FATS Bar & Grill

solid 3.5 stars, had the pint special when your beloved Flames lost the other Nite.
liked the booths with TVs.
own parking lot.
clean washrooms.

Look, FATS is a place to meet local Kensignton residence if you know no one. Or if you do know area people, to get together with a group of them for the sake of getting together.
But other than that, there’s little else appealing about FATS. The food is edible, but you’re better off picking something up on the way home (ie expect standard bland pub fare). Although I didn’t try the pizza, which many others seem to rave about. It’s also expensive for the quality. The service definitely succeeds at bringing you stuff you ask for, and one can’t complain about that. The drink selection is limited, but enough for intoxication. There are also sufficient numbers of TVs for sports.
Although little of this is appealing to me, I know from the fact FATS is consistently packed full many nights that it is quite appealing to many people. And, I suppose I should concede that FATS does have some character in it’s characterlessness.
This is a two star pub in my world, but I recognize not everyone lives in my world.

Went here for UFC a couple weekends ago, and I really like this place. TVs right in the booths, the sliders were awesome and our server was one of the best servers I’ve encountered at a pub! Never had to do the look around «haven’t seen my server in half an hour… should I get up and go to the bar myself?».I will be back!
The only thing they are lacking is a selling point, like a theme or specialty. But that’s just my opinion.

I had to come back in and adjust my review. I took off a star and was hesitant to take off 2 stars. FATS has recently changed their menu and removed most of their pizza selections. They used to have many unique pizza choices and now are down to just a few of the standards. They got rid of the «hero» pizza which was one of the main reasons I used to come here all the time. They also got rid of their half price pizza night and changed it to 25% off. Nothing special about the menu anymore.
Bring back the Hero pizza!

I’ve been here twice because both times I was in the area for an event.
Service is fine, selection is fine… the place is a bit dumpy. Got parking in the lot both times — even though it’s small.
I would go back, but I don’t think I’d eat there or anything.

A small sports bar with plenty of TVs, tableside windows that open up to the outside, and a crowd of rambuncious regulars. I was drawn in after many years’ absence by the road sign promising new drink and food specials. Thursday all wines (10 to choose from) are $ 5, and small two topping pizzas are $ 7. The small is enough to fill any normal human being, so it’s a great deal. Not only that, it’s great pizza: thick yet fluffy it would almost be edible as focaccia on its own, with a super crispy yet not greasy crust thanks to the perforated pans they cook and serve them on. Toppings were plentiful (even with only two), with a substantial and tasty sauce. Our server was prompt and cheerful, making the whole experience very satisfactory.

I had been hearing for months how great FATS was, and since it’s right across the street from Another Dimension (one of the best comic shops in Calgary) me and some buddies decided to stop by after some nerding out to grab some lunch.
In retrospect, after looking over some of the other reviews, I wish I’d tried the pizza, but everything I did experience seemed rather ho-​hum. The wings were pretty standard — neither great nor disappointing, and the barbecue sauce (a benchmark I generally use to heavily influence my favorite dining establishments) was much the same. Worth trying, but nothing to go across the city for.
The service was pretty good, but considering it was noon on a Saturday, the staff weren’t exactly hard pressed to keep up. I was also told from the others I was there with that the Stampede Burger was really good, but the beef dip was ‘just okay”.
I give them credit for the exterior style, as it’s very eye catching and does make you want to go in, but inside it looks rather like every bar on every street corner in every city on the planet.
I plan to go back again and try this pizza everybody’s raving about… but honestly, I’m not exactly in a rush. All signs point to a perfect acceptable, though hardly exciting, neighborhood bar.
(#11 of 100 for the Unilocal 100 Challenge!)

