Food- impressive for a bar. I had the chicken sandwich and it was nothing short of amazing. The fries are delicious too. The drinks are really impressive as well. Not to mention the service is good. Everyone behind the bar is very attentive and friendly. read more

The place was beautiful. The Food was Exquisite and the head chef even came out to speak with us and see if we enjoyed our meal. Thank you fatcat for the lovely experience and thank you Jajuan McDonald for checking in with us to see if we enjoyed your delicious meals. read more

We love the Fat Cat. Especially on Thursday nights for $5 martini specials and $11 steamed mussels. $5 burgers on Monday nights. Actually - we love Fat Cat on any day that ends in a "y". They are 5 stars for service: great bartenders, attentive servers, managers who are friendly and interact with customers but manage to keep an eye on the overall experience during their shift. Fat Cat supports Uptown community organizations with charity nights - and the Uptown Runners meet here on Monday nights - thanks for supporting the 'hood! Food menu is not your standard bar food - and lately the weekly specials have included some new options - like Korean Street Tacos - delish. The burgers here are good - you can't go wrong. My son likes the Straight Up Burger. I especially like the Banh Mi Turkey Burger - great flavor. The Black Bean Burger is good - and I'm not a vegetarian. Braised Pork Belly sandwich is messy but oh - sooooo good. Hubby loves the Chicken Pot Pie. It's everything a pot pie should be - flaky crust - chunks of chicken, veggies, delicious "gravy". Brown Rice Bowl with (local made) Phoenix Bean Tofu - delicious. Salads - all good. Especially the Kale and Brussel Sprout salad with chicken. And the Crispy Chopped Chicken might be a Southwest Salad in another restaurant - but at Fat Cat it's a whole bunch of deliciousness. Wings - some of the best in the city. Sliders - Pork Belly or Southern Fried Chicken - order one - order two - order them in any combo you want. Both are great. Calamari - corn meal "dusted" - as in - not heavily fried. They come with lemons and jalapenos - tasty. Goat Cheese Flatbread is a generous portion - the caramelized onions are a great touch. Crispy Fried Mac and Cheese - really? Yesssss. Oh my. Panko crusted on the outside - creamy mac and cheese on the inside. They are on the "Things to Share" menu - really? Get your own order. Not high on my list - but enjoyed by others: Reuben Balls - Pretzels - Cheese Curds. Be aware - no food or drink specials when there are concerts at the Riv or the Aragon, In fact they offer a limited menu those nights so concert going patrons can be served quickly. Makes sense. If you are in Uptown for a concert - stop in to Fat Cat before or after - but don't let that be your only experience. And if you come in on a Thursday - join me for a Riviera Martini. read more

Great service. Even on a concert night around 6:30, they were busy but they got us a table right away. Our server was very attentive and friendly, I appreciated her immensely. The food was on the moderately pricey side but not too expensive and I loved the vibe and the decor of the place. I did not like the Mezcal Mule, the aftertaste of the Mezcal just isn't too my taste I quickly discovered and it was very overwhelming. And the food was just okay. I liked the wings and the poutine fine, although the fries were soggy, not from the sauce, but the brussel sprouts were a big miss and did not come with the listed bacon. All in all, two drinks for each of us and 3 apps, was just what was expected. 4 stars for the service and atmosphere and a great place to go if seeing a concert nearby. One of the few bar/grill choices in the area. Next time I'll try something different probably. read more

We made a reservation and they canceled it through text. However, when we got there it was still ok. So who knows. Our server was great. Super cute and friendly. Helped a lot with questions. We did have a bunch of snafu's though. Our orders were wrong, but everyone makes mistakes so it was okay. However, the person helping was aggravated and inpatient. The FOOD was good, but not enough meat on the brisket sandwich. The DRINKS were yummy. read more

It was so difficult to have someone serve us at the bar. It probably took 15 minutes, as if we were purposely being ignored. Good food and drinks, but my friend and I felt unwanted. Last time we'll be going there. read more

Decent local spot for food and drinks. Food is a solid 3.5 due to it being hit or miss each time I go. The real inconsistency is with the wait staff. I have been here quite a few times and some of the waiters are SUPER friendly while others make you never want to visit again. Downright rude with HORRIBLE attitudes as if they just despise their job. Reading through the reviews, it looks like this comes up quite a bit. If you're expectations are for a local burger joint with a decent drink menu and you're up for the occasional rude waiter, this is your spot. read more

