Cactus Jack's — Restaurant in Queensland

My friend and I visited Cactus Jacks at Canon Park just last Friday. We arrived for happy hour, which made finding a car park very easy. Although it was very easy for the both of us to get a carpark, I did notice it started to fill up significantly after 7-7:30 PM, around the time we left, as my spot was taken almost immediately after I pulled out.

We were seated within five minutes, at first a server walked up to us then immediately turned around before coming back which was a bit odd, but we were seated none-the-less. After seating, we immediately placed our drinks order and once those came out, entrees were ordered. Service at the start was pretty quick however as it started to get last 7pm, there was a noticeable drop in service speed. In saying this though, the mains didn't take too long to arrive. Regarding drinks (mocktails and cocktails), the service speed varied; sometimes they were delivered quickly, while other times it took a little while. I suspect this was just due to how busy the bar was at the time.

The staff were generally helpful, although it seemed to be a case of Murphy's Law - whenever we needed assistance, no one appeared to be free 😂! However, they were quite quick to respond once we managed to wave them down. We were seated in the outdoor area so I don't know if that influenced how well staff could see us to provide service but it wasn't anything bad which is why I'm happy to leave this as a 5 star review.

The food itself was brilliant; it had a good taste and we encountered no issues with any of our dishes. I'm a little sad that they discontinued Pepe's Rump for the fajitas, the alternative plain beef option wasn't bad. I still think Pepe's Rump was superior, but their recipe with the standard beef steak was still good.

Settling the bill was straightforward, and they were accommodating with splitting the payment, which made things simple for our group.

I haven't been to Cactus Jacks in a while, so it was good to return. I may consider visiting more regularly in the future.

FACILITIES Parking: Yes - On Site Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Toilets Available: Yes - down the hallway behind the restaurant (shared with the other restaurants)

PAYMENT METHODS: Card Accepted: Yes Cash Accepted: Yes Buy Now, Pay Later Options: None

COVID SAFE: Hand Sanitiser Available: Yes Dividers at Checkout: No Tap and Pay Available: Yes

DIETARY OPTIONS AVAILABLE: Limited gluten-free and vegan options available however there were a few options. Vegetarian options were easier but being Mexican focused, a fair few of the dishes were...

How the mighty have fallen! A staple for any local kid who grew up in the 90s. But as a now returning parent you quickly realise this is just a poor cousin of the all failing tex mex franchise cuisine Montezumas. Cactus jacks use to be a giant for locals, and maybe it still is cause they don’t know much better… we ordered the classic childhood favourite chicken crisper, with the famous dipping sauce. The sauce was slop and likely made back in the 90s and thawed for today’s service. Wife had the chilli but unfortunately The chef forgot to cook the rice, which added a unexpected texture and likely dentist trip

Kids had a kids steak( had very low expectations considering it’s a “kids steak”) but honestly mister minute could use it for a foot soul it was that hard. The youngest child was wise and went chicken nuggets and chips, they were as expected so no complaints there

No meals were finished

If you want to blow big money on franchise pre cooked food than this is the place

If you want well cooked meals by professionals chefs, elsewhere

Ask for better Townsville as this place is taking...

Update 10/7/23. Went for birthday dinner, just after 6pm. Super nachos arrived cold - the 'becareful the top plate is hot' was barely lukewarm on arrival at the table, and the wings were only slightly warmer. Not quite sure how the food came out so cold as it was quick. Nachos were also missing jalapenos after confirming we wanted them. Customer service was good. They offered to remake it, but we didn't bother with that as I couldn't stand much more noise from the noisy group sat next to us. I did have to explain to the drink server that he could use our dinner napkins to clean up his spill on the table, but we would still need more napkins to eat dinner with. Music wasn't loud, but the front section has a lot of human noise for an early Monday evening. If you like it quieter ask for a table out the back or outside. ...........previous review............ Food quality is not consistent, but customer service was good. A bit too hit and miss when it comes to presentation and execution of longterm menu items to get a 4...