Original Fat Cats — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

Beware of this place if customer service is a thing to you, for which it essentially non-existent with certain members of their staff. This place has such great potential, but the service just ruins it...guess I am banned from here for life! LOL Always thought this place was cool, but...eh, guess I'll find a new spot earn my business.

So like many regulars, I have been visiting OFC for the better part of 20 years...hard to believe that place has been around that long. I should say that it's not hard to understand why this place has been around that long...but it has always had an raw edge to it, and that falls on the service. Generally, horrible. There are a few tenders that are generally cool, but I have always noticed a theme here...some of the bar tenders are either rude, not courteous, or engaged in things other than tending to the customers. Last night, I got ejected from the bar, but let's understand why.

I ordered a Jack Daniels Tennessee Blackberry whiskey, double-shot neat. The drink was poured, and I proceeded to enjoy...didn't think to inspect the drink, as I generally probably never have...who knows. However, last night, I was vibing to the live band, which is always awesome by the way, and I just happened to have to noticed two rather large flies or knats just chilling at the bottom of my plastic cup. So, I proceed to the bar to inform the tender what I had discovered and not looking for anything other than positive acknowledgement, although a repour would have been to correct etiquette for just about any business establishment.

Alright, this already too long. Long story short. The tender coldly told me what do I expect...we are outside, turned dismissively and walked away. I flagged him back and asked to close my tab, only after pushing the bug ridden cup to the ground. When he handed me the clipboard, I proceeded to express my frustration by slamming board on the counter. Of course, the tender, who is a weakling I must say...who did nothing to help, yelled for security to boot me. I accept my fate...lol. But it was interesting that the tender was more willing to boot me than address the bugs in my drink.

Says a lot about certain staff that work there. Anyway, I was looking for this to be corrected, and I got booted instead. Steer clear of this place, as I mentioned, if customer service is a thing to you.

To me friendly atmosphere is everything when in a place like this, and it quickly turned hostile over bugs in a drink...go figure. And I really wonder what the owner thinks of this...I am really...

My friend and I went to Original Fat Cats around 1pm on a Saturday (9/7/24) to get a drink and a Philly Cheesesteak, because some of the reviews made it seem so good. We were going to have lunch then walk around the area.

When we got there, there were a few small groups of what looked like some kind of teams at tables in the front and on the side up front, so we walked to the end of the bar, near what looked like the kitchen door. We sat there for almost 10 minutes while the guy, who seemed to glance down at us when we first got there, totally ignored us, and never came our way. For the first 4 minutes we could see him grab a beer and give it to a customer, stand and chat with another customer, then he disappeared around the corner at the front of the store and we never saw him again until we were walking out.

We were never greeted, never given a menu or asked what we want to drink. Ten minutes doesn't seem like a lot of time, but it is when you're hungry and waiting for service.

It was an awful experience and even if it's the best Philly in all of South Florida I know we'll never find out because we're never going back.

The very worst thing an establishment can do is completely ignore their customers. And we're pretty sure he saw us and literally ignored us. It was a really terrible experience.

Oh! While we were waiting my friend went to the bathroom and she made me go back and look before we left. It was like walking in to a slum tenement. A sign posted on the wall warned to not flush tampons and coke baggies. Walls were covered with old stickers and graffiti, the sink didn't work, and it smelled like the monkey house at the zoo.

In short we had a really bad experience with no service and left glad that we didn't eat from that "based on that bathroom, who knows what that kitchen looks like" place.

And I also need to mention that no one walked in or out of that kitchen door while we were waiting, and no one was eating any food despite the fact that it was lunchtime. Had someone walked by, I was going to ask to send the bartender down our way. In retrospect I'm actually glad no one did.

So, I guess I'll continue to go to Famous Phil's (formerly Fat Freddie's) for the very best Philly...

I'm a regular and most of the bartenders know me here and know that I never cause any problems. I really just keep to myself and don't really ever talk to anyone. Well this particular night two guys started speaking with me so we chatted for a few hours. Then I decided to leave and walk around for about 5 minutes and when I came back I ordered another drink at this time it was shift change so the night shift had came in. Well I got kicked out by Tyler for bothering people and the people he was referring to were the two guys that originally approached me and were speaking to me. Tyler obviously didn't know that we had been chatting and cracking jokes all night. I was wrongfully kicked out for bothering people. Like I would have understood if they said we can't serve you anymore alcohol but I was just told I'm being kicked out for bothering people. Bouncer wouldn't tell me why I was kicked out so I walked right back in to ask Tyler why I was kicked out and he said, "that's my dad and ur bothering him." Which I was told later that that was not Tyler's dad so I guess that would make someone a liar. Like mean what u say and say what u mean. Don't lie about something when u have no idea what ur even talking about especially when u just arrived at work and didn't know we were already speaking. Like damn just kick me out for drinking no need to make stuff up to kick someone out. For me being a loyal client and always tipping well this was just uncalled for. I know how to control myself and if the guys didn't want me speaking with them they are grown and could of just said so. I never approach anyone and just start speaking with them. I would have to say this is the first time I have ever been kicked...