We love coming to Rare for a special date night. The restaurant is so beautiful with dark woods,…read moredark ceiling and ultra-cozy booths. We discovered their wonderful bone-in pork chop on a prior visit, so we ordered one dish to share in addition to soup, salad and sides. We still had pork to take home! Totally recommend the lobster bisque and wedge salad, both were outstanding! The pork chop was fabulous and arrived carved into tender slices. I typically am not a fan of pork, but this dish is truly special. Our two sides of mushrooms and green beans were nice, but probably will skip the mushrooms on future orders. Service is always very good at Rare.

Last night was my first time going to Rare, and wow am I impressed. The great first impression…read morestarted with our table Captain Guinevere; she was very attentive, knowledgeable, and had a wonderful and upbeat attitude. My food was incredible, but the lobster bisque and sweet chili shrimp stole the show. To die for. The ambiance is rich and comfortable, albeit just a tad too dark, making it a little tough to read the menu. I will absolutely go back to Rare again, and will be requesting Guinevere.

We had never been here so we thought Restaurant Week was a good time to check it out. We do like a…read moregood steak but going to steak houses around the Square in Madison normally requires a lobbyists' expense account. With a reservation in hand on a week night we arrived to a a somewhat busy but not full restaurant. We were seated on the main floor where the bar is located. It is a classy environment. Our waitress was very good. We did not see their regular menu since they were only serving their $50/ person Restaurant Week menu (we did hear somewhat at an adjacent table question where the regular menu was...) We both started with a glass of wine and followed by a pretty small Caesar Salad - small but tasty. For our main we each got the petite filet which actually for us was a good size. It was perfectly done medium rare and very good as were the sides. Since it was our anniversary they gave us each a complimentary flute of sparkling wine which was a nice touch. We tried the tiramisu and the flourless chocolate cake for dessert both were very rich. The only complaint was that it felt a bit rushed - not sure why because they didn't need the seats because there were empty tables the whole time we were dining.

We came here as a group of 6 for work and were seated promptly. The service was excellent. Our…read morewaitress was super nice and friendly and gave recommendations on the menu. I didn't give it a 5 star coz I expected better for the food. Everything was a touch salty. The food was ok. I'm not a steak person so I ordered the lobster bisque soup and scallops for my entree. Soup was kinda salty but there were 3 chucks of lobster in there. We had the lobster mac and cheese and it was tasty but just ok. Coworker ordered the mushroom ravioli and she didn't finish it. Other coworker ordered a steak and was happy with it. Overall, its decent but food could be better.

Our group tried The Hilltop Supper Club last night and I loved it. We sat at the bar while waiting…read morefor our table. I had a sweet brandy old-fashioned. The bartender was friendly and prompt and my drink was excellent. The hostess sat us at our table and our waitress arrived promptly to take drink and appetizer orders. I highly recommend the cheese ball. It's the size of a softball and filled with a variety of herbs. Creamy, flavorful and served with several dozen Townhouse crackers. We also had the dynamite shrimp. They have a very mild kick from the mayo sauce. I'm not a mayo fan and this did not change my mind, but those of us at the table who like mayo thought they were good. For dinner I had the perch fish fry with potatoes au gratin. My first bite of the potatoes was cheesy goodness. I really, really liked these. One of my dining companions felt like there should have been more and I would certainly have eaten more, but I thought the portion size was good. There were six perch fillets. The perch was delicious. I would have preferred a lighter batter, but I would definitely order this again. For dessert a couple of us ordered ice-cream drinks. They mudslide and the salted caramel. Both was creamy and delicious and I would highly recommend either. I would happily return to the Hilltop. Great experience.

This was my first Wisconsin supper club experience. And I am sold! Supper clubs are awesome!…read more We came early for our reservation. So we sat at the bar and started on small fashions and some complementary cheese ball. For the meal, I had the fried walleye with a baked potato and a salad. We had fried cheese curds for an appetizer. Everything was amazing! The fish was super good with an amazing homemade tartar sauce. I had a Brandi old-fashioned just to try it, and a few of the whiskey old-fashioned lol they were great. Overall, this was an amazing experience. I would come back here every weekend if I could.

