I don't even bother with Fat Cat when it's crowded unless it's a special occasion like a birthday or New Years, because when it gets crowded it gets CROWDED. On a weekday night when it's manageable, I love the place. A cozy hip atmosphere, some decent music, and a respectable draft beer selection. Every time I stop by there's something different on the list.
I try to stay away from any drinks that have cucumber in them, though. They belong in salads and on burgers, not in drinks.
Fat Cat has tons of potential, but it doesn't scream out at me as a place I want to spend the wee hours of the night. It seems more like the kind of place you'd want to have a few cocktails after eating Chinese food at Argyle or catching a show at the Annoyance. As a stop and drop bar on a weekday, though, it does the trick nicely. On weekends getting through the crowds is like clawing your way through concrete. Don't even try it unless you're into broken fingernails.
They have a really good beer selection of draft and bottled beer. Our waiter knew how to serve Hacker Schorr like they do in Germany, as I was informed by my friend who had been to Germany.
I also had a straight up vodka martini with blue cheese olives. Â They get a bonus from me for having blue cheese olives, and the blue cheese olives were actually fresh. The vodka portion of the martini was shaken well.
I have come here on wing special night on Wednesday. Â The wings were good. Â Not the best I've had, but very good and I'd go back. Â Good flavor sauce.
The outdoor seating was nice, clean and abundant. There is outdoor seating on two sides of the restaurant. I went on a beautiful night, so it was just prefect. The noise from the red line was very minimal, I didn't even notice any noise. We were served immediately upon sitting.
When we moved inside, they played music, but the volume was not too loud. Â It's hard to find a quieter bar on weekend nights.
They have one pool table and one shuffle board table. Â I think it costs maybe $1 to play pool, but the shuffle board table is free. Â You just have to give your ID to the bartender for the shuffle board pieces. Â
The place has a good amount of flat screen televisions, so it is a good place to watch sports games.
The place has an electronic, color photo booth that takes good pics. Â
This place is laid back with down-to-earth looking patrons. Â This place has never been uncomfortably crowded when I have gone on Friday and Saturday nights. Â A great place to hang out with friends.
I went here with friends for drinks and appetizers before a concert, great service and delicious appetizers. Order the fried mac and cheese bites, they come with their homemade ranch dressing which is wonderful. The chili nachos are also tasty, but it is a big appetizer... too much for 3 people. Their beer list is great and the cocktails are also fun and very tasty. Â We were able to get a high top table in the bar area and the waiter was very attentive.
Review Source:I am a long time regular of Fat Cat due to the ambiance, prices, food and entertainment.
Ambiance: dimly lit neighborhood bar for friendly crowds (LGBTQ friendly but not a standard requirement for all patrons) with multiple gigantic booths so that lots of people can feel VIP -very relaxed and inviting. nice patio space during warmer seasons. bathrooms are always clean and maintained - really neat faucets in ladies room. game area has really cool posters and memorabilia.
Prices: normal drink- bar food prices, but with awesome specials nearly everyday such as 25 cent wing night.
Food: never been disappointed with the food. the appetizer selection is mega-comfort food heaven with my fav selections being the mac n cheese bites, reuben balls or mini corn dogs, arranged in a unique fashion (i always appreciate good food styling). Â for main dishes my fav's would be the thanksgiving day sandwich and the turkey reuben, both hearty and filling without being too heavy. there are also ever changing brunch dishes, which are always superb not to mention the make your own bloody mary station which is INSANELY AWESOME! they also have ever changing micro brews on tap, but i have often found a delicious beer, and then not be able to order it the next time i'm there. drinks are usually well mixed, although the bartender turn-around is unbelievable which is part of the reason i'm not giving them a 5th star.
i believe there was a change in ownership or management last year, and ever since the staff is constantly changing. there have been many times i got a new hire that wasn't that great...
ENTERTAINMENT!: this place has the best entertainment (for late 20's/early 30's folk), for a local bar.
-sunday night viewing parties let you keep up with your favorite TV shows while eating/drinking pub style. TV shows include The Walking Dead, Mad Men and Breaking Bad. this is my fav sunday activity, especially for watching The Walking Dead; each scare-you-enough-to-jump/scream moment is shared among all the fellow bar goers, truly a fun experience.
