Sherman's Food Adventures: Cactus Club Cafe

Cactus Club Cafe

I originally thought a bunch of us were going to eat lunch at the one20 today, so a couple of us made our way down there to find out nobody was there. Due to a lack of communication, there was no lunch planned. Despite the fact I like one20, we decided to head over to Cactus Club instead. To tell you the truth, I really do like Cactus Club. Yes, some people will point out that Cactus Club is expensive and a chain restaurant. That's is pretty much true; however, there are some good eats here. I still remember back in University, we would frequent 2 of the first few locations near Metrotown and on Robson. Their first location (North Van) opened in 1988. Much like it's competitors, Cactus Club has gone through come changes and has gone a bit more upscale.

Since the addition of Rob Feenie as a food designer, there have been some changes to the menu. Today, all 3 of us chose a Rob Feenie creation and in doing so, paid accordingly. Blondie had the Spinach Salad with Italian prosciutto, goat cheese, balsamic figs, candied pecans and sherry vinaigrette. She really enjoyed the salad; but did remark that the prosciutto's saltiness overwhelmed some flavours. My esteemed colleague, L-Pete, had The Burger which consisted of aged cheddar cheese, cured bacon, sautéed mushrooms and red pepper relish. This is a very large burger and he really liked it. I've had the opportunity to try The Burger as well and it is indeed very good. It's juicy, has more than enough toppings and the relish is pretty tasty. For my meal, I ordered the Prawn & Scallop Spaghettini. It wasn't a particularly large portion of pasta; yet it was enough. The roasted tomato sauce was light and fresh tasting. The seafood was cooked just right and the pasta was al dente.

Honestly, no complaints here about the food, it was consistently good. Only real concern was probably the price because it wasn't cheap. However, if you can get past the "chain restaurant" stigma, the food is actually quite decent. With that being said, yes it is true you can practically eat anywhere for those prices. I guess it would be a personal choice as to where you want to spend your money.

The Good:
- No surprises
- Fun atmosphere
- Good place for varied tastes or big groups

The Bad:
- Pricey (along the same lines as Milestone's, Earl's and Joey's)

Cactus Club Cafe on Urbanspoon

5 comments:

Danny said...

I have been meaning to try Cactus Club since Feenie joined but never got a chance. My friend recommends the burgers.

I Love Food Blog said...

"The Burger" is hands down the best burger that I've ever had!

And I have no problem with visiting these "chain restaurants." To me, good food is good food. And in my opinion, Cactus Club does have some pretty good dishes, including the awesome burger.

Sherman Chan said...

Yes, I agree, just like other restaurants, there are good ones and bad ones. Same with chain restaurants. ABC Country Restaurant = BAD; Cactus Club = GOOD. I remember going to Cactus Club when they were only 2 locations strong, they were good. Just because they have grown doesn't mean they are suddenly bad.

I Love Food Blog said...

I agree. Well said Sherman!

And it doesn't hurt Cactus now that they have Rob Feenie helping them out.

Anyways, glad to see that you did a review on CC.

Unknown said...

I was recently visiting family and friends in Vancouver and I went to the Cactus Club for the first time. I had the Feenie Burger and I have to say it is the absolute best burger I've ever had in my life. When it arrived I thought there was no way I could eat the whole thing but I ate every morsel.

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