Curiosity more than anything is what brought hubs & I in here after trying to get into 2 Diners mid Saturday afternoon and finding line ups (ugh). Having to pick up kids from play dates at preset times… we didn’t have time to wait anywhere. So curiosity and perhaps the great reviews on their pizza landed us at FATS.
Parking was easy and no line ups. Spectacular. In we walked, received a menu promptly, placed our orders (pizza of course) and we were on our way. Pizza and a couple pop were our afternoon delight.
This bar & grill is simple. Pretty much a big square box with TV’s and a smaller bar. All sports all the time perhaps. Really didn’t have a lot of character but that did not take away from the pizza or service.
After hearing about the First Date Pizza that is what I ordered. I do not like black olives from a can because they are tasteless but decide to order the pizza as is. I did end up picking the olives off. The pizza was loaded with onions & roasted garlic and lots of cheese. It was quite tasty. Hubs sticks with some version of a carnivore meat-​eater type pizza so that is what he had. I was wishing for a small individual pizza and the smallest they had was medium. So I ended up leaving with over half my pizza. A smaller option would have been preferable and also perhaps better on the wallet.
Good food, good quick service. A place to remember for yummy pizza.

Since when is 5 people a Large party… We had a horrible experience here recently. We were charged 15% gratuity for 5 people! Not to mention half of us just ordered a drink and starter… I ordered a simple veggie try, it came soggy and warm. Pretty sure it sat under the heat lamp… Gross!
My friend ordered creamy tomato soup, looked, smelled and tasted like a can of hot tomato paste!
My boyfriend ordered the baked Brie spinach salad and it looked like one of those presaged 5.00 salads form Safeway… The Brie was on a small baguette and then a few diced almonds and a few dried cranberries on spinach… 15.00 later… Anyway we called our waitress over 3 times for drink refills and had to track her down after waiting 25 min with empty plates and drinks for the bill… She then added the 15% gratuity to the bill… Ummm I guess she knew she was being completely lazy… Needless to say she didn’t get it…

First things first, the food is delicious! The service was not promising, initially, but quickly improved. It isn’t too expensive overall either. I had a burger with smoked bacon and cheese. Burgers are pretty much binary in my opinion. They are either awful or fantastic, and in this case it was the latter. My fiancée had a First Date Pizza, which was very good. A word to the wise though, do NOT under any circumstances go anywhere near this pizza if you have chosen this place for a first date (a mistake anyway as I will get to.) Your breath will smell post-​apocalyptic. No I do not think that is too strained of a figure of thought.
I can’t feel right giving this place five stars, however, as much as I loved the food and as good as the service was. Where it lost points was ambience. I have lived through hurricanes which were not as loud as there. There are TVs everywhere. You cannot escape them. If it was anything but sports you would feel like Big Brother! Having said all that, if you are a die hard sports fan who doesn’t mind an environment as noisy as a 747 during take-​off, this is the place for you.

Food: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ³⁄₅
Ambiance: 3.5÷5
Overall experience: ⁴⁄₅
(1– Terrible; 3– decent; 5– Fantastic)
I give this 4 stars because they really do have the BEST pizza in town! For the best deal, go on Monday for half-​price pizzas. You can get a large for about $ 10 (that is the half-​price) and unless you are two really hungry men, it is enough for 3 – 4 people to share. They always come out hot and fresh with a good amount of toppings and massive amounts of ooey gooey cheese. Just like on TV, you can watch the stringy cheese ooze down your mouth from your first bite. The crust is thick, but crisp and chewy all over like a good pizza crust should be.
The only disadvantage is that you are not allowed to take out leftover pizza which is ridiculous since it’s a waste of food. Do they give the servers the leftovers or what?!
The rest of their food menu is interesting with a variety of sandwiches and burgers for under $ 15, and your typical appetizers (nachos, sliders, wings, ribs and fries) for under $ 12. I wasn’t too fond of their burgers, but their side of homemade chipotle potato soup was delicious! The drinks and selection of draft beer (~$ 6 a pint) is limited and what you would typically find at a bar.
FATS is a decently sized bar (smaller than say Jamesons) with seating options for large groups at tables or for a few friends in booths and bar tables. On a nice day they like to bring up their glass wall which opens up to their patio and lets the breeze and sun in for everyone inside. The vibe is friendly, but can get loud and hectic from sports enthusiastics who are watching on the 5+ flatscreens there.
I recommend you go to FATS for fantastic pizza or for a quick drink!

