Fat Cat’s Vortex

This place is ok. Located in my great and historic neighborhood of Strawberry Hill. I noticed many reviewers referring to it as a dive bar. I guess we all have different definitions of what a dive is. Coming from simple people, I don’t really consider it that divey. It’s working class, so if that’s divey, ok. It isn’t what I would consider rough and not in a «rough» neighborhood but, we all have different sensitivies about class and neighborhood social structure. It IS a neighborhood bar and as such, can be rather clannish although not uncomfortably so, in my experience. I’ve been in this place 5 or 6 times now over the past 3 years. I don’t care for a lot of the music in here especially when it gets gangstah. Just not my cup of tea. Some of the reviewers are correct in that the locals are not very responsive to strangers and the bartender didn’t pay us much attention until he came right up on us but once he began waiting on us, he was attentive and polite. I’ve been to bars in other neighborhoods and had similar experiences. Some places are friendlier than others. I’m the kind of person that as long as people don’t give me a hard time, I pretty much go with the flow. Fat Cat’s isn’t my first choice of bars in the downtown KCK area but it is a quick go-​to, when my favorites aren’t available. Bars can be very personal choices for many people, myself included. Who wants to waste money in a place one doesn’t feel comfortable when one is trying to enjoy oneself? I’ve had a good time in this bar and I think the prices are reasonable. It’s a convenient location. Parking is on the street but the neighborhood is safe.

Ok, I’ll admit I have an interest in the macabre, so when I heard that there was a crematorium-​turned-​bar in KC, I knew that I HAD to go.
And it did not disappoint. Fat Cat’s is probably the diviest of dive bars I’ve been to, but that’s ok because I love dive bars. The bartender nicely answered my questions about the sordid history. Apparently Fat Cat’s is first on a local ghost tour, which we were not able to register for in time, so I’m sure I’m not the only one who asks about unusual experiences.
But the drinks are cheap, seriously cheap — I got a g&t, a special house drink, and a Red Stripe all for $ 9! There’s the usual bar accoutrements, i.e. pool table, TV’s, darts, etc to entertain yourself. But most of the bar was glued to the TV as «Go Royals!» cheers frequently resounded.
So even though Fat Cat’s was a bit out of the way, I’m glad I went. It’s a fun but relaxed bar with quite an interesting past.

This place recently changed hands and the new folks have continued the excellent service and products. Its laid back, enjoyable and just plain fun.

It’s a dive bar for sure but the staff are friendly and the drinks are cheap. What more do you need? Be advised that there’s karaōke on Saturday nights and plan accordingly.

We stopped by on a Saturday evening around 11 pm. About ten people were in there, and all of them obviously are regulars and know each other. That is cool, as well as the décor and atmosphere. Dark, christmas tree, fireplace thingy, lone microwave. .. They also have some decent bottle selections.
But no one greeted us? Not even the bartender. We had a beer and left. No one said «thank you» as we sadly walked out. I don’t care to return unless one of my friends who lives in the area goes with us. Unilocal was not a big help here. I had high hopes.

This bar is a veritable cornucopia of awesomeness. I mean, really — it was like the perfect storm of things that are great when we visited the other day.
Cute little curly haired dog (belonging to a patron) that comes over to your table for some attention? Check. Friendly bartender and regulars who are quick to strike up a conversation? Check. Shots of something amazing called Grog/​Witches Brew (that must be drunk in a certain way)? Check. Cheap drinks? Check. Random pot of homemade chicken and rice that we were invited to consume? Check. Oh, and there is indeed an old crematorium in the basement.
So yeah. Fat Matt’s is a dive bar, but an absolutely awesome dive bar. It was clean, everyone was friendly, and we even got a tour of the crematorium basement area, including the place where the bodies used to be stored. (I love history and the macabre/​creepy/​haunted, so I did indeed love this place.) Even the bathrooms were nice and tidy… so it can’t be THAT much of a dive!
Another plus is that it’s open on a Sunday, which can be sort of a hard thing to find in KC. They don’t have food (unless you get lucky and there’s chicken and rice on offer), but we ate before we came, so it was a perfect spot to watch some football and do some Sunday day drinking.
I feel like this is the kind of bar where you may enter as a stranger, but you’ll leave feeling like a regular. There’s just nothing about Fat Matt’s that isn’t cool, and while last Sunday’s visit was my first, it most certainly will not be my last. I can’t wait to bring more friends along for their first visit — and a shot of Grog.

My son-​in-​law introduced me to this little dive bar, which is within walking distance of his house. I’m always a fan of a good dive bar, and when he mentioned that they sometimes have a live blues band, I was definitely in! Well, as fate would have it, there was no band on the night I went in, but it was still great (except that someone kept playing ABBA’s greatest hits on the jukebox). This place is built over an old crematorium (as many other reviews have pointed out), but I didn’t get a chance to see that part (although I hear they’ll take you down if you ask). The place isn’t big, just a few tables but a decent sized bar. Obviously a lot of regulars, of which my son-​in-​law is apparently one now. But the best part is their mysterious «grog». I have no idea what’s in this stuff… it’s their own homemade concoction of I believe about 14 different spirits, but it is DELICIOUS! Get a shot, you won’t be disappointed!
I’ll definitely be back on my next trip to town

Fat Matt’s is your typical crematorium turned bar named after a cat situation. Run by a very nice Wiccan, this bar is located along Sixth Street in the Historic Strawberry Hill Neighborhood.
Given it’s history, I sometimes expect (and maybe hope) that a ghost or two will make their way to the bar and order a whiskey or maybe a Mike’s Hard Lemonade. In my many visits thus far, this has never happened. What has happened though is a good time and the consumption of many beers, which works for me.
The bartenders are friendly and generally are willing to chat, especially on quieter evenings. One time when I walked over I found a «fortune teller» some kid made and dropped. This poor kid couldn’t even spell the word black (it was written as «blak»). I showed it to the bartender and read his fortune. This fortune teller was somewhat x-​rated so I won’t reveal it’s answer. The bartender was amused and accused me of making it … which part of me wishes I had.
The place doesn’t serve food but bartenders will point you in the direction of some if you need it. There are some games to play if you’re inclined and there is a jukebox.
It’s a great dive bar and it should be checked out … multiple times!

First, I must mention how I am utterly shocked that I am first to review Fat Matt’s instead of Scott M, dive bar King of Kansas City.
Now, on to my review.
On a rather desolate block in KCK, Fat Matt’s is the quintessential dive bar, except for the following:
–the bartender is a young, attractive guy instead of a sage «barkeep» hovering around 60 years old or no nonsense «barmaid» of the same age. Keep in mind that both of these individuals would have «given up the sauce» a decade ago.
–there is not a trio of regulars sitting at the corner of the bar who fit the following description: old man with a full head of white hair and big red nose, «hot» woman in her fifties with teased hair wearing a denim mini skirt who shares an unclear relationship with old man #2 who is less old than old man #1 but he cannot handle his alcohol quite so well either.
That aside, Fat Matt’s is the real deal, has an interesting history, and if you’re good, they’ll take you down to the basement where you can look at the old brick crematorium in the basement.