Great place! Was greeted with is it your birthday. We stopped for a bit to kill some time. Had 2 Bloody Marys and and order of a salmon sandwich for our grandson. The bar was very cheerful and the Bloody Marys were quite awesome. Waitress was very nice. The decor was of aged commemorative style. We enjoy when establishments keep the vintage decor! read more

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Had a great time here for a casual post-hike Sunday lunch. Had plenty of seating both inside and outside. Service was amicable and helpful. We ordered their cheese curds to start, and they were delicious. The sauce they came with was also full of flavor that paired well. One of us ordered the gritty burger, which was described as " quite gritty"! Despite the mess it made, it tasted wonderful. The fries were just your standard french fries, nothing too special about them. The Wisco scrambler could have used more eggs in its egg-to-scrambler topping ratio, but no complaints about the taste here. The chicken and waffles were interesting since I have never seen it portrayed like a waffle sandwich with a chicken patty inside. The waffles themselves were very sugary, which, if you love tasting sugar crystals like I do, is great news! Gravy and syrup came with this dish, and both were great with the chicken and waffles respectively. Not sure how much I enjoyed the taste of them mixed together. Nonetheless, we had a lovely time at Nitty Gritty, and we hope to try their milkshakes next time around! Thanks :) read more

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It's my birthday, so I had to go to Nitty! The servers and staff were all friendly. It was a beautiful day so we sat out on the patio. I can't complain about the food. The curds were lightly battered and crunchy. Our choice of dips completed this app. The soft pretzel sticks are oh-so warm, soft and chewy, but can be quite filling. Save room for the burger! For birthday guests, you get a free Gritty Burger. I jacked mine up with LT, grilled onions, bacon, and an egg. I love it when the server asks how I would like my burger done. It tells me they take burger-making seriously. And they made it to a perfect medium. It's also a good sign when I have to wipe off the juice running down my hand. What a tasty burger (like Sam L Jackson in Pulp Fiction)....mmmm. This and the sides (I got onion rings) is usually plenty to fill me up. And if that's not enough, the free refills of drinks (eg Guinness beer) should be enough to leave the customer leave stuffed. Even if you couldn't finish another bite, you shouldn't say 'no' to their complimentary dessert. It is a small yet satisfying little hot fudge sundae, with or without singing 'happy birthday.' 3 last parting words: such....good....burgers! read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Cheese curds - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Service was wonderful and friendly. Burgers and birthdays appear to be the specials here. A fun atmosphere. We had the pretzel burger, farmer's burger. Although I asked for medium rare, got medium well on my farmer's burger..oh wells read more

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I had never been to the Middleton location before but was actually super surprised at how great it is. We usually go to the one downtown but were on the west side and needed late night food. Our waitress was super awesome and helpful! We mainly came for drinks and apps. I really loved the fall cocktails, the seasonal old fashioned was perfect for a fall night. The cheese curds were good, their waffle fries are my favorite though. I love that there were two stories to the dining room. It made for a really great vibe. They also had the space decorated for Halloween, which was super cute. I would definitely come back to celebrate a birthday here or for a dinner, it's a lot more calm than the downtown location if that's what you're looking for. read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Cheese curds - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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The official birthday celebration location in Madison. We came here for a quick dinner with the kids. The have a great menu that offers vegan items such as the impossible burger with vegan gritty sauce! So tasty! There is a gluten-free menu that I did not get to check. I don't know if they offer gluten-free buns or it's just bunless if it's gluten-free, as it's not stated on the normal menu. They had some fall inspired drinks. The cozy pear didn't taste like pear, it was very vanilla forward. My husband had the apple version and it was fantastic. Great place for groups and kids. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. read more

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Service was awful. Part of a group and they didn't even pass out napkins or silverware, they just dropped it in one spot for us to pass out ourselves. Nobody at out group received timely refills, until we FINALLY flagged down server to do it. Then they got through 80% of the tables refills and quit. We had to speak up an additional time. Then the food. My chilling cheese dog came as a small hot dog, barely bun length. N9rhibg on it. The EXTREEMLY runny chillies was on the side - I had to build my own dinner. Then I realized my chilli cheese dog had no CHEESE. so had to ask about that. Once again, building it on my own despite ordering from the menu. If I wasn't part of a birthday gathering I would have walked out. They did let me order a burger instead of the mess I got but evening was already leaving me in a bad mood. read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Chilling cheese dog and onion rings. - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

