Yes, that's what I heard in US too. Lots of people are in fixed so higher rates means nothing. And even gics paying 5% a year so people with money is just making more of it.

I went to Rogue at waterfront Monday evening. I think we were 1 of 3 parties there. Quietest restaurant I’ve seen in ages.

That’s cause Rogue is substantially worse than the aformentioned Earls/Cactus? Lol

Fuckkkk god I wish we had locked in.. maybe could be eating some cactus blackened chicken right now if I had lol *cry

lol speaking of inflation impacting spending... (and the fact we hope to do a full reno on our bathroom this year)

Instead of going to Portugal as originally planned for our annual big trip, we are now going to... HALIFAX!

$850 per person for flight & 2 weeks of rental car, cheaper than the $1400 per person flight into Lisbon.

Doesn’t matter. People love those places lol. Saying that, my burger was actually pretty fucking good.

I haven’t eaten at Earls or Cactus in years but I always considered that place decent if you have no idea where to go. The food was always consistently decent. It’s the people that make me hate the place. Cactus 20+ years ago was actually pretty good. Maybe that’s due to lack of exposure to other places… kind of what meme405 was alluding too.

I liked the old cactus club in Richmond on #3 road with the cows and cowboy theme

https://scontent.fcxh3-1.fna.fbcdn.n...vA&oe=6430F95D

Rogue is the type of place I always seem to end up when I’m just like fuck it, it’s right here might as well not walk any further etc. lol

Don't forget to go to magic hill

With that said, Mehico > Halifax......

The demographic of early 20's to early 30's living in Vancouver are totally financially ignorant. They're leveraged up to their eye-balls living paycheck to paycheck and eat out a lot because they're lazy. They eat drink and party then go home to their 1-bed with den rental condos shared between three people for over 3k a month and think they're living normally because Vancouver. They probably have zero savings. These people are at risk of being financially wiped off the planet if things keep escalating and they keep their heads in the sand. Until then YoLo blackened creole steaks at Cactus tipping their server 25% cause that's the minimum on the machine now.

I like Cactus Club................ Come on it's not that bad. But I must say it is pricy now compared to before.

I only go to the cactus club across from the Fairmont pacific rim. The views are great, the servers girls are hot, and it’s a nice show case of Vancouver’s scenery to foreign clients.

Lobster ravioli is always good and stable.

Good lord. The idea of ordering lobster at cactus club.....

To me places like Cactus, Earls, Sammy J's' and Joey's are all basically the same. The food is ok and your waitress is going to be a hot piece of ass.

To my peasant palate the food tastes fine, but it seems like you're paying a lot more than you should for that quality of food because of the "atmosphere." Which is just turn off the lights + loud noises + plastic girls drowned in makeup wearing a dress 2 sizes too small trying to score huge tips for meh service.

Since I don't like any of that I'd rather save money and just get a burger at BP or RR if I'm just going to be lazy and pick a chain rather than find an independent place that's actually good.

No drug cartel wars in Halifax

There's different tiers of hot waitresses with each though. Cactus Club generally has the A team and they're all 10s while places like Sammy J's or Browns have the B team. Earl's tends to vary by location.

I haven't been to Cactus Club in a long time but it always seemed like the food there was better than the competition (Joey's, Brown's etc). Always a safe bet for a work lunch - Finance isn't going to cause a ruckus when you submit your expenses if you go to Cactus Club. I also find their steaks better than expected bc they use fancy machines to do it rather than letting the line cook do it by feel usually results in overcooked steak.

Can you do better for the money? You bet but I think it's fine especially if you enjoy a bit of eye candy with your meal.

Doesn't seem to matter where I go, I seem to get served by a fucking dude everywhere. LOL

How about the No.5. Some chicken wings and a show... :whistle:

Obviously, there are people here who have their reasons for knocking the chains, particularly if they're in the business themselves and trying to make a go of it by retaining independence and focusing on quality and creativity.

On the other hand, I do respect what "that family" has done to evolve their brand(s) and stay relevant. The restaurant industry is brutal and good food alone doesn't result in long-term survival. Just like how most car enthusiasts lament the demise of certain things, like the manual transmission, and the proliferation of pick-up trucks and CUVs, the proof is in the numbers for the Cactus/Earls juggernaut.

Anyway, the market continues to march on - people are somehow finding the money to spend on things like overpriced chain restaurants, leased CUVs, and their $1 million 2-bedroom apartments.

I concur on Cactus Club having the A team while Browns having the B team LOL~ FWIW, I'd put Earl's into the B team category too.

I have also never been disappointed by KEG at Still Creek and on Granville Island -- in fact, I think their steaks are excellent, esp when you take prices into account. But somehow, I always get served by dudes at KEG too lol~

So I had a run over probably 3 years and maybe 6-7 visits of totally mediocre Keg visits, like tasteless steak, lackluster service etc. I only go because I always get GC’s there

Then a couple weeks back wife and I went to the one on Dunsmuir, Damn! Shit was banging lol like maybe the best visit all around I’ve had to a Keg and probably the best prime rib I’ve ever had there. Wonder if they realized internally they were falling off a bit and had to step it up. That billy miner pie hit the spot

https://i.imgur.com/lJ6np2n.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WIyQXLV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/T2a8wOd.jpg

For the Keg, I only ever go to Still Creek. All the other Keg locations seem to suck.

I like Cactus because I know what I am getting every single time especially after a long shitty workday, I don't need to think about what questionable junk I am getting. I like their burgers, though it honestly is a little pricey nowadays at >$20. A team wait staff is right and they rarely disappoint :lol Wife enjoys the eye candy as well, though some are quite close to that jailbait line. It's also the service as well as we get consistent service quality and that can be a little hard for some reason in Vancouver.

i like the granville island keg. the food's always good there. hell all the prime rib ive eaten at the keg has always been decent. I wouldnt get their regular steaks but their prime rib is very good usually.

when i used to live down in the bay area for a few years we used to always go to the house of prime rib. it wasnt even that good compared to the keg man.

My usual order at the keg is always the 18oz prime rib w/ a lobster tail. cant beat it.
https://i.postimg.cc/x1GDmx13/IMG-3616.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/3xQQd5Yw/IMG-6959.jpg

mmmm steak.....

anyone go to Global? or their group of restaurants?

I have a $300 GG to use, wife is pregnant so she's the DD, I'm getting a steak and a nice bottle of wine!!

:drool

Now im hangry. Fuck you guys.... Now I gotta go stuff my face full of steak