-certain holiday/events are wonderful to spend here, such as Mardi Gras (all you can eat crawfish boil), New Years Eve (usually theme, awesome drink specials and a champagne toast), The Oscars (trivia/raffle/prizes and delish drinks)
-games games games - pool, arcade games, giant jenga and bags (cornhole) in the warmer seasons
-DJs
-photo booth
All in all- I love this place and would give it a perfect score if it weren't for the management and varying service.
I loved this place! I usually don't comment on the service because it varies from day to day, but everyone here was so friendly. I arrived solo and the bar tender made an effort to talk to me. Another one of the servers became my friend for the night. Carlos is awesome - talk to him! My friends arrived and we moved to a table. For my Yelp check in I got a 50% off an appetizer coupon. BONUS! We had the nachos - a bit spicy and towards the end a bit dry, but tasty and cheap thanks to the coupon. I tried some interesting beers that I never had before. The Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale caught my eye. Also a tasty Pear Cider. Both reasonably priced. I really came for the showing of The Walking Dead. Every Sunday at 8. It got packed so the atmosphere was really fun. I am definitely coming back every Sunday based on my excellent experience today. I also want to try more of the menu options. I saw everyone getting some delicious looking and smelling plates. A cool, laid back Uptown bar!
Review Source:Things I love about Fat Cat:
-perfect french fries
-tasty bean burger
-extensive and constantly updated beer list
-pool
Unfortunately, despite all of this, and a generally great atmosphere, the service I've experienced is completely hit or miss. It's often slow, regardless of how busy they are/how many servers are on, and on occasion I've had servers who are a little ditzy or less than friendly (or some combination of the two.) I've had great service, too. This is including but not limited to a friendly bartender who described Red Streak cider in a way that made it sound like my ideal beverage and, lo and behold, after the first sip I had a new favorite cider. Thanks, friendly bartender man.
Moral of the story: Fat Cat is a great neighborhood place all around, and if service were a little more consistent I'd have no complaints.
We had a good time here a couple of weeks ago, so we decide to come back in for its Tuesday 25 cent wings night around 8:30 pm. After we sat down and ordered our beer, we were told that "they don't do the 25 cent night when there's a concert nearby because they get really busy." WTF!?! Â There were about about a dozen people here at the time. The concerts started long ago, so the place was pretty empty and dead. Would be nice if they had made that clear instead of doing the whole "bait-n-switch" routine. I coming anyway, 25 cents or not...but that just pissed me off since the signs that they have hanging around the place doesn't mention the "concert except". What happened to truth in advertisement? They lost a customer tonight.
Review Source:This was a very fun spot to come for a few drinks and dinner. There was a nice crowd, friendly service, and overall nice vibe to the place. Our reservation fell through, and this place was a spur of the moment decision. Â We're glad we came. It had a really nice beer selection; however, the taps were out so it was all bottled. Â This place has awesome bar food. Â We had the Rueben Balls, mac and cheese bites, and the corn dogs as appetizers. Then went on to the main course. I had the pork belly and it was tremendous. My only complains were the noise level and the lack of parking close by. Â Besides that, our group agreed that we'd come back again. They seem to have lots of fun themed parties going on.
Review Source:I came here for the Walking Dead finale viewing party. Definitely the place to be - lots of fans who were quiet except for the great reactions; Especially the guy who screamed and scared me more than the zombies! A writer/producer from the show also showed up - Doesn't get much cooler than that!
The burgers and fries were good and the beer deals were decent, too. The only complaint I had was the confusion regarding which beers were included in the bucket deal. It took awhile to get a drink and that's almost a crime. Otherwise, fun was had by all. Except Mr. Scream.
Ah, Fat Cat. What an absolutely fantastic place. This is a frequent haunt of mine and I have come to dearly love this place. The food is wonderfully delicious and the drink options are varied and, in the case of cocktails, well maid. Even better: the wait staff actually KNOW what they are doing which can't be said about many places. The entire staff is mighty friendly and quite intriguing. Chat them up if you the chance, it's worth it.
