FATZ Cafe

We stopped here on our way from Philly to Florida. It was late; we were hungry and tired. The food was decent for a chain restaurant, but our waiter, Ashley, was great. He was attentive without being intrusive. I noticed that he was this way with all of his tables. Too often I gripe about poor service, so I felt that I should give kudos to someone doing an exemplary job.

Just had dinner. food good service very slow… waitress forgot part of simple order. had to remind her… really slow…2hours for dinner for 2. yea not at a semi fast food…

Great service, great food. I would recommend for anyone passing through — worth the stop.
Staying in a hotel down the street while traveling. This was one of 3 nearby options open after 8pm on a Sunday.
Our waiter was very friendly. Everything came out quick and great. I got the steak and ribs — the steak was a perfect medium and the ribs sauced well. My girlfriend got an Asian Chicken salad and she really liked it as well.

This location offers food that tastes pre-​packaged and service that needs extensive work. I have tried this location recently for lunch and dinner because the people I dined with wanted to go here. It was not a good experience either time.
At lunch I had the Calabash Chicken Salad. It’s hard for me to believe that the vegetables in the salad had not already been scheduled for disposal. The greens were wilted, the carrots were chewy and the cucumbers were well past their prime. The chicken was also dry enough to use as a coaster for my drink.
At dinner I decided to treat myself to a Blackjack Bacon Burger. I ordered it medium rare and it came out very well done. It’s kind of difficult to say the vegetables weren’t the best since there was a burger right off the grill sitting on top of them but there was definitely no crunchiness or any sign of freshness to them.
Service at both meals was dreadful. We were seated, greeted and then the server disappeared. A drink order was taken and more time lapsed. We were ready to order but were not asked for the order. The server came back again and took our order and disappeared. Plenty of time passed and nobody asked if they could refill our drinks. When the food finally arrived, there was no check in to see if it was okay (which it was not).
Since the restaurant was not especially busy either time, I can only assume that they provide poor service and mediocre food under any circumstances. I will not go back. If my dining companions choose this place, I will opt for something out of a vending machine.

I expected this Fatz to equal the one in Conway. The food was nearly the same… The service, was not up to par… I tip well, unless the waiter/​waitress sucks. I tipped her, but felt that I shouldn’t have… It wasn’t what she could have earned.

Last time here was August 2015. The hostess was wearing street clothes (er, I guess it was the hostess) and after we were seated, we commented how it seemed like we were bothering her. The salmon on salad was alright. The dessert was gross… the cobbler… tasted like plastic and wasn’t pleasing to look at, looking like cobbler mush. This is another Fatz going down the hill it seems.

My wife and I have ate at this location frequently and the food is usually good. The last visit was horrible. We waited too long for our simple order and the place was not busy. The food came out and was terrible. My chicken was dry and cold and my wife’s steak was well done and dry. She ordered it medium.
The manager asked us how our food was and we explained our concerns. He told us the chicken was fine and my wife did not know how a steak was supposed to be cooked. He was a rude asshole who undermined everything we had to say. We sure will not go back to this location.

Came to pick up my son from basic training and we stopped by this amazing place. The food was fabulous but the service was beyond expectations!!! James was our server and I’ve never in my life had such amazing service! Thanks James!

I used to eat here at least once a week but not anymore i would always order the same thing and they would always get it wrong so i reported to someone higher up so they sent me a gift certificate which was great and the manager called to apologize which i appreciated very much but the next few times i ordered same thing got my order wrong and had to wait on them to cook mine again. After all that i just gave up and even though i love their food i now only eat there maybe once a month if even that much. It wont let me delete this review but just to let everyone know this was meant for the Fatz in Cheraw SC

Just a ok place. The fried chicken is very moist and they have some very good dipping sauces. The pork chops with white gravy was OK

We’ve eaten at Fats many times over the years and seek one out whenever traveling through the Carolinas. This one is not a good one. Although our waiter was very good, the food came lukewarm for everything even my soup appetizer! The food tasted like regular Fatz fare. The bathrooms were not clean and three of the four stalks needed wiping down and flushing.

