Fat Cat

What a great little spot! I came here to meet with friends before a show at Uptown Underground. On a weeknight, there really wasn’t anyone there between 5 and 7. The bartender was very sweet and attentive. She knew a few regulars who stopped in.
Had a burger and a martini. Both were good and fairly priced. Not the best I’ve ever had but totally solid.
I would definitely come here again if I was in the neighborhood for a show. It seems like a great place to become a regular.

After our regular weekly trivia bar went out of business, we searched for a new place for months (almost a year). At other bars, we found the trivia format was weird or the drinks were not good. Luckily, we tried Fat Cat. Their Tuesday Trivia Night is great! The format is great, the host (Beau/Bo…sorry for misspelling) does a really great job. They have drink specials and pretty decent food. So happy to have found a good trivia place!

Strangely, although its right on Broadway, it feels off-​the-​beaten path on a weeknight, patronized by a lot of regulars. Being one of the few that the bartender didn’t know by name, I still found the service great. The hamburger deal is a steal. The cocktails are well mixed, and the old school décor, indeed, makes me feel fat catty, whatever the F that means.
The only drawback is that its kinda pricey, especially for Uptown.

I love Fat Cat. Their Monday burger specials are awesome, and their burgers are really, really good. They have a large beer menu, draft and non. I’ve never had a bad cocktail there. It’s rarely super jam packed and they have it spaced out in a nice way where you can be in a quieter area or right by the bar. Overall they have a small menu, but everything is delicious and their staff is really nice. Even when busy I never feel like they forget your table or take too long to get to you at the bar. It’s a neighborhood gem.

I love the ambience, the drinks, and the burgers. The other food is just okay. It’s a good size bar, especially for uptown. Very clean and well maintained. There are a variety of seating options: booths, bar, high tables, and low tables. There is a designated area if you want a private party, but it is usually open to all. There are a lot of drink choices at average Chicago prices. Come on Monday for a great deal on a burger.

This is a really great place to come for dinner and drinks before a show at the Aragon. They are totally aware that a lot of people are there for pre-​show and service is really fast and attentive. Anytime we needed another drink, all we had to do was look up on our server was zooming over. The food also came out incredibly fast, wasn’t even sure my burger could be cooked in that time! Need your check, just a simple waive across the room, and our waitress brought it right over.
The atmosphere here was also pretty cool, kind of eclectic décor and mooood lighting. The cocktail list was also really good. We started out with old fashioneds, but both found them to be a bit too sweet for our liking. But the flavor was there, they used proper big ice cubes and had a great orange peel twist, if you don’t like it too sweet maybe just note that when ordering. The next drink however was the show stopper… Spanish Gin Tonic. If you are a G&T fan, get here ASAP and will probably be the best you’ve ever had. It’s served in this giant goblet of a glass and is just so super refreshing. It has juniper berries in there, which must add to the flavor b/​c seriously was the best G&T I’ve had (even beats out my general fav of a Hendricks with cucumber!).
Food was also really good as well. I had the turkey burger, which had a really moist and nicely seasoned patty, topped with caramelized onions and a cranberry chutney. Really good overall, but wished the chutney had a bit more tart flavor. My friend had the beet carpaccio, which definitely exceeded expectations. «Carpaccio» made us think it may be kind of small, but it was huge, with tons of beet slices, topped with goat cheese, arugula etc. etc. Really yummy.
Next time I come to a show up this way, I’ll def be starting out at Fat Cat!

Came here with some coworkers. One of them was dropping his daughter off for a concert, so we accompanied him to grab some drinks and food.
I ordered a Revolution Fistmas to start and was talked into trying the 12 Beers of Christmas — it’s basically a list of beers they have and if you complete them all, you get a free beer stein. Pretty cool deal and doesn’t cost anything beyond the individual beer amounts. You can’t drink all 12 in one sitting since they are all beers with a high ABV.
We also got Reuben Balls and 2 orders of wings to start, with Asian Zing and Spicy BBQ sauces. The Reuben balls were awesome, I just wish there were more! The Asian zing was a chef favorite, but none of us were too impressed. It was a little sweet, and we were all spicy guys. The spicy bbq was better but didn’t blow us away.
Later we got more wings (classic Buffalo sauce this time) and dusted calamari. The calamari was really good as well, I just wish it came with a cocktail sauce instead of the OK tangy aioli it had.
I finished with 6 beers, so needless to say I had a pretty good time. I’m taking off a star because the food didn’t blow me away, though I’m sure some of the entrees are really good. The Packers also won on a Hail Mary so that sucked

Loved the Brunch. Chicken Fried Chicken was awesome. Cream gravy was like I was back in the DEEP SOUTH. Joey the bartender was great. I’ll be back.