Now, it's important to note that if you are looking for a place to dance til sunrise and get shitty drunk to the beats of Skrillix, Fat Cat may not be for you. If you want a bar that you can go to and have a conversation, maybe watch a game, play pool...well, then you should check it out. This bar is unique in the fact that it really accommodates anyone. Â You'll look in one corner and see a 50 year old couple, and at the other corner there is a group of college girls celebrating their 21st, which is a huge plus in my book. Â
There can be-albeit rarely-a wait for food or drink orders, but never so bad that it should detract from the overall satisfaction. Â I mean, it is a traditional restaurant and bar and the staff have a lot of people to tend to and, more importantly, they actually try to talk to their customers, which I prefer over saving time. Â Even better, I have yet to come to the bar and not, at some point, see any of the managers strolling around, helping their staff, talking to customers, and being all around fantastic. Â Â
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Shout out to Marcus the bartender who always gets your drink order right to perfection.
Of course, much love also goes out to the rest of the staff, equally fantastic!
My friends and I have been coming to Fat Cat for about a year for brunch and we love it. All the food on the menu is very tasty, as are the options on the specials menu. However, what we enjoy most is the Bloody Mary bar. It has lots of options to include traditional and non-traditional, my personal favorite is the wasabi. Finally, the staff is friendly and really attentive too.
Come check it out!
The crowd at Fat Cat is pretty lively. (Caveat--it may not be that way all the time--I've been here on two evenings: Super Bowl night and election night.. These experiences may not be typical.)
Service last night was much better than it was the first time I came here. The first time around (again, an atypical evening perhaps) the service was attitudinal and slow. Last night the server was friendly and efficient.
The food was okay. My friend and I split the Urban Turkey sandwich, described on the menu as roasted turkey topped with bleu cheese, crisp apples, caramelized onions and mayo, grilled on panini. I appreciated the fact that it was real turkey. But there were few apples and I couldn't taste the bleu cheese or carmelized onions at all. I thought it was bland and a little greasy. I would not order it again.
I ordered a dirty martini and was disappointed. Too salty. Not olive-y enough for me. Sadness.
All in all a very average evening.
Make sure to "Check In" prior to ordering because there was a Yelp! deal available the evening we visited. Â Had the fried mac-n-cheese, Cuban sandwich and a couple burgers. Â The mac-n-cheese was tasty and I loved the spicy/herby sauce it was served with on the side. Â Also, the Cuban pork sandwich I ordered was *extremely* juicy so I did not attempt to pick it up and used a fork/knife combo instead. Â The amount of meat on the Cuban was pleasing and the spices were recognizable but not overpowering. Â Burgers were *slightly* overcooked but not "ruined" and the only downside was all of our fries were just luke warm. Â All of the other food we ordered tasted very fresh so having the fries not was NSG. Â Also, the service was attentive but not a single staff member ever smiled. Â Tweak the cooks and have the employees flash the pearly whites and you may get a Woohoo! next time.
Review Source:I decided to give Fat Cat another try. I went to Fat Cat on a random weeknight, and actually enjoyed myself. I sat at the bar; the bartender made good cocktails and was friendly and fun, my friends and I had a good time there. The music was actually decent, a mixture of musical genres r&b, pop, some new music, and older songs that everyone likes. I was happily surprised.
I then thought why not go to Fat Cat to watch the Bears game? That was a mistake, I got there a little after 12 and walked into a basically empty bar; there was one couple at a table a couple at the bar, and a man at the other end of the bar. I was surprised that the bar was so empty for a bears game, they have plenty of t.v's. It took me a few seconds to realize the problem, I did not see the Bears game on any t.v.
I asked the bartender if they were planning to show the Bears game, she said that it was on one t.v., really? That is goofy to me seeing how this is Chicago. I had to talk really loud because the bartender could hardly hear me over the song "Take My Breath Away"that  blasted in the nearly empty bar while football games were on (I guess they are back to the 80s music again; one step forward and two steps back). I asked the bartender if they were planing to turn to music off and turn the sound on for one of football games. The bartender's response still boggles my mind, "Maybe a little later, if it gets more crowded." Maybe it would be easier for them to attract a sold crowd for a 12pm football game if the customer knew that they did have to listen to 80s music blasting during a football game. Fat Cat it is ok to have an identity, besides the place people go before a concert.
