A friendly 30-something bartender wearing a black button-down approaches the bar at The Patterson House, newly relocated after 16 years in Midtown. He places a cocktail napkin. A minute later, he sets down a Collins glass with a tall, thin block of ice and proceeds to “build” an elaborate drink, one ingredient at a time — right there at the bar. It’s like table-side cooking, but with cocktails. 

“It’s called ‘anticipatory bartending,’” he explains, saying it’s much better than making a drink in the back and then handing it to the customer. 

Now atop the Voorhees building at 700 8th Ave. S., some aspects of the beloved cocktail bar have changed. But many features of the design, as well as the atmosphere, have remained the same. Much like when it opened in 2009, The Patterson House — part of the Strategic Hospitality restaurant group — was never just about a drink. It was about the experience of the drink. 

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Always known to be a little out-of-the-box, The Patterson House is famous for rotating cocktails, such as the Birdseed Aperitif, the Mango Negroni and the Cheesecake Cocktail. At the new location, guests are given a “short list” of changing specialty cocktails and a “long list” of the bar’s more classic options. There are also beer and wine offerings, as well as mocktails. 

“When [customers] come in, there’s that exhale of relief: ‘OK, this still feels like what it was, but this is just a new, cool environment,’” says Max Goldberg, who founded Strategic Hospitality in 2006 with his brother, Benjamin. Chef Josh Habiger, who moved here three years later to help open The Patterson House, became a partner in 2023. 

The new space on the fifth floor of the 1930s Vorhees building — which originally housed a John Deere showroom, warehouse and distribution center — was constructed to accommodate The Patterson House and its sister restaurant, The Catbird Seat. The building previously had only four floors. Dryden Architecture + Design collaborated with Powell, who served as the contractor on the project, to create a penthouse floor. 

Many of the design elements are the same — such as the tin ceiling tiles — or very similar, like the signature lush curtains, which, along with comfortable curved booths, give the space a cozy, intimate feel. At sunset, the blue-gray curtains seemingly turn a rich shade of purple. The teardrop crystal chandeliers suspended over a 26-seat red oak bar are reminiscent of those in the previous location. 

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Eat, Drink and Be Merry

With a larger work space and proximity to The Catbird Seat’s kitchen, Josh says the food at The Patterson House “is going to be better than it has ever been.” He and The Catbird Seat chefs Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz created a menu featuring North Carolina catfish with tomato sauce choron, hot house herbs and cucumber salad — plus a burger with Bear Creek beef, cheddar cheese, and onion with charred onion broth. Finish it off with fermented potato ice cream topped with potato chips and preserved blackberry. 

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Sizing Up

One difference is this space, which seats 109 compared to the previous location’s 70, allows for bigger parties. “If we have groups of eight [or] 16, we can actually accommodate them and take care of them,” says Max, who adds that, in the past, this wasn’t always the case. Benjamin heartily agrees: “This is the place where you actually get to say yes. It feels so good.” A wood paneled private room with club chairs and its own bar is also a welcome addition. 

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Come On In

When asked who their ideal guests are, the partners agree: anyone and everyone. “The idea is — no matter what you’re wearing,  no matter what your background is, no matter where you’re coming from — when you walk into this space, you feel like we’re hospitable, we’re nice and we’re offering you a really quality product at a really fair price,” says Benjamin. Adds Max, “Hopefully that’s a common theme in everything that we do — there’s that warmth and welcomeness.”