Well worth a visit for cheese lovers. Fromagination is across the street from the state capital building and the shop has a terrific selection of Wisconsin cheese. The staff is very knowledgeable and quite patient to boot. You can sample any cheese in the shop and they have a variety of charcuterie, chocolate, and merchandise as well. read more

Fromagination - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Get ready for a treat! Upon visiting WI for the first time, I was prepared for tourist-trap outlets with mediocre product and inflated prices. What a surprise! This shop is like a stereotypical old hole-in-the-wall bookshop from a '50's movie with the owner who knows everything about the specially curated books. If you let them, they show you a little magic, too. Yeah, but cheese. Business will ship most products. Prices are amazingly low for what you get. Has classes available. Wide variety of hand-picked cheeses, chocolates, hard candies, tea and sausages. No snobbery allowed. Do yourself a favor. Take a minute to let them ask you about your tastes and provide complimentary products. Learn how to eat an award winning cheese and you will be forever grateful. read more

Have eaten here twice and it never disappoints. The sandwiches are amazing! The cheese selection is very impressive. The staff is beyond friendly and very helpful! Cannot recommend this gem enough! read more

Amazing cheese selection and super helpful staff. Great for unique gifts. Some of the best cheeses I've had.

If you're looking for a high-quality selection of cheese, then Fromagination is the place to go! We've been to other cheese shops in the area, but those tend to have the 'touristy' vibe and did not feel very professional. The staffs here were very friendly and there was a wide selection of cheese and other Wisconsin products to explore. read more

When it comes to high-quality selection of cheese, Fromagination is the store that I believe has it all! There is another cheese shop close by that I felt was not professional to tourists. The staff here provided exceptional service and really delivered on the wide selection of cheese and other products related to the state. They always offer lots of samples to ensure that each customer finds the one that fits their taste and palette as well as offer online shipping to your home. read more

I was visiting from California and randomly stopped into what ended up being my version of Disneyland. Wow. What a dream. The space is beautiful and created to make shopping enjoyable and pleasing to all the senses. With a menagerie of high quality, local yummies, it was hard to choose. Charlie came to the rescue and let me know that I didn't have to make all the choices then and arranged to have my (growing) order sent to my home. Charlie matched and exceeded my energy and love of cheese and they were able to provide the story behind each local item. Incredible, personalized service! I received my package in perfect condition and coolness 2 days after I got home. So, now I get to enjoy the local gems of Wisconsin here in Southern California. This morning I made myself a toasted English muffin for breakfast topped with floral salt and extra inning cheese (OMG) and a side of a few cheese curds and cured meat. Perfection. Thank you Charlie and Fromagination! I will be ordering online until I can visit again in person (hopefully soon)! read more

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LOVED THIS PLACE! Stopped by during a visit to Madison. The staff was so sweet. Walked in and immediately was greeted and asked about my shopping interest. Was also welcomed to sample the selected cheese and jam highlights. There's so much offered here my friends and I spent about an hour looking around. Their food is also VERY DELICIOUS. Overall, a beautiful place. read more

Cute little store, lots of options for cheese (and related things like jams, oils, wine, serving boards, meats, etc.). They let you sample a lot of stuff -- we got to sample a few cheeses including Roth Grand Crux Surchoix, a World Cheese Championship Winner! We bought a small cheese board too, which had a small but decent selection of cheeses, as well as plenty of accoutrements. Definitely worth a quick stop! read more

Fromagination - 3 cheese sampler plate with salami and accoutrements. A decent sized snack for one (or a small snack for two) - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Walked into this gem and felt so fall. Love the cheese here. Customer service is great! They give you an endless amount of samples wowwww! Walked out with my fave goat cheese. Thank you! read more

Fromagination - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Wow! Friendly staff and offering assistance and samples and spent the time to discuss the different cheeses. We ended up with some 11 year old white cheddar, some Gouda m, and parmigiano Reggiano for late nite snacking. They have a "Wisconsin" sandwich and we will be back tomorrow for lunch and try all of their Artisan sandwiches read more

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Best cheese around! We received the best service from the most knowledgeable staff member! Told him which cheeses we like and he offered samples and recommendations! Every sample offered was perfect, if you're a cheese lover and ever in Madison, stop here! Great staff!! read more

