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A few of us were in Madison for a jazz concert at UW. We were looking for a nice pre show dinner…read moreand heard great things about Merchant. The restaurant didn't disappoint. Our hostess and server were pleasant. The cheese curds, burgers and fries were delicious. My New York strip, however, was just OK; tough and not very flavorful. The baked on site carrot cake was really really good! Nice place with nice people and a fun vibe.

We went here for a Girls Night and had a reservation for 07:45PM. However, service was extremely…read moreslow in which we did not get our food until an hour later. We were a little disappointed in the wait because there were some empty tables around, which showed that Merchant was not extremely slammed, but we wanted to give benefit of the doubt. Fried Cheese Curds tasted alright. We probably got the unlucky batch though, because halfway through eating them, we had dime-sized cheese curds. It certainly didn't feel like we got a full appetizer size of cheese curds because of this. I think typically the smaller cheese curds are at the end of the dish, but here it felt like we had it for 50% of the dish. The Merchant Burger was alright, but nothing to wow my senses. The black pepper aioli was delicious though, but it felt like that was what was saving the burger. Not pictured was the Floral G&T drink, which tasted delicious. Overall: giving this place 3 stars because it wasn't amazing, but it was OK. The interior is beautiful though, but food and service were below our expectations.

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Heritage Tavern

4.4(736 reviews)

•$$$

We stopped by for dinner after a pretty draining couple of weeks, and I can't say enough about the…read moreexperience. The food was great, but our server, Lily, was incredible. She had no way of knowing we were feeling worn down, but her warmth and genuine care completely turned our evening around. She made the visit feel special in a way that really stuck with us. Lily is a massive asset to the team, and we're beyond grateful for the hospitality. We'll definitely be back.

We came without a reservation for brunch on a cold, snowy Sunday. We got in right away!…read more Favorites: The cinnamon roll was a crowd favorite and the schnitzel was crispy and rich. Service was just fine considering the busyness. Some long gaps every now and then but I rent taken care of.

Inside tables

Peppercorn steak

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131 bourbon street and rhubarb gimmie

Graze

3.9(1.4k reviews)

0.0 mi•Capitol

We came for regular brunch menu on Easter Sunday. The ambience is open, airy, and inviting. Service…read morewas prompt and accurate. However, our server wasn't super familiar with the menu and didn't know what was in certain dishes. We ordered a variety of dishes. Overall, everyone liked their meals. The flavors were great. Love the Korean fusion. However... despite that we were the first ones in the door, they did not have the chicken that was on the menu. That seemed strange to all of us that they didn't plan ahead for a holiday weekend. A solid restaurant would usually have their menu items well stocked prior to a holiday weekend. Overall, still a good expertise if you're willing to be flexible.

I know most people like it here, but everytime I've been here over the years something has gone…read moreastray. This time we went to Sunday brunch with a group, including some kids. We had reservations, so we were seated right away which was a plus. Also, I will say I don't think any of the issues we had were because of our waitress. She was super friendly and quick enough to take our orders on a day when there restaurant seemed full enough, but manageable. We got our drink orders in and our food at the same time to speed up the process for getting little kids food, and the waitress even took note of that. We also ordered an appetizer to help during the wait. It took a while for the drinks to come out, but they were all rather tasty. I think my apple cider mocktail was the best and refreshing since it was getting hot in the restaurant with the sun beating in. Our food however took forever and the kids meals did not come out any earlier than everyone else. One person in our group also initially didn't get his meal, which the waitress apologized and said there was a mixup in the kitchen. That's fine, it happens, but then the staff running meals tried to bring him the wrong order 3 times. The rest of us were all finished eating by the time he finally got his food. Overall, the food was fine. I got the eggs benedict which was a little underdone on the eggs for me as the whites were too runny for me. The kids chicken nuggets were pretty tasty with a flaky breading. I heard decent reviews of the breakfast burger, but the thing that was the best to us was the breakfast sandwich. It was quite messy, but the messiness of the sauce was worth it. We also got an appetizer of the cinnamon roll. I feel like it's a little mislabeled though, as it was more like a morning bun with some frosting/glaze over the top. Tasted pretty good and helped keep kids entertained for a while. Overall, the food was fine, but the experience wasn't great. With the multiple mixups in orders and getting a little green house effect going with the sun shining in, there wsnt a great feeling when leaving. Again, I don't think it was our waitresses fault, so not sure what was going on in the kitchen.

The reason for five stars! Chefs Signature Korean pork belly, local Hook cheddar "grits", aka polenta. From NY Times feature

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Basque cake, spongy and tart. Most popular dessert

The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

3.8(1.1k reviews)

A must visit in Madison! The food is great and the beer is tasty…read more Came in early evening on a Wednesday. It was pretty empty. They have a wing deal - 15 wings and 2 pints for $25. We got the Korean BBQ and Habanero. The habanero is SPICY!! My mouth was burning after two wings. I always get the APA beer. Classically delicious! Luckily we walked because parking can be tricky to find. Service can also be a little hit or miss. Today our server was a lil forgetful.

