Madcats is an unassuming lively music venue in Downtown Palatine. Every weekend, various types of bands play with drinks served. If you want a table while watching your favorite band, come early and grab a seat! It fills up quickly. Good is served and service is fast! Delicious options and great drinks at a decent cost. You won't be paying high prices for drinks. It's a lively place, sound quality is also great, and the staff is friendly! We like coming here when we want to hear great music. Madcats is a great addition to Palatine! read more

Madcats - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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Madcats opened in 2021 and has had many live events. We recently went to see a Fleetwood Mac cover band that did really well. The place is small and was full. I could tell that people truly enjoyed. There's even a small dancing area up front. The food and drink are decent. The servers work hard when it's busy - yet manage to keep friendly. The only downside is that there is a section where you can't really see the stage (about 1/4 of the inside area). read more

Visiting from St.Louis & the reviews said this place had lively atmosphere & music. What a treat. The owner was amazing. Welcomed us in & brought over stools to a table. Told us all about the band playing that evening. Fugu Dugu. a balkan band. Fun stuff. The bar itself was on the smaller side but the drinks were strong & the service was great. Prices were average for cocktails. I was just very impressed with how kind & welcoming the owner was. Never had someone bring stools to a table & keep Checking with us tmake sure we were all comfortable. 6stars read more

Spunky, intimate little bar with a stage for live music. They have weekly events like open mic on Tuesdays, karaoke Thursdays, bingo nights, trivia nights, etc. I think this is pretty cool and builds community--first time there and you could tell they have regulars who know each other and are so warm and welcoming. Soups of the day are made in-house. We got french onion soup and shared a cup between 2. Portions are surprisingly sizable. The popcorn shrimp was more than we expected--husband liked the sauce it came with. We got boiled edamame, and they add sesame oil which was unnecessary but unique. And they have happy hour from 5-7. The energy here was so cool and lively and most of the stars. Definitely worth it to get to see a variety of local talent. Seriously, everyone was so, so kind read more

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Wanted to love it, but the staff seem more interested in hanging out and getting a buzz rather than working. The food was terrible and would not recommend eating there. Check one of the other places in the area. read more

We visited Madcats to see a friend's band perform. It's in the downtown very cute area of Palentine. The cover charge for the band was $10 a person, and the venue was crowded. It's a fairly small L shaped space, but we were able to find a table, but unfortunately we didn't have a direct view of the band. They did have the band displayed on a tv, so that helped. They were short staffed. They had one waitress serving the entire room, the bar tender, and I think maybe the cook floated around trying to help. There was a good selection of beers on draft and in bottle, and a nice selection of food choices. We had a Cuban sandwich and tater-tots. My husband thought the tater-tots were over salted and the sandwich was just okay, but I enjoyed both for the most part. I think I would go back for more music, not necessarily the food. read more

Madcats - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Nice beer selection, good food. Live music. Very cozy ambience.. The service was outstanding. Will be back.

There bartender could try not to drink too much music way too loud. The food was adequate. Place was packed

My friend's band was playing at this venue so we came out. The sound was better than average. It is a small venue, so fairly cozy and intimate. If you come, know there is a door cover earlier on to support the band. At some point, they do open the doors up later, so if you come later, you can still enjoy live music without the cover; but be sure to tip the band. The room is in an L shape, so the part that is in the shorter part of the L, is problematic for two reasons, 1) You are unable to see the stage directly; but they do have a TV providing a view to you 2) It is right next to the hallway that goes to the bathrooms. As you can imagine, bar traffic to the bathrooms can be frequent and disruptive, not ideal. The staff and patrons are friendly and on this particular night, everyone seemed really into the music; and for good reason, it was really good! We did order some bevs and bites. I opted for the cuban with crispy tots. The cuban was meh and the crispy tots were over seasoned in my opinion. I also feel they could of used at least one additional person working the floor that night, as far as I could tell, there was only one person working the entire floor, plus the bar tender. read more

