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    The Cats Restaurant

    3.4 (853 reviews)
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    THE CATS RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    DJ
    Live music
    Karaoke

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    Recommended Reviews - The Cats Restaurant

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    Fancypants X.

    The Cats, fittingly located in Los Gatos, is a bustling neighborhood haunt. We came in for their $35 BBQ Buffet which features Filipino-inspired dishes. The website lists a handful of entrees, but we only ever saw pork ribs, bbq chicken, & brisket. As with the meats, the sides of rice, mac & cheese, & mashed potato ran low the minute a new batch was brought out, & the staff were not quick to replenish. The understaffed restaurant could not accommodate the volume of people enticed by live music & a bbq buffet. Our poor waiter was pulled in so many directions, he rarely checked on tables to refill drinks or change out plates & silverware. With their limited offerings & frequently-empty platters, you aren't getting your money's worth at this buffet.

    Kristine S.

    Did the all you can eat and it was just ok. Definitely not worth the price of 30 bucks per person. Only enjoyed the cornbread. I asked for honey and never got it. Ribs were nothing special. It's ok. Pulled pork adobo needed more adobo seasoning. Lumpia was ok and meaty but there was no dipping sauce. Manila chicken was ok and it was juicy. Mango coleslaw was eh. House salad was ok. Pancit too was just eh. Overall lacked seasoning. Refilling took some time as well. Service was bad. At one point there was no inside. There were how many groups waiting for the check. Finally someone came in and we all just paid and left. Definitely won't be coming back.

    Salad
    Shannon C.

    I grew up passing by this restaurant on the drive to Santa Cruz since I was little so I was super excited to finally come here to eat. I made a reservation over the phone since their online booking page was down but I called to confirm the day of and they didn't have my name but they were able to put my name down still. Brunch is $29.95 for all you can eat. The selection itself is pretty small, there were two salads, some pancit, the lumpia seemed overcooked as it was dry, 2 types of meats, ribs, mashed potatoes that tastes like instant mash, and cornbread. I think the cornbread was probably the highlight of my meal as the other items were just kind of flavorless and uninspiring. They seem understaffed though, there was one person that was taking orders and one person refilling water for all tables. We ordered some drinks when we first sat down that didn't come until after we were done eating. Turns out the guy thats taking orders is also doing all the drinks and that just seems super inefficient. The other person is just constantly refilling waters but not doing anything else. Overall, i think one time here is enough unless they update their menu and make meals that are done better. I'm happy to pay a higher price for it but this meal wasn't worth the calories.

    Rainier F.

    We pass by this restaurant every time we drive to Santa Cruz on highway 17. I heard about the new AYCE Texas BBQ menu with a Filipino twist. It was Father's Day weekend and we decided to check them out. We made reservations and arrived on a Saturday early evening for dinner. The restaurant is located in Los Gatos along side the highway 17 towards Santa Cruz. Parking is accessible out front in the parking lot. From the outside, the restaurant looks like an old western saloon. As soon as you walk towards the entrance, there a patio with plenty of tables that looks inviting. Inside to your left is the bar with plenty of bar stools and a stage area where the live bands perform. The decor is rustic and historic. We chose the AYCE BBQ menu along with a glass of Chardonnay and a glass of Cats American whisky. It's rare for Texas BBQ to be offered as an AYCE so we were excited to try this. All the dishes were delicious. Some of the standout favorites I enjoyed were the cinnamon cornbread, brisket Sisig, St Louis Ribs, and the lumpia. The cornbread was soft, sweet, and moist. Brisket Sisig was different in a good way with grilled onions and tender brisket. Ribs were juicy. Lumpia was crunchy and was complemented perfectly with the mango chili sauce. Our drinks were refreshing. Overall we enjoyed our experience at the Cats Restaurant. The staff were friendly and accommodating. I found the price to be fair especially for AYCE Texas BBQ. The vibe was bustling and welcoming. Unfortunately we did not hear the live band that was gonna perform since we had to leave to our next engagement. My only gripe was the entrance back to the freeway can be a little hard especially at night and if you have to go on highway 17 towards San Jose. I do hope to come back to bring other family and friends.

    Alison J.

    I came during buffet hours, at the end when you would expect the good stuff to be done. I was told to take my time and that if I wanted anything that wasn't out and available, I should just ask. Food was great! I'll be back.

    Ribeye Steak probably one of the worst steaks I have had in a while
    Dustin C.

    The Cats has a reputation as a historic Bay Area restaurant, and while the property itself is beautiful, that's unfortunately where the positives end. We visited for Father's Day, and it was clear they were nowhere near prepared for the day. From the moment we were seated, service was painfully slow. It took nearly 20 minutes just to receive water, and even longer for our drinks to arrive. When it was time for the buffet, I was served a steak ordered medium rare that came out medium well. After sending it back, the replacement was technically medium rare, but it was so under-rested and watery that it felt like biting into a bowl of beef juice. To make matters worse, the steak sat on our table for another 20 minutes while we waited in the buffet line because the restaurant completely ran out of food. Half the dining room was left standing around waiting for items to be replenished. The food itself was equally disappointing. Nearly everything lacked flavor, with the exception of the ribs, which at least had a noticeable smoky taste. The rice was overcooked, and the lumpia was so overdone that parts of it were burnt. Overall, this was a frustrating and underwhelming dining experience, especially for a holiday meal. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a quality meal. There are far too many excellent dining options in the area, particularly in Los Gatos, that are much more deserving of your time and money.

    Cornbread
    Eva L.

    Had the Sisig topped with Brisket. Sisig has the citrus and salty flavor. The brisket was on the salty side. The dish came in a small sizzling cast iron skillet that was piping hot. The Sisig meat was more tender than the burnt brisket chunks. A raw egg was added on top. You mix the egg with the meats to cook it in the hot skillet. Came with a side of white rice that was perfectly cooked, moist but not mushy. For starter we.ordered the honey cornbread. It was very crusty on the outside and somewhat moist inside with pieces of corn mixed in. It came with a side of butter. It was sweet and full of corn flavor. Wish the outer layer was not so crusty hard. The pulled pork sandwich was good. Added more BBQ sauce and it was better. Tender pieces of pork in between soft burger buns. The bread's flavor was a bit sweet that it complented the pulled pork. Pulled pork sandwich has a side of fries There was live band music. So it's a dinner and a show in one especially if you were able to sit in the front dining area. They have outdoor dining space also which was quite nice and cozy with the outdoor lighting. Kinda pricey mene but you get both food and a show so it's reasonable afterall.

    I forgot what it is but it's really good ..,,

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    Dont go for the 30 dollar all you can eat bbq thats all ill say. They had two options for all you can eat

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    Page 1 of 22

    Ask the Community - The Cats Restaurant

    Hi - What beers do you offer ? Do you serve coors light bottle or budweiser bottle?

    We offer a wide variety including coors light in a bottle our draft beer includes ipa, hazy ipa, amber ale and pilsner

    Is this place dog friendly?

    Yes we have a patio that welcomes dogs and service animals are welcome inside.

    Is this place open for dining? Or is it only doing take out?

    We are open Friday night after 5 Saturday 11-3 5-10 Sunday 11-3 5-9

    Does the restaurant have an area for private parties (~25 people)?

    Yes they have an upstairs that can host parties

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - The Cats Restaurant

    The food was great and would definitely recommend being seated in Promise's section, she will take care of you.

    Mentioned in 18 reviews

    Read more highlights

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