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Cottage Cafe

4.2 (165 reviews)
Closed • 6:00 am - 2:00 pm

Cottage Cafe Photos

Business Info

COTTAGE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Cottage Cafe

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Chicken Breast with Coleslaw and fries.
Angela S.

We loved the local diner feel. Service was super fast and for the prices-- the quality was amazing! Definitely has a regular crowd and reputation for home-cooked meals in a jiffy.

Cinnamon Roll
Isabella K.

Cottage Cafe isn't fine dining by any means, but it's a delicious greasy spoon diner with fantastic service. Every time I've gone to Cottage Cafe, it's been packed. However, they turn the tables over quickly, so I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes. The pancakes, eggs, and bacon are exactly what you'd expect from this type of restaurant -- yummy, but nothing special. But the cinnamon roll...you've GOT to get it. It is, hands down, the best cinnamon roll I have ever had in my life. As for why I'm taking off one star, it's because I'm not blown away by the quality or originality of the menu. Also, the dining area itself is a little uninspired. Nonetheless, I'll be back at Cottage Cafe in the future.

Walleye & eggs
Dana C.

Great breakfast. I had the Walleye, 2 eggs over easy, crispy hash browns & raisin toast with orange marmalade. Delicious, the walleye was lightly fried & flakey, eggs were perfectly cooked & velvety clearly farm fresh eggs. Nice dining room with plenty of room, good service & plenty of parking. Good old fashioned coffee like your mother used to drink, a soothing traditional blend. Will be back soon!

Spam & Eggs Breakfast
Joanna T.

Solid. Cottage Cafe is a fairly basic diner and there's nothing wrong with that. Prices are low, the tables are Formica and the portions are large. The menu is simple - all day breakfast, sandwiches, a few blue plate specials like liver and onions. You're not getting a vegan anything, chia seed pudding or anything remotely fancy. Don't take this to mean there aren't interesting options - you can get spam in any numbers of dishes, cheddarwurst is a breakfast meat option and you can get walleye and eggs. I opted for the waffle breakfast which netted me a big waffle, 2 perfectly done over medium eggs and spam (because why not?) which was served with melted American cheese as it should be. Everything was cooked well and for $9, you can't go wrong. The mister had a patty melt burger that he liked. Service is fast and they seem to be perpetually hustling. Two thumbs up.

Cottage platter

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10 years ago

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12 years ago

You will never go away hungry...and your wallet will not be much lighter. Good food, good prices and wonderful staff.

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10 years ago

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10 years ago

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13 years ago

what a great place...the owner is very friendly, food awesome, and good value: we will def. return!

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Discovered this spot while my little sister was in town visiting and now have already been back…read morewith plans to keep returning. I've ordered the same thing both times because I loved it so much- the Three Grain & Tempeh Bowl. It's so fresh and delicious, filling without making you feel over-full and gross. She had the Mushroom & Gouda Omelette and also very much enjoyed. The seating space is small so you can definitely run into a wait during busy times, but service moves fast! You'll order at the counter and be handed a number to take to your table, where the food will be delivered. During busy times I've seen them try to help coordinate seating arrangements but it is otherwise largely a seat yourself sort of place. Next on my list are the lemon ricotta pancakes which are reportedly famous and a turmeric cookie I spotted in the bakery section :)

I may have thought bad things about Madison prematurely. I mean, here for an event but who really…read moretravels to Madison? But here we were in downtown in a beautiful day with a gorgeous lake-side path and finding ourselves enjoying it. Stopped here for breakfast, shocked in our research how many vegetarian options were available for my wife. Here you could get tofu eggs and tempeh added to your dishes. I got their chilaquiles and gluten free lemon poppyseed pancakes (they had GF toast but their only savory option was this or a coconut thing). The entree was delicious, not too spicy unless you bite into too many jalapeños, and the shredded chicken was great. Could have used a second egg but I'm a big boy so maybe it's just me. I was also surprised by how much I liked the pancakes. It was a gamble as I don't like things too lemony and while you could definitely taste the lemon, it was still very good. And the pancakes, for being gluten free, were fluffy and soft and great. Had a regular coffee and while it was strong, it was just coffee. It gets very busy at peak meal times to plan accordingly. We'll probably be back before this trip is done.

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Came at 8 am on a Sunday. Had to wait a few minutes to get inside but it was definitely worth the…read morewait. You have to order at the counter first and then your party gets sat at your designated table. I ordered the blind, which is a chef's choice. You're able to ask if the dish is savory or sweet and that's it. You can ask what the dish is but then the price will go from 10$ to 15$. They do ask if you have any allergies in case they do need to alter the dish. Not gonna disclose what the dish was, but it tasted great! It's really unfortunate that the business is closing in May, so I definitely recommend to go while they're still open!

