The Cats

The Cats reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

1. C

   Cheryl

   San Francisco2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on August 25, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   I was really looking forward to this meal! Pretty disappointed! The St Louis ribs were dry and tasteless. The house salad was iceberg bag mix with some bagged shredded cheese on top. Way too much rosemary in the sautéed mushrooms…..I got many of the needles stuck in my teeth. I wish I could say something different……I do like the ambiance……but they’ve really gotta work on the culinary skills!
   

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2. A

   Anne VIP

   San Francisco10 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on August 10, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   I ordered tue chicken - it was so salty it was inedible. The side salad was limp.
   

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco1 review

   2.0

   Dined on July 15, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   Terrible service. Waitstaff nowhere to be seen. Long wait for meals to come out.
   

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   San Francisco2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on July 8, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Cats is super close to our house so we go regularly. They were really busy and possibly short staffed so we had to wait a bit. Still the servers were nice and apologetic and the food is decent.
   

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5. M

   Mark

   New York City11 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on June 23, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   It's not easy to get to, but this place is worth the effort. I had the pulled pork sandwich with garlic fries, and it was outstanding with plenty of extra sauces right on the table! A very friendly, relaxed vibe matching perfectly with the dark wood interior made this a comfy and enjoyable place to hang out. We'll definitely be back!
   

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   San Francisco4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on June 17, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Our family comes to this place for the exclusive Filipino twist on BBQ, we love the combination of flavors and the unique taste that is so pleasing to the palate. The Cats is such an iconic location and we are glad to see that its legacy continues with yummy BBQ with a Twist. We enjoyed the Crispy P and Special Sisig from Chef Red, and good looking out Dom!
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   Los Angeles1 review

   2.0

   Dined on May 13, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   This is the first time I have taken the time to review a restaurant and I am 51 and frequently dine out. Let’s start with the positive…the ambience, location and history of this building are what pull you in. You feel transported back to the days of saloons, with the tin ceiling and old-fashioned bar. So much potential! Our server took 20 minutes to greet us and we hurriedly put our order in. Another 25-30 minutes later the food came and all went downhill. The brisket was “gray” - and I’m not exaggerating - and had no smoke or bbq flavor. I tried to drown it in the bbq sauce, but it tasted like ketchup, so I gave up. My son’s $36 ribeye was ordered medium rare and came out like a Salisbury steak and was the size and thickness of a small, gray pancake. He struggled to cut and ingest it. My other son ordered the brisket sandwich and it was 70% fat. I paid extra for two sides (the roasted vegetables and Caesar salad), both inedible. Zero salt, tasted like frozen vegetables and the salad was so over-dressed it stuck to the platter. Our waiter didn’t come to check on us until we flagged him down for the check. $250 for four dinners and wings (actually the only thing that came out hot). Needless to say, we will not be returning until the food and service have been addressed. It could be an easy fix: have a pit master teach the chefs, replace the “ketchup” bbq sauce with a smoky, real one, train your staff to smile, communicate and check in with guests.
   

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8. G

   George

   San Francisco3 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on April 29, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   OK...it had been 55 years since we had been to the Cats...and it looked the same ...but it was of much lesser quality all around. Many items on the menus were not available including sides.... and to get Something to replace what wasn't there cost extra. Sides that were (garlic fries) came different than advertised (didn't have garlic fries,,,, so had to do with regular fries)....not notified until served. Steak was tough. Added surcharge at end of bill for using a credit card (not credit for cash but a surcharge WTF! ) Embarrassing to have to handle this with management. I guess we can afford to wait another 55 years before trying it again.
   

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   San Francisco5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 8, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Really cool place, great service, good food and amazing music and history of the place!
   

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10. TJ

    TJBau

    San Francisco5 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on February 25, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3

    Have always passed this place when heading to Santa Cruz so finally decided to check it out. Made a reservation and when we arrived the restaurant was not busy at all but yet we still got placed in the far corner even with plenty of tables right in front , asked about them and we were shoved in the far corner still . After about twenty minutes of being bumped by the surrounding tables my fiancé got up and asked we be moved . We were promptly moved but do not understand why we with a reservation got put in the corner to begin with. The food was good, dry but they give sauces so that helped. For the price paid and taste it was mid. Happy we tried this restaurant but it will be a long while before returning.
    

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