Went for lunch on Memorial Day Monday, 30 May 2016. Very disappointing experience. Wife had soup and grilled cheese; I had the Chicken Bryan. Wife said the sandwich was okay and the soup was "adequate." As for myself, this was the most tasteless meal I've had in a long time. Chicken breast was well-cooked and juicy--not dry at all--however, it was completely flavorless. Had to add salt to both it and the mashed potatoes to get any flavor at all (which is something I never do). Not at all worth the $40 tab--and we were HUNGRY when we sat down. Despite the old adage that "hunger makes the best gravy," in this case, it wasn't true at all, and I would neither eat here again nor recommend it. HOWEVER, that being said, our server Grace was extremely friendly and accommodating, and provided first-rate service. Also the coffee was very good. read more

Today, we were seated by an unfriendly hostess, and then treated to the,WORST SERVICE ON THE PLANET. Our server, Kenny, took forever to do anything. When we asked him if there was a cocktail menu, he said, "yeah, but they don't follow it. We can make anything except a mojito." So I ordered a martini, which arrived 30 minutes later, HALF FULL. This was a standard size martini glass. His response as he was walking away: "They used to use a smaller glass so this is a bigger glass." Uh, no. It was warm and half full. Ridiculous. A full hour later, our appetizers arrived. We never saw Kenny again. Never refilled drinks. And I'll point out it was not busy at 4pm on a Sunday. read more

I wish there was a way to give this under 1 star. I was very disappointed, usually locally owned businesses tend to have better quality and service. We got to the restaurant at 5:00pm, not busy at all. Waited 15 minutes for our server, waited another 15 to order...ordered the charcuterie board, when the server brought it out, it was literally missing the salami, prosciutto, and preserves. I asked the server and she replied "I told the chef it has meat and he said No." it's right there on the menu, so we received an appetizer with half of the food missing, were charged full price. I ordered the bouillabaisse...I received it, and it was dead cold in the middle, the quality of the seafood was that of a frozen mix you can buy at the grocery store for $8. I was not charged for the bouillabaisse which is good. But to try and charge $15 for an appetizer that was missing half of it, and $26 for a cold seafood dish, is absolutely unreal. Especially in an area where seafood restaurants are a dime a dozen. I hope the owners of this restaurant turn it around, because they're just ripping people off. read more

Ate here recently with 6 in our group. Asked to sit near the window indoors and was told there were no tables big enough for our group despite, upon being seated, a table for six was set up by the window. Waited a long time just for water and forever to place our order. When food finally arrived, it was lukewarm and we had to ask for biscuits which were part of the meal (one was still frozen inside) as well as tomato which was part of the "big fish" sandwich (brought out one slice on a plate). Could never find our waitress who appeared harried and distracted. Iced tea was served in plastic cups and was never refilled. Had to ask several times for a box for leftovers, the checks, and even asked to speak to the manager two times. She eventually showed up and and though did give us each a discount, we will never go back. Busboy was asked to refill water glasses, was chomping away on gum, and indicated that he would definitely get our waitress and the manager and then forgot about us. Inattentive hostesses, incompetent waitress, and manager who seemed to not be in control of her kitchen, waitresses, hostesses and had a total lack of regard for the guests. The food was mediocre to poor. Don't waste your money and time. read more

Today I held my daughter's bridal shower at Madigan's and it was perfect. Cathy is a pleasure to work with and the staff was courteous and helpful. The upstairs space was a beautiful venue despite the rainy weather outside. The food was delicious and the cupcakes by Bailey's Cakes were scrumptious. Thanks Cathy and staff for making the bridal shower a huge success. read more

Was recommended to eat here from the hotel we were staying at. It is a bit expensive, most dishes in the $20 range. There were 3 of us in town for business. Our server was very attentive and always refilling our water glasses and making sure everything was okay. Two of our party got the cowboy ribeye which was beautiful! It is a generous size, bone in and they really enjoyed it. I decided to try the Chicken Oscar which was a chicken breast stuffed with crab and asparagus. It is topped with cheese and said it had some kind of sauce on it. I think it should have had more sauce but overall it was good. The reason for only giving 4 stars instead of 5 was they only give you 1 side. Most places I go you usually get a veggie and a potato choice with a entree. Here you can choose a potato or a veggie. Would not be my first choice when I return. read more

