Fat Cat Bar & Grill

Tahoe City, United States

3.7

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 530-583-3355
Website:
www.fatcattahoe.com
Address:
599 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA, 96145
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Open now
Local time (Tahoe City) 12:04 PM Thursday, June 5, 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Tuesday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Wednesday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Thursday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Saturday 9:00 am – 2:00 am
Sunday 9:00 am – 2:00 am

Description

Specialties

The locals’ favorite. Great food and drinks at reasonable prices. The Fat Cat Bar & Grill offers fresh homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta. The «appetizers» are large enough to share, and include the famous Fat Cat Mac, Southwestern Eggrolls, and Thai Lettuce Wraps. Join us for Happy Hour daily from 4 – 6. Reggae Mondays, Open Mic Tuesdays, Karaōke Thursdays, and Live Music Fridays & Saturdays. Open ’til 2:00am!

History

Established in 2008.

The Fat Cat Bar & Grill was originally opened on June 21, 2008 as the Fat Cat Deli, a deli, coffeehouse, and wine bar. Tahoe locals and visitors alike loved the great food at reasonable prices, and the Fat Cat Deli gained quick popularity. With the addition of a full liquor license and a growing live music schedule, including the famous Tuesday night open mics, owner Carolyn Nunn decided to re-​invent the Fat Cat Deli as The Fat Cat Bar & Grill. After 2 months of renovations, The Fat Cat opened on May 30, 2009 to reveal the gorgeous new bar and new comfy-​chic décor. No longer a «deli/​coffeehouse», it’s a bar and bistro with the same great food (also available to go), live music, and an amazing cocktail menu. Open from 11:00am ’til 2:00am daily, The Fat Cat transitions from lunch and dinner café to 21 and over bar after 10:00pm. The friendly staff is looking forward to serving you soon!

Meet the Business Owner

Carolyn N.

Business Owner

Carolyn’s first job in the restaurant biz was as a hostess at Coco’s in Fullerton, California at the age of 15. After working her way through Chico State as a server and bartender, she worked in the corporate world and as a real estate investor before the opportunity for a partnership in The Auld Dubliner Squaw Valley presented itself. After running «the Dub» for 3 years, Carolyn knew 3 things: that she had never been meant to wear a business suit, that she would never leave beautiful Lake Tahoe, and that it was time to open her own place. Her dream became a reality with the opening of the Fat Cat in 2008.

