Terrible service. Stopped in to pick up some beer to go and we were ignored for 15 min at the bar. Just standing there, payment in hand, with our selected beers to go. The bartender walked by us multiple times and did not even look up, nod, smile, or a "I'll be with you." Will not return. read more

I love Fantasty Factory, their most popular beer. Nice and large dog friendly patio. Bartender was not very friendly. Merch was in limited quantity and sizes. Location was not walkable from the Capital. A little disappointed in the tap room, but I do like their beer which is the most important thing. read more

As the last place didn't work out, I searched and found Karben4 which absolutely did work out. A mostly quiet space in the corner where there was a power outlet (electricity is always on my mind!). I set up the computer, plugged in the phone and then checked the beer menu. After ordering one of their "Midwesty" pilsners and taking a sip, I asked and was told that yes, it's perfectly okay to order delivery or bring in outside food as they don't have a food truck tonight. Yay! I did order (a Chinese place that I will review next) and during my three hours here at Karben, enjoyed two more of those great pilsners while writing up eight reviews from earlier on this trip in Pittsburgh. Great space, peaceful chill vibe, excellent beer. I really enjoyed it! [Review 20684 overall - 254 in Wisconsin - 1665 of 2023.] read more

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My husbands favorite brewery Highly recommend Must check out Wide variety of beer Service is always top notch read more

If you love their beer, this is your spot. I don't love their beer...so this wasn't my favorite place. It was also my third brewery stop of the day and the people at Karben4 were less friendly, less welcoming and had less food options. I'm sure the outdoor beer garden would be more my speed, but it was cold. There were a lot of Wisconsin Badgers fans at the bar when we arrived, so I assumed it was a fun place for people to watch the game. I'll go back, but only because my friends love it. read more

Karben4 Brewing - Edtoberfest - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The beer is solid. The bar is great. They have an outdoor space which we like in the summer, although it is right on Highway 51 so not exactly great views. We like to go in when it's quiet and play darts in the back of the bar. They have some snacks options and we've tried a few things -- the pretzels are solid and they offer Salvatore's pizzas. The staff is always friendly -- sometimes they seem understaffed but there are other times we've been in and it's basically personal service. Overall, a great place to hang out. It can be a bit overrun with people with small children, which seems counter to the name brewery, but it's not like that is within the control of the operation. read more

All the drinks are great here! Their huckleberry seltzer is my favorite item! Nice outdoor seating with food trucks.

8/12/22 - 6 PM Hidden away near MATC is this brewery with parking in the front/back. I happened to visit during a local beer event with food trucks & various beer tents. I opted for the seasonal Octoberfest & as always it did not disappoint! The brewery does serve frozen pizzas/pretzels but I decided to try a pizza from "It's Good For You". Typical pepperoni with extra sauce for me, that came out super fast (ordered, got another beer, and when I came back it was ready). It was a surprisingly good pizza (7.6/10) that left me wanting more. I talked to the owner (?) of the tent & unfortunately they are not there regularly. Overall, if this brewery was in my backyard with the Octoberfest/pizza tent/vibe I wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

Karben4 Brewing - Octoberfest! - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I mostly just had a great time while I was here and that might have bumped them up from 4 stars to 5. And that was mostly due to the company I kept. Still, I had a 5-star time! My friend and I came here to meet up with some friends of hers. I was visiting Madison, and down for the ride. Especially if the ride takes me to beer. Karben4 is located at the end of a strip mall sort of building with a long, narrow parking lot. They have an unexpectedly ample outdoor beer garden area, which was very welcome. At the time (early July 2021), we ordered inside at the bar and drinks were enjoyed outside. I was at first a bit confused by the in-house availability of the offerings, but I certainly found some new beers to me that I really ended up liking. They have a wide variety of styles and a lot of interesting flavors! They even have some hard seltzers that taste more like soda....and they still pack an ABV punch! I really liked the Old Fashioned Cherry Donut sour, so much so that I got a four-pack of it to bring back home with me. Mid-way during our visit, a band set up to play. They were surprisingly good and enhanced our enjoyment of our time at the brewery. Half of the band members didn't even look old enough to legally partake in beer. But...turns out I am older than I feel and young people look younger to me every day! The only down side is they don't seem to have much in the way of food. Small snacks, if I recall. Bags of chips and nuts, nothing substantial. I recall we discussed ordering delivery, but opted instead to go home and eat there. I would gladly return here on a future visit to Madison. And for fellow beer drinkers in the area, I would certainly recommend you pay Karben4 a visit! read more

