Great breakfast food! Highly encourage you to try the burrito. Coffee is good and strong. Go during the week, and early. No wait!

I would eat here every day of my life, if I could -- it's that good! And Short Stack is definitely popular because of it. There was a short line when we arrived early on a Sunday afternoon, but the other patrons were friendly and we enjoyed talking as the line moved quickly along. Our food and beverages were well worth the brief wait. The sweet potato oatmeal pancakes with maple bourbon marscarpone were to die for! So sweet and decadent. To balance that out, the fluffy egg white scramble was a perfect way to go, and there's a full list of add-ins, including, cheeses, meats and fresh veggies, available at the counter. Their unique and delicious breakfast cocktails were great as we took our time and enjoyed the food along with the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. read more

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TLDR; Choose Bassett Street Brunch Club or State St. Cafés instead. The short haired cashier was harsh in telling me I had to order before I sit down. Having walked from campus to the restaurant, it was highly annoying that I couldn't sit and look at the menu. Like seriously?? Do you think I'm going to sit at a table and not order anything? I hope management relays this to staff: Keep in mind, some patrons might have hidden disabilities, making it hard to stand. Absolutely no need to be so rude. Food wise - The pancakes are good! However, they are the same price as Bassett Street Brunch Club, which I find to be better. The toast isn't very toasted, but it's okay. However, both the bacon and sausage are so dry and disgusting! Their water is so warm it's off putting. Despite all this, I'd like to shout out the male food runner today. He was incredibly kind! After reading other reviews, it doesn't seem like the owners are great people. This very obviously translates into the business throughout, from food to service. As a huge café/brunch person, I didn't realize a restaurant could be this disappointing. With Bassett St. being a short walk away, and all the lovely cafés and tea bars along State St., you're better off avoiding Short Stack Eatery. read more

Pancakes are good, that's about as much as you can say as far as positives. Sausage and bacon are freezer, pre-cooked tasting. The food runner that brought out food today was nicer than the host who greeted us. The policy regarding self serve and ordering before you eat is a bit misguided. Undoubtedly it is an attempt to cut down on cost, but considering the amount of people who find it off putting it should be reconsidered. Food is expensive, most drinks are self serve, and the water is often warm. I think Basset Street Brunch Club is a better spot for breakfast food overall, and would never recommend that someone comes here over the better options. It has the vibe of a failing business trying everything to stay afloat, from the service, bathrooms, and food. read more

Visiting from out of town for a sporting event and stumbled on this breakfast gem. Breakfast burrito and the potatoes were very tasty. Coffee was good. Some enjoyed the pancakes as well! Staff was very friendly! Would definitely recommend. read more

Like most people, I'm always amazed at how long the lines get outside of this place and that made me want to try it more. My friends and I finally went on a Saturday around 3:30, so it wasn't busy at all. It's a quaint and cozy space inside, and the service was good! I got the short stack of the sweet potato oatmeal pancakes and they were incredible! Very unique and really hit the spot. My friends also got blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes and the gluten free ones, which in particular got rave reviews from my gluten-free friend. The short stack was the perfect size for a late lunch/afternoon snack. I will definitely go back during the off hours! read more

Short Stack Eatery - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Best breakfast/brunch hands down!! If you eat anywhere in Madison make it this place. read more

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Came here with high expectations because of all the recommendations of this place. The place itself is very interesting, with a nice and relaxing atmosphere, a little bit crowded but very cozy at the same time. The tables and walls are nicely decorated. And the staff are also very friendly. As for food, I tried the breakfast sandwich. Wasn't really what I expected, but it still tastes good. The breakfast burrito looks like a huge portion. Should get that if you came here with an extremely empty stomach. The blind special wasn't really that special, but I guess that's part of the game? The milkshakes were great! read more

Short Stack Eatery - Breakfast sandwich with side of potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Stopped in for breakfast last year during CrossFit Games week, and had to return again this year. I wish The Blind allowed an option to ask if it is gluten free, but I can't complain too much! Good is delicious and I love the vibe. Will always return for a meal anytime I visit Madison. read more

My new fav: all-night-drinking-gotta-get-food diner! Read reviews, locals shared stories of long brunch lines...but...cold, Sat night, not busy - stopped in and super happy to sit at the bar. Awesome blueberry pancakes (must order!!!), potatoes, eggs and unlimited coffee. Totally hit the spot! read more

Short Stack Eatery - Blueberry pancakes (must order), potatoes, eggs and unlimited coffee available - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I got the Cajun Biscuits and Gravy and a small portion of the buttermilk waffles. The biscuits and gravy arrived with eggs of your choice. I was so excited to dig into my dish, until I realized that it was room temperature. That's right, it wasn't piping hot! Which I feel that a breakfast meal at 11pm should be. The waffles were their saving grace, crunchy, buttery, yet spongy soft in the middle. It was HOT! Yet somehow prevented the whipped cream topping from melting. It came sprinkled with fresh fruit which was appreciated. This is casual dining; you pay (and tip) at the front and help yourself to some water from the self serve station, located towards the kitchen. read more

