We went on a Saturday night. The wait wasn't too bad, however the service was horrible. Once we were seated, there were 4 of us, we sat at the table for almost 15 minutes before anyone came over and asked if wanted menus or a drink. We placed our drink order and it never came we had to go to the bar to ask about it, when it came it was wrong. When our food finally came it too was wrong, and we had no napkins or silverware, I had to go to the bar again to ask for napkins and silverware.Three of the four meals were correct and we waited nearly 18 minutes for the fourth meal to be corrected by the time that meal came out the rest of our food was cold and unenjoyable. The waiter didn't even notice or care that we only ate half of our food.I watched the owner's wife hanging out at the bar not scanning the floor to make sure her customers were enjoying their meals.When we spoke to the owner about our experience she made more excuses then apologies, she didn't offer to comp anything off our tab, really overall disappointing. And to top it off it was so loud you couldn't have a conversation.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Luke Stroehlein
I had an absolutely fantastic dining experience at The James Madison House, and I couldn't wait to leave a glowing review! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warmth and hospitality that instantly made me feel welcome.I want to extend a special thank you to our wonderful waitress, Alyssa, who went above and beyond to ensure that our dining experience was nothing short of exceptional. Her friendly demeanor and attentiveness truly made our visit memorable.Now, let's talk about the food! The parmesan truffle fries were an absolute delight - crispy on the outside, perfectly seasoned, and oh-so-indulgent. Each bite was a burst of flavor that left me craving more. And let's not forget about the wide selection of tasty drinks! From handcrafted cocktails to craft beers, there was something to satisfy every palate.The atmosphere at the bar was hip and vibrant, creating an ambiance that you wouldn't expect to find in a quiet area like North Madison. It was the perfect blend of sophistication and fun, making it the ideal spot to unwind with friends or enjoy a romantic evening out.Overall, The James Madison House exceeded all expectations, and I can't wait to return for another unforgettable dining experience. If you're looking for delicious food, excellent service, and a lively atmosphere, look no further than The James Madison House. Thank you for an amazing evening!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andy D
Food was good (buffalo chicken flatbread was ridiculous!) and Mac is the man! Can't recommend enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
linda depedro
Great place!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan Santora
Very casual, bar atmosphere. Our server Mac was excellent. Very patient, informative and helpful. I ordered the salmon burger, my friend ordered the patty melt. Both were excellent. A variety of beers, desserts too. Try it!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
D G
Nice atmosphere and friendly family run business.I've been there twice and I can't wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Sharnick
Overall pretty good experience. Food was very good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fries
Bianca Stone
Cute little place. It’s our go to to watch football. They have multiple TVs on the walls playing different games. I always get the Apple goat cheese salad and it’s always delicious. Staff is friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Apple Goat Cheese Salad
Caitlin Olson
If there was an option for no stars I would give it zero.. We went in on a Friday night to celebrate a birthday, there were 12 of us and I understand with bigger parties there is always room for some error as I’ve been in the industry for 10 years. Upon arrival we asked our server for separate checks to make it easier for everyone at the end. Our server was very nice, however a little slow and inattentive for not being all that busy and was very well staffed from the looks of it. We ordered a few apps after all of us had finished, one person in our party had still not received hers, we later found out the server forgot to fire. It wasn’t until our entrees were arriving that her app came out. She was very upset and was told by management that they would take it off the bill. The same person also didn’t receive her sides with her entree and was still charged full price. When our bills arrived they were not split as the server didn’t understand how to split them and the food that was supposed to be taken off was still on the bill. The manager and owner decided they no longer were going to take it off the bill. Unfortunately this wasn’t even the end of it, after checking bank statements tip amounts had been changed. We later found out the “non alcoholic” tequila that our pregnant friend had consumed was not actually non alcoholic after asking multiple times to make sure there wasn’t any trace of alcohol as some non alcoholic beverages have the alcohol removed rather than being made without. The owner was so rude and unapologetic seeming to think this wasn’t their problem. Again everyone makes mistakes but as an owner to not apologize or offer any way to make things right is just unacceptable. We will never be back not that they care since they told other people in our party they didn’t want our business anyways. All quite sad considering because the food was not bad.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Ryan
The kitchen closes early, they love to push you out the door. I have been there several times to watch football or hockey... come 9pm, kitchen closes... as of 10pm, all chairs are placed up on the tables letting you know, you are not welcome any longer.
Paige and Alyssa were awesome!!Jared's rum punch is to die for!!Sasha and Blake are wizards in the kitchen Thank you for a great night
V E.
Food and service were great and location is so convenient!Lights could be dimmed, it was very bright. The only thing that keeps us from visiting more often is the noise level. It is hard to have a conversation due to sound level.
Jody R.
Starving and from out of town and chose the closest place. It's Absolutely Amazing!! The food was beyond good, it was absolutely delicious and I'm not one to give praise easily. The French Toast was out of this world good, like couldn't ruin with syrup kinda good. Then the JHB Hamburger ...had the home fries and egg on the burger!! Not only that,but the burger stayed together, and the bagel type bun didn't even get wilted with the juices from the burger or egg..it was crazy ...
Meg A.
Went there Thursday night and we were sat and given menus then we were ignored for 30 minutes without anyone even asking for our drink order. We finally left and went to portofinos for takeout. It's a shame because we are local and would probably go there more if it wasn't for inconsistent service like this.
Lisa D.