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Went tonight for their jazz jam. It was great to see so many local musicians enjoying themselves and sharing their talents. I enjoyed some wine and snacks. The avocado tacos were brilliant for me, with the coleslaw having extra vinegar which I love. If you are going for one of their 'open mic' events I recommend getting there early...it fills up fast. Thanks for a local business supporting local artists. read more

Madcats - Live music - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Great food, great service great atmosphere love the bands! The brussels sprouts are the best ! read more

Stopped in here on a Wednesday night for some food. I ordered the chicken fingers and tots. When it came out it looked amazing. Hand battered not the frozen type. I used my knife to cut a piece off and was surprised that I couldn't get the knife to cut the chicken finger. They were so over cooked that the batter was like concrete. $17.00 for this by the way. I told the new bartender that they were training and she told me that she would let the cook know. That was it. I paid for a meal I could not eat. With everything being so expensive these days, it is not right that something wasn't taken off of my bill. The tots were good but those are pretty hard to screw up. read more

My girl friend recommended that I come here. They had open mic blues night last night (Sunday). It was a blast! The Kettle One citron with lemonade was very good and same with the meatball sandwich with tots. Everybody that worked at the restaurant that I encountered was very friendly. The only issue is, it got very crowded, which is great for the restaurant but it was a bit short staffed as the night went on. I will definitely be back on a Sunday night! read more

Madcats - Meatball sandwich with tots - very good! - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Great live music and cheap drinks - what could be better? We're so happy someone took over this spot after Mac's closed. And they kept the same greatness of Mac's with an updated menu and ambiance. This place is a Palatine staple everyone should frequent. One of our favorite spots! read more

Madcats - Ample seating and good views of the stage - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Stopped by since we were in the area. Has good reviews and the food looks good. We walked in and there's 4 people at the bar and four people at a table. There's one waitress and my family and myself are standing at the entrance waiting to be seated. The cook is just staring at us through the window. After three to five minutes of standing the waitress keeps ignoring us and the cook told us from the window with hand signals to sit anywhere. By this time I'm a bit pissed that we ain't getting acknowledged but I'm with my family and I didn't want to say anything or walk out since I was with my family. So we waited at the table for seven to ten minutes and we were seen but not approached or hey I will be right with you or anything. So my wife was like you know what let's leave and the waitress and cook didn't even try to stop us. I don't like using the race card but it sure felt real shitty to be ignored and not helped and just being looked at. If you are so busy at least speak up and say I will be with you in a few. What a horrible experience and embarrassing and a shame my kids had to ask why we left. read more

Friendly, welcoming folks and I loved the chicken tenders. Returning again to try more food!

Great hole in the wall joint. Love the live events and side dishes. Avoid the salty tacos read more

I've had dinner here with my husband: delish food, good beer selection, cozy atmosphere. I also decided to have my dad's "celebration of life" here a few weeks ago. Dan & team were great in coordinating everything, serving a delicious buffet (baked mostacolli, meatballs, garlic bread, salad, chicken picatta) & even bonus/surprise dessert, while holding open bar. My dad would've loved this place as much as I do. Everything was perfect. Lots of compliments from the family on the day and the food. Thanks Madcats for making a stress-free event during a really stressful time. read more

First time here, visited here on a Monday evening, free trivia with Ashely @ 7:00pm, not a empty seat!!!! Started out with garlic buffalo wings (came with carrot/celery) w/ ranch, they were up there with Gator wings just less garlic... Sweet Carolina Fries, o man they were good, brisket is where it's at. The 3 way chili, mix it up, it was ok (a little watery towards the bottom, reminded me of Steak and Shake chili.) Just made Corn chowder, only thing I regretted was not ordering the BOWL! The Chef Meatball "sammitch" had a little kick, it was average/normal. The Cher Meatloaf (I will post review at a later time.) Wait staff was amazing, bar was decorated for Halloween, the crowd was lively, Ashley the trivia master played a great list of songs. Note: these are good/big portion servings, I saw the salads being served left and right, defiantly coming back to try those out! read more

