I just finished the Alley Cat's Winter Beer Tasting Dinner and if you did not already know that the Alley Cat is one of the top places to eat in Carrollton, you would after tonight's dinner. Â
If you have never been to one of their Beer Tasting Dinners, you need to drop whatever else you are doing and make time to come out for these quarterly events. Â First and foremost, the food is excellent. Â Even if you don't drink beer, you would be hard pressed to find a better example of locally sourced menu items. Â
From tonight's opening artichoke bruschetta to the main course of roasted duck (or vegetarian option of paella) the menu was a tour de force of available local ingredients. Â For the craft beer lover the beers were also exceptionally well matched to each course. Â Bellhaven's Wee Heavy and the duck were exquisitely paired. Â The use of the excellent local Amber Ale from Strawn Brewing (Fairburn, GA) added to the excellent regional and international beer selections. Â
Having been a regular attendee at comparable beer dinners in California, Arizona, and Atlanta at twice the price, the Alley Cat offers exemplary beer and food pairings without the hour drive at each end of the evening. Â
Another great night of locally sourced food exquisitely paired with the best of local and international beers. Â If you have not been to one of these dinners, clear your calendar for the Spring event now. Â You will not regret it.
I mean. If you think of like, the hipster of hipster places in the entire universe of hipster shit, I'm positive this place will be found at the center of it, right next to skinny jeans, ray-bans, and PBR.
My first and only time here was complete with a washboard-playing band, sticky-sweaty floor, and hipsters as far as the eye can see.
Don't come here dressed in your expensive wears (unless they come from Urban Outfitters or American Apparel), DO come if you want some decently-priced drinks and bar food, and great, dancable rockabilly music.
You WILL inhale the equivalent of 5-6 cigarettes per hour while here, but really, what's a hipster joint without the tobacco and irony? I'm not a fan of smoke at all, which knocks this place down a half-star, but, overall, its great for what it is.
I first had food from the Alley Cat donated for an Underground Academics event. The panini caprese was fresh and flavorful, the cheese quesadilla and salsa were tasty, and the hummus was good also. Â Then we went over there after the "show" (rock-star quality lecture by a local professor).
We had two Magic Hat hefeweizen draft pints, one cup of heavenly beer-cheese soup, and one order of fried mushrooms, and somehow the tab came out to only $16. Bar service was friendly, unisex restroom was clean and accessible, and the locals made everyone feel welcome.
Ive only been at night when it is just a bar: If ur tired of the jocks,frats, etc and just want to wear ur hair down, up, or shaved, this place does not care. It is a small town bar so expect to get to know each other by ur 5th visit. They typically have something going on.. Open mic nights are best if u want to show off ur talent in music. Some nights they have local live bands playing. Expect to see a lot of facial piercings and tattoos :) Prices of the drinks can get steep so Pre-Game before u come.
Review Source:I am new to Carrollton, and the Alley Cat has been the coolest bar I have found thus far. The regulars and staff are welcoming and inviting. The beer selection is modest but eclectic. They feature live music which has been pretty good. The restaurant has an extensive menu, however I have not tried anything other than the crawfish tails--which were offered to me by the staff on my first visit. Delicious! Great place for hanging out without the 'meat market' atmosphere of a college bar.
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