I'm tough to feed. I don't do fried and I'm watching my salt intake. The waiter and chef were able to accommodate me with a plain filleted flounder with no salt. If was flavorful and my ceasars salad, with the dressing on the side, was crisp and fresh. The waiter was very attentive to my requests. If I pass through this town again, I'll be sure to stop by again. read more

Horrible service with tasteless food. The only good thing is that their wines are fairly priced. I would go sit in the terrace during the summer and have a drink at the tiki bar, but def bypass the food. read more

My sister-in-law insisted that we come here for Father's Day brunch yesterday because she heard good things about the buffet. Let's just say that based on the other reviews, this was far from my first choice, so I was prepared to hate the place, but in the end actually turned out to be good. The reviews that said that it took a long time for them to get seated were right on. Maybe it was just the holiday, but the line to get seated for the reservation-only brunch buffet was pretty long. It took a while to get someone's attention, and unfortunately we didn't know that you needed reservations for the brunch buffet, so we wound up sitting on the back deck for their regular lunch menu. The restaurant was half-empty, so there was no problem getting a table. We were greeted promptly and courteously by our server, and had no problem placing our order. My wife and I shared the Crab Alfredo and Petite Open Face Filet. The first dish was a little light on the crab, but what was there was good, as was the alfredo sauce. We ordered the filet medium-rare and it came out medium, which is what we expected since our waiter actually warned us that they tend to overcook the beef. The quality and tenderness of the meat was very good. The only downside to this dish was the bearnaise sauce, which tasted like it came out of Campbells Soup can, not fresh at all. Fortunately it came on the side in a separate plastic container. My sister-in-law had the chicken quesadilla, which I tasted as well, and it was quite good, the chicken tender and tasty. However the tomato salsa that came with it was not fresh either, so it was good that, like the bearnaise, they had put it on the side. My father-in-law had a roast beef sandwich, which I didn't get to taste but he said it was good. Also a couple of the dishes came with fries, which were good as well, they tasted fresh and were not soggy like at some restaurants. I'm not sure why so many people were impressed by the scenery, because from the back deck there isn't that much to see. That section of the river isn't actually that pretty, especially since it's right next to a big honkin' bridge. So in the end, I would say it was actually good. The service was good, and the food was good except for the things I mentioned; they really need to work on their bearnaise and salsa. From the other reviews it sounds like we got lucky that we actually didn't have the buffet. The prices of the individual entrees were quite reasonable as well, with most under $10. We all had enough to eat, and since we didn't order any alcohol we spent half the money that we would have for the buffet. read more

Went in with a large group, and was sat right away. Our Server was a bit slow and not organized at all. He did need help He did not put in some orders and messed up others. The food that we did get was very good. read more

The day was busy for them. I will give them that, however, that is when a place in this price range should be on top of their game. We had 4 people in our party, drinks came out quick (tea and water were never refilled). Appetizers came out cold. One of the entrees had to be sent back due to the lobster being like chewing gum. The amount of money we spent ($232.00), we could have gone to a 5 star restaurant and had a MUCH better meal and service. We ordered the following, Captains Platter, Admirals Platter, Cracked Lobster tail w/Imperial Crab, Surf and Turf. The bathrooms, were disgusting, feces all over the place, and no TP in some of the stalls, and there was feces on changing table in Women's room. read more

This review has been deleted and updated. At first, I blasted Madigan's for their Manager, Beth, and for food quality. However, sometimes a first impression that is justifiably negative needs to be revisited. In this case, I am very pleased to revise my review. AND NOW THE UPDATE. I hate to admit it, but after sending an email to Madigan's I received a phone call from Kathy Madigan herself. (Yes, this impressed me) After expressing my concerns and about a 20 minute exchange we returned for a "do-over" if you will. This time we again had the crab nachos and they were, and continue to be, a favorite. We ordered the crab cakes and as one other poster noted, they are indeed frozen. However, even I have to admit that they are good and the sauce compliments them very well. Again, a favored item. Long story short, we have written off our first experience as simple bad ju-ju and not the norm for Madigan's. We have become regulars to the point that Jennifer knows to bring out the Crab Nachos when she sees us coming. Last thing. We have not seen Beth since our first visit so no worries of attitude on the side. And if you can, you really do want to try and sit wherever Jennifer is serving as I cannot speak highly enough of this young woman. read more

