Main Depot Tavern

While in Madison for IM relay. Couple spots ended up going back cause right there and good food…read more The Great Dane Pub & Brewing was one of them. In prior review so many options all within walking distance in downtown Madison. Right off loved the vibes, old school vibes, downstairs area (area checked out), restaurant level two levels, one nice spacious car area, and other section more dining room. All around one thing common lots of widescreens. NFL back weekend games and also big college town University of Wisconsin. It can get loud and crazy. The food naturally had to get some cheese curds. Out of the two spots just as solid. Not the best of the two. I ended up having Thai Chicken pasta the first time carbload night before the race. Solid pasta dish. Nice hearty, nice flavor, and nice portion. The second time went with Korean rice bowl. Another nice hearty and refreshing dish. The service was friendly, attentive, and all smiles!

Love this place. Good food and great beer…read more They have the best Fried Cheese Curds in Madison with a delicious chimicurri ranch sauce. Their I-5 IPA is an english style, lower carbonation more frothy. Truly delicious. The wings were spicy and good Salad was a salad and my wife ordered it so... Service was quick and friendly. Pub atmosphere. Next time in town I will come back.

Bar area

6 Pack Pub Wings (habanero hellfire)

See all

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

Prost

4.4(126 reviews)

0.9 mi•Capitol

We were looking for a fun soccer vibe for the World Cup and we definitely found it ! Place was…read morepacked with energy . Service was still great. We didn't eat but the food looked amazing. Has the charm of an authentic brew haus in Germany.

A solid spot for good German Beers and the best pretzel in Madison…read more My wife is soup crazy and she really enjoyed the beef stew. The bratwurst was ok, nothing special. They play 80s music, lots of new wave stuff which really brought us back. Service was solid and friendly.

Dining area and bar

EINTOPF stew. Beef & red cabbage. My wife loved it.

See all

Prost, inside old corner church

Sweet Home Wisconsin

4.4(176 reviews)

0.5 mi•South Campus

First time trying cheese curds and they were wonderful. The sriracha sauce was delicious and a bit…read morespicy. Bartender recommended the Patty Melt and did not disappoint. Finally, the Krombacher beer was delish. Excellence service and great food.

Visited Sweet Home Wisconsin while in Madison and popped in for lunch. The place had the vibe of a…read morelocal neighbourhood hangout, with a laid-back, chill atmosphere and equally relaxed service. I had the House Bleu Salad, and the blue cheese added a nice depth of flavour. We also tried the grilled cheese with tomato soup, as well as the patty melt with fries -- both were okay, but nothing particularly stood out. Overall, a casual neighbourhood spot that's perfectly fine if you're in the area, but probably not a destination I'd go out of my way for. Saluti.

Boneless chicken wings

See all

Mmmm beer

The Coopers Tavern

3.9(597 reviews)

0.6 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!

Love the atmosphere of Coopers. I only ordered the cheese curds and unfortunately they were really…read moregreasy and lacked the cheese pull I was expecting. The service was quick!

Upstairs private room table decor. There is a full bar behind and not pictured.

Dublin Cobble

See all

My personal take on a black and tan - Guinness with Manger's Hard Cider!

Jordan's Big Ten Pub

4.3(184 reviews)

0.8 mi•South Campus

No offense but- not so attractive on the outside- however…read more $6 half sandwich and soup?? Huh?? And delish!!! Artichoke and steak soup- ridiculous Son had an awesome burger- of course he didn't get the special!!!

I came here for Friday fish fry in the winter - I think there was a basketball or hockey game, but…read morenothing causing a crazy wait or crowd. We had some old fashioneds before ordering food, and I thought they were good. Service was super attentive, especially as we delayed ordering to enjoy drinks and an appetizer for a bit. I ordered the beer battered cod fish fry (my staple), and overall it was yummy to eat. The two pieces that came out were enormous and a bit wonky shaped... made me wonder what on earth this fish looked like in its swimming days. The batter was quite tasty, crunchy but not too crunchy/hard, but it was so incredibly think I'm not sure I got fish in every bite. I took one piece home and give the fish part to my pup as a meal topper, and the ratio of breading I had to pull off compared to fish was a bit (quite a bit) much. Still, everything I ate was tasty. I got the salad with my dinner, and was so happy that it came out with quality greens instead of a chunk of iceberg type lettuce. Overall, I'd come back again if others wanted, but wasn't wild about the batter to fish ratio.

