Not bad for highway food, and if you find yourself out on Highway 17 with a rumbling tummy, you could do a lot worse than their BBQ.
The service was friendly, our take-out was prepared quickly and it served a purpose as we were really hungry! Â The food was reasonably priced and good quality.
I wouldn't go out of my way to pay them a visit, but it was a nice hearty meal on an empty stomach and I would certainly eat there again if we were in the area.
"The Cats" experience is eerily similar to "Henry's World Famous Hi-Life" in San Jose.
Like "Henry's", it has a 'history', it opens into a bar, there are small rooms in the back for seating, driving there is a pain(there is parking unlike "Henry's, but being on the free way makes it difficult to get to coming from the South, then if you wanna go North when you leave, you have to drive in the wrong direction for nearly 2 miles before you can make a U-turn), they focus on ribs & steaks and they serve garlic bread with bbq sauce & a side salad.
The main difference is that "The Cats" actually smokes their meat, and they have more sides & appetizers.
No brisket disappoints me.
Food time:
-Ribs: I like that they offer 3 choices for their St. Louis ribs: dry, honey glazed or bbq sauce slathered. Â I got half dry & half honey glazed just to try it out. Â The dry were rather good. Â I loved the great hickory smoke smell & flavor in them. Â They were pretty tender, and the rub was nice enough. Â St. Louis style always saddens me though, they just seem so small and don't have as much tasty cartilage. Â I'd rather have loin backs if they are gonna me so small. Â The honey glazed ribs were just strange to me. Â The honey glaze actually made them look unappealing, and the honey just did not work well with it in my opinion. Â Just way too much honey that overpowered the ribs. Â That is probably to be expected for me though, since I like my ribs dry(because most places don't actually just 'glaze' with something, they smother it, like here).
-Burnt Ends Beans: Â Like the ribs, these were tremendously smokey, and had the burnt ends in 'em. Â I thought these were some great beans, but I really do love that smoke taste & smell.
-Garlic Bread: Not quite as juicy and tasty as the garlic bread & BBQ sauce at "Henry's", but it is still pretty good.
-Cowboy Chips: Large potato wedges seasoned liberally with a spice mix. Â They were good, and being free with the check-in offer was a delight. Â I'm not sure the creamy dipping sauce that came with it complimented them particularly well.
-BBQ Sauce: Â The BBQ sauce used with the bread was a nice dipping sauce that just goes with garlic bread really well. Â The BBQ sauce provided with the ribs on the other hand didn't work for me. Â Dunno what about it was off, but I just didn't enjoy it.
__________
Conclusion:
I really loved the tremendous smokey flavor in the dry ribs & beans. Â However, the troublesome location is a major turn-off, they don't have brisket, I don't find the rubs as delightful as "Emergency BBQs" or the sauces up to par with "The Smoking Pig's" stuff for my tastes, & for a place so similar to "Henry's Hi-Life", it just didn't click with my taste buds in quite the same way that "Henry's" does.
Great place to have beer (or 3) and eat some good food.
BBQ is like politics....everyone has an opinion and I ignore what more people write when they diss or love-on someone's BBQ. Here are my opinions, so take them for what they are.
- I think they use too much smoke on their ribs. In my BBQ universe smoke should accent the meat and lend depth to the flavor of meat. All I tasted was smoke (like Liquid Smoke too, not delicious delicious oak wood smoke).
- Their sauce is good. Texas style.
- The tri tip sandwich was awesome. Highly recommended.
- The smoked beans tasted like they dumped a bottle of Liquid Smoke in them. I couldn't eat more than 2 spoon-fulls. Ugh.
- I got a Yelp coupon for free Cowboy Fries (pretty good) but they charged me anyway. For $6, I didn't bother arguing. Sloppy service.
Bottom line: I'll go back for the ambiance, the tri tip sandwich and the Eel River IPA. These 3 things alone warrant another try.
Me and my wife went to The Cats for our anniversary. Being our first time there we only had the reviews on yelp to go by and they kind of jump around. We decided to get different meals so we could share and sample more items. We ordered the filet mignon, with green beans and smoked baked beans, and I got the tritip sandwich with baked potato and we had salads. The Meat was mouth watering Amazing!! The green beans were inflexible! The smoked beans made us drewl! The potato and there special butter mix was to die for! Even the salads were Great! To add to the experience we took home dessert, cheescake and the chocolate cake, They were Amazeballs!! Also when the bill came, I was simply stumped that for all that food plus 2beers and 2 glasses of wine was only $74.. Â You cannot get that much Great food for that price anywhere! The best experience ever. Go there! You will love it..