Love this brewery! It was a beautiful day and we were able to enjoy the sun on the patio - while the road nearby gets really loud, the fence secludes it a little bit. They were unfortunately out of their pretzel bites but the cheese board was great. Super generous portion sizes of a lot of different wonderful cheeses (Hook's 5 year aged cheddar; a spicy three chili pepper Gouda; apricot, honey & lavender goat cheese, and more) plus other light bites . It also came with a sheet describing all of the cheeses - cheese board goals! Had to go the flight route since there are so many interesting beers to try. (Even the names and descriptions are fun.) My favorites were the America AF Watermelon Berliner-Kolsch (surprisingly full bodied for the low alcohol content - took a 6 pack home with me), the Sour Raspberry Fantasy Factory IPA (not too hoppy, too sweet, or too sour - took a crowler home but it was flat by the time I got back to Milwaukee), and Diet Starts Tomorrow Chocolate-Oatmeal Stout (rich and delicious.) Wish they distributed more of their beers around the state! read more

Karben4 Brewing - Wisconsin Cheese Board and flight - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Dark inside but really cute outdoor area. Art on the walls is fun. Good merch. Didn't try the food but excellent beers. Really love the midwesty and pitch perfect s'mores stout - the right balance with a pleasantly semi sweet finish. read more

Fun igloo experience. Visited with 3 couples in the space themed igloo. The staff was attentive keeping our drinks coming with contactless ordering. It was cozy inside. I recommend for something fun, low key, and different for a winter evening. Great variety of beer and seltzer flavors. read more

Amazing beer, ambiance and bartenders! They make you feel welcome and comfortable. The patio is one of the best in Madison.

Cool brewery with quality beers. We sat at the bar to enjoy a few beers before heading to dinner. We didn't realize they had some food options but we decided to try somewhere else for dinner. The beer list is very good and offers a wide variety. The bartender was very helpful and made great suggestions. Some of the food coming out looking pretty good so we will remember that for next time. Overall, large selection with a cool vibe. Multiple TVs and board games to enjoy as well. They offer a lot of stuff to take with you as well including apparel and different beer. My copilot picked up a case of beer to bring back home with us. read more

Karben4 Is one of my favorite breweries in Madison! They have many different delicious beers that have unique names and artwork to go with each one. My favorite name is a beer called ''diet starts tomorrow''. They put so much thought and care into crafting each beer. They also have a cool indoor area with a large bar, a merch area, a games section, and a glass wall that allows you to see where the beer is brewed. Karben4 was very creative and safe during COVID. They had several igloos outside for guests to reserve and dine in during the winter. These igloo were heated and lit up different colors. Karben4 also has a gorgeous patio when the weather is nice. It is lined with a wooden fence and string lights above. The food menu is excellent. They even have special appetizers, main courses, and dessert that rotate daily to keep things interesting. It's a great spot with great beer and food! read more

Karben4 Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Knowledgeable staff with great recommendations. The patio is great for a group of friends to enjoy a cold beer and laughs. Covid has curbed a few things but relax, wear your mask and spend a couple extra bucks on to-go beer, a t-shirt or even some cheese curds. I might have bought all three. read more

Stopped in for a snack/quick meal on a Thursday afternoon. There were 2 people in the establishment and 1 bartender. We were not greeted at all. When we said we were there for food, he handed us a drinks menu, which was not what we wanted. When I asked again for the food menu, it was slid down the bar to me without any communication at all. Not a friendly place to visit. read more

