My family loves diners. We dont know why we haven't tried this place sooner. It is quaint and rustic, almost kitchy. But that is the charm of this place. You gotta love the tufted leather 'office' chairs at the tables (on wheels.) Although small, there seems to be a good turnover; we didn't have to wait. Our server was prompt, courteous, and friendly. In true diner fashion, there's a lot to choose from on the menu. We went for the breakfast menu. The French toast was fluffy with a tasty egg coating with hints of cinnamon and sugar. The hashbrowns were the way I like them: crunchy on the outside with soft potato warmth on the inside. And they weren't jazzed up with peppers or onions. Just pure hash. My salmon Benedict had eggs poached with soft white and a perfect runny yolk. Complemented niicely with salmon and creamy avocados. The salmon was a bit overcooked; I was expecting lox, but that's my bad. The jalapeños were too hot for me, I had to remove most of them. Regardless, it was still a satisfying dish. My daughter's banana-Nutella crepe was wonderful. The crepes were made just right, thin but still a bit fluffy, not paper-like or like a tortilla. It was loaded with warm, lightly cooked banana and covered with plenty of Nutella and, of course, whipped cream. I was jealous.of her dish. Overall, we really liked this place for brunch. The food is well prepared do they give you plenty of it. And the staff was friendly and professional. Like MacArthur: I shall return! read more

See all

Really cozy, classic, cute brunch place with kind staff. I felt bold and went for a lunch menu option, and it was pretty solid. The bread was a bit disappointing, a bit soft and cheap. The rest was good, portion size not bad, and the fries were crunchy and great with ketchup and salt. Overall solid place and I wouldn't mind coming back again. read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Philly Cheesesteak - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

My husband wanted to eat out for breakfast on Saturday, so he picked out Copper Top Family restaurant. He visited it many years ago, in the latter 1980s, soon after they opened, and decided we need to try it out, for him, once again. We were heading out to Black Earth, for shoes. We are tired of the local restaurant, that we have gone to quite often, so I agreed. It was about mid-morning, when we stopped in. It wasn't very busy. The menu had quite a bit of choices, from omelets, skillets and pancakes. When we arrived, there were plenty of tables available, a big bonus, as we didn't have to wait for a table. It is small, but more spacious than the local restaurant we visit. The décor is a bit old fashioned, but who cares, as long as you can sit comfortably. We were given a booth. Unfortunately, the booth we sat had frigid air constantly flowing above us. I wondered if our food will cool down to fast. Our food arrived in fifteen minutes, and was piping hot. I ordered the veggie skillet with a side order of sausage patties, and subbed the American fries, for hashbrowns. My husband ordered the Mexican skillet, and also subbed the American fries, for hash browns, with a side order of corned beef hash. They certainly give you quite a bit of food on your plate. The sauteed veggies had a bit of off taste, due to oil used to cook them. I couldn't decide whether it was old oil, or the remaining oil that they cooked them on. My dish was supposed to include roasted red peppers, but they were definitely not roasted, but sauteed. The roasted red peppers would have definitely upped the notch in my dish. My husband enjoyed his, but told me again, not to order skillets with Chorizo. He isn't a fan. That's on him. I will say, that all the staff were extremely friendly, and the bathrooms were very clean, as well as the restaurant. read more

See all

I've been here twice and now I understand why it's always so packed. It's very affordable and their menu for Breakfast (Served all day) and lunch is extensive. Lots of great options. Both times I went, I went for breakfast. This time I got the Country Fried Steak (patty is from a food service company, try going for the Country Fried Chicken). My partner got the Hot Roast Beef (comes with soup) and mashed potatoes from the lunch menu. Service is good, but not great. After being seated, we waited at least 7 minutes before connecting with anyone. When seated, we were given water and asked if we wanted coffee. Definitely very busy so you must be patient. However, their staff are constantly going around refilling coffee and bussing tables. So you won't wait too long for a table. Food was okay. Potatoes were good. Eggs were good perfectly (asked for medium). Soup was temperature HOT. If you're used to diner food and diner type of options, this is your place. Plenty of parking in the morning, but if you come during a peak time, you might have to circle around and wait if you're competing with Vitense & Babe's Grill customers. read more