Fun times!

House Burger

See all

Chicken chili with half turkey sandwich

Village Bar

4.2(104 reviews)

2.4 mi•Westmorland

Small local bar. Love the staff and brick burgers are great! Great place to stop in after golfing…read moreat The Glen.

Burger boy bartender is rude to customers... I saw him yelling at a young coworker and thought she…read morewas going to cry and when I went back in a few weeks later, he was rude to me when an expired credit card did not go thru ... I gave him another and he made rude comments... I told him I did not appreciate being treated rudely and he raised his voice to me... I wont be back as I can not stand a bully.

Inside

Great burgers!!

See all

Old Style - it's a Wisconsin thing

The Old Fashioned

4.1(2.6k reviews)

0.7 mi•Capitol

This was my second time visiting. I swore I wrote a review the first time but it didn't pop up…read more Anywho, this time my daughter and I were in Madison for the day and visiting the museum across the street and decided to come for dinner. It was Thursday evening and they had a ribs/pulled pork special. We waited about 10 minutes at the bar for a table. The bar and atmosphere is great. Pretty bar lights and an old wood bar. We were seated by the window with a great view of the capital. My daughter and I shared the rib dinner and had plenty of food for us. Our waitress was new and learning but was doing a good job. I'd definitely come back.

The Old Fashioned has been stable in downtown Madison for sometime. U can tell from the interior…read moredesign lot of old pictures few in black and white. The bar area old school feel to it. Race weekend in Madison for IM 70.3 relay. The Old Fashioned spot that heart of downtown and really greatest thing learn so many great spots around the capital. It close to the hotel so ended up going here twice for dinner. So got to try few menu items. ONE thing most looking forward to was the Cheese Curds. Never been to state of Wisconsin. They know cheese. More so at The Old Fashioned, There cheese curds were on the food network. It definitely lived up to the hype. The flavor was amazing. The first visit got bratwurst sandwich was da bomb. The sausage had so much flavor and delicious. Second time cheese board each cheese was local. Nice presentation and light starter good one. Second trip had chili with spaghetti. Ok. The cheese curds by far the star. Service five stars. Friendly, attentive, and positive vibes!!!!

Inside bar

See all

Schlitz beer with a pickled egg on the side.

Mid Town Pub

4.2(155 reviews)

5.3 mi

What a great find! From the moment we sat down, we had a wonderful experience. Our server was…read morefriendly, attentive, and did an excellent job taking care of us. The food was outstanding. The chili was absolutely fantastic, and you can tell the homemade sauces are made with care--they were all delicious. I ordered the walleye sandwich, and it was huge! The fish was fried perfectly--crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. My husband had the pot roast special with mashed potatoes, and he couldn't stop talking about how much he enjoyed it. They have a huge selection of beer! One thing that really stood out was the owner stopping by our table to visit with us for about 10 minutes. He was genuinely friendly, and it made us feel like valued guests rather than just another table. Excellent food, great service, and a welcoming atmosphere. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in the area!

Love this place!! The service and food are always on point! My go to is their buffalo chicken…read morewrap but I've been eyeing the prime rib section for a while, so I went with that today. Wow, absolutely delicious!!! One of the best shaved prime rib sandwiches I've ever had. I added pepper jack cheese and mushrooms. Highly recommend!!

3.2 mi•Starkweather - Yahar

To-go table that has replaced the whole bar, no seats, this shouldn't be called a Pub

Walleye Sandwich as Big as my Dang Head!

See all

Old Fashioned

The Malt House

4.4(90 reviews)

A full bar, with many beers on tap--and knowledgeable bartenders--that is sure to please. Check…read morethis place out for live Irish music. The friendly, comfortable atmosphere makes you want to stay, and come back.

Extensive selection of craft beers in all styles here. Prices are reasonable and the service is…read morevery friendly and attentive.

Best selection in town, hands down.

Absinthe!

See all

Genna's Lounge

4.1(161 reviews)

0.5 mi•Downtown, Capitol

Wow! I was in Madison working for a few days and just happened to find this place while walking…read morearound the capital one night, and man, was I impressed! Such a great vibe and nice atmosphere! I was with a coworker and we ordered beers and found a table and watched as the locals piled in, and suddenly it was packed and hopping! I ended every evening here, the beers were cold, and even though busy, service was friendly and fast. Downstairs is great, but the upstairs is even cooler, and had an even better vibe. If I lived here, I would definitely be here every night!

