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    The Curve

    4.1 (118 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 am - 1:00 pm

    The Curve Photos

    Business Info

    THE CURVE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - The Curve

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    Chili smothered omelette
    Dan D.

    The Curve is still a Top Tier old-time spot in Madison. Outstanding meals for the money; fast & friendly service; in a place where time has stood still. Head on in, you won't regret it

    Smoked sausage special.
    Rob W.

    Everything a diner should be - nothing that it shouldn't. Six stars. Probably the best breakfast in Madison and definitely the best value.

    blueberry pancake, omelette special
    Michelle L.

    feels like this diner opened in the 60/70s - kinda giving dilapidated energy from the outside but reminds me of mickey's dairy bar on the inside. personally i didn't love the ambiance inside there. you seat yourself and then the servers will come over to take your order. seems like they were understaffed so the service was a bit slow but they were trying their best! we got a blueberry pancake & omelette special to share and it was a crazy amount of food that even the 2 of us couldn't finish. i liked that the hash browns were crispy but the omelette felt a bit too oily for me liking. the blueberry pancake was MASSIVE. but for 5 people the total was only $40 which is crazy. cash only btw!!!!

    Sausage and Eggs!  Yummy
    Rick-Michelle A.

    Amazing food! Was on our way to another breakfast place and spotted this little diner! At at the counter and had great food and plenty of it! Cash only but worth it! Priced super reasonable and will return before my trip Is over!

    Insides
    Corbin B.

    Essential, affordable, friendly, greasy spoon. Good crispy home-fries. Cash only! Whats the difference between home-fries and hash-browns? I like what they do here as opposed to the cubes potato stuff.

    two eggs sunny side up with american fries and white toast
    Pam G.

    sit down and EAT classic american breakfast place so so affordable and sweet staff cash only tho

    The Curve Omelet
    Miles K.

    We stopped here while on our road trip and it was a pleasant surprise. We both had an omelette and it was as good as any omelette I've ever had. They're very generous with the cheese that was fantastic, and they gave a nice amount of veggies and they were sautéed very well. The hash browns were also fantastic. They were perfectly browned had that great flavor that reminded me of when there's love (and crisco) into the food. The waitress couldn't have been nicer and she checked in a few times to make sure the food was good and we didn't need anything. I'd gladly go back here at any time and if I wind up coming back to the area, I'm definitely going to try and come back.

    French Toast

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great breakfast spot . old style blue plate special. Cash only though had an omelet and hash browns very good.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Unprofessional staff, very rude make sure you don't take your kids to the restaurant because they will throw a fit if the child cries.

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    2 years ago

    Basic diner food. Good price, good food, good service. You won't be disappointed. A great place for breakfast.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food at a great price. Service was excellent. If you're looking for good service and quality food this is the place to go.

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Love this place. Always a homey environment and kind, attentive staff. Huge pancakes too!

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Best hot breakfast in town. Delicious food, big portions, fair prices, good coffee, very friendly people.

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    7 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - The Curve

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    Marigold Kitchen - Bacon & Eggs With Potatoes & Very Tasty Sourdough Bread.

    Marigold Kitchen

    (905 reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    Discovered this spot while my little sister was in town visiting and now have already been back…read morewith plans to keep returning. I've ordered the same thing both times because I loved it so much- the Three Grain & Tempeh Bowl. It's so fresh and delicious, filling without making you feel over-full and gross. She had the Mushroom & Gouda Omelette and also very much enjoyed. The seating space is small so you can definitely run into a wait during busy times, but service moves fast! You'll order at the counter and be handed a number to take to your table, where the food will be delivered. During busy times I've seen them try to help coordinate seating arrangements but it is otherwise largely a seat yourself sort of place. Next on my list are the lemon ricotta pancakes which are reportedly famous and a turmeric cookie I spotted in the bakery section :)

    I may have thought bad things about Madison prematurely. I mean, here for an event but who really…read moretravels to Madison? But here we were in downtown in a beautiful day with a gorgeous lake-side path and finding ourselves enjoying it. Stopped here for breakfast, shocked in our research how many vegetarian options were available for my wife. Here you could get tofu eggs and tempeh added to your dishes. I got their chilaquiles and gluten free lemon poppyseed pancakes (they had GF toast but their only savory option was this or a coconut thing). The entree was delicious, not too spicy unless you bite into too many jalapeños, and the shredded chicken was great. Could have used a second egg but I'm a big boy so maybe it's just me. I was also surprised by how much I liked the pancakes. It was a gamble as I don't like things too lemony and while you could definitely taste the lemon, it was still very good. And the pancakes, for being gluten free, were fluffy and soft and great. Had a regular coffee and while it was strong, it was just coffee. It gets very busy at peak meal times to plan accordingly. We'll probably be back before this trip is done.