Wonderful local bar with a fun atmosphere. The drinks are consistently made well and the staff is always friendly. They have a nice patio as well. Their brunch is delicious, but let's be honest so is anything on their regular menu. They have weekly specials such as: Monday - $5 Burgers Wednesday - $5 Craft Drafts Thursday - $5 Martinis (My absolute favorite, try the Riviera) read more

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Been there twice now with pretty same experiences. It's a nice place with a good atmosphere. Good location and the staff is super friendly. However, the food was a little of a disappointment and the beer is overpriced. I get it's craft beer place but still seems a little higher than the average place. If they just improved the food quality it could be a place to go back to read more

Super cute bar, made me feel like a lil mobster see. The food was smackin and they had a wide variety of cocktails. Our server was attentive and friendly, so was the rest of the staff. Highly recommend! read more

Best dirty martini in Chicago! Fun atmosphere and great mood lighting. Definitely recommend.

This was a really fun place to come to late on a Friday night. It was pretty packed, but we managed to snag a table in the front of the restaurant. I really like the way the place was decorated; the lights were kind of low, and it felt really intimate in there. The drinks are poured with a very heavy hand (to be honest, almost too heavy for me, but I am also a weakling when it comes to alcohol). I ordered an "Uptown Royale" off their cocktail menu, and it was one of the sweetest drinks I've ever had. Next time I'm going to have to order something more classic, like a Negroni. The only reason I can't give 5/5 stars is because of how long we waited to be served. At first, we thought we had made a mistake and were supposed to wait for a hostess to seat us, but after 30 minutes of waiting a waitress finally came up to our table. She was very apologetic, and (based off of other reviews) the amount of time we waited seemed very outside the norm. Will definitely be back after a concert. read more

This is the best local bar/ restaurant! I've been here numerous time and I'm always impressed by their friendly hospitality, great drinks, and delicious food! It's also a great place to catch a game. Plenty of TV's from multiple locations. I would recommend anyone looking for a cool vibe place to eat, relax, hangout with friends! read more

For any of my vegan buds out there, Fat Cat is a great option in Uptown! They're right off the Lawrence stop if you're looking for something conveniently off the train line. Plus they are near the Aragon and Riviera if you need to get some drinks and food in before a show. Really cool place where you can hang with your not vegan friends (do they exist? Jk) and everyone gets something yummy. Samantha was super nice, and when I asked for no cheese or mayo on my Beyond Burger, like a mind reader she very nicely asked if I would like it prepared vegan. So sweet! Anyway. I felt compelled to write this after a couple of beers. Headed to a show, byyyeeee! read more

Slow service. Expensive food. They also include a mystery fee of 3.5 percent on the bill with no explanation... sketchy.

So so so good- great atmosphere and great food. There burger and salad are amazing- always in the mood for it

I ate here on my last trip to Chicago and came back two months later cuz it was that good!!! Yum

I have a story similar to most reviewers: was in the neighborhood, just had dinner, wasn't ready to call it a night, wanted a drink, had one, meh, went home. It seems to me that Fat Cat is missing out on a fantastic opportunity to capitalize on post-meal drinking needs but, for some reason, it doesn't quite hit. It might be a couple of things. 1.) The service. While not bad, it wasn't remarkable. I understand the bar was crowded and our server had a pretty big territory but he couldn't have been less engaged. I was in a large group of folks with service industry backgrounds. People know how to tip and tip well. Perhaps being shown the least bit of interest and we would have taken care of the rest. Instead several people went to the bar to get drinks on their own, drink suggestions were lackluster and forced (when asked what he would recommend), drinks were spilled (it happens, I get that), and the table wasn't bussed for a while. Our server was not in the mood to wait on us. I get it. I've been there. But, you have to get it together. 2.) Drinks. The cocktails were pretty inventive-sounding and it's obvious the bar has taken some time to come up with a good beer, martini and cocktail selection. In the most part, however, my table found the previews to be better than the movie. My Gunnison Garden sounded spectacular and tasted okay. It wasn't a bad drink but for the description and ingredients (orange vodka, elderflower, cucumber, lemon), I was expecting the.most.refreshing.drink.evAr! It was okay. I enjoyed my draft seasonal much more but that doesn't really showcase much other than the bar's good taste in picking it. The bar itself is rather noisy and rambunctious. It's a sign that people enjoy themselves, and that's a good thing. For my crew, however, it was tough to have a conversation amidst all the activity. Perhaps a trip to the back room is what's needed to truly get Fat Cat. But, as a patron of the front room on a Saturday night, it was an 'okay' experience. I'm not rushing back but I wouldn't protest if my friends wanted to stop in... much. I wouldn't protest much. read more