Cue the music... "Where everybody knows your name!" This is the absolute vibe of Genna's and even…read morethough no one knew our name, we felt like they were at least interested in learning it. We belied up to the bar and ordered a few cocktails. The bartender was super welcoming and friendly and had the best pour of my trip! As the afternoon progressed, more locals and regulars continued piling in, each welcomed personally and in some cases were greeted by their favorite beverage. The space is divey, but not dirty. It's eclectic, local, retro and homey. Downstairs has a simple local dive bar feel, while upstairs has more of a "scene" vibe. Overall, really enjoyed Genna's and is definitely on the "visit list" for my time in town!

See all

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

3 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Mary K.

0

5

0

9 months ago

Please be careful. A older man with mustache named Jack grabs women's asses. He needs to be booted out. He's a disgusting pig

R L.

3

10

0

3 years ago

Travis and his entire crew are rockstars. These folks deserve gold stars for what they're put through every night.

jennie b.

44

96

0

14 years ago

Great dive bar!

Main Depot Tavern - pubs - Updated October 2026

People who viewed Main Depot Tavern also viewed

The Caribou Tavern

4.3

(88 reviews)

nice spot for a cheap drink and dinner. décor is nice and the place itself is clean. Cari did a…read moregreat job at the bar--very kind and friendly! would definitely recommend. a good spot whether you come alone or with friends.

This is the cheers of Madison. The bartender Winslow is the man, the myth, and the legend. Great…read moreservice and as a newbie and potentially long time patron we were greeted as such. We had a really good burger which the meat was from Jenifer's market and bacon was from Nueskes. Great time had and hope to be back soon.

Chiefs Tavern

4.3

(23 reviews)

One of the greatest Dive Bars I've ever been to!! It was so much fun and so much better than the…read moreother one down the street. That other one was so cliquey and I felt uncomfortable. Chief's was incredible!! Made an out-of-towner like me feel accepted. Highly recommended!!!

Great place to have a few beers and enjoy a great show. I came here on a Friday night to see a…read moreperformance by Max and the Animals. I was impressed at the vibe and the great customer service. Even though the place was packed this night, the food was delicious and the bartender was fast. I recommend coming here if you are in town. You will not be disappointed!

Lucky's 1313 Brew Pub

3.7

(84 reviews)

We stopped at Lucky's 1313 Brew Pub, as we were in the area, and my husband wanted to try it out…read more We arrived early in the afternoon. It wasn't very busy at that time, which was a plus, as we were served quickly. We started out with their house brews. They were decent. I had the Porter, and as I drank it, loved it at first, the flavor wavered, and became very light. The first order was cheese curds, they came out popping hot, and had a delicate crispness on the outside, and melting, which I assumed, white cheddar on the inside, served with their house ranch dressing. The serving size was very large. They were delicious. We both ordered the bacon jam burger with fries. The burgers were cooked to perfection, although, it was supposed to have smoked gouda on the burger, but appeared to have cheddar on it. I use smoked gouda, sometimes, when I cook, and it has a delicious smoky rich taste to it, but I didn't taste that on this burger. The burgers were large and filling. I could taste a bit of the bacon jam, but would have liked more, to make it more exceptional. The tomato focaccia bun was awesome. The fries were delicious, sliced thin, and had an awesome soft crunch. Overall, the food was delicious, and we will revisit it again.

Horrible service on gameday. Pretentious and rude. Would not frequent. It was a horrible experience.read more

Missouri Tavern

4.1

(20 reviews)

The Missouri Tavern is an awesome country bar; open since 1940, you should definitely drop-in for…read morebeverage or two. It offers the perfect rural Wisconsin country bar vibe: after 86 years in business, it is the real-deal. Great bartender: good guy. The food seems to be mostly limited to bar pizza [which *did* smell amazing] The patio looked beautiful on a sunny afternoon.

Historic, iconic , small , with some damn good bartenders , shout out to Debbie for being the best…read morebartender along highway 12 . Food is decent , pizza, fried food , kind of what you expect in a dive bar. Great outdoor seating on a beautiful day . The clientele is much better than random bars in Waunakee as the people are all pretty friendly. Would go there first if in the area

The Paradise Lounge

4.0

(94 reviews)

Paradise is the best dive bar in Madison. It has the best bartenders - shout out Taylor!…read more The food options are perfect greasy drunk snacks. There can be a long line for the pool table and darts most nights so I would bring a deck of cards while you wait.

