Fat Catz Kitchen
Southeast Crossing Center
3320 Troup Highway, Ste. 170
Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 593-1114
http://www.fatcatzkitchen.com/
Fat Catz is a "Cajun" restaurant located just north of the loop off of Troup Highway. The location is one of my favorites because there are five or six decent restaurants all within a stone's throw of one another. Fat Catz has a relatively unassuming exterior that leads into a nice interior space. They have a cozy bar area and an open dining room.
The spread: The menu is Cajun/seafood based. The appetizers are unique to Tyler ranging from fried alligator, fried frog legs, fried calamari, fried shrimp, fried pickles, fried okra, fried jalapenos, boudain, crawfish (fried, boiled), and seafood fondue. They also offer several kinds of salads and a couple kinds of gumbo. The entrees are also somewhat unique with a wide selection of poboys, myriad of fried seafood/chicken, and items from the grill - steaks, chicken etc. They also offer some more Cajun inspired dishes such as red beans and rice, jambalaya, etoufee, etc. I didn't go for any desserts, but they range from pecan pie, beignets, and bread pudding to name a few.
The verdict: Well, I was disappointed. Perhaps because I have a high standard for Cajun food, I expected a lot from this place (given we are only two hours from Louisiana). The food was average to slightly above average. The fried items were pretty good, cooked right and served hot. The seafood gumbo, etoufee and jambalaya were all disappointingly bland. Perhaps I just got them on a bad night, but their "Cajun" food was lackluster. Perhaps my biggest complaint was the prices for the quality. I am not sure, but the seafood tasted like Sysco pre-frozen stuff. Plus, a Poboy cost 10 bucks!!! The place has a nice 'party' atmosphere and the staff was attentive, but nothing makes up for bland, expensive food.
Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5; If you go, stick to the fried items and beer.
I found your reviews a few months ago and really enjoy them. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I have been really impressed with the quality and number of restaurants in the Tyler areas. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteI'm a social media manager in the East Texas area, so that comes as a loaded question without you even knowing it. I'll suggest some that I'm not affiliated with to be fair... I'm an easy guy to please with most things except pizza, and I would recommend Double Dave's lunch buffet in Tyler to anyone (The buffalo chicken on thin crust is my regular special request).
ReplyDeleteYou've already rated Don Juan's on The Square, but I'm a bit more fond of the other one myself (It's probably the best value I've run across in Tyler).
If you are looking for a little road trip, I'd suggest Giovanni's Restorante Italiano in Palestine (make sure to try the house dressing), as well as the Old Magnolia Mercantile for Lunch (I think they close at 5).
There are so many wonderful places to eat around Tyler and East Texas, it's really hard to choose sometimes. Wow... I'm pretty sure I could go on and on...
Enjoy!
I'll have to try Giovanni's on one of our drives down to Houston. I'd be happy to rate/blog about any of your affiliated restaurants if you have any interest. My main goal of the blog is to spend some time talking about one of my passions (good food). My ultimate goal of the blog would be to be a judge at a local food competition - I have no aspirations beyond that (I already have a pretty sweet main gig).
ReplyDeleteYou do a wonderful job with your reviews, and I may drop you a note sometime about a specific place in the future. In the mean time... I think i'm going to go get something to eat!
DeleteHi. Thank you for your review of my restaurant. I am a part of the new management team at Fat Catz. There have been many improvements since your last visit and I'd love for you to back and try us right now and feel free to re-review. You will not be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteSandra Davis