We've been to both the Verona and DeForest location. Food and service are great at both locations!…read more I like that Verona allows reservations but DeFroest does not and it fills up quick on a Friday night and parking is limited. Friday night fish fry IS A MUST!!! It is such a value and one of the best fish fry's we've had. I love that you have so many choices for sides and your not just stuck with fries and slaw. Verona also has a great outdoor space as well. We're hoping at some point they will branch out to McFarland, Monona or east Madison as it's about a 30 minute drive for us to get to any of there locations. They are such a hit, I can not imagine them not being successful at yet another location.

Environment wasn't what we expected, very casual. Everything we ordered was good with large…read moreportions. Easy in and out.

Small place with a very busy kitchen. They also sell fresh food products and ingredients for ppl…read morewanting to cook at home. I'm partial toward the crab cakes though - especially since that's the only thing I've actually had here . They are BOMB! They guy behind the counter also put me on to the boom boom sauce and I'll never forget it. Can't wait to visit again.

The lake perch dinner is amazing! I always ask for two extra pieces because I eat at least two…read morepieces before I pull out of the parking lot! The staff are knowledgeable, personable and professional.

On our way to go camping, we found out that we were running early and decided to stop on and take…read morethe tour. Then lunch. Then dessert. The tour was fun, the drinks excellent, and the food was great! Each item, though rather different, was very good. My wife and I both love our noodles and jambalaya is just one of those dishes I can't stay away from. Ended up not needing dinner that night because we were so stuffed from lunch. We will be back.

Stopped in for lunch, as the menu looked good. Nice clean, modern decor and friendly pleasant…read moreserver. We were seated in the back dining area by the window with a great view of the river. My Manhattan cocktail was excellent, with cherry balsamic and bitters. My wife had the tuna salad which was outstanding . I had the bourbon burger, with a great sweet bourbon glaze and thick bacon; which was excellent. As was my cauliflower mash side. The coffee we followed up with was strong and smooth. Great lunch.

My wife and I ventured out to Mount Horeb for dinner at Driftless Social on a Saturday night…read morerecently. We had a reservation, which I would recommend, and were seated immediately. The restaurant is fairly small, but cozy. The ambiance is very relaxed and social. It was a bit noisy but a good noisy, not obnoxious noisy; people having good conversations and lots of laughing. Our server greeted us in a timely manner and took our drink order. I ordered an old fashioned, my wife a Hugo spritz. Both were fantastic but just a heads up, the drinks were relatively strong. The menu is relatively small but still enough to choose from and not be disappointed. My wife and I both ordered the 5 oz filet with shrimp. We split a side of green beans. When our food reached our table, we thought that it might not be enough to fill us but we were more than full afterwards and agreed that anything bigger might be too much. The food was excellent, one of the better steaks I've had in a while. The service was good and our server, Sammy, did a real nice job of taking care of us without being overly intrusive. Prices were appropriate for the quality, maybe a little higher than you would expect but still worth it. If you're looking for a high quality, local small town steak experience that isn't a chain, I highly recommend Driftless Social.

