New American Restaurants near Monona, WI

“Our class recently held our 50th high school reunion at this revnue! They did a fantastic job setting up the room and meeting our needs! We've held previous reunions here and will definitely come back again. Thanks to the owners and staff for making our MG reunion a great success!“

“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!“

“Absolutely GEM of a place!! I truly can't say anything bad about this place!! Barb and Brian the owners put so much care into how guest are treated. Barb makes great daily lunch specials and Damien, Emily and Sammy are the bees knees 🤗 I can't get enough of them“

“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.“

“Madison’s was great. Good food and cool atmosphere, but our server, Lilah was the real highlight. She was super on top of things, genuinely nice, and knew the menu inside and out without being pushy. Definitely recommend dropping in and asking for her section.“

“I’ve been to RED several times, and it keeps me coming back. I really enjoy the modern atmosphere. The lighting, colors, and background music give it a relaxed lounge vibe without being too loud or distracting.

The service has always been excellent, and the food comes out surprisingly fast. The sashimi is fresh with a great selection of fish, and the presentation is beautiful. The miso soup was outstanding, and I always think that’s a good sign of a quality sushi restaurant.“

“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.“

“We love bringing out of town friends to Sal's. We had the Valentine's menu and it was the best food we've had in years! Tameka was amazing and the food came out so quick. Clean plates all day!“

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

“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!“

“We had an amazing experience at DelecTable on Friday. All 11 courses were interesting and perfectly executed. A great meal and a lot of fun.“

“The Carryout home kits!!💙 just did our first order with them and everything is packed so nicely. Everything has been delicious, staff was very nice, very reasonably priced, and I’m just so happy we ordered from them. Thank you! (If you order, please remember to tip on top of your order).“

“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.“

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

“Grabbed a quick bite before event. Food was okay. Service was fine but bar can get busy which slowed things down. As it got busier seemed like hostess was losing track of which tables in bar area were actually open or not because you had to leave your table to go to the bar to order.“

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

“Amazing fish tacos today!!“

“First time dining here. Great food and atmosphere. On a side note… To a beautiful lady. You were the beautiful woman dining—maybe with your mom—at “a restaurant by the river”. We locked eyes, shared a smile, and you held the door for me as we walked out. I wanted to introduce myself but got a little nervous. When you turned around after walking away, I knew I missed my chance. If you see this, I’d love a second one.“

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

“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!“

“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.“

“we stopped in for a drink and stayed for lunch. Amazing vibe and very friendly staff. Loved all of their signature drinks and the food was delicious. Definitely will be back!“

“Cozy atmosphere, great food and drinks!“

“We were visiting Madison for a business trip. Kelly at Morgan's shoes suggested we go here for oysters. We had the most amazing dinner, oysters on the half shell and wrapped it up with an unbelievably good coffee and date ice cream 😋 Our experience was so good we decided to go back a second night! Oysters and dinner were fantastic! Too full for dessert Such a beautiful location, great service and delicious food. Highly recommend 👌“

“The Thai chicken bowl is amazing!!! I’ve gotten it 3 times in the past 2 weeks. Great outdoor seating area too! There was even live music tonight. Great atmosphere and food!“