I have come here a few times . I wanted to like it but I just can't justify the price to the quality of food . It's not great , it's okay at best . I think they tried to make traditional bar food "fancy" and failed . Items were over cooked . Dessert actually had mold on it and the ice cream was gel . When we asked how old it was the bartender laughed and said she dug it out of the bottom of the freezer (hidden from health department I guess ). Unfortunate as the inside gives you a feeling of good comfort bar food ... and it's just not food . Drinks sadly are overpriced. read more

Great place! We looked in Yelp at the menu and chose this gem. Something for everyone, even the kids. Great food! My husband had a burger (bbq burger). It had a chili and coffee rub and he loved it. The nachos were huge and delicious. I had a salad with goat cheese, apples and candied pecans. Sooo good. Our server, Maddie was friendly, and attentive. The bathrooms were clean!!! It's a little bit of a drive off the highway, but well with it. We'll definitely return. Highly recommend! read more

I am a bit sad! Just found out new owners are taking over. I will definitely give them a chance. But love Cathy and Andrew. So if they end up somewhere else. I will follow!! I enjoy coming here and they have been like family. Ed A read more

Went here two weeks ago and it was the worst experience ever. Freezing cold, food was not up to par and was charged twice for a bottle of wine. Thank God I caught it before I left. Emailed the restaurant from their website asking if someone could call me in regards to our experience and got no call and no reply to email so clearly they dont care or need our business. It's ok there are plenty of deserving restaurants in Madison that love their customers and care what they think....just not this one. read more

Sooooo happy to finally have a good restaurant take the space that has been vacant for so long. The staff is always warming and welcoming. I got the TBone steak special and my boyfriend got the steak kabobs, both were delicious and the portion sizes are enormous. My friend had the burger which was massive and perfectly cooked. We shared an order of the potato wedges which are a tasty new take on your typical potato skins. All I. All I'll say it's an amazing addition to the Madison restaurant scene! read more

Food was good with lots of regular bar food as well as some more unique options. Seating as well as a bar with multiple tvs. Staff is very friendly! Been twice had good experiences both times! read more

Outstanding wings, burgers, and pub food in a fun, laid-back atmosphere with family oriented dining room and separate bar area that can accommodate a larger group of adults. read more

If I could give this zero stars I would. The service was fine but thee food was straight up gross. I went with my husband and 3 kids and not one of the meals ordered was good tasting.. kids cheeseburgers were way undercooked. Save your money and go to McDonalds. read more

Tried for second time Valentine evening. Not real busy, just the two of us at our table. We did not order appetizers so our meals came out timely but wife's lobster ravioli was cold and had to be sent back. I had ordered the steak special (medium) and it was well,well done. No pink at all and had to eat alone while they were heating wife's meal. (Microwaved). Not a great experience for a date night. read more

Just finished my steak 16 oz T bone on steak night. It was outstanding. A complete steak dinner for $14.95 that tastes great.... best value in town. Also a great beer selection. I had the Hazy Little Thing on draft. Excellent!!!!!oh yeah I was with my 4yo. Great kids menu and super kid friendly. I will be back. read more

I have been going to James Madison for awhile now and enjoy the atmosphere and food. I have one big complaint after being there today. When are small children allowed to take over a bar area. I get there was music but the patrons sitting at a bar should not have to contend with dancing and screeching small children behind your seats. It is a small bar area and live music is quite an addition to the space but to have diners at bar tables with lots of small kids who then are restless while parents sit and drink to be allowed to dance in the bar for more than an hour. Not only that but to have a child at one point sitting at the bar in a parents lap has got to be a code violation. What was more disturbing is no one seemed to care. Waitresses were wading through kids to deliver drinks to the dining room. Why were these kids not sitting in the dining room which was almost Empty!? They could very well dance in there where there was plenty of room. A waitress came and did a shot behind the bar, was this to cope with the apparent lack of control by leadership. Shaking my head about this and I will probably reconsider dining here. read more

Very friendly bartender, very good food. The decor needs a bit of work, and the kitchen/serving staff need a bit of practice in being able to stagger appetizers and mains, but overall, it's a great addition to North Madison. The clam chowder was delicious, and so was the tuna BLT. read more