The twinkling Christmas lights that drape over the porch might entice you to come to Madigan's, but once you arrive, you will find yourself inside an empty, damp restaurant with food that lacks in taste but exceeds in price. However, I will admit to coming here three times (2 of the times were not my decision). Maybe if the restaurant was situated differently and the quality of the food improves, Madigan's could actually be more than a restaurant with a pretty porch at night. read more

I found this to be a great eatery. Has fine dinning, Sports Bar, Tiki Bar by the boat docks. & nice views of the water. Our family goes there often for special times. A great place to relax & the different music from different areas makes dining an event. The food is very tasty & the staff are friendly. Very clean. Parking care be crowed as the Old Town & Harbor draws a lot of people. Still well worth walking a little & the area is pretty...Romantic for those who want to spoil a special "someone". Heather C. read more

Disappointing...the bread, the caesar salad, the crab soup, oyster and crab dinner. Pretty good...the chicken alfredo and the water view. read more

I took a chance and had our company party at Madigan's. i have had lunch there outside on the patio in the summer - simple salad and wine wasnt much to ask. we were only there so we could sit on the deck overlooking the water.....the view is the best thing going for this run down UNFRIENDLY place. the upstairs floor is set aside for events, but it is a tight fit, run down, dirty, and the owner who is the events planner is inflexible. the food also sucks. i ordered plated meals of "8oz sirloin strip steaks" shrimp stuffed with crabmeat, seafood bisque, wild rice, vegetables, bread. sounded great but the steak was, well, probably some part of the cow, but it was cold and tasteless. the shrimp was o,k, the salad was a few greens with a few croutons and hardly any dressing, the rice was ok but cold, the soup was too thick, fishy, and cold, and the bread really sucked. one cold roll straight from the bag. Fortunately, we had an open bar and everyone was just tipsy enough to eat without tasting too much. the dj was too loud and played loud rock n roll throughout the happy hour (i asked him to play jazz and instrumental tunes) but he had his own agenda and wouldnt turn it down......REALLY???? THE ONLY GOOD THING WAS THE DESSERT, which i special ordered from CupcakedBakery.com. the cupcakes SAVED THE DAY! Madigans should just forget about the food and be the tacky dirty smoking bar they refuse to update. p.s. one star is being liberal. read more

Well...I thought all the other folks were being a little hard on this place, so went anyway. My mistake! Service was so - so, but the food was pretty bad, at most any price, but for what we paid.....it was way off. Salty, oh my! That was about all we could taste. My crab cake had this tiny bit of crab in the center, with remainder of the cake being very salty filler. I have eaten crabs all over, but this had to be "institutional" food at its worst. However, the cole slaw was good. Buts that hardly makes a meal. Never again! read more

Went her for Mothers Day. Didn't have a reservation but was willing to sit at the empty bar and the older women hostess says" we are closing soon so you cant order any food but whatever sit at the bar then" mind you it was 2pm! read more

I went to this plave for the first time while my family was in town. And i was pleasently suprised. The atmosphere was great and my meal was fufilling. I got there crab chowder bisk. Absolutley delicious!! read more

I've eaten at this place a couple times before, whenever visiting the Occoquan area. Their food has me coming back every time. It is located in the ever so beautiful old town Occoquan, and their is plenty to do in the area. I absolutely love their burgers and their famous 'Dirty Chicken'. The waiters/waitresses have always been very lovely and very enthusiastic in providing me top dollar service. The positioning is very nice as it outlooks the river, and the live bands that play always make it a spectacular show. Love the service and love the food! read more

I love Madigan's, wonderful service and amazing people. I've only been a couple of times but I will most definitely be back, I would recommend them to all my friends and family, coworkers . And the fooooood!??? The chicken Alfredo is well prepared, it's my favorite. It's to die for. Overall, it's a pretty amazing place. read more

Food is okay. Service sucks! Waiter had a table of 10 come in after us (obviously bigger bill and tip). He totally kicked us to the curb before our meal even came. It was absolutely freezing, never offered bread, wine was stale! I'm very disappointed. Plus we had a reservation and still had to wait. Way too many restaurants to ever give this place my $$$$ again. Don't waste your time. read more

It's nice to be able to dine in a lively place with a great view of the Occoquan. Their food and service, on the other hand, are average at best. Craig Herberg read more

Pleasant surprise. Relaxing environment and good food. Great respite on a rainy day.