Review Source:Okay, so I have been soo excited to try this restaurant since it re-opened . . . and that's been a while now. Â I finally made it out there with my boyfriend last week and despite having heard good things about it, we had a horrible time. Â
The 2 stars are for the food . . . we both got the BBQ tri-tip sandwich. Â My bf has had a few of those in his day and he liked this one, hence the starts.
Everything else about it (actually, besides the indoor decor) was horrible. Â We went on a Friday night and the hostess sat us in a small room upstairs. Â There was one other family of 3 up there and soon after us, 2 other couples were seated there. Â Not sure if this is the "trial and error for the waiter" section or what, but I felt like it was "out of sight out of mind." Â We were put in the little hole and receive horrible, let me repeat HORRIBLE service. Â We were in disbelief. Â
First off, the waiter mumbled the entire time. Â We could never figure out if he was speaking to us or speaking to himself under his breathe. Â This was the first issue. Â Second, it took us 45 min to get our sandwiches (shouldn't these be the easiest, or 2nd easiest thing to make on the menu?). Â When we got them, despite having ordered both WITHOUT blue cheese . . . and we repeated ourselves while ordering . . . one came with the cheese and one without. Â We told the waiter and he took it away. Â Luckily we ordered the same dish so my bf and I had 1/2 a sandwich while waiting for the other one. Â
We ordered a side a beans, which never arrived.
Another 30 min later we got the 2nd sandwich. Â
After receiving the 2nd sandwich we reminded the waiter, "hey, bud, we ordered a side of beans but we don't even want them anymore so cancel them, please." Â He mumbled, "ok."
5 min later, the beans arrive and we told the delivery boy that we had cancelled them, so he took them away. Â Just then the waiter came back and said sorry, I missed the other guy in passing and he brought the beans before I could tell him not to. Â
*** this is when the waiter should have delivered beans on the house. Â But, no.
Anyways, we waited another 20 min for the bill and I had to shove the card in front of the guy and ask him to charge it right away because we were tired of waiting for him every time he disappeared. (we didn't actually say that, but wanted to).
Long story short, the couple next to us received their ribs and not their burger at the same time. Â The man who ordered ribs had them sitting there until his girl got her BURGER (which should be faster than ribs!). Â The manager came out and told them their meals were comped . . . hey, what about us?!! Or even free beans? Â My bf and I were lucky enough to have ordered the same meal, or he would have been sitting there twidling his thumbs until my meal came out too.
The family of 3 received 2 of one item and was charged double for it, so they had to waif for the waiter to take it off the bill.
The other couple asked for to-go boxes and they were given to another table so they had to wait to get the boxes. Â
There was NO organization & Â NO customer service. I'll take my business elsewhere.
And tell your waiters to SPEAK UP.
I can't speak on any other food except the ribs. These are the <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FBOMB.com&s=ac71b33d32e90570e9c0d70edf9b4cac5f20e98e10501794c62801370f5dd3f7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://BOMB.com</a>! Having a southern bf who smokes his ribs at home all the time, I have big expectations when it comes to other people's ribs , but damn, the sauced ones at Cats' ribs are legit....
Review Source:The Cats...a Los Gatos Landmark. Â Lots of history. Â It was closed for a long time and has been completely redone. Â New menu and new interior. Â Modern twist on a old time saloon/steak house, western style. Â They have a full bar but I had my kids so no booze tonight. Â Two of my kids had the barbecue chicken quesadilla and they are fantastic. Â The kids menu is limited but the appetizers menu has plenty for kids. Â My middle daughter had the BBQ salmon with veggies. Â DO NOT miss the grilled veggies. Â I had a perfectly cooked medium rib eye steak with veggies. Â I also ordered the "burnt ends"baked beans. Â And again, do not miss them. Â A double order of the beans is a good idea. Â Our server, Samantha did an excellent job. Â Our drink glasses were refilled when needed, she checked back often. Â The restaurant manager also checked with us a few times making sure everything was perfect. Â We had two types of cheese cake for dessert. Â Both were very good. Â The night we visited, there was a band playing in the bar. Â I liked the music but my teenage daughters were not thrilled with that, but kids these days know nothing about good music! Â
Overall, this is a place that has my high recommendation. Â Good for dates, regular visits, and a great place to bring guests. Â
These people know BBQ and how to provide an excellent dining experience.