Tried theJames Madison Pub for the first time and very much enjoyed the experience. The restaurant itself is nice and very clean. Our server was friendly and checked on us frequently. We selected sandwiches ofc the menu which were excellent and served with a generous portion of fries which were excellent as well. Overall the experience was great and we will definitely be back! read more

Do yourself a favor and do not eat at this restaurant. It needs Restaurant Rescue. Food is absolutely terrible. This is a one and done. To bad because North Madison could use a good restaurant. read more

I was really excited to try this restuarant, sadly I regretted the decision to try it almost immediately. From one overwhelmed waitress that runs around the diner like seating area to the broken door that blows freezing cold air on you the entire time, this place needs some help. We almost got up and left several times (as I noticed 2 other parties do during my visit) but decided to give it a fair chance. It took 10 minutes to obtain menus after we seated ourselves because no one even acknowledged our arrival. We decided to put our entire order in at once because you could tell waitstaff wasn't going to be attentive. The coconut shrimp appetizer was inedible, the only flavor you tasted was the frying oil. However the marmalade to dip it in was tasty. I ordered fish and chips and my husband ordered the pork chops, neither dish had any flavor. The salads and bread that were supposed to come, didn't and the staff offered to wrap them up for us so we could take them home. Then the bill eventually came, which was way more than it should have been for the mediocre meals. Never again.. read more

Was really hoping this would be a great spot to grab a meal in North Madison. The restaurant front door (which needs repair) opens right into dining room, freezing everyone out. The space and decor was not thought out very well, doesn't make me want to stay there. We went on a night there was only one waitress working and the service was very diner-like - she called my mom "love" and "sweetie" and then forgot to bring out our salad, lost track of everything through the night. And on top of it all, the food was nothing great at all. Very disappointing. read more

We have visited twice. The waitresses each time were very pleasant and professional. The food unfortunately tastes pre-packaged and from frozen. I had the apple, goat cheese salad, which tasted just like the salad in a bag that you can buy at the grocery store. My daughter's kid dinner pasta had a fishy taste. My husband had the fish special, fillet of sole that was rubbery and smothered in too much marinade. Portions are small and prices are not. The craft beer selection as touted on the website doesn't even come close to the variety seen at other restaurants we frequent. On our second visit, my husband had the Manhattan, which tasted mostly of vermouth and bitters, no bourbon. Conversely, I was served a giant Negroni in a pint glass with crushed ice and a straw. This drink is normally served in a Collins glass with cubed ice or straight up. Nachos were ok, topped with guacamole that looked like it came from a tube. The "house made" chicken tenders were good, served with a very nice garlic parmesan sauce. But the serving was 3 large tenders at a price of $9. We really wanted to like this restaurant around the corner from our house. I guess the bottom line for us is that James Madison House is marketing a trendy menu at upscale prices that is ,in reality, mediocre level food and drink. The service is very good, however. read more

Food was over cooked. Appetizers were chewy, ordered a steak that was over cooked as well. None of us finished our meals. This is definitely a one and done for us at $120 for three people for food with low quality. read more

Best clam chowder just above the shoreline. And amazing wedge salad. Everything is top-notch tasty!

Glad to see a new restaurant opened in this part of Madison. Good selection of beers; solid appetizers (my son loves the wings); and good burgers. Worth stopping in to check it out read more

We just tried this new place and the food was great! Fresh, full of flavor, and well presented. I had the Buffalo Chicken Wrap and I highly recommend it. The service was fast and our server Cathy was super-friendly. The bar area is lively and they say they're going to add more touches to the main dining area to make it more cozy. It's great to have more dining options in North Madison. We're looking forward to going there again! read more

Based on this visit (Sat 6 October) and a couple of previous ones, there does not seem to be any management. The restaurant was woefully understaffed, though the staff, such as it was, was working very hard, trying its best to cope. The bar area is not bad, but the rest of the decor (in the dining room) is limited to institutional green paint on the walls. There may be more welcoming prisons. The food was not bad, though very slow to come. read more

A total crapshoot. Top of the line gastro offerings with bold flavors & cooked to perfection , or an abject failure of kitchen-ship with chintzy portions, and/or horribly prepared and incorrectly cooked items...though to their credit there are no hassles in replacing the meals. Slightly higher bar prices than average. Great wait & bar staff. Has potential but needs work for sure. read more