This is the little brewery that COULD. After a long day of climbing and hiking at a couple state parks we were chomping at the bit for good beer and dinner. Madison is a haven for breweries but I was looking for something new and off-cuff. Their food menu is large enough to find a little something for anyone. I watched many delicious looking dishes be brought out by servers but none sounded better than a good old fashioned BLT. The sandwich itself was great and the side was a fresh spinach salad. Bacon and fresh greens are sorta my thing, and they provided both in expert style. Our server was a really helpful guy who helped me out with their beer selection. He brought out two samples: Idiot Farm and NightCall and talked me into Block Party, which was easily my favorite of the three. So much so that I polished off the first glass in a couple minutes and had a second moments later. Block Party sort of reminded me of a 312 but a lot better in taste. We sat outside which is always a perk for me, but they also have a nice selection of indoor seating. Inside they also have large canvas portraits of each of their beer labels, which were made by a local artist. If you're in the mood, also note that they have a bunch of board games to take to your table and play. Look, we could have chosen a popular conglomerate brewery like the one on the other side of the airport. Sometimes you have to give the little brewery a whirl and see what they're all about. I couldn't have chosen a better brewery to visit yesterday, Karben4 Brewing is top notch. Thank you for a great experience! read more

Karben4 Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Karben 4 is in the oddest lil strip one could ever see. It's a section of town I would call mid-industrial-ish. The parking is odd but once you walk in you'll forget exactly where you are. Karben has a good vibe and a cool aura to it. The industrial montage is gone and you realize your in a funky, hip, and happening place. The beer selection is impressive and I enjoyed a few really great brews. They have a sampler that is second to none. The food the kitchen chefs up is very impressive as well. The deviled eggs, particularly the maple bacon is beyond words scrumptious. We will be back to Karben for sure if were in Madison. Hopefully though, they one day outgrow this space and get into an area of town that matches what they have going on all around. read more

Karben4 Brewing - Art everywhere! - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Ok Karben4 you win Madison best brewery hands down. Recent visit and a flight proved that your fantasy factory ipa isn't just a one trick pony. I do love that brew but the 8 beers I tried were solid craft beers. Great flavor profiles made me enjoy even styles I normally don't drink. Your Irish stout on St Paddy's day weekend is a winner. Space is hipster vibe. Fun. Casual. And a bit eclectic with all the giant artwork. Fantasy factory cutouts made for great photo op. Glad to see you have food menu too. Didn't try that but looked good from what I saw on other tables. 5 stars for craft excellence! So glad your beers abound all over Wisconsin. Next stop - rest of USA. read more

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Great vibe. Escape Artist and Science Project 2 are great IPAs. Plenty of seating and fun merch.

Another craft brewery in Madison, not far from Ale Asylum. They have a full kitchen and I got the creamy pepperdew sandwich with chips. Not bad, I think it's pastrami, or maybe corned beef sandwich. For beers I got the fantasy factory, which I think is their flagship, and then dragon flute, also good, and I split the new double IpA- the admiral philliams folly. It was pretty quiet for a Saturday night, but it was still fun, they have giant jenga, and the game with a ring tied to a string and you have to try and get it on a hook in the wall. It can be very fun when drunk lol All the servers were nice, service was fast. Overall a solid time, only downside is they close kinda early, at 10pm read more