The service at the bar was fantastic, and the service at our table was just as great. The food was…read moreexcellent! I honestly can't remember the last time I enjoyed a dinner out this much. Everything was wonderful from start to finish. We had such a great experience and will definitely be back!

I enjoyed the prime rib thick cut which is enough to split with another person. The cheesy hash…read morebrowns were delicious and would recommend. Delaneys is a classic steak house and they have some good beers on draft too including Kronenburg German Pilsner which pairs well with my prime rib. Good wine choices as well. Solid steak house choice for special dinner

I heard about this place from the comedian Al Madrigal . It was the example of how to run a place…read moreon a Wednesday at 10:30 at night. The staff was great and the bar while packed it had this jack off named Kyle bitching and moaning about how packed it was . He should have been tossed out by the staff as he was one of those chicken finger eating no idea what real food tastes like generation who would rather eat chicken fingers and tater tots and play on his phone. The steak I had was pretty damn good and the French fries seemed to be hand cut and super fresh. Go here eat here and never ever listen to Kyle

Damn. We landed here after a to be nameless higher star…read moreestablishment shit us down with bad service and worse food. After their harveyed house cocktails and shit filled relish trays made us a "no thanks"'we WALKED OUT and came to the tried and true. Thank you tornado for delivering what you always have consistent good food arguably great steaks and sides whether at the bar or in the dining room. When it's special or unknown trust tornado.

We went on a weekday night and it was a fun, lovely atmosphere. They are known for martinis and my…read moreraspberry lemon martini was delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly as well and our server was knowledgeable and accommodating! The mushroom rice side was spectacular! My only concern was one guest at the bar was loud and using foul language. I was there with my mom and that did make the outing awkward. The bartender did his best to control and outburst and swear words as he was watching soccer but word of warning for those with younger guests.

My wife and I ventured out to Mount Horeb for dinner at Driftless Social on a Saturday night…read morerecently. We had a reservation, which I would recommend, and were seated immediately. The restaurant is fairly small, but cozy. The ambiance is very relaxed and social. It was a bit noisy but a good noisy, not obnoxious noisy; people having good conversations and lots of laughing. Our server greeted us in a timely manner and took our drink order. I ordered an old fashioned, my wife a Hugo spritz. Both were fantastic but just a heads up, the drinks were relatively strong. The menu is relatively small but still enough to choose from and not be disappointed. My wife and I both ordered the 5 oz filet with shrimp. We split a side of green beans. When our food reached our table, we thought that it might not be enough to fill us but we were more than full afterwards and agreed that anything bigger might be too much. The food was excellent, one of the better steaks I've had in a while. The service was good and our server, Sammy, did a real nice job of taking care of us without being overly intrusive. Prices were appropriate for the quality, maybe a little higher than you would expect but still worth it. If you're looking for a high quality, local small town steak experience that isn't a chain, I highly recommend Driftless Social.

We absolutely loved the immersive experience at Nook! The shared dining experience was social but i…read morewas still able to have conversation with the person I came with. We could tell a lot of thought went into the design and flow of the evening. Every dish was beautifully presented, flavorful, and full of creative twists on classic favorites. Like the strawberry tomato soup and the corn blueberry ice cream. The bison and other meat dishes were perfectly done and high quality. t's clear that the chefs take pride in crafting dishes that are both inventive and approachable, with local ingredients. I was also happy to find out they'll box up any courses you can't finish, which is great if you want to plan ahead for what to eat and what to take home. Already hoping I can get a reservation to go back.