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Nice, hip, and intimate spot in Palatine. Friendly staff and good food. I had their grilled chicken, bacon, and ranch sandwich. Chicken was cooked perfectly. Prices were great for the amount of food you were given. We were there during Open Mike Night and had a blast. Will definitely be going back. read more

Madcats - Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Onion Rings - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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Cool venue. Went to see a Stevie Ray Vaughan cover band. Ok craft beer selection. I will be back. read more

Madcats - Layout of the room - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

My wife and I had a wonderful experience here! Felix was the bartender/server and very personable! We enjoyed the Brussels sprouts, chicken noodle soup and blt sliders! Wonderful atmosphere and great atmosphere. This will be our Friday night out!! read more

Jazz jam to see my kid play - the food is a bonus! Small place, staff is super friendly and the vibe is fun! read more

Madcats - Fried avocado taco - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

We got takeout from here after hearing so much about their burgers....but the burger was super underwhelming! Nothing special, honestly I could make a better one. The buffalo chicken salad, on the other hand, was tasty with nice big chunks of scrumptious buffalo chicken. They didn't have ceasar dressing, but their ranch dressing was pretty tasty! read more

Madcats - Burger and fries, buffalo chicken salad - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

My gf saw a post about bingo at Madcats She's a sucker for bingo!!! So we came in on a Wednesday night April 3rd 2024 for the first time ever!! We walk in and we don't get greeted or felt welcomed? (But that changed throughout the night) Everyone seemed like a regular there and we felt everyone's eyes on us as we still stand there lost not knowing if we can sit wherever we want. So we decide to sit at the table closest to the door. Everyone had a bingo card already and we patiently waited to see if they would notice us but no. :( If the guy (I forgot his name ) with the computer doing the bingo had announced (if you still need a bing card to raise your cup or hand ) that would of helped lol I didn't know who to ask or talk to just to get some bingo cards. We finally secured bingo cards and we're excited!! A sever came quickly to our table asking if we want anything to drink and of course we just had water. The severs were really nice and attentive. The told us the deal of the night which were $5 off wings and who doesn't love wings?!?! So me and the gf ordered Buffalo garlic and garlic wings. While we waited the Ambiance was chill and relaxing. Music was good. We got the wings shortly after and man they were delicious! The garlic ones were a bit on the sweet side not my favorite but over all delicious. Smoky and juicy. We also got to celebrate with everyone the owner of Madcats HBD!! we all celebrated his birthday. It was cool to be apart of someone's birthday that you didn't know. We all sang like family and got a slice of cake if we wanted. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN! All night the servers were attentive which I loved! Bingo was fun! The prizes were great. Overall a fun time and definitely will bring my friends for bingo! See you soon Madcats. read more

Madcat's on Slade has got to be one of the coolest places to see live music around the Chicago suburbs. It's tiny (call it "intimate"), but we've been here a number of times and the acts are always top notch and so is the service and food (except for the pasta). Their chicken tenders and tots are awesome. Also a great place to get together with friends. read more

Madcats is a great new find of ours in Palatine. My wife and I come every week now to have a date night. The food is always good, the service exceptional, and it's got a great feel. read more

Good and service were great. Shrimp Po tasty but I also had my eye on the tacos. We went on a Weds and there was free BINGO - so much fun! read more

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Madcats is a great place to grab dinner and listen to some great music. Nice, intimate, setting gets you up close and you can feel the energy from the band. Love it read more

Madcats is a great little downtown Palatine bar. They have great food and lots of good drinks. I especially appreciate the budget beer, for those of us on a budget. 3$ PBR's and other assorted cheap beers, and good beer too. You can spend an evening here and not go into debt!!! We've been here mostly for the Sunday Night Jazz Jams/Open Mic's on the 3rd Sunday of every month. What a great event. They fill up quickly for that event and even though the place is packed, they keep the food and drinks coming. I've been to other places with far fewer patrons who have no idea how to serve the customers. Madcats know what they are doing and they do it very well! The house band for the jazz open mic events is amazing. Truly professional in every respect. The open-mic musicians are always great too! This place is small and cozy. You feel like a regular even if it is your first time visiting. Madcats does not disappoint! read more