It's a classic American brunch place next to the golf club. Family owned and spacious. Waiters are responsive and serving hot coffee quickly. Even though my steak is not done as I expected, I don't mind visiting the restaurant a second time. It's a friendly place like at your friend's read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Hearty Chopped Steak & Two Eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Cute dinner vibe with a large menu selection for breakfast and lunch. Server nice and friendly. I got the salmon Benedict for breakfast and it was tasty. Eggs poach nicely with the gooy yolk runny. The salmon patty was flavorful and didn't have a fishy smell or taste. Coffee was okay. Nothing special. They also didn't let us split our check - just FYI. read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Salmon Egg Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great service, friendly, attentive & knowledgeable. Abundant breakfast selection and a hearty portion. Hash Browns were fresh, crispy & perfectly seasoned. Delicious biscuits light & airy with perfect consistency gravy on top! Nice, clean & roomy booths or tables and the chairs had wheels. Very much a 70's vibe! read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Breakfast burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

We went on a Saturday morning and it was pretty packed. But the lines went fast. Service was excellent. I can't remember a breakfast place that comes to refill your coffee that often. It didn't take much time from the time we ordered till we got our food. The polish sausage with eggs was excellent. Substituting pancakes for toast for 50cent extra was a steel. The pancakes were fluffy and tasty. My huevos rancheros wasn't so great. I felt it lacked the tortilla to toppings ratio. The side potatoes were crispy on the outside and well done. In all- the restaurant had a very friendly ambiance. Service was awesome. I would go again any day. read more

See all

100% amazing food! My Denver omelet was perfect perfectly done hash browns and fluffy pancakes. Served with warm syrup. Service was great quick friendly and bottomless coffee. The place is clean bright and well maintained. Fair price will be back read more

We recently stopped in here for brunch. The food was great. We were looking for breakfast type foods and weren't disappointed with the menu. There was something for everyone, including some awesome twists to traditional dishes. Prices were great and the service was the same. We will definitely be back. There were several dishes I'm looking forward to trying. read more

Excellent greek american restaurant. Great vibes inside. Surprisingly they serve alcohol. read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

We were very disappointed. Waited a long time to be served. Got a meat-eater omelette. It was terrible! There was no bacon in it and overloaded with ham. The sausage was not real sausage. It tasted awful like some ground up over seasoned meat that was left from another dish. Took it home, but will end up throwing it out. Had raisin toast that came out burnt. Spent over $40 for a terrible breakfast. Will not be going there again. read more

My wife and I enjoyed two splendid omelettes around Noon today. The place is clean, well staffed, with an interior reminiscent of the Sixties: dark wool, leather, and brass. Comfortable booth and table seating. Pretty quiet. Large menu. read more

Good food, good service, and nice little place. The food was a little too much going on with it. My wife was not too happyvwithvher dish.

It was our first time visiting. The restaurant was full of people enjoying their breakfast and as we were seated, we were served coffee right away which was nice. The menu had a looot of options. Our server was very helpful and friendly. I loved the pancakes and the croissant! The omelette was a little salty for me but I think my mom liked it. Overall, it seemed like a very cozy and nice place to get breakfast at a decent price. (: read more

See all

The food was very good. The service was fast. We had not been here before but saw the coupon in the Bucky book for buy one breakfast along with a beverage get a breakfast item and drink free. We didn't read the fine print that said up to $6.70. Haha! That doesn't make sense. It basically paid for the coffee and small orange juice. And then when I looked at our receipt I saw we got charged 25 cents more to get sourdough bread as the toast option. read more

