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.

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.

Our server, Mac, was great. Very welcoming and a pleasure to work with. The food here, however,…read moreleaves a bit to be desired. While we were very happy with our enormous half-pretzel and my partner said Prost made the best beer cheese sauce she'd ever tasted, our mains were kinda lackluster. My partner remarked that the Beyond Bratwurst merely tasted like breakfast sausage. The sauerbraten was just some plain pulled pork with a scant drizzle of sauerbraten gravy, nothing like the well-marinated real deal. The potato pancake wasn't really pancake-y, more like some glorified shredded hash browns. The red cabbage was kinda bland. The pickled veg that accompanied the sausage plate looked and tasted fresh and crisp, with a nice hint of warm spice present in the carrots. The space is a pleasing reuse of an old deconsecrated church, with the requisite beer hall-style dining benches. Sports play on the televisions in the main dining hall and above the bar. In summary, I guess you gotta know what Prost!'s strengths are. Their pretzel is epic, but most everything else seemed to fall short. If you're there just for the beer, you can't go wrong.

This is a neighborhood bar with tavern food across from Meriter Hospital and Select Specialty, near…read morethe University campus in Madison. I went with a work crew for a goodbye cocktail hour. The menu was a bit heavy with fried foods like hot pretzels, fries, and cheese curds, so I only tasted those, but the drinks were really good. I loved my blackberry cider. Chill inside, comfortable. Not fancy, but clean.

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.

The salad here is SO GOOD!!!! I'm a vegetarian and often struggle to find a solid, meat free salad…read moreout and about but the salad here was just great. Their lettuce was so good in it as well! The cheese curds, fries, and chips were also amazing. The staff is super nice and even though I got it to-go the wait wasn't too bad in the nice bar.

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!

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.

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.

Ironically, even though The Old Fashioned is known for having the best cheese curds in Wisconsin…read more(Food Network said so!), I still haven't tried them. What I can tell you is that the walleye and eggs brunch entree was the best breakfast I've ever had. The portion is huge for the price, which is a big deal in this economy. The walleye was cooked perfectly. Their rosemary potatoes were a great take on a classic. Maybe I'm gassing this place up a lot, but those potatoes were life-changing. The atmosphere is lively and buzzing in the best way, so it's a fun spot to hang out after going to the Dane County Farmer's Market. I also picked up a cool shirt that shows how to make an old-fashioned one, which is the perfect souvenir. Next time, I'm finally getting the curds.

Food Network rated as the BEST Fried cheese curds. Not sure about that. They were squeaky, salty,…read moreand greasy. Not pleasant at all. I heard the Doubletree does a better job. We had the special BBQ plate on Thursday night. Additionally we had the pickled beet salad. Now the ribs were fire. Tender, moist, and delicious. Beet salad was ok, but nothing special. Ambiance was a very old lodge-like atmosphere. Make sure to get there early as the place gets busy. We had to wait 25 min for a table.

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!!

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.

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!