While visiting Madison, we were looking for a place for dinner, one preferably with reservations, and that is how we stumbled upon Liberty Station. But in our viewing, we noticed the great happy hour and decided Liberty Station would be out early evening cocktail and appetizer spot...it was the right move! The space is good sized with several areas for seating from the bar to dining room to the patio. It is industrial smokehouse for sure, which is exactly what you want from a bbq joint. We bellied up to the bar, where the bartender was prompt, friendly and helpful. Being our first time, we asked for recommendations and without missing a beat, the brisket loaded fries with a round of old fashioned's...so that is what we went with! The drinks are well, or rail as commonly referred to around this area, and only ran us $5 - $6. They were tasty, but we could definitely tell it was a happy hour special cocktail. The fries were plentiful, definitely enough to share between us two. The brisket was tasty and the fries were crisp. And combined, the old fashioned and brisket fries was a solid duo! Overall, Liberty Station was a solid spot for some tasty food and decent drinks! read more

Large group dinner of 12. Waitress was fantastic. The brisket chili is addictingly delicious! The seasoning is lightly spicy. Drinks are ok, thank goodness for happy hour prices, at the bar only. The iceberg salad was very good, bacon would be great. The French fries tasted as though they were soaked in water and then fried. Very disappointing. Overall, I would go again to try other options on the menu such as the Prime Rib. read more

Food was great, we came for mother's day brunch and they had some great menu options. Our server was Avery I believe and she was very attentive and friendly. Will definitely be back! read more

Ate at LS on Friday May 8, 2026 in the 7 PM hour. I ordered 1/2 lb of their smoked brisket . Driest smoked brisket ever !!! I should have sent it back, but I toughed it out and ate it all. My son smokes brisket on his Traeger - juicy and flavorful - 100x better better than that at Liberty Station. I mentioned it to the manager on the way out - she said it must have been a bad batch. Yeah right.! read more

I've eaten here a few times now. I do like the ambiance, but your mileage may vary as far as the menu items go. Smoked Wings - 5/5 Spicy, salty, crispy, delicious. One of my favorites from this menu. Texas Brisket - 3/5 By Texas standards, just OK. St. Louis Ribs - 5/5 My favorite from the Tavern BBQ Sampler. Good flavor. Right texture. Carolina Pork - 4/5 Not a bad rendition of Carolina pork. Very moist, just not my favorite dish. Liberty Salad - 3/5 A decent side salad although I can't say I'm fond of the champagne vinaigrette. Smoked Pork Bucatini - 2/5 My partner remarked this reminds her of retirement home food. Served cold. Red Lake Walleye - 3/5 Overcooked and swimming in butter and oil. A great fish, but the preparation is quite lacking. read more

Stopped by for brunch and bloody Mary's. The brunch menu is limited but still has a good variety of items. I had the breakfast brisket burrito which had scrambled eggs, cheese and poblano peppers in a nice wrap. The brisket was very tasty and had a nice smoky flavor. The Yukon potatoes are always amazing with grilled onions. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was great. Definitely will be back. read more

Liberty Station - Bloody Mary - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Waitress was super nice. Had such a hard time deciding on beer AND good cause the menu is big and full of yummy sounding choices! I was visiting from out of state but my mom said this is one of her favs and I can see why! The meat was so tender and perfect!!! Huge portions so we had leftovers and they were delish reheated! Dessert menu sounded great but not many to go options. I will definitely make her bring me back next visit to try something else from their big menu! read more

Liberty Station - Quesadilla - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Bar environment was neat, I would go back for drinks before attending a VB game. The food wasn't very tasty.

Sometimes it's best to "go small" before you "go big". After all, why spend the max before you have a chance to fully test a place out. On a recent outing with a number of others, I had to order something which would be prepared in short order to in order to make a scheduled appointment. I chose the chili, which was advertised to be made from smoked brisket. On that score, it did not disappoint-as there were ample amounts. The problem was that it was over salted to the point of corruption. While I plan to make another visit, I will definitely be avoiding that choice, or any barbecue which has the potential to remind me of the Dead Sea. read more

Had a great meal on the open patio. Ordered the tavern burger with a side of coleslaw and a side salad. Everything was well made, burger was cooked through and well presented. Service was professional and attentive. read more

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Great food. Tomato soup & grilled cheese are what dreams are made of. We drove into Madison from Indiana & are happy Liberty Station was close to our hotel! Nice menu, quiet but fun ambiance, & decent service-- would highly recommend. read more

parked right next to the restaurant. The minute I stepped out of my car, I caught a whiff of fish smell. Not a good fish smell so I said to my hubby that I won't be order anything related to seafood. I hit the burger and potato chips. I ate 3 chips and stopped because they tasted like fish! Yuck! I tried my hubbys fries and they also had a hint of fish taste! Omg! They are frying their other food in the fryer they put the seafood in. NOT GOOD! read more

Had a great experience here. They have a really good happy hour. The brisket nachos and the smoked wings were excellent. Can't wait to go back and try other stuff. The staff was amazing and the atmosphere was super cool. read more