Madcats - The house band at Madcat's open mic jazz night. - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Food was pretty good and staff was very nice and quick to help. The ambiance was nice for a pub. I would recommend

I thought I already reviewed this joint but Yelp put it at the top of my list. Looking for my new go to and found a spot about 10 minutes away up Meacham. If I'm ever off early on a Monday I'll be here for trivia night, but the thing that keeps bringing me back is the food and friendly service (Madcat and Felix!!). I've tried several dishes on many nights and have never been disappointed- well except last time the amazing chef made mushroom soup and it was not served. Live music, superb sound, service superior. Dare to try the demon sauce on wings. read more

Food, Service, Atmosphere, Music... all 100%. Go here! You'll have a great time. And seriously do not miss out on the food :)

Wanted to give this place a try with my daughters, always looking for a new, quality dining experience around Palatine. Menu sounded good. of course great location in DT Palatine. Straight to the point, service was great overall. Bartender and Waitstaff was very polite and patient with us (my girls were very indecisive). Brussels sprout appetizer had great flavor and was served nice and hot, really liked them, and good portion size, but not very crispy, too much sauce on them to be crispy.. Good, but "crispy" is in the name on the menu. These I would get again and maybe ask for the sauce on the side. Daughter 1 got the large house salad, good, fresh, house vinaigrette was good too. Not my thing, but she liked it. 2nd daughter and I got the Farmhouse Burgers with fries, mine ordered med Rare, hers med. They came out quickly and presented well, fries were crispy and warm. Onion ring on top was perfect. A bit messy, but to be expected. Here's the bad, Burgers were both well done, no red at all and the fried eggs on our burgers had no runny yolk. I was going to complain at this point, but decided against it, we were hungry and I couldn't really tell these factors until I was a couple bites in. No kidding the quality of the burger was just OK, I mean it just didn't taste like quality beef, and the egg yolk needs to be runny, that's a must. Will i come back? probably. The staff was SUPER friendly. i will probably stay way from the burgers. It's pretty easy to make a good burger.. Too bad.. It was a bit pricey too, and I know many restaurants prices have gone up lately. The 17 dollar burger and fries really should have been no more than 13, especially because the beef itself just didn't taste very good. Also once the fries cooled off they were just OK at best. Brandts, Tap house and Twirsted Burger have better tasting beef for sure. Heck, for this much I can easily do Paradise pup or American Wildburger. Maybe I just got a bad batch? read more

Food was sub-par. For $75 pp? I expected far more quality than this. Bad showing for Madcats. read more

Madcats - This is my review of their NYE package - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

great food. knowledgeable server and friendly server gave us a history of the restaurant and building. explained all the show nights. we had fun! read more

Great evening out with with Mike Petrie's jazz jam session last night and good pub food (don't miss the tots). Never had been to this venue, but definitely will be back. read more

We went to Madcats for the first time, and found real, good food and great service. My order of spaghetti and meatballs had a fresh, homemade sauce with perfectly cooked noodles and meatballs. The meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and vegetables (carrots and broccoli) for my spouse's order were fresh and tasted good. The chocolate lava cake with ice cream was rich and delicious. Our server was friendly and attentive. Go for the food as well as the music. read more

Amazing food, great customer service, awesome live music, & yummy beer!! I mean wow this place was great read more

Madcats - Menu - Music Venues Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

I really enjoy this place. The food is good, especially the brussel sprouts (trust me, I'm not a big brussel sprout person). The service is always friendly and there is always something going on. Mondays have trivia, Thursdays are bingo, there's live music, etc. the only reason I wouldn't recommend this place for an evening out is if you're looking for a quieter place to catch up and chat with people. It can be a bit loud. But that's what you expect when it's a music venue as well as a bar. read more