Karben4 Brewing - Creamy pepperdew - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We were in town to celebrate my birthday and since my boyfriend loves craft beer, and saw that Yelpers gave this place four stars, we decided to stop by here. It was around 730pm when we arrived and the place was half full. Their menu had some food items that looked tasty so we thought we'd stay for drinks and food. I can't remember our waiters name but he was very friendly when serving us. We kept things super simple for him by both ordering the skirt steak tacos with a side of the day's soup (chicken tortilla soup). We also ordered the beet pickled eggs as our appetizer. My boyfriend also ordered a flight of beer while I ordered a coke. Our waiter had a pad of paper with him and it looked like he had written down our order but halfway through told us he was not sure if there were 4-5 drinks that came as part of the flight. He returned saying we could order as many flight sized drinks that we wanted, we'd just be charged differently depending on the drink selection. Then he handed us a list to check off what we wanted. We handed back to him the list with our selections checked off. Less than 5 minutes later, our waiter delivers the flight of drinks but then asks me, "did you order a drink?" Uhh yes, I ordered a coke. He delivers my coke, then asks "did you order the pretzel bites to start?" Uhh, no, we ordered the pickled eggs. At this point, we should have been concerned about whether he got our entree orders since he already forgot our drink order and appetizer order but we wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. After 40 minutes of waiting for our tacos (which should have been quick to make), I took a peek into the kitchen window to see how busy they were. The chef was wiping down the shelves in the kitchen and collecting used bowls/dishes that they were placing through the kitchen window. It didn't seem they are busy making other peoples meals. I looked around and no one was eating, they were all just drinking. So my boyfriend had to walk up to the bar to inquire with our waiter since he went missing and never checked back with us after delivering our appetizer. Our waiter told my boyfriend that it would still be a while longer for our tacos to be made. We ended up cancelling our taco orders (which I believe were never even entered into the system like my drink order and appetizer order) and leaving. How unfortunate. At some point during the night our waiter had mentioned he was new. I think the owners should use this review as a training opportunity. My boyfriend said the beer was not that great here so I don't think we'll be back. I forgot to mention, after our appetizer was delivered my boyfriend asked the waiter why one of the drinks, which should have been hazy in appearance, was not. Our waiter said he was not familiar with that particular style of beer and did not know why it was "foggy". Again, I'm not sure what type of training they have of their waiters/bartenders here but they should definitely know something about the products they are trying to sell. read more

Great craft brewery with unique beers in rotation all the time. The fun thing about this place is they like to experiment and make wacky non-traditional beer combos, so you never know what you're in store for. They do have a small patio for outside seating. The food is good, but the it's all about the beer here, the dining menu is very small so don't expect a lot of options to choose from and they do run out of things depending on the crowd. read more

Karben4 Brewing - Draft beer - Grapefruit Beermosa - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Spent the start of our day at Karben4. Excellent. Besides the excellent beer, they have Sunday brunch and their own blend of Just Coffee : K4. Bottomless! Everyone was super friendly. We even got tips on how to score tix for the Great Taste. We tried every beer, pretzels, the Tiny Tim and the coffee. Try the maple siracha syrup. It's amazing. Karben4 does an excellent job of incorporating their beer into their food. A must stop when u r in Madison. read more

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I am from Chicago but I often come to wisconsin with family for fun. Especially whenever I go to Madison, I get so excited to try fantasy factory!!! This became one of my favorite beer!! (I am a big fan of IPA and love trying various kinds) I always get a box of bottles to carry home. It's just so flavorful. Hopefully I can try this in Chicago someday after they become super popular :) read more

Karben4 Brewing - Love Fantasy Factory IPA so much ;) - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Been looking forward to a visit for a long time. They make one of our favorite of our favorite IPAs and it was a real treat to visit twice while we were in Madison. A bit out of the way by the airport but worth the trip. Fantasy factory IPA is the star. We also tried the coffee stout, oatmeal stout and black IPA. Can you tell Im a dark beer fan? All were top notch! They also serve food. We had brunch on our way out of town. Very tasty! Waitstaff and bartenders were all friendly and helpful. Cant wait to come back. read more

Karben4 Brewing - Gangsta kat - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We have dropped by Karbon4 twice for dinner and beer and both times really enjoyed it. Fantasy Factory is definitely their flagship, and why we came here the first time. I especially like the blackberry version, and I normally don't like fruit added to beer. But all their beers are good. Their food is also solid, and they keep the menu small to focus on what they do well, which makes sense. It's in a warehouse but doesn't really feel that way once inside. They have a big bar area facing large TV screens showing the game or classic movies, and tables around the room with games to play on a rainy day. Great spot. read more

