50 Best American Restaurants near Mcfarland

“A Sad Return to What Used to Be a Great Spot I first visited the Green Lantern about 10 years ago when I moved to the area, and back then, the food was genuinely enjoyable—good enough that it stuck in my mind all these years. So when my wife and I decided to revisit recently, we were hopeful for a nostalgic and satisfying meal. Unfortunately, what we got was far from it. My wife asked about the fish before ordering and was told it was frozen and cooked—not a great start. She went with a salad instead, which arrived looking tired and withered, like it had been sitting out all day. Limp lettuce and watery dressing don’t exactly make for an appetizing experience. I ordered the 1/2 rack of ribs, expecting at least a decent meal. What I got was a plate of disappointment. There was a pool of greasy brown fat dripping onto the plate, and when I took my first bite, I thought I had just hit a fatty patch. By the fifth bite, I realized—there was no meat, just chewy, rubbery fat slathered in BBQ sauce in an attempt to mask the poor quality. When I politely brought this to the waitress's attention, she relayed the message to the cook. The response? “Ribs are supposed to be fatty.” I’ve eaten hundreds of ribs in my life, and while a bit of marbling is expected, these were inedible. No meat, just fat. What was once a solid local spot has clearly lost its way. If you're looking for a place with quality food and pride in the kitchen, sadly, the Green Lantern is no longer it.“

“Rumchata French toast and the walleye and eggs“

“Don't order take out, there is no quality control coming out of that kitchen. In particular the broasted chicken. I doesn't even resemble chicken, it's so bad. Prior to the Maple Tree reopening, it was awesome. We've tried a half dozen times since then with no luck. So we won't order take out again, and being long time locals, we have no interest in dining in with the long wait. Glad business is booming, just bring back good take out.“

“I got drive through like 2 times in, one each in the first weeks of August. I think the cashiers need to do better math. I was shorted .24 cents the first time and a penny the next week. Change shouldn't be complicated. Good food. Just disappointed as all money helps. I always make sure to take my seat belt off at the window, have both hands out to collect the change then put it in the cup holders so if I forget to grab any, it's there. There was no change there. So their math was wrong with change. Please improve on this as I don't want to continue to lose money to you.“

“Good food and customer service, but I really miss the old location with the outside dining.“

“Great lanes and equipment! 15 of us bowled during a company party and the computers worked flawlessly. We enjoyed the graphics- especially the bowling tips. They have plenty of ramps for little kids. We enjoyed all of the food: pizza, potato skins, and nachos.I had a difficult time finding an ideal ball (10#), most of the balls were either 8# or 13#. This was a very popular place for kid's on a Sunday afternoon. As this was a family event, we fit right in. If you don't enjoy noisy children, you may want to stick to evening bowling.“

“Waiting for a show at majestic and the manager greeted us and said wed get fast service to be in line for doors and he wasn’t kidding! Service was quick, staff was friendly and the food was amazing, I got 2 tacos and they were genuinely delicious! We were in and out within 30 minutes! Highly recommend“

“Delicious menu options. Perfect portion size for tasting all courses.“

“We met friends who were from out of town for lunch at Buck & Honey's on Sunday. They had never been there, so with my wife and me having been there before and very much impressed, we suggested it. What an incredible atmosphere, superb food quality and service that is so rare these days. We sure had a very memorable time and dining experience and will be coming back again very soon. Our guests could not stop raving about this place also. A shot out to our waitress Aliyah for such an outstanding job taking care of us. You sure are excellent at what you do and we thank you sincerely!“

“Kettle Black Kitchen is truly a hidden gem! We came in with a large group, and from the moment we walked through the door, the staff made us feel like family. The service was absolutely outstanding — warm, attentive, and genuine. As for the food, it somehow managed to be even better! Everyone in our group ordered something different, and every dish looked and tasted incredible. You can tell a lot of care goes into everything they do. I can’t recommend this spot highly enough — we can’t wait to come back!“

“Good food and great service. What’s not to like?“

“We had breakfast on a Sunday morning and it was a busy place. Waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Food came out in a very timely manner and was delicious. It was great amount of food for the price. Atmosphere was welcoming. Glad we found it!“

“I wish I had taken this photos of the food before I dug in. Delicious chilequiles, and even better ranchos huervos. The food is extremely fresh and flavorful. It's a unique take on something I've seen in every form, but they get it right with little surprises in every bite. Do yourself a favor and get the orange juice. The fresh sweetness really helps stabilize the slight spice and heaviness of the food.“

“My favorite go to when I’m in town! Drinks and eats are the best!“

“Never a bad experience here. Absolutely wonderful staff - top notch. Great service - and super super quick! Delicious cocktails and the best, best, BEST Chipotle Southwest Salad. It’s my current hyper-fixation meal but from time to time, I like to spice it up with the delicious Steak Tacos and Poke Bowl! A lot of great menus items ranging from their signature dishes to seasonal dishes. Me and my boyfriend always say we should try new places, but can’t resist not coming here!“