I was there on a weekday for lunch. The place was not crowded. One special mention was about the waiter. He was very polite and friendly. I went for a couple of burgers. The big grit was my favorite burger. It had 2 patties. The burger was huge. The burger was flavorful as well. For side I went for onion rings. Onion rings were not crispy as I expected. My other burger was Raspberry chipotle burger. It was good, but I think other burgers in the menu might have been better. Waffle fries were good as well. My favorite item here was chocolate peanut butter shake. It came in large quantity. The shake was cold and thick, exactly how I wanted it. I finished the shake even before starting the burger. Seems one can add fried onions on top of burgers for free. I added it on top of both of my burgers, and it improved the taste. read more

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For a Friday evening, the place was quite busy. However, we got seated immediately as we came in (I guess we were lucky!) We ordered Pretzel sticks, they special burger with extra patties so we could share by splitting the burger in 2 & Oreo shake. The burger was good, but a little messy to our liking. The pretzels were fine. Overall the service we received was good & if you feel like having burgers in pub but nothing fancy, a place to hangout for a casual pub style dining. read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Farmer's Market Burger, Seasoned Waffle Cut Fries - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Thanks for a great experience. We came off hours and had great meals. Thanks for having a stellar vegan burger and great service. Would absolutely come back. read more

Not a great experience. Hard booth benches that were not well cleaned from the prior occupants. The pretzel appetizer was chewy and gummy with no salt. I ordered the burger of the months which came out without the ciabatta bread. Because it came on a regular roll the flavor just wasn't as Italian. My husband ordered the breakfast burger and the onion straws were too tough to bite into. Disappointing read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Chewy and bland - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Celebrating a birthday? You must go here! They will play a special song! While you wait order some nachos. They were awesome! The burgers and sandwiches are good too. But appetizers for dinner can't be beat! Its a popular spot even in the burbs so be prepared to wait for a table. It's a typical bar and grill experience with a side of birthday. Check it out! read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Nachos add beef - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

No bacon to speak of. No avocado to speak of. Lettuce is bagged; some was chopped, most wasn't. Reuben was decent with house made shredded corned beef but the bread was soggy and not crispy the way a NYC deli Reuben would be. Fries are not hand cut and were flavorless. Very, very sparse blue cheese crumbles. If I have to literally SEARCH for the items which are supposed to make a Cobb salad, then what's the point? Is the owner just trying to save a few bucks? EXTREMELY mediocre. read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Cobb with missing parts. Why bother? - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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This was such a fun place! I got the Farmer's Market burger. And it was delicious!!! You can never go wrong with a Stella's Bakery hot and spicy roll! I had a friend get the turkey bacon avocado sandwich and another friend built her own burger! Both really liked their meals! Service was fast and they were all friendly. It is definitely the place to be for a birthday! They play a birthday song over the speakers in the restaurant and announce birthdays multiple times! Fun place and would definitely recommend! read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Farmer's Market Burger - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

We went to Nitty Gritty as a large family group (unplanned) following a funeral. We called before arriving and they were able to accommodate our large group in a spacious upstairs space. Service was prompt and orders taken quickly. Minor issue with their tap lines being mixed up. Several who ordered tap beers got the improper selections. Corrections were done quickly. Cheese curd appetizers were a hit. Food served hot and tasty. Variety of items ordered. I had barbecue grilled chicken salad. Fresh, large and tasty. My son had strawberry and pistachio salad (also with grilled chicken) and he said it was very good. Husband enjoyed walleye Friday fish dinner-2 large fillets-too much to finish. Another had barbecue pork sandwich with bacon on pretzel bun with pub chips. Also reported to be great. Clean large space, outdoor area looked nice and overall we had a great experience. read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Bbq Chicken Salad - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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I received in the mail a BOGO free coupon so decided to give it a try on a week night. I visited a location in West Madison in a small strip center with plenty of parking. That night it was at about 50% full with patrons so didn't feel crowded. Our server, Molly, was very friendly and attentive. As we perused the menus, we noticed the cheapest burger was listed at $11.25, but the BOGO coupon had a max value of $9.25. We were a bit confused by that because felt it is not a true BOGO deal, but then on further review of the very small print on the menu, the prices include a side and you could choose your burger without a side for $2.00 less. So only one burger without a side on the entire menu you can get for BOGO free, otherwise your bill will just be reduced by $9.25. I decided on the Wisconsin Meadows burger (3/5) and my date ordered the Raspberry Chipotle (3.5/5) burger. My WI Meadows burger was cooked well, but is a pretty basic burger. Not bad, but not spectacular either. However the Raspberry Chipotle was a little let down since we didn't taste any raspberry. For our sides I chose a premium side ($2.25 additional) of seasoned waffle fries (5/5) which were a hit. Their waffle fries aren't like Chick-Fil-A's, but are more like Arby's curly fries in a waffle form. They were crispy and tasted very well! My date chose coleslaw for her side (3.5/5). Overall, had a good experience with great service, but for the same price I feel you can get a better burger with more options from a place like Red Robin. I'll probably only return if I have another coupon. read more

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Amazing! Great customer service and staff. Fun time had by all. I will definitely recommend.

