Pancakes, eggy bread and a warm welcome at Cactus Cafe

Sitting on Tillage Green in West Park, Cactus Café’s frontage doesn’t scream for attention, but it doesn’t need to. It’s built a steady reputation over the years, providing a friendly neighbourhood hub, rather than a ‘trendy brunch spot’.

My friend and I visited for a late morning brunch and catch up on a dull, miserable Friday- shocking, I know. The steady stream of customers through the door tells you all you need to know about this café.

Families with pushchairs, dog walkers stopping for coffee and friends catching up over brunch all fill the cosy space, giving it the relaxed feel of a local hub rather than a polished town-centre café.

Cactus Cafe, West Park, Darlington (Image: The Northern Echo)

The independent café has become a firm favourite with West Park residents, particularly since it was taken over by a mother and daughter team in 2022 who set out to create a welcoming, colourful place for the community to gather.

Step inside and you’ll quickly see where the name comes from. Small cactus plants and desert-inspired touches decorate the café, while the friendly buzz of conversation and the smell of fresh coffee create a warm first impression.

But it is the food that keeps people coming back.

Brunch is clearly the star of the show here, and the pancakes are the sort of dish that demand attention the moment they arrive at the table.

Stacked generously high on the plates, they look almost too good to eat. Almost, but definitely not quite.

My friend went for Berry Good Morning, which saw soft, light, fluffy golden pancakes topped with crispy bacon, blueberries, and banana, finished off with lashings of syrup. I admit, I did think the bacon was a bit of an outlier in an otherwise fruity affair, but I am assured it did not feel out of place.

The crispy, salty bacon broke up the sweetness of the syrup and berries, and everybody knows the classic combination of bacon and bananas, right?

Decadent and indulgent, they are the kind of pancakes that might slow you down and savour every bite.

They’re also impressively filling, not that that’s likely to stop anyone finishing the plate!

And while I am a huge fan of pancakes, you can’t tempt me away from a good eggy bread.

A nostalgic weekend classic, in my opinion, it’s simple food, but done extremely well. Thick slices of bread, soaked in egg and fried until they’re a deep, golden colour, sing to my soul- especially when they are the vessels to consuming cheese and bacon.

Eggy bread at Cactus Cafe in Darlington (Image: The Northern Echo)

It was an ‘eggy bread sandwich’, with a brie and bacon filling. The bacon was perfectly salty and cooked just right- not too crispy. The brie was melted, coating everything in cheesy goodness, and the eggy bread? It had a soft, custardy centre and the edges were slightly crisp, but not overdone, just how eggy bread should be for me.

It was warm, the portion size was generous, and it was accompanied by a small side salad, which I do find odd on a breakfast dish, but the warm tomatoes on the vine provided a sweet acidity to cut through what could have been a very claggy offering.

It was hearty, satisfying and quietly indulgent- just what I was looking for on a cold, wet day.

And it’s not just the main meals that shine; slabs of cake adorn the counter. Thick cookie pies that look big enough to take down a light aircraft. Rich and fudgy brownies of all shapes and flavours take pride of place. And of course, it wouldn’t be a café without a good old scone on offer.

There’s something for everyone, and if I wasn’t in my ‘eating healthy for running era’, there would have been no stopping me from having a cake for pudding.

There’s an easy friendliness about the place. Staff greet regulars like old friends, and there’s a genuine sense that this café belongs to the community around it.

For a relaxed brunch, a comforting plate of pancakes or simply a good coffee in a welcoming setting, Cactus Café shows that sometimes the simplest formula works best.

Beyond brunch, Cactus Café, hosts a number of special events throughout the year. As you can imagine, Pancake Day is a large affair, with the café staying open until late to ensure that everyone can indulge on the best day in February (in my opinion).

Themed nights, offering Greek tapas, a ‘taste of Asia’, and a classic American BBQ night, are also on the social calendar. The most recent special event is this week- an afternoon tea coinciding with Mother’s Day and the arrival of Spring (finally)- details can be found on their Facebook page.

The bill came to just under £40 for the two of us, including coffee, tea and an apple juice. Which was good value for the mammoth amount of carbs we’d consumed.

Gluten free alternatives are available on request, but as always, make sure you check with your server for your own dietary requirements.

Will we be back? Definitely. I’ve already tried to go back with my brother, only to discover that they aren’t open on Mondays, much to my dismay. And judging by the loyal crowds that continue to fill the tables, the rest of Darlington also agrees.

The Details:

4 Tillage Green, Darlington, DL2 2GL

01235 360397

Ratings:

Service: 8
Surroundings: 8
Food Quality: 8
Value for Money: 9