Liberty Station - Brisket nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I had the brisket and it was so delicious. Great amount and very generous portion. Chopped salad was also excellent. Service was amazing. Ambiance was ok. I Literally sat right next to the wines and kept hitting my elbow on the glass case. I know there isn't much of a choice if you have to eat the area, in fact Liberty Station is THE only place to eat in the area, but this place is a winner. My only complaint would be that the menu doesn't have a ton of options. read more

Food was awesome and plentiful. The loaded brisket fries are amazing, but you better be hungry. Staff was friendly and helpful in reviewing menu options. The location is well laid out with open walls to an awesome patio set up. This is a great place for a group of friends and family for game days. read more

Service is really good especially for a Monday night. Very attentive, very friendly. Definitely the high point of the night. Standard sports bar vibe with a really nice patio, great for late summer outdoor dining. Will say I wish I brought bug spray. Very nice bourbon and rye selection. Wedge salad is decent, large is very generously portioned, bacon is meh. Ranch is very much to my liking however applied a bit heavy. Ask for it on the side for better control. Brisket, sadly uninspired. Very tender and moist, nice beef flavor but lacking in smoke or spice or brine. read more

We ordered takeout and had drinks while waiting. The drinks were okay but weak. The food was lack luster at best. We all had BBQ in one form or another (brisket, ribs, pulled pork). The meat in every case was DRY, stringy and chewy. They gave us 1 tiny cup of sauce for 3 people. The sides were fine but not delicious. We had the beans, cornbread, side salad, and coleslaw. One order was actually missing a side. Maybe it's better when you dine in? read more

We were seated at a booth in the bar area. The booths are really high, so expect to be able to climb or hop. Our server was hard to read, but overall was not the most pleasant-seemed a bit annoyed in general, which was off putting. The food was good. I had the BBQ pork sandwich with fries. Fries are seasoned well and the sandwich was really tasty. I will return and give the service another try. I am only docking a star due to the service. read more

Liberty Station - BBQ pork and fries - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Decent food. Service was a big cold, but that's how some people are. Overall, solid experience. Nothing amazing, but good for what is was.

We never would have eaten here if we had not received a gift card. We have driven by this place near the belt line hundreds of times but never thought about it. It was early on a Saturday evening and not too busy yet. We got a table in the back room. Our server was very friendly. I ordered the half rack of St Louis spare ribs with a bit of trepidation given I am a baby back fan. No worries these spare ribs were quite meaty and very tender not dry at all. They were very tasty. My wife got the beef brisket and enjoyed it. The sides were good but the Mac and cheese was a big plus. Even though we had a gift card the prices struck me as a bit high. Also the back room is very loud even when only 1/2 full. Overall if I am looking for ribs on this side of town I will return. read more

Liberty Station is a relatively new restaurant in Madison, but it certainly has been embraced by the locals. Featuring in-house smoked meats and Wisconsin cheese curds it is hard to go wrong here. The service was extremely good with very friendly staff who will give you excellent recommendations if you cannot decided on something. The environment was bustling with music and the outdoor chatter from people sitting around you. The food was top notch, the brisket I had was perfectly cooked and smoked and the cheese curds were phenomenal. Highly recommended! read more

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This was my first visit. The service was excellent. The brisket was very dry, yest still flavorful. The BBQ sause was amazing. The mac 'n' was way too salty and the color was a bit off putting. What cheese is grey? I really want to love this place, but the food had a lot weirdness going on. I need to try it again. read more

Liberty Station - Texas Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Honestly... I had low expectations of this place, I've always passed it on the interstate and didn't give it much thought. I stopped in last week by myself for a simple meal and have already been back twice with friends!! Excellent happy hour deals! Even on the weekends :-) I highly recommend the brisket fries! $11 during happy hour! Can't beat it! This is quickly becoming my new favorite! The service is excellent. And the vibes by the fire are unbelievable. Get away from downtown and make this your new date night spot! read more

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Food here is always amazing! Servers and wait staff are very quick and friendly. Inside has a dining room and bar area.

Very good food! Service was excellent and had different tap beers on special. The blueberry cider on tap was good. The bar area has high tops and booths and had multiple tvs for March madness. read more

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Let's start by saying this restaurant is more impressive inside than it looks like from the freeway. From our experience with the food and service, I'd return in the future. It wasn't super busy when we got to the restaurant. We were promptly greeted and seated. The hostess was kind enough to turn a television near us to a game I wanted to see. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. She had a difficult time explaining one of the menu items but showed good humor by saying, "I definitely described that poorly!" We ordered a couple of drinks from the bar and after a brief wait received our food. I ordered the Liberty Nachos. I received a large serving and they tasted great. My dining partner had a burger and fries. The burger was a little dry but had good flavor. The bucket of fries seemed endless. The restaurant has many televisions and is probably a hopping place during the football season. Give it a try if you want to enjoy some sports and good food. read more