Traditional diner food that would've been a 3.5 star review, but 5 star service that pushed it to the next star. They have your standard diner choices, me and my friend mostly focused on the breakfast/brunch options. We both got different skillets: I got the packer skillet and she got the wisconsin. I was a bit surprised when they didn't actually come in a skillet, by the time they got to our table it wasn't exactly skillet-level hot as I find usually at other diners, but the food was decent and definitely worth the price for the huge portion you get. The service was amazing! Our hostess was really sweet and even the servers we just passed by to get to our table greeted us kindly. They are constantly rotating to refill coffee and waters. Even the back of the house-- I noticed my skillet came with 3 eggs instead of 2, but one of the eggs had a popped yolk. I think they added another egg just because they popped one of the original yolks! Very nice of them and not necessary at all Even though the food won't be particularly amazing the service and atmosphere is worth stopping by for! read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Wisconsin skillet with pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

This place deserves some better love than other reviews are offering. This is a typical family diner with plenty of good options on the menu. This was our first time here and we both got omelettes with pancakes. The portions were very generous and I really appreciated that you can substitute two pancakes instead of toast for no additional cost. The omelettes were full of fresh ingredients and the pancakes were fluffy. Tasty coffee and friendly service rounded out our experience. We would certainly return when we're in the area. read more

See all

Years ago an older lady I worked with said she loved the copper top for its pies and breakfast. I figure I'm that old now and thinking why the heck did I wait so long ? The breakfast is absolutely delicious and you get enough food to hold you off until dinner. Service was friendly and the ambiance is something your mother would remind her of that local place she went to with your father years ago. I can't recommend this place enough read more

Good food, friendly staff, and older diner vibes! Somebody came around to offer coffee every five minutes. The servicer was bilingual. The restaurant also offers non pork options (turkey bacon and turkey sausage). read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Mexican Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

Cheap and tasty. A perfect diner experience - you get the aesthetic, environment, and food you pay for. Definitely recommend considering any of the skillets! read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

First time stopping here. It reminded us of a Coney Island style restaurant. Food was filling and service was great

This is a top-notch family style diner filled with a great selection of breakfast, brunch, and lunch foods. They are open through lunchtime, making it the perfect spot for your weekend hangovers (not saying I've ever experienced this or anything....). They have the perfect diner coffee and lots of options for everyone including picky eaters. One of their best menu items, though, is the Albanian skillet - filled with gyro meat, veggies, and feta, topped with a yogurt sauce. Skillets all come with pancakes or toast, and that turns it into a great big breakfast or a perfect amount of leftovers! Everyone I take here for breakfast leaves full and happy. read more

I've been here many times and as I sit here yet again I'm amazed how great the service is. The food is always prepared well and is priced fair for the market. The ambiance is old school Greek diner. Basic food fair well executed. read more

Quaint little diner. Interior is a throwback to 90's-00's family restaurants. Staff seem a little disorganized, when we sat down and ordered drinks my guest recieved his coffee immediately but I never got my pepsi until I asked again when ordering. Overall the restaurant was pretty clean. The dining room appeared neat and organized. I had the Biscuits and Gravy, Hash Browns, Two Pancakes and bacon. Overall it was a good meal. The Hash Browns were kinda undercooked and bland. I had to add a lot of salt to taste it anything other than raw potato. The Biscuits were prepared nicely. Clearly fresh and toasted well. The gravy however was tasteless. My idea is it came from a can. With how easy and cheap Sausage Gravy is to make I had hoped it would be fresh. I did enjoy the bacon. It was cooked perfectly. The Pancakes were mush and tasted of cornmeal, which is an odd ingredient for "buttermilk pancakes." Overall it's a pretty typical diner. I wouldn't expect much more from a small diner. They hold up well and are a local favorite. read more

The food was okay, and our waitress was lovely. What rattled us was the man who met us at the door, walked over to a table, and THREW the menus on it with a scowl! I am not exaggerating!! He appeared to be an owner. Although the prices are not terrible, you will pay for every little extra. The first thing that happens when you sit down is this guy comes around, ready to pour a cup of coffee for everyone at the table. If you let him, that's $3 for each person, on top of anything else you get. Coffee is not included in any of the menu items. This place could be so much better if the customers were appreciated more. There are a lot of good places to have breakfast, and we will not be heading back to this one. read more

