Restaurant Review: The Fat Cat

Restaurant: The Fat Cat
Address: 24 Chestnut Street, Quincy MA
Website: www.fatcatrestaurant.com
Rating: B+

It's not often that a restaurant south of Boston opens to any fanfare, so the fact that the Fat Cat in Quincy Center has gotten positive reviews from the Globe and Phantom Gourmet is kind of a big deal. Dubbed as a "gastropub", the Fat Cat features typical American bar options, many of which are under $10. Their most popular menu item by far is the lobster mac and cheese, which unfortunately I will have to wait until next trip to try.

My friend got there about 20 minutes ahead of me, which worked out rather well since there was already a 40 minute wait for a table by the time 6:30 rolled around. Tucked away in a narrow space on Chestnut Street, the small bar area was packed with patrons waiting for one of the 20 or so tables in the restaurant section. In the midst of the loud chaos a friendly host introduced himself as he led us to our two top.

To be clear here, there is hardly a healthy option on the menu. Afer all, the restaurant was named after the heavy set owner's 32 pound cat. I started off with a cup of corn chowder (FYI: if there is one thing on earth that's more exciting than clam chowder, it's corn chowder) before attempting to tackle a sandwich that used the words "deep fried turkey" in its' title. The Deep Fried Turkey Sandwich is a massive concoction, consisting of cold sliced turkey (fried in a pressure cooker, which is a huge Southern tradition) bacon, cranberry sauce, corn-bread stuffing, and chipolte mayo. Add a generous side of handcut fries and you've got an entire plate of guilty pleasure.

The portions here are huge, and as a result I ended up taking half of my sandwich home in a doggy bag. Leaving the restaurant slightly fatter and definitely happier, I certainly plan on returning soon. The Fat Cat is located behind Hancock Street in Quincy Center and is accessible via MBTA (Red Line: Quincy Center). Street parking is easy to come by with additional parking available in the nearby municipal lot.