I live abroad working in hospitality but my family has lived in Chatham & Madison my whole life.I reached out to get my sister a gift card for her birthday two weeks ago and sent a follow up email. I have not herd a word back.My sister gave me a wonderful dining experience for my birthday this year and I wanted to reciprocate. I had reached out to this restaurant because her and my brother in law are new parents and I didn’t want them to have to travel far from their home in Madison.There is no need to correct the situation. I will be getting them a less convenient gift card from a more responsive restaurant.
Natasha K.
The service was great but the food was terrible..... the lamb meatballs were inedible, we had to send them back. They had this horrible chewy taste to them. My chicken was burnt and the cornbread that came with the chicken wasn't cooked through. It had a horrid taste and it was completely raw. Really wanted to like it here but will not be coming back for inedible food...
arubaphil
My wife and I dined at Central and Main and my review is mixed. The restaurant has a casual atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. It is a byob. The mixed review has a few components. The service was slow and inattentive. We waited awhile for a waiter to open our wine. Eventually he arrived and said he was busy answering a lot of questions from another table. He took our order but didn't bring bread. We had to ask a different server to bring some. We began with the mussels as an appetizer. They were steamed in a shanty that gave them a sharper taste than if they were steamed in wine. They were ok but not as good as hoped for. For entrees my wife chose the scallops and I the duck breast. My duck was a bit under cooked but generally good. The scallops were seared nicely. The waiter stopped by very quickly and was never seen again. He never asked if we wanted dessert. While waiting for over 15 minutes for the check, we again asked a different waiter for the check. Central and Main was pretty good but not one we would return to.
Lydia M.
This place is a gem! they have both indoor and outdoor seating, but we had lunch in the spacious dining room. We shared lobster nachos- huge plate, pile high, delicious. I had the salmon club for my main course. It was sooo good. I will definitely go back. Highly recommend.
Melissa S.
Comfortable atmosphere. Friendly service. Scallops were Perfect. Would ask for dressing on side (I usually do?) for their chop salad. Dressing and salad were delicious just too much dressing for my taste.Will return!!
N8 B.
Preferred the old format and dinners. Loved coming here midweek with a bottle of wine. They always had nice dishes. The location is low key which made it perfect. This new seafood format didn't go well for us. The scallops were good but the mussel broil was awful. There was a very bad chemical taste. The shrimp basket was heavily breaded. You had to peel it off to eat it. It just wasn't worth the price. Not sure we'll come back.
Christine Q.
Haven't been here in awhile, a little different set up but food was still amazing. You have to order food before you sit. Limited menu but enough options for you to choose from. It's a BYOB. The service was great even though it's the same person behind the counter who takes your order. He was very attentive. We ordered the burger and subbed for the polenta fries which a a must!!! Hopefully they will go back normal service but honestly it was totally fine. Casual atmosphere.
Stephanie Massine
The fried coating on my cod was thin and soggy, while the coating on the shrimp was thick and hard.The cod was served in small pieces that fell apart and barely had any taste.The fries were soggy and over seasoned.The dishes are expensive for the amount of food served.There is no table service (you order at the counter) and everything is served in single-use containers.I don’t like giving bad reviews but this one is truly deserved. :(
Alden K.
We visited and followed the direction on the signs to order at the counter. They then brought our food out to the table. We went at an off time, after 2 pm. They took our order immediately. The person taking the order recommended the burger. He didn't let me down. It was delicious and cooked to a perfect medium-rare. It was a warm red center as expected. There are no prices on the wall menu, but I think the burger was less than $20. My wife ordered the lobster roll. She said it was her least favorite roll that she's ever had. It was about $30. It looked good. But I did notice that there was a high ratio of celery to lobster. I might have liked it more than her, because I like celery at times. So YMMV. There were only 2 things I did not like. There is no tap water available here. There are no clear prices listed. But the people were extremely nice. I tipped at the counter, but didn't realize they'd keep checking on me. It really is close to full service. So I would go with the standard 20% if I return. I would like to try something different if I return. I probably won't come back because of where I live. But if you are in the area, I think it's worth checking out.
Larry C.
They would not serve us tap water, telling us the only option was to buy one of their bottled drinks for $5 a bottle. Sorry, not going to let this become a new restaurant trend. When they told me this, I cancelled my order and left.
we went for mother's day. broiled should not mean greasy. food was gross. Will not be going back
Gigi G
I heard so many good things about this place but that was not our experience. Staff was great but food wasn't. I've had better fast food. Prices are expensive and I'd be ok if the food was good but it wasn't. Broiled shouldn't mean greasy. Scallops and shrimp were brown(high heated butter?). The shrimp also tasted funny also.I really wanted to like them, unfortunately I was very disappointed
Gigi S.
I heard so many good things about this place but that was not our experience. Staff was great but food wasn't. I've had better fast food. Prices are expensive and I'd be ok if the food was good but it wasn't. You order at the register and they will bring food to table. No wait staff. Broiled shouldn't mean greasy. Scallops and shrimp were brown(high heated butter?). The shrimp also tasted funny also. I really wanted to like them, unfortunately I was very disappointed
Raquel B.
Went here with family, so excited to try the new pop up seafood special! And they DID NOT disappoint!!! The food was amazing!!!!! I highly recommend getting the Lobster Nachos, Crab Cakes, and French fries! The employees were so friendly and attentive. For the seasonal seafood pop-up, you order your food at the front, sit at a table, and the food is brought to you. Personally, I love this new concept and the new menu! I hope C+M is here to stay!!