I love Fat Cat because I love alcohol and you can tell that Fat Cat loves alcohol, so you gotta respect that. Their handcrafted cocktails are perfect without being pretentious and that's especially apparent when you get the modest bill. I've been here maybe a handful of times, but a good time has been had by all every single visit. We usually come in the winter right after going to Duckmas at Sun Wah. The bitter cold stings as we walk the few short blocks; however, it's totally worth it. We're greeted like long lost friends and welcomed with a long drink list and equally impressed food menu (should you happen to be hungry). I've only had a meal here once and it was phenomenal as far as bar food goes. They serve up great sandwiches. I had the Turkey Dinner sandwich and was blown away. It's a shame it isn't served all the time. read more

This is obviously a great place to be! Every time I set foot inside it is usually crowded and hard as hell to find a place to sit or even a bar spot. This past Fiday night was different as we found a spot in front of the bar. We were joined later by some friends and enjoyed ourselves drinking and conversing. Pretty cool menu as they had a great beer selection, but some of their specialty drinks no longer existed. I ordered a Captain & diet coke, but they do not have Captain Morgan Spiced Rum so I had to substitute it with some other brand that I cannot remember the name of. Whatever it was, it did the trick as I left pretty hammered. As I left I had a Delirium Tremons to cap my evening. I would like to come back at some point and try the food. In case you don't know, this is the place with the cool, lit up sign a few doors down from the classic Green Mill. Great place to hang and drink with friends!!!! Also they have select martinis for $5 on Thursdays...get the Riviera and thank me later! read more

Stopped by here for a cocktail the other night after the parking situation at Bar on Buena (our first choice) was making one of my friends go crazy after unsuccessfully looking for parking for 30 minutes. To our rescue comes the Fat Cat. Lots of parking right on Broadway. Hooray! We loved it! Big space that while busy was not packed. Interestingly diverse clientele and low and behold- three seats at the bar together on a Saturday night just calling out to us! They have a pretty good beer list ( what could be wrong with a place that has Delirium Tremens on tap?) and while the food looked good- I had to enjoy it vicariously as I was still stuffed on what I had eaten before our arrival. The good news? The food came out fast which was exactly what one of the friends I was with desperately needed. Service took a while to get going- but once it did- the bartender was on his game, was friendly, and made some good beer suggestions. Great place. Good beer- a little north of my beaten track- but hey- when I am in the neighborhood? I just found my new favorite place. read more

This place is shaping up to be a first class neighborhood joint. The staff is unfailingly lively, upbeat and attentive. Was here on a Packed Sunday night (get it? "Packed"? Pretenders album? Okay . . .) before the Pretenders concert - and playing Pretenders music was a really nice touch! The snack menu here is great anyway. Keeping to my "Try the Thing You've Never Had Before" way of life . . . Reuben Balls! Think Neapolitan Risotto Balls - a popular street food snack - and substitute Reuben ingredients. Corned beef, sauerkraut and rye breading, deep fried and dipped in 1000 island dressing. Brilliant! Juicy! Tangy balls of Reuben! And to the two guys who would not leave me and my friend alone - when I asked "When does he go back to his cage?" I really meant it. read more

Cheese curds, fried pickles, both cool. Good service, nice lighting., pool table -all good.

I'm here right now. And I'm about to leave. I love Fat Cat. They have an amazing beer selection that rotates seasonally. And their food is pretty good, too! It's a treat when I go there. But after two beers and ASKING for a food menu, I don't get followed up for an appetizer order for more than 10-15 minutes on a chill day, I call bullshit. And I'm also a server. Of course I will continue to come here because they have great beer, and it really is a good establishment. But seriously...do your job. It's not like you're slammed presently. read more

