So I had planned on going somewhere else for my birthday, but ended up at the Essen Haus. I'm only writing about this to warn ye, Yelpers, that they clearly are pretty flaky about reservations so reserve with caution. One big "woo" to the Essen Haus for taking reservations... even last minute ones. I arrive with my party of 15, and find 4 angry separate groups of people at the hostess stand. In total there are three younger women-hostessess who look like they are near tears, and two men-manager-looking types who appear in charge are being gruff and yelling at customers and their co-workers alike. I finally let them know that I had arrived and we were sat about 40 minutes after our reservation time. (One angry customer had been there for an hour and a half.) Ugh. Thankfully I appetizer-ed up my guests beforehand. Our service was lovely and attentive. I am a fan of the Optimator Beer -- in fact I have had lovely drinking and polka dancing experiences during times previous. The food was hellishly horrible. The cod fish fry was stringy, tough, and inedible. The potato side dish, be it fries, pancakes, or baked, were cold. The beer and the polka are the only saving graces of this establishment. Consume both heavily. read more

I've been to the Essen Haus four times before, and as a German, I think your food is mediocre and overpriced. But let's be honest, I'm not there for the food. I'm there to drink beer from a boot, and bop to polka music. You know this, I'm sure of it.... So I'm not sure why you were OUT OF BOOTS on Saturday. Where did they go???? More importantly, WHY weren't we offered something else instead of a boot??? Our waitress kept saying she was trying to locate an extra, but 40 minutes into our dinner, I told her to get us beer NOW or we're walking out. She brought us, a table of nine people, a half pitcher of beer and small miller light glasses... What??? Not even beer steins??? 'They're not even busy!' I thought because there were two open tables near us the whole night, but when we finally abandoned our sad dinner, we walked outside and found a line around the block! I'm so confused. Get your act together Essen Haus. You're no Brauhaus Chicago. :P read more

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I've lived in Madison for five years and had NEVER been to the Essen Haus until this week. I feel like I've been living a lie. First thing's' first: lederhosen. All of the male bartenders and servers wear them and it makes everything good in the world. So much man leg. BEER. Huge steins full (half a liter) for $4.50. You can go and get pretty sloshed for under $10. If that's not economizing, I'm not sure what is. Live polka music. Nothing puts me in the mood to party like a little accordion action. Survery says: Essen Haus is probably not the place I'd go every week, but the next time I need some old time-y German fun, I'll totally be back. read more

Please god, show up at least semi buzzed so you are distracted by the filth that is the Essen Haus. Then order up a boot of beer for you and your friends. Skip the food in general, but the soft pretzels will do in a pinch if the copious amounts of beer have endangered your stomach. the good: their excellent selection of German beer, boots of beer and kitschy polka bands the bad: everything else, including the kitschy polka bands read more

Remember a few things and you'll be fine: 1. Drink good German Bier 2. Dont eat (besides the pretzels) 3. Whatever you do, go when its dark so you cant see the filth 4. Drink good German Bier 5. Polka 6. Boots (although I am disappointed they went to plastic) 7. Drink good German Bier Lets all be honest, the place is gross. But their beer is fantastic and the German kitsch grows on you after a boot or two. read more

Went to Essen Haus for a birthday party meal last night, and as this was a last minute option, I had no expectations. Which ending up being a good thing, because it didn't deliver much. I will say, I was very glad to see they had vegetarian options. I ordered the portabella cap, and while I like mine cooked a lil more, they sandwich had great flavor. However, the bottom of the pretzel bun was so soggy that I'm surprised the sandwich didn't completely crumble. My boyfriend ordered the Deutsch sampler which had pork 2 ways and a sausage with kraut and German potato salad, The total for his? 17 bucks. I found that to be completely outrageous as the plate did not have that much food on it. My drinks were reasonably priced. I had a .5 Liter glass of Strongbow for 6 dollars which I found to be quite fair. You wanna know what was just absolutely unforgivable though? The women's bathrooms. They were terrifying! They were disgusting and one of the doors to the stalls didn't lock! And as it was a Saturday night they had live music...which made it impossible to hear anyone not sitting next to you. Not exactly appetizing when you are trying to have a family meal.. I would maybe stop by Essen for a drink on a weeknight, but I wouldn't stop here for a meal on a weekend again. read more

