Have been here twice. First time (sorry no pics) had the veggie burger and was totally impressed. Delicious, didn't miss having meat or at all. Would 10/10 order again. Had ghost fries too after they had been hyped up to me. Good, but nothing to write home about, the burger was much more memorable. It was early spring and the drink menu was fun and seasonal, but had three different ones and none particularly stand out in my mind as fantastic, but again, fun and seasonal. This last time had a standard brandy old fashioned sweet (my usual, non-menu drink) and was overwhelmed by sweetness- way too much. Boyfriend had beer which was reasonably priced. Also had the smoked herring spread appetizer. Was yummy, but needed a little pizazz, the tiny bit of fresh dill on the too could have been a lot more and in the spread. Crackers were fine. Would go back for burgers and fun drinks off the menu read more

Settle Down Tavern - Smoked herring spread - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I loved my experience at Settle Down Tavern. The drink menu is huge and we loved each on we got. We ordered cheese puppies and they were delicious and we loved the ranch. I got a burger and it was very good. I really liked the sauce on it! The service was quick and we enjoyed the atmosphere! read more

Settle Down Tavern - Cheese Puppies - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Really good, but worth it? I don't often incorporate price into my reviews, but there comes a point at which something needs to be said. I'm willing to pay extra for all kinds of things that others may find extraneous: local, organic, fresh, wild-caught, locally owned, etc...but Settle Down Tavern really stretches you to the limits of what is reasonable to pay. The cocktails are creative and consistently good. The burger and fried chicken sandwich are upper echelon for Madison. But as good as the food and libations were, I've always walked away thinking the food and vibe were good, but the price kept it from becoming a regular destination. Today's lunch really just drove that home. I ordered the porketta sandwich (Wed lunch special), side of fries, and a tap beer. In my mind, a perfectly reasonable, not over the top lunch. Then the bill came. $13 for the sandwich. $5.50 for the side of fries. $8.50 for the tap beer. With tax, a whopping $28.50. $6.50 for the tip and we're at $35 for a sandwich, fries and 1 beer. Ouch. The porketta sandwich was excellent. Topped with arugula, red onion and chimichurri, I could have easily put down 2. The fries were ho-hum. They're called "ghost fries", but are just regular thin-cut french fries with a generous amount of spicy seasoning salt. Pretty disappointing. I guess I would have expected maybe some actual peppers, fried or raw, on the fries, but got some spicy Lawry's instead. The beer was made by the brewery across the street, which made the pricetag even more curious. No reason for any transportation costs, handling, whatever to be built into the price, and at $8.50 a pint, something is certainly being built into the price. Overall, a really good sandwich and cocktail bar/restaurant at a Best of Madison pricepoint. read more

Got the Good Idea. It was its namesake. Fast & tasty & well priced. What more do you want? read more

Took a while for the us to be waited on but there was an oversight by the wait staff. Overall staff was very friendly and the food was delicious! read more

First timers! Really enjoyed dining in the street! Drinks were inventive, Chicken sandwich special exceeded expectations! Grain bowl was well executed! Deviled eggs were impressive. Staff and servers were some of the best we have experienced in Madison. Highly recommend ! read more

Delicious. Excellent service, excellent food. Had the meat burger and plain fries, and both were amazing. The fries were perfect. Will certainly come again so I can try the veggie version of the burger. Note--my co- eater had the veggie burger and the spicier version of the fries, which were too hot for both of us. Interesting selection of mixed cocktails as well. Service was prompt, friendly and personable. Ate outside (during COVID), which can have a wind-tunnel effect on a windy day. read more

Amazing smash burger. A little too salty but probably why it tastes so good. Tried the chili fries...again amazing and very salty.