Killer BBQ Joint. Hands down, the best ribs I've had ever and that includes in competition.
I'm not sure how this place is for music or beer, but oh my goodness do they know how to do it slow and low! I got the ribs and the burnt end baked beans. Seeing burnt ends on the menu made me think I had walked into someplace special. I'm always hesitant to try pulled pork anywhere, it gets so mushy so fast, but next time I'll try it. The decor is really cute. Service is a bit slow, but like their BBQ, its worth the time it takes. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. The decor is really cute too.
I always see Paul Kirk's class listed in Los Gatos in the KCBS news letter and I wonder what the heck a legend like him is doing out here. Now I know, he's at The Cat's teaching their crew how it's done and the crew were apparently awesome students. Next summer, I'm signing up myself.
Good food! Â Fun place right off the freeway with unique decor. Â Price is a little high for BBQ but it was quality and I hope this place stays open. Â The most impressive was the staff. Â Many times multiple servers came over to see if we needed anything. Â My water was always filled. Our main server was Ryan who did a great job and also had 2 others come by often.
Review Source:The lower part of the tavern is divided into two areas: restaurant to the right, bar and band, with small tables on the left. We sat in band area. Wait staff was slow, beer was just beer. We ordered ordered fried mushrooms and cowboy chips which were awful. Â Fun listening to band though. Â Place was packed, mostly with older people. Â Not many places for older people to go in area. We saw a van marked The Cats that was picking older people up and apparently dropping them off at nearby parking lots. If you are 50+ you will like this area, but I can't recommend the food.
Review Source:This was my second visit to The Cats since their reopening. Â The first visit was very satisfying. Â Good food and the service was up to par. Â My last visit is the reason for the two star rating. Â If it wasn't for the good first visit it would have been one star. Â
To start, I called the day before and made a reservation for 6 at 630.  We show up a bit early to have a drink in the bar and to check in.  They lost our reservation and the young hostess looks at us like "sorry you're out of luck".  After I gave her a not so happy stare she says "well we can seat you now but you have to be done in an hour".  I simply told her I thought we should be accommodated and we don't want a time limit.  She made it happen with no time limit.  So we are seated and happy.  Then the waiter.  I ordered a beer that was on the menu and he had never heard of it, no problem, he checked to see if they had it and they did not.  Ok.  I settled for the old stand by Sierra Nevada.  We order five more drinks and they come at a reasonable time.  We then order our food.  Bye Bye waiter.  Didn't see him for at least half an hour.  With six empty drinks sitting there we ask someone else if they can get us drinks and they said let me find your waiter.  Ten minutes nothing.  We ask someone else can we please get some more drinks.  Finally, I don't know here name, but she had short hair with green in it, took charge and got us our drinks.  Great.  Only that nobody asked what we wanted and brought us the same six drinks we previously had.  Two people wanted something different.  Oh well.  She took charge which was nice to see.  Then my fiancé and a friend went outside to satisfy their nicotine habit and a cook was not only heard, but actually seen vomiting outside the building.  My fiancé was so close she knows what color his vomit was.  Are you kidding me?  After that got our check and left.  First visit great, second visit so bad may never go back.  It reminded me of the service at the old Cats.  Food was good though, no complaints there.
Dry rub ribs were great - honey ribs are good too if you like sweet - standard BBQ sauce was average. Cowboy chips which are potato wedges are excellent due to their seasoning - would've been nice if they applied the free check in offer and made then free. Side of grilled vegetables weren't good - they were soggy. The dry rub ribs really make this place. It's a rustic tavern setting - very casual.