Great place. Wisconsin skillet was hearty, yummy and came out fast. Service is efficient and friendly. Place is spacious and comfy; every booth and table gives you plenty of elbow room. Plenty of food for the money, too. read more

This is my favorite diner in the Madison area. And they've even won over my partner, who generally writes off any restaurant he has to wait for. The first time we went, we waited 25 minutes (they told us it would be 25 minutes, and it was just under 25 minutes). The waiting area is clean and comfortable -- and the food is WORTH it, no question. By the time we were seated, my hangry other half was pretty persnickety...but when the food came, he was immediately won over, I could tell. About halfway through his hash, he begrudgingly admitted that it was the best diner food in Madison. LOL If that's not a winning recommendation, I don't know what is. If you don't mind a little wait for some DANG good food, definitely give it a try. Earlier is better (10am or earlier) -- brunch-time is more difficult. This place fills up quick. Service is good, parking is ample. Definitely worth a try. Oh! And you can get REAL maple syrup in its own adorable little bottle for an extra buck -- DO IT!! read more

Been going here for years ,always has great food and good service. Locally owned with great owners. Vegetarian Benedict is amazing. read more

If you are an anti-masker and enjoy EXCEPTIONALLY RUDE SERVERS, this is the place for you! We stopped in for lunch after mini-golf...today was the first day that Dane County put the indoor mask mandate back in place for businesses. We are staying with my wife's 85 year old parents so are trying to be careful while visiting. Both servers were not wearing masks. When I politely asked our server about wearing a mask, she said that "her manager didn't say anything so....". I didn't agree that was acceptable but we didn't want to cause waves and were hungry so ordered lunch anyway. We were sitting a few tables away from the server's 'station' and heard another server who was talking with our server say 'they aren't wearing masks, so why should we?' ....she continued....." all of the customers are not wearing masks when seated so what good does it do for us to wear masks?'. Clearly our server was complaining to the other server about our asking about the masks. I wanted to say two things.....first, because there is a mandate in place to try and keep vulnerable populations safer and you are SUPPOSED to do it, whether you agree with it or not.....also, they (the servers) are likely in close proximity with over 500 people a day, so SHOULD be considerate of customers, but these servers (and the management) made it crystal clear they didn't agree with it, and DID NOT CARE in the slightest. Apparently a Copper Top food-server gets to decide what is right and wrong when it comes to public safety. We chose to just leave before getting our food. Side note: we went to two restaurants that afternoon at an outdoor mall and both restaurants had 'mask required' signs on the door and all the staff had masks on.....we appreciated that and TIPPED those servers heavily... At least they were doing the right thing, whether they agreed with it or not, and cared about their customers. Truly one of the most disappointing and frustrating encounters with a business I've ever had... read more

Best diner style breakfast menu with genuine retro decor - as in literally original decor. This place is a legend around the Greentree neighborhood, sitting at the hilltop of Vitense Golfland. Both are decades-long "Madison's firsts" and both are part of everyone's childhood memory if they grew up in Madison. Summers are the best time here. read more

Never been here before. Stopped in to grab a bite to eat in between Doctor appointments & WOW!! They had a huge variety to choose from on the menu! Food was fantastic!! Service was wonderful!! Great place to eat!! Definitely on our list for Come Back restaurants!! read more

Decent place to eat but the presentation of food is ehh. Skillets for breakfast don't come in skillets and food was medium warm when it came out. I am giving it 4 stars because I'm comparing to a real traditional diner and this really would give a 3* but it is in a different area Oh and a star deduction because the coffee is weak..... read more

Love coming to the Coppertop! Delicious food and a great selection! Reasonable prices and very, very nice employees!

