Cactus Club Cafe — Restaurant in Toronto

I've come to this location over a dozen times and I have always had a terrific experience. Last Friday I decided to go back with a friend to get a couple drinks and some food. Thankfully, Ronny was serving us and our night was going extremely well! Ronny is always very pleasant, courteous and kind. Also, his awareness and attention to detail is #1. We ordered 4 different items and the food + drinks were 10/10... However, once Ronny's shift ended our night slowly turned into a nightmare. Right before his shift ended we had ordered a Tuna Temaki roll and we unfortunately were waiting for over 45 mins for the item. This wasn't Ronny's fault however, I kindly raised my hand to the other bartenders to get someone's attention. This tallish blonde bartender came right up to me with "attitude" and said "WHATS UP?" in a very intimidating tone. I was slightly startled and just kindly told her I ordered a sushi roll and its been over 45mins. She said she would go to the back and get it for us. Five minutes later, she returned with our sushi which was fine. Fast-forward 20 mins nobody came around to ask how we were doing or if we wanted anything else? I kindly again raised my hand again and solely asked for a couple napkins. She said she would get me a napkin and return. Again, waiting for 5 minutes nobody came back with a napkin. Again, I raised my hand asked about the napkins and she told me they didn't have any at the bar and that they were "working on getting me some from the back". She was very negative, and seemed like she didn't want to be there. She also made me feel unwelcoming and like a burden even though I always spend over $150 and tip at least 20%. At this point, I felt very upset and saddened by the service I was receiving so I complained to her and told her she was acting "offside" and rude! Of course that caught here attention and now all the bartenders were whispering and pointing in my direction. Ten minutes later a security individual came to me and said he wanted to speak to me in the hallway. I was happy I finally had a chance to explain to someone what was going on... A long story short, even though I had to wait over 45 mins for my sushi and had to deal with a lot of back-lash and negativity I was asked to leave the establishment. I was also "falsely accused of using profanity"!! I immediately asked the security that if that was the case to play back the tape with audio and tell me when I used profanity. I've been all around the world, to word class establishments and this has never, EVER happened to me. I kindly paid my bill and out of pity for the in-experienced and mis-managed staff I still tipped 22% and told the security guard he forever lost my business. Its unfortunate because I used to like coming here... The food drinks and atmosphere are 10/10 BUT this place is truly mis-managed and they know ZERO about customer service. I myself run a very successful business and I can tell you the way they treat their customers I would never. Furthermore, I will tell all my friends and family in North York to stay away from this location... Not so we hinder the business because it will stay busy regardless but so that NOBODY ever experiences what I had to go through. First time at 40 years old getting kicked out of a restaurant I've been to over a dozen times and always tip like a GENTLEMAN! This place totally lacks class and it will surely catch up to them when they have "staff" running the show... Without even a manager to rectify the situation....

Food: 4 Stars Service: 4 Stars Ambience: 4 Stars Value: 3 Stars Sanitary: 3 Stars Overall: 3.6 Stars

Cactus Club Cafe offers a polished and vibrant atmosphere that makes it a popular choice for many. However, after visiting recently during their Happy Hour, I had mixed feelings about the experience. Here’s a breakdown of my visit.

To start on a positive note, our reservation was successfully timed during Happy Hour, which is always a bonus. I went with a good friend, and we were seated by the window. While the view wasn’t particularly noteworthy, the ambiance and vibes were pleasant, with a trendy and upbeat atmosphere comparable to downtown restaurants.

We decided to try a few dishes from the Happy Hour menu, including the Hot Chicken + Pickles, the Prawn Crunch Roll, and the Salmon Aburi Roll. For drinks, I opted for the Soul Revival Mocktail, as I don’t drink alcohol. The mocktail was too spicy for my taste, and I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

The highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the Hot Chicken + Pickles. The chicken was delightfully flavourful, with the spiciness perfectly complemented by the sweet pickles. I could easily see myself devouring a whole bucket of this dish if it were available in larger portions. The sushi rolls, on the other hand, were decent but not outstanding. I found the rice-to-filling ratio a bit heavy on the rice side, which slightly detracted from the overall enjoyment of the rolls. We also got the London Fog Creme Brûlée for dessert and it was so delicious, really custardy and creamy.

Unfortunately, there were a couple of small but noticeable hiccups during our meal. When we were given chopsticks and soya dishes, one of the dishes was dirty and had to be replaced. Additionally, one of the straws for our drinks was stuck to the wrapping and seemed to have something sticky on it, which was unpleasant. While these issues were minor and quickly resolved, they did detract from the overall experience.

In terms of value, I found the Happy Hour menu to be on the pricier side considering the portion sizes. While the food was enjoyable, the amount we received for the price didn’t feel particularly generous. This could be a drawback for those looking for substantial portions at a reasonable cost.

On the bright side, the service was friendly and accommodating. The staff ensured we were comfortable and addressed the minor issues we encountered promptly. Their warm and professional attitude contributed positively to the experience.

In summary, Cactus Club Cafe is a stylish spot with a great atmosphere and friendly service. While the Hot Chicken + Pickles was a standout dish, the sushi and overall value left room for improvement. Minor cleanliness issues also detracted slightly from the experience. Despite these drawbacks, I would consider returning to try other menu items and enjoy the lively ambiance again.

xx...

I had a bad experience at this place. The worst service I have received in a long time. The food was overpriced, it was not great despite that high price tag ($30 for a soggy burger), and it took 1.5 hours for entrees to arrive for four people early on a Wednesday (when they were not busy).

Generally speaking I am not one to post negative reviews, but I think this needs to be said. I had my burger order in at latest 5:50. I got a regular burger, nothing special, and it did not come until 7:15. This was exceptionally bad imo for a number of reasons: This was early on a Wednesday, and it was objectively not busy. There were empty tables and people were walking in without a reservation and were given options of where to sit. Additionally, I kept telling them that they did not need to wait for everyone’s main course to be ready, as my baby would wake up any minute and I would need to deal with her when she woke. There were only four entree’s to bring out, almost all of which were straight orders of the menu with no serious modifications. Despite my repeated insistence that they did not need to wait, my food did not arrive until everyone’s main course was ready. When my plate did arrive it was burning hot from being under the heat lamp for so long. Mine was the only burning hot plate, which tells me that my food was ready and sitting under the heat lamp for some time. It was obvious that at one point in the evening my burger was probably fresh, but by the time I got it, it was not so anymore. The bun was soggy, no doubt from absorbing all of the sauce. I won’t go into detail on this point, suffice it to say it was sub-par. It was after 8 pm before we were even presented with dessert menus. This was well after we had finished eating, the plates had been cleared, and we had asked for the menu. By the time we got the menus we had to leave. It did not matter, the dessert options were not great anyways.

My baby had woken up by this point and was fussing, so we told the server that we needed the bill. She then disappeared and did not come back out. I would have understood if she was serving other people and it was busy, but she did not come back out. More than 5 mins later she still did not come out, so we flagged down and asked a senior server. It got to the point where I stood up and was prepared to leave with my baby early and leave everyone else to settle the bill when it finally came. They told us that they comped the appetizers and a free birthday cheesecake for my Mom since the service was so bad. I appreciated that especially considering that we did not make a scene. i was in such a hurry (baby) I just tapped my card and out of there. I just looked at my receipt and they did not comp all of our appetizers like they told me.

Needless to say, we will not be...