Jeanne Koczara
Tried the seafood pop up and loved it! The Chef addressed my need for gluten and dairy free for the broiled scallops, and they were delicious. The heirloom tomato salad was very fresh. Will go back!
I live abroad working in hospitality but my family has lived in Chatham & Madison my whole life.I reached out to get my sister a gift card for her birthday two weeks ago and sent a follow up email. I have not herd a word back.My sister gave me a wonderful dining experience for my birthday this year and I wanted to reciprocate. I had reached out to this restaurant because her and my brother in law are new parents and I didn’t want them to have to travel far from their home in Madison.There is no need to correct the situation. I will be getting them a less convenient gift card from a more responsive restaurant.
The service was great but the food was terrible..... the lamb meatballs were inedible, we had to send them back. They had this horrible chewy taste to them. My chicken was burnt and the cornbread that came with the chicken wasn't cooked through. It had a horrid taste and it was completely raw. Really wanted to like it here but will not be coming back for inedible food...
My wife and I dined at Central and Main and my review is mixed. The restaurant has a casual atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. It is a byob. The mixed review has a few components. The service was slow and inattentive. We waited awhile for a waiter to open our wine. Eventually he arrived and said he was busy answering a lot of questions from another table. He took our order but didn't bring bread. We had to ask a different server to bring some. We began with the mussels as an appetizer. They were steamed in a shanty that gave them a sharper taste than if they were steamed in wine. They were ok but not as good as hoped for. For entrees my wife chose the scallops and I the duck breast. My duck was a bit under cooked but generally good. The scallops were seared nicely. The waiter stopped by very quickly and was never seen again. He never asked if we wanted dessert. While waiting for over 15 minutes for the check, we again asked a different waiter for the check. Central and Main was pretty good but not one we would return to.
This place is a gem! they have both indoor and outdoor seating, but we had lunch in the spacious dining room. We shared lobster nachos- huge plate, pile high, delicious. I had the salmon club for my main course. It was sooo good. I will definitely go back. Highly recommend.
Comfortable atmosphere. Friendly service. Scallops were Perfect. Would ask for dressing on side (I usually do?) for their chop salad. Dressing and salad were delicious just too much dressing for my taste.Will return!!
Preferred the old format and dinners. Loved coming here midweek with a bottle of wine. They always had nice dishes. The location is low key which made it perfect. This new seafood format didn't go well for us. The scallops were good but the mussel broil was awful. There was a very bad chemical taste. The shrimp basket was heavily breaded. You had to peel it off to eat it. It just wasn't worth the price. Not sure we'll come back.
Haven't been here in awhile, a little different set up but food was still amazing. You have to order food before you sit. Limited menu but enough options for you to choose from. It's a BYOB. The service was great even though it's the same person behind the counter who takes your order. He was very attentive. We ordered the burger and subbed for the polenta fries which a a must!!! Hopefully they will go back normal service but honestly it was totally fine. Casual atmosphere.
The fried coating on my cod was thin and soggy, while the coating on the shrimp was thick and hard.The cod was served in small pieces that fell apart and barely had any taste.The fries were soggy and over seasoned.The dishes are expensive for the amount of food served.There is no table service (you order at the counter) and everything is served in single-use containers.I don’t like giving bad reviews but this one is truly deserved. :(
We visited and followed the direction on the signs to order at the counter. They then brought our food out to the table. We went at an off time, after 2 pm. They took our order immediately. The person taking the order recommended the burger. He didn't let me down. It was delicious and cooked to a perfect medium-rare. It was a warm red center as expected. There are no prices on the wall menu, but I think the burger was less than $20. My wife ordered the lobster roll. She said it was her least favorite roll that she's ever had. It was about $30. It looked good. But I did notice that there was a high ratio of celery to lobster. I might have liked it more than her, because I like celery at times. So YMMV. There were only 2 things I did not like. There is no tap water available here. There are no clear prices listed. But the people were extremely nice. I tipped at the counter, but didn't realize they'd keep checking on me. It really is close to full service. So I would go with the standard 20% if I return. I would like to try something different if I return. I probably won't come back because of where I live. But if you are in the area, I think it's worth checking out.
They would not serve us tap water, telling us the only option was to buy one of their bottled drinks for $5 a bottle. Sorry, not going to let this become a new restaurant trend. When they told me this, I cancelled my order and left.
Restaurantji Recommends
we went for mother's day. broiled should not mean greasy. food was gross. Will not be going back
I heard so many good things about this place but that was not our experience. Staff was great but food wasn't. I've had better fast food. Prices are expensive and I'd be ok if the food was good but it wasn't. Broiled shouldn't mean greasy. Scallops and shrimp were brown(high heated butter?). The shrimp also tasted funny also.I really wanted to like them, unfortunately I was very disappointed
I heard so many good things about this place but that was not our experience. Staff was great but food wasn't. I've had better fast food. Prices are expensive and I'd be ok if the food was good but it wasn't. You order at the register and they will bring food to table. No wait staff. Broiled shouldn't mean greasy. Scallops and shrimp were brown(high heated butter?). The shrimp also tasted funny also. I really wanted to like them, unfortunately I was very disappointed
Went here with family, so excited to try the new pop up seafood special! And they DID NOT disappoint!!! The food was amazing!!!!! I highly recommend getting the Lobster Nachos, Crab Cakes, and French fries! The employees were so friendly and attentive. For the seasonal seafood pop-up, you order your food at the front, sit at a table, and the food is brought to you. Personally, I love this new concept and the new menu! I hope C+M is here to stay!!
Tried the seafood pop up and loved it! The Chef addressed my need for gluten and dairy free for the broiled scallops, and they were delicious. The heirloom tomato salad was very fresh. Will go back!