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Ordered sweet potato oatmeal pancakes. Fall apart and fluffy. However the taste was too strong of cinnamon and burnt brown sugar - not my style. The marscapone was truly the hero of this dish, remarkable when combined with the savory pancakes. Self-service coffee, but the staff were approachable. Vintage ambiance is no excuse for poor lighting. 6.8/10 for the pancakes 2/10 for blackberry thyme lemonade - too sweet. read more

We went to SSE for Saturday brunch after strolling through the Farmer's Market and it was delicious! Food is flavorful, well seasoned and full of texture. Staff is great and were super accommodating to our large party of 8! I love the fact that you pay first and coffee and water are self served! A great solution to keep the flow in this restaurant that is on the small side. A very special touch of the decor are hand written letters from customers that were put under the glass on the tables. Highly recommend SSE for breakfast food! read more

PROS: Tasty brunch food, large portions, reasonable prices CONS: Long lines at times We came here on a weekday to avoid the long lines we see on weekends, but it seems the place is still popular on weekdays! Everything we ordered tasted really nice and fresh and the food didn't feel heavy. The freshly squeezed OJ tasted awesome. They even have a gender neutral bathroom! Like whoa! read more

Short Stack Eatery - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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One of the best places with great vegan and non-vegan options in town. Perfect to satisfy everyone and the atmosphere is always worth the wait read more

Walked over from our hotel to pick up some breakfast- don't make that mistake. You must call first and then either pick up or delivery. That was ok-- put in our order from our phone and got a healthy walk in. Food was so worth it- my husband loved his biscuit and gravy and my pork and grits was so tasty. This is really delicious homemade food- not the cheap bland food often served at breakfast. We also really appreciated the option of the "small" portion which is perfect for a single diner. Order the large if you are sharing Short Stack is running a great operation and the cars were lined up for a reason. Love the signs in their windows too. Found a "go to" breakfast place in Madison read more

I want to update my review... After a year, this place still hits it out of the park! There was a line but it moved fast, the homemade granola was amazing, and the atmosphere is even better than last year! I can't say enough great things about Short Stack Eatery! #HWPO read more

Short Stack Eatery - Short Stack Eatery - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This place is cute. It's casual but tries to be higher end, while simultaneously having a rant on the table about McDonald's screwing them over by somehow making people expect a $2 breakfast. That's not what I expected. I expected to pay more to get a higher quality meal. $40 later for a meal for two, I'm a little confused. Got the eggs Benedict which skimped on the hollandaise and had pan fried over cooked eggs. I also got the blind which was a pretty good shrimp fried rice. The worst part of the meal was my Bloody Mary. Full disclosure it's a beet based bloody and there wasn't any mention of beets on the menu (that I saw at least). I could have perhaps done with a touch of blended beets in it, but there were chucks of them in there I had to chew. Not my taste at all and was fowl imo. But the waitress offered to get me something else at least. read more

First time. Drawn by the gluten free vegan short stack. The people were nice. The restaurant is cozy and comfortable. Some issues in the kitchen made my food take a little bit longer, a sincere apology from the host and hot food delivered to my table made everything a-ok. And the food was damn good. Vegan pancakes with bananas and applesauce, a side of breakfast potatoes (Cholula instead of ketchup made them amazing), and sausage links. Orange juice to drink. read more

Just ordinary. I got the Trio with sausage patty's, eggs, and potatoes. The Pattie's were Sysco style - nothing special. Eggs were just that. The potatoes were the highlight of the plate. Coffee is colored water, diner style. I was out the door over twenty bucks lighter so not a good deal for "ordinary". The line was out the door so this was a real head scratcher. read more

It's not often I give 5 stars but Short Stack deserves all of them. A women run business, Short Stack serves breakfast from Wednesday through Sunday only. Be ready to stand in line at any given time of the day, but know that the wait is worth it. You'll order at the counter and then sit wherever there is space. They'll give you a number on an old license plate and about 15 minutes later, your food will be served. It will be hot and delicious, guaranteed. During this visit to Short Stack, I ordered the Eggs Benedict with the hollandaise on the side. The eggs came over easy on apple wood smoked ham and a homemade biscuit. For my side I chose greens, which were dressed in a light balsamic reduction. I would eat this breakfast over and over again if given the option. A winner for sure!! read more

Short Stack Eatery - Bloody Mary's are yum!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I've been a fan of Short Stack for a while and finally got takeout this morning. I think breakfast food is often overlooked for takeout and I want to support local breakfast establishments. Blind special is always FUN and a good deal, but today it was not a huge portion size. That & coffee & tip was around $14, which seems hefty for a fairly small breakfast. Regardless, I appreciate their commitment to local sourcing and being a progressive space in Madison. read more

Easily the best gluten free pancakes I've ever had. I cannot recommend enough. I did not like the grits. They were very soupy.

