This was a first time stop for both my husband and I. We were heading to Wilson's and parked and as we were walking and talking I said "we have never been to Harmony should we try that instead?" Big mistake!!! So we go in grab a seat at the bar and proceed to order. The had the hot turkey sandwich offered on the menu with a side of slaw and an order of fresh made chips. So we split the sandwich and started eating. Nothing was exceptionally good but the chips were edible. Now for the real issue, the coleslaw. It was spoiled, like um this is bad. Hey husband, try this and tell me what you think. He takes a bite and says definitely bad. So since the bartender hadn't come back I grabbed a young lady that I had seen helping in the kitchen area. She walks over and tells the woman cooking the woman cooking, then tells what I'm assuming is the manager. After a while, the manager comes over to us and says hey they said there's something wrong with the coleslaw I said yeah it's spoiled. I said please go ahead and take a taste, It's awful. She says no that's OK, I don't like coleslaw but it was only made two days ago so it's not bad and I'm like well I don't care if it was made two days ago. Really I encourage you or someone else in this building to try it it is obviously spoiled. She said like I said I don't eat coleslaw and it was only made two days ago, so do you want like a bag of Lays potato chips or something? I said no I don't and please don't serve this it's a potential to make people very ill. She then proceeded to walk away. Needless to say, we left and went over to Wilson's and hung out for a bit. But now I know! read more

See all

Really great neighborhood corner bar that has ample outdoor "patio" seating. They're known for their walnut burger apparently, so I'll have to bring my vegetarian kiddo back to try it. They also have a couple of vegetarian options. Order food at the bar, they give you a marker and come find ya. Even on live music nights, wait isn't extremely long. Decent prices and they have pitchers of beer to save you $$$ with a group! read more

See all

Why do I have to specify that they make food the way it states in the menu? I ordered a walnut burger. They wanted me to specify every single thing, right down to the "famous sauce", which got missed. So I got a dried out patty. The coleslaw tasted like rubber bands. And the cheese curds were the WORST I've had in Madison. And they don't serve ranch or anything to dip them in! Talk about overrated. read more

Walnut burger, hot chips, side salad with choice of drink. Set with friendly service and solid drinks. Check out the music

Went to enjoy watching the UW Women's Hockey team claim victory and then listen to the Cajun Strangers. We ordered Nachos at the beginning of the first period of the hockey game. It was busy but after seeing plenty of other tables receive their food I inquired about our order. The wait staff said she would check. A few minutes later another wait staff came to us and told us they were out of beef and we could subsitute more vegetables or chicken. We opted for chicken (mind you I just saw two other orders of Nachos being served with beef and noted that they ordered after us). Now it is half way into the second period-still no food. I inquired again. This time the excuse was the chef left and forgot to pass it along! Now with 2 minutes left in the 2nd period (1 hour after we originally ordered) we recieved the nachos. (The menu describes the dish with over 1 pound of beef-not so with the chicken) Overcooked chicken. Cheese that was chewy from being over heated. Toppings maybe covered half the chips.-- Not a very tasty or good experience. People with sandwiches or cheese curds were served within 10-15 minutes. Eat elsewhere if you are going to Harmony to watch a show read more

Harmony Bar & Grill - Overcooked Nacho plate-dry chicken (they ran out of beef) and overheated cheese that had that chewing plastic type of consistency - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

They have a beautiful outdoor patio, I wish we would have sat outside! We sat inside however, got the live music, which was fun, but felt loud after awhile. The food was okay, just took a long time to come out. You order at the bar and they bring it to your table. Overall a fun place with good vibes, especially after a drink or two! read more

See all

The two times we have gone here have been during the holidays, and attending the kids music show. They get super busy during this time, and their grill/kitchen area of the bar is super small. They've also never had enough staff on, so you wait forever to order, get drinks and so on. This most recent visit was DELICIOUS food! We went early enough where we got to ask questions about the menu and they were so accommodating with adding a burger to their mushroom burger, and the woman suggested a garlic aioli that they have. It. Was. So. Delicious! Husband had nachos and we shared cheese curds. He mentioned that he was still hungry after the nachos, so make sure to get something heartier or add more protein. read more