I was actually impressed with the service and food at FATS. A bunch of friends were here for a UFC fight night on Saturday. And though I am not a fan of UFC, the menu selection was really great. I had the steak bites for $ 12, which come with veggies and dip. I also had the spinach salad with cranberries and almonds with the house dressing.
The steak was really good. It was cooked well and came off tender and juicy. I’m not sure how they pulled it off because I really don’t expect much from a neighbourhood pub like this, but it was great. The salad was equally good and at $ 10 it was a very generous portion. They also come in half sized portions for $ 5.
Don’t expect any local or microbrews here though. It was all the big commercial drafts that were available. At least they had Newcastle.
Service was excellent. Our waitress was on the ball constantly. Very impressed.
No hiding it this is a neighbourhood pub that some would consider a divey sports bar. However, I had good food and service here. They do an excellent job. I would be a fan of this place if I lived nearby.

I admit. I’m a pizza snob.
When my friends suggest a new place… I whine. No lie.
So when my cousins suggested pizza at FATS… I was not ready nor willing. The big baby I am.
Well…dang…their pizza friggen rocks. We had the «first date» pizza. It was delish! Fair warning, it has a ton of roasted garlic on it (yumm) so really, don’t eat it unless your prepared for the after-​glow-​garlic-​smell.
We put fresh tomatoes on top and it was great!
It’s pretty good pub food, I can’t complain. Their wings are good and so are the burgers. Good place to go and watch some hockey, yes it can get loud in there but what are pubs if not loud?
The parking is really limited so you may have to park at safeway (shhh don’t tell) and walk over.
The waitresses can sometimes their sweet ass time but all in all I like it there.

Tonight I have been calling this business for 25 mins straight every min or more and getting a busy signal. I’m getting beyond pissed off. There is no reason a single business in the city should have a busy signal for more than a min. I gave up calling after two hours of a bust signal and once I had food from somewhere else.
On top of this every single time I have ordered from here they have told me they have soup and then told waiters en route five mins later that the soup is all gone. I would believe this if it happened once but it happened six times.
Once when I ordered a burger and substituted grilled chicken for a beef party they put the chicken on top of the beef. It was the disgusting. When I took the beef patty off and gave it to Colin the sauce and cheese went with it. I was left with a bun, chicken breast, tomato and lettuce. When I called to complain fats told me I didn’t specify that I only wanted the chicken breast. It is not rocket science. No one orders grilled chicken breast and a beef patty.
When you can get through to them and they do get your order right the burgers are really good. They taste fresh and flavorful. The pizzas are thick and greasy which Colin loves. I’m more of a thin crust girl. The almond cranberry salad is yummy with the vanilla vinaigrette.
My experience has only been with delivery so far and I will write more if I go in.

Passable sport bar food. Three-​star food. But if you are advertising a CFL match, the volume would be appreciated over Nickelwhatever. I will try again next year just to see if I can catch CFL there…

My friend and I stumbled across F.A.T.S (FYI it stands for Fifth Avenue Tenth Street) one night when we were looking for something close to home and to our delight it was «Name that Tune» industry night! Emerging a few hours later having been trounced, we vowed to return and avenge our loss. We have been back 4 times since then and sadly «Name that Tune» has been canceled due to Hockey and other various events but they promise to have a Country edition on July 12^th and that is something I might actually win :)
That said, we keep coming back because my friend says the pizza is amazing, the atmosphere is pretty cool and we just can’t let our loss stand…

Pizza was great.
Staff was friendly.
Great place to go after work to sip a beer and share a pizza with your friends.
Note, if you only enjoy thin crust pizza topped with fresh basil and fresh mozzarella, you might want to reconsider.
A great casual place to hang out. I’ll give it 3.5 stars to be exact.