I support this restaurant because of what the restaurant stands for. I had an incident where another customer made a microagression towards our group and the staff intervened and did not tolerate it. Their breakfast burrito is one of my favs! When you walk into their restaurant, their set up is very welcoming and good vibes. Breakfast time is even more enjoyable with the sun shining through the window. Before covid 19, their wait like would run outside around the corner! read more

Solid brunch place with cute decor and a wide variety of menu items! You order up front and then snag a table after just FYI so you can be strategic when you get there. We tried the bfast Sammy on mini Stella's cheesy bread and the regular pancakes. The pancakes were thicc and fluffy and it makes sense why it's the namesake. The sandwich was fine but I was a little disappointed. I didn't taste any cheese in the baby Stella's, and the sandwich itself was overpowered by the sweet onion jam. Potatoes as a side were average. I'd come back but probably just for the pancakes or to try something else (they were out of the pork n grits, which is what I had REALLY wanted) read more

Short Stack Eatery - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Fantastic brunch and late night breakfast option in downtown Madison. My friends and I were planning to eat here after March for our Lives, but the line was excessively long. When we came back around midnight, it was quieter but still busy. After ordering at the front and getting a license plate for a table number, we found a booth and excitedly waited for our food: The blind (savory): Mediterranean breakfast plate; came with 4 pita pieces, eggs, olives, cheese, and cucumber tomato salad. Overall, very decent. Sweet potato pancakes with strawberries and marscapone: amazing, would definitely order again. Flavored lemonades: I loved the flavor (blackberry thyme) and especially the crushed berries that were mixed in. The character and business model of this restaurant are quite unique, and both the food and service are very good. Worth a visit! read more

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Really cute local restaurant with good breakfast food. A little hard to find bc their sign is not visible. The blueberry pancakes & apple butter were delicious. We both had eggs and bacon. My husband loved the coffee. Servers were friendly and food came out in a timely manner. You order when you come in and have to look for a seat. We sat at the bar. Overall a good experience. read more

Like anyone and any place...sometimes one is on, sometimes not. My meal today has put me off of the need to come to short stack too soon again. The potatoes were grease soaked. My over-medium eggs were so runny was like trying to eat water with a fork. The sign out front about all the rules to follow in order to come in and last week I was yelled at for not reading the sign carefully enough. The sign on the counter that asks customers to pay in cash so the business doesn't get gouged by credit cards, but the business doesn't give a cash incentive to the customer. The irony of don't pay with a credit card, but the screen that asks for 20% plus tip for taking your order at the counter and bringing your food to table, but no real waitress. Please pay your workers and quit asking for tips. #PayYourWorkersQuitTipCulture read more

I'm so glad that SSE has found a home in a space that has seen so many turnovers over the past few years. I really love what they've done to the place! It is bright, vibrant and so wonderfully decorated. I hope that SSE is here to stay! :) My only concern: ventilation seems to be a problem in the restaurant. It was wayyyyy tooooo hot (even with multiple fans going at full speed) and I left the restaurant smelling very, very greasy. If it is a nice day and there are seats outside, I would definitely recommend snagging them! It is nice of them to offer $1 off of all iced drinks for the heat, but I think the long term solution would be to fix the ventilation system. I ordered the blind special on good faith for a mere ~$7 (!!!) and then decided to tack on a Bloody Mary half way through my meal. I was secretly hoping the blind special would be a savory dish because I wanted something that would go well with the Bloody. Lo and behold, it was a savory dish, and it went spectacularly with the Bloody Mary! Next time I will be back to try something from the 'sweet' menu! Or I might just roll the die again and take my chances with the blind special. (: read more

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An indie restaurant with a focus on organic and sustainable food (but, hey this is Madison after all, what do you expect?), serving breakfast early-beginning at 7 am daily. We stopped in just after they opened on a Sunday morning in August for a meal before hitting the road back to Minneapolis. The place is small but serves up some hearty chow. I ordered the French Toast which was dipped in a thick batter and served with a good helping of blueberries and strawberries and two big scoops of whipped cream. It was a rich treat for breakfast. My son had a large egg sandwich with thick crispy bacon on sour dough bread. We both had fresh orange juice too. A couple of things to remember - order at the counter straight ahead of you as you enter. They will give you a number (bent car license plate) and bring your food too you. If you want water, help your self from the larger cooler in the back. Parking - hopefully you can find street parking or better yet, just walk there. They are located on the corner of Johnson St and State St. The only negative for me was the price. Our breakfast was almost $30 for the egg sandwich, french toast and two OJ (1 lg, 1 sm) - pretty pricey. Nonetheless, the food is high quality and tasty. read more