See all

Our family loves coming to the Harmony on Monday nights for dinner and a show! Very kid friendly! The Harmony burger is our favorite, but you can't go wrong with the cheese curds, fries or onion rings either. The bartenders are great and very friendly. read more

Love Harmony so much. They have a great outdoor patio area with street parking. They have great food and the staff is super friendly. Get the homemade soup and blue cheese dressing on everything! Haha read more

See all

Delicious food, great ambiance, and lovely service! The veggie pizza is amazing! There are lots of fun games. The owners are very u loved with the operations of the restaurant. I will definitely be back! read more

Sort of forgot about the harmony bar so decided to give it a chance this Monday. Not too many restaurants are open on Monday so it's good that they are. I give it five stars this time because nothing went wrong. The burgers are big and fresh the hot chips are excellent and the and the service, which is bar service was quick and efficient. Always a pleasant experience to go here so if in the area give it a shot. It's right on the bike trail and there's plenty of street parking. Always a pleasant experience. read more

Definitely go to this place, my family and I really liked it. Great service from the bartender and all orders are placed at the bar. Four of the five of us ordered burgers which I would say were good, but I would not recommend the grilled onions. The fries, cheese, curds, and tater tot's with side sauces, were amazing along with my Reuben, which was quite good definitely in the B+ range. Great dive bar atmosphere with table games, such as foosball and darts, live music sometimes. read more

We were looking for a place we had yet to eat at that had outdoor dining during these Covid times. We had seen that the Harmony had set up tables in their back gravel parking lot. So we stopped by on a nice Friday evening. They actually had a musician playing... it has been many months since we have had that experience. You go inside to order from what looks to be a smaller than usual menu. I started with a brandy old fashion - this was one of the poorest old fashions I have had in town. C'mon guys you can do better. We ordered some cheese curds, their special swiss mushroom burger with bacon, and a Ruben. The Ruben was solid as were the curds, though I prefer battered vs. breaded. The burger was a problem... yes I know prices for meat have gone up by $2.50 extra for a slice of bacon for a total of $13 for a burger that was tiny. In addition the medium rare I asked for was more like medium well doneness. Dry. Finally it took well over 30 minutes to get our food when I knew we had been the first to order - no food was delivered to anyone prior to ours arriving. We asked the woman running out food what was up - it soon came out after we asked. I saw previous reviews that said the service was poor - I'd agree. My 3 star rating is a pity rating given all of the challenges this restaurant has faced with the death of the owner in the past year, the pandemic, etc. No need to return for us... read more

Jack was one of the best bartenders. I noticed that a lady was very upset about her order. She wanted her order before someone else's order. Jack handled it with respect and care. He apologized, but this lady still was mad. She was so mad she walked out of the bar without paying for her order! read more

I heard that The Harmony Bar and Grill had great burgers from some friends. We decided to stop by on a Saturday afternoon to find out and yes, they were great! We had some cheese curds with some ranch sauce to go with our order. The staff was polite and accommodating, the atmosphere gives you that neighborhood feeling. We will be back again! Don't forget to be generous with your tips, as they work hard too. read more

bar staff terrible, no system for managing customers food sucks, and that's hard because it's bar food owner is rude tap list boring and unoriginal Staff generally not interested in you Bathrooms not clean, broken doors If you aren't a regular, don't expect anyone to care read more

The BEST veggie burger ever. Walnut burger with blue cheese. Winner every time.

