5 stars because these sandwiches were stellar…read more I had the classic 2.0 with the addition of sweet pickled peppers and my SO had the turkey sandwich and we loved them both. The turkey was a hot sandwich while the classic was a cold. The location itself is small, feels like a hole in the wall bar with great cozy vibes. We were lucky enough to bike over on a nice day and so we sat in the outdoor space which is also small but got the job done before we were back on our bikes with happy bellies. We will definitely be revisiting so we can try more of the menu!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself here, that being said, on par with some of the lower reviews - they did…read morerun out of the pork belly sando, they charge for everything extra, and service was pretty slow. But if you were open to just having a nice casual dinner in a retro easy place, this is it. My fiance and I went to meet up with some friends from out of town and from a list of places I wanted to try, they chose this one. Between the two of us, we spent about $60 for this meal, which I suppose now adays is on par with what you can get away with. We also left with half a sandwich because honestly, these guys are huge! -Hot Beef Sando with Cheese (extra): this was a massive sandwich, packed with flavor. The ah jus was on the side and needed for dunking. It hit the spot, was a messy affair, but was very good. The meat wasn't melt in your mouth, it was actually quite dry, but the mix of everything together and the dip made it good overall. - Chili Cup: well spiced, super small cup and charging a dollar for each addition of onion, cheese, and sour cream is murder. Pass on the fixings, the soup doesn't need it, but it's not something i'd get again as it wasn't knock out of the park good. -Homemade Orange Soda: this was great. I love the nostalgia of using Tang and it was more earthy because they put some spices in it. Overall, would get again. -Coleslaw was asian inspired and made well, especially with the mint on top. Be warned though, its the same slaw on the pulled chicken...which speaking of: -Pulled chicken sandwich: It's their meat americanized fusion version of a banh mi. I know they have a vegan one on their menu, but this one felt less like a sandwich. The spices weren't quite asian tho and was interesting with the slaw. I wouldn't say it was my favorite but I did eat a whole half. Happy nomming!

I don't even like seafood but this fish themed bar was a blast! We saw the good reviews and…read moredecided to try it out. On a busy Saturday we couldn't even get a reservation til 9:30. We arrived at 9 and tried to frt seated early. No dice. But we sat the bar and had spritzers and appetizers. Not bad! Lots of local brews and ciders, plus plenty of open sparkling wine. The signature sardines were imported and served in the tin. What, you thought they came from lake Monona? It's across the parking lot, but these were from Spain. I'm told they were good. Let my take a moment to mention how friendly the service was. At the bar and all the helpers, I can't believe how kind and friendly they were. Order a little or a lot they were there to serve. By the time we got a table we were well on our way. Our server was excellent. Super nice, and knowledgeable about the menu He talk to us about the menu and took our orders from memory. We ordered everything from his suggestions. It was good move. We had the special scallops. They were 10U size, meaning 10 her pound. Each plate came with three peices. Th hey were good. We also ordered the lamb chops. Seated with a burnt crust. I think wrapped in bacon. Wow we really enjoyed it too. Dessert almost got skipped we're so full from a weekend of eating. He highly recommended the butterscotch pudding. It was like a big cup of pudding. It was amazing, highly recommend. We also shared a standard vanilla crème brûlée, which was merely very good. Light fluffy and perfectly crusted. Yes the food was good. The vibe was energetic. But what really made it enjoyable me was the friendly service and knowledge of the food.

Food: 4/5 it was ok, I had the Steak Frite which was just steak and fries. It was cooked really to…read moremy temperature, but nothing special. Service: 5/5 good. Ambiance: good crowd, and it's by the lake. Would be nice to eat outside, but the lake smells slightly weird.

Ate lunch at Circ today and ordered the salad bar. There was a nice variety including fajitas and a…read morecouple dessert choices. My husband suggests they offer bread or rolls with the salad bar and I agree. We parked in the underground parking and they gave us complimentary parking but you have to ask.

CIRC proclaims itself as Madison's favorite salad bar and I can now confirm that it is mine. Just a…read moremassive salad bar overall with all the fixings you could wish for. Also included, small hand sandwiches, soups, and deserts. Oh that must cost a ton right? Wrong--$15. The starters were great to start with as well. I went with the meatballs and the walleye strips and they were both fantastic! CIRC inside the concourse is definitely a solid place to come for lunch.