I told her thank you and that I will go somewhere else. I did, I went to bar a little further north on Broadway that has no problem having an identity, the bar was packed, the Bears game was on most of the t.vs. and if the someone wanted to watch another game there were a couple of t.vs dedicated to other games. Mostly there was no bad 80s music playing. I guess Fat Cat does not understand the notion of "Sunday-Funday".
Food is good (especially love the appetizer selection), service is acceptable to great depending on the person, beer list is solid. Definitely closer to 3.5 stars on that front.
To me, brunch is their downfall. The variety of dishes just isn't there, and the Bloody Mary cart is a huge letdown. At other places, you get a variety of pickles, olives, meat, and cheese with which to adorn your glass. At Fat Cat, you get different juices, a few sauces, and some bacon bits. This, my friends, does not a Bloody cart make. I couldn't help but be really disappointed when I took the time to brunch there based on that piece alone.
I'll definitely be back for dinner or late-night, but when it comes to brunch, there are simply too many better options elsewhere.
Fat Cat has been an Uptown staple for over 5 years now and for good reasons: the place has a great retro modern vibe, their serve tasty and quality bar food and the locals make it a fun place to hang out or catch a game. You have to try one of Fat Cat's juicy burgers. My favorite ones are the House Burger (Brie/Bacon/Arugula), the Cajun Burger (Cajun season beef and Pepper Jack cheese) and last but not least the Chorizo topped cheeseburger. Don't forget to drizzle some spicy vinegar on the hand-cut fries. Boom! Good cocktails too and all sorts of beer specials every month. TVs everywhere on game nights and even tv nights (Mad Men, The Walking Dead..). Oh and it's literally up the street from the Riviera Theater and the Aragon. So yes you should probably check it out next time you're in Uptown : )
Review Source:First I am not going to deduct a star for things that were out of their control.
That being said...this is what went down at the ol' Fat Cat:
We had spoke to the events person, who was working there before she up and left...without calling or notifying anyone, about hosting a private party.
Things were awesome, had all the paper work, and then when time came for event to happen...NO one didn't have a clue as to what we were talking about, when we arrived.
HOWEVER, the manager  for the evening there (Chris, I believe is his name) came to the rescue!
Sure it was awkward having to watch him kick people out, while they were still eating...he apologized more than he should have...again it wasn't his fault or Fat Cat's fault that past employee left everyone in the dark.
Anyway, they got their sh!t together quick!
Every ones face sauced up from the amazing wings & drinks,
fun times in the photo booth, pretty cool tunes from the DJ, and they have an amazing wait staff.
I go to fat cats to hang, have drinks, eat wings, enjoy my company and the polite staff... along with other bar activities.
This is what Fat Cat is...a pretty dang good neighborhood bar, who just happen to make magic happen for a large group of people in a matter of minutes!
PROST, to Fat Cat!!
Fat Cat fit the bill when we needed a casual spot for drinks and munchies prior to a concert at the Arragon Ballroom.
Great beer list with stand up prices. I tried the house burger which had brie, arugula and bacon which was a tasty combo.
They also serve a house vinegar with their fries which was a unique touch.
Partner and I brunched here before meeting a neighborhood friend. The food is good and amply portioned. I really like their Aviation (it's such a gay martini) and the one thing which really stands out about the place. Our server did seem to lose interest in our table though which is a tad disappointing.
Review Source:LOL Â $5 Martini night is a joke, and not honest. Â The waitress came by, very nice, said, Hey its $5 Martini night... then right after that, pointing at the martini menu..".So, we dont serve these two or three any more"...and then pointing to a bunch of others "oh, and these martiinis are not part of the special either" Â Me laughing, "So for $5 martini night, which are the martini's" Â Her response, "These 3" Â If you are going to run a special, run a special. If not, then dont. Â It should be called the "3 or 4 odd combination martinis night' Â Pretty pathetic
Oh yea, they have had menu items magic markered out for a while now. Pretty tacky too.