We visited last night but I waited to write the review because I was so thoroughly annoyed with the experience that I didn't want to write a review with a hot head. The service was BAD. Bad, bad, bad. Five adults + 1 well behaved child in our party. We ordered pretty simple stuff, from the Reuben to Margherita pizza to sliders and soup and sandwich. The soup and sandwich was apparently delivered to the wrong table, so one person didn't get her meal until everyone else was done. And the deviled eggs appetizer wasnt delivered by the time the missing soup and sandwich finally came, so we asked for it to be canceled. Seriously. How many times do you have to ask for glasses of water? Or a pitcher of water? We were thirsty. Thought a pitcher would make it easier on the waitress. But after 3 requests we went to the bar to get the water ourselves. Fail. Maybe they were busy when we walked in but the place cleared out while we waited. Didn't change anything. The bad service we got when we arrived was the same bad service we got at the end. The bill: you'd think the late arriving meal would have been comped, right? Oh no, it was boldly added to the bill. While most of us had had enough of the madness and couldn't wait to GTFO, one person in our party had enough stamina to insist it be removed. And another person in our party (the same person whose meal was MIA), was a former server who refused to stiff the waitress on a tip. So the 10% tip we left was a gift from the unexpected bleeding heart in our party. And upon review of the receipt today, the person who got the sliders never asked for nor got a soup upgrade -- but we were charged the extra $2 on the bill. Overall the food wasnt bad, but it wasn't good enough to make up for the terrible experience! Whatever efforts the kitchen staff made were blunted and reversed by the server last night. Agree with Kelsi B and Chy L and Dan M (whose review was from June 2015!) on lackluster service -- refer to their reviews for other perspectives. The problems from 2 years ago persist. Sorry, millennials -- this place poorly represents you -- and the place as a whole poorly represents the Madison restaurant scene. Go to Ale Asylum, instead. There's a reason why they moved on up to a bigger and deluxe space on the east side. read more

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Really good beer, but the atmosphere is nothing to write home about. Food options are limited and overpriced. I would pass on this place and drink the beer elsewhere. read more

We weren't at Karben4 for too long, but we did enjoy our quick stop for a beer. I actually had a beer mimosa, which was good, but heavy on the ginger beer. I think next time I'd ask for it without the ginger beer. For a beer, you can never go wrong with a Fantasy Factory, and my husband also enjoyed his Champagne Tortoise. We didn't order and food, but the menu board looked good! read more

Karben4 Brewing - Beer Mimosa - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Husband and I stopped in for lunch on our way to Ale Asylum. So very glad we decided to stop. Had a barrel-aged Night Call smoked porter that was just tapped and it was amazing! So tasty and warming! They had some other beers I would have liked to try. Could have gone with a flight, but I certainly don't regret my pint of barrel-aged Night Call! The food was great. Not a huge menu but a nice selection of apps and sandwiches. I had the BLT and the Tomato, Pork, & Veggie soup. Both were really good. The bacon on the BLT was amazing and I loved the aioli on there. The hubby really liked his Midwestern Sope with spinach salad also. Tap room was great; nicely decorated with some cool artwork. There were also games galore to play. I could see spending several hours there and having a great time. We'll be back and have already recommended Karben4 to friends and will continue! read more

Karben4 Brewing - BLT with Tomato, Pork, & Veggie soup. Delish. Barrel-aged Night Call smoked porter, even better! - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great spot that's so conveniently located by MSN airport. Came here before flying out and it was a great cap to my first visit to Madison. Great tap list and food menu is extensive. I got crab cakes with a flight plus a couple pints and was happy with everything I got. Attentive staff, nice atmosphere (they had a couple arcade games in the back) and cute patio area for some fresh air and pet-friendly space. Bummed I couldn't bring any brews home with me but I'll be keeping an eye out for them at the local craft beer shops here in SoCal. read more

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Killer beer, fab food, fun atmosphere...a must on the Madison beer scene! Don't judge this book by it's cover (or facade)...yes it's in a strip mall type building but it's the original Ale Asylum space so there's good juju going on here. Their food is fantastic and not your typical fried bar food. Their deviled egg sampler is genius as are their pretzel styx. The beer is of course also outstanding...I'm currently in love with their seasonal Champagne Tortoise. If you're a real beer fanatic ask them about their Drinktank Growlers...we bought one recently from them and they are way cool! They fill it, you take it home and charge with with CO2, and then you have Karben 4 in your fridge with a mini tapper for much longer than the traditional growlers (I posted a picture...check it out). read more