For a neighborhood bar and restaurant its excellent. Food always fresh, service so so, depends how busy they are. One negative comment lights are too BRIGHT, need some ambiance. Lower the lights turn up the music and lets rock!
We went on a Saturday night. The wait wasn't too bad, however the service was horrible. Once we were seated, there were 4 of us, we sat at the table for almost 15 minutes before anyone came over and asked if wanted menus or a drink. We placed our drink order and it never came we had to go to the bar to ask about it, when it came it was wrong. When our food finally came it too was wrong, and we had no napkins or silverware, I had to go to the bar again to ask for napkins and silverware.Three of the four meals were correct and we waited nearly 18 minutes for the fourth meal to be corrected by the time that meal came out the rest of our food was cold and unenjoyable. The waiter didn't even notice or care that we only ate half of our food.I watched the owner's wife hanging out at the bar not scanning the floor to make sure her customers were enjoying their meals.When we spoke to the owner about our experience she made more excuses then apologies, she didn't offer to comp anything off our tab, really overall disappointing. And to top it off it was so loud you couldn't have a conversation.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
I had an absolutely fantastic dining experience at The James Madison House, and I couldn't wait to leave a glowing review! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warmth and hospitality that instantly made me feel welcome.I want to extend a special thank you to our wonderful waitress, Alyssa, who went above and beyond to ensure that our dining experience was nothing short of exceptional. Her friendly demeanor and attentiveness truly made our visit memorable.Now, let's talk about the food! The parmesan truffle fries were an absolute delight - crispy on the outside, perfectly seasoned, and oh-so-indulgent. Each bite was a burst of flavor that left me craving more. And let's not forget about the wide selection of tasty drinks! From handcrafted cocktails to craft beers, there was something to satisfy every palate.The atmosphere at the bar was hip and vibrant, creating an ambiance that you wouldn't expect to find in a quiet area like North Madison. It was the perfect blend of sophistication and fun, making it the ideal spot to unwind with friends or enjoy a romantic evening out.Overall, The James Madison House exceeded all expectations, and I can't wait to return for another unforgettable dining experience. If you're looking for delicious food, excellent service, and a lively atmosphere, look no further than The James Madison House. Thank you for an amazing evening!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was good (buffalo chicken flatbread was ridiculous!) and Mac is the man! Can't recommend enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very casual, bar atmosphere. Our server Mac was excellent. Very patient, informative and helpful. I ordered the salmon burger, my friend ordered the patty melt. Both were excellent. A variety of beers, desserts too. Try it!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice atmosphere and friendly family run business.I've been there twice and I can't wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall pretty good experience. Food was very good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fries
Cute little place. It’s our go to to watch football. They have multiple TVs on the walls playing different games. I always get the Apple goat cheese salad and it’s always delicious. Staff is friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Apple Goat Cheese Salad
If there was an option for no stars I would give it zero.. We went in on a Friday night to celebrate a birthday, there were 12 of us and I understand with bigger parties there is always room for some error as I’ve been in the industry for 10 years. Upon arrival we asked our server for separate checks to make it easier for everyone at the end. Our server was very nice, however a little slow and inattentive for not being all that busy and was very well staffed from the looks of it. We ordered a few apps after all of us had finished, one person in our party had still not received hers, we later found out the server forgot to fire. It wasn’t until our entrees were arriving that her app came out. She was very upset and was told by management that they would take it off the bill. The same person also didn’t receive her sides with her entree and was still charged full price. When our bills arrived they were not split as the server didn’t understand how to split them and the food that was supposed to be taken off was still on the bill. The manager and owner decided they no longer were going to take it off the bill. Unfortunately this wasn’t even the end of it, after checking bank statements tip amounts had been changed. We later found out the “non alcoholic” tequila that our pregnant friend had consumed was not actually non alcoholic after asking multiple times to make sure there wasn’t any trace of alcohol as some non alcoholic beverages have the alcohol removed rather than being made without. The owner was so rude and unapologetic seeming to think this wasn’t their problem. Again everyone makes mistakes but as an owner to not apologize or offer any way to make things right is just unacceptable. We will never be back not that they care since they told other people in our party they didn’t want our business anyways. All quite sad considering because the food was not bad.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
The kitchen closes early, they love to push you out the door. I have been there several times to watch football or hockey... come 9pm, kitchen closes... as of 10pm, all chairs are placed up on the tables letting you know, you are not welcome any longer.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Paige and Alyssa were awesome!!Jared's rum punch is to die for!!Sasha and Blake are wizards in the kitchen Thank you for a great night
Food and service were great and location is so convenient!Lights could be dimmed, it was very bright. The only thing that keeps us from visiting more often is the noise level. It is hard to have a conversation due to sound level.
Starving and from out of town and chose the closest place. It's Absolutely Amazing!! The food was beyond good, it was absolutely delicious and I'm not one to give praise easily. The French Toast was out of this world good, like couldn't ruin with syrup kinda good. Then the JHB Hamburger ...had the home fries and egg on the burger!! Not only that,but the burger stayed together, and the bagel type bun didn't even get wilted with the juices from the burger or egg..it was crazy ...
Went there Thursday night and we were sat and given menus then we were ignored for 30 minutes without anyone even asking for our drink order. We finally left and went to portofinos for takeout. It's a shame because we are local and would probably go there more if it wasn't for inconsistent service like this.
For a neighborhood bar and restaurant its excellent. Food always fresh, service so so, depends how busy they are. One negative comment lights are too BRIGHT, need some ambiance. Lower the lights turn up the music and lets rock!