I’m officially a big fan of this bar. At first glance, it really isn’t anything special, and their choice of advertising is sometimes a bit trashy. But beyond all of that, it’s a quality bar. The food is fantastic, especially their homemade pizzas which they are well known for.
The beer selection on-​tap isn’t huge, but you’ll be able to find something you like. They also have Schooners, which they call Fat Boys, and for anyone in need of a big beer, this is the place.
The service is pretty good, with some servers being better than others. It’s generally pretty quick, and they seem to be pretty easy going. This is a good bar to watch a game or UFC event at, or even just to drop by when you’re playing hookie from work.

There are things about FATS that I love. Also, things that I hate. Let’s start with the things I love. I love their TVs, I love their staff, I love their pizza, I love their draft. this is rhyming, time to stop.
Putting aside price, which I generally avoid looking at whenever I leave the house, FATS is a really fun little sports bar. I know some people won’t like me calling it «little», but it really is. Ok, it’s quaint. Let’s just say it looks small. But in fact, it’s quite spacious. We’ve gone several times to watch hockey games, or fighting events, or just whatever happens to be on. Each time, plenty of fun was had.
I need to talk a bit about their pizza. It really is as awesome as you’ve heard. But it’s dangerous. I’m no slouch when it comes to eating pizza, but I can eat FATS pizza far past the point of common sense. You know, that stage at which your body is begging you to stop, but you push on. It’s how marathon runners make it to the finish line. Yeah, that sounds much better. I am a marathon FATS pizza eater.
FATS has a decent selection of draft, but most importantly their draft is good. Lots of places don’t take care of their lines and you can really taste it in the beer. FATS is not one of those places. So if you are looking for awesome pizza, great beer, and a place to watch sports, you should get FATS*.
*Yeah, I pretty much had to.

Yes, they are «expensive». But everything in Canada is expensive. It’s all a rip off up here. But, when curved, their food is on par. $ 18 for a large pizza that feeds 3. And the thing is, their pizza doesn’t suck. It’s frickin’ amazing. So really, it’s «a good value». But.
I’ve been coming here since this place was a third of the size and called «Red Onion Pub». It was a dive. It was charming, and brought in a nice (avant-​garde) clientele. Then they closed down for 2 years and re-​opened as FATS. The amazing food hasn’t changed.
The disappointing part is that while the pub food is AMAZING, the service is complete shit, their drink selection is disgraceful, and more disgraceful is the fucking homogeneously contrived interior. The interior of this place screams «homogenous sports bar with TVs that play only UFC or Poker After Dark and wall-​mounted Molson™℠©® product neon-​lights». It is just like any bar in calgary: sports themed (if even themed), no identity, nothing to set it apart from anything else.
If this place remained authentic by growing into a unique pub in one of Calgary’s few unique neighborhoods instead of some phony suburban piece of shit sports bar with garage doors for windows, I’d rate this place highly. But the only reason I can say anything good (and actually patronize this place) is that their food is amazing.
You’d think that if they put so much effort into food quality, they would perhaps serve, uh, maybe good (ie, non-​Molson) beer? Serving molson product with their great pizza is like expecting us to wash down the finest cut of Arctic Char with a glass of Lake Ontario water. This place gets enough business, I see no reason why they have to be in a product agreement with molson. This is what Original Joe’s does better; because OJ’s isn’t a whore to molson, they serve higher quality and cheaper local beers that would otherwise get squeezed out by molson’s hegemony.
Their location to the Sunnyside LRT station makes it very sweet for anyone downtown to make a quick jump over here. The best nights are Sundays and Wednesdays for the cheap wings and Mondays for the half priced pizza. Kitchen = win, bar = fail. The food is actually at the level of the Southern US which is the nicest thing I can ever say about a restaurant. Seriously.