Black Cat Grille — Restaurant in Redding

This was my first visit to the Black Cat Grille. My wife and daughter have dined here and suggested that I would probably like the food.

We arrived early (5;20 PM) on a Friday night and had our choice of indoor or patio dining. We chose the patio because it was a late spring day and the temperature was ~70 degrees.

We received a friendly and sincere welcome from the host, Joe, who showed us to our table and took our drink orders. Our waitress came by to introduce herself and provide us with menus.

Our choice for a starter was the beer battered onion rings. These were made fresh to order and were clear home-made. They arrived quickly and were fresh and hot. There were EXCELLENT.

My daughter chose fish and chips and I chose the a hamburger. Both entrees arrived in a timely manner and were hot and prepared as requested. The fish, the beef the french fries and the cole slaw were fresh and the quality was EXCELLENT. I appreciated the malt vinegar for the fries

We finished with coffee as we both did not have room for desert. Coffee was fresh and very good.

My daughter just received a nice salary raise at work and treated me to an early Fathers Day dinner.

Overall, a very pleasant experience. I look forward to returning here again for dinner.

Base on a 5* Rating system:

Food: 5* Service: 5* Ambiance: 4* Value:...

You know what makes this place 5 star worthy? The people who work there. The food might not be the fanciest, but everything I've gotten was good quality and tasty. The service, though, is what makes this place a favorite for me. My family and I had spent over an hour waiting at Portofino's. WITH a reservation. On my birthday. For more information, feel free to see my book-length review of that joke of a place. With no advance notice, actually on our way, I called Black Cat and asked if they could sit six people. Despite being packed, the friendly lady who answered the phone said they would make room for us no problem and said to "come on in." Walking into that place was like walking into a friend's house. Everyone who worked there seemed happy to see us, sat us IMMEDIATELY, got drinks for us right away. Different members of the waitstaff checked on us throughout the night, making sure we were taken care of without hovering. At one point, all of us were looking across the restaurant at someone we knew. The OWNER came over to make sure everything was alright and that we weren't trying to signal someone. You could tell that everyone there felt at home, that there were a lot of regulars, but that newcomers were just as welcome. If you're looking for a place that feels like your place, I recommend you check...

Now upon pulling up to this little spot one doesn't get a great impression. Its a small parking spot for a small restuarant...when walking in the feel of the place is homey yet a bit cramped. For some strange reason there are two different entrances to this lil pub which presents a bit of a draft issue in the colder months with people coming in and out of either side...other than the ambiance leaving much to desire the food was pleasantly good. I ordered the black cat burger which was slightly reminiscent of a rueben sandwhich with rye toast for buns, swiss,grilled onion,russian dressin....it arrived assembled and cooked to order. Nice size patty that was juicy flavorful and fresh. The onion rings were sparse but decent and all in all I would say it was good, I think that I might try it again in the summer for a better overall review.

Edit: came back around the way here and the burgers weren't as good as I remembered

The cod was a massive piece which is a good value but made for a clunky sammich. All in all its good but nothing that will wow...