Sweetened ice tea with lemon is delicious.
Had an Asian Chicken Salad and the famous calabash chicken with a side of coleslaw. Everthing was very fresh and tasty. We Can definitely recommend this place to others.

Terrible mac and cheese. My kids wouldn’t touch it. Burgers say never frozen. Mine was definitely a frozen patty. Well done on the outside pink on the inside. My husband’s salad was the only decent food. Never again.. Food gross… but Service was TERRIFIC.

Driving from Fla to northern Virginia we stopped here for dinner. Thought we’d hit Dickey’s BBQ next door, but it had two cars in its lot vs a full house at Fatz. We were seated in a large comfortable booth right away. I was told we arrived just before the dinner rush. By the time we left there seemed to be a bit of a wait. We mentioned it was our first time there and our waitress brought us out a generous sample of their Calabash chicken, which was yummy so I got the Calabash chicken and shrimp combo with mashed potatoes. The spuds could’ve been warmer, but were pretty good. Food great, service great. I drive to Fla at least every other month. I’ll definitely come back.

Not impressed by this place at all. We had been on the road for 12 hours driving from Philly and stopped here for a late supper. The food was decent enough, nothing special in our opinion. I ordered the open faced Pot Roast sandwich, which as you can see in one of my images (sideways, sorry) of the menu, in the description it says «accompanied by red-​skinned mashed potatoes». The waitress Tammy asked what side I wanted, because it was supposed to come with a side. I said well I guess since it comes with mashed potatoes I will get, and that’s when she cut me off and said no, the mashed potatoes would be my side. I read the menu again where it said in the description that the item is «accompanied by red-​skinned mashed potatoes». She said no, that was merely a suggestion. I wanted to laugh, but I was too tired and hungry from a day on the road. I read it again out loud to my family to a: get their opinion, and b: to give her a chance to go by the rule of the customer is always right. She just stood there as if I was wasting her time. So I let it go, and we had a good laugh about it in the car when we left. The «World Famous» Calabash chicken my eldest son ordered what was in his words «just chicken tenders, nothing special». My wife’s potato soup was barely warm, and her salad was very basic run of the mill cheaply made Caesar. My youngest son’s Shrimp and Grits were the highlight, very tasty. Question though, why do some places like this leave the tails on the shrimp?

Although Fatz is a chain, there is just something about those little rolls and cheese fries that keep me coming back.
This location however, had something even better. They had some of the best servers and hostesses that I’ve come across in a long time. It was very apparent that they all work well together and view their coworkers more like family.

Number one place in Florence and staff is totally amazing l! And the manager is totally amazing !! Great food !!

FATZ is a small chain in the southeast which we discovered (with the help of Unilocal, of course!) while returning from Florida to our home in Massachusetts. After a long day of driving, we made our way to Florence, SC for the overnight and ate at the local FATZ Café.
The meal was good — not gourmet but two entrees, cocktails (did I say it was a long drive?) and a shared dessert and coffee all for less than $ 50 plus tip.
The parking lot was full of travelers. License plates from all up and down the east coast so I think that gives you an idea of their clientele although there were clearly a few locals as well.
The staff was very attentive and the manager came to introduce himself and see our dining experience was. All very pleasant as he proudly claimed to be the best store in the chain of 58 (I think) FATZ Café’s.
One item of note regarding the food. I had the beef and rib sampler and the ribs were delicious. Again, not gourmet or ‘secret sauce’ not found anywhere else in the known universe. Just good food at a great price.
Should we find our way back on another road trip, I won’t hesitate to stop in for a good, inexpensive meal at a friendly place!

Looking over the reviews and either I ordered the wrong item or went on a bad day.
Worst service by the waitress. She rarely stopped at our table and even seen her flossing her teeth. Gross! Not on floor.
Got a side salad that came with the meal and it wasn’t fresh.
I got a steak and baked potato … And yea the steak was dry and burnt.
I went there due to hotel stay telling me it was recommended and they had a voucher for a free dessert. I asked for the dessert listing and find out there were only 3 selections I could have. I was already frustrated that I just decided to forfeit the free dessert.
I was mainly disappointed by the service but the food wasn’t all that.

This is my first time at this location. The food was great, the service was great and the location is good. We had a ball.