Went to Essen Haus for Easter Brunch. I want to mention the staff before the food because I was very impressed with the amount of people working that holiday (away from their family & friends). All the staff were courteous, prompt and attentive. It was very busy with large and small groups and the waitstaff was able to manage each very efficiently. The service was excellent. The food was ample. Prime rib, roasted lamb, baked ham, deep fried shrimp, swedish meatballs and all the sides one could imagine plus omelets made to order (delivered to your table). It was all very good. A pleasant surprise was mimosa's served in pint glasses. Yum. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars vs. 5 was because of the flow of the food line. To get to the buffet one had to walk through the large dining area and stand in line next to tables where people were being seated or dining. Waitstaff and patrons had to constantly cut through while asking people to move aside so they could get through. They were very courteous during all this time. My recommendation would be a two sided buffet and it be located in one of the side rooms. The Essen Haus is a large place and you are going to walk regardless of where you are sitting for a service like this, so it would make sense to have the food in one of the side rooms. All in all, my group was very pleased and satisfied. Thank you Essen Haus! read more

The Essen Haus offers a boisterous beer hall environment, at least on the Friday night we were in. We took some seats at the bar and also ate dinner at the bar seats. The comfort level left something to be desired for me as the bar and stools were at that uncomfortable height where I couldn't cross my legs and have them fit under the thick bar. I appreciate that they had Dortmunder on draft. It's one of my dad's favorite beers and it's been far too long since I've tossed one back with him, plus a D.A.B. is a one of the few German beers I've found that I really like. For dinner I went with the Schweinelendchen in a Pfefferam Sauce and the Deutch salad, which was listed as a four marinated vegetable salad. I especially enjoyed the bean salad, which was marinated, as were the carrots, but I don't believe the cabbage and lettuce were marinated at all. We were served soft pretzels paired with hot mustard and a home style horseradish (a nice touch) prior to our meal. The pork tips in the Schweinelendchen were somewhat tough and quite dry, maybe they were precooked, and they also tasted of oil. The pork really wasn't enjoyable at all. The cream sauce had whole green peppercorns in it which were softened by the sauce and these were a nice touch. The spätzle was very similar to the frozen egg noodles my mom uses for her chicken and noodles, not the spätzle that most German restaurants I've been to serve. One of the bartenders serving us was very friendly and fun to talk with and we never waited for drinks, plus our food came out quickly. The smaller sitting area to one side of the bar, which I think connected to the Come Back In had a really cool look to me with its dark wood and rustic tables. Hanging out in that corner with a few friends while downing a D.A.B. would make for a nice time. read more

WOW!!! I was excited when I saw this listing! Madison is one the greatest places on earth, and this quintessentially german restaurant and tavern lies at the heart of Madison's rich german-american culture. Great german food and pints of ale are served in a rustic bavarian setting by lanky lederhosen-laden lads. You can dance and frolic to folksy german accordian music or knock back a few swigs off the old boot with your friends- enough to make any buxom beer wench look like a tasty schnitzel!!! read more

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We came to this place to drink out of the boot. And that we did. Upon receiving our boot, I was dismayed to find that they no longer use glass boots. They claim that too many people were making off with the boots despite the $50 deposit. Huh...are the boots really that expensive? My guess is that one too many drunkards had to be rushed to the hospital with a broken foot and the owners decided that it would be a public service to the residents of Madison to suspend use of the glass boot and replace it with a lame plastic one. Anyways, other than the boot, we ordered some cheese curds (they weren't quite what we expected) and the reuben dip, which is just what it sounds like. Minus the Russian dressing of course, which I still think may have been in the recipe even though the menu makes no mention of it. I think I felt my cholesterol rise while sitting there in the bar. The polka band was playing and that was cool I guess. If you are into polka that is. If you are not, you would probably want to shoot yourself. But I was into polka that night, which made it much more fun for me than if was not. Woo Hoo! read more