“Delicious meal… it was my second time there and both times the food has been delicious! We started with a very nice red wine to go with their short rib dinner (which was the best short rib meal I have ever had) and the salmon with the most delicious dill butter sauce. I really wish he would sell that butter for me to take home. Next time we will save room for dessert because the table next to us ordered the crème brûlée and it looked amazing.“

“We had a wonderful experience and such a lovely evening the first time we spontaneously sat at the bar and had a bite before a show at the Orpheum. The atmosphere is warm, charming and cozy. We were excited to come back tonight. Again we loved sitting at the bar. The service is excellent and the restaurant/bar are very obviously well managed. Staff exhibit a lot of attention to service. We ordered drinks and shared an entree/chicken Marsala. It was good, a little salty and I was disappointed that the sauce was not lighter and not served over a bed of pasta. When we received our bill, we were shocked that the J Henry old fashion my husband orders at restaurants all over Wisconsin was $26. 😱 we get that there is an up-charge for premium booze but seemed a little ridiculous for Wisconsin. The regular old fashioned w/ Bullet is $14. There was a $12 up-charge for J Henry. Overall, we had a good experience and will be back and recommend. I told my husband he can settle for the Bullet Old fashion next time. 😜 Incidentally, the Old Fashion was VG.“

“They have very good food but the staff makes peanuts and is hungry for tips. I usually try to tip 20-25%. However one time when I got the bill it was way more than I had expected and I didn't have the funds to leave a tip. I felt really bad. To top it off I was told if I couldn’t tip better. don't come back. I instead of 2 drinks costing $13.00.(like the other businesses on the block)The bill was $21. I would have been leaving at least $5, but now I couldn’t. I feel the staff is a bunch of snooty college students, living off their rich parents dime.“

“Delicious food, good drinks, and a great service. One of my favorite places for Sunday brunch. Highly recommend!“

“Arguably the best meal I’ve ever had. I can’t imagine giving this place less than 5 stars. Food, service, vibe - everything was perfection. It was a fun opportunity to try a lot of different things I haven’t tasted before! Hoping to make this an annual tradition. Thanks, Nook!“

“Ive been going to the Bonfyre for years and I really love the place. For the past year it has been infested with gnats or fruit flies or whatever they are. . You cant take a sip or a bite without waving them away. Its annoying as hell and gross. Its not a one time thing, I go there often and its not getting better. This afternoon I stopped in for a couple of beers and some calamari appetizer. I love their calamari! I used to, today I got a massive plate of breaded bread. And swatted flies away the entire time. I'm not giving up on Bonfyre but if they cant fix the bug problem soon I'm done. I stopped by Badger Tavern before going to Bonfyre, the parking lot was packed as was the entire street so went to Bonfyre. Bonfyre was pretty empty. The atmosphere at Bonfyre should and could be a 5 star...get rid of your bug problem!“

“Best breakfast buffet for a hotel. Not free though. Nice workers. Nice decor. Inside the Doubletree Hotel so very convenient.“

“Took my daughter to this 60’s inspired cocktail style restaurant, to celebrate her birthday. We both agree that the overall vibe was sensational. The staff was amazing with our waitress being kind and courteous, as well as prompt with service. The menu is rather eclectic with various options, so there is something for everyone. The design of the place is thoughtful with the music matching the vibe. I am excited to see what the future holds for Lola's!“

“Great food and service! Very friendly atmosphere.“

“Needed someplace to eat while waiting for my wedding to happen in Madison. Settle down was close by I walked there. I was not disappointed, the special which was I think all the chicken butter burger was phasing and the soup was as well. Reasonable price Add to my places to eat when in town list“

“The food is simple (sandwich, salads, burger and a few other options) but tasty. The staff is friendly and makes sure yi ur experience is good, and the decor is nice. Bonus point for the nice selection of whisky and spirits, great for a restaurant. Also, during happy hour a few items are very fairly priced. Went twice, loved it both times, and will come back again. Thank you for the hard work!“

“Great Culver’s! James at the register is amazing! Keep that team member for life!“

“Great friendly staff in an awesome atmosphere to enjoy any games. great food as well.“

“Classic must try pizzeria. Absolutely delicious, they come up with great pie ideas and they are ALL hits. Their service is impeccable and their excellent cocktails give the experience the cherry on top . To add to that the prices are super reasonable. Great atmosphere, can't recommend this enough. It's become a go to return spot over the years, wether I go for a nice dinner with my partner, or getting "fancy" pizza and drinks with friends, this is the place to go.“

“We stopped at this Madison WI Culvers on our way to Rockford today and our 16mo made friends walking around the restaurant after we ate. The manager was so nice to her, gave her 2 stuffies and meal cards for our next stop through! Thanks, Ana! We'll see you again in a few weeks. :)“

