Cactus Club Cafe — Restaurant in Toronto

So I finally made it out to the new Cactus Club Cafe in Sherway Gardens after 5 months of holding on to a gift card that I received from last Christmas. Their doors officially opened on October 24 2018 and I have always been wanting to try it but never had time or when we did they were too busy for me to wait for a table.

They are located just across from the Keg at Sherway Gardens. When you walk in through the turnstile doors you are greeted by the hostess and a big waiting area, I guess it would need to be big as they seem to be busy all time. We went in on a Tuesday evening and even then we had to wait for a table. I highly highly recommend to pop by their website early and set yourself up with a reservation for either the patio or dining room you'll thank me later. Their site shows you what times are available and which seating areas are available in the time slot that you choose.

We were lucky enough to get seated in their patio section upstairs. What was unfortunate was that the weather wasn't warm enough for them to have the ceilings opened or the glass lifted away. My wife and I will definitely come back again when it's warmer to sit up in the patio and enjoy some beverages. Good thing is that their patio can be used all year round kind of like the Rogers center.

The crew here are very friendly easy to talk to and very attentive to when our table need to be cleaned for the next dishes or when the water was running low. The service is fast as well and tables were being filled up rapidly but service did not lack.

So for all you wine fiends out there Tuesdays and Wednesdays are half price bottles of wines for the whole menu if I recall correctly so swoosh those wine glasses away. Their wine list is fairly extensive and priced to fit every budget.

On to the good stuff the food. We ordered some Louisiana style wings and a tuna stack to start which I find was the perfect portion for 2 before digging into my millionaire's cut steak and my wife had their short rib pappardelle. That tuna stack is filled with bright vibrant colours, very mouth watering just looking at it. Cubed Ahi with avocado, citrus tamari vinaigrette, nori, wonton chips, and micro cilantro. The combination of all these different flavours were a match made in heaven. The chicken wings were not bad flavourful not too wet just the right amount of sauce. The steak was very delicious cooked perfectly to my liking and was very tender. The asparagus was also cooked to perfection and wasn't soft like what i normally find at other places. The short rip pappardelle was slightly on the salty side i found but other than that also cooked al dente and the pulled short ribs were nice and tender.

Like I said earlier must come back and enjoy their amazing patio when they open up the roof and...

The Wyck Recommendation: Cactus Club Sherway Rating: 3.2/5 Margaritas Over Monstrosities: A Sherway Saga

Intro Scene

There are restaurants you choose and restaurants you tolerate. This one’s the latter. When the office is nearby and someone suggests “Let’s do Cactus,” you sigh, smooth your shirt, and prepare to be underwhelmed in high style.

What Was Ordered

Sushi Prawn Roll: A rare win. Crisp, creamy, and genuinely tasty.

Crab Cakes with Frites: Meh. The frites were more “sad festival fries” than crisp Parisian glory.

Madri Beer: Cold and straightforward, unlike the decor.

Sugar-Free Margarita: Knockout. Punchy, balanced, and unapologetically strong. Worth coming back for this alone.

Service Commentary

We had to call the servers over like we were hailing taxis in a blackout. They were pleasant once wrangled, but expect to be the one doing the chasing. Fast food this is not.

Vibe Check

Loud. Distracting. Pop remixes playing just a little too aggressively for you to pretend you're having a productive business lunch. It’s not quite a bar, not quite a lounge, and definitely not a place where you can crack open a laptop or whisper through a deck. If you’re looking to get work done or hold a serious meeting—don’t.

The Space Itself

Pop art hellscape. At the entrance, you’re greeted by a massive, glittery blonde with a stare that haunts you through lunch. Inside, another wall looks like Skittles exploded in a geometry class. The “Universal” bathroom sign tries to be woke chic, but comes off like set design for a Scandinavian thriller.

About the Neighborhood

Inside Sherway Gardens. Parking’s easy, the clientele is mall-polished, and you’ll always run into someone from a nearby office who just closed a small deal and thinks they deserve oysters.

Hits & Misses

✓ Sugar-Free Margarita – Surprisingly excellent. Strong tequila, not syrup. ✓ Sushi Prawn Roll – Good texture and heat, well-balanced. ✗ Service Lag – You’ll need persistence and patience. ✗ Crab Frites – Not worth the hype or the price. ✗ Interior Art – A tacky fever dream in technicolor. ✗ Noise Level – Music too loud for working or serious conversation.

Final Verdict

Cactus Club Sherway is the coworker who looks great on LinkedIn but tells boring stories at happy hour. You go here because you have to, not because you want to. Still, the margaritas slap, the sushi surprised, and it’s close enough to the office that the mediocrity feels… inevitable. Just don’t expect to get anything done here unless your only agenda is tequila.

Perfect For:

Client lunches when you're pretending to like abstract art

Escaping your desk with a very, very good...

The drink quality was amazing. Quick tip: ask for less ice in your drinks. At the bar, the bartender was very nice, listened and was pleasant everyone was busy and seemed genuinely happy to be there. The greeters were all extremely kind and personable. I had a virgin Caesar and it was really tasty and refreshing. It's easy to tell they use fresh ingredients even for their drinks.

The atmosphere and vibe were high-end chic but not too high-end that you felt out of place. The music was awesome. Mix of 90's music that brought a nostalgia from my teenage years. I was singing along most of the time.

The waiter and waitress who took care of our group were superb. They were kind, genuine and knew the products they had. Providing genuine feedback about food and drinks so our group could choose.

The brioche with butter is to die for. It's a little salt and a little sweet and soooo warm. 100% the best appetizer on the menu. I also had some of the avocado dip, it was beautiful and looked so fresh and tasty.

For mains. I had charbroiled steak Medium well. It was perfect. Great cut of meat Easy to cut into, melted in my mouth. The flavouring was fantastic, nothing overpowering and left me feeling satisfied. The string beans were not soggy, they were nice and crispy. The mashed potatoes are very creamy, and extremely flavourful with a nice balance of a salty creamy flavour. It was a generous amount of food and very good quality for the price.

Deserts: the chocolate layer cake is definitely for 2 to 4 people. It was huge and decadent. It was moist and so chocolatey, we could not finish it. I didn't have the ice cream due to allergies. I also got a cheesecake to go and it was the best cheesecake, the whipped cream that came with it was so fluffy and sweet. The cake itself had that nice slightly tangy flavour but also sweet. The texture was perfect. Creamy but not falling apart.

Everything about the experience was perfect. Even the bathrooms were all very clean, with lots of space and light. Accessibility was also well done with elevators and a large bathroom.

My only feedback is the tables are quite cramped. They are narrow and there isn't much space between the seats and other tables. And not much space for the appetizers and our place settings. Oh! I forgot. Their knives are great, however I did get a dirty fork and a dirty spoon. So pay attention to your cutlery.

Minor things. I loved it here. Would come back for a special occasion (I was here for a work function so it took me 90 min to drive in...