Bouncer with the one earring is incredibly rude and judgemental. He was disrespectful to my roommate.

The manager "Sean" (name given by employee) was very unprofessional and terrible to us . We waited in line at the FRONT for 1hr in a thunder/lightning storm. I understand being at capacity but there was no communication. After we were finally let in after 1hr, my boyfriend expressed to ME in our OWN PERSONAL conversation that this was not done well and management should've dome better. Sean, the manager, stated "if you don't like our management, leave.". This is absolutely unacceptable for a manager. If you hear your guests having a bad experience, the managerial and professional thing to do is make it right. We love sottos but this response was so unprofessional. After my boyfriend spoke to her and let her know it's nothing personal, it was just disappointing, Sean FLICKED her MIDDLE FINGER at him. I've never experienced something so unprofessional. I voiced my concerns to a female employee (Hispanic with frizzy hair) and asked to speak with the manager and was met with a laugh. We will not be back after this experience and we will spread awareness on your treatment to paying customers. read more

Absolutely love Wednesday dancing and socials with Luis Armacanqui. Wednesday beginner Latin dance lessons and intermediate dance lessons now run simultaneously at 7:30 pm typically alternating salsa & bachata. Wednesday March 20, 2024 was Bachata, Wednesday March 27, 2024 will be Salsa Sometimes Luis will mix it up but it's always posted on his capitol social Facebook page There are three dance floors to choose from. Near the bar, in front of the DJ booth which has a great location, and a little behind the DJ booth. The bar floor is typically sticky & often has tiny pieces of glass that drag on the shoe so don't wear your favorite shoes. There tile and wooden floors usually aren't sticky and usually do not have glass on them but anything can happen. The front door men are great. The bartenders are great. The ladies room has been in good shape each time I've gone. We appreciate them greatly for helping Capitol Social host their weekly dance lessons. read more

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The dj sucks. Not for the girls. Vibes are low. Go elsewhere, Sotto used to be fun but now a days the dj ruins everyone's vibes. So if you like bad music this is the place for you. read more

Horrible. The story I have of this place and the people who work here traumatized me. Clearly I used to love this place, so I won't go into scathing details. read more

Went there after being treated like shitby RedRock. Amazing first experience. I will do everything I can to have my friends come here and not red rock. This is a real club. read more

Bouncers are on a power trip every time we go there. Denying people that have valid ids nonstop. I've seen it over and over again. Finally experienced it for myself last night. What a joke! You could read more

I went there on a Friday night, when you'd expect it to actually be busy. A $3 cover charge only raised my hopes, because it has to be worth it right? Wrong. It was the emptiest place I have ever been to. Maybe we were too early, but it was around midnight. Despite the fact that there were maybe 15 people in there, the music was so loud I had to resort to using Sign Language to talk to the rest of my group, all of whom are Hearing. For a gay bar, it sure was full of straight people. I'm not opposed to one or two straight people going to our spaces, but I don't want to be the ONLY gay dude in a gay bar. That defeats the purpose. I didn't order anything, because I couldn't hear myself think, so I can't tell you how expensive it was. But I think I'm going to pass on going to Sotto again. EDIT: For some reason my profile is saying I'm in San Francisco: I'm not? I'm a UW Madison student read more

Nahhh... I'll pass. (My response anytime someone suggests coming here.) I've been in here a handful of times. It's not really that the experience was bad, but it just wasn't good either. It's really hit or miss at the bar. Sometimes drinks are great, sometimes they straight up suck. The people who have been here on the nights I too have been here have typically been bro-tastic 20-somethings who I have zero interest in being approached by, let alone actually dancing with. The location is pretty great. It's in a basement, which some may consider a pro while other's may think it a con. I think it works well. It gives it that dark and mysterious feeling. It's right off State Street, so it's really in the heart of it all. It has a lot of potential to really ramp up it's night club game. Someone with the right ideas and drive just needs to come along and help this place out. read more

The metal detector bouncer does not follow protocol. He feels girls up and down even when metal isn't detected. A pat down is understandable, but it was NOT a pat down at all. I was violated and uncomfortable. read more

Marketed to the students, patronized by a mixture of people looking to dance but don't want to/have a ride to Plan B, bros, and well....students. We came here on NYE and there was a line out the door, a friend slipped the guy at the register sumtin' sumtin' so we didn't have to wait in the freezing cold. Inside, the place wasn't even filled, let alone packed long enough to justify a line outside. The scene is reminiscent of someone that thew a party their parent's basement because this is exactly what it is, a dark basement. Good thing the lights don't come on because you can't unsee what those floors have stuck. The DJ played a weird mix of top 40, old school Hip Hop, with a sprinkle of top 10 EDM. Stick with your squad because the above mentioned bros will sneak up on you if you're not careful. Be warned, you don't want to get backed into a gyrating corner. read more

