Heading into New Westminster yesterday for a doctor’s appointment, we had not preselected a restaurant. We did know that we would likely be in Coquitlam afterward as we needed to get some stuff at IKEA, so we would likely end up eating in one of those two places. While at the doctor, Karin suddenly realized that she was extremely hungry. As it was rush hour when we got out of the doctor’s office, we briefly entertained eating in New West, but the choices there tend to be little mom and pop places that can often disappoint if you don’t have a local’s advice. By taking Columbia Street under the freeway, we were quickly into Coquitlam. As we had not tried it in a while, Karin suggested the Cactus Club.
My past experiences with the chain made me unsure of this choice. I believe I first noticed them on Robson Street, where I would often stop and look at the menu displayed outside for tourists. It always failed to impress me or my companions, as it was usually pretty basic fare and a bit higher priced; sort of a slightly upscale Hooter’s, and there there are many other restaurants within a block or two that had a much more desirable menu. For that reason I had never tried it, nor had I tried a couple of other locations elsewhere in the city for basically the same reason. When I worked in North Vancouver, two colleagues and I that worked Saturdays would go out for lunch, and Cactus Club was just down the road. The food was good, but again the menu selection was limited, and so we three ended up ordering the same food each weekend. Karin and I had been to the Coquitlam Cactus Club once before about a year or two ago, but I cannot remember anything about the food; which means I did not hate it, but it was also not worth remembering.
We drove into the parking lot and parked at what should be the front of the restaurant, but is in fact the back. We then walked along the large patio, which could have alternatively been set up as the front, but of course it is not. Halfway down the third side of the building, we finally reached the grand front entrance with giant statues flanking a staircase down to the street; a street that no one ever walks on. I remember we found this to be a poor set-up last time also, as if the architect never actually visited the site and got a feeling for the area.
The interior is nice, with leather booths and seats around dark wood tables, all surrounded by stone half walls. The ceilings are high, and yet they have avoided the cavernous, non-cozy feeling that I get in all the more recently built Earl’s with their high ceilings. Sorry, no pictures, we discovered after we were on the road that the lens had a fingerprint in the middle, and the cleaning supplies were at home.
The hostess sat us in a booth along the lounge wall, and our server was quickly at our table to take our drink orders. When my wife was unsure of a wine choice and I expressed that I was unsure of whether I would enjoy their Hefeweizen (I’m usually 50-50 on different versions); our waitress suggested samples to help our choices. I did find their Hefeweizen to be good and went with it, but Karin decided on a Bellini to start, as it was the drink special and the wines seemed high priced.
The menu was a pleasant surprise. It still was not as extensive as many, but had undergone a serious upgrading. The appetizers were the standard ones offered in local eateries, with the most attractive sounding being the crab dip. When it came, we were pleasantly surprised to find that rather than the usual sharp, cream cheese taste of most crab/artichoke heart/spinach dips; this dip had much more crab/pollock than normal and the addition of tomato sauce to the cream cheese base with fresh salsa sprinkled on top. The result was less sharp and more creamy, and it was a pleasant change to one of our favorite appies.
We both choose to have filets, as filet mignon was the featured special. Each of the steaks on their regular menu comes in 3 sizes plus a sirloin option. Prices vary depending on the toppings, such as charbroiled with Montreal steak spice, peppercorn sauce, blackened creole or the ultimate mushroom demiglace. Once we ordered the filet specials, our waitress did say that we could get it any way we wanted, and so we both took the most expensive option, the mushroom demiglace. It had been expressed as if it would be an acceptable substitution, but when the bill came we were paying regular prices.
We both enjoyed our meals. They were healthy portions, and I ended up eating half of Karin’s mushrooms. The steaks were tender and quite tasty, though I would not say they would rank among the top ones I have had. The garlic mashed potatoes were satisfying, and I was pleased that the veggie was one I enjoyed; asparagus.
As we were leaving, a large screen had been rolled down to accompany the three huge LCD TVs over the bar as the Canucks game was about to start. I suspect this would have been an enjoyable place to watch the game.
Overall, I’m impressed with the changes that have been made over the years, and will now have less of a reluctance when Catcus Club is proposed. The menu is still does not have as large a selection of choices as I would like to see, and many of the options did not excite us; but the improvements left me enough options and leave me hope that they will be even better in the years to come. The decor and ambiance were nice, and I would likely go often if it this was my neighbourhood. The prices did seem slightly high, but it was nice that samples were offered and the portions were large. However, they were actually too large for us, and so I don’t know how often I would pay the extra. This area is lacking in decent restaurants that we have been able to find, and so it is nice to know that there is an alternative to our other preferred choice in the area, Sammy J Peppers. Overall I will give the Cactus Club Coquitlam a 7 out of 10.
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