Now, I've been going to Fat Cat for a few years, as I have friends who live around the corner, and it's a nice place. Not great, but nice. It's got an attractive interior, a great beer list, & pretty good food. Where is doesn't do as well is in the mixed drink department, with sevice, & with the atmosphere. They have a great *sounding* drink list that fails to deliver in the flavor department. They'd do better to have a smaller list that they really perfected. The service is often very slow. I've always had friendly service, never had bad or rude or indifferent as others have reported, but neither have I had a server who seemed to think it was important I get my drinks in a timely manner. Also, the atmosphere is hampered by the often insane volume. The music is loud and the people are louder. It's may partially be a result of bad acoustics, but there must be something they can do, like add fabric or sound absorbing panels or something. I did attend a surprise party for a friend here a couple months back, and arrived early to set up and bring the cake and such. That day all the service was excellent. We were set up in the back room & they were definitely prepared for us & on top of everything. I wish every visit could have such attentive service! I think they have all the potential in the world to be a solid 4-star, even maybe a 5-star place, and I'd like to see that happen. read more

Great service and great food! Jennifer was so attentive and provided amazing service! We will definitely be back soon. This spot is such a gem for the Uptown community! read more

Oh the rotund feline. I've always liked this place . It has a contemplative pigeon meets goth crow, new to the area vibe. It needs better prices and yes, better beer. I do love the old buildings in Uptown. This statement has nothing to do with this review. Sorry, I'm messing with you. This is housed in an old building in Uptown, so it's kind of expansive with high ceilings. Sigh, (with a tear in my eye) they don't make 'em like that anymore. So, ok, I guess I would like it more with better prices. It's a fun area over here in Ol' uptown. Food I recall from pre covid was pretty solid. Was kinda great to be back here. read more

Everything here was just mediocre. The food was sort of bland. The service was kind of slow and the waiter wasn't too attentive. The prices are too high for many of their dishes. read more

A bar on Broadway where we were able to have a couple of drinks with conversation below a shouting level. Seating was comfortable, our waitress attentive without being intrusive, no hidden upcharges on drinks for neat or on the rocks, we enjoyed ourselves. A short walk from the overcrowded Green Mill, the closest bar for a nightcap after eating in New Chinatown on Argyle. read more

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Service was friendly and courteous. General promotion a of apps and drinks were superb! So good to share with someone and have fun talking about how delicious it is read more

Fat Cat - couldn't help eating almost all of it with my best friend. You're lucky this was left to photograph before we demolished the rest of this - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fat Cat is our favorite local Uptown joint. Walter is fabulous and always puts a smile on our faces. The food is delish - the chicken pot pie and chicken sandwich are our go-tos! Highly recommend. read more

This place was even better than I expected! My boyfriend and I came here before a show at the Uptown Underground venue on a Friday night. The place was busy, but not so packed that we had to wait for a table or anything. This place doesn't have a super distinct personality, but the atmosphere is pretty casual for a low key night out. I ordered a glass of wine, and ordered the Chef's Burger for my main meal. The Chef Burger had thick pieces of hand cut cheddar cheese on top, along with the caramelized onions and gourmet mustard. The meat was juicy, and the toppings tasted great on this burger. The burgers, fries, and wine were all excellent. I felt like everything was appropriately priced as well, which is always a plus. read more

I came here prior to a run with Uptown Running Club, which is their meet up spot before their Monday evening run. Very good sounding foods on the menu, that I would like to try in the future. Other than for a Monday evening run with Uptown Running Club, "Fat Cat" just got a new customer. During my first visit I tried their $5 burger, which is called the "Straight up burger", and sold on Monday at $5, and loved it! It comes with fries also, that were very good. I had to leave, or I most likely would've bought a few more prior to leaving. Fat Cat, showed a lot of love for Uptown Running Club, which I noticed while there. If you're a runner stop in on Monday's at 6:30pm, and enjoy the run, and have a beer and burger after; all paces welcome! Fat Cat, is located next to the post office, in between CTA Argyle, and CTA Lawrence on Broadway Street. Enjoy! read more

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Nice ambiance. Great location. Awesome music. Diverse crowd. Good customer service. Tasty food. My whole table had burnt fries which they didn't hesitate to switch out but why even serve them? read more

Haven't been in awhile so thought I would support a neighborhood business and stopped in for drinks and carry out. The server and bartender was both very unfriendly...I hate seeing people in a bad mood and I felt like I had to go out of my way to be overly nice because they were so crabby and condescending . I get it's COVID but one in particular really acted like she didn't want to be at work at all. Also don't get the hype about the burgers? It had no taste at all! Got two appetizers with it and those were terrible as well. I'm not one to write bad reviews but between the service, food and the price of it I'll never go back. read more