I really want to love this place. But the way they've configured the speakers makes it impossible to hear because they insist on blasting everything at 100 decibels at all times. I walked around and found a spot furthest away from speakers and still couldn't hear my companion. It got worse when the trivia guy droned on at 110 decibels.
Management: you can have it both ways. Knock the volume by 1/2. You'll get more business. I have a background noise problem and a lot of people I know do too, and you know what they do? They pass you up and go to crew two doors down instead where the volume level is reasonable an the same sports are on.
Food: I love the Aragon burger (aeoli, chorizo, carmelized onions) and the Thanksgiving Sandwich (green bean casserole, turkey cranberry and stuffing on the sandwich).
Drinks: the bar is good and the selection is good. What is not good is when I order a diet coke or a water and get it in a plastic cup. I don't want a side of BPA with my meal. I'm paying grown-up prices for that burger. Give me a glass.
My ears are still ringing a day later.
I'll only be back when it is the right temperature to sit outside. Until I get some proof they aren't going to damage my hearing further.
It's Tuesday. You want wings? Ok, stop in at Fat Cat! You won't be disappointed. 25¢ wings on Tuesday. Standard buffalo wing sauce. Up charge should you want spicy BBQ or another sauce. Very dill(y) ranch but good. Great fresh cut fries served with a yummy spicy aioli sauce!
I definitely loved the atmosphere of this place. Felt swank but not snobby. They also have a fab looking outdoor patio.
Great place to pre game before a concert at either the Riviera or Aragon, both right down the street. Conveniently located right off the Lawrence red line.
Came here at about 7:00pm before a 7:30pm show at the Riv and there was plenty of space. Grabbed a couple seats at the bar and delved into their beer list. GREAT beers on tap; I stuck with my go to's like the Bell's Oberon and the Half Acre Daisycutter but also tried a couple new brews that I can't think of the names. The bartender was pretty helpful in describing the beers, however once it got busy he was a lot less attentive.
Friend got a couple dirty gin martini's that were pretty tasty too, with choice of bleu cheese or regular olives.
Didn't try any of the food but Wednesday's was half off specials with over 16 to choose from and I saw Tuesdays are 25 cent wings. I would check this out in the future.
Music was good. They mixed in a few songs from the artist we were seeing which was a great way to pump us up.
I went here on a sunday afternoon. Â It was very relaxed and chill place to hang out. Â It boasts a great drink and beer menu although i didnt have either. Â I had the thanksgiving sandwich and it was very good. Â It is like thanksgiving that fits in your hand. Â My wife and I split the boneless buffalo wings, fried mac and cheese and the corndog o trois. (My wife has this "thing" for corndogs ...). Â The mac and cheese was good and the boneless wings were yummy. Â Overall the food is upscale pub/bar food and i think the real draw to this place is the drinks and the atmosphere. Â It likely gets crowded on weekend nights.
If you are in the area ...maybe to check out a show at the Aragon ... swing b y here for a drink.
My friends and I came here right before a show at the Aragon.
There was 8 of us and even though the place was busy, they were some how able to put together enough tables and chairs to seat us all. So gold star for the quick accomodation.
We got a couple appetizers to share. I mean how could you not stuff yourself at a place called Fat Cats. Â So we had the boneless buffalo wings, mac and cheese bites, and fries.
The boneless buffalo wings were really addicting to eat. They varied in size for from a munchkin to a globe grape so if you're really hungry i'd do a half dozen for a person.  The mac and cheese triangles were okay. I thought they had a bit too much breading. The bucket are fries were really good. They fresh cut fries with ailoli dipping sauce. I don't know what else is in that sauce but I wanted to dip everything  in there it made everything SO TASTY.
The dj played some good music and included a good amount of tunes from the artist we were going to see. A real good way to pump you up for the show.
All in all I would def recommend hitting up fat cats for some pre-gaming before a show at the Aragon or Riv
On our way to see Flogging Molly last night we needed some grog and grub for some much needed energy! Â I saw the fancy sign for this place and thought it might be a fun stop! Â
Apparently they have a separate menu for nights when there are concerts. Â I get it! Â We got there late due to really bad traffic even though we left early enough to account for the normally bad traffic. Â So a limited menu that can be quickly prepared for people in a hurry totally makes sense! Â I had my heart set on trying the Reuben Balls though... Luckily they were able to make them for me!