Came here with a rather large group after my college graduation. We had made a reservation for 6:30, but because the place was so packed we weren't seated until about 6:45. That was okay though, we had been served lots of beer so we didn't mind too much! Service was good. Very fast and you could tell the servers were working very hard to keep their tables happy. We also ordered a boot (of course) which was super fun. I'd definitely come here again just to get some more. The food was meh. It was way more expensive than I expected, and way more expensive than it was worth. I ordered the wiener schnitzel and it was cooked well. I could have used a bit of sauce with it though. The potatoes were also pretty bland, definitely needed more seasoning. Others at my table enjoyed their food too, but no one was wowed. So definitely 2 stars for the food, but 4+ stars for the ambiance. This place definitely takes you to Germany. It's very fun. Unfortunately the polka band started right when we were leaving but I can see how that draws people in. I will definitely be back some time to drink some boots and listen to some music! I will probably skip the food next time, though. read more

Oh man.. I really wanted to give it a higher rating but the food was so disappointing! I came here with a group of friends on Friday night for dinner and drinks. Almost all of us got Friday fish fry. The fish was soggy and way too salty! It also tasted like they've been in the freezer for way too long coz the meat did not taste right They also had various types of potatoes.. and I got the potato pancake. It was pretty average. The one thing we all like is the pretzels they gave you before the meal! The sauce that go with it was perferrrrct. Almost like a wasabi mustard taste. Idk. I want to try some real german dishes next time and see if there are any surprises. On the other note, I did like the beer. I mean you get a 1/2 L for $5 or sth. I got spaten lager..little hoppy, little sweet and really refreshing. I would get that again. read more

Came here for their winterfest where they had a special schnitzel, strudel, and stein deal and was severely disappointed. The place is decorated super well and has a really fun atmosphere but regardless of how much I wanted to like it, I couldn't. For starters the service throughout the whole night left something to be desired. Even though there was no wait, it took about 10 minutes before someone realized we needed to be seated It took over 30 minutes before someone approached our table to even give us water/ take our drink orders. The food was also very subpar- the only redeeming quality was the huge portion size but even that didn't make up for the lack of taste. Even the complimentary bread-y pretzels they had tasted like they had been microwaved. All in all a very disappointing meal. The only reason I could conceivably see myself coming back here would be to get the boot of beer with friends- other than that there's so many better restaurants in Madison I would rather eat at. read more

Thursday nights are the best at the Essen Haus. With cheap 2 liter boots and abundant space, this restaurant creates the perfect atmosphere for large groups to hang out and drink good beer. My friends and I have been here on many occasions, and I have enjoyed each one. I wouldn't say the cuisine is the best (the cheese curds are pretty good though). It's pretty standard fare as far as the reuben, schnitzel, and other German foods go. The beer is where this place shines. Feel free to bring a deck of cards for Euchre or just hang out. After drinking 3 boots, you get a t-shirt. Like I said earlier, this place is great for large groups. They have multiple booths that have space for groups of 10+ people. Everyone is always in a festive mood and willing to spread their spirit to other people in the Essen Haus. Be prepared for the chicken dance song though. I heard it at least 3 times the other night. read more

We had a great time here. Loved the ambiance and the cheerful wait staff in their German outfits (and traditional clothing can turn tacky REAL quick but not here) Loved the pretzels to start and the food was all around really great, everyone at our table was happy. I enjoyed the drink menu and the fun polka band playing in the background. My only qualm was that I ordered the meat and cheese plate served with "gourmet crackers". My gourmet crackers turned out to be a basket of individually packaged saltines. Now, I love me some cheese and saltines but that wasn't what was described. We'll be back! read more