We came here for food and drinks before a concert at the Aragon. We received the limited express concert menu, which was great because doors had already opened, however, our food orders did come come express at all. The staff apologized for the kitchen being backed up, which was weird, because it did not seem that busy. I had ordered the poutine with pork belly, which was a $12 artery-clogging delight, except that it was a rather small portion with only a smidge of meat that cost the $3 extra. I wished I had ordered a sandwich for the same price to be better filled for an energetic show. The outdoor seating on a beautiful day was nice and the food and drink menus were interesting enough that I would come here again before a show and give it another try. read more

Nice little local spot. Offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Seat yourself and they'll greet you promptly. I ordered the Bean Burger with their house made chips and my boyfriend enjoyed the Hot Mess Burger. The bean burger was fresh and very filling. It wasn't firm so things did get a little messy. It's topped with avocado, lettuce, tomato and onions. It has a spicy mayo on it that I enjoyed as a dipping sauce for my chips. The Hot Mess Burger was two beef patties with two types of cheese, lettuce and onions. It also has a spicy mustard that is a nice little wake up call to your palate. Enjoyed their rose cider beer. I can't really comment too much on the cider as I'm not a beer fanatic. read more

Fat Cat - Bean Burger and Hot Mess Burger - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I can't believe it took me this long to write a review! We've been coming here since January and it is now one of our regular staples. Reasons you should go: -It's never too crowded -They have great, original food...the reuben balls are a must try, along with the mini corn dogs, pork belly sandwich and house burger (arugula, brie, bacon...what?!). -The service is witty, but without too much pretension and the manager is a down to earth guy that will do anything to accommodate your needs. -Great space to set up a small party too. And lastly, they just opened up tons more space with outdoor seating on both corners, plus they have Cornhole. I could die here! read more

Wow, time flies. I cut out an article on Fat Cat from Chicago magazine in September 2007 and hung onto it since then (along with all my other "I'd like to dine/shop/visit there someday" clippings). Flash forward to this week, when my boyfriend and I were planning to go to lunch with my folks. We wanted someplace that wasn't another boring chain, someplace with an accessible menu (the parents are picky eaters), someplace with a bit of a vibe to it...I let him loose in the file of Chicago clippings and this was the one we came up with. Good choice! Fat Cat was casual for lunch but not just another boring bar and grill. The menu wasn't too huge, but everyone ended up with something different and we all enjoyed our meals. They also have a cocktail menu of mixed moderns (Peanut Butter Martini, anyone?) and classics; I was delighted to see the Aviation, a 1920s drink (dating back to the era when flight was still a novelty) tinted a soft sky blue with creme de violette (don't think of blue curacao or electric blue snowcones; this is a much subtler shade). The pastel color belies a kicky cocktail: this is gin, maraschino liqueur and lemon juice (sans the usual cherry, but garnished with a spiral of lemon rind). The lemon pulp could have been more thoroughly strained, but a good drink overall, and nice to see this one in its classic form. As stated, sandwiches made everyone happy. Mom and I both went for turkey: the Thanksgiving Day for her (turkey, stuffing, cranberry, on toast, with a side of green bean casserole), the Urban Turkey for me (no, it wasn't throwing gang signs; I would call this more "metrosexual" turkey: freshly roasted meat, not dry as is often the case, topped with thinly sliced green apples, blue cheese and caramelized onions and served as a panini. The sandwich held together well and all the flavors blended beautifully). Dad got the "Straight-Up Burger" (pretty much what it says), and my guy got the Ho-Burger, a burger with a Hawaiian twist, with BBQ sauce & pineapple on it (he said several times he was surprised at how well the pineapple went with it). With the exception of Mom's sandwich, everyone had a side of fries, which were cooked to a brown so rich I thought they were sweet potato at first. Nice and crisp, no doubt about it. Vanessa, our waitress, was pleasant and laid-back, bustling around with the Bloody Mary cart (it was still brunch hour) but still keeping us in her sights. Only down side: the music was cranked just a little high for this hour of the day (since St. Pat's is coming up, it was a mix of Celtic music with '80s-'90s standards like R.E.M.) Don't get me wrong, I really love Irish music, but people with a hangover from Friday night might have been *really* flagging down that Bloody Mary cart for some hair of the dog with the sound cranked up so loud. Overall, this Cat knows how to swing; I dig it, and I'll be back. read more

Cool bar with outdoor seating and excellent big cocktails! A great random find.