Fromagination is a very small shop, packed full of people and oozing to the brim with items for sale. So many adorable and cute things to buy! Plus a million and one types of cheese. They have just about every cheese you could possibly want which is fun but the prices! The prices on the cheese and all the cute gift items were quite astronomical. They had a couple of cheeses out to try but they had clearly been sitting out for awhile...they were dried up and didn't look at all appetizing so we didn't dare touch them. I walked in excited about the shop but my four friends and I walked out empty handed & confused. read more

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This was perhaps #1 on my To-Eat List for Madison. I love sandwiches. I love cheese. I needed to come here. I split two sandwiches with my coworker - Val D'Aran Beef Sandwich - Roast beef, mayonnaise-based black pepper and garlic aioli, field greens, Emmi Roth's Wisconsin Cheddar cheese, on sesame semolina bread Munster Mash Sandwich - Nueske's smoked ham, Wisconsin Roth Munster, Quince & Apple Cranberry Apple spread, lettuce, and butter, on a three-cheese miche To be honest, I went in really liking the idea of the Munster Mash. And don't get me wrong, it was a really good sandwich. But I ended up liking the Val D'Aran so much more. The roast beef was sliced super thin and paired with the cheddar and garlic aioli so well. It was really perfection on bread. They have all their sandwiches except for their 3-tier sandwich pre-made and ready to go. You can just go into the back and either order it or grab it from the cabinet. They also sell an assortment of cheeses, meats, candies, and other miscellaneous goods in the back. I picked up some mini-bottles of Wisconsin gin and chocolate bars to bring home with me as souvenirs. Workers were super nice and very helpful. read more

Love, love, love Fromagination! From the minute you walk in the door and that glorious cheese aroma fills your nostrils, you know you're in for a treat. While there are store with a broader selection of cheeses, I appreciate the curation of the cheese offers featured at this store and how the knowledgeable staff will help guide you to your cheese nirvana. The odds and ends section (aka The Island of misfit Cheese) is a fantastic way to find new favorites without completely emptying your bank account. Fromagination is more than just cheese, there are dozens of locally sourced condiments to make the perfect cheese board at home (Quince & Apple preserves, Potter's Crackers, honey from Mad Urban Bees, etc.) Fromagination is an under-appreciated lunch option - the sandwiches here was superb! read more

Fromagination - Beer - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Very informative helpful and friendly!! When your a out of towner this type of service is what we are looking for !! We were looking for spicy cheese!! Wisconsin made pls ! We found everything we needed plus more loved the Wisconsin cheese handout read more

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8 oozing reasons you should get your hiny to Fromagination: -cheese samples -located adorably on the square -friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff -cheese case with labels that describe the queso in Layman's Terms -accoutrements like raw honey, fig jam and truffle vinaigrette are loaded on the shelves (great spot to make a gift basket) -gorgeous atmosphere with French cheese signs and a long wooden table -grilled cheese of the month -and my favorite part: the left over bin with small hunks of great cheese for attractive prices read more

Fromagination - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great place for any type of cheese and other snacks!

Fromagination is much more than a cheese shop. That's saying something for a land that produces A LOT of cheese. Cheese shops in Wisconsin are like Starbucks in Seattle, there are a lot of them. Fromagination is the type of place that you can stop in and just pick up some great cheese or you can pick up lunch as they make wonderful sandwiches, have some fine beer and wine as well as other snacks and merchandise. They have a large selection of cheeses and their website provides a description of their various cheeses and awards. We knew we didn't have a lot of time so we comprised a list of 5 cheeses that we would like to try. When we arrived they were pretty busy. It felt good to come inside from the cold and they were even handing out cups of cider to all their patrons. The nice young lady who was helping us asked for our list and proceeded to slice off a couple of pieces of cheese for us to try. I'm sure one could peruse all their cases of cheese and pick some out. That just isn't the way we roll. As we tried our selections some certainly stood out more than others. We settled on a couple that we really liked and had those packed up to go. The staff is very friendly and helpful as well as knowledgeable. Fromagination is an upscale cheese shop with a comfortable feeling. I would love to try one of their sandwiches sometime as they sound excellent as does the smoked blue cheese that they had. How good would that be with some buffalo wings! We look forward to visiting again next time we are in town. read more

