Speaking as somebody who actually used to work there (granted, only for about 2 months) and has eaten there several times, I have seen pretty much every aspect of Cactus Club there is to see, and I have a lot of praises to sing.
I'm struggling with how to sum up the atmosphere and feeling of this place. It's not quite the sort of "fine dining" establishment that comes with dress codes... but it's also not your neighborhood joint where (at least I) would feel right sitting there in an old t-shirt and my favorite pair of jeans. This is very much a spot where I could see taking a date for dinner - nothing too formal, but "nice". It strikes a pretty good balance, and definitely has it's own style to it. (A note: the cool thing about Cactus Club out here is that the chain has A LOT of locations out in, say, Vancouver, but they're few and far between enough out here that a lot of people have never been there - so I've found it pretty useful if you want to introduce people to something a little bit new).
The food is also of the same sort of caliber. It's not exactly the pretentious sort of menu where you need a masters degree in foreign languages to properly pronounce things, and you never really know what you're putting in your mouth - but the burgers, for example, aren't the typical "ketchup, mustard and the usual fixings" type deals either. Most of the menu is something fairly common with the Cactus' own twist on it. I was always especially a fan of the Cajun Chicken sandwich or the Jack Daniels BBQ Burger. And OH... MY... GOD their dessert menu is amazing. Not one bad thing to be had there. Don't miss it. It's been a while since I've been there but if they still offer the desert sampler, go for it. It's smaller versions of 3 of their most popular desserts, complete with the chef's recommendation of the order in which to try them to maximize the flavor. It's just enough to share between a couple people and try a few more things, without actually having to order 3 desserts. The Key Lime Pie is also outstanding - and is all made from scratch right there on location (right from juicing their own limes... trust me, I've done it.)
My favorite part of the Cactus Club experience, though, is always the staff. While CC likes to pride itself on having "Canada's first Iron Chef" as the executive chef in their test kitchen who "designs" the chains signature dishes, the menus vary between locations, and those variances are due to their in-house chefs, and (while I can't say for sure if he's still there, though I imagine he is) the chef I worked under at this location was nothing short of remarkable, and the rest of the kitchen work their fingers to the bone to stay up to that standard. I've never seen such efficient, consistent and quality work in a kitchen (and I worked in several back in that point of my life). This is one of the VERY few restaurants where what you see in pictures is actually what comes to your table. As for the wait staff, it seems to be a given nowadays that servers in this type of restaurant are staggeringly photogenic and grinning from ear to ear. This location is no different. I've never seen a bad service - nor a server that looked anything short of stepping out of a magazine. It's very pleasent, if almost a bit (humorously) depressing to think that some of us aren't even attractive enough to carry plates to a table.
The downside, of course (as is usually the case) is the price list. Unfortunately, you get what you pay for so a very stylish place with great food, amazing staff and a charming atmosphere commands a pretty penny, and for someone like me with very traditional tastes, a lot of the menu may seem very adventurous (a nice way of saying a bit scary) with some of the bold choices CC makes. It's definitely not meant to cater to the "average joe" just going out to grab a bite with his buddies. But if you have a date you want to wine and dine, a business dinner, or some other meal with which you hope to impress, it's hard to do a lot better.
(#1/100 of the Yelp 100 challenge!)