L'etoile really impressed me, my first 5 star rating in a while. I was taken here as a surprise…read moredinner by my partner to top off our trip here in Madison, and the dishes are all solidly delicious, unique (flavor combinations aren't what I expected), and are plated really intentionally, intelligently, and artfully. L'etoile is a sophisticated white tablecloth establishment, and perfect for a date night with its high ceilings, warm lighting, jazz music, and view of the Capitol. The acoustics are such that conversations from the table beside you are a quiet chatter, and you can hear your dining partner perfectly. We ordered our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd courses a la carte and opted not to do the tasting menu. I ordered the Alaskan king crab for my 1st, the Sea scallops & pork belly for my 2nd, the meyer lemon panna cotta for my 3rd. My partner ordered the charred spanish octopus for his 1st, the duck for his main, and the sticky toffee date pudding as his dessert. I can't recommend any one dish because honestly, all were equally impressive and what you order depends on what flavor you're in the mood for. The servers were attentive and the pacing for each course was even, with little snacks offered in between -- bread with bone marrow butter, a sunchoke foam & proscuitto amuse bouche, chevre cheese cream puffs. We were very full to end the meal, and they even sent us home with an oatmeal creme pie. Some notes below to guide an a la carte course selection, based on our meal -- 1st course: Autum squash w/ alaskan king crab: brighter, sweet, acidic Charred spanish octopus: deep & smoky 2nd course: Sea scallops & pork belly: A dish of contrast- sea scallops are light & almost like eating sashimi paired with an equally light sauce, contrasted against fatty pork belly with a strong plum sauce. Fun to mix & eat strong and light flavors and textures together. Duck: Medium rare duck with a deep flavor - somewhat smoky & earthy, also fun to explore as it comes with a white sauce, berry sauce, and a terrine also made from the duck 3rd course: Meyer lemon panna cotta: Bright and impactful -- the lemon panna cotta and guava sorbet are tart and pack different sweet punches. Lots of elements on the plate (spiced cookie, champagne sabayon, wafer, berry glaze) to play with Sticky chocolate toffee pudding: Decadent, deep, and warm. Not your average sticky toffee pudding, as there are some additional elements in the dessert that take it to the next level. Thank you again L'etoile. This was one of the best fine dining experiences I've ever had. Can't wait to return.

Food: 5 Service: 5…read moreUniqueness: 5 ---------------------------------------------- This is my favorite restaurant in Madison. Full stop. I had to leave a review because I'm incensed at how low the rating somehow is. Chef Tori is dope. We've been here twice - both times for our anniversary and each time the meal was 100% memorable. The staff are warm and have a way of making the meal feel like a secret being shared just with us. They had personal recommendations and favorites and the wine pairings were absolutely outstanding. I'm more of a beer guy, but this place might convince me to try some new things. Both times we've been the menus been completely different so you know they're being creative with what's in season. The bites are hard to describe how they can be equal parts comforting and familiar yet wholly unique. Last year they had some sort of white fish ceviche type thing that may have been my best bite of my life. I got a second order because they explained how items don't really repeat because chef tweaks even familiar ingredients as they rotate in. It's a hefty price tag but well worth it for a special occassion.

Came in for dinner Sunday night and the service and food were amazing definitely will be backread more

Came here to partake in Burger Week and enjoyed the fun decor and creative food combinations…read more Servers were friendly and our order was accurate. They have a small game room with skee ball and slots. Added an extra layer of competitive fun to our evening. There is a parking lot behind the building and some street out front.

At first glance, the place presents itself as a neighborhood dive--a worn-in local haunt where the…read moredécor is secondary to the conversation. But the illusion fades the moment a Bloody Mary arrives at the table. This is a bar that takes its craft seriously. The cocktail was thoughtfully prepared and balanced, revealing an attention to detail rarely found in establishments trading on casual charm alone. The atmosphere is equally compelling: lively without being chaotic, welcoming without feeling manufactured. It possesses the kind of authenticity that cannot be designed or replicated. In an era of increasingly curated hospitality, this remains a genuinely local gathering place--unpretentious, distinctive, and unmistakably its own.