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We just enjoyed our lunch as take out! I'm so pleased that they were able to skip the bread on my sandwich (I'm gluten free sadly). Even without the bread, the signature sandwich was tippy tops and my partner enjoyed the pasture harvest sandwich. Recommend them highly for a fresh and filling lunch! read more

Stayed at the best western park on the Capital. I wandered into Fromagination because they had sandwiches and it was close. Turns out it's a super yummy, super friendly place! I ended up going two days in a row. read more

Today is National Cheese Day, and what better way to celebrate than to review a cheese establishment! I dedicate this review to the Cheese Masters of Madison at Fromagination. Although I am a lactard (lactose intolerant/envious), I can objectively say that Fromagination is cheese heaven. Everyone I've spoken to that's sampled their selection has given them positive notes. I personally have sampled their goat cheeses (fun fact: goat cheese is lactose-free)- super fun! The employees are very welcoming & knowledgeable, so don't be afraid to ask a million questions (like I do, lol). My favorite thing to do on my lunch break is to stop in, grab some Bold Billy Goat Sweet Potato Chips, and browse the adorable trinkets, snax, and cheese-themed paraphernalia. I even found a cheese pin for a friend that moved away from Wisconsin, so that they'd never forget their Dairyland roots. :-) *pro-tip: hosting a party? They've got charcuterie, sandwich & cookie trays out the wazoo! Don't be morose; have some lactose! read more

Fromagination - Those are some bold chips! - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Sweet dreams are made of Cheese. I am absolutely obsessed with this place. You walk into a heaven. Was visiting family and knew I had to stop by and get some delicious local cheeses. Walked in and was welcomed with big smiles. They handed us some hot cider to drink while we looked around. 5 stars alone for the knowledge of the workers. The young guy behind the counter knew everything and anything there was to know about cheeses. I felt like I was getting schooled in cheese 101. He gave us loads of tastings and recommended pairings for us. We ended buying 6: Red Rock -aged cheddar, Bleu Mont Dairy, cave aged chandoka -Cow & Goat Mix(award winning), GranQueso, pleasant ridge reserve - best of show, Little Boy Blue. They are all beyond some of the best cheeses I have ever tasted in my life. Note: They will cut whatever size you want so don't worry about that. Not only do they sell cheese, they sell fruits, honey, nuts, dishes, and anything else you could possibly need for a perfect charcuterie platter. I would never go to Wisconsin and not stop here. I'll leave you with my one cheese joke: What music does cheese listen to? R & Brie........ read more

I love the idea behind an artisan cheese shop in Wisconsin. How fitting. And the name is clever and creative. There is a wide selection of cheeses and knowledgeable cheese mongers to help you through the choices. I was impressed when I was asked to name some of the cheese types I liked so she could recommend some similar types. And sampling was generous and incredibly helpful. I mentioned Gruyere as one of my faves and that is NOT one typical of Wisconsin. However, I was able to taste one that had a similar taste profile and I ended up buying some. I read that they have a leftover bin so I looked for and sorted through that. There aren't any bargains here as it's all priced the same per pound as their normal offerings. You can, however, score some small samples to take home to satisfy your curiosity. While it's a fun place, I found the pricing to be very high. I appreciate "artisan" cheese making but most cheese I saw was $35 a pound. That clearly limits what I'm buying. After all, it's not imported. It's made here. But give it a try! read more

If you order something to be shipped, do not expect a response from multiple requests for status via shipping email link on the website. Also, don't trust the multiple hours of operations posted in various sections of the website. I used to love this shop but will never purchase anything again from here. I will especially never request anything be shipped. I'm now trying to figure out how to have my credit card refunded as I payed via PayPal. Terrible customer service. BTW: I'm not sure why this review was posted as coming from San Francisco. I'm from Madison, WI where the shop is located. read more

I can't believe I have never reviewed Fromagination. This is my absolute favorite speciality store in all of Madison. The selection of cheeses is amazing. Their lunch sandwiches are the best sandwiches in town, hands down. I'm not typically downtown during the middle of the day so when I found myself downtown yesterday at noon with the afternoon off, I knew picking up a sandwich and going home to dine on my deck with a glass of wine was the absolute best way to spend a half day off. Yesterday I had the signature sandwich which is turkey, cranberry spread and brie on this soft sunflower wheat bread. Divine. Everything about this sandwich is perfection. Stop in to this store the next time you are in the area. They have many odds and ends and are true professionals at helping you create your very own cheese/charcuterie board at home. read more

