50 Best American Restaurants near Mcfarland

“Rumchata French toast and the walleye and eggs“

“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.“

“Best prime rib I’ve had in years waitress was awesome. I look forward to going back.“

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

“I just wanted to give a shout out to the Manager that was working tonight. I couldn't find my cell phone on my drive home and wanted to call my husband to see if I left it in his vehicle, which I did. It was very busy in there and the manager was so sweet to let me use the phone. Even though I didn't get anything tonight, my favorite is a hot fudge Sunday with raspberries on top! Seriously thank you for helping me. 5 star review!!“

“With bowl-a-vard declining and dream lanes closing early (my wife and I work night shifts) we’ve started going to Spartan more often and have a blast every time. Bowling right up until closing, good food, drinks, and service. So glad this place exists and only 10 mins from the east side of Madison and monona.“

“I love this restaurant when visiting Madison. My most recent visit I had the rigatoni vodka pasta which I really enjoyed. Taylor was our waitress and she was awesome! She was very attentive, checked on us throughout the meal, and truly made our visit a lot of fun! She is so personable and we loved our conversation with her. If you get the chance to have Taylor as your waitress, take it. She is worth asking for!!“

“I've eaten all over the world, this is one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in my life. It's not fussy and rehearsed to the moment, instead down to earth, delicious and free flowing with a 90s hip hop soundtrack and laughter abounding. Run do not walk to this restaurant.“

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

“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!“

“Food was very good. Workers hustle and are friendly.“

“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.“

“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.“

“We went to Waypoint tonight (3 adults and 2 little kiddos). Our waitress (Katie) was so accommodating! All of our food was phenomenal- we will definitely be back!“

“Such an amazing experience! Our server, Lily, was absolutely wonderful—so friendly, attentive, and full of great recommendations. We ended up trying the deviled eggs and the banana sundae based on her suggestions, and both were SO good. Everything we had was delicious, but the incredible service really made the experience even better. If you’re in the area, definitely stop in. Highly, highly recommend!“

“Best burger I have had in LONG time. All the stars. Thank you!“

“I got the woodsman pizza which tasted delicious, a little oily for me. The service was fast, efficient and the hostess welcome us kindly. Because it’s was a weekday they were not busy at all. Definitely a place I would go back, I like the atmosphere too, inside it has a red decor and with the candles looks cool. Also the price is great!“

“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!“

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

“We were in town for a show and swing in for their Tuesday chicken sandwich special. Probably one of the absolute best chicken sandwiches we’ve had. We planned on splitting a sandwich but after a minor mishap, chef ended up making us each a sandwich and my oh my it did not disappoint. Great service, fantastic craft cocktails and delicious food this place will be on our Madison list of places to frequent when in the area.“

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

“Great food and service! Very friendly atmosphere.“

“Not stop-sign red. Not barn-side red.
Not Wisconsin-maple-October red.
I mean tuna red. Roe red. Glow red.
Somehow the sea slipped into Madison,
borrowed a bowl of rice, and learned to roll instead.

Tuna cut clean with a ruby-red sheen,
salmon burns orange beside avocado green.
Slice, rice, precise, nice. Roll, roe, bowl, whole.
Dip, drip, chopstick grip, let soy take control.
Little edible mosaics, rolled tight for the soul.

Soft beside crunch, cool beside heat,
sweet meeting salty where rice meets the sea.
Then comes wasabi. Easy there, friend.
One dab too deep and your sinuses ascend,
then ginger sweeps through and resets you again.

There’s something delightfully backwards in play:
Wisconsin has no ocean, yet here comes the spray.
No gulls. No surf. No saltwater mist,
just chopsticks gone fishing with a flick of the wrist.
One piece. Two pieces. Three cease to exist.

Then someone asks, “Want another roll?”
Dear friend, that is how they swallow you whole.
So when Madison supper needs something instead,
get raw, get rolled, get remarkably fed.
Follow the ruby, the roe, the roll. See RED.

Peace. Piece. Peas.

Mr. E & Justin Thyme“

“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!“

“I had such a wonderful visit here. The display case is packed with an incredible variety of fresh treats that look absolutely delicious.

