Cactus Club Cafe

My family and I were on vacation, and had a few days to spend in Vancouver. We had heard from many people that it's a great city with a reputation for amazing food. I'm happy to say that Vancouver lived up to its reputation.

We found out about the Cactus Club Cafe through a recommendation made by a hotel employee when we checked in at the Marriott in downtown. He said it was among his top 2 picks for restaurants in downtown. Little did we know that there are several locations in Vancouver. The one we ended up going to is right next to the Convention Center & Coal Harbor. The view is great- you are surrounded by the high rises of downtown on one side, & the water on the other. It was beautiful to see the sun go down, & see the lights of the city come on.

The service was great once we were seated, which was after waiting for about 1 hour. They said that a convention had just let out, & a bunch of people got there just before we did, which is why the wait was so long. Again, the service was great. We had a wonderful waitress who came by often, but never so much that it interrupted our conversation. She was friendly & made good recommendations.

WHAT TO ORDER:
1. The Butternut Squash Ravioli with Prawns was absolutely delectable! They tasted fresh, & the rich creamy sauce perfectly complemented the delicate sweetness of the shrimp & the squash.

2. The Double-Braised Pineapple Hoisin Short Rib was incredibly tender. It literally fell off the bone with the slightest touch of a fork. It was sweet, tangy, & full of flavor. The tasty mashed potatoes & peas gave it a "comfort food" quality.

3. The Sangria "slushy" was like an adult version of a childhood treat. It's more of a cocktail than a traditional sangria, as it has some Bellini influence. That's not to say that it's not as good, because it is! You may even want to order a second one (we did)!

We had such a great time, & really enjoyed tasting unique dishes from a restaurant founded in Vancouver. I will definitely come back the next time I visit. If you live in the U.S., you may see a Cactus Club pop up soon. Our server told us that the owners were talking about opening a location in Southern California some time soon. I hope it happens!

Great atmosphere! the staff were very accommodating for our group of 6. our server was friendly and very attentive to our orders. the view and location was amazing! def recommend!

TOP NOTCH SERVICE! One thing that you quickly learn about this restaurant is that the service is impeccable and the team knows how to do their job. From the front desk to our waiter Solomon we had a terrific time with a terrific view making our Vancouver stay memorable. His personality is what stood out the most all on his 4th day of work and made us feel comfortable and completely enjoy or time at the Cactus Club.

The food was AMAZING with recommendations from Solomon we ordered the chicken, the salmon and the pasta. All three of us loved our meals and our Lava Cake of chocolaty goodness. Solomon also made us a pot of coffee that we really needed after a long day to go with our cake. He's a keeper!

My only very little suggestion/complaint is that the "Sugar Free" Margarita has Monk fruit and some of us just want our Sugar Free Margaritas to be simple tequila + lime juice without any sweet flavor. I would recommend to be upfront and honest with an ingredient that is proving to cause heart attacks as an artificial sweeter in quantity. Since I rarely have Monk Fruit, I took the time to enjoy it, but when I return I will make sure to be more clear when ordering it.

Also, make sure to stop by the washroom, its a small hike downstairs, but one of the nicest you will see in Vancouver.

After enjoying an event at the Convention Centre, I decided to have dinner at Cactus Club in Canada Place, just a minute's walk away.

On a busy weekend, we had to line up for a patio table, but the wait wasn't too long--about 10 to 15 minutes. Luckily, we got a nice patio table overlooking the ocean and the Convention Centre.

Our group ordered chicken sandwich sliders, lettuce wraps, a poke bowl, and Baja fish tacos.

The chicken sandwich sliders were three small deep-fried chicken burgers with pickles, onions, and lettuce. They were delicious and perfect for sharing with others.
My favorite was the lettuce wrap. It had a Chinese-style twist with sweet and spicy Szechuan glaze, peanuts, wontons, Korean chili sauce, and spicy yogurt. It was delicious and one of the unique items on the restaurant's menu.

The Baja fish tacos featured beer-battered cod, pickled cabbage, garlic mayo, avocado crema, and flour tortillas. The deep-fried fish paired really well with the pickled cabbage and mayo seasoning. I liked this dish very much.
The poke bowl included sesame ginger ahi tuna, jasmine rice, mango, cucumber, avocado, edamame, ginger, and radish. This dish was supposed to include crispy tempura, but I couldn't find it--perhaps the menu has changed? It was just okay. This used to be my favorite dish, but somehow, it seems different from what I had a while ago.