Are you a Madison local? Are you visiting Madison? Do you like cheese? Do you like the smell of cheese? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Fromagination is for you! This is thee go-to cheese store in Madison to visit or be a frequent guest. They have a wide variety of cheeses for a variety of price ranges, from a small tasting piece to a large wheel of Parmesan. I pop in once in a while, just for a little cheese snack. They have a variety of tasting cheeses for you to indulge in while perusing the store. It's not all about cheeses---they have chocolates, crackers, honey, beer, and much more. The employees are knowledgeable and ready to help you find that one cheese you've been yearning to try or create that perfect charcuterie board for your next party! read more

This is a fun cheese and sandwich shop! Their small outdoor seating area has a great view of the Capitol. They also have a lot of cheese/hosting knick-knacks for sale if you are looking for serving plates or cheese knives or little gifts etc. We got there around 4PM on a Saturday - they close pretty early at 5PM so the Sandwich we got had already been made and packaged. Closer to close they do not make sandwiches to order. Our sandwich was still really tasty and we shared it. It had turkey and cranberry spread. We split the sandwich on the patio, I tried a Wisconsin Craft Beer by One Barrel Brewing and then we went back in and bought the Speck Prosciutto (1/4 lb) and some delicious cheese. We took this back out to the patio and feasted some more. Expansive selection of cheeses here, though I don't think I saw anything super crazy (like the Alp Blossom! My new fav cheese). They did carry Red Rock which is a cheddar blue I have been seeing at farmer's markets/cheese shops in Chicago, so that was cool. read more

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I love their signature sandwich that has the most amazing French brie along with cranberry sauce and turkey (not salty at all).

Bread so soft you want to rub your cheek in it, cheese fresh and alive with ingredients and condiments wildly gesticulating to indicate their superior quality. Thinly sliced fresh meat and veggies providing the necessary crispiness in little packages of fatty goodness. If sandwiches are craved for and taste not quantity be the ask, this place gets aces. Rather dainty pieces of delectable goodness, not light on the pocket and in need of a little dab of heat, a teeny tiny drop of hot sauce. The cookie is proportionally small by Midwestern standards but good. Maybe my hands are too big (not to mention my stomach). The online ordering and pick-up are seamless and quick (20-30 mins). All in all a great place to get your company lunch from or the occasional weekend bite to take to a park in the springtime, then doze off the cheese coma underneath a tree.... you might wake up hungry again though. read more

Fromagination - The signature sandwich, turkey, brie and cranberry spread with lettuce on sunflower bread - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Smaller than I expected for the fuss made over it on visitor lists, but cozy and lovely with obviously a great selection of cheese. I didn't have a way to refrigerate cheese so I ended up buying loose tea from their fancy collection and then getting a sandwich. I ate in because I didn't have another option but it seemed like that wasn't super usual even though there was a table near the deli area. Parking wasn't especially hard to come by- I got a spot around the block - but the set-up of downtown Madison made navigation and locating Fromagination a bit tricky. I'd recommend having a navigator/scout with you if you're not familiar with the area. Overall, the area guides are correct- this is worth visiting if you're a tourist. read more

