50 Best American Restaurants near Waunakee

“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!“

“The prime rib was as good as you get to night. It was a real high quality piece of beef cooked to perfection. I'll be back.“

“Sadly, this particular Culver’s either changed their fish fry breading recipe or they don’t fry it correctly. The last 2 fish fries I purchased tasted terrible.“

“Went to the Famous Walleye Breakfast today with a warm welcome from April. I came in for Breakfast but with the atmosphere fun & outgoing we stayed for the rest of the afternoon. Service was 5 star 🌟. I highly recommend the second Sunday of every month & the special appearance of April.“

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

“Love the charming European Grand Cafe vibes. An abundance of outdoor seating is available. Our server was very attentive and had great recommendations for drinks and food. One of the smoothest bloodys I have had. Food was absolutely delicious! What a great spot for brunch and enjoying a view of Madison.“

“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.“

“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!“

“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!“

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

“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!“

“We stopped for a light lunch on our travels and it was very delicious. Great Staff, amazing food, and ice cold beverages!! We will be stopping on our way to and from the Badger games as it's right off the highway.“

“Great food and service! Very friendly atmosphere.“

“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.“

“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“

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

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

“We've eaten here several times and it's terrific! It's off the beaten path in the middle of a residential block near the intersection of University and Parmenter in Middleton. Good food, big portions, friendly crew. They probably have something you'll like . . .☺️“

“awesome cheese curds and everything else!!!“

“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 👌“

“We LOVE this restaurant. We make sure we stop every time we are in the area. We especially love the cinnamon roll pancakes, the homemade toast, and the hashbrowns--delicious! The portions are huge, too. You will not leave here hungry. I also love diners with old-school atmosphere and this place hits the mark. Today we tried three of their baked goods, and the cream cheese danish was phenomenal. It's always packed (others think it's delicious, too), but we've never waited long for a seat. It's just all-around fantastic.“

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

“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 always enjoy going to Dave and Busters. Our favorite games are there. The manager is very nice. It's a bit pricey but worth for a good date night!! The food is good!!! The drinks are good too!!“

“We had an absolute blast here with our dogs! The covered, dog-friendly patio was perfect—especially when it started pouring rain. We stayed completely dry and were able to enjoy our visit without missing a beat. The staff were some of the friendliest people we've ever met and made us feel so welcome. We happened to visit while Wish Upon A Wiener was hosting a pop-up, and it was incredible! The hot dogs were huge, absolutely delicious, and have officially become my new favorite. This place is an absolute must-visit, and we'll definitely be back!“

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

“I visited for my first time last night. Service was excellent, attentive but not overly so, and the food was on point. There are some great things happening in that kitchen—everything was delicious! Thanks for a memorable meal and a fabulous first impression!👏🏽“

“Culvers is fast food done right and the Deforest location is one of the best. Clean despite heavy use. Well staffed so orders are taken quickly and brought to one's table. The custard is excellent. Easy access when headed north to my cabin in north central Wisconsin. I will return again and again.“

“excellent food friendly service!“

“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!“

“Great service after the late Badger game! Burgers were delicious and manager staff were so friendly! Thanks to the kitchen crew for making those last two burgers of the night! �“

“Great food. wings, burgers, pizza. Has won Best of Madison. Wonderful atmosphere. Highly recommend.“

“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.“

“Always consistently good food and great customer service!“

“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!“

“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.“

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

“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“

“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!“

“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!!“

“I want to recognize the outstanding service of Chrisi! Second day at her work and she has given us the best service ever from all the time we've been here to eat! Her attitude was amazing, always smiling, recommending deserts despite being busy! Food was delicious but BRAVO for her!!!!!!!!!!!!!! La Brioche is lucky to have her as part of the staff!!!!! Thank you again for making our brunch so bright!!“

“Been there a few times and their staff have always been super nice. Place is relatively new and very clean. Honestly my go to place for some comfort food in Madison!“

“the People there were so friendly and easy to talk to service was spot on! summer sausage sandwich was so good. variety of sandwiches and burger to chose from we'll be back“

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

“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.“