Every time I'm in Madison, I make it a point to stop here. I'm usually just passing through so I…read moreget here right when it opens, which is one of the best times. It's quiet and it feels like the world slows down for a minute. It's comfortable and also very eclectic, a get your own coffee place. Condiments, water, etc. along the back wall. Order at the counter, they'll give you a number, and then bring your meal out. The menu has a great selection of offerings, but I always get my usual. The pancakes are unreal, so delicious. You will also find adult beverages here as well for those who need a morning/mid-afternoon pick me up. It gets packed so plan well ahead or be prepared to wait a while. Great service. Great place.

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Very small but usually quiet on a weekday. Weekends are crazy busy! Great natural lighting. Great…read morefor catching up with a friend or getting some work done. Workers are very nice and hardworking! The coffee is some of the BEST you can get in Madison. I have never been disappointed with an order. Same with the food! My favorite is their ham, Gruyère, mustard crepe but I recently tried their ramp pesto, egg, and balsamic reduction crepe and it was also DELICIOUS! Their sweet crepes are amazing, as well. I recommend the lemon curd one as it is not overly sweet.

First time here. We were visiting Madison and walking around the downtown area. It's a small space…read more(almost tiny) that sits at a narrow intersection, so it's literally a pie-shaped space. The upside is that there are lots of windows with natural light. The inside seating consists of long tables or counters along the windows. This is not a place where you are likely to hunker down for a quiet or private conversation. You can tell that storage space is at a premium, with boxes stashed in overhead areas or equipment in the bathrooms. The staff there were very pleasant and helpful. Ended up getting a Chai Latte (extra foam) in a mug. It didn't take long to make, and they delivered it out to the table. It was an excellent drink -- hot, flavorful, extra foam, and not too sweet. A joy to drink. The atmosphere is a bit manic. With the tight seating, you can feel a bit claustrophobic, or on the other hand, like you are at a concert and getting energy from the crowd. For me, it's a place to grab a drink and find a quiet space elsewhere. So not likely a place that I would return to.

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3.9(1.4k reviews)
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We came for regular brunch menu on Easter Sunday. The ambience is open, airy, and inviting. Service…read morewas prompt and accurate. However, our server wasn't super familiar with the menu and didn't know what was in certain dishes. We ordered a variety of dishes. Overall, everyone liked their meals. The flavors were great. Love the Korean fusion. However... despite that we were the first ones in the door, they did not have the chicken that was on the menu. That seemed strange to all of us that they didn't plan ahead for a holiday weekend. A solid restaurant would usually have their menu items well stocked prior to a holiday weekend. Overall, still a good expertise if you're willing to be flexible.

I know most people like it here, but everytime I've been here over the years something has gone…read moreastray. This time we went to Sunday brunch with a group, including some kids. We had reservations, so we were seated right away which was a plus. Also, I will say I don't think any of the issues we had were because of our waitress. She was super friendly and quick enough to take our orders on a day when there restaurant seemed full enough, but manageable. We got our drink orders in and our food at the same time to speed up the process for getting little kids food, and the waitress even took note of that. We also ordered an appetizer to help during the wait. It took a while for the drinks to come out, but they were all rather tasty. I think my apple cider mocktail was the best and refreshing since it was getting hot in the restaurant with the sun beating in. Our food however took forever and the kids meals did not come out any earlier than everyone else. One person in our group also initially didn't get his meal, which the waitress apologized and said there was a mixup in the kitchen. That's fine, it happens, but then the staff running meals tried to bring him the wrong order 3 times. The rest of us were all finished eating by the time he finally got his food. Overall, the food was fine. I got the eggs benedict which was a little underdone on the eggs for me as the whites were too runny for me. The kids chicken nuggets were pretty tasty with a flaky breading. I heard decent reviews of the breakfast burger, but the thing that was the best to us was the breakfast sandwich. It was quite messy, but the messiness of the sauce was worth it. We also got an appetizer of the cinnamon roll. I feel like it's a little mislabeled though, as it was more like a morning bun with some frosting/glaze over the top. Tasted pretty good and helped keep kids entertained for a while. Overall, the food was fine, but the experience wasn't great. With the multiple mixups in orders and getting a little green house effect going with the sun shining in, there wsnt a great feeling when leaving. Again, I don't think it was our waitresses fault, so not sure what was going on in the kitchen.

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