I have been WAITING to come here and I was not disappointed. Honestly, if you want to try Nook (and…read moreyou should if you can) I would go in with no expectations and just experience it -- meaning stop reading this review after the first paragraph because it might give some spoilers. To start, reservations. They open a few months in advance at midnight on the first of the month... sucks for anyone not usually up at midnight but worth it. I locked in my reservation date at 12:03am, a coworker was also trying to get a reservation for the same month and it was sold out by 12:06am when he tried. So, know your date ahead of time, click refresh constantly starting at 11:59pm, and Godspeed! Now to my experience. I'm not usually wild about the 12course restaurants you see in Chicago or New York. The space is uppity, the people are obnoxious, and the food is... usually just fine. This is truly a Madison and a Wisconsin spin on that pretentious kind of environment, and it is so down to earth. It's a personal experience with the chef and staff that you can't get in the big city. They explain each meal and often would tell you where the ingredients came from nearby... sometimes the chef's backyard. There is one seating per night at 6:30pm and everyone is sitting together. The plates are served individually to each person, and technically there are six 2-person tables assembled together about 3-4 inches from one another to make a sort of single long table. I'd sort of been picturing one single long table, but this worked just fine. My party of 2 was near the middle, so it was fun to be able to have some inclusion on conversations on both side of the table.  And the food. Wow. Continuing the Wisconsin spin on a 12 course (this being 13 course) meal, these are not tiny plates. While each one is not a solo big meal, they are larger than I expected and I was legitimately full after course #4. And we hadn't even gotten to the "mains" at that point! They do box parts of the meal up for you if it's conducive to leftovers. That gave me dinner the next night as well. So pace yourself, and if it's something that would function as leftovers, try it and move on. I did the wine pairing with it, and they were also generous pours (9 of them) -- consider an Uber. I'm not a wine-o, but I figured when in Rome.... go all out. The wines actually did complement each meal really well.  This is a unique experience of fine dining you WILL not get at the fancy restaurants. If you are a foodie, this is a must. It's super low key, come as you are. We had people at our table in hooded sweatshirts and people in nice dresses as if they were ready for the symphony. All were welcome and nobody was judged. The chef is hilarious, the staff is so much fun and I was laughing constantly. They are truly part of the experience almost as much as the food itself. If this in in your budget, it is worth the stress of getting a reservation. Bravo. Oh, and if it's not obvious -- yes, the food is incredible.

Came here to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday while camping. We made reservations and were seated…read moreright away. I ordered the rhubarb martini and it was absolutely delicious. The garlic bread is also super yummy. I ordered a filet mignon with asparagus and a side of onions and mushrooms. My bf ordered the 14oz steak. Unfortunately my steak was lacking flavor there was no seasoning at all. No salt or pepper here. My steak was extremely dry. I didnt enjoy it much. The asparagus was okay, again no salt or pepper here. My boyfriends steak tasted much better. The garlic mashed potatoes are also good. We ordered a bourbon old fashioned and it was super good. For dessert the star of the night was the triple berry creme brulee. It was decadent. Wr enjoyed it very much. Would we return? Absolutely. I would just order something else next time. I would pass on the steak.

It's been a while, but I love how they have renovated the place. Their menu has also stepped-up…read moresignificantly. Every dish was prepared and presented like a tasty work of art. My whole family had another wonderful dinner experience. It was packed, so it was a bit louder, but we didn't mind. We were distracted by all the food. The cheese curds were lightly breaded and fried perfectly. They even had a bit of a squeak. The haystacks were enjoyed even by my family who didn't like onions. The prize app were the pork bellies. Tender, meaty, and covered with a sweet tangy bourbon glaze. I could've eaten those as an entree! My filet was a perfect med-rare. Tender with just the right amount of char. The ribeye was prepared with the same tender perfection as well. My son, who lives in Chicago, said his steak rivaled those of the steakhouses in Windy City. He really enjoyed his filet. The scallops were seared to perfection, and they were nestled in a bed of soft, warm, creamy risotto. And I mean CREAMY. It's the way they should be made. HPSH doesn't skimp either on the number of scallops; we had to box up the rest. We didn't have room for dessert, but we did box some up for later.....and they tasted great. Can't wait til our next visit to High Point!