Yummy food, and the outdoor deck over looking the water is nice as well. There was also love music the night I attended which was a plus because it was loud enough to enjoy but still allowed for conversation. I will be back !!! read more

VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE MANAGEMENT! My daughter's long-planned wedding for April 2020 was postponed twice due to the virus, finally, we could hold the wedding this August. Her venue contacted her on a Friday, 15 days before the wedding to say they were going out of business. After a day of calling all over two counties, we tried Madigan's. Elizabeth spoke with my daughter, who was clearly distraught. She said she believed the evening of her event was available, she would call Cathy Madigan and verify. An hour later she called back saying she had spoken with Cathy who was 'on the road' and the venue was available. She spoke with my daughter at length about decor and colors, bar options, etc, truly easing the mind of a overwrought bride to be. Someone was to call my daughter to set up a time for us to come on Monday. By Monday evening when she had not heard, she emailed Cathy. She received an email from Cathy at 12:30 pm Tuesday morning stating that there was already an event scheduled for the evening of my daughter's wedding with a 'sorry for the convenience' as they had an event that past Saturday and were too busy to call her to tell her they could not accomodate her wedding. They offered the evening before or the day after, but I would not want to give my business to an establishment who cannot be bothered to check their calendar properly or to contact a panicked bride as soon as they realized the oversight. We lost 3 whole days trying to locate a new venue. I would not trust this crew to handle an event. read more

Huge thanks to Cathy and the staff at Madigan's for making my birthday celebration a wonderfully memorable event! It was held in the upstairs section of Madigan's for about 55 guests and every detail of the evening was excellent. From the decorations to the food, bar and service, my guests and I were thrilled with every aspect of the party. Bailey outdid herself with the cake and cupcakes (see Bailey's Cakes in Occoquan for her amazing creations!!!). I highly recommend them for your private event! read more

We went here for Easter Brunch. Note to self- never be the last seating at a brunch. Most of the entree pans were empty. What was there was cold. My husband asked for a fresh waffle because they were all cold, it was done begrudgingly . Would not recommend at all. On a positive note our server was nice. read more

Great Food, love the location and good service. perfect for 2 or bid group

Came here for Fathers day. We are always last minute on our decisions and had alot going on that weekend. So we get to the restaurant, greeted by the hostess, (being fathers day with no reservations, we expected a wait..) The hostess said 25 min, i asked everyone in my party if that was ok and we agreed it would be fine. WE sat at the bar area while we waited and had a beer. The bartender was friendly and served us the sweetwater 420 IPA. It was delish and cold. We were seated (partty of 5) outdoors, it was a little warm that day (middle of june) but the fans were on so that helped keep us cool. Our waiteress came by with waters and to take our order. We had the shrimp cocktail and the peel n eat shrimp for an ap. Both were delicious and fresh. Entree: I had as a PLAN A - The Crab legs, the waitress mentioned she would have to check to see if they had any available. My daughter had the crab cakes, and mom had the cajun chicken pasta. Despite being busy and hot the staff was working hard to make sure everyone was having a great time. They even had an acoustic act playing at the TIKI Bar - it looked lively with people dancing and having a good time with the classic acoustic rock anthems being played. the crab legs were awesome came out hot and taksted fresh with alot of meat. Cajun past was husge and we had some to take home. It was a bit spice but it also is cajun. The crab cakes were fresh also. The waitress recommended desert but we passed because we were so full . We had a great time and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great outing. Make reservations if you dont want to wait on the busier days. Looks like a fun bar to party at with friends also. We will def be back this summer. Cheers! read more

The food is decent usually... but over priced due to the piss poor service every time. The service is slow and what one would expect from say an Applebee's. It's never busy when we go but yet the delays in obtaining anything (drink, food order, food, bill) to your table is simply unacceptable. Ordering to go from the bar is the best suggestion if you want decent service. read more

My husband and I were there on Saturday. The live music on the deck was nice. We waited approx. 30 mins for a table and over an hour for our food. My husband's food was completely oily and over-fried and my food was just blah. The waitress was not very friendly and borderline rude. I am not sure if we will dine at Madigan's again. read more

To cold to head out on the boat this weekend so decided to try a new place. That was the first mistake. Madigan's is set on the water and looked nice from the outside. Service I must say was good. Crab dip was very good. The Oyster's sucked, very bad and was told they were brought in from NY. Why would anyone import Oysters when some of the best are local? Had soft shell crabs for dinner that told me right there that no one in their kitchin eats seafood. Cold greasy over cooked crap. read more

