For all the good food there is in this province, and there is a lot, the hospitality scene of B.C., specifically “”casual fine-dining”,” is still dominated by everyone’s two favorite safe choices: Earls and Cactus Club. Finding myself inspired by the recent annexation of Cactus Club by Earls, I decided to put these two heavyweights against each other for a five-round bout to see how they compare across different metrics. Having worked for both chains at one point over the last seven years, I feel obliged to preface this by saying I had a great time working for both. I grew up, quite literally, working for these two companies. They both treated me like absolute gold, were flexible for hours when I was in school, and taught me skills that will be with me wherever I go. But… today, there is only one winner. These opinions are all my own, so don’t come at me if your pick didn’t get the nod.
R.D. # 1 Food
So we kick things off with the most prominent and seemingly important point of contention. After all, if the food sucks, would you even go? Yeah ….you probably would. The similarities need to be mentioned before we talk about who does it better. Before Earls assumed full ownership, they held a stake in Cactus Club for years. As such, it shouldn’t surprise you that the offerings are pretty similar. We got the mainstays: burgers, sandwiches, salads (with more calories than the burgers), steaks (not the place to order them), and some reliable deserts. Earls has the bacon-cheddar burger, while Cactus has the cheddar-bacon burger. Earls has the Santa Fe Salad, and Cactus has the Bandara Salad. Earls has the Sticky-Toffee Chocolate Pudding, and Cactus has the Chocolate Lava Cake. Earls has the Cajun Chicken Cheddar Sandwich, while Cactus has the Cajun Chicken Sandwich.
Get the idea? For this round, I am assuming that price is of no concern. I would say this if you put both in front of me and just told me to choose. Unfortunately for Earls, this will cost them the round because everything they do, Cactus does better. I think the separation comes down to the appetizers. Those Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps are lethal, alongside other Cactus appetizers such as the Tuna Stack, Ravioli Prawn Trio, and Mini Burgers: Earls lacks the firepower and quality at times to keep up. This round isn’t a total wash, but it isn’t particularly close either.
10-9 Cactus
R.D. # 2 Drinks
Your food can suck, or your drinks can suck.. but not both. Fortunately, both Earls and Cactus Club have good drinks. There is a fair selection of wines (a good amount of them from B.C.), beers on tap, and an impressive cocktail list. The strength of both chains, when it comes to booze, is in their cocktails. They have strong “”anchor”” cocktails and always introduce seasonal drinks alongside other new creations. This is the one area where both brands never fall flat in terms of inspiration. There is a lot of thought put into this side of the restaurant, and apart from just not liking the particular cocktail flavor, I have never had a poorly made drink from either restaurant. I hate draws, but honestly, look at the menu yourself, and I don’t think you will blame me here. Cactus leads 20-19, heading into the third.
10-10
R.D. # 3 Value
Prices are similar, very similar. While everything has gotten more expensive and the portions smaller, Earls and Cactus are still neck in neck. The Earls Cajun Chicken Cheddar Sandwich is 19.75, and the Cajun Chicken Sandwich from Cactus is 19.25. The Bacon Cheddar Burger from Earls is 21.75, and the Cheddar Bacon Burger from Cactus is 21. This theme is consistent as we compare their similar menu items. The prices are too similar, so that means the value, and therefore this round, will be decided by the food quality. Cactus won that round comfortably, and they do it again here. Earls has work to do now, down 30-28 heading into the fourth.
10-9 Cactus
R.D. # 4 Consistency
Many Earls locations are franchises. This is their strength when it comes to community recognition and personality, but here, at least from my experience, it is their undoing. Without naming locations, too often with Earls, you don’t know what you’re going to get. Everything on time, attentive service, high-quality food or long wait times, mistakes, and your table are totally neglected. Cactus can have consistency issues but not nearly as often from my dining experience. So Cactus takes yet another round to lead 40-37, heading into the fifth. If Earls is going to take this, they will need a finish.
10- 9 Cactus
R.D. # 5 Atmosphere, Personality, and X-Factor
This is where I need to remind you that these are just my opinions. I have always said that if eating out were just about the food, I wouldn’t eat out nearly as often as I do. Personality counts a lot with me regarding people, music, sports, and especially restaurants. How does everything come together to create an identity that is unique, personal, and just plain cool? This is where the other factors come to play. Locations, building design, music, lighting, layout, even the furniture, and tables. “”Cool”” is a stupid word, but I am going to use it here anyway. I take “”Cool”” to mean confident and committed to the things that make you unique. Cactus Club is just not cool. It is too clean cut. Most locations look the same: dim lights, square booths, too dark, too uniform, too sterile. Cactus Club’s advantages in the food, consistency, and value are not enough for me to overlook this. It feels like Cactus is masquerading as a more refined restaurant than they are. They are a good restaurant, as is Earls, but they are not a great one. Not once have I been to a Cactus Club and admired the design as unique or reflective of the community in which it operates.
Earls, on the other hand, has style. The food may not quite be on par, there are plenty of inconsistencies, but each location is unique! Earls Ambleside looks very different than Earls Grandview Corners which in turn looks very different from Earls Station Square. These buildings, inside and out, have a personality that is unique to their community but loyal to the brand. Can you say the same about Cactus Club in Coquitlam, North Burnaby, or Byrne Road? No, you can’t. I think Earls embracing a less uniform approach makes it easier for the communities they operate in to embrace them. In my mind, this is why Earls has had success in U.S. markets as well ( including Boston, Colorado, Chicago, and Orlando), something Cactus cannot boast. Bring back the paper mache cows Cactus! So Earls rallies late, and the ref (I guess that that’s me?) stops the action after seeing enough. Is this a case of one side winning until they weren’t? Possible, but I’ll let you decide that one.
Official Result: Earls defeats Cactus Club by TKO in the 5th round.