Liberty Station - Liberty nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I love the vibe of this place. I feel like I'm on vacation every time I go here lol! The outdoor patio area is very enjoyable. The bar is also huge and offers a lot of seating. Near the bar they also have a cute fireplace with a bar top seating area around it. The brisket quesadilla & brisket loaded fries are soooo good. I will say that the sides for the entree dishes are just so so - little odd tasting. Never had a problem with the service here! Don't buy a double drink tho - it's literally double the price which is insane lol. read more

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The brisket quesadillas here is very fatty, so if you like a fatty brisket this is your dish. It was heavy in cheese and not for me. It felt like I was eating cheese and fat. The salsa with was nice but I had to eat all of it to taste something other than fat and cheese. The chicken wings were good and crispy but had no spice. It could have had more flavor in my opinion. The service was friendly and fast. If I come back I think I'll try the pulled pork instead. read more

Liberty Station - Brisket quesadillas - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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i was excited to try the brisket grilled cheese but tbh it was super mid and kinda lacked flavor. my bf's carolina pork shoulder was much tastier and the mac n cheese was hearty. the cheese curds were super oily tho so not a fan. liked the ambiance though and the indoor/outdoor concept especially during the warmer months. great place to watch a game read more

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Had a nice lunch outside on the patio on a beautiful Wisconsin summer day. I had Brussels sprouts appetizer and Carolina pulled pork sandwich with Cole slaw. Food was good and service was fine. read more

The restaurant smells so good when you first walk in. The service was prompt and friendly right when we arrived. The food came out fairly quickly and was absolutely delicious! I ordered the brisket grilled cheese with tomato soup and it was a winner. This is my third time here and I can't wait to come try more food items! Only complaint is the host originally first sat us where there were a lot of flies but a server moved us right away! read more

Liberty Station - Brisket grilled cheese and tomato soup - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We've eaten in and live pretty close so we've carried out, either way it was great! I'd recommend the brisket, it's my favorite!

Great food, nice place, and excellent service. One of a few places in Madison, WI that has a Shrimp Poboy on the menu. The Tavern Tots - the size of plums - are really good with the Poblano Crema. Will definitely be back! read more

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On this side of town running some errands so we decided to give Liberty Station a try. Ordered the pork barbecue sandwich and a couple cocktails. Cocktails were presented well and yummy and my barbecue sandwich was probably one of the best presented barbecue sandwich I've ever seen LoL. Our waitress was great and made sure we were taken care of. Being from the south, we know barbecue so it's hard to judge mid western BBQ to our Southern BBQ so let's just say that we would eat here again if we are on this side of town. read more

Liberty Station - Pork BBQ Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The brisket and grilled cheese sandwich is something I will probably dream about tonight. It's my favorite.

On my first visit to this restaurant, my impression of their food is fine although a bit pricey in my personal opinion. What concerned me more was the spray bottle of cleaner and the rag used to wipe the tables off that were placed numerous times on the stack of plates that are placed on the tables for customers to use for appetizers, bread, etc. read more

Liberty Station - Notice the spray bottle sitting on the stack of plates.. gross! - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Had one of the best pulled chicken sandwiches I ever had in my life at this place. It came with onion rings and coleslaw and barbecue pulled chicken on a brioche bun. Phenomenal had a Diet Coke with it and they gave us some homemade chips with it which were crispy and terrific, the waiters name was John. Nice fella talked with him for a while is what we needed. Can't think of anything else to say so I'm gonna post a couple pictures is a picture from the patio towards the restaurant and bar and the other is my beautiful bride sitting there thinking after our meal read more

Liberty Station - We ate on the patio. This is a shot from the patio towards the bar area. - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We had a delicious meal with wonderful service on a Saturday lunch during a holiday weekend. There were quite a few people in the restaurant, and the college football games were on loudly in the bar area, but we were seated in a quieter space. This would definitely be a great place to watch a game, but we weren't here for that. I got an apple brandy old-fashioned, and it was very tasty. A lovely sipping beverage. For my entree, I got a half slab of the St. Louis ribs with a side salad and the cornbread as my side selections. The ribs were very messy (aren't they always) but had a nice flavor and the sauce was tasty. The cornbread was warm and delish, and the side salad was a-okay. The waitress was lovely with my three-year-old niece, and she also liked the food. If I'm back up in Madison, I'd definitely come here again- solid experience overall. read more

Liberty Station - Half slab St. Louis rib meal - Barbeque Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I confess I have a new love. Avery was phenomenal! Her service and beautiful charm made the night. She went above and beyond with all three Raised Grain beverages she served, and the food was good too. It was an unforgettable experience, in a good way, and would happily come back for round four. read more

Was staying at the hotel next door and thought it'd be an easy place to grab what I figured would be an ok dinner...but was pleasantly surprised. Sat at the bar and both bartenders were great. Friendly, quick, appropriately attentive and made a good Manhattan. They have a full bar with a variety of selections for each liquor. They also have a series of happy hour specials which were well priced. I had the smoked chicken wings and found them to be tender, full of flavor and well smoked. They are served with a tasty BBQ sauce and made for a good dinner. I found the food to be frankly better than what I expected and the service to be great. All in, if you are in the area I think you should give it a try. read more

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