Unlike some of my friends I like Cactus club food - it is actually pretty good. I'd say their food is the best of the major chain restaurants in Vancouver. I enjoy their burgers, entrees, and rice bowls. But the problem is the value is now horrid.

Essentially what you are paying for are the pretty servers - and when you realize this, the second thought in your head is: I figure I might as well go to a "gentleman's club". Unfortunately Cactus club is now more of place to be seen than to eat,

I think it is probably a good business model so I am not knocking them. I just wish the dining experience was more like it was when it was a small shop with a few locations that just happened to have pretty servers.

Best dish: Cajun Chicken Burger
Best Server: Curly haired brunette with green eyes.

Total for the two items: $$$$ + HST

I used to go to Cactus when it first became popular. However, their mediocre food and whoring out of waitresses finally got to me and I stopped going. Then Rob Feenie got involved, and they opened a new place in Bentall 5, so I decided to give it another try on my birthday. BAD IDEA. The space and location and perfect for those useless business lunches between creepy guys in suits which, oddly, tells you a lot about the food. It is middle-of-the-road, not very tasty stuff that would satisfy a guy who didn't know any better and is too busy ogling a waitress in a short skirt to care. My spaghetti was sour and otherwise flavourless -- a flaw in the recipe, I'd imagine. The waitress was barely disguising how irritated she was at talking to us, unceremoniously clanking things down and breezing off before I'd finished ordering. Just another douchebag-y place in Vancouver -- surprise, surprise.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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"

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.