Fantastic venue for live music run by former Chicago jazz club owner. Brings in many touring bands…read moreconnected with their Chicago performances. Great sound and welcoming atmosphere!

It's all about ambience plus the fantastic owner and I will now add a collage I created for the…read morefestive birthday celebration they hosted for world renown jazz performer on September 6th of this year! I immediately felt welcome and comfortable when I went to this event and will definitely return some time soon!

this is the place to go if you're just hammered and need to scream-sing pop songs with piano…read moreplayers. don't go in there looking for good service or specialty drinks. you're there solely to sing along to show tunes or taylor swift. i saw a bachelorette party happening one night and they were having a blast. good times.

Great place to watch & listen to pianos playing. Floors are super sticky & bathrooms smell like…read moreurine by the end of the night, but it's expected when it doesn't close until 2am. Dualing pianists were great-- and their song range was even better! Nightly drink specials and good selection of cocktails. Service was quick but only at the bar, which can be a pain when you're up in the front trying to break the crowd to order.

Super fun friendly crowd. Bring the kids for lots of activities. Enjoy s as beer with the…read moreheadliners and always great street food. DO BRING INSTRUMENTS!!!

1) The Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival features an outstanding lineup of trad music groups…read moreon two stages across 1.5 days (Friday evening/night and all day Saturday) in early August each year. 2) You purchase tickets to get into the festival, not to see any one specific group, for Friday only, Saturday only, both days, or for kids. You can also buy tickets to camp at the festival as well. Honestly, ticket prices are great, especially given how much entertainment and enjoyment you get when you pay. Order online by the end of May to save some money on 2-day tickets, or buy your tickets at the gate day-of -- either option works. 3) You're allowed to bring your own chairs, small tables, food, and alcohol! That's right, you heard me correctly. The Wife and I brought two folding chairs, a small picnic table, a few bottles of wine, and all our food so that we could just sit back, relax, and enjoy the music 4) They have a solid handful of food carts and a beer vendor if you forget to bring your own. 5) There are activities for kids through the day on Saturday. 6) No pets allowed. Although it would be fun to hang out with dogs all day, I'm totally OK with this rule since it means I don't have to watch where I walk.

The Cardinal Bar is both retro and classy. Stopped in for some pre-dinner beverages and listened to…read morethe live conga band get set-up and play their first few songs. The service was really good with cool bartenders and a mellow vibe. Didn't try the food although it is on the menu. A bit further from campus, the CB seems to be a place catering to a more mature crowd rather than a UW student bar.

The decor is so cute and I really liked the food options and NA drinks! Parking is a challenge so…read morewe parked in the Essen Haus lot then walked over. We arrived shortly after they opened and it was excellent: great service, great vibes. We were so relaxed. We visited on a dancing night and even though we stayed at our table, it was so fun to see people of all ages, sexualities, and wardrobes coming to and from the dancefloor. Once it got busy, the bartenders were really struggling. It seemed like most of them were new because they kept asking one of the bartenders questions. One of them didn't even know where to find the drink I ordered (it was on the menu, and in the fridge in a can). Once all of the employees are as seasoned as the one they were all asking questions to, I think things will run much more smoothly. It also turned into a big party atmosphere which was fine with us, but many of the tables that were relaxing when we arrived were gone shortly after the music started. So just choose your visit time based on the type of experience you want.

This is the first chance we had to attend the Concerts on the Square since relocating to Madison…read morethree years ago - blame Covid. We had gone to one of these concerts at least 15-20 years ago when visiting family. It was a perfect summer evening for such a gathering. If you are here as a serious fan of the symphony this may not be the best place to listen to a concert but if your goal is to have a picnic it a great setting then do go. Yes you could hear the music and see it if you were not close (many were pretty far away but there were three large video screens). That did not seem to matter given the music was just an excuse to picnic on the Capitol lawn. Between the eating, drinking, kids screaming and laughing, the chatting there was a concert going on. You do need to arrive early to stake out a good spot and there are rules on the height of chairs if you are on the lawn. Parking can also be an issue but it is all worth it when the weather cooperates. A true must-do in Madison.

What a PERFECT evening! Yesterday was the first Concerts on the square of the summer and it did not…read moredisappoint! Parking was $8 in a nearby garage and worth every penny. Food vendors galore are present to satisfy all of your needs, or you are welcome to pack a picnic and wine! We brought a blanket and were able to find a spot for two despite the large crowd. My work sponsored an event that allowed us two free pizzas from Pizza Brutta, but we did see that they also had a stand nearby. If sitting on the lawn is not your jam, there are several restaurants near by with outdoor patios that would still allow for good food and music from the orchestra. Tip: the concert closest to the Fourth of July is my favorite, and they include a salute to the armed forces and end with the 1812 overture!

I've heard people rave about The Mason, and it took me far too long to finally come in here, and it…read morewas honestly entirely by accident. I was supposed to be meeting a group elsewhere nearby when our original place closed without warning. So we headed to The Mason and it was a delightful experience. It was very busy with one bartender, so it took awhile to get your drinks, but they were still well made and the bartender was very friendly. It's a small place so it can get loud when busy, but our group had a great time and we enjoyed the place. It is a dark, neighborhood type vibe. And the sealing the deal of the 5th star for this place is that they were dog friendly. My pup had a great time getting pets from customers. Great find!

I can't believe I haven't been to the Mason Lounge yet the vibe was amazing I feel like you could…read morecome in whatever fit and feel chill! The live music area was one of the coolest things I've seen and we got yummy Moscow mules. The bartender (Tracy I think) was so kind and so amazing!

Want to hit up a fun Christmas decorated bar? Check out Tinseltown in Middleton. It's the garage…read moreside of Tanner's. It's super cute with festive holiday drinks. There are different events going on... including live music on Friday nights. Bartenders are friendly and quick.

I really wanted to love this bar, but it unfortunately missed the mark for a women's sports bar…read more There was very limited women's sports memorabilia on the walls, and what was displayed leaned more toward men's sports, making it feel no different than a generic bar. Because of that, it's hard to see how this could be labeled as a women's sports bar at all. About half of the beer taps were down, making the tap beer options limited. The overall atmosphere felt unwelcoming, and for a newer bar, I would have thought they would try to acknowledge their guests to make them feel welcome, to help drive return business. Unfortunately, we will be going to a different bar to watch the rest of the Women's NCAA tournament. We came with a group of 10, specifically to watch the UConn vs. Notre Dame women's basketball game, and asked if the game could be shown on the big screen. We were told yes, but then saw the screen being put up without any explanation or communication about what was happening, which was confusing and frustrating, leaving us watching the smaller screens around the room. With more attention to detail towards being a women's sports bar, better marketing towards being a women's sports bar, clearer communication when necessary, and all taps working for a better beer variety, this bar could be much better.

Great music, iconic atmosphere, friendly people -- feels like home yet with live blues music,…read moredelicious food & beverages.