The first time I went here, everyone in my group agreed that the food was pretty meh for how pricey it was. We are all very happy to spend money on good food, but this just wasn't that good. So despite the great location and ambiance, we left pretty disappointed. My husband and I decided to give it another chance yesterday. We really wanted to like it. And things started out great with a very yummy appetizer (tomato & burrata) and a great cocktail (any port in a storm). But things went downhill with the entrees. I got the pork chop. It says it comes with a "balsamic drizzle," which I figured would be some kind of balsamic reduction or glaze, but no. The pork chop was served in a 1/2" pool of balsamic vinegar. It was the weirdest thing. The pork chop itself was cooked really well and the breading was delicious, but why was it sitting in a big pool of straight up vinegar?? It made the dish significantly worse. And honestly a drizzle of a slightly sweet balsamic glaze would have been delicious on it, so I wonder if somewhere down the line a huge miscommunication happened about what this dish was supposed to be. My husband's entree was also weird and disappointing. He got a seafood linguini special. Most components of the dish were really good, but the pasta itself was not good. The pasta was overcooked and all stuck together in large chunks. They had clearly just left the pasta out without sauce, letting it sit for a while. There are so many fantastic restaurants in San Diego. Madison just isn't one of them. At that price point, there are dozens of other places I'd easily recommend. I unfortunately just don't think I'll ever go back to Madison, despite living very close by.
M L.
We used to love this restaurant, the original owners must have sold it, Stay Away! The food hasn't been so good the last few times, the drinks used to be individually made now they definitely make them in batches. The decor is still cool vibe so we tried it again but now the staff is rude. We made a reservation for our daughter's birthday months ago and they wouldn't seat us anywhere but outside on a cold night and the restaurant was almost completely empty and her reservations weren't coming in for 1.5 hrs. No from a hostess is ok but this one named Ray was cold and mean towards customers, the opposite attitude I'd want if I owned a restaurant and was paying her to do a simple job, smile be nice and seat customers. She also had such an unappealing appearance, like she just rolled out of bed and hasn't washed her hair in awhile. We will never come back and we will tell our friends to skip this one from now on. There are lots of good restaurants in SD this one is no longer one of them.
Nicole J.
Came here on a date on a Sunday night, and I was struck by the dim-lit, rustic, and earthy ambiance of the place. The interior has a strikingly gorgeous, but simple design with an indoor/outdoor feel. I was pleasantly surprised by the live band. For these reasons alone, I might one day venture back to Madison. My 3-star rating stems from the food and drink. The cocktails are pretty at most, but don't do much with regard to taste and complexity. I tried the Queen of Crowns and Rainbows and Ridges, which are both supposed to be gin-based but instead over powered by syrup and/or bitters. Would not get again. My date ordered the old fashioned, which was not anything to brag about. For food, the portobello fries are great for appetizers. I liked that they weren't too heavy on the batter and you really got a big bite of mushroom with each piece. However, the fries lacked seasoning. I also enjoyed the green sauce that came with it. I would skip the tuna tartare - it didn't taste fresh and was VERY fishy. I didn't feel that the avocado was an appropriate accompaniment to the fish, either. Main plates were the surf and turf and the pesto pasta with chicken. I was very disappointed in terms of the quality of the filet mignon and that it was not cooked to medium like I had ordered. It was pink and cold inside...more RARE than anything. Also lacked seasoning and flavor. The vegan pesto pasta was good, but I found it odd that the chicken was mixed in to the dish and chopped up into little pieces. It felt childish and classless. Service is friendly, but on the slower end. We had to waive down the waitress to get her attention, and our apps weren't even in by the time we were ready to order dinner. TL;DR: Cute place, subpar food and drinks.
Kate F.
I love the inside of Madison; it's such a cute restaurant plus they have a nice outdoor patio in front I would suggest making a reservation They have a very interesting drink collection for brunch. The Queen of Diamonds came with a tarot card drawing I got the GOAT sandwich which tasted more like Brie than goat