Old time steakhouse. Steaks done perfectly. Service was top-notch. Great night out.
BAE
Unique, old school steakhouse. Top-notch wait staff and bartenders.
whoped18
Kaily the hostess absolute magician! They’re lucky to have her, full house booked and still manages to get people a table!!! Bartenders and staff excellent!!! Great food and service as always!
Sarah
Tornado has always been my favorite steakhouse in Madison, but was very disappointed in our experience this weekend. The bread, relish cup and soup/salad were excellent and then it went downhill. Steak and sides came out cold, and the fix was to reheat the food so it was overcooked and dry when it came back. The Brussels sprouts tasted like pure garlic so were inedible. Shared our feedback with the server and the response was to offer a dessert and hope that it would be a better experience the next time. Not at all the service or quality of food that I’ve come to expect here.
Weary Traveler
Always a great place to go to for some great food and drinks. We were put into a smaller room which had a big party in it which was a bit loud for us. But we have been there before and usually the atmosphere is quiet
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert Cook
This place is a must if you can get lucky enough to walk in and snag a spot or get a reservation in. Our group got lucky and was seated but reservations are highly suggested.
I had the French onion soup which was a lot but delicious, and the venacin as my mains but I also got to sample the escargot and the lamb shank. The venacin was delicious with the tenderness and sauce used. We got a pineapple upside down to share for the table and it made for an awesome evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Steak Sandwich, Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Mary Haas
I was hesitant to post this since we’ve been there many times for a nice dinner and our experiences have been impeccable - excellent service and delicious food. However, we went there for late night food last night and had a mediocre experience at best, even with realistic expectations for late night.
Service was rushed, which is no surprise considering many people were being seated and it was busy in general. However, we overheard staff complaining that “It’s late night, so everyone is drunk”. I found that a bit off putting, but that also seemed to sum up our whole experience - both the brisk service and quality of food.
I ordered a nice glass of wine, salad and burger, and my burger came out extremely dry (I had ordered medium), and missing multiple toppings listed in the description. For $16 for the burger alone, one would expect more. My husband also commented on how the quality of the steak sandwiches has gone down since late night service was restarted following Covid.
With how rushed and somewhat annoyed the server seemed to be, we didn’t think it was worth complaining. For an $80 tab, we will definitely not be returning for late night, although we truly enjoy this restaurant during normal hours.
Michelle Garcia
Service was great, and the starter fresh bread with butter was amazing. I got the steak with mushroom sauce and I thought it was good, steak was cooked perfect. My partner got the ribs (in which was far from tender and sauce tasted very weird). Recommend giving tornado a try but stick to the steaks.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Caesar Salad, Relish Tray, Steak Au Poivre
Tiffany Muas
Hustle and bustle type atmosphere but definitely quite the vibe! Lighting isn’t ideal for photos but is romantic. Took my boyfriend here for his 27th birthday, reservation and service was fantastic! We also got a dessert with a lit candle to celebrate on the house! Note: Where we were seated, there was limited table space. However, there are many other seating options to choose from. Highly recommend trying if you are in the area!
I've always enjoyed the atmosphere and steaks at Tornado, but last night (10/11/24) completely changed that. When we arrived, you told us, 'Yes, we have a table for you,' but as the evening went on, we were treated as if we were being rushed out. I don’t mind staying an hour, but last night I felt truly unwelcome. The waiters were staring at us angrily, like they were ready to pick a fight. My friends and I have been loyal customers for years, visiting at least 100 times and bringing new customers along with us. I just want to say—SHAME ON YOU! I won’t stop sharing this story, and from today, I’ll tell all my friends and colleagues about it. You made us feel terrible, and even though I spent $100 on my meal, it tasted like a McDonald’s burger because we were treated like we should just hurry up and leave. We’re not animals. For me, a respectful and warm environment is the most important factor. If this place doesn’t change its staff, it's heading for trouble. You need to do better!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Robert Oehl
Very nice dinner spot, great service too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam Zoellner
A Midwest gem of a bygone era harkening back to the glory days of steak, booze, and whimsy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Shrimp Cocktail, 28 Oz Bone in Ribeye
Tiona Terry
This place is fantastic. We ate at the bar, everything from the food, drinks, service was great. The spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, French onion soup, and the pineapple cake a la mode was amazing. We will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jennifer Kenas
Want an experience of stepping back in time almost like your Grandparents had eaten there. This is it. We were in town for a Badger Game/Anniversary Weekend. We made reservations a month I advance. I highly recommend making them. We were greeted with a relish cup, fresh bread, ordered: seafood chowder, French onion, NY Strip, Swordfish florentine. Cocktails were strong and delicious. Our server RD was on point, making the evening enjoyable and fun. This is a must stop if in the Madison area.
