Gametime Noshing at Katch Brewery

As football season is reaching its climax, with some pretty important games coming up, we thought to highlight Katch Brewery & Grill, a good place to catch (pun intended) the games.  Meg and I visited this spacious sports haven a few weeks ago, and had the pleasure to absorb its casual atmosphere and to taste their game-time nosh.

Atmosphere:
Enjoying Katch’s spacious layout, our party sat at one of the large booth tables that comfortably accommodated up to 8 people.  We enjoyed this spot, as we had a good view of all the games and it allowed us to converse easily with each other.

Besides the booths, Katch offers an extensive bar area and more traditional table seating in the middle of the space.  Since it’s quite cold now, the outside “beer garden” is empty, but I imagine it being a bit hit on mild weather days.  Despite being set in a residential spot, Katch enjoys a good reputation with its neighbors, as we haven’t heard of any major noise complaints, which is great.

Food:
Ready to sample their extensive bar food menu, we got a generous smorgasbord of goodies, which we all shared.  Even though the food is far from light, they seem to use good quality ingredients, especially for the burger meat, which was tender and juicy.  Here’s a low-down of our faves:

Artichoke Spinach Dip – A quintessential bar treat, we devoured the warm spinach artichoke dip, which boasted a golden brown cheesy topper.  I liked the tortilla chips as well, which are homemade, with nice little airy pockets that added some crunch.

Katch nachos – Everyone oohed and ahhed when these arrived, as they looked like a proper Mexican treat.  I was happy to see those tasty tortilla chips poking out the sides and the chunky guacamole, pico de gallo and crema added a layer of hearty goodness.  Even though these were gargantuan, between the six of us, they were nearly gone.

BBQ Burger – This burger stole the show for me, and I thought the toasted English muffin was a nice touch.  The meat itself was by far the best part, as the patty is coated in a sweet coffee rub and then topped with smoked gouda cheese, crispy, lean bacon and their house BBQ sauce.

Pulled Pork Sliders – Even though these are technically sliders, they’re pretty substantial in size, and I recommend sharing them with a buddy.  The pork is deliciously tender, as its smoked and brined in a house concoction, and then topped with a crunchy red cabbage slaw that adds yet another pop of flavor.

We hope you enjoy these tasty game-time snacks, as well as Katch’s rich selections of hyper-local, domestic and international beers.

Katch Brewery & Grill – 31-19 Newtown Avenue, Astoria. 718.777.2230