The Local

We live pretty close to the Catalyst and we’ve made it a popular spot for us on our Saturday date nights. With that being said, we’ve been here a few times and had quick and friendly service regardless of the amount of people in occupancy. We went this morning for Father’s Day Brunch and we’re happy to see that it wasn’t too busy, and with a child it’s nice to get in and out of there within reasonable time. Well, it’s open seating for brunch. We sat down and the only person that even approached our table was someone dropping off our silverware. We waited 15 minutes before we saw another couple with a small child walk out because no one had approached them either. So we followed suit a few minutes after. It’s pretty bad when you’re at a restaurant with not even a third of the occupancy filled and wait close to 20 minutes and NO one approaches your table.

Really disappointed tonight. Came in, sat at the bar, and asked if the kitchen was open, scanned their QR code to look at the menu and waited 15 minutes for someone to come back. We made a point of looking up to try to make eye contact with the staff but no one would acknowledge us. So we left. I really liked their salads and tater tots, but after this service failure I don't think I'll be back. No one acknowledged us as we were leaving the bar.

Always a good time here. The new name and new menu brings a great vibe to this place. They still have the same large selection of rotating beers. Definitely my regular spot to enjoy a beer...well beers and food. Now they have a rewards program which is always great. It helps justify the amount of times I go here. If you haven't been here yet...why?

Used to frequent this spot often before the change to Catalyst. Returned recently and was hoping for another great experience but my friends and I left disappointed. (Note - the is the South 56th St Location) First off when ordering lunch the server asked which of the side-items we wanted, for which they typically tell you what is included. We misunderstood and picked items off the broader side-item menu. No biggie, but would be nice had the server warned us there was the up-charge. Next came the meal. We all ordered something different but found the quality of the food was not the same as years past. Edible but nothing to return for. When we went to check out we only found out after paying that there was an extra fee for using a credit card. Again, the server should have told us ahead of time OR there needs to be signage as we would have opted to pay in cash. The other problem was the server said they were struggling with a new system. We let it be known we were in a rush to get going but it still took a good 15+ minutes to settle the bill. We certainly want the Catalyst to succeed and hope this was an isolated experience. The atmosphere is great, especially with the patio and we love the beer selection. But if the food doesn't improve I suspect we'll only drop in for happy hour drinks.