I thought the dance floor was pretty good and the cover/drinks were nice and cheap - $3 cover, $2 tequila shots, and $10 for a Long Island pitcher. Using Plan B as the "golden standard", the people at Sotto seem a bit younger and less BDSM.Other than that, its a very similar experience but its right on State street and you can afford twice as many drinks. read more

Sotto is like a burning trash heap that threw up on another burning trash heap, opened its doors, and called itself a bar. The DJ can't DJ for crap. He plays three seconds of every song and has horrible transitions. My cat would do a better job. Not to mention the bouncer will tell you your real Wisconsin ID is fake just because the signature is over the picture, when literally all new Wisconsin IDs have the signature over the picture. They don't have an ID scanner so they can refuse you entry for no reason. I hope I never have the misfortune of going to Sotto ever again. read more

Sotto has potential. I haven't been in the building since it was Bullfeathers, and they've definitely cleaned it up. There's a lot of room for dancing, the bartenders are nice, and the vibe overall was really friendly. Why not three stars instead of two? - Bottom of the barrel drinks - my whiskey and seven gave me immediate gut-rot. - Really young clientele (which is fine/expected, but the owner had previously said in an interview they wanted to cater to an older crowd and everything about the place skews very young). - Really mediocre DJ. - The fact that when my friends requested "My Chick Bad" by Ludacris (they just learned a dance to it at Dance Fabulous heeeeeeeyyyyyyy) the DJ replied, "That's too ghetto, I'll have to make a mashup because we don't want any trouble." Incredible. Get a better/less vaguely-racist DJ (whoever was spinning on 10/21) and I'll reconsider you, Sotto. read more

I've never been to a gay club before, so I don't really have anything to compare this place to. I came here a couple of times with my friend (who assures me he isn't gay, but seeing as how much he likes this place, I'm not so sure). Anyways, I've been here 3 times, blacked out once, got kicked out for being drunk the second time, and had an amazing time the third. So based on the one experience I have of here that I remember, I can safely say I had a great time. read more

Well it's been 4 months and I came back on a Friday night. I was hoping it got better. Nope. $2 cover. That's good, right? It conveys confidence! Walk downstairs and no ones here. If it was more than $2 I'd be cranky. Apparently that wasn't confidence speaking, it was just "we know you'll prolly leave ASAP so we need a couple bucks first." Head to the bar. $7 for less than a shot of well vodka. Hint: 3 1/2 count pour isn't much. Bar staff took 4 minutes to even notice me, which is odd cause after a groups of 5 that just arrived, there are now 19 people in this entire place. One of the bartenders is being trained by someone who's wearing a giant wrap/shawl thing that keeps drooping into the ice wells. Maybe I'll just have a beer after all. It's now 12:48 am and half the crowd isn't at the bar buying liquor--they're leaving to make it to happy hour somewhere fun. Myself included. Weird cause the music is better now, but the bar is still shitty. I could make this such a great place. But it's not mine so...beware all ye who enter read more

Sotto - 12:41 am Friday. 17 straight people and 2 gay ones are here. - Dance Clubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

So I went to Club Sotto for NYE I had a blast. Drinks: One of the bartenders couldn't make a simple Sex on the Beach or Long Island ice tea. Also I kept hearing about the great prices of them being cheaper. Which then I found out why they use tons of ice in their drinks. Hence why they're cheaper then the club called plan b. Since everyone keeps comparing the two clubs. But you know they were busy so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. BUT: What really got to me is that NYE everyone dresses a little nicer. Sotto had a Glow Party I wasn't aware of this until I arrived. I just bought a decent price black button up for the event. Which now I wish I didn't. I had asked the workers that were in charger of the glow paint will it stain my clothes? They stated to me "It would not stain my clothes". Guess Again I have tried everything to get the stuff out of my shirt. Plus It took 2-3 showers to get the glow stuff off myself!!!!!!!!!!! The vibe it self seems friendly and fun def. a younger crowd which I have no reason to complain. The Music: Music is mediocre I do like 1/2 of it but I also like to have a DJ that's up to the newer music with there own twist. I know the clubs new and it takes time getting up and running I shall return to Sotto but I do hope there is a difference in drinks and a slight difference in the music. read more

A real dive. The drinks are bad, the music is mediocre, and now they are charging a cover! Paid $5 to get in and there were six people there at midnight! It's just not worth it. If you want the club experience, this is not it. I'll probably never go again. read more

Definetly one of the best dance clubs in downtown Madison. New dj's everybody, great drink specials, and a very friendly staff. It's also a great bonus when they throw their themed party's like glo night, ect.... I would highly a suggest checking it out!!!!! read more