    Bradbury's - Ham

    Bradbury's

    (420 reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    Very small but usually quiet on a weekday. Weekends are crazy busy! Great natural lighting. Great…read morefor catching up with a friend or getting some work done. Workers are very nice and hardworking! The coffee is some of the BEST you can get in Madison. I have never been disappointed with an order. Same with the food! My favorite is their ham, Gruyère, mustard crepe but I recently tried their ramp pesto, egg, and balsamic reduction crepe and it was also DELICIOUS! Their sweet crepes are amazing, as well. I recommend the lemon curd one as it is not overly sweet.

    First time here. We were visiting Madison and walking around the downtown area. It's a small space…read more(almost tiny) that sits at a narrow intersection, so it's literally a pie-shaped space. The upside is that there are lots of windows with natural light. The inside seating consists of long tables or counters along the windows. This is not a place where you are likely to hunker down for a quiet or private conversation. You can tell that storage space is at a premium, with boxes stashed in overhead areas or equipment in the bathrooms. The staff there were very pleasant and helpful. Ended up getting a Chai Latte (extra foam) in a mug. It didn't take long to make, and they delivered it out to the table. It was an excellent drink -- hot, flavorful, extra foam, and not too sweet. A joy to drink. The atmosphere is a bit manic. With the tight seating, you can feel a bit claustrophobic, or on the other hand, like you are at a concert and getting energy from the crowd. For me, it's a place to grab a drink and find a quiet space elsewhere. So not likely a place that I would return to.

    Graze - Heirloom tomatoes with local burrata cheese.  Fresh and yum

    Graze

    (1.4k reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    We came for regular brunch menu on Easter Sunday. The ambience is open, airy, and inviting. Service…read morewas prompt and accurate. However, our server wasn't super familiar with the menu and didn't know what was in certain dishes. We ordered a variety of dishes. Overall, everyone liked their meals. The flavors were great. Love the Korean fusion. However... despite that we were the first ones in the door, they did not have the chicken that was on the menu. That seemed strange to all of us that they didn't plan ahead for a holiday weekend. A solid restaurant would usually have their menu items well stocked prior to a holiday weekend. Overall, still a good expertise if you're willing to be flexible.

    I know most people like it here, but everytime I've been here over the years something has gone…read moreastray. This time we went to Sunday brunch with a group, including some kids. We had reservations, so we were seated right away which was a plus. Also, I will say I don't think any of the issues we had were because of our waitress. She was super friendly and quick enough to take our orders on a day when there restaurant seemed full enough, but manageable. We got our drink orders in and our food at the same time to speed up the process for getting little kids food, and the waitress even took note of that. We also ordered an appetizer to help during the wait. It took a while for the drinks to come out, but they were all rather tasty. I think my apple cider mocktail was the best and refreshing since it was getting hot in the restaurant with the sun beating in. Our food however took forever and the kids meals did not come out any earlier than everyone else. One person in our group also initially didn't get his meal, which the waitress apologized and said there was a mixup in the kitchen. That's fine, it happens, but then the staff running meals tried to bring him the wrong order 3 times. The rest of us were all finished eating by the time he finally got his food. Overall, the food was fine. I got the eggs benedict which was a little underdone on the eggs for me as the whites were too runny for me. The kids chicken nuggets were pretty tasty with a flaky breading. I heard decent reviews of the breakfast burger, but the thing that was the best to us was the breakfast sandwich. It was quite messy, but the messiness of the sauce was worth it. We also got an appetizer of the cinnamon roll. I feel like it's a little mislabeled though, as it was more like a morning bun with some frosting/glaze over the top. Tasted pretty good and helped keep kids entertained for a while. Overall, the food was fine, but the experience wasn't great. With the multiple mixups in orders and getting a little green house effect going with the sun shining in, there wsnt a great feeling when leaving. Again, I don't think it was our waitresses fault, so not sure what was going on in the kitchen.

    The Curve - diners - Updated May 2026

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