I decided on a classic glazed donut paired with a coffee in a mug featuring the Fosdal Home Bakery logo. Everything was perfect and exactly what I needed to start my day. It is such a cozy spot to grab a bite. I cannot wait to come back again soon.“

“Good drinks menu but the food was so-so. Flavors unremarkable. No information on the menu for those who are lactose or gluten intolerant which is easy to flag on menus these days. And the random delivery of small plates, which was to be expected, could have been a little bit more even for our table of four. And worth letting us know, when we order, which dishes might take quite a bit longer to prepare and deliver. Nice ambiance and good lighting. 3/5.“

“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“

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

“We've been there for multiple brunches and dinners, and every meal is absolutely fantastic. Hard to go wrong with a friendly and professional staff, great food, and tasty cocktails. We'll be back again!“

“We ate here last year for Valentine’s Day! Amazing ambiance and food. Highly recommended to all 10 out of 10 stars“

“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!“

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

“This was a great experience during restaurant week. The food was so good - my main dish was ahi tuna, but all 5 of us enjoyed our 3 course meals. The waitresses were very kind and the meal came quickly. It was a very quiet space for being so expansive.“

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

“This was a really neat hole-in-the-wall that is connected to the neighboring bar. You order at the counter and your food is delivered to you. The menu is on the small side, but everything I tried was quite good. Not much atmosphere for itself, but the bar it is connected to has tons of wisconsin dive bar atmosphere.“

“😍🌮🍔🥪🍟Tried a few things already and brought other people there. Everything has been good and the wait staff are awesome“

“The venue itself is incredible, but the staff set it apart! Specifically, I worked with Jillian on a recent, relatively last-minute event and she absolutely pulled things together and made it happen. The Madison Club is lucky to have Jillian there!“

“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!“

“Thank you Lily and Tip Top for hosting some weary travelers with amazing food and a dog friendly patio. We had the best food, and the patio was like an oasis, beautiful!“

“Heard from friend's that the Friday Fish Fry was worth checking out, and they were right. I had a platter with two pieces of cod, one piece of walleye and one piece of perch. The entree included a small helping of fries, a small serving of coleslaw and tartar sauce, plus a choice of potato, so I chose the homemade potato chips. My companion had the two piece cod dinner. Our dinner also included complimentary warm bread and butter. I particularly liked the chips and the flavor of the perch. We each had a drink so the meal came out to about $40 before tip. Neither of us left feeling hungry. Highly recommended.“

“Excellent soup and salad bar“

“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.“

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

“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!!“

“We Decided to try today while out on a motorcycle ride. We Arrived and walked in and were immediately greeted by staff. The atmosphere was nice and friendly. The staff was friendly. We ordered our drinks and food. We got the Prime Rib Sandwich with onion rings and the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich with fries. Both of the sandwiches were amazing. Very tasty and juicy upon first bite to the Last bite with the right amount of meat and vegetables/mushrooms with it. The fries were just right...not to crispy. The onion rings were a tad overdone and really crispy. Overall the food and drinks were 10/10. We will be back.“

“Our son just moved to Madison so we’re looking for local places to frequent, Slice’s is definitely on the list! Delicious food, friendly staff, good prices. Did the Friday fish fry and it was fantastic.“

“We absolutely love this place! Homemade everything! Our new discover in our new neighborhood and never disappointed!
The corned beef hash, chicken fried steak (not those Sysco discs) seriously wonderful food and the best wait staff ever!
Thank you for all the effort!“

“This is a grill located in the holiday inn at American center. The staff is friendly and drinks were good. They have a thin crust pizza and pitcher deal. Service was good and this is a convenient place to unwind if you don’t want to leave the hotel.“

“College visit with the daughter and we dined here with friends on Saturday 28th Sept and being originally from the UK, and seeing the fish and chips were haddock (not cod) I immediately had to have them and they were the best fish and chips this side of the “pond” having put up with 12 years of “just ok” fish and chips, these were amazing. Not only were the fish and chips good, but every dish was a winner. I am now praying my daughter gets into the college as I will be a regular here.“