Every time I visit Madison, it is an absolute guarantee that I will be stopping by The Great Dane…read morePub...most trips more than once! Great Dane Pub has become one of my favorite spots in Madison for a variety of reasons from the drinks, vibes, service and community support! Situated on the corner of Doty and King in downtown Madison, Great Dane is a welcome sight for any visitor or local looking for a chill spot to have a solid drink, tasty bite and/or a good time! The pub is one large space, but it is separated into a few unique areas. One side is quintessential pub with a long bar, lots of dark woods, and a good sized dining room. The other is more of a pool hall vibe where you will find the other side of the bar, several pool tables, lots of TV's, high tops, darts, etc...We have bellied up to both sides of the bar and while I like both sides, I prefer the vibe of the pub side. They have a fairly extensive food menu with several bar/pub classics such as wings, nachos and burgers. But they also offer a good variety of sandwiches, bowls, salads, soups and even tacos. While we are normally here for the drinks, we do enjoy the cheese curds, wings and poutine! Speaking of drinks, they always have a great menu of house cocktails that is constantly updated for seasonality. I have had several iterations of cocktails and since I visit a few times a year, I always get to try new seasonal cocktails and beers! Service is always stellar here, no matter what side of the bar you are on. Welcoming, friendly and helpful...every time! Overall, I am an absolute fan of The Great Dane Pub!

Bar area

6 Pack Pub Wings (habanero hellfire)

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The outside of the building is a little shabby and could use fresh paint but I guess that's part of the charm.

Lucille

3.9(657 reviews)

Food was delicious! Maggie was our server, and she was incredible. She was super informative and…read moreknowledgeable. We had a big group for a birthday and she was super patient. Overall experience, all thanks to Maggie!

My review is based on the quality of the food - not the poor service…read more My party was a group of four. We had a pretty irritating experience including our table being given to another party after waiting 75 minutes. And had to wait an additional 20 minutes. Food wasn't delivered on time. One of the appetizers came worth the pizza (40 minutes later) and my personal pizza was missed and was delivered 20 minutes after everyone else was finished eating. Food itself was enjoyable. The stand out for me was the curds and the deep dish.

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Madison's

3.6(214 reviews)

Such a good restaurant! It has a smaller menu but various options for everyone. There was plenty of…read moreindoor and outdoor seating and the staff was so kind! There was some very fun drinks that made the instagram :) The restaurant was fairly empty when we went but still had a lively ambiance at the bar. The restaurant was not wheelchair friendly, so just keep that in mind! And parking can be tricky- parking garage is likely the best option when going around supper time.

Grabbed a spot outside during the Taste of Madison....We were seated promptly and had service…read morequickly. I needed a Bloody Mary and like a ton of Wisco bars they make a good one. We shared appetizers of nachos, curds, and wings. The nachos were slammed with toppings. The chicken tinga was delicious and not completely shredded. The curds were just okay. The wings (half Parmesan and half Buffalo) were meaty and tasty. All in all solid food. Shout out to the staff for de-escalating a belligerent hillbilly and her boyfriend. They were arguing and already intoxicated from the Taste causing a scene. After a while of her refusing to leave, she threw a bottle and her scumbag boyfriend broke a chair by slamming it on the street. The left the scene right before the cops got there. However fun fact...they happened to be staying at our hotel and were being losers there too. This time the cops got there and she was perp walked thru the lobby. It was a great ending of her day that she truly deserved.

Bar Area

Nachos

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Espresso martini

The Audrey Kitchen + Bar

3.7(39 reviews)

0.2 mi•Capitol

Bar review! An excellent hotel bar. They have bar seating…read moreand a little lounge area, that is part of the hotel lobby. They have a good selection or beers and cocktails. I appreciated being asked "classic or Wisconsin" when I ordered an old fashioned. The drink was good - only complaint was there was too much ice. The bartender was attentive and great at making drinks. We didn't eat, but you could order food from the restaurant!

The service was great. The food is "elevated" bar food. I was looking at more a proper full course…read moremeal to match the beautiful aesthetic of the restaurant.

The Bar, bridges the space between dining and the cozy lobby.

Market Vegetables

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Our semi-private dining space called The Munson Room.

Turn Key Madison

4.1(104 reviews)

1.3 mi•Tenney - Lapham

I highly recommend this restaurant. We stopped by to see if we could get a reservation on a Friday…read morenight. They were able to work us in. The food was very good. I ordered Friday night fish fry, which was deep fried haddock, a popover, coleslaw and french fries. All of the food was cooked perfectly. My fiance ordered a prime rib sandwich and it far exceeded his perfection. The reason for taking time to write this review is due to the service. Every single employee was so friendly and the service was exceptional. The hostess, the wait staff, the bartenders, etc. We also had drinks at the bar and they were amazing! The ambiance was very nice. We were seated at a table with a candle and away from other diners. Thank you, Turn Key!