Karben4 Brewing - Order the deviled egg sampler tray....you won't be disappointed. - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I was super torn on the rating I should give this place. On one hand, the beer is amazing. I have yet to have one that I didn't like. On the other hand, the service is downright bad. So I settled on 2 stars because to me, the service was more lackluster than the beer was great. My boyfriend and I came on a Friday night, and the place wasn't very busy at all. They seemed to have a good proportion of staff to customers so we had high hopes. However we sat at the bar for around 10 minutes before getting a menu from the bartender. I think she walked past us 5 times before realizing we were there. It then took another 10 or so minutes to just order beer. However once we did order, she at least brought the beer to us quickly. We decided to try the housemade pretzel with cheddar horseradish dip. It was pretty good, the pretzel was a little greasy for my taste but the mustard and cheese spread were really great. I would order it again. When it came time to get our check, it again took what seemed like an hour (probably more like 30 minutes) to get the bartenders attention. By that time there were employees sitting at the bar drinking and she was far too distracted talking to them. I like bars where the bartenders interact with the customers and that did not happen here. Not to mention she was eating popcorn with her bare hands and then serving beer to people. That's not too bad of a personal health code violation, but it was still gross. Overall we were really disappointed with our experience here. We do love the beer, but I don't think we'll return for a while. From other reviews it seems like their service is going downhill overall so hopefully they can get their act together. read more

Karben4 Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I really like Karben4's beer (they sell the one with the cat riding a unicorn - it's an IPA - at the local Costcos and it's amazing!). So when my alma mater decided to host an alumni event at their brewery, I was sold! The atmosphere was great. Tons of room to mingle and some games to play. They even have a play section to keep kids occupied! Plenty of parking and easy to find (super close to the Dane County airport). I will be going back! read more

Karben4 Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Finally made it over to Karben4 for sunday brunch and it was worth the drive! Everything on the small menu sounds amazing and everything me or my companions ordered rocked. I got the Monte Cristo, which was fabulous. The French Toast was perfect and the ham was good quality. The egg was a perfect amount of runny. They offer a combination platter (can't remember the name) that also comes in a half sized version, the Tiny Tim. Don't be fooled by "half sized" - it comes with so much food and is a steal! You get the pulled pork sandwich, ham, greens and French toast with a fruit compote. It's about the same price as if you just ordered the pulled pork sandwich (very good, by the way) by itself! Friends ordered their special mimosa, which is juice mixed with their IPA. Not a fan of IPAs myself but my pals really enjoyed this. read more

Karben4 Brewing - Monte Cristo for brunch - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Perfect patio to post up with your dogs and enjoy a refreshing beer. The patio is on the smaller side but I typically come at off hours and have never had a problem. If you're looking for a trendy beer selection, this is the spot. read more

We arrived about 10 minutes after they opened for Sunday Brunch. Perfect timing. Seems like it was right before the rush. They have an assortment of different size tables to sit at along with searing at the bar. Even have board games for you to play if you want (Cards Against Humanity too). Onto the food...wait there is food? Besides the amazing beer they have, they serve a very good brunch. The regular lunch and dinner food looks delicious as well. I ordered the "Tiny Tim", which is half of the "Biggie Breakfast". Perfect size meal for this guy. The hash was really tasty. They were out of the pulled pork so it was replaced with a ground pork. Still...very very good. The pork they use was from a local farm in Baraboo. The French toast is thin slices so it wasn't too filling which honestly was perfect with everything you get with this meal. The little salad was a perfect portion. I can't rave enough about this meal. My wife ordered the French toast and that was good she said. I ordered a Coffee Stout and I believe that was just released yesterday. Seriously, this stout went perfect with my breakfast. Just a perfect combination. Really enhanced the flavor of the Stout. We bought a package of the Karben 4 jalapeño brats while walking out from the local farm from Baraboo. They had a stand set up so you could purchase product directly from them. Very cool. Karben 4, you will see us again and again. read more

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Stopped here while in Madison for a show. Place is kinda tucked away, but easy to find. Friendly service, good beer and loved the outside. The inside was nice as well--nice decor. Unfortunately, I got sick and only ate soup, but the menu looked good (yes, I was sick, but still drank, it's a gift). My man-friend bought a shirt, which he gets compliments on constantly. Will def come back to try the food and drink some more when we return. read more

Karben4 Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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