an intelligent market strategy. "Food architet", new "fancy menu", "local ingridients" etc... MARKETING - well done, by the way. In reallity the foods is just OK, nothing new. The service is the weakest point at all. The ambience is very impressive. Modern, clean, wild. Worth a visit. The ambience pay for it self. But why not to invest in people too. A good and experienced manager can give a new form to the service. Not only beautties, but pros. Is my suggestion. I'll be back? yes, I'll.

Added Aug 19, 2008 by sumiln of North Burnaby (32 Reviews)

Lunch at CC
I've lunched at this new venue a few times now but my visit last Thursday (14 Aug) really impressed me. I admit I am very fussy plus a non-meat eater so the ambiance and company are more important to me than food. Having said that I ordered the spinach and artichoke quesadillas sans red peppers. When my meal duly arrived the peppers were liberally sprinkled throughout. I drew attention to this to our very sweet waitress and she was horrified. I stated that it was not a big issue, I would order something else but she said she had specifically entered the order as I had requested, then dashed back to enter it again. In the meantime, another staff member came over and asked if I would like a complimentary salad or something while I was waiting (as my companions were now eating their lunches). I said no, I'm fine, I'll wait. Anyway, when my lovely quesadillas arrived without the peppers I really enjoyed my lunch and then was not charged for it. I said this was not necessary as it was not a big issue in my mind but I was offered more apologies. I was most impressed and, as a result, will continue to lunch here on a regular basis. In addition, I really like the layout of the new place as well as the super artwork!

Added Jun 29, 2008 by MBAK of Vancouver (69 Reviews)

Great start to a beautiful restaurant.
After reading the article in the Vancouver Sun I felt inclined to try the new $6.5 million Cactus Club in the heart of the business district in downtown.

We started off in the lounge which has a really nice and open feel. When we were seated, we got to take a look at the entirety of the restaurant from the second floor. The entire restaurant is beautiful..you can definately tell that a great amount of time and effort was put into styling every detail of this restaurant.

The food was great. My bf and I thoroughly enjoyed the new additions to the menu (courtsey of chef Rob Feenie). We tried the calamari sandwich and the BBQ duck club sandwich. We liked both sandwiches but the BBQ duck was the clear favorite for the both of us. It was just MOUTHWATERING!

So, if you're downtown and have a hankering for some good food at a reasonable price..I highly recommend going to Cactus Club on Burrard. Great drinks, great view, great food, great service...just great!