This is a nice supper club that is away from downtown and has parking. We were sat in their main…read moredining room but apparently theirs an upstairs I don't know if that is for parties or the public though and then the have a large bar area. The area is very moody lighting and even has small lamps on each table. Our server and staff were great and everything came out timely. We got an old fashioned and a sangria. The sangria is strong but you won't know it until you stand up. We started with the cheese puppies and they had a fantastic pull to them. Some of the best version of cheese curds I've had in a while. My husband and I both had salads and the bowl was too small for the salad but it was a decent salad I do wish the cheese was sprinkled on top as it ended up going to the bottom of the bowl. For an entree I had steak frites. Fries were solid and the cooking of the steak was good with the charcoal but it didn't have much flavor. The chard on the side was also good considering I've never had it. For dessert we had the valentine special chocolate cake and again it was good but nothing super special. We didn't stick around the bar too long but enough to get a winning pull tab. I would come back for the bar tenders they seemed chill.

1.1 mi•Willy St, Williamson - Marquette

Beautiful dining room

Charred carrot

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Turn key brunch has lots of delicious food

The Weary Traveler Freehouse

4.0(714 reviews)

The Weary Traveler Freehouse is an unexpected, but also on point eatery and bar situated on the…read morefamed "Willy" Street in East Madison, and have quickly become one of my favorite spots in town! Weary is an eclectic space that is full of a hodgepodge of artwork, mirrors, lighting, decor and a bunch of random items that just make sense together. The vibe here is uniquely local for this part of Madison and from the moment you enter through the large ornate wooden door, you are teleported into a special space where a good time is sure to be had! We have come here for Friday Fish Fry, weekday lunch and weekend brunch, and we have never left unhappy or hungry. The menu is made up of mostly classic dishes such as salads, soups, burgers and sandwiches, with a few mains like steak frites and pork chop. Brunch has your classic brunch dishes such as breakfast plates, biscuits and gravy, burrito and of course, French toast. The fish fry is excellent here, especially the pan fried version, which still provides the light, crisp and fresh fish but less the thick breading. For brunch, the breakfast burrito add sausage was spot on and super tasty! For cocktail, they have a stellar menu of house curated cocktails. For brunch, I went with the Bloody Mary and outside of brunch hours, I gravitate to the Killer Bees Knees gin based cocktail. I will grab a beer on occasion, but the cocktails are too good to pass up! Service is always stellar here whether we are sat in the dining room or bellied up to the bar. Overall, absolutely in love The Weary Traveler Freehouse!

Great food, cozy bar, attentive staff. Relaxed and laid back. Several NA options on the menuread more

Specials Menu as of 4/25/25

Friday Fish Fry - Walleye

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Side dining area

The Coopers Tavern

3.8(592 reviews)

0.2 mi•Capitol

The Coopers Tavern is a local pub-style restaurant in downtown Madison that has the neighborhood…read morevibe combined with a rustic-almost European energy, which makes sense when you learn the owner is from Ireland! The menu is filled with elevated pub food, a few classics and then a few twists on those very classics. Come hinge, because the menu is carb-driven, so be ready to eat! To start, we went with the poutine, because why not! The fries were crispy, gravy was velvety and the curds were firm, yet melty enough for a good cheese pull! For our mains, we both went sandwiches. I went with the Celtic Burger, which is their standard burger with added caramel iced onion, whiskey bacon jam, Irish cheddar and a garlic aioli. The burger was good and cooked well, but it was less impressive than I expected given all the goods they added to it. While the aforementioned additions sound like a flavor bomb, it was still fairly one note in overall flavor. It was still tasty, but again, not as expected. My buddy went with the corned beef sandwich. He enjoyed it, no major issues! I did appreciate that exchanging fries with fried curds was an option, especially after loaded up on fries as a starter. The curds were well fried, pillowy and quite tasty. Perfect side for sure! In addition to the food, they are known for their bar offerings so you know we had to grab a few cocktails! I went with the Golden Dew and my buddy the Old Fashioned. Golden Dew was delightful, however the old fashioned was a bit sweet, but that's possibly the brandy. Service was great. We walked in and hit the wait list, however was able to scoop up a few seats at the bar before our table was ready. The bartenders were friendly, helpful and an overall joy to interact with. Overall, definitely a fan of The Coopers Tavern! When back in Madison, I would certainly swing by again!

I was kind of nervous about trying this place because of some of the other reviews, but I was…read morereally wanting something quick before I had to go to my Epic training class. I decided to get the grilled cheese with tomato soup and a side salad. It was plenty enough food. Somebody who seemed like he was in charge took my coat for me, which was really sweet and hung it up. The waiters were really attentive, and even though the grilled cheese has made my hand sticky it's given additional napkins to help with the stickiness I would return here definitely for lunch. I was one of the only few people in here, but I did go for an 11 AM lunch.