Gastropubs near Madison

“TL;DR: Staff was awesome and so was the food, but the atmosphere was loud, and 1 of the 4 dishes I had was more miss than hit.

From the top:

Making and modifying my reservation online was super easy and straightforward. In fact, I chose this place over another recommendation from a local simply because I could make my reservation online.

The hostess was super friendly and welcoming, so right off the bat I felt at home. I had reserved a table, but since I was alone, I decided to sit at the bar.

The guys behind the bar were some of the most attentive and professional I’ve seen in the industry (I spent the first 8 years of my career working in hospitality). Big shout-out to Foster, Matt, and Chris!! Each was better than the last and made sure I always had anything I needed, which is impressive considering the bar and restaurant were packed for a while—it was a Saturday night.

The drinks felt generous and reasonably priced. I’ll admit I had more than a couple 😋

The food was great overall, with a few BUTS.

At times, it felt a little pretentious. I had 4 different dishes, and 3/4 tasted great, but some still gave me the impression that they were just trying to do too much. Simple things can be delicious too, and not everything needs to reinvent the wheel.

Ironically, my favorite dish happened to be the simplest. I would highly recommend the chef’s special double smash burger, which they serve until late. It was easily the crown jewel of the evening.

I did have the misfortune of trying the pork belly first. While the fat was well rendered, the meat itself was completely dried out. At the time I thought maybe it was just me, but I spent about 3 hours here, and at one point the person next to me ordered the same dish and wasn’t impressed either.

After that first dish, I was ready to dock a star on the food, especially since this isn’t exactly an “affordable” restaurant. But they turned it around with every dish afterward.

I do think it’s important to consider the people who won’t be here for hours trying multiple dishes. If the pork belly had been the only dish I ordered, I can’t imagine I would’ve walked out happy with the experience.

That being said, everything that came out afterward got better and better, with the double smash burger being the crown jewel of the evening. I’m glad I ended up staying and trying more dishes!!

Overall, I had an awesome experience. They have wonderful staff in the front of house, a beautiful venue, great drinks, and—if you stick to the basics—delicious food!

One last note: it was loud. Like, need-to-yell-at-each-other loud. It didn’t bother me personally, but I could see it being an annoyance for anyone trying to have a conversation, especially in a group larger than two.“

“Great airport…clean, easy to navigate“

“This place is amazing. Booked an event here and the staff was amazing. They are so willing to help to make your event successful. The bartenders are the best to come and Rachael manager and bar manager is yet the best to come. I will book this place 100 times.“

“awesome cheese curds and everything else!!!“

“If you appreciate history and the beauty of old stonework, you have to visit this supper club/bar. We went last night with my family to celebrate our anniversary. Perhaps a late reservation time wasn't the best idea as the prime rib was gone, in other words, it must have been good. Lovely staff, plenty of seating, so charming how it was decorated in a simple, yet engaging style. My family thoroughly enjoyed their entrees. I had the shrimp and scallops which were perfectly cooked. The only comment I would like to recommend would be a salad and bread included with the meal. My pasta was a bit on the salty side and those inclusions would have made the meal much more palatable. Oh, and I also would like to mention the mixologist as the drinks were unique, delicious if you can say that about a drink, and a great conversation point.“