Sotto - It's a basement venue which is great for all their lighting - Dance Clubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The past couple years, Sotto has been my favorite dance spot in Madison. However, within the last few months this place has gone downhill. One of the best perks of being a frequent Sotto visitor was knowing about the free cover after 1 a.m. Now, the bouncers look at you like you're speaking a foreign language when you ask about this. I don't know what makes DJs think that people want to listen to music where a beat is nowhere to be found. The songs sound like a kid playing with a noise machine. Additionally, on this night there was no running water in either of the restrooms. THERE IS LITERAL SHIT PILING UP IN THE TOILET. How can you charge $3 when this is happening?! I believe this is a health code violation. An increased cover has only amounted in nothing but disappointed. read more

Sotto was interesting for a "gay" club. The gayest thing there Friday night was probably the bartender. At 10 o'clock, it was dead with two bartenders and the DJ. An hour later, about eight people walked in, so my group followed. Before midnight, they don't card/charge a cover. And unless they make 21 year olds different in Wisconsin, some of the girls we saw were 16 at best- and that's being generous. First impressions - lack luster bar, cruddy decor, twenty second gaps between songs, sticky dance-floor, overall a poorly kept space. Effects were limited to one moving light, RGB strip lights, black lights, and a fog machine putting out cotton candy scented fog. My group returned once again around midnight. By then they were charging a cover (luckily we had gotten stamped before leaving and didn't have to pay) and there were about 25 couples lazily humping one another and flapping their arms like some sort of awkward birds on the dance-floor. The DJ picked it up a notch - no gaps, just an odd mix of pop songs from the late 90s and early 2000s with uneven sound levels. Although the bartenders were friendly, the drinks were weak and they double charged my card. There is no easy means to contact them... read more

This place has great dance music and a great atmosphere, great lighting, and solid DJs. The bathrooms are clean and well-kept, and the bar staff are friendly and personable. I enjoyed every time I went to Sotto. This is a quality club and I am glad it exists in the Madison community. read more

Sotto is a decent gay club. The location downtown is great, music is good, and drink prices are reasonable. The crowd can run a little on the younger side, (saw 2 kids turned away with their fake IDs) but it is a college town so that is expected. Overall, if you are looking for a fun night out, this is a good place to go to. I do like that they take credit cards and there is no minimum that you must charge. If you are a teaching assistant or a young prof at UW, I do warn you that you will likely run into your students here. read more

Sotto is my go-to for dancing in Madison. I didn't realize it was a gay bar the first two times I went. The DJs are always changing, but I've never been there and thought the music was terrible. It starts getting really crowded around 1 am, and everyone is really sweaty and dancing. There's a lot of room downstairs, so it's good for groups. There is one area for standing around and ordering drinks, and a separate area for dancing. The music would be too loud to hold a real conversation though. Another thing I like about Sotto is that you don't have to dance with the group you came in. Oftentimes, I will end up dancing with another group for a little while. Everyone is very friendly. Definitely go to Sotto if you feel like dancing, but don't feel like getting hit on (if you're straight. If you're gay, that may be a different story since it's a gay bar, and I don't know what that's like.) read more

Could have potential to be a fun dance club if it had a good DJ. He was playing the most obscure, unknown dance songs as if to say "Look at me, I'm a DJ and I know songs you don't know!" Nobody was dancing because they didn't know the music; it was a very low energy place overall. Everyone was just kind of standing on the dance floor wondering what they were doing there. Besides that, it's literally a basement which happens to have a wooden dance floor and a bar with bored bartenders. I wouldn't recommend this place unless you like flaunting your knowledge of strange dance music in front of your friends. read more

So I've had a blast the last three times I've been here this past month. It's a good place to go hard with your friends to some heavy drops on a Saturday night in Madison. Only real down side is that it gets hot (expected) but there are no fans near the dance floor. read more

It's more like a night club, full of young people. The music is ok, but the drink is horrible.

I love the bartenders at Sotto. It doesnt gain momentum until pretty late in the night, but it's by far the best gay bar in Madison for a club-like night. I say club-like because, let's be honest, this is Madison.I highly recommend against getting the rail drinks (they make your stomach feel TERRIBLE) and a Ketel One soda ran me $6 and my stomach definitely thanks me when I remember to spend the extra bucks. It has potential, but sometimes it's a ghost town until midnight. It wouldn't kill them to get some better DJ's. If I could marry Sotto and Shamrock into one big bar then I'd have the best bar in Madison. Like, if Sotto was the basement of Shamrock....ohemgee. Oh, and Friday is free shot night. Yep, it's as good as it sounds, so give it a try. read more

Sotto is one of those places that in theory sounds like a blast, but always seems to be a bit disappointing. The dance floor is located downstairs and tends to get extremely muggy as the night goes on. I would definitely recommend Sotto if you are looking for a fun place to let loose and have fun. Just be sure to bring cash because they sometimes have a cover at the door. read more