The food here is massively overpriced and bad quality. You pay for the atmosphere - not even good food presentation! Average dish costs $18 and could feed 3 people. Appetizers are ALL horrible. Definitely split a meal if you get one and try to not eat here if you can and stick to the boots and beers here. read more

I have to echo what the previous person said. This place can be summed up in three words, binge drinking and polka. This is where I go, because I am a tourist and am impressed by the giant beer vessels. I recognize that this place has no character, shitty decor, annoying patrons, bad food, and cheesy music... but they have a 3L boot and, as I discovered yesterday, a 5L stein!! That's 10 pints for $50 (which by WI prices is a huge ripoff). But still, 5 liters of beer. Let's recap the evening, came, drank too much beer, danced polka, and then paid homage to the porcelain goddess. read more

Germans were 41% of the Wisconsin population during the 1930s. They left us this great restaurant with 15 german beers on tap (try the Hacker Pshorr Maibock). The big standards look excellent ... I had the Jaegerschnitzel, sauerkraut and spaetzel - no room for the potato pancakes but I'll be back for those. Everyone ordering dinner gets a bonus pretzel with raw horseradish and hot mustard. This place is a keeper - read more

Essen Haus - German Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

First of all, wunderbar service. good beer selection. Great authentic German food. Wiener schnitzel was crispy and tender inside, potatoes sooo yummy. Bratwurst, knockwurst, and other sausages were super flavorful. Fish fry was a big fail. Wasn't cooked through so it had that transparent raw fish look and texture and was watery so it made the plate watery. Good salad, great pretzels, and again great service. A wee bit high priced for some things but would visit again once in awhile. read more

Great location in Downtown Madison. Staff was very friendly and attentive. Chef Nicholas is amazing cook! Delicious appetizers! Nice, fairly wide selection of tapas. We had Hoegaarden and Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier Beers. Both were excellent. Finished with burgers and fries. This is our new favorite place to eat in the town. read more

First time here. I am German, but I am usually disappointed with most others being too greasy. I tried a variety plate and was so surprised to be served and tasting what really seemed like my Grandmothers' pickled beets, and bean salad. She passed away about 15 years ago - and my mother and 4 aunts haven't been able to recreate their mother's beets. Just so delicious --- and the whole meal was just so excellent. My wife couldn't believe I finished it all...including Dessert. Thank you for the pleasant memory of my Grandmother! Of course - no one has ever been able to recreate my mother's Bavarian Chocolate, Rum Chocolate Cake. But I think the Essen Haus should try.... read more

This is a great place to kick back and have a few boots of amazing German Beer with your friends and co-workers! I did say boot...you order a giant glass boot of beer...think of it as Cinderella for men! I also believe it is 5L of beer too. There are some rules like: Remember to keep passing it around and to never let it touch the table. I think they made this rule, so you drink more. This is a dangerous rule! I have never eaten the food here but I would love to try it. This place is like going to Oktoberfest without paying for an expensive plane ticket to Germany!!! I just found out that the owner owns the hotel upstairs...which includes two free drinks for every nigh you stay plus you get breakfast at his other restuarant next door...so I will have to investigate this on my next trip here...at least the walk home would only be upstairs! read more

Hoping these guys can get "it" back. I have been going here for years and all of a sudden, it seems a little run down. Is it new management or do they need a refresher from someone new. Food was fine, beer was cold. Service was as you would expect. I know posting a 3 star may not help the cause, but Yelp never let's me down so I feel obliged to give what I think is the rating for my experience. I hope to go back again and be able to give them more. read more