Fun and friendly staff. Yummy appetizers, the curds are perfect. Our burgers and salads were also very good. Would come again for sure. read more

Nitty Gritty just might be my favorite burger joint in Madison. It's not because they do special things for your birthday, it's for their delicious burgers. We stopped in for lunch on a Sunday and was surprised they even have a brunch menu with a few breakfast items on the weekend. My husband ordered a custom burger with mushrooms and cheddar and was very happy. We like that you have other options other than fries or chips. He chose the veggie of the day which happened to be asparagus and it was fresh and delicious. The high-quality meat was perfectly cooked and well-seasoned. I enjoyed the grilled BBQ chicken salad. It was super fresh and loaded with Tex-Mex goodies: black beans, tortilla chip strips, corn and tomatoes. The BBQ chicken was soooo tender. The side of ranch really complimented the salad. We ate inside and were happy that you aren't too close to other diners (Dane County still required masks at the time). Our server was kind and efficient. FYI there is outdoor seating available as well. Go get a burger or salad here! Not just on your birthday!! read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Cheeseburger with a side of asparagus - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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ordered the grilled chicken flatbread with fries & a snickers milkshake to go. was fireee!!!! the fries were crispy & the milkshake was definitely made with love. will be ordering again! read more

**Racism** Extremely angry, hurt and disappointed that @thegritty (Middleton) treated myself and my family with such racism and lack of care. The server just did not care about us and White guest were served way before us despite arriving way after us. We left after an hour after receiving nothing but drinks. The host was rude and dismissive when we tried to discuss the issue. I'm a hardworking guy who treats everyone with same high level of respect. I hate when I'm refused that in return. #middleton #racism #wisconsin #nittygritty #uw #madison read more

Ordered a few burgers via doordash and everything was excellent. From packaging to taste, the burgers totally hit the spot for us. The burger is wrapped inside the box so the meat juice wouldn't leak on to our side of cheese curds and chips. I got the Wisconsin Meadows and my husband got the Farmers. Both burgers were cooked to perfection and seasoned very well. The cheese curds were delicious and I loved their chips which is cooked to extra crisp. Will be paying a visit soon. If delivery was great, I can't imagine how good it would be dining in. read more

This is a go to place any time but especially on your birthday. On that special day you get any beer of your choice and a free mug and free refills. Plus you get a card for a free mini ice-cream We ordered the 12 oz hamburger and it was huge and delicious. Plenty to eat for two people. The service was spot on and the outside dining is pleasant. Just a great experience read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - 12 oz hamburger with waffle fries - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Couple of friends of mine wanted to meet over drinks one evening and he picked this place as it was close to all of us. Showed up at the appointed time and first surprise was the very crowded parking lot. Always a good sign Found my friends and since we were meeting after a long time, we had a lot to catch up. Soon we realized no one had shown up to take our order. Tried to get the attention and finally the assigned waiter showed up, no apologies We asked for a pitcher of spotted cow and some appetizers The beer came soon and another person brought the appetizers, just dropped on the table and left So we will be looking for a new place with more prompt and attentive servers Hate to say this, the original Nitty Gritty was known for the friendly service read more

We came in on a week night where there was a sign posted on the entrance asking patrons to be patient due to staff shortage. It was rather quiet with 4 tables when the hostess seated us all the way in the back. Our server brought us menus 5 minutes after we were seated which was terrible. First time to Nitty Gritty and read about its birthday party celebration but we missed my husband's birthday a week ago. There were several burger choices and monte cristo was the monthly special. I got the raspberry chipotle w/cole slaw and hubby got the big gritt w/waffle fries. Both orders came within 10 minutes post ordering which was great. Initial thought was the burgers were smaller than those in Red Robins as we went there a couple of weeks ago. We both liked our burgers but I didn't taste any raspberry in mine, maybe it was so subtle that the chipotle masked it? Cole slaw was average but the waffle fries were surprisingly crispy and well seasoned! This isn't too far from home and may stop by for a beer and appetizers in the future! read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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The Nitty Gritty is a Madison staple where people, young and old, go to get their birthday mug. The Middleton location is in a strip mall. The food is decent, but nothing spectacular. It's a neighborhood pub with friendly service and outdoor seating during the warmer months. 3.5 stars. read more

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Went here for brunch and I'm not sure if they were understaffed, or what but it took quite a long time to get our food out. I also saw other tables who ordered after us get their food before us. Normally they are much better. Also, sadly, my dad found bone in his burger, not the crunch he wanted. I still wish they would bring back their chicken burger or at least have a grilled chicken option. read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Breakfast BLT wrap - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