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Your Party Girls

20 reviews of Fat Cat Bar & Grill

No registration required
Place rating: 4
West Sacramento, CA
Searched the local restaurants in Tahoe and stumbled upon this place, so glad I did. We went there during lunch hour on a Saturday and were seated within 5 minutes. The waitress, Jess, was very attentive and nice. I loved that you could actually see the lake from the place.
Now let’s talk about the food, both of us ordered the blackened chicken ($ 13) and I got mine with a side salad while my husband got his with regular fries. This was probably the most delicious chicken club sandwich either of us had ever tasted. It was so delicious that we just couldn’t stop ourselves from licking our fingers when we were done. I enjoyed my salad and the hubby said the fries were super tasty (he got a side of ranch) as well.
The only drawback to this place (hence the 4 stars instead of 5) were the customers at the bar. They were super loud while inside and then when they moved outside to the patio they actually became even louder. One guy took of his shirt and just stood there scratching his armpits and belly. It made me feel like I was going to barf my sandwich right back up. They also totally blocked the view of the lake by parking their very old very ugly car right in front of the windows. If it wasn’t for them I would say this place is amazing, but they took it a bit too far by hanging around after they were finished with their drinks.
Place rating: 3
Tahoe City, CA
Buffalo Mac n cheese with blue cheese and chicken is a must try! The perfect comfort food! I also ordered the Thai chicken salad. It was yummy as well. The décor inside is very cute and cozy. The stools chairs were very comfortable to sit on as well.
Check this place out if you’re in the area. I was say the food here is gourmet bar food.
Place rating: 4
North Las Vegas, NV
The food was delicious. The service was exemplary and the waitress was so kind and efficient. The only drawback was that it was a bit pricey for what it was.
Place rating: 5
Mill Valley, CA
YUM! The Thai Chicken Salad is the best I’ve had. Rashel, the bartender, is fantastic. Fat Cat rocks!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
A real gem we found on our visit to Tahoe City. Lady at ski rental center recommended this place. Our server Quinn is awesome, helpful, and made us feel welcome. Don’t miss the Mac ‘n cheese! We are definitely returning.
Place rating: 5
Anaheim, CA
Best place in town for a calm, mellow, down to earth, chill atmosphere. Was referred by a local at a coffee shop and ended up coming here every day during our stay! Seriously the best place to unwind after a long day, and hey it’s open late! Who could ask for more?
Oh and if Rachel is working, you are in great hands! She makes you feel like your home and around friends, her service made all the difference in WHY we came back compared to the other places we were referred too. Thanks Rachel, stay awesome!
Highlights: this is where the locals go, great food and awesome service!
Not so highlights: none really (:
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
We got here on Friday night around 6pm and it was crowded due to the happy hour.
We mainly came here for dinner since we had a 3 year old with us!
we got seated right away and ordered a Harvest salad, blackened ahi salad and the Fat Cat Mac. All of the dishes were yummy and we are glad we ordered 2 salads to share because the mac and cheese was very filling and heavy (but delicious)!
Our waitress was attentive and other diners were very friendly, too.
Hubs ordered a mojito and he says it wasn’t the best he’s tried, but not bad.
I did think some of these dishes were overpriced for what they are, especially the harvest salad because it was just greens with some candied walnuts and cranberries… $ 11. Overall, it was still a good meal and we enjoyed dining here.
Place rating: 2
Tallahassee, FL
Loved the FatMac macaroni. Except that’s as far as that goes. Quinn the server was very rude while we came in. The place wasn’t that crowded and he never gave us menus, told us to, «hurry up, I got other things to do» while we were ordering, forgot drink orders, isn’t responsive with questions and so on. Told us things on the drink menu weren’t good. The raspberry mojito is nothing you expect (not good). Will vouch and say food was good though. But he may have had a bad day or something, but that was some terrible service and I could have done it better myself.
Place rating: 5
Portsmouth, NH
Had a great post-​ski dinner here. The mac and cheese was crazy delicious. Also had the blackened chicken sandwich — so tasty. They put it on toast so not a huge bun getting in the way of the delicious chicken and toppings — they also mix the toppings together so you don’t get a huge piece of avocado in one bite.
Our bartender was super friendly and very beer-​knowledgeable. She gave us some tastes before we ordered and recommended a beer that was spot on with what I wanted.
Can’t wait to go back here!
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
Bacon Mac n cheese was awesome. Took the food tip from our waitress, Rachell, who was equally as awesome. Water stayed full and she hustled her butt off. Thanks for the great food and service!
Daniel and Katrina
Place rating: 4
Carson, CA
Great food. Fat cat burger with a fried egg… awesome.
Kids burger for $ 7 a good deal.
Hickory burger was tasty.
Chicken pesto was yum.
Went on a weekday for lunch so there was no wait.
Place rating: 4
Santa Clara, CA
Large burgers. Tasty. A bit pricey…
Place rating: 4
Union City, CA
Stopped in here twice during our Tahoe trip, once for dine-​in and a second time for take out.
It’s a pretty small place — quaint and kind of intimate. There were two workers, the bartender and the waitress managing the floor. Both were friendly and the waitress checked on us once or twice during the meal.
The food is good and the portions are fairly sized. The first time we went, I ordered the Pasta Primavera and a bowl of tomato bisque. The Pasta Primavera was piping hot and very creamy and heavy — perfect for recuperating after a day in the cold.
The other people in my party ordered the Reuben and Roast Beef sandwiches, which came with a sizable amount of fries. :-) Enough to share. The sandwiches themselves were full of meat and decently sized. The only complaint the other people in my party had was that they went a little too crazy with the horse radish, otherwise they said they were delicious.
When we ordered take out, we got the Turkey Wrap, the Chicken Caeser Wrap, and the Buffalo Mac and Cheese. I really enjoyed my Turkey Wrap, and tried bites of the Buffalo Mac and Cheese which was super delicious.
Would come back if I found myself back in the area.
