“The Ohio Tavern is as close as you can get to an old school dive bar in Madison. They food is cooked right in the bar area, and is mostly Mexican food. The nachos were delicious and the street corn was sublime. Service was good as well. It can get quite busy, and is louder than most establishments due to the small size. They only take cash and do not have a phone. If you want to maximize your chance of getting a spot - hit it up at an off time. We were there at 3:30 pm on a Saturday (non game day) and there were plenty of seats. At least try it once!“
“Coming in at 8pm on Friday was the perfect time. Appetizers are around 6$ each (x3). dinners less than 15$ each (x2). And 4 cans of beer the bill wasn't even 60$. I'm impressed and would gladly come back. The fish fry was excellent, shrimp was excellent. And the coleslaw paired well to the fish! I walked out full and happy.Parking: The lot fits the needs of the bar.Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs“
“THE BEST fish fry I have ever had!The fish is superb. Three of five of us had a more than ample serving of the walleye, baked potato & cole slaw & all agreed it was great. The Friday night atmosphere is CROWDED, busy & the cacophony such that conversation is impossible. The prices are reasonable. The bartender is aloof, difficult to flag down & challenged by a simple register transaction. The cook is non-stop busy with all of the orders. The server is very cordial under the high-pressure atmosphere, so kudos to her! Overall, pretty good experience & the fish - to die for!FISH: *recommended! *Parking: Few spots in the lot.“
“This is the ultimate in Wisconsin's local neighborhood tavern. The service was spectacular. The bartender was top notch, with over 25 years experience running the show, ans was very attentive to everyone in the place. The selections of sauces for the food was extensive, and all were very flavorful, particularly the mango habeñero sauce.“
“If your not running to this place, you need to be. Best bartenders and dive bar in Madison Wisconsin! Amazing beer & drink choices, great music, bubbly and fun staff. The environment is super inviting, friendly patrons to meet and become friends with! Get here and fast, they can't wait to serve you!!!“
“We loved our stop at Woody Anne's! Mona was a delight and met our every whim. Her "Do I look like I need help?" attitude was a breath of fresh air. We enjoyed Emil's pizza and a few beers while running the jukebox with some long-forgotten 80s tunes. We can't wait to come back to check out the "longest shuffleboard table in Madison"!“
“The Frog Pond has become our go-to for a consistently good Fish Fry and great burgers, We try to go every month for the burger of the month, which are always unique and an amazing deal at $7.50. This month was a "Benny Burger" - fresh hamburger patty, ham, fried egg, and Hollandaise. We weren't sure we would like it but it was delicious. If you haven't been here yet give it a try, it's truly a hidden gem for good food.“
“It's a dive bar just off the square- if you expect more from a place that's been owned by the same family since prohibition than that, go somewhere else. Service was exceptional, as was the music of my youth! Think they have a pizza oven for frozen pies- friends brought in eats from the place named after a cocktail a couple of blocks away to absorb beverages. Go, have fun, and just be yourself!“
“Very cool place if you like calm, and not crowded. The bartender was very nice. The people (aka guest) very nice. Small bit enjoyable. A place for awesome communication, worth partying in small groups, or alone. Rather than party scenes that are over crowded, ect“
“The UpNorth bar is its own special experience. Depending on the person this may be a great or terrible place to visit. It's a local watering hole. Nothing super special about it. If you know the local crowd who frequents this establishment you'll like it. If you don't, and have no interest in that.. don't come here. It's usually young d*** men. With that said.. its a good bar and can be fun. Service is resonable. They have two pinball machines! Outdoor seating available. Next to two other madison classic establishments.“
“Ordered the fish and chips p s and a diet coke for $8.00. Hard to beat that. Fish was good. Fries were standard and there was more than I could eat. Service was great. Bar was quiet enough to work on my crossword puzzle. Friendly locals at the bar.“
“This is a classic dive bar, a refreshing trip to the past for this jaded gen xer who grew up frequenting similar establishments in the 1980s and 90s in Madison , very welcoming diverse crowd, nice to see younger people appreciating the ambiance and the reasonably priced drinks. Staff was very “
“It's The Crystal - a staple of the Eastside of Madison. I see some reviews have stated that barkeeps are not attentive, but they're hit or miss. We had a male & a female tending on the Friday we visited & the male was unfriendly, but the female, while not overly friendly, was attentive to us. It was a busy night even tho' no band was playing.It's a neighborhood bar & there are frequent patrons, so don't feel left out if you're not as noticed as the regulars.*recommend for it's "institutional" value!*“
“This is a bar? Sems more like a passionate enjoyable place to spend time with like-minded people as well as the outside viewpoints I so readily and heroically listen to. I mean seriously, it's so good it makes itself seem awful in comparison. I would feel completely comfortable relieving myself in my pants in public here because of the friendly atmosphere and womb-like acoustics. A must see for people interested in alcohol.“
“Found this place when searching for dinner and everywhere we went on Atwood was packed to the brim and had an hour wait. Found a spot at the bar and all the staff was very nice and attentive. They were still busy but got our order in right away and took about 25 min for food which they did preface before we ordered. Honestly one of the best burgers I've had ever. The tots were crunchy and just how I like them! Will definitely be back!“
“Still one of my favorite dive bars in Wisconsin. Had a pretty good burger this time too. Got to pet a couple of good dogs and was able to enjoy a pair of reasonably priced beers. Glad to see some things have stayed awesome since I left this beautiful town.“
“Best dive bar in town. Mel is the best bartender I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.Good music, good people & no judgment. If your fortunate enough to shake some dice you'll know what I mean. Have a better time each time I drink here!“