Wow! I walked in and met the friendliest staff you could ever imagine. And then came my food. Dear Jesus - if you haven't visited here, you just don't know what you're missing. A perfect 10! read more

Keeping this simple, the burgers are supreme, and the veggie burger one of the best I've had. Love the buns, the pickles and the overall seasoning in "smash burger" style. The fries were good and served with aioli. We had yummy cocktails and there is a good craft beer selection. The outdoor seating was perfect on a beautiful breezy night in Madison, and our server was on top of it! read more

I love this restaurant and bar! They have an amazing staff, delicious cocktails and an awesome burger! Definitely check them out when you're downtown! read more

Came on a Sunday evening for a single-option multi course dinner. Had no idea. Wow. Absolutely bowled over. Kitchen really, really cares about food. We could tell from the herb butter served with the bread course and it went up from there. Thank you to Lucia and everyone working behind her. Worth every penny. 10 stars. read more

Real good burger here. Almost every table had a burger. The outdoor area was packed. Ghost fries had a little bit of spice. Service was super slow. I think it was over 30 mins from ordering to when we got our burgers. read more

Delicious! And the staff is so friendly! The food took awhile to get to us because they were busy and the kitchen is small but other than that it was great. read more

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Top notch! Love everything about this place Every item is done in a thoughtful and deliberately delicious manner read more

Something for everyone. Though there is small menu this place does a lot of fun spins on classic Wisconsin bar food. Great atmosphere, amazing service, and the food slaps. Will return again soon. read more

Get the idea burger with a sunny side side up egg and bacon. Bring a second pair of clean shorts because you're gonna need em

Not sure what happened to this place. It used to be good, but after our last visit, we won't be back. I remember the burgers being really good, but they are now greasy and flavorless. The fish fry is absolutely terrible -- overcooked, over battered and without flavor. Our server was great and the cheese curds were solid, so I will give them some credit there. I rarely complain about menu prices, but charging $3 for a soda that comes in a 5 ounce glass (filled to the top with ice) and then charging ANOTHER $3 for a refill is damn near criminal. Perhaps they should spend more time focusing on the quality and execution of the food and less on making sure the restaurant is adorned with enough virtue signals. read more

Great place to meet up for delicious drinks and food! They have limited outdoor seating (which you can't reserve ahead of time so get there early to snatch a spot!) and plenty of indoor seating. Cozy, hip ambience. Waitress was fabulous and gave great drink and food recommendations. I highly recommend the advance Wisconsin and pink rabbit cocktails- smooth and not overly sweet. We downed the drinks before I could take any photos! We started with the cheese puppies which is a delectable spin on typical cheese curds; the cornmeal hush puppy batter wasn't too thick and added an additional texture to the warm, melted cheese curds. The pickled vegetables were good but was a very small portion (maybe total of 6 pieces of pickled vegetables). We shared a magic grain bowl - the crispy Brussel sprouts was the highlight of the dish! Will be back soon to try a burger (and more drinks of course!). read more

Excellent veggie burger, but could use some more toppings. Dog friendly patio, friendly servers and great location downtown. I only got the burger to go but it was ready fairly quickly and traveled back home well. read more

I'll be honest that I was a little nervous when I saw that they did not have very many options on the menu. But I ordered the "Good Idea," which is, as it turns out, a really good idea. Truly a delicious burger with pickles, cheese, onions, and some sort of special sauce. It was amazing and I was sorry when it was gone. They have a great outdoor eating area for these pandemic times. Also, I asked the bartender for "something fruity" because I don't know a lot of drink names, and the concoction he delivered fulfilled that request very well. It was a goatbird-something-or-other. My husband had the Tuesday chicken sandwich special and was just as happy with it as I was with my burger. And the cheese curds were next level. We will definitely be back! read more

My friend and I shared the pickled veggies to start and I had the veggie burger with a side of fries and a virgin Bloody Mary. I enjoyed the veggie burger a lot but I thought the drinks were very small. Waitress was great! Dessert was a miss for me - grandma's pudding. read more

Dinner on busy Friday night was prompt and attentive. Food -unexpected choices - really notched up bar food! Noisy setting, electric vibe. Real downside was a dog inside the restaurant. Lots of outdoor seating for people with dogs, really-Come on! I'm a dog owner. They don't have to go everywhere. One person in our party is terrified of dogs and we almost left. The dog was reasonably well behaved, but the dog OWNER had a SQUEAKY TOY she kept F$k'in SQUEAKING like she was the entertainment for the room! Step it up managers- some customers are a real detriment. Not sure we'll be back. M read more

Settle Down Tavern was actually pretty good. Everything is always so fresh, and the price is right! Every thing that I have actually tried has been rather delicious. Team are very pleasant and service is really swift. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. read more