Place rating: 4
El Segundo, CA
After a beautiful day snow shoeing we came for lunch. We had the fat cat mac and cheese and roast beef melt. Both were delicious. Portions are not huge… but just the right size.
Came back the next day and had fat cat burger and Reuben. Burger had a tasty sauce that meshed well with the bacon and meat. Reuben was good, but not great. I prefer my Reuben’s on rye and this was served on grilled sour dough.
Props to the waitress Jess. There’s a bartender and her. She’s in charge of seating, drink orders, food orders, bussing and cleaning. Despite how busy it was she stayed on top of everything.
Place rating: 4
Sparks, NV
I do have to say I’m glad we stumbled upon this gem! It’s a bar and grill with an emphasis on the bar. By the looks and the people hanging around at happy hour you may think it’s only a bar but don’t let that push you away. We didn’t drink so this review is for the food!
The staff are super friendly and took great care of the family. We had a larger group and they accommodated us very nicely. You do sit in the bar area so keep that in mind if you have kids. Since your in the bar you can smell alcohol so remember that if you have issues with that.
The food is awesome! Everything we ordered came out perfect. I had the soup and fat cat Mac n cheese and it made my mouth smile every bite. I really like homemade mac n cheese and with the bacon bites and mushrooms it was a perFect blend. This is not your ordinary box Mac n cheese.
My wife had the club sandwich and she loved it! It was massive! She’s pretty picky and only praised how good it was. The pictures really shows the size.
It was pretty cold outside so we ordered hot chocolate which was a perfect end of our visit.
When we make it back up to Tahoe City will go back for seconds!
Place rating: 3
Roseville, CA
We were up in Tahoe for another weekend get-​away and were looking to get our Burger & Fries fix at some place we hadn’t tried.
Selected this place on a whim but were satisfied with the result. Small place, one server handling the whole place, with a little help from the bartender. Clean environment w. nice décor.
We were seated right away and the service was great all the way through.
They had about 10 beers on tap, which what is burger & fries without a solid brewsky on the side. Am I right?
Anyways, the server Rochelle was busy, handling all the tables herself, but she was very friendly. Our food came out quick and she was great about refilling water and checking in to make sure everything was OK and we had everything we needed. She did a fantastic job connecting with customers while still keeping things moving.
We had the Rueban w. Reg fries (which was great) and the Cheeseburger w. Sweet potato fries (the burger was bland, it was lacking sauce & flavor but the fries were delicious they came with a cilantro sauce that put them over the top.)
Overall other than the burger I don’t have any complaints. I’d come back for those sweet potato fries. but felt as a whole it was good not great.
Place rating: 3
Sacramento, CA
Pretty good find. We were in Tahoe last weekend when my mom was visiting. We wanted a drink and stopped in here. Mom and I had a Bloody Mary and Matt and Rich had a PBR and a shot. The bloody was EXCELLENT! It had great spicy picked green beans in it. We raved about them the entire time. We then moved out to their corner patio and had some lunch. I had their burger and fries. Burger was good but could have used a little more onion jam on it and fries were crispy and tasty. Matt had a Reuben which he liked. Mom and Rich split a burger and a salad and said both were good.
Place rating: 1
South Bay, CA
Our server did the best she could, so I thank her lots.
But, it was really bad: two people only in the kitchen.
We were out in the patio, and the people before us were forgotten and it took awhile.
Aside from that, the food wasn’t great.
I got a Mushroom Swiss burger with sweet potato fries.
The Swiss wanted to be melted (the color wasn’t like Swiss that wasn’t melted, but it wasn’t melted either, it glistened. The menu even states melted Swiss, it was just a disappointment.
The burger was well-​done like I asked, but it didn’t come out hot.
The veggies in it weren’t that great.
The fries were a mix of some mushy and some crispy pieces individually.
The curry powder on top of the fries made it more unique, but my friend thinks it could be stronger which I agree with although that amount is probably good for anyone who might not be fond of curry or whose never had it, it’s on the very very subtle end though.
The sauce for the fries was amazing, probably the best part, but it gets sickening after awhile.
Only two people liked their food (one of which has a different taste palette then I do aka bad taste for me), and two others didn’t really like it.
The ones that liked their food got: eggs Benedict, and ahi tuna salad.
One thought it was okay, but thought the sauce was a little bland got an enchilada.
Ones who weren’t too fond got: a cranberry turkey and a hickory burger.
I wasn’t annoyed, but my friend got really annoyed because they took forever to give her back her credit card.
What no one was fond of: the menu did not state nor were we told that there would be a gratuity, and on the bill it didn’t say the percent for gratuity that was owed, just an amount. A friend did the math and it was 30% gratuity: NOT OKAY. That’s overboard and this was the first place in California that didn’t even put that information out there: that’s sketch.
Place rating: 2
Ponce, Puerto Rico
We stopped here after a day at the Tree Top Adventure Park.
I wasn’t impressed with this place. Service was slow, food again was mediocre and way overpriced ($ 10 for 5 potstickers).
The blackened seasoning on the chicken sandwich was extremely salty and our fries that came out with our food were not fresh & half of my chicken sandwich had 1 bite of chicken in it.
Place rating: 2
Columbus, OH
Super disappointing. After a killer hike one day and craving some really good grub, I drove from where I was staying in Kings Beach over to Fat Cat. Bad move. Though plenty of tables were open, I was told that because I was solo, I couldn’t have a table. Uh, ok. But the bartended acted so put-​out that I only wanted to order food. As soon as I ordered one beer and placed my food order, he gave me my tab to pay. Whoa. Guess I won’t be staying for another brew. I felt like I had to inhale my cheeseburger and sweet potato fries and get the hell out of there; so it could be left to the binge-​drinking, shots-​guzzling bar patrons — clearly the business they chose to cater to.
Bummer, but whatever. At least the burger and fries were worth the hassle and being made to feel like a pest. Sorry I wanted food at a bar. The horror …