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    MadisonTap

    4.4 (25 reviews)
    ModerateBeer Bar
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    MadisonTap Photos

    MADISONTAP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Intimate
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    Open area with live music. This mini vaca is dope
    Adrian G.

    Only came here for the beer and live music. Didn't come here to enjoy food sadly so can't say much about that. The beer is very good and very delicious. I was able to check in and get a free 10oz beer which was cool. They have a live band playing which is awesome cuz I don't see many bar actually have a live band any more. This place is next door to another establishment so u can share the outside patio. I did have a little trouble finding some seating cuz of the amount of people that came out for the event tonight. Awesome though.

    Emma S.

    Without hesitation, I declare MadisonTap the oasis of East Washington. Entering the courtyard, you are warmly welcomed by beautiful black locust trees intermingled with a charming glow of hanging lights, a landscape that reminds one of an upscale backyard found perhaps hidden behind a mansion, complete with decorative rock siding and hand-planted greenery. Moments into being in the courtyard, eyes dancing all around the lovely cosmos and ears tuned into a peacefully funky playlist Sarah, a wonderfully skilled bartender, has carefully selected for her guests, you know it's time to grab a refreshment and relax at one of the many tables and chairs this establishment has to offer. Upon arriving in MadisonTap, the warm shade of the room is inviting and refined. The design of the room is quaint, yet eclectic. I appreciate an establishment that is focused on a lush outdoor, though the indoor setting is cozy, especially if you're trying to have a private evening with someone special or entertain a night out when the weather isn't the best. I usually exchange words with John, the owner, during my visits to MadisonTap; one of the few places I can frequent and almost always see the owner involved in the atmosphere and operations of the establishment. The drink selection is what usually drives me to drop into MadisonTap. Each month features a local tap-takeover, giving guests an option to delve into the many crafts of one company at a time. While also carrying bottles/cans, wine, and spirits, the taps are a super way to sample your way through a brewery. During my evening tonight, I started with my usual Tito's and grapefruit followed by an ice cold Banjo Cat India Black Ale and later a Penguin Pale, both brought to us by One Barrel Brewing Company. Meeting with friends this evening, as it is more often than not my first choice when deciding where to our nights, I arrive to find laughter and friends in the courtyard. While live music fills the air on a crisp Monday, I grab a beverage and join my comrades under the twinkling bulbs and shake off my day amongst pals. We order the poutine, a favorite if you're interested in munching and sharing. The element of salty and mildly sweet, loaded with cheese, sends you into a moment of closed eyes while the corners of your mouth turn upward into a blissful smile. As my outing came to a close, I sauntered the two blocks it takes me to get home, fully looking forward to another night off to be spent there. A scenic outdoor sanctuary, MadisonTap is essentially an escape into a realm where one might insist they have left Madison and entered a modern yet funky piazza. Thanks again for making our town feel so special! Fingers crossed I will be returning soon.

    Lamb sliders, definitely recommended!
    Jamie B.

    Teetering on a 4-star, but just shy... Tempted by a glowing review on madison.com, we headed over to MadisonTap Saturday night with lofty expectations. I'll give them high marks for the beer selection and atmosphere--this is a great venue to sample a range of beers from rotating local breweries, and you can spend hours on the excellent outdoor patio relaxing and finding your new favorite microbrew (be sure to ask for a sample if you're not sure). The indoor bar also had a great vibe, so it's worth a stop for a drink or two if the weather isn't great. Kudos to the staff, very knowledgable with the beverage part of the menu. I'd say the prices for both beer and food were just right. Portion size was good, each dish was about perfect for two people to share. But what lured me here was the promise of great food, and here's where things fell short. We ordered the lamb sliders, duck confit taco, fried mushrooms and the pad thai. The winner in this batch was the duck confit taco, great flavors and very juicy. The lamb sliders came in a close second--not too gamey, moist patties, but needing some seasoning. The fried mushrooms were about as expected--way better than the Sysco fried mushrooms you'd expect at a bar, just the right amount of salt, but an average dish. The real disappointment was the pad thai salad. I was told it was a cold salad, and yes it came that way, but it wasn't a great riff on pad thai like I'd hoped: the flavors weren't really "Thai" (think cold Asian noodle salad) and parsley made an odd appearance when cilantro might have been the better choice. Lots of folks were ordering the poutine, might go back here when the beers rotate to give that dish a try. The staff did a nice job of serving the dishes at a nice even pace, but the dishes didn't get sent out in the order that I was told initially--not a huge deal, but it would be nice to know the actual order in case you want to pair a style of beer with a particular dish. There were a few little hiccups that I'd normally overlook but altogether they just dampened the overall experience (one dish I ordered didn't make it into the system, my bill showed two beers I didn't order and it missed one beer I did order, a lot of the high top tables were wobbly, etc.). Hopefully these will improve over time, and with a menu refresh (and a website where I can check the menu) I can see myself coming back to give the place another try.

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    9 years ago

    Madison tap is great. Beautiful courtyard, nice people. Good music. Check it out. Don't wait!

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    9 years ago

    Food is excellent. Never leave comments but this is a great destination for a relaxing evening to share good food on a laid back patio.

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    9 years ago

    Amazing service, courtyard, and selections. The poutine is Grade A. Compliments to the chefs. Keep up the good work!

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    Ask the Community - MadisonTap

    Is this place good and cool and open from 4 til bar time?

    Yes

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    Review Highlights - MadisonTap

    Phenomenal courtyard, great concept of a rotating tap takeover, and really great people running the bar.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company - 12 Pack Pub Wings (1/2 - 3 alarm, 1/2 - general tso's)

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

    (1.1k reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    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!

    The Coopers Tavern - Harvest Soup

    The Coopers Tavern

    (592 reviews)

    $$

    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.

    Cask & Ale

    Cask & Ale

    (77 reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    Another first-time experience in Madison, and this spot came highly recommended if you're a true…read morewhiskey or bourbon lover, and wow it did NOT disappoint! It happened to be near the theatre we went to, so we decided to stop in and check it out. They have nearly 775 different types of whiskey to choose from, which is wild! I loved that they offer different ounce sizes so you can sample a few, and they even pair it with water so you stay hydrated while tasting (smart touch). Price ranges between ~$7.50-$20.00+. The place had a cozy, lounge-like vibe and was pretty busy, but the staff was friendly and helpful. It's first come first served for seating, just like any bar. We sampled a few whiskeys and also tried their premade espresso martini. The whiskey selection was phenomenal, the espresso martini was decent, not the best I've had (it was premade), but still enjoyable (it's made with Tito's, which isn't my favorite base, but I appreciate the fresh coffee beans they used). All in all, this place is a hidden gem. Great whiskey, friendly staff, and the perfect cozy spot to escape the rain for a while. I'll definitely be back next time to try even more from their list!

    The perfect chill spot for a couple, if you need a cozy booth with dim lighting & good cocktails…read morethis is it! We also loved that the football game was on and it wasn't too loud. It's intimate and the drinks are fire. We stuck with the classic old fashioned and felt they were strong and well crafted - thank you for a true luxardo cherry too! We ordered at the bar but chilled in a booth. So many whiskey options!!! Service is friendly & quick!

    MadisonTap - beerbar - Updated May 2026

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