The notable points of this restaurant were the nice view and good location. I'll likely visit again, as it's one of nice patio restaurants in downtown Vancouver.

My girlfriend and I dinned with you last night...
On Thursday, July 26th @ 6:45pm.

Had a phenomenal evening... while watching
the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra from
your patio while dinning there for your
4 Course Set Menu.

Everything from the delicious Kale Salad to the
Butternut Squash Ravioli and Prawn Duo which
had the most heavenly sauce that my girlfriend
and I both thought paired perfectly with the
prawns and precisely cooked pasta.

The Chargrilled Filled Mignon was both a
little overcooked and not as entirely tender
as I had expected from the meticulously
trained and controlled kitchen of what is
a higher-end chain restaurant.

As for desserts; the Chocolate Peanut Butter
Chrunch Bar and the Key Lime Pie were both
executed Flawlessly with "Melt-in-the-Mouth"
"To Die For" Textures.

The Mixed Drinks were properly constructed
as per a professional bartender; however we
thought the Drinks Menu needed more
Seasonal suggestions.

Finally, I had them make me a delectable
Double Bailey's, Kahlúa and coffee that
finished off my experience excellently.

Thank-you for a wonderful evening...
And, start to girlfriend's birthday weekend.

Richard Mac

For what it is, this is a perfect place for tourists walking around the waterfront. It's huge, and yet still has a line out the door. We lucked out and our party of 2 got in within about 3 minutes for lunch. The wait staff is attentive and they don't seem understaffed. We tried their 'fraperol spritz' which looked great - and as an appetizer we had their hot chicken and pickles. Also had the Lemongrass Noodle Salad which had some thinly sliced serrano peppers in there - spicy fun! Also had the (3) baja fish tacos - beer battered cod. Adding a green salad made it just right.

Cactus Club is a bit loud and has TVs on but muted (closed captioning would have been nice, but it's not universally expected). There's a lot of outdoor seating if you prefer that. Give them a try! All your expectations will be met.

This was a perfect spot for us to enjoy lunch and looked hopping at night!

Several options for sitting where your heart pleased- outdoors on the boardwalk, covered bar area, in tented areas, in the restaurant or bar itself with windows all around... very classy and upbeat interior. The staff were amazing, menu provided a variety of options without overwhelming you, and food was extremely fresh and shareable! Since we were attending a conference, we enjoyed delightful mocktails that were delicious, not too sweet, and on point!

Really enjoyed this place for lunch! Great menu options. Option of sushi, chicken, pasta, steak, tacos etc. Good portions for price. Location is great! Right on the water. Check out the washrooms. They were cool. Had a nice outdoor patio with heaters. Loved the chicken tenders and the blackened sandwhich ! Tofu bowl was also good.

Service was okay. Didn't refill our waters much.

Back for happy hour second time this week, last time at the burrard location. Came in at 9p and was promptly seated once again. No wait at all. This location has more of a dining ambiance to it than a sports bar vibe like the last.

The pressed sushi rolls were both very delicious. But, the chicken tacos didn't quite taste the same as the ones we had at the other location which were more flavorful and juicy with a kick to it. Not sure why but this was lacking and the chicken was a tad more cooked. Nevertheless, good but not amazing.

Our server was very pleasant and sociable, but not as attentive towards the end. Caveat was that she stepped away for a bit, gave us a little too much time to finish our drinks. So we waited a while before we could ask to get the check.

Still a great experience overall. Friendly staff, food is good and comes fast. Cactus has the best range of food selection for happy hour.

If you're looking for a great brunch or early dinner spot and you're in the area, look no further. However if you're a large group be sure to reserve ahead of time because the line can fill up quick. Once we got seated, our waiter took care of us in no time. She was super attentive with great recommendations. I was leaning towards pasta but the way she raved about the blackened chicken, I was instantly sold. While there were a few moments of doubt, once our food came out and I cut into it, she did not steer me wrong at all. It was nice she even brought us out shots and took time to congratulate the future groom on his soon to be wedding. Thank you all so much for the hospitality it was greatly appreciated!

Wow! The view from the tables by the window was stunning! The service was good and the food was delicious. Great place for visitors!