Pretty cool German restaurant/beer hall. It's a really big place and they have a lot of outdoor seating. They've got 16 imported German beers on tap which was awesome and the prices were really cheap ($3.50 import pints) but they might have had a special going on -- I went on a Thursday night. I didn't try any food so I can't comment on that, but it's a cool atmosphere to drink in. The only reason why they don't get 4 stars is the bathrooms -- they were horrible. It reminded me of the bathroom from the episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" where the water zombie attacked the kids in the basement locker room of the old school pool...and if this scene isn't burned into your mind from countless nightmares....the link is below (around minute 19). But yeah, the bathrooms are nasty. Pros: ton of imports, great beer garden, cheap prices Cons: bathroom that could potentially house a drain monster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoi3GuxiA7A read more

A bonus star for the German beer, which is really quite good. Apparently a Madison institution, we came here on a Thursday night. Really loud crowd on the patio where we ate. I loved the idea of the beer in a boot, but no one in our party was brave enough to get it (is it one of those things that you're supposed to share or just do yourself)? My friend apparently always gets the burger when he comes and enjoys it, but the rest of us were feeling adventurous, and paid for it as well. Not only are the entrees expensive for Madison, but they're somewhat strange and not that good. I did enjoy the free pretzels that came, but I did not enjoy the liver dumpling soup. It's probably important to specify the liver part of it when you say dumpling soup. I'll take some of the blame on not asking what kind of dumpling soup, but I was really expecting some sort of dough, not a ball of liver. I had the veal, which was extremely thin and somewhat tasteless. Gotta say, my friend's burger looked really good. I would come back to drink, but definitely not to eat - which I suppose is what everyone else says as well. read more

This place is heaven! The food is really authentic and it walks that fine line between genuine and kitchy really well. Yes there's polka music and yes the servers wear traditional German clothing but it's not too much flare. The food here was amazing. Since the portions are so large, we split 2 entrees between two people. We started with beers which the server was very knowledgeable about and really enjoyed the pretzels + sauerkraut and spicy mustard that we were brought early on. The salads that came with the meal were also really great! Get the Deutch salad if you can. The carrots/beans/slaw were really different and fresh. The brats were yummy as were the accompanying German potatoes. We also really liked the Schnitzels. I didn't think I liked German food before eating here but now I love it! To finish our meal we shared the most delicious cheery strudel. Essen Haus is a must if you're visiting Madison. It's really close to the lake too so in the summer time, it's a nice meal to incorporate into exploring the area. read more

If you want german kitsch, come here. Waitresses and waiters in lederhosen, with the occasional live german band, also clad in lederhosen. You can drink from a boot, or a stein. Beer selection is good. In general, a passable drinking experience if you're in the mood. But the food. 18.95 for some schnitzel. You gotta be kidding me?! Is there gold in there? No, I imagine that would have more flavor. The food is just laughably overpriced, and I'd love to meet a german person that actually enjoys the food here. read more

Good college spot and not a bad place for live music, but not much more than that. I love German beers, food, and pubs, but this one seems to be riding on past success rather than trying to make a real effort (note the half-assed attempt at lederhosen and dirndels for staff). Beer list is pretty good, though a bit heavy on the big 2 (spaten and paulaner). 1 liter, half liter, and 2 liter boot sizes are all options. Food is alright, not the greatest German food but not bad. Bottom line: if you're badly needing a German fix near downtown Madison, then yes by all means go here. But if not, then there are plenty of other options to pick from... read more

Talk about disappointment. We went here last summer expecting a great german meal. My family is German and we enjoy trying German restaruants for a taste of home. The food was not good, the place run down, and overall gross atmosphere. So sad. I wish someone would come in an fix it up. This place gives German restaurants a bad name. Make your way to Chicago for some great German food. read more

HOW CAN ANYONE NOT LOVE ESSEN HAUS?! I have no experience with the food, but between boots of beer and polka dancing, what else on earth matters? And if you're not in a beer-boot-mood, the other drinks are pretty cheap too. Also the bar is HUGE! read more