It was my husband's birthday over the weekend, so I wanted to take him out to celebrate. It was a…read morelittle last minute - we have 3 kids, one of which is a baby, so I called on Friday afternoon for a Saturday evening reservation. The automated recording said to send a Facebook message for reservations, so I went to their page. It was very simple, and was able to get a reservation for 7:30 pm. I asked if it made a difference that it was for a birthday celebration, and they said it definitely mattered, and that they offered a boozy dessert if that was something he would be interested in. When we arrived Saturday evening, we were immediately ushered over to our table. It was the perfect spot for a duo, and the atmosphere was very cozy. Everyone was so kind and we immediately ordered beverages - I chose the Aviation martini, and my husband a glass of Caymus. Martinis are obviously all alcohol, but DAMN was it strong. I don't drink much anymore, so it may have been a poor choice for myself. My husband had been wanting to try Caymus for a long time, and he enjoyed his glass. For our entrees, I opted for the 5 oz. filet mignon with coconut shrimp and a side of Smoky's onion rings. For the accompaniment, I chose the garlic & fine herb cheese crust, which was phenomenal! My mouth is watering as I type this, recalling how delicious it was. I ordered my steak medium, but it was definitely more on the medium rare side. I would have sent it back, but by the time I discovered it (it was so dark in the restaurant) it was mostly just the middle left. I decided to box the remainder up to cook further and enjoy at home. The coconut shrimp was sweet and crunchy (perfect) and the onion rings were very tasty, especially with the side of peppercorn ranch. For his entree, my husband ordered the 16 oz. ribeye with local melted bleu crust and Smoky's hashbrowns. You know he loves his steak when he takes a bite, closes his eyes, and chews it slowly. Driftless Social knocked it out of the park with this one! He absolutely devoured it. His only complaint was that the bleu cheese was more of a sauce, and less of a crust. Now on to the hashbrowns - we LOVED Smoky's when it was still around, and when we found out that Driftless Social was incorporating favorites from Smoky's, we were stoked. My father-in-law worked as a bus boy there in the 1950s, and we considered it a staple in our families for many celebrations over the years. We were gutted when it closed. These hashbrowns, however, were not what we remembered. They were almost reminiscent of a potato bake, which was a little too starchy for us. We really enjoyed the crispy top though! When it was time to order dessert, I mentioned to the waitress that it was his birthday. She listed off 3 desserts, so we assumed that all were complimentary for birthdays, and not just the boozy dessert that I was informed of ahead of time. Partly our fault, but it was also presented in a strange way. My husband ordered the apple crisp (absolutely HEAVENLY), but we were charged for it. We asked the waitress to see if it was a mistake, and she said it wasn't. I did reach out via Facebook messenger to the restaurant regarding this, and they were so kind! They sincerely apologized, and are sending a gift card in the mail. We are very excited to return - I need more of that garlic & fine herb cheese crust in my life!

We had a great dining experience at Benedetti's. The salad bar was fresh and we liked the choices…read more We had to ask what the dressings were because they aren't identified. The dinner rolls were warm and perfect. The ribs were fabulous. We loved the bourbon glaze. The meat was very tender. I had pan fried walleye which was excellent but I did get some bones. It was a large piece of fish and I enjoyed thw mashed potatoes. We also had wonderful old fashions. We actually wanted an ice cream dessert but they were huge. So we had a great teramisu which we shared and couldn't even finish. We can't wait to go back. The wait staff was very friendly and knew the menu well when we asked questions. It is a very comfortable environment and clean. Can't wait to go back.

First time here, great food service and atmosphere. Will come here again. Waitress friendly and…read morepolite.

Oh, where to start…read more We were on our way back from Cascade Mountain after a day of February skiing, and wanted to find a new steakhouse. My wife found this one, and we managed to snag a reservation for a table in the bar area. The sign has a stagecoach on it - it looks like the wheels could be made to spin from the neon, but they weren't the night we were there. See the photos below. When we arrived, we were greeted at the door. There is a spot to the left as you walk in to put your coats if you want. Once seated, look around. There is a ton of history on the wall, and we enjoyed the wall displays of old guns and equipment. They start you off with 3 different salads. You think "What? 3?" Yes, three, and pretty generous portions of them. There was a 3 bean salad, a pea salad, and another one, and all of them were very tasty. We tried not to leave any behind. We ordered their jalapeño cheese curds as an appetizer. The cheese curds were good, but we couldn't taste much jalapeño zing in them. The salad came out - it was what I'd call a basic steakhouse salad. Nothing fancy. I ordered their baked french onion soup - that was very good, with the cheese liberally applied over the top of the bread in the top, and plenty of tasty onions inside. For the main course, my wife had their fried fish, which was plentiful along with Au Gratin potatoes and cole slaw. I had their filet mignon, which was very tasty, seemed to be dry aged, and was sooo tender, with a baked potato. As much as we would have liked to order dessert, it wasn't in the cards. Dinner was more than filling enough. Would we come back? Oh yes we would. The service was excellent, the food was tasty, and the restaurant had a lot of interesting things to look at on the inside. The bathrooms are on the north end of the restaurant. The hallway was a little cold. The mens room was nice and clean, and smelled clean.