Fromagination - you know the second you walk in the door that you have arrived at the Shangri-La of Cheddar, the Nirvana of Neufchatel, the Promised Land of Parmesan and at Blue Cheese Bliss! Definitely an artisan shop located right in the heart of Madison that offers so much more than just cheese and was where we decided to grab a sandwich (and also some cheese to satisfy my need to explore different varieties of blue cheese). Their sandwiches are pre-made and I was told are made fresh every morning. To be entirely honest, I wasn't exactly thrilled about this. My instant reaction was "So, you're selling gas station sandwiches here?" and "I expect more from a shop like this!". Fairly pricey sandwiches for what is provided which is the only reason I can't give 5 stars. I get it that this is a Capitol Square retail location and rents are much higher compared to a lot of comparable locations. Even with that reasoning, the prices are not justified here... Maybe I am missing something (other than the cost of real estate) but my $8.50 sandwich was pretty much the same thing I can get at Hy-Vee for $6.00. Was the sandwich good? Yes, it was. I had The Best of the Midwest which included salami, provolone and an olive tapenade. The bread was really good and was probably the highlight of the sandwich. If there was just "a little more" to it, I think this sandwich could be a winner and have a justified price tag. Moving on to the cheese selections - there are a ton! Extremely good selection and a lot of emphasis on customer service and overall customer experience. I chose to blindly order a blue cheese I have not had before and it didn't fail to deliver on taste. My only problem you ask? Again, the price tag. At almost $30.00/lb I expected to have something that made me drool after entering into a blue cheese coma. Instead, I felt like there may be someone in the back room laughing when they watch a customer pay... I think Fromagination is a great place that brings something to the area that no other store or retail location can. It's a Wisconsin and Midwest store that delivers on sight, sound, smell and taste. It's a good spot for a sandwich (even though it is pre-made) and a great spot to maybe "try" some smaller portions of cheese to see what you like. Prior to visiting, make sure your wallet is pre-loaded with cash or your credit card has a high available limit. Even though you may not end up buying a lot, whatever you decide to buy will cost more than expected. read more

Fromagination - The bread is very good - just wish there was "more" to the sandwich for the cost. - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This place is cheese rock star status. Their employees are fabulous and super helpful. We walked in on a Monday morning and were immediately greeted upon walking in. We told them we were just looking as we were from out of state and wanted to take home as much cheese as possible... and he immediately whipped up a tasting plate for us. Like, super fast. I had goat cheese, cow cheese, water buffalo cheese. It was so interesting and such an experience! I wound up buying $40 worth of cheese (which, as it turns out, is pretty hard in Madison compared to Chicago). Great selections and great people! read more

Great selection and really nice staff to offer you tastings and help you choose. Amazing place

If you're visiting Madison, don't miss this cheese shop around the square. It has a wonderful selection of cheeses and all the items to go with it. They also have take away items for lunch or Concerts on the Square. read more

Fromagination - Cheese!!! - Cheese Shops Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Back again. Completed the Ironman 70.3 this past Sunday & made sure to visit here 2x. Was like a wide eyed child when I saw the Hooks 10 year cheddar. Asked for a sample. Almost passed out it was so good. Took 3 "orphan" pieces back to my room with some frackers & some chocolate of course. This store is so incredible: service, design, variety of items & gifts & oh...the incredible cheeses!!! Love this place. Madison is lucky to have such a place. read more

I really wanted to try this spot when visiting Madison due to great reviews and what I have heard from others. However, when we visited, were early afternoon and they were out of sandwiches except for 1. It was a really good sandwich (that we had to share), but would have loved to be able to try something more. I'm not entirely sure why the they don't make more (maybe it gets too busy sometimes?), but would have been nice to be allowed to try some others. We also weren't entirely sure about drink options, so we just shared a quick sandwich (outside). I also was uncomfortable because the folks behind the counter were talking with friends or associates in front of the counter and ignored us for a little while. We weren't really sure how things worked, and it would have been great to have been greeted a little more warmly upon entry. The spot seems to have a nice selection of cheeses and also a few gift items. I think if I were a local, I'd visit to find some interesting items. Things were a bit pricey but quality seemed high. I just was less than pleased with my lunch selections. read more

Fromagination is just incredible. The atmosphere of this place is great and so inviting! Everything was flavorful and absolutely yummy. All of the staff are very friendly - you definitely feel welcome and looked after. I can not say enough good things about this place. read more

I had a situation on my holiday order that an item I paid for did not ship with the gift basket that it was to go with. I called and was told they could not ship it now and would refund me the money. I was really disappointed in it because I really wanted to give this gift to my colleague. But then they called me back for additional info for refunding me and to tell me the owner was personally dropping off something for my inconvenience! Just now I got a pretty gift back with some cheese and crackers! And a personal apology from the owner! What business does that?! read more

My favorite store that I must visit every time I'm in Madison. The absolute nicest cheese mongers who can't wait to share their treasures with you. Always lots of samples and they are eager to answer any questions. Do not miss this place! read more