I was told about this place from many friends, but being cautious about dining out these days we are slow to the party. But this place has become my favorite burger place in the downtown area. Great menu, with enough different sandwiches to appease vegetarians and the rest of us folks. Loved the burger, the fried onions, the creamy dreamy cheese, and the special sauce made this a winner. We also tried the regular fries, and the cheese curds/hush puppies, both were excellent. Food was hot, and service was quick and efficient. What more can you ask for! read more

Service was awesome! Food was creative, well seasoned, and delicious. We had fries, a burger and a vegan bowl. Each dish was really well put together. The wine was also very good. read more

Loved the burger. Got takeout, the bottom bun was quite soggy, maybe offer to separate the bun from the rest for takeout orders or use a more structurally sound bun? Will order from here again. read more

Very friendly staff, excellent old fashioned, but food was SO disappointing. 3 sisters soup (squash, corn, beans) great idea but SO salty we couldn't eat it. "I've heard that before, " the bartender said. Recommended dessert, raspberry torte $8 was dry and sad. We'd really need better food options to return to this inviting space. Would love to see more starters, not deep fried, e.g., grilled shrimp. read more

I had the Good Idea burger again last night and I'm already craving it again!!! And don't get me stared on the ghost fries and cheese puppies! Not to mention every cocktail is crafted with so much thought and is so much fun! The outdoor seating is super great and well spaced out- I felt completely comfortable bringing my family. This place is just down right fantastic read more

Excellent food. Excellent burgers. Highly recommend good idea burger. Exquisite service. Thank you afrime.

Terrific burgers. Has a very unique and interesting dining area. The cheese puppies are top notch as well.

The menu isn't big, but everything they make is top notch. The drinks, and food were excellent. Try the cheese ball and cracker appetizer. So good. read more

Love this tavern! they adapted so well for COVID by introducing a winter patio with really warm fire pits. The burgers are delicious (the prit near burger is indeed, prit near a real burger). The ghost fries are amazing!!! And the drinks are top notch. read more

Really cool atmosphere here. Was my first time here for a friends birthday and we got appetizers/drinks. There menu is pretty limited but the food is still delicious. The cheese ball was delicious and the ghost fries were super good I haven't had anything like them before. The drinks were also amazing and very different-the cyclops was crazy good. Only downside is that it was super busy and they seemed a little understaffed. Other than that the place was incredible-one of my new favorite places in Madison! read more

It's clear every detail of the Settle down's burger and fries was given extreme thought to make an incredibly oroginal and delicious experience. Perfectly crafted and executed food with wonderful service from the lovely Emily. I'm telling everyone to go enjoy the huge street patio and the new burger champion of downtown Madison! read more

We ordered Settle Down Tavern last night. As I explained to my friend when she asked how it was, I was sad that it was done. We ordered their burger and veggie burger (because I love me a good homemade burger). It stayed warm for the ride home, and was consumed within ten minutes. We also bought the fries. They were spicy. I don't think I liked the pairing with blue cheese. But the fries were great. We also ate the pudding. I don't know what good pudding is supposed to taste like, but I enjoyed it. It feels like good burgers are hard to come by in Madison, so Settle Down is definitely now part of our rotation. read more

Their burger really is a good idea... it's in my top 3 in Madison. Love me a good smash burger. The ghost fries are also super yummy, a nice fun twist up from plain old French fries. Super fun atmosphere for dining in and their online take out ordering is a breeze for when wanting to eat at home. read more

Settle Down Tavern has immaculate vibes, we came in on a Friday evening and all the servers were dressed as cowboys...we love a theme. I ordered a veggie burger and the ghost fries, the onion sauce was bomb. Lucia was our server, and she was so super friendly and couldn't stop asking me if I wanted ketchup with my fries. So attentive, 5/5 service! read more

Just had a terrible experience for lunch. We asked our server if the food would come quickly because we were on a time crunch. She assured us it would. After waiting 40 minutes and no food, we had to cancel the order. The manager came over and was condescending regarding us having to leave. He also accused us of swearing at the server, which we did not do. The server was not the issue. The manager was awful and should not be with customers. We also witnessed him yelling at the server. This guy should be fired and staff do not deserve to be treated this way. read more

Good food. But more of a drink place. Limited menu. But the smash burger was delicious.