Review Source:The food was good but unfortunately I had to dock the stars because the service was not. This was my second visit to The Cats with friends and we were really looking forward to it. We arrived around 5:45 or so and sat in the bar area. Our waitress was less than attentive and seemed far more interested in chatting with the hostess near the door. The worst part of the evening was when my friend discovered that the bottom part of his glass was chipped off, which he let the waitress know just so that they wouldn't use the glass again. I had gotten down to the last bit of beer in my glass and noticed something move...looked like ice but that wouldn't make sense in beer. To our dismay we discovered that the missing part of my friends glass was in the bottom of my beer. The waitress let the manager know and he apologized and spoke with the bartenders. The managers response was good but it was the snarky attitudes of the bartenders that followed the managers discussion with them that was disappointing. Like I said that food is good but unfortunately the customer service left us with a bad taste in our mouth so we won't be returning again for at least a good long while to see if the place can redeem itself. =(
Review Source:Went there for my birthday dinner. Ordered a quick manhattan at the bar before we were seated. I'm kinda picky about my cocktails, but it was very well done. On to dinner. Placemats with Happy Birthday( my name on them). Nice touch. Very good salad w/ blue cheese! Â Bread was good, not great. Â Baked beans were delish! The ribs were close to excellent! Â For all you rib perfectionists I'm sure there are better in Texas or where ever, but these were sooooooooo good! Â I will be back! Â Then a nice piece of cheesecake for desert( on the house ). I do recommend this place!
Review Source:I understand this place is called The Cats because it's in Los Gatos, but it could also be called the Cats because of all the awesome jazz cats that play live music on its stage. And yes, the ribs are fantastic. Food could be a little cheaper I guess, but the fun vibe inside this place more than makes up for it.
Review Source:This is the only review you need to read for this place: the ribs are flip flappin fanfrickintastic. Â Okay the service is sketchy. Okay the bar isn't the best. Okay the location isn't the best for getting there. Guess what I say to that? So what!? We had a party of 9 on a Wednesday, while the service was so-so the ribs were really good. Our table got all 3 flavors of ribs and none of them were a let down. The baked beans are awesome, they use the burnt tips for flavor (if you don't know what this is, you aren't a real BBQer). Couple other folks got the pulled pork and had no complaints either. If you're a BBQ fan and can get here on an off night, you'll be happy. If you're going to order a chicken sandwich and go on a Friday night... sorry.
Review Source:The past few years have been good to the Cats Restaurant & Tavern. A few years ago the Cats was nothing to write home about. Now the Cats is one of my favorite casual restaurants in Los Gatos. If you're looking for delicious BBQ food in a relaxed environment there is no better place to be!
I've had a majority of the menu, and it's all been delicious. If you check in on your Yelp app you'll receive Cowboy fries.. they were just okay. The food is a bit heavy, and this is not the place to be eating at if you're watching calories.
The service has always been great, and the restaurant and kitchen are very clean! I would recommend making a reservation. I have yet to visit when they have the live bands playing, but I've heard it's pretty good.
Absolutely delicious everything! Seriously, you can't go wrong with anything you order! Drinks are tasty... 5 stars for the delicious BBQ, 5 stars for the hot guy servers, but 1 star for the lazy service. Never got silverware or napkins until dinner finally came.. I shall be back though, because the food and atmosphere is well worth it! Nothing like it in the area!
Review Source:I agree with some of the previous reviews. Â The food is great. Along with the barbecue, I would also recommend their baked beans, very good. Â But I found the service lacking.
We went on a Wednesday night, had a reservation, but still had to wait for about 15 minutes for our table. The place wasn't even full, so I didn't understand the need for a wait that long. Our server was polite and friendly, but slow and not very attentive.
I'm willing to to go back and try again since I really enjoyed the food and the half priced wine is a good deal. Now I'm not sure if they offer half priced wine every night of the week, but they do on Wednesdays.
I have been coming here since I was a youngster with my aunt and uncle..they are huge fans and even know the owners=) live music on weekends is a plus too. You usually have a long wait, but once you get seated, you understand why they are so busy. You can actually watch them cook your meat in the giant brick oven, and you get to snack on *unconventinal* but delicious garlic bread. They have a smaller selection of dishes, and often run out of certain items quickly, but its because they are just that good. Did someone say honey butter?? Oh yeah, they have honey butter fo the bread and a honey glazed chicken that will knock your socks off! Don't forget the marinated mushrooms..oh boyyyy!!!!
