17 Best American Restaurants near Madison

“Gayle at What's Cookin catered my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party, and the food—especially the variety of sandwich wraps—was both delicious and beautifully presented. Gayle was incredibly responsive and even added a personal touch to the display when she learned my mother was a lifelong equestrian. Her helpful and friendly service made the event special, and I highly recommend What’s Cookin for any occasion.“

“We had the most amazing meal sent to our hotel. Tuna crudo, crab salad, strip steak and zabaione; ( custard desert). It was delicious. If you can try his cooking“

“Stumbled upon this place after a day of shopping. Very rare to find a restaurant these days that has excellent service beautiful atmosphere and delicious food. Well Friends and Company checks all those boxes. From the minute you walk in the door you feel welcomed. And it felt like everybody at the tables around us are regulars. The food was absolutely delicious not overly seasoned just perfectly seasoned. Will definitely be back and highly recommend.“

“Wanted to take a second to share my opinion and experience at Donahue’s. I can’t say enough good about our experience. We were super impressed with the service, the food and the staff. What impressed me most was the owner. He was right there to help his staff and actually served us our meal. He was very kind and welcoming. I will definitely return and highly recommend this establishment. Thank you.“

“For my first time going to The Wharf, it did not disappoint at all. The ambience of the place is beautiful, so I could only imagine how wonderful it would be during the summer. Our waitress was very helpful and attentive when it came to getting orders in, and honestly couldn't have been any better. My girlfriend and I decided to split the crab cakes first, then she got the sea scallops and I got the short rib. Honestly, all three of these entrees delivered on all fronts, whether that was taste or presentation. What was the cherry on top for such a grand and delightful experience was the dessert we ordered, which was their pumpkin cheesecake. The fact that it was shaped like an actual pumpkin made my jaw drop but in the best way. If you want to go somewhere elegant and fancy, this might be the place to go to.“

“amazing pastas! great drink selection“

“Great atmosphere ! Amazing staff“

“Joe makes the best Lemon Drop martini! 🍸🍋“

“Went here for my birthday dinner with my family and we had a wonderful meal/time. The portions are HUGE. Your table gets free pasta with dinner and it's a really big bowl! The service was good, the only reason it got 4 stars instead of 5 is because we had to often find our waitress, she didn't check on us and I would say it's because it's a busy place but it's so small that it isn't hard to check on your tables. She was nice and the service was good just wish she would have checked on us a little more. Lastly the atmosphere is great, it's a nice small little restaurant, I expected it to be bigger but not an issue. If you have a party of 5 or more make sure to make a reservation so you can guarantee a table. Anyway food 5/5 service 4/5 atmosphere 5/5 ... We will def be eating here again...“

“Very good dining experience. food, service and atmosphere get a big thumbs up 👍“

“Stopped in and had the best chili dog I’ve ever eaten in my life! Perfection!“

“Excellent!! Crab cake appetizer was the "best I've ever had" according to my son. There were four of us and all were very pleased. I've been twice and looking forward to going back. This restaurant is definitely the place to go when you want to take your time between courses and enjoy the food and people you are with. I like the 20% service charge(tip) added to bill. Keeps paying thoughtless as service is excellent. 5 stars on everything!“

“I loved their seared tuna salad and sea salt caramel hot chocolate!“

“As I entered the premises I was shortly greeted by staff and my needs addressed. I was assigned a great table in the bar area with a banquette, I loved the dim lighting. It made for a very special evening. The server and busboy were attentive and sociable, the service quick and appreciative.
Didn't go for a full meal experience but definitely will return.“

“Super glad we stumbled upon this place. the food was great, but more importantly the people were kind and welcoming. It made our day.“

“The food was amazing. Beautiful restaurant. The service was just a bit awkward. It was almost like they were annoyed we were there. Our initial server who took our order was very kind and attentive, but after him, the other two waitresses seemed put out and almost rushed us out. Hopefully it was just an off hand experience because other than that we loved the restaurant!“

“Delicious food- lovely ambience“