We like our walleye and eggs for breakfast, and decided to try out the Squirrel's Nest. It is a…read moresmall establishment with a bar to the left and seating area, to the right, with two smaller tables on the side of the bar. We arrived about 10:00 am, and it was packed. It was very loud with people talking, due to the small space. We sat at our table and waited awhile for a server, but didn't know if we needed to order at the bar. After a while, a waitress arrived to take our order. She was very joyful and friendly. We both ordered the walleye and eggs, which included hashbrowns and toast. My husband added cheese and onions on the hashbrowns at no extra cost. We also ordered a Bloody Mary, which came with a chaser. They arrived with a spear of mozzarella cheese, pimento olive, smoked sausage, and a dill pickle. The walleye had a nice thin crust and the eggs and hashbrowns were cooked perfectly. My better half said that he didn't taste any onions in the hashbrowns and they used American cheese, which made them runny. It was a good breakfast, and we enjoyed our time there. However, due to the loudness, we probably won't go back, as it was hard to have a conversation. Be aware that they only take cash, but they do have an ATM in the building. This establishment definitely had a great atmosphere and service, with friendly staff.

We absolutely loved the immersive experience at Nook! The shared dining experience was social but i…read morewas still able to have conversation with the person I came with. We could tell a lot of thought went into the design and flow of the evening. Every dish was beautifully presented, flavorful, and full of creative twists on classic favorites. Like the strawberry tomato soup and the corn blueberry ice cream. The bison and other meat dishes were perfectly done and high quality. t's clear that the chefs take pride in crafting dishes that are both inventive and approachable, with local ingredients. I was also happy to find out they'll box up any courses you can't finish, which is great if you want to plan ahead for what to eat and what to take home. Already hoping I can get a reservation to go back.

I have been WAITING to come here and I was not disappointed. Honestly, if you want to try Nook (and…read moreyou should if you can) I would go in with no expectations and just experience it -- meaning stop reading this review after the first paragraph because it might give some spoilers. To start, reservations. They open a few months in advance at midnight on the first of the month... sucks for anyone not usually up at midnight but worth it. I locked in my reservation date at 12:03am, a coworker was also trying to get a reservation for the same month and it was sold out by 12:06am when he tried. So, know your date ahead of time, click refresh constantly starting at 11:59pm, and Godspeed! Now to my experience. I'm not usually wild about the 12course restaurants you see in Chicago or New York. The space is uppity, the people are obnoxious, and the food is... usually just fine. This is truly a Madison and a Wisconsin spin on that pretentious kind of environment, and it is so down to earth. It's a personal experience with the chef and staff that you can't get in the big city. They explain each meal and often would tell you where the ingredients came from nearby... sometimes the chef's backyard. There is one seating per night at 6:30pm and everyone is sitting together. The plates are served individually to each person, and technically there are six 2-person tables assembled together about 3-4 inches from one another to make a sort of single long table. I'd sort of been picturing one single long table, but this worked just fine. My party of 2 was near the middle, so it was fun to be able to have some inclusion on conversations on both side of the table.  And the food. Wow. Continuing the Wisconsin spin on a 12 course (this being 13 course) meal, these are not tiny plates. While each one is not a solo big meal, they are larger than I expected and I was legitimately full after course #4. And we hadn't even gotten to the "mains" at that point! They do box parts of the meal up for you if it's conducive to leftovers. That gave me dinner the next night as well. So pace yourself, and if it's something that would function as leftovers, try it and move on. I did the wine pairing with it, and they were also generous pours (9 of them) -- consider an Uber. I'm not a wine-o, but I figured when in Rome.... go all out. The wines actually did complement each meal really well.  This is a unique experience of fine dining you WILL not get at the fancy restaurants. If you are a foodie, this is a must. It's super low key, come as you are. We had people at our table in hooded sweatshirts and people in nice dresses as if they were ready for the symphony. All were welcome and nobody was judged. The chef is hilarious, the staff is so much fun and I was laughing constantly. They are truly part of the experience almost as much as the food itself. If this in in your budget, it is worth the stress of getting a reservation. Bravo. Oh, and if it's not obvious -- yes, the food is incredible.

Yum! I have been here twice, both times have been exceptional service…read more My group got the cheese curds and these are gluten free, but taste amazing. The first time I got the hot fried chicken sandwich with a side salad. The sandwich was crispy and delicious. I got the cider flight, and the server suggested ciders based on my preference of dryer and not overly sweet ciders. The second time I got the single smash burger with a side of fries. The burger was amazing, a little greasy but overall yum! The friends were perfectly crispy. I got the cider flight again, and tried some different ciders I hadn't before. The restaurant is a bit echoey which does challenge conversation, but overall the ambiance was great.

Mothers Day Brunch for $55 per person was mostly cold and disappointing…read more I can, however, see how this place could / can be amazing on a typical night. With empathy, this was their first Motgers Day Brunch. The cider was great. I'd try again, but not for a special event.