Feel like this restaurant deserves more than 3.5 stars.
Really good food, especially the appetizers. The fried macaroni & cheese is incredible, it’s a must if you come here. The poutine and reuben balls are also wonderful.
The main dishes are really good, nice and simple. Burgers, chicken sandwiches, pulled pork, things like that. All incredibly well made.
Good beer list and they have some pretty good cocktails.
Easy to get to, as well. Take the Red Line to Lawrence and hop off, you’re there. Or, ride your bike, they have free bicycle parking.

I came here with a friend for a drink and we had a really nice time. We had a great server and liked our drinks. We didn’t order dinner, but got the cinnamon sugar doughnuts with a chocolate dipping sauce and we’d definitely come back for those!
This would be a great place to come before or after a show at the Riv or the Aragon. Good crowd of people, great music, and great location.

I love this place!
Great bartenders
Great servers
Great food
A nice neighborhood bar and wonderful selection of craft beers and good good food

Food was good. Service was fine. I tend to go to the other places literally on the same strip though. Not sure what it is about Fat Cat but I never particularly think about it or have that strong of an urge to go unless everywhere else is packed.

I like it for a Bears game — nice vibe and easy to see a tv. I love BBQ sauce but wasn’t a fan of the bloody mary — no problem — they replaced it for me — I ordered her beer choice, which I really enjoyed.
It’s not cheap — the bf had a drink which was pricy for what it was. I think beer is the way to go here. Now — here’s my issue and why I gave it 4 stars and not 5. We spent around $ 70 for two people — my sandwich and fries were $ 11 (the fries were really tasty). But you charge me .50 for extra bbq sauce — really?
The regular wings were really good and tasty. Do NOT order the boneless wings — they are the same price and really, really tiny.

I am a very picky diner. I manage an upscale Italian restaurant in the city, with a restaurant group that has five concepts and 30 storefronts to their name. I am also on the opening team for our new sports bar concept slated to open in 6 weeks. I worked my way up after serving for more then ten years. I love restaurants. I know them well.
I have been coming to Fat Cat for years, especially on football Sunday. I often come in with my fellow Vikings fan and his daughter, but lately by myself. I was sad to see the manager Andrew leave, he will be missed. He always took «over the top» care of us.
The new management has picked up right where the old left off. The new manager (black glasses) has really gone above and beyond two weeks in a row to find a TV to put the Vikings on for me. She has been genuinely attentive and courteous with no hint of annoyance at my many requests.
The service staff is really fantastic. They are always knowledgeable and friendly. I am not exaggerating, I have never had a dud in the lot. That kind of service consistency is rare in this industry.
I was a bit worried when they switched chefs recently, as the food and service is why I come (I don’t drink, and that’s another thing, I am never made to feel uncomfortable that I don’t drink and I value that) but the new dishes are inspired and delicious. I recommend any dish with the pork belly. The shredded beef hash today was also rather good. Lean tender beef. Perfect SS eggs.
Kudos to my server today, I never had to ask for more coffee once, and I drink about 5 cups.
Full disclosure– I recently moved from uptown to edgewater and tried a competitor closer to my house, suffice to say that was my mistake (review coming later once I calm down from it).
So I came back to old faithful. Fat Cat. Keep it up ladies and gentlemen, people are taking notice. I know I recommend you often and now my wife (Hospitality Manager) has started bringing industry friends as well.
I even told my corporate Executive Chef that if he’s ever in uptown, the pork belly and service are worth stopping in for.
Mychal Rayne

