Vancouver Restaurants: Cactus Club Cafe

On the weekend, I went for lunch with a couple of friends at the Cactus Club Cafe on Broadway & Granville. I wasn't in a rush to blog about this lunch because the food and service were less than desirable.

Cactus Club is a chain restaurant with 15 locations across Greater Vancouver. Its menu is diverse, with signature dishes from chef Rob Feenie, casual eats like burgers and much more.

A friend and I arrived at the Cactus Club on Broadway and Granville around lunchtime Sunday. We were greeted by a smiling hostess who asked if we'd like to be seated in the lounge or dining area. We chose the dining area and informed the hostess that another friend would be joining us. She took my name down so she could direct my other friend when she arrived. Good service from the hostess.

After being seated at our table, our waitress arrived shortly after. She told us the drink specials and took our drink orders. We ordered waters. After what seemed like a long while, the waitress dropped off our waters but didn't ask if we wanted to order. Yes, we had a friend coming still, but we were planning to order for her.

Cajun Chicken Sandwich

Our waitress was hardly to be seen and we were waiting forever to order. My friend finally had to ask the hostess to get our waitress. When the waitress finally arrived, she apologized, saying, "Oh sorry, I didn't know you wanted to order yet." She could have at least checked with us first.

Normally I really enjoy Cactus Club's food, but this time, I wasn't impressed with my order. I ordered the Cajun Chicken Sandwich with half fries and half salad (yes, you can do this for an extra charge of 75 cents). This was my first time ordering this sandwich, so I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I expected something a bit spicy. The sandwich was more like a chicken burger. I couldn't taste the Cajun spices and the sandwich was overpowered by the mayo-drenched lettuce and soggy tomato. The fries and salad were on par, but I just wasn't impressed with the sandwich.

Calamari

One of my friends ordered the calamari, which I thought was quite good. However, my friend noted that it was too salty in some areas. My other friend ordered her Cactus Club favourite: Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl. It's her go-to meal at Cactus Club, so it must be good.

Throughout our meal, our waitress was hardly seen. We were better served by other people (managers, maybe?) in the restaurant. Perhaps our waitress was new or too busy, but she didn't deliver the quality service I expected.

Overall, my Cactus Club Cafe experience was mediocre. Although I like Cactus Club, I'm not sure if I will be returning to the Broadway and Granville location.