Stopped in on a cold Wednesday night and walked in to find it warm and cozy with great Christmas…read moredecorations adding to the normal northern charm. It was busy but they were able to seat us right away. Our pleasant server provided us with drinks an our orders came quickly. I had the Wednesday special queen cut prime rib with 4 deep fried shrimp, along with sides of salad, au gratin potatoes and chicken dumpling soup. I enjoyed it all. My prime was very tender. and My wife had the breaded pork tenderloin. There were two huge tenderloins that had thin and crispy breading and were moist inside. She enjoyed them but noted a little more seasoning in the breading would have been nice. Great atmosphere and set, good food with very filling portions. 4.5

We came here for to celebrate my dad's birthday and it turned out to be a wonderful evening. The…read moreservice was very attentive and friendly and the atmosphere was very dark and intimate. We ordered the saganaki to start, which was flambéed table side and it was fresh and delicious. We shared the porterhouse and the lamb chops (which were loins, not ribs) and there was an extra $8 charge on shared plates. The porterhouse was very tasty and cooked to perfection. The filet portion was my favorite part. The lamb loin chops were very thick and came with 4 large pieces. Each order came with a side salad or soup, and some type of potato, with many options to choose from. I love the Greek influence on this steak house restaurant. This is a great place to celebrate a special occasion or for a nice dinner.

My wife and I came to Galena to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary. For our Saturday night…read moredinner, we decided to go to Log Cabin, hoping to celebrate the occasion properly. When I called to make our reservation, I let the staff know we were coming in for our 10-year anniversary. When we arrived, I also mentioned it to the host (the bald gentleman with glasses). He responded with, "Well, your wife is right behind you--there goes the surprise," as if she wouldn't know it was our anniversary. At no point during the evening did anyone acknowledge our celebration or even say "Happy anniversary." I even asked our waiter, Pat M., whether anyone had told him we were celebrating anything. He said no--that no one had informed him we were there for our anniversary. We didn't come expecting free food, dessert, or anything special. But not acknowledging our anniversary at all--especially after we mentioned it twice--was frustrating. Every other place we've celebrated at has at least offered a simple "Happy anniversary," if not a dessert, flowers on the table, or a personalized menu. Log Cabin truly dropped the ball, and I believe the host is largely to blame.

This is an experience. You cook your own meat on volcanic stones. They are super hot and if you…read moredon't like to try cooking your own meat you won't enjoy this. Be aware that adding butter over the top of your meat while it's searing will cause some splashing and little hot droplets of butter may land on you. We ordered the Volcanic Punch with the take home specialty punch dish/mug. It's very cute and comes out with a flame coming out from the middle. It tasted good, not overly alcoholic and not too sweet. Easy to drink but if I went again I would get my own drink because it's a little annoying sliding the drink across the table every few minutes so each person can take a sip. We started with the Seared Ahi Tuna which you cook on the lava stone. This one is easy because you just sear it really well on each side and can eat the inside pretty raw. Then we had an order of the mussels. These come in a tomato based sauce which was good but we had hoped for a more butter or wine base. Then we shared the seafood trio and steak trio. The scallops were fantastic! The salmon I wasn't that fond of. All the steak trio meats were delicious but do take longer to cook on the stone. I will say the quality of meat was pretty good. Our server was very informative and funny! The restaurant is a little smoky inside because of all of the cooking happening at eat table. Overall it was a cool experience but I don't see us going back again, only because I'd rather have someone else cook my food

Hands down one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. I was staying across the street at…read moretreescapes and wanted to try here for dinner. I've only ever cooked on a lava stone once before, so I was excited to do it again. The tiki theme in here is well executed and super cute. Obviously I had to get the shark bite drink and take home the shark cup because now I'm prepared for shark week. I forwent apps because I had a feeling the meal itself would be filling and it definitely was for me at least (I'd been swimming all day). My salmon was delish and I appreciated my waiter's instructions on how to cook it. I also grilled up my side of broccoli and some extra mushrooms and onions in butter on the stone. The garlic mashed potatoes on the side too were a great call. I'd literally drive 14 hours at least one way to come back here and eat, I'm not kidding. Beyond delicious, it's an experience to remember for sure.