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Having never been here before, I knew the line out the door was an indication of a great meal ahead. This is an eclectic place with fun people behind the counters and awesome cooks. I ordered the Trio with traditional eggs, bacon and potatoes..."chucky style". It is a lot of food! The potatoes were not ordinary-they add cheese (you can't go wrong there-this is Wisconsin!) and carmelized onions. Delish! You order first then take a seat-meals are prepared quick. Don't hesitate to make a trip here- just be aware of the hours...Thursday 7 am straight through til Sunday night at 11 pm. read more

Short Stack Eatery - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Always delicious! Grits, eggs, biscuits, coffee and Bloody Marys. - go on the weekdays much less busy

I really *want* to be super amped about Short Stack, but I have honestly yet to be wowed by them. I've tried their Sweet Potato Oatmeal stack on multiple occasions, but I've never been happy with them :( They seem undercooked and insubstantial every time. Maybe next time I'll ask them to try to OVERcook them. Will report back soon! Meanwhile, I'm a fan of their mimosas, but they are: wayyy to expensive. I would order multiple mimosas in one sitting if they weren't $7 each. I'd say go for the Bloody Mary instead. It's apparently an award winning item, and you can sip on it for the duration of your dining experience. Lastly, I'd say be very careful about what time you attempt to venture into this establishment- the lines can be outrageously long. Maybe try calling ahead of time :) I hope y'all have a great time there- it's honestly such a cute place! read more

Short Stack Eatery - Sweet Potato Oatmeal Shortstack & Grapefruit Mimosa - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I really like this place. The atmosphere is fantastic. The food is average or a bit above, but its the location, the feel, and the fact that Short Stack is open at 3am that make it a gem, in my opinion. Short Stack makes an awesome sweet potato oatmeal pancake. Their ham serving seems skimpy for $3.50, but is also consistently tasty and has the perfect amount of "crisp" from the griddle. read more

Short Stack Eatery - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This place is amazing! We had to stand in line for a while - but that's a testament to how good the food is! And in a four day trip, we went twice to Short Stack. Everyone was incredibly happy with their food and we loved it so much that we just submitted a suggestion to Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives that they film an episode there! Highly suggest chocolate chip or blueberry pancakes, French toast baguette, and the eggs Benedict! Yummy!!!! We will return! read more

The food was fantastic. The service was outstanding. I had the pecan French toast and it was really great. My wife had the shredded pork and grits and was in love with it. The Bloody Mary's, however, left a little to be desired. They tasted really good at first, but they pack a serious pickle punch. We got the large size, and that was a whole lot. If they had a rocks glass size, that could work. read more

Loved my brunch at Short Stack! Let it be known: this place is popular so expect to wait in line! Loved that we ordered at the bar and found a seat, though. That definitely sped things up! The Bloody Mary was the reason we came, 25 ingredients? It was awesome! But we opted for gin instead of vodka, because red snappers are better. Also, highly recommend the High Life chaser, it is the way to do it around here. Food was great! We had the pulled pork and cheesy grits and the breakfast burrito with a side of potatoes (add onions and cheese). They were great and so filling. I didn't give Short Stack 5 stars because we ordered a corn beef hash small plate to share and...while it was good, it was not corned beef hash. It was pulled pork and crispy potatoes. Great brunch over all, will definitely be back and 100% recommend! read more

Short Stack Eatery - Bloodys with gin and Miller High Life littles. Loved the salt rim! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Very hyped up in Madison but not all that to me. I had the trio. I got egg whites, fruit, and pancakes. The pancakes are all the rage, but we're just pretty standard to me. Now I'm not saying they were not delicious, but they just were not worth the hype. We luckily came at 7am to beat the excessive line this place usually gets. If I had to wait in that line I would have been disappointed. Aside from food, atmosphere is homey and quaint. Staff is very polite and helpful. I would return but I would only recommend to go early to beat the line. It would not be worth the wait. read more

Short Stack Eatery - The trio - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Madison has a thousand places to brunch, but this is a must try. Not only do they serve all breakfast all the time, you can order "blind" (they bring you something random) for only $7. Their bloody is unique and refreshing - juiced from fresh vegetables including beets. My favorite part is you can order a short stack and entree if you don't want to pick between sweet or savory (which I never do). I highly recommend the pulled pork and cheesy grits! read more

Short Stack Eatery - Sweet short stack with a small bowl of the pulled pork and cheesy grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The rumors are true. The sweet potato oatmeal short stack pancakes were delicious! A small order is more than enough! Get a side of their amazing thick cut bacon to pair with the extremely sweet cakes. The self serve coffee is decent; staff was friendly and helpful. Loved the brightness of the space and the unique decor. Will definitely be back to try other dishes! read more

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