If you're looking for a place to slam down a few beers, that's one thing. But, if you're looking for a good German restaurant. The Essen Haus isn't it. Their restaurant isn't well kept up and, the inside of the restaurant is shabby. The tables and chairs are the same tables and chairs that they were using 20 years ago. Their service is slow, their beer is luke warm, and their food is no better than average. They could do a better job of cleaning and maintaining the place. Madison only has one German restaurant(the Essen Haus). And, with no competition, the Essen Haus doesn't have much incentive to change. If anyone out there wants to start a German restaurant, it would be pretty easy to beat the competition from the Essen Haus. read more

Great, authentic German food. Excellent service. My one and only complaint is that there is no reason at all why the polka band needed to be amplified so loud. read more

Essen Haus - German Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Well for German restaurant, it was ok. Sat on the patio and had a table of frat boys drinking and acting up.. The horseradish sauce with the pretzels needed more horse, pretzels tasted like they were from SAMs club.. Salad with dinner, the runniest blue cheese dressing I ever had.. Ordered the Wiener schnitzel, it's is as advertised, " breaded pork pan fried" bland bland bland, with fried potatoes? Come on.. Potato pancakes, burned on the bottom bottom, nor butter or sour cream, tastes made out of a can.. This is about as far from good German food as you can get and still call it German... Like a college bar that serves German food.. Not ever coming back... If you want good German food, go to the Dord Haus in Roxbury, wi. Do the drive for an authentic German experience... read more

Had a blast here! Ended up meeting a few friends here to start off our night.. let me just say I've never been to a German bar but I'm happy to say I have now! Met our group at a table by the dance floor and stage, and they already had a boot going around the table. First time drinking out of a boot, and I made the mistake of setting the boot on the table.. oops. Our group ended up getting 3 boots, I ended up watching people poka dance, as well as me getting dragged out to the dance floor to poka dance. I'm sure it was entertaining. Over all, a fun time at Essen Haus! read more

Who would've thought that the best freaking wings in the world would come from a run down German restaurant in Madison?? They're kind of a fried chicken/hot wings hybrid, and they were FANTASTIC. Other than that, the Essen Haus was exactly like every other German beer house I've ever been to. There are lots of sausage choices, German beers on tap, and a polka band is playing. There's a boot to pass around, and people drunkenly polka. If this sounds like fun to you, check it out. read more

Wunderbar! We ordered too much food, but that's okay. It's what you do. We did not regret it. Fried cheese curds were tasty and crispy without being greasy. Friendly, helpful waiter recommended a beer that fit what we were looking for. His little trainee was quiet but adorable. Munich sampler was a good amount of food and all quite savory, "down home", and authentic. My wife was thrilled with her spatzel and red cabbage. Just a good night out, reasonable cost, fun atmosphere. read more

Incredibly slow service for underwhelming food. Maybe good if you're already drunk af and enjoy deafening noise.

Horrible. Slow and inattentive service. Got order wrong and the presentation was terrible. This place use to be killer. Now, I will not bring company here. read more

I love the Essen Haus I can probably say this statement though because I do not eat here. If you're going here for the dining experience, well, I feel sorry for you, cause it does suck, and well, it isn't the reason most people are here. The Essen Haus is good for one thing - drinking heavily, getting really drunk and dancing your ass off to polka music from the live 3 piece polka band that's there on weekends. If that sounds like a good time to you, I think you'll love the Essen Haus too. read more

Good Things: 1. Thursday night half-priced boots of beer ($10 per boot) with a live polka band. 2. Free pretzels and mustard when you eat dinner. 3. Outdoor seating that isn't generally packed for dinner- even though it looks over the parking lots, at least you can be outside! 4. Spill-over seating in the Come Back Inn so there is ALWAYS somewhere to sit. 5. Free popcorn or peanuts for drinking! Bad Things: 1. Dinner entrees range from about $14-20 and the quality and amount of food does not make it feel like a very good deal. 2. Very tiny salad comes with the entrees. 3. Beware of puke after midnight on Thursdays (not the fault of the restaurant but still, watch out). Moral of this review: Drink boots of beer here on Thursday nights (get there by 10pm during the school year if you want a place to sit) and never eat dinner here. read more