Review Source:If I lived in Los Gatos, I'd spend way too much money here.
50% off wine? Â Okay! Â But which one to choose...
No worries! Â The waitress asked what kind my boyfriend and I liked, and she ended up bringing two samples for us to try. Â These were not mere samples. Â Think two servings of wine. Â AMAZING.
We made our choice- $60 bottle of wine for $30? Â Don't mind if I do :)
Pulled pork. Â Steak. Â Baked potato. Â Vegetables.
And beer. Â
And a martini.
What more could you ask for?
A live band? Â Why of course. Â And damn good too.
We randomly stopped in because it caught our eye. Â
Perfect anniversary dinner.
A destination in its own right. We stopped here for dinner once the wineries shut their doors at 5pm, and by the time we left at 7:20, there was a line out the door. It's a fun venue, full of odds & ends and plenty of fake cats - made from wood, stone, metal, cloth, you name it.
Quick service, even for a party of 11. I got a free appetizer for checking in Yelp - crunchy Cowboy Chips, seasoned with paprika & accompanied by sour cream and chive dipping sauce. Yum. A half-rack of ribs was just my size, and the sauteed mushrooms side impressed me: quality mushrooms and the right amount of garlic. I also tried their coffee-vodka cocktail (the Snow Leopard), which tasted exactly like that - coffee and vodka. Nothing special, but nice to have coffee with my meal.
I got a surprise piece of cheesecake for my birthday, and it was delicious. Plus the entire restaurant sang to me. Score.
A band was setting up as we left.... I'm sure it's a fun time - heck, some of the bar stools are made of old saddles.
I didn't like being seated upstairs away from the rest of the public with only one other guy in the room. The restaurant had just opened for the day and I'm pretty sure there was places to sit on the first floor.
Aside from feeling alienated, the ambiance was cool, the place was clean, and the food was good but far from great. It's definitely worth a visit if you're passing through but I wouldn't go out of my way.
I really wanted to like this restaurant but...
We make a reservation, check in and are told there is one group of four ahead of us. Then we're handed one of those damn blinking buzzers. To me, this is often a restaurant's way of getting you to start a bar bill. And this was exactly the case at The Cats. While we waited, a quick survey of the dining room showed THREE EMPTY TABLES already set for four people!
We were EVENTUALLY jammed into one of those three tables and couldn't talk for all the noise around us.
We also got two, count 'em, two, servers. But it still took 15 minutes before we were offered a chance to order drinks (very small pour on the wine, BTW), and 45 minutes before we saw food.
That said, my dry rubbed ribs were nice; it was just hard to enjoy them at that point.
Overall, the check in and service were pretty darn sorry and the noise was unbearable.
Won't be back.
Cats offers pretty good BBQ, I grew up in Texas and lived in KC for a while so I have a high bar for good BBQ.
The best thing here is the BBQ beans, you could make a nice meal on the beans alone.
Ribs are OK, they are tasty but don't have the deep smoky flavor you would find at the best rib joints in Texas or KC.
The pulled pork was tasty, again it just doesn't have the deep flavor that I expect.
They don't serve brisket here, I love great brisket and burnt ends so I was disappointed not to find it on the menu.
I'll keep searching for great BBQ in the Bay Area...
My parents had their first date at The Cats back in the '70s and I remember them taking me here as a kid. The menu was limited then, but what they did offer was delicious. I remember the restaurant being very dark. When it shut down a few years back, my husband was bummed because we always said we should go there one of these nights and we never did. So for his birthday this year, he specially requested The Cats.
I called a week or so ahead and made a reservation for 11 people. They were super nice about asking if it was a special occasion and getting the birthday boy's name. When we arrived, they'd printed out a personalized happy birthday message on the menu. Pretty cool touch. The menu has grown since my last visit (the old restaurant/ownership), but still doesn't offer much in the way of vegan except for a dry baked potato (they were totally cool with me bring my own "butter" -- I asked first) and side salad sans cheese.