All that I have to say is I'm far from a vegetarian, but will go there specifically to get their walnut burger. Simply amazing! And their homemade chips and blue cheese dip are a perfect compliment. read more

What's the first thing that comes to mind to have for dinner before going fire-dancing with friends on the summer solstice? Brats, right? Of course! What? No? It's just me? Well, that's what happens when you're at Olbrich Beach catching some rays and are subjected to the craving-inducing scents from 1,000 Father's Day celebration BBQs going on at the park. Surprisingly it's not that easy to find a local place on the east side that you can just walk into and order a brat. Enter Harmony, the harbinger of good things to come. I'm not one who enjoys going out alone, especially to bars, but that's something I'm trying to get over. So it was a relief to see the place only half filled with low key, relaxed people who barely noticed I was there. I was however, immediately noticed by the friendly, smiling young bartender (who looked all of fourteen), so I was put further at ease. Also delightful was a live band playing happy zydeco music in the other room, a genre which I adore. I sat at the bar and ordered my 'beer brat'. With sauerkraut, it's only $5.25. Win! They also had a fairly good selection of craft brews on tap, and mine was cold and delicious. Brat, beer and fries for $12. The brat is pre-cooked and then browned in the tiny kitchen just off the bar, and it's always fun to watch food being made (if you're me). They also grill the kraut, a nice touch. It's served on a big, somewhat fluffy sesame seed bun, which seemed like an odd choice, but it worked. The fries are good, too, and the order is huge. I would have sprung for the deservedly popular pub chips and bleu cheese dip, but they were twice the price of the fries. It was a lot of food, and totally satisfying, and I finished every last bite. I think this is a place I can feel comfortable going to alone or with others in the future, and I plan to, often. :-) Note: cash only. Five stars instead of four if only they had a fire grill and not just a flat grill. read more

See all

Burgers are awesome whether you go walnut or regular. Prompt, attentive staff. Great beers on tap. No snobs and the place has a sense of humor about itself. It's good stuff. read more

Harmony Bar & Grill - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Fun neighborhood bar with good beer selection and really good food. I've been here many times and I order the homemade chips almost every single time. They're cooked fresh and come with an amazing blue cheese dip that has chunks of blue cheese in it. It's the perfect complement to a tasty brew. One of my other food favorites is the walnut burger. You can hardly tell that there is no meat, it's so flavorful. If you're looking for something new or different to try, this would be a good option. read more

Charming old bar that appears to be ~100 years old, but still in relatively good shape. They have local music many nights. I've seen many groups I like play here, as well as played here myself. Staff was friendly. It's not extremely convenient, parking, setup, or stage wise, but it's still enjoyable. I've been told the food is very good but I have not had the chance to try any. read more

TWENTY Tater Tots for $6.00? 30¢ per Tot? Seriously? I love the Harmony, have been a customer for years. But this is just a bit ... disappointing. read more

Well, after reading the reviews and loving burgers we decided to stop here for lunch on our way to the airport. We parked in the back and walked into a very welcome hello and friendly bartender. It is an old unique WI tavern with a lot of history. Very friendly customers enjoying a burger in a basket, which makes you excited to order your own. I ordered the cheddar burger with tator tots and added lettuce, tomatoes (you get two nice slices), raw onion and a pickle. The lettuce, tomatoes and onion is an extra charge but so worth it! The bun is soft and has a shiner dark top, perfect fit. The burger is fresh not frozen and has a great flavor. A must stop is you like old WI taverns, juicy burgers and cold beer! read more

See all

This is a focused review on their pizza. I am a big fan and I am surprised I have not written about this earlier. First, it is a solid neighborhood bar, with music at least once a week if not more. The beer selection is okay, not great. The service is always OUTSTANDING!! But I digress, the pizza. Love it! They have a sweeter sauce that I think is delicious. The pizza comes out quickly too, so I recommend you mosey on up to the bar, grab a beer, order the pizza and enjoy the clientele during the wait. The mushroom and caramelized onions were are good combo. I did do the Canadian Bacon in the past, but it was basically chunks of ham and not desirable. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and go pizza hunting! Oh and order by 7:30 or 8 pm otherwise....NO PIZZA FOR YOU!!!! read more