Let’s play a game at this «cocktail bar».
We’ll sit at the bar. You order a cocktail off the Fat Cat menu, receive it, taste it, and then try to guess what went horribly wrong. It will be fun! Only $ 11 a turn, folks.
You have been given a half-​filled martini glass with a lime wedge on it, containing about 4 ozs of rather orange-​colored liquid. The drink you ordered contains only clear or pale yellow ingredients. Also, it’s incredibly bitter.
What happened? Rogue Campari promo team? Dropperful of the essence of the Trump campaign?
No one knows! Here’s a prosecco topper for your bitter, orange-​colored mystery «drink». Thanks for playing.
Is that guy in the cargo shorts playing with that woman’s hair? She doesn’t seem to know him. That’s weird and he just knocked over a chair.
Hey do you have another $ 11? Let’s play again, I really like a Martinez.
Hey why does this Martinez taste like anise extract? Who knows! The bartender won’t tell you! HAHAHA.
Well choke it down because this game sucks, the place is a disaster and we’re leaving.

A buddy and me were on our way to green mill but we decided to stop for a bite. So we came across fat cat and little did we know, we stumbled across a gem. We kept it simple. Beers, pork nachos and we both got the house burgers. The nachos came and we used the vinegar on them thanks to the waitress’s suggestion. It seemed strange at first but it was awesome. Besides the vinegar, these were hands down the best nachos I’ve ever had. I wish more places back home (New Jersey) made pork nachos. The pork was so juicy they have to serve this dish is a type of bowl to prevent a mess.
Next the burger. We weren’t expecting it but the burgers were even better than the nachos! Brie cheese, bacon, heaven. Burgers were also cooked to order, which I find is somehow a rare (pun) thing to find these days. The beef was juicy and full of flavor.
We’re a little bummed that we may never be back at this place. But if we return to Chicago, this is a must stop.

Came here for trivia, which was fine, but the food was awful. The Asian chicken salad was, no joke, the worst salad I have ever had in my life. It’s some dry crumbled ramen with dry cabbage and no dressing. That was it. The Caesar salad was also not great. The greens that were in it were strange and bitter.
It’s unfortunate because the interior is actually pretty nice. The food… not so much.

Great bar to come and chill. In addition, bring a group of friends to play pool with.
The bartenders remember regular’s and the drinks we always want! Clean place. A lot of tvs.
Check out the food menu! Burgers are way up!!! Lol!

I’ve been here once… I ordered some Chicken wings. I dont remeber if i got the deal from Unilocal or groupon but… the chicken wings were cold and gross.
Just my expereince though. Maybe yours may be different.

Wow, how could I have lived in Uptown for two years and never stepped foot in the Fat Cat? It’s really a shame it took me this long!
The staff are very friendly — and the food was delicious. My friend and I ordered the Toasted Chile Black Bean Dip and it was incredible. .. a lot of places tell you something is spicy, and this absolutely had a great kick. I had the Cajun Burger which was fantastic and my buddy opted for the Straight Up burger — since it was on special.
The craft beer offerings here were great — and I enjoyed hanging out here. There were many different types of people — so it’s a friendly, comfortable place for all. I look forward to making this one of my neighborhood hangouts.

Yikes — I’ve given this place sooo many chances — and seriously I’m not sure why.
Every time I go here I get crappy service, an empty beer list, and food that doesn’t exist on the menu.
We just went to Fat Cat on Tuesday to get their advertised 25 cent wings and of course they were out of wings and didn’t have a food special to replace it. Plus, they had one beer on special. ONE — some strange belgian brew that came in a bottle and tasted terrible.
I also went for their cinco de mayo festivites and the taco bar ran out at 9 PM — which was NOT advertised and you had to purchase their super strong and not very tasty margarita pitchers to even get the taco mess. Then, I got the warmest beer of my life — literally — it was like the beer had been warmed up on the stove and then dumped into my class. Fortunately the waitress replaced it — but I should not have to ask for a cold beer.
Plus, at least HALF of the delicious sounding beers on their menu are out — at all times. Change the menu already!
Sorry Fat Cat, I had high hopes for you — and I’ll not be returning again.