Tldr; lazy manager said don't come back because we couldn't tip. Establishment also doesn't care for allergies. Food was fine for the price. The service was lacking. Not sure if the server was inexperienced or not. You've got to start from somewhere so not the primary concern. We walked in and two older men were sitting down at a table. One stood up and waved towards a table and said have a seat over there. He put our menus on the table, then sat back down watching tv while slouched in the chair. I got a cinnamon swirl french toast combo and asked for my eggs to be scrambled with American cheese on top. When I got my food there was no cheese on my eggs and a plate of fried potato chunks that wasn't a part of the order. My girlfriend inquired about the potatoes and the waitress said they did not have "American fries" and thats what they gave me instead. I realized she mistook "American cheese" for "American fries". While waiting for our food we heard one of the waiters ask one of the two older men sitting down watching tv about if their food is safe for someone with a nut allergy to which they replied that they were unsure. We ate our food and then got the check. My girlfriend paid at the counter with the man who pointed us toward our seats at the register. She accidentally pressed "skip" at the tip prompt as she meant to type in a specific dollar amount instead of the preselected percentages. She said "sorry i accidentally pressed skip," to no response from the man. She checked her purse and hadn't had cash on hand and said "sorry I don't have cash for a tip". The card had gone through already and the man said with a frustrated tone "you have to tip" to which I responded with "excuse me?" He was confrontational and said you have to tip to get service, and I responded that I did not get good service. He then said something along the lines of "don't come back". Which was the obvious outcome of the gross confrontation with what appeared to be one of the owners. Take what you will from this review but assuming that was one of the owners. The owners seem lazy, entitled, and confrontational. If the leaving experience hadn't happened I'd have given the place 3 stars, but with an owner (or employee if my assumption is wrong) like that it's not the kind of place I'd want to give the benefit of the doubt. read more

Just not good, hard bread, pancakes were so dry & there was a stick in my skillet. overall just not a good meal & never going back

Stopped in for a Monday morning brunch, and found the setting to be a usual diner setuo (which I enjoy visiting). We were seated and then sat there unattended for about 15 minutes. We didn't realize it because we were in conversation. The waitress came rushing to our table and thanked us for being so patient. I ordered the Mexican skillet, which had a lot of flavor and was not overly spicey. My drink for the day was coffee, and tasted about as average as what I make at home. My boyfriend's eggs for his skillet ended up being undercooked, and did not discover it until he got to the last portion of his eggs. The staff did not have much time to stop and offer refills or check in on how we were doing. Perhaps I'll stop by again when it isn't so busy. read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Mexican skillet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Bring your appetite! It's a comfy family diner that has offered us a pleasant breakfast experience every time. We've been seated quickly each time we've been here and before we knew it we were being served ice water and being offered hot coffee. The wait staff is friendly and very helpful. The menu is perfect! A big variety but not overwhelming. The food is outstanding. We've tried the Omelets, Sausage, Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy, Eggs Benedict, Bacon, Corned Beef Hash and more. Its always hot and fresh, and more than enough to fill your belly! read more

See all

Nice enough place. I can't argue with people who like it. Prices are a bit steep. The kid who served us just wasn't very good. Talked about the upcoming Super Bowl for 10 minutes while I waited for coffee. Other minor issues. He overcharged me $3 for my meal. I didn't catch it until too late. Might go back if we go to Vitesse but not otherwise. Owner seemed nice. Clean place. read more

Absolutely wonderful!! Two !! for the two delicious early bird breakfasts my husband and I had at 6:30 am. Ummh just writing this review AND the aroma from my husband warming up his leftovers has me wanting to rush back to the Coppertop Restaurant again today! I LOVED my Wisconsin Skillet with ham, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese on top of chunky pan fried potatoes with two perfectly cooked over easy large eggs complete with rye toast. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his Irish Skillet (Today's Special) with corn beef hash and agrees it was also delicious. It was a perfect intimate breakfast for two! read more

Copper Top Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin