Ten Cat Tavern — Restaurant in Lake View Township

Do not let the art gallery in front fool you into passing up this neighborhood gem.

The whole place has a relaxing vibe to it: the art installations, the bartender, even the two pool tables in the middle section of the tavern. There are a couple TVs above the bar, so you can watch a sporting event. The music playing while we were there ranged in late 80s-early 2000s alt rock, which added to the chill atmosphere.

Nothing is overly loud about the place, so you can easily have a conversation with your friends without yelling over music or other people.

They are following COVID-19 guidelines properly, too! You can safely come here for a drink with your friends as the seating is well spaced out and a back patio area if you want open air seating. Their back room also has a fireplace in case it's a little damp and drafty outside (like it was when we went last night).

So grab a beer, watch some talented folks play a game of billiards, and support one of...

I was scheduled to have my 30th birthday here recently and confirmed well in advance that the backroom would be reserved for my party. When we arrived there was another 30th birthday party already happening in the backroom and we were informed there was accidentally a double booking for the space. The manager allocated an area next to the backroom for us to use which was much smaller but we made the most of it.

Then another group showed up that also had the backroom reserved and we found out they had triple booked the space! They were stuck hanging out by the pool tables and wherever else they could find space.

The pool tables, which are free to use, were nice and the place had a decent selection of beer on tap but I would caution anyone from reserving this space for a party as they don't seem to take reservations for the...

I have mixed feelings.. I LOVED the patrons, and the overall vibe was good.. but I'm pretty sure the bartender hated my Dad and I.. I had a video chat with a friend out of state while I was there, and he (the bartender) told me I needed to keep it down.. 🙄 (A. It's a bar.. B. I can get WAY louder😘).. then my Dad accidentally bumped a glass with his elbow and it broke, so I asked for another beer and the bartender eyed me and said "last one".. I understand the notion of keeping people safe when you're behind the bar serving the drinks..(we literally had 4 beers a piece) but this was different.. we felt WAY more welcome and accepted with the local patrons than...