My review remains the same: get yourself to the 'Dise and have a [five star] burger & beverage. The…read moreParadise is [dern-near] a Madison institution reminiscent of a grittier Madison of yore before the construction boom and gentrification. Service is awesome. Atmosphere: It was the Best of Dives, it was the Worst of Dives... :)

The Wisco

3.5

(41 reviews)

A classic neighborhood dive bar in Madison. Nothing fancy but the burgers are memorable.read more

CHECK THIS AWESOME PLACE OUT!!!!! Hands down one of the greatest times and atmospheres in Madison!…read moreThe crowd is diverse and friendly, the food was great, the staff are amazing, especially Hannah and her awesome Volleyball events and tournaments! Kudos to this establishment, management and staff for providing such a fun and welcoming place for people In the metro area to go!

Garth's Brew Bar

4.5

(21 reviews)

Great cozy ambiance. We when when it wasn't crowded - plenty of seating. Very chill and low key…read morevibe. Wonderful music. Surprised but delighted to find many non-alcoholic options including a nitro cold brew on tap. Simple foo options but they also allow take in. We had a flight of beer and a greenbush pizza. Staff was excellent. Prices were reasonable. All in all, a great place!

This visit was fun as it was their five year anniversary party and there were some unique beers to…read moretry. We also ordered the pretzel for the first time and it was one of the best pretzels I've ever had. Parking is still a challenge and it took a while to order at the counter when it got busy, but if you go early or try to manage the crowds on events like this you'll have a good time.

Pitcher's Pub

3.5

(37 reviews)

Had a really bad experience here about a year and a half ago. My friends were definitely racially…read moreprofiled in this establishment by the security here. I understand everyone was there late, and that can be irritating if your shift is about to end and you want to go home. But if you state that you are open until 2, people are going to expect to stay until 2 am. We went for a friends birthday, and we were going to start here and make our way downtown to just bar hop and play some games of pool. At about 1:00 the security told everyone last call for drinks and we all got something and headed back to the table we were sitting at. They then proceeded maybe 15 minutes later to say we needed to clear out. Now I would like to add we were not the only people in there. At least 10 other groups of people continuing their games of pool. My friend whose birthday it was went to take his last shot at the 8 ball. Literally our last ball, and the security comes over and starts to harass my friend. Stating it's his business which we understood so we started to pack up because at this point they were clearly uncomfortable by the way he was approached by the security. On the way out the security CONTINUED to talk under his breath about my friend. He did not approach anyone else in that bar except us. The rest of the room continued to play pool until they finished their games. He felt extremely uncomfortable and racially profiled since he was one of three POC in that whole bar, and as a matter of fact those three people were in our group. They all felt some sort of way about how he was approached and we all agreed to never step foot in this establishment ever again. And this is not the first incident I've heard of happening here....

My mom always talked about frequenting Pitcher's Pub in the 70s, and that her go-to drink was Swamp…read moreWater. I finally stopped in a few months ago, and the drink was delicious! It was SO strong, which had me laughing because my mom is not a drinker! I honestly can't believe that she drank these throughout her 20s. Either way, it was really good, and now I know why it's their signature drink. I was really impressed with how expansive it is inside - lots of pool tables, gambling machines, tv's, and a long bar with plenty of seating. When I went, it was mid-afternoon on a weekday, so I would definitely like to return when the place is hopping! It definitely looks like a super fun place to hang out on a Saturday night.

Vintage Spirits & Grill

3.9

(94 reviews)

I love coming here for their $2 rails Happy Hour specials from 3-5pm…read more Always great service with quick response to greet, fill drinks or close tabs. I love the vintage vibe and atmosphere here. And I really appreciate their rotating specials, seasonal cocktails/mocktails, THC drink selection and coffee concoctions.

the food always hits here! I prefer going in the summer to…read moresit outside on the patio once the students are gone! the noise on the street at night can be overwhelming but I still suffer through it for the twinkle lights and good vibes they provide. The staff was okay but i wouldn't say remarkable. I could tell they were they to do their job and that is it. ordered: chicken mango bowl

The Malt House

4.4

(90 reviews)