The Bottom Line
Cactus Club Cafe is a Canadian restaurant-and-bar chain that is just adored in Vancouver. Every location is extremely popular for the food, but the Yaletown Cactus Club has the hottest bar: pretty people and hip urban professionals make the scene a weekend hot-spot.
Cactus Club Cafe - Downtown
588 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC
604-682-0933
&
1136 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC
604-687-3278
Cactus Club Cafe - Yaletown
357 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC
604-685-8070
Cactus Club Cafe - Fairview
575 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
604-714-6000
&
1530 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
604-733-0434
Pros
- A wide variety of cuisine in a hip, "casual fine dining" atmosphere
- Very happening bar scene at the Yaletown Cactus Club
- Packed at game time
- Vegetarian options
Cons
- Packed at game time - finding a space in the bar can be difficult!
- Street parking may be difficult to find
Description
- Most locations: Open daily 11am - 12am
- Most entrées $15 - $25
- Restaurant & Bar - Yaletown Cactus Club has a packed, singles-oriented bar scene, especially on Friday & Saturday nights
- Big flat screens for game-watching
Guide Review - Cactus Club Restaurant & Bar
The Food
Designed to be "casual fine dining" that's as widely-appealing as possible (and doing an excellent job), Cactus Club offers a range of food--from straight-forward burgers to stylish Cedar-Roasted Salmon--at a range of prices, from $9.75 Pesto Chicken Quesadillas to $26 Ahi Tuna.
The something-for-everyone approach works, and even if the menu's ethnic and regional food--tacos, Teriyaki Chicken Bowl or Jambalaya Bowl, to name a few--aren't authentic, they're certainly tasty. (I rather adore the Jambalaya Bowl, even if they do mysteriously serve it with chop sticks.)
Popular dishes include the Grilled Salmon Sandwich, the Mini-Burgers (three mini bacon cheddar burgers), and the sublime Chocolate Lava Cake--not to be missed by chocolate-lovers. They also make a mean Bellini.
The Bar
The bar scene at most of the Vancouver Cactus Clubs is a typical bar-in-a-restaurant one: lively, because the restaurants are popular, but not a destination in and of itself.
But there is one major exception: The bar at the Yaletown Cactus Club.
Yaletown's Cactus Club is on Hamilton St., one of the busiest streets for nightlife in Vancouver. Packed with bars, bar hopping along Hamilton is easy, and the Cactus Club bar is a popular stop.
The Yaletown crowd is a mix of hip urban professionals (twenty- and thirty-somethings) and pretty young(er) things; the Cactus Club vibe tends more toward the former than the latter. Packed on weekend and game nights, its a great place to gather with friends--but get there early or forget about getting a seat.