Fantastic.
Old time steakhouse. Steaks done perfectly. Service was top-notch. Great night out.
Unique, old school steakhouse. Top-notch wait staff and bartenders.
Kaily the hostess absolute magician! They’re lucky to have her, full house booked and still manages to get people a table!!! Bartenders and staff excellent!!! Great food and service as always!
Tornado has always been my favorite steakhouse in Madison, but was very disappointed in our experience this weekend. The bread, relish cup and soup/salad were excellent and then it went downhill. Steak and sides came out cold, and the fix was to reheat the food so it was overcooked and dry when it came back. The Brussels sprouts tasted like pure garlic so were inedible. Shared our feedback with the server and the response was to offer a dessert and hope that it would be a better experience the next time. Not at all the service or quality of food that I’ve come to expect here.
Always a great place to go to for some great food and drinks. We were put into a smaller room which had a big party in it which was a bit loud for us. But we have been there before and usually the atmosphere is quiet
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is a must if you can get lucky enough to walk in and snag a spot or get a reservation in. Our group got lucky and was seated but reservations are highly suggested.
I had the French onion soup which was a lot but delicious, and the venacin as my mains but I also got to sample the escargot and the lamb shank. The venacin was delicious with the tenderness and sauce used. We got a pineapple upside down to share for the table and it made for an awesome evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Steak Sandwich, Pineapple Upside Down Cake
I was hesitant to post this since we’ve been there many times for a nice dinner and our experiences have been impeccable - excellent service and delicious food. However, we went there for late night food last night and had a mediocre experience at best, even with realistic expectations for late night.
Service was rushed, which is no surprise considering many people were being seated and it was busy in general. However, we overheard staff complaining that “It’s late night, so everyone is drunk”. I found that a bit off putting, but that also seemed to sum up our whole experience - both the brisk service and quality of food.
I ordered a nice glass of wine, salad and burger, and my burger came out extremely dry (I had ordered medium), and missing multiple toppings listed in the description. For $16 for the burger alone, one would expect more. My husband also commented on how the quality of the steak sandwiches has gone down since late night service was restarted following Covid.
With how rushed and somewhat annoyed the server seemed to be, we didn’t think it was worth complaining. For an $80 tab, we will definitely not be returning for late night, although we truly enjoy this restaurant during normal hours.
Service was great, and the starter fresh bread with butter was amazing. I got the steak with mushroom sauce and I thought it was good, steak was cooked perfect. My partner got the ribs (in which was far from tender and sauce tasted very weird). Recommend giving tornado a try but stick to the steaks.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Caesar Salad, Relish Tray, Steak Au Poivre
Hustle and bustle type atmosphere but definitely quite the vibe! Lighting isn’t ideal for photos but is romantic. Took my boyfriend here for his 27th birthday, reservation and service was fantastic! We also got a dessert with a lit candle to celebrate on the house! Note: Where we were seated, there was limited table space. However, there are many other seating options to choose from. Highly recommend trying if you are in the area!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Cake
Restaurantji Recommends
I've always enjoyed the atmosphere and steaks at Tornado, but last night (10/11/24) completely changed that. When we arrived, you told us, 'Yes, we have a table for you,' but as the evening went on, we were treated as if we were being rushed out. I don’t mind staying an hour, but last night I felt truly unwelcome. The waiters were staring at us angrily, like they were ready to pick a fight. My friends and I have been loyal customers for years, visiting at least 100 times and bringing new customers along with us. I just want to say—SHAME ON YOU! I won’t stop sharing this story, and from today, I’ll tell all my friends and colleagues about it. You made us feel terrible, and even though I spent $100 on my meal, it tasted like a McDonald’s burger because we were treated like we should just hurry up and leave. We’re not animals. For me, a respectful and warm environment is the most important factor. If this place doesn’t change its staff, it's heading for trouble. You need to do better!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Very nice dinner spot, great service too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A Midwest gem of a bygone era harkening back to the glory days of steak, booze, and whimsy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Shrimp Cocktail, 28 Oz Bone in Ribeye
This place is fantastic. We ate at the bar, everything from the food, drinks, service was great. The spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, French onion soup, and the pineapple cake a la mode was amazing. We will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Want an experience of stepping back in time almost like your Grandparents had eaten there. This is it. We were in town for a Badger Game/Anniversary Weekend. We made reservations a month I advance. I highly recommend making them. We were greeted with a relish cup, fresh bread, ordered: seafood chowder, French onion, NY Strip, Swordfish florentine. Cocktails were strong and delicious. Our server RD was on point, making the evening enjoyable and fun. This is a must stop if in the Madison area.
Recommended dishes: Soup
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