I can't speak for the BBQ, but everyone in our party seemed happy with the food. My baked potato was huge and delicious (though not as baked as they used to be at the old restaurant). They have chicken strips or hot dogs with tater tots or fries for the kids. Happy campers there. The three-appetizer platter is a great deal with onion strings, fried mushrooms, and sweet or spicy wings. They also start you off with garlic bread with BBQ dipping sauce. When I got the bill, I was really surprised by how reasonable it was for a party our size including drinks and despite orders from two toddlers, a baby, and a vegan. On the house, they also brought a slice of cheesecake with a candle for the birthday boy.
The interior has been remodeled and much improved. Still rustic and wild west themed, though. With three kids (not all mine!) in tow, we had a 5 p.m. reservation, got seated early, and left a little after 6 when it was still light out. So I couldn't tell you if it's as dark inside as it used to be. I suspect there's some ambience still, but has improved in a good way since its yesteryears.
Very happy with our waiter, Cody -- friendly, fast, and accommodating. We were in and out with a large party in under 90 minutes.
One complaint though was the top 40 music they were playing throughout the restaurant. Just didn't match the scene. Katy Perry, rustic setting, and BBQ ribs -- really?
Later in the evenings on Fridays and Saturdays, there's live bands performing in the bar, as well as shuttle service to and from downtown Los Gatos on those busy nights. Calendar and details on the website.
We have gone to Cats a few times now! Â Our latest trip was with a group of 8 friends! Â I loved the old Cats and was not sure how much I would like the new updates but in general I really like the new look! Â The food here is good and it is definitely worth coming here for some food and good music! Â I really like the sliders and onion strings they added to the menu! Â
This place is good for a saloon type experience with good mountain bar type food and great music! Â The bar area is always very cramped so be ready to stand for awhile!
I ate here last night with my lady. I love this kind of environment! great saloon vibe with tons of original western memorabilia, and wood EVERYWHERE. The ribs i got were of fair/good quality, but the technique was flawless and the smoke ring was deep and symmetrical. What blew me away were the baked beans. seriously. woah. pungent hickory smoke aroma and flavor, but not 'smokey'. not overly sweet, but rich and heavy.
there was a live band too. they were fun. service is kind of spacey, but they just seem to be some nice laid back Santa Cruz types.
I don't usually crave BBQ much. Â But when I do, it's on like donkey kong. Â
On our way back from Santa Cruz, around 6pm or so, we decided to make a pit stop here since we drive by all the time and it's always packed. Â We got here right before the rush and got seated within 5 mins. Â
Immediately our server was already at our table, giving us the scoop, setting us up water and drinks and came back twice to give us time to order. Â
First thing that was dropped on the table was the garlic bread and this warm bbq sauce but thin. Not like a 'MOP IT UP B!" kinda sauce just it was just perfect for the garlic bread. Â We got this the moment we put our order in which was awesome cuz we were HONGRY! Â
Second item was salad. Â The salad was a regular house lettuce salad with your choice of dressing. Â Doesn't seem like much until you realize the salad is icey cold and so refreshing that just about everyone finish their portion.
Third was the slider. Â I think they were kobe beef sliders and if they weren't they might as well had been! Â They were the juiciest sliders I've had. Â I like the original flavor of the meat and it was simple and amazing. Â Damn those small little burgers. Â I would go back just to have this at the bar for a quick lunch. Â Â
Next was the entree. Â I of course got the baby back rack. Â That's my usual bbq item I use for comparison before I venture out and get something else. Â MMmMMMMmmmMM finger licking good! Â But the garlic bread, salad, a half bite of a slider did me in :( Â I ate a quarter rack *shamefully lowers head*
The BF's daughter murder her half rack though. Â We both agreed it's one of the best ribs we had in a while. Â Smokey, not too much sauce. Â Nice rub. Â *DROOLING!*
BF got the combo plate with the baby backs, smoked chicken, pulled pork and baked beans. Â I think the 3 of us could've ate his plate and would be well satified. Â Chicken was amazingly tender as was the pulled pork. Â Smokey and juicy to the core. Â All of it.
The only thing was the tight seating arrangement. Â There was this HUGE bday party that was so big they had to split up 2 long tables for them. Â Our table along with another small group got stuck in between them. Â Not sure how that happened. Â Oh well, we were drowning in bbq sauce to really care. Â Lucky for Cats! Â But hopefully next time it won't be as chaotic and loud.
I am sorry to say this was disappointing and a birthday dinner at that.