I've been here so often since it's down the street from my house, I've never considered writing a review, but in these times of quarantine and social distancing, I'd like to offer some social support to my wonderful neighbors. Friendly. Amazing. Delicious. Kind. Thoughtful. Fast. Efficient. Badass. Comforting. Consistent. Neighborly. Alive. Buzzing. Family Friendly. Fun. Sporty. Musical..... I'm sure I'm missing a million wonderful ways to describe The Harmony, but whatever their blend of neighborhood magic is, I never tire of going there. read more

Great little local bar. Bike racks out front. Had a cheeseburger and a local beer. Hey have music on weekends. This was a very pleasant experience. read more

Harmony Bar & Grill - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

I just moved across the street from HB&G this summer! Yay! I've been a few times over the last few years, checked in once, and have been satisfied to want to come back again and again. This bar is quintessential Wisconsin meets the beauty of Madison's local food and flavor scene! Strange, right? Well, get on board. The atmosphere, food, is in perfect harmony! See what I did there? ;) Okay... eat the veggie burger. It really is the very best I have ever tasted in Dane County! Veggie burgers are like donuts and cheese curds to me - I have a top 3 best of each in the greater Madison area. The veg burger is unreal. Light mayo, light sriracha,, swiss AND cheddar. You're ready to rock and roll! I cannot recall the name of the pizza I've tried aside from the "regular" cheese pizza, but it was the pesto with both sausage and mushroom combo. AMAZING. Nearly all local ingredients really does add to the overall food experience. And for a bar...the pesto flavor is just lovely. Yummy, yummy, yummy!!! Now, it wouldn't be Wisconsin without a review of the fried food. It's all indulgent. Fries, Yum. Rings, yum. Curds, yum. Check this place out in the summer months too! There's bluegrass tunes to be had. The staff is in tune with the friendly meets 'got things to do" vibe, and two pool tables are offered in the bar area. There is an entire multi-use space across the way, which for varying game day scenes is lit up! read more

The unfriendly atmosphere at The Harmony Bar is its biggest failing. At first I thought it was just sarcastic "Soup Nazi" humor, but soon realized that the prevalent hostile attitude there is genuine and that it trickles down from management to employees, customers, and even performers. I've seen bar managers there either berate customers directly or berate the bartenders who then have to try very hard not to pass that negativity on to customers. Also, it's downright embarrassing to be an audience member there when the bar mistreats the band. I once saw a Harmony bar manager preempt an encore performance by turning on the overhead lights, jumping up on the stage, and literally grabbing the mike from a performer to announce that the show's over and that everybody has to finish their drinks and leave. I was floored. It was the first time I'd ever seen anyone kick a band off the stage just because they wanted to close their bar early. The kitchen staff works hard, and the food is decent. Unfortunately, this is the only bar I've ever been to in Madison where I've been asked to pay for my dinner tab up front. (There are lots of other bars that also don't take credit cards, but they still let you run a tab.) It made me wonder if they didn't trust me to close out my tab or if they were hoping my tip would be better prior to experiencing their poor service. In short, even on occasions when they book national acts, it's not worth going there if you're going to encounter hostility when you want something from the bar. There are too many other fun places to go in Madison for anyone to have to put up with the miserable buzz killing atmosphere that prevails at The "Harmony". read more

Beer selection is ok. Good room for seeing bands - sound was great. However, majority of the male staff here is unapologetically rude & disrespectful. Aging sports neanderthals that could care less that you're there. Don't waste your time - spend your money at Mickey's Tavern or Crystal Corner instead. read more

Fantastic neighborhood bar. The pizza is some of the best in town (the Greek pizza, ftw) and the rotating specials keep things interesting. Tap list is pretty steady and doesn't switch up too much, but the bottle list is always nice. I come in fairly often and the staff is always aces. Great atmosphere to catch a badgers game. On top of everything, the music schedule is phenomenal. A steady supply of Madison bands (not nearly enough People Brothers Band) and other acts from around the Midwest. The vibe is always chill, and the cover is never more than $7 or $8 (if there even is one). Definitely one of my favorite spots in town. read more