“Absolutely amazing. The sushi is so fresh and the flavors are unique and delicious. I’ve come here a hand full of times for special occasions and it never fails to impress! The cocktails are also phenomenal.
We love!! Highly recommend.“

“Top burger place in all of Madison! Get the Hanks double, such fast service you will barely be able to sit down at the Musky Bar before it's ready in all its greasy glory. Great sauce makes this a three to four napkin burger. Hits the spot when you have a Hankerin' for the best! Get the pickles on the side, delicious and you get even more! I will be back again and again.“

“Great menu options. The service was very fast and friendly. The food was very good.“

“Excellent soup and salad bar“

“Our table ordered a mix of breakfast and lunch plates. All were delicious! The staff were very friendly. Seated quickly, got to order right away, and the food came fast. We all enjoyed watching them fuel up a plane and take off! Kids loved their paper planes too. ✈️ Plan to be back!“

“One name, Gary. Gary was the gentleman that took my order and the counter along with about 5 other customers during my duration of waiting for my food. Gary was the nicest person I have ever encountered while ordering food. Gary went above and beyond with each customer including myself to make each transaction personable. It was a Thursday evening and fairly busy inside and out. Gary greeted each customer with a friendly face and would take it upon himself to take something off someone’s shirt or something they were wearing to start up a conversation. One particular customer was an elderly woman and her middle age son who was mentally challenged. She approached the counter alone but Gary asked for her son to come up too and to not be afraid that he wouldn’t hurt him. Carried on a conversation with him and his mother asking his name and just being in the moment with him while they placed their order that evening. You don’t see people like Gary often enough anymore in the world and it really touched my heart on how he interacted with every person that came to his register as of each person was special in their own way. I’m not one to come inside and order and wait for my food or to take time to do surveys, but this interaction is one I will not forget. We need more people like Gary. I tried doing this on the Survey but it limited me on Characters I could use. Hope this doesn’t fall on deaf ears. Thank you“

“Best Madison dive bar, hands down!“

“Great drinks and a very nice view of Madison, Wisconsin... Awesome!!! The upstairs patio is open for business.“

“Tried your wings with teriyaki and hot garlic...loved it. My husband and I came once before and the staff was not as accommodating but this time we had the pleasure of meeting Gracie! She is definitely a keeper, a great asset to your establishment. Shout out to you Gracie, very friendly, accommodating and attentive.“

“Hearty farm to table food at a reasonable price. Great tavern atmosphere that got loud and lively after 7pm. While the menu is tilted towards pork and charcuterie there are plenty of vegetarian options. Menu was very seasonal, so we
Loved that.

Portions were huge, in my opinion, for the price. (Compared to hometown Portland, ME)
We split the bouillabaisse and a salad and it still seemed like the portions were large. Big wine list. Did not try cocktails but they looked creative and colorful. This spot will certainly be on the list when we return to Madison.“

“Had a tater tot appetizer with guacamole and the side bar burger. Brad had the loner burger that was not a lone. It was a lot to eat so will be having some of this for lunch tomorrow. Yummy!!“

“Delicious AyCe salad bar and fish fry. We will definitely go back.“

“Delicious food and wonderful service. Will definitely be back.“

“Been too long. Pesto chicken flatbread (and the service) was awesome. Great lunch spot!“

“I usually love bear and bottle but my food and service were just bad today I’ve had this server before and they just aren’t attentive Had to go to bar for my second drink Normally food is very good but taco dip has huge chunks of cream cheese Server left my food at edge of table for more that fifteen minutes which attracted flies I love the open air aspect of this spot bit of your food is left for that long…. Flies come to you. I will only eat at the bar from now on. Bar service is amazing“

“Beautiful restaurant down to every small detail. We had some delicious cocktails and cheese curds! For dinner, we had the Brinner burger and Fafael pita. The burger was a smash burger and perfectly cooked. Can't beat an egg and hashbrown patty on a burger as well! The pita was soft & fresh with a flavorful filling. It's a wonderful venue with awesome food!“

“Great place. Food is solid and decently priced. The one thing I don't appreciate is the constant changing of the menu. They used to have the best cheese curds in the Madison area, and then they changed suppliers, and now they are honestly pretty bad. Beside that great food, especially for a golf course.“

“The food was great & the cinnamon rolls were to die for!!! staff was excellent & very friendly!!! I will definitely recommend this place & will be returning very soon!“

“Very kind staff that helped me when I showed up 15 minutes to their closing , friends recommended I stop by while returning from a work trip and the baked goods were well worth the detour, staff couldn’t have been nicer and well priced treats. Amazing doughnuts“

“My ex boyfriend took me here for my birthday once and I fell in love with it. The king salmon and the chocolate babka are amazing! 10/10“