The Birthday Bar of Madison!! Drinking for free all day on your birthday? Yes, please! Nitty has a great beer and cocktail selection, great food, and great service. I especially love the cheese curds and chicken wrap. They have great old fashioned drinks as well. Nitty is such a fun place to go, especially for your birthday! Definitely a staple in Madison! read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - The Official Birthday Bonanza - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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The best burger I've ever had so far! Def recommend the garlic burger! We had a great time, only suggestion the waitress was a bit slow w asking us if we needed drink refills ect but it was a busy Saturday. read more

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Good burgers. They usually have coupons buy one get on free. Just be warned the coupons are only for a hamburger. If you order fries or even cheese on your burger that's an up charge. The place could use a remodel it's looking old and tired. They have a nice patio in the summer and it's very relaxing. read more

Probably my favorite Nitty Gritty location. Great service and solid bar food. I loved the burger of the month in June - a Korean-fusion burger! I had a great mojito as well and appreciated the size. Nothing too fancy here, just your classic birthday bar experience! read more

Nitty Gritty Middleton - Mojito - American Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Came here to celebrate my roomie's birthday and it is definitely birthday central. As soon as we walked in, she was handed a balloon and taken to the bar where she was given a birthday mug and given a variety of free drink options. Then we were seated, where she proceeded to order her free burger (don't forget to sign up and bring your coupon!). At the end, she was given a free mini sundae while staff sang happy birthday. It was definitely fun! With regards to food, we got the cheese curds to share and then I ordered the chicken strips with seasoned waffle fries. Everything was delicious. Word of advice, ask for your fries to be well done. They were bomb! read more

What else can I say about the food... other than I love gritty sauce! The burgers are not only fun and deliciously inventive, but they are always great quality. The wraps are superb, and the entire menu has something for everyone. I've celebrated many birthdays at their various locations and this location holds its own. The service is always the best, and the staff are hospitable and friendly. The place is always clean, and they have retained that certain ambiance that makes it feel like the Nitty Gritty. read more

They celebrate you on your birthday! They give you a free drink if you are the Birthday person--unlimited drinks, with a free cup. You get the world's smallest sundae too. kids meal does too, with a free drink. The lemonade is awfully good. Great burger! Nice waitresses. It's a party! read more

We had a college club team dinner (Ultimate Frisbee) with 58 people here. We arranged a Pasta Buffet meal. It was awesome! The food was great, service was great, and we all had a fabulous time! Thanks! read more

Same rather pedestrian food as any of the last 8+ years of occasionally hitting this place. Some occasions have been great, most are ok and some are no so great. This most recent was somewhere in between. It's the season of the pandemic and so I've found that in spite of great efforts many of my favorite stops are also not as good as I remember them having been. This particular evening was going quite well the young man serving our outdoor seating table was very good and attentive as well as polite. All you could hope for. But regardless of it, somehow the overall experience was still flawed. Having walked read more

It was a very interesting place, as there was trivia night going on upstairs on my visit on 07/31. I went to this place based on a recommendation from a state area rest map & the very first question that a host asked me was, "Is it your birthday today?" When I said no, the host did not hide disappointment on his face. (They love celebrating birthdays enthusiastically. They apparently have celebrated over 700,000 birthdays since 1985, with their oldest patron being I think 108 & their youngest patron born just the day before.) Being a Tuesday night, the place wasn't too crowded downstairs - all the action was upstairs for the trivia night. The place is smaller in size on the inside than one would expect, but it seemed just right. The waitress was very knowledgeable & told me about all the local cheeses & sodas they had available. (They have local alcohol too, but I defer that knowledge to someone who drinks.) Bathroom was clean when I used it. The food was pretty good - I had one of their burgers with their special sauce as well as cheese from a local Wisconsin dairy farm. The service was very good & I got to try a local cream soda called Blumen's Cream Soda. I remember eating apple pie a la mode & that was also pretty good too. Price was reasonable, & I would definitely come back, especially if it is my birthday! read more

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Finally went to the NG for the birthday experience. My husband got his free balloon, mug and beer plus of course fantastic burger! My fav burger is the Farmers Market. We had good service and I was impressed with some of the thoughtful features inside too. read more

It's an annual event to hit Nitty Gritty on (or around) my birthday. I always enjoy the new mug and whatever I can fit into it that day. :) On top of the mug and free drinks, I do enjoy their food - hopping around the various burger options depending on how I feel that day. The food is consistently good and always prepared as ordered. It's a clean, friendly environment. Service is always friendly and prompt. I have no reservations taking the family there, or meeting with a work group for drinks. read more

I love this place. The burgers are great! The cheese curds and onion rings are also really good. Also, I would recommend the Nacho supremeo, which is pretty big and takes several people to finish it. I recommend going for your next Bday event or even a dinner on the way home. read more