Been here for 15min. So impressed with it all! Bartenders are phenomenal, the chef is kickin ass! Patrons are cool! Friendly place... 11/10 would recommend! read more

Harmony, I blame you for my insatiable craving for a walnut burger coupled with your hot blue cheese chips and a Spotted Cow. Oh.My.God. Fantastic!!! Harmony is also great as a local hang out with the neighborhood guys and gals. Super comfy atmosphere, live music, & clean bathrooms. All very good. read more

The Harmony - or the Har Bar as my friends call it, is always an inviting and friendly place to have a beer. It's a neighborhood bar in the truest sense of the word, locals walk and bike to the place which is situated in one of the greatest areas of Madison. The food is really nice, an up-scaled bar menu. The signature dish, the "Walnut Burger" is truly fantastic. Forget about it as a meat-alternative, this burger is a unique creation all its own that will make you have desperate cravings. The space is large, divided in two, one half the main bar area and the other a large space with family-style tables where groups gather and bands sometimes play at night. Here you will find the livers of the pure Madison lifestyle celebrating their lives. These people are happy and they might just make you happy too. read more

I'm not a local, which means I don't really understand the appeal of the Harmony. Hot chips and dip? I'll eat 'em, but they're not the stuff dreams are made of. Old-school cafeteria-style tables? Dim lighting, rickety tables and chairs? Kids (like, aged 6 and under) running wild and telling my group of adults to stop swearing? Guess I'm just a snob. On the plus side, gin & tonics were $3 each on a Friday night. read more

This is where YELP gets odd - any idea the demographics for the other reviewers? As a neighborhood bar, yes you are expected to behave - and geez, not having easy tabs going and having to pay as you go may be a pain. But really?! there's a cash machine right next to the pool table. Do the owners have a right to close down when it's bar time, indeed. What a bunch of whinners! Drinks are served well and timely. Food is good. Better than good - hot, made to order, and fresh. Kids are expected to behave (and ours have been reminded as have we - good for all). Do we go there for yummy, fun times with friends, yes! Are we grateful a local, privately owned business maintains it's unique flavors. Yes! Cheers to the Harmony! read more

The Harmony grows on you. For a bar of its kind (neighborhood, slightly older demographics on the whole, cheapish), the food is great. I am addicted to the walnut burger with cheese. It is vegetarian and one of two or three dishes I'll really miss when I leave Madison. The chips and blue cheese dip are also awesome. I've tried many other dishes on the menu, and the Harmony is great about having fresh specials, many of which are vegetarian. They've all been good to great. I love sitting at the bar. This is a bar that no matter your gender, you can go and eat alone at and not feel odd or out of place. The bartenders (who function as servers) are neither overly friendly nor out of sight. They are attentive, but leave you appropriately alone while you are eating and drinking. Although I don't have kids, I am often with those who have them, and this is a great place to bring kids. They can run around the back room and on Fridays, you'll find lots of other kids. This is also a great place to watch sports events. The other week, I called up and asked if the bartenders would put the Tour de France on for me and a couple of friends, and he said yes and gave us free reign of the large-screen tv in the back. Oh yes--bring cash, although there is an ATM if you forget to. read more

Love this place. People are very friendly and it is also a great place to catch a game on the TV or people watch. Food is awesome- especially the hot chips/dip and the pizza. Marcus is the best bartender/host/do it all kind of guy! Go here! read more

I believe you need to give a place a couple of chances. This is the fourth time we've come here. Not a soul in the place but us. Took 45 minutes for tacos and wings. Sat there for twenty minutes and the only time we saw the waiter was when he took the order. Then he came out and brought two of our dishes. Five minutes later the other two dishes came out. Order was wrong. When we were done we waited ten minutes for the check. Got impatient and asked the owner for the check. He sent it over. We were overcharged but I figure just pay the extra $6 and get out. Want to support local businesses but unfortunately this place has changed owner three times for the same reason. No one goes here because the service is terrible. read more

Try the walnut burger. Shoot some pool. Listen to great music. Chat with Eastside locals. This place is a Madison institution.