Arrived for our reservation and we had one extra person. The folks there acted like we strapped them into a dental chair and were not the least bit happy about the "inconvenience" of another $40 minimum to our check.
To start a very expensive cocktail for the size. Then move on to the bread that is salty and flat but still hoping for a wonderful dinner I looked past it (until this retrospect).
The atmosphere is crowded and not conducive to an expensive meal. My piece of filet was flat (less than 1 inch) and was not a good piece of meat at all. The much lesser priced pulled pork plate was the best of the bunch.
Sadly I doubt we will return and I had such high hopes.
We smell the BBQ everytime we drive past here (about 6x per week), so had to stop and give it a try. Â Uhm, it was ok? Â Really, just ok.
Food: Â we had pulled pork and ribs. Â pork was good, but there's much better options around the bay area. ribs were meh (description was tough). Â salad was really the high point of the meal. Â that blue cheese dressing they make? oh holy moly... it's delish! Â kind of expensive for bbq
service: Â omg so slow. seriously. painful.
the place: Â interesting is the best i can do. Â i'm not a country person, so not really my style. music was like an 80's time warp. and loud. very very loud. like couldn't hear the person i was with kind of loud. don't think i've ever said "what?" so many times during a meal in my life.
it's not somewhere i wouldn't go again, but won't be rushing out to eat it every week either.
Spot off of 17 where you feel like you're in a saloon in another state or time. Wasn't expecting it, but jaw droppingly good ribs. 4.5 stars
Food: 4.4, Service: 2.8, Atmosphere: 3.5
Cost to worth it rating: 3 (half rack ribs $17, full rack or steak $30)
Return worthiness: YES
Eve award: some of the best ribs I've had
Highlights:
- Ribs: Whether you get them dry, sweet, or bbq sauce, they are amazing! Smokey, flavorful, meaty, and fall off the bone tender. I daydream about these still.
- Tater tots: very crispy and delicious--way better than the ones from the grade school lunch lady
- Drinks: fun names and combinations like a berry passionfruit one
- Garlic bread: butter garlicky goodness like you would expect, but only difference being they give you a bowl of BBQ sauce to dip it in
- Chicken: mighty tender
- Tri-tip: only comes as a sandwich but meat is tender and thinly sliced vs huge slices that can be hard to bite into
- Atmosphere: bar in the middle, stage up front, and more dining in the back with a hunter theme to it. Can imagine guys in the country or from way back reconvening here after a hard day of pulling guns on each other protecting their land
Midlights:
- BBQ pork: flavor wasn't on par with the other meats and was a bit dry
Lowlights:
- Parking is scarce: get there early so have a spot in their lot
Really enjoyed this random themed spot and will definitely be back for more of those ribs.
After two visits I was very disappointed with The Cats service AND food.
The remodeled building is very nice and a vast improvement from what it used to look like. The owners have clearly invested a fortune in the building but when it comes to running a Restaurant, they have fallen far short.
Each time I went, it was busy and like a few other reviewers it took way too long to get a waitress to take our order, then, both times, the wait time  for the food was over an hour! Then we had to wait far too long to get a check.
The food was a huge let down. Average garlic bread with a weird dipping sauce that tasted like Chef Boy-R-Dee spaghetti sauce with a hint of BBQ sauce.
The salad was just lettuce with an Italian dressing that had too much vinegar and croutons. You can get a WAY better dinner salad at McDonald's!
I had the house specialty, ribs that were overcooked, dry, average at best. If you love BBQ ribs go to Blue Rock BBQ in San Jose at Meridian and Foxworthy, all of their BBQ is ten times better than The Cats, the food comes in about 5 minutes and costs less.
After complaining about the hour long wait to get the food, the waitress said, sorry were really busy. That's a poor excuse. Coping with a full restaurant is a problem every restaurant owner should LOVE to have! Making customers wait for an hour to get something that just needs to be put on a plate and chopped is not acceptable.
Increse the staff. Do what it takes to deal with a full house.
They need to fire the managers and get a new head chef. The bad food and service are going to burn down all the expense and effort put forth to restore this historic Los Gatos landmark.
BOTTOM LINE:
Beautiful building.
Nice bar & stage with decent live music.
Below average food.
Awful service.
Go there for a drink but get great BBQ at Blue Rock instead.
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