Good afternoon. Easter Brunch Sunday is a busy time!…read more I'll start off by saying, we have had great service and food in the past. We really enjoyed our visits. Here's the skinny: One month ago I made reservations for five. This morning I had to change the number for the reservation due to family illness. Myself and my significant other decided to keep the reservation for two. Our reservation was changed from 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This wasn't a big deal to us. We understood the possibilities. At 11:19 a.m. we arrived in plenty of time before our respective reservation time at 11:30 a.m. The gal at the front desk stated that it would be a little time before our table would be ready due to a previous reservation was still at our soon to be table. We decided to grab a drink while waiting at the bar. At 11:31a.m. I walked up to ask when our table would be ready. The gal stated that the table would be ready in a few minutes. Okay, perfect. Well, 6 people showed up between 11:31 a.m. and 11:39 a.m. All 6 people were sat immediately. I then overheard the conversation of the gal at the desk and a waitress who sat 2 couples of the 6 people before us. She stated, "oops! I sat the wrong two people, oh well." I said to myself, hmmm. Interesting. At 11:42 a.m. we were shown our seats. Okay, no apologies by the gal at the desk. I moved on. Food time! Food looked amazing, except both dishes, poached eggs and an egg dish were not properly cooked. The egg dish was without a doubt, undercooked. The egg dish was asked to be sent back. The poached eggs were not asked to go back. I had no problem with eating cold, not properly cooked poached eggs. They're poached, what could go wrong? Service. Our bar tender was great! She was receptive to our needs and made great drinks! Our waitress was okay, nothing but average. She checked on us three times and a fourth time with the bill. This is what really upset me! After paying for our bill, the gal at the desk walked up to our table stating, "We are more than welcome to stay and continue our Easter brunch at the bar, but she needed to turn our table for the next reservation." I looked at my watch. It was 12:31 p.m.. WOW!!! I was a little thrown back, surprised by the audacity of being asked to leave. This was not our fault that the previous diners were leaving late nor that the waitress sat other guests before us at our 11:30 a.m. reservation and that the food was undercooked and not done that suddenly WE had to leave our table?!?!?! WOW! I'm not sure how the owners are with treating their customers would feel. Feel free to contact me.

After it being recommended to us by several people, books my birthday dinner for a Thursday evening…read morefor the Alaskan King crab legs. Opted for for the 1/2 add-on to the 5oz petite filet. Was a lot of food. But it was delicious. From the focaccia bread basket with garlic herb butter to the complimentary birthday cheesecake with caramel sauce, every bite was fantastic. We arrived early for our reservation planning to have a drink at the bar while we waited but our table was ready so we were given the option to be seated right away. Definitely see why people recommend it.

This is one of my favorite spots for happy hour that have discount oysters which they have a great…read moreselection of. There cocktails are wonderful and really good food! Definitely suggest the boat

tempest Oyster Bar has quickly become one of my favorite spots in Madison, and I can't recommend it…read moreenough. From the moment you step inside, the atmosphere is perfectly sophisticated yet welcoming, with a classy, nautical vibe that feels upscale without being stuffy. The historic building (with its cool backstory) adds a unique charm, and whether you're at the bar, in the Boat Room, or on the patio during happy hour, it just feels special. The drinks are top-notch. Their cocktail menu is creative and well-executed think perfectly balanced classics and inventive options that pair beautifully with seafood. The wine and beer selection is solid too, with plenty of crisp whites that complement the menu. But the real stars are the oysters and crab legs. The oysters are incredibly fresh (they boast daily shipments), briny, and perfectly shucked some of the best I've had anywhere. We ordered a mix from the raw bar and couldn't stop. The crab legs? Outstanding huge, sweet, and steamed to perfection, with just the right amount of seasoning so the natural flavor shines through. Paired with their drawn butter, it was pure indulgence. Service was attentive and knowledgeable, the portions generous, and everything felt thoughtfully prepared. If you're craving excellent seafood in a great setting, make a reservation at Tempest you won't be disappointed!