I brought my wife and our three kids here last night, after getting a recomendation from a friend and it was absolutely amazing. My wife ordered the crab crusted salmon and she almosted ordered another one to take home for later! LOL she was crazy over it. I had the Cowboy Ribeye steak and it was cooked perfectly! My mashed potatoes were a tad too garlicy but then again, the server did say they were garlic mashed potatoes. My kids ordered off the children's menu and they were all very happy with their food. Let me talk about my server for a second, she was a lovely young lady who had a quick and helpful answer to all of our questions about the menu or the little town we were eating in. You could tell that the staff was well trained and very very friendly. We'll be back soon and we're recomending this place to all our friends. read more

Someone needs to call chef Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible, because this place SHOULD be great. On the Occoquan River with a great view, one expects great seafood and service. Just left and its Father's Day, 2016. We had a reservation, but it wasn't needed. There were lots of empty tables. Even so, there were so few servers, we waited an extremely long time for someone to come to the table. The server was friendly and did her best, but they did not have enough people working. The food was terrible. Crab legs were cold and seemed like they had been sitting around all morning. It was hard to get any meat out. Crab cakes were cold, sour cream had been sitting in the little containers for so long it had developed the water, melted butter was so cold and old it was congealing. Onion rings were good, though. Just disappointing overall. Would have been way better off at red lobster. read more

located in the cute, little village of Occoquan. Wait service is good, the food is dreadful. The tiki bar is a neat place to hang out during warm weather weekends (bartenders could be friendlier, ya'll ain't that special nor is the food). read more

Came here to look at it for a wedding reception venue, and it turns out that didn't work out very well due to poor communication and lack of customer service from the event manager. We stayed for lunch afterwards, however (we waited about 30 minutes AFTER our scheduled appointment time, so we were starving afterwards). We did enjoy the food. The ambiance in the restaurant isn't anything to write home about, but our server was very nice. It was very slow when we were there for our late lunch, so it was just us and a few more tables. My husband had a burger and I had the fish and chips. Both were very good. I would recommend it as a casual meal stop, but not for an event or wedding venue. Their event space is upstairs and actually very pretty, but their event manager does not do a good job of communicating. We've been waiting for our contract for several months and have not received it. Every step of the way, there have been delays and excuses. read more

The largest eatery on occoquan's waterway, Madigan's is hard to miss...until you have eaten there. Entering the building one first notices the glass enclosed bar provided for the chain smoking patrons. Squinting in the dimly lit dining room on the first of two floors, I received a phone text directed at the restaurant management...the year 1973 was asking for their menu back. Baked stuffed fish, scallops, and overly breaded and deep Frieda soft shelled crab...I was reliving the crunchy overcooked turkey scene from "Christmas Vacation". My wife couldn't stomach the crab stuffed mushrooms. To their credit, the waiter arranged for the mushrooms to be comped....still...it was an hour of our lives that we'll never get back...we had to ASK for rolls with our meal. Our waiter had an outgoing personality, but that and a waterfront view does not a pleasant dining experience make. In fact, there is no view in the dark of night. The inside decor and outside building appearance are inviting, but the date and overpriced menu will keep us from returning. The menu was tired 30 years ago. Additionally, people like to go to pubs without wreaking of second hand smoke. Bite the bullet, Madigan's ...enter the 21st century and get rid of the smoking lounge. Fewer smoke friendly pubs in Virginia will and do attract more smokers, making it unbearable for nonsmoking patrons who prefer to eat and drink in the bar. The change through legislative actions is inevitable. read more

My husband and I were glad that we gave this restaurant another try. We used to be regular customers back when it was Sea, Sea, & Co. Just right after it became Madigans under the new management, we went there to dine but the service and food were very disappointing - so we never went back for many years. Then, we recently decided to give it another chance and we're glad we did. They seem to have greatly improved over the years! The food we ordered was excellent plus we were lucky to have this young lady named Summer as our server. She, indeed, made our dining experience a pleasant one. She was very friendly, smart, attentive, quick, and efficient - qualities that any restaurant would love to have on their staff. read more

There is so much potential, it is a great location. The menu is confusing (Taco salad at a seafood restaurant?) and food is just not up to par. They really need to get some one who can cook. read more