I like that they carry a couple different kinds of cider. Â Being a non-beer drinker this is my non-beer choice! We also opened up with the Reuben Balls! Â These were awfully tasty! Â I love the rye bread crumbs on the outside! Â We make something similar with corned beef and cream cheese. Â Next time I'm using rye bread crumbs on the outside instead of regular!! Â My only complaint about this appetizer was that there were only 4 of them!
I had the Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich which normally comes with Green Bean Casserole, but today it came with Fries. Â This was probably the best turkey sandwich I've had at a bar! Â It was the perfect combination of cranberry sauce, stuffing, and turkey on toasted whole wheat! Â And the hand cut fries... OMG! Â I seriously wanted to eat everything that was on the plate! Â There was no way I was going to be able to though! Â The sandwich was pretty big and there was a huge pile of fries! Â I was glad to be eating the leftover for brunch this morning!
The boy had the Straight Up Burger with Cheddar & Bacon and those same fries. Â He agreed that the fries were great! Â He finished them off before he got much of a start on his burger! Â He liked his burger, but what made it was the cheddar and bacon. Â
We both agree that we'll be back here next time we're in town for an event at the Aragon!
I used to really like Fat Cat, I did. Â Their mini corn dogs made my belly happy and brought a smile to my face (because who doesn't like mini things?!), but the attitude from the bartenders the last few times I've been there is a huge turnoff. Â The last time I went was for the Battle of the Breweries and I got there early, but they were already acting as though they had enough. Â In fact, it wasn't until a server came over followed by a manager (or, someone in charge) and through talking to them did I finally warm up and have a great time.
This was the case a few times prior, and frankly, you don't have to be chatty with me, but don't act like my asking a question about a beer is a hassle. Â The food is filling and hits the spot. Â The main reason I return is because the bar itself is one where I can make myself comfortable. Â Plus, for every rude bartender there seems to be a server who more than makes up for it.
Good alternative to Green Mill... considering most of the time there's no cover and open tables. + was that we got free cute 'Duvel' glasses if we bought two beers. Done twice. But the genuine advantage is the server. Teresa is the best! I kind of want to hire her to do my books, organize my closet and figure out my five-year plan. She's SOOOO on top of it, you don't even know she's riding shotgun.
p.s. With Teresa's recommendation we had a shot of pickle juice after a shot of whiskey and it was strangely amazing
We had some appetizers and drinks here prior to a show down the street at the Riviera and were NOT disappointed. Â I was a little cautious given some of the reviews regarding the service, but our service was outstanding.
They have a 'concert' menu that is a lot smaller than their regular menu, but the upside is that the food is ready immediately. Â They must just be cooking through these items all night, because both our wings and mac 'n' cheese were out within five minutes of ordering. Â This is actually pretty ideal for a pre-concert bite, because you really don't want to wait around for your food while your show is starting.
I really liked the atmosphere and layout of the place, its sports bar-ish but split up enough to feel cozy. Â Their beer selection was good, but the draft list had no IPAs which was disappointing (although it had a ton of Belgium beers to the wife's delight). Â They did make this up by having some gigantic and rare IPAs on their bottle list.
I would definitely go here again if I was in the area or before a show at the Aragon or Riv.
Despite residing in the worst location ever (I hate Uptown) on a shady street (not in a good way) with no other good bars within a reasonable distance, Fat Cat is pretty much cursed with being a total destination bar. Â And in order to be a destination bar, you have to be serving up amazing pub grub, deliver amazing service, come through with insanely cheap drink prices or just be really cool.
Too bad for you, Fat Cat, that you aren't really delivering.
While I appreciate the lifesized Jenga game, good outdoor seating and clean inside, I'm just not sold on Fat Cat. Â
Drink and food prices are a teensy bit on the expensive side, again, not making it a destination bar. Â Foursquare does offer 1/2 off appetizers when you unlock the special (may be first time only, so please double check) and the waitress gave me serious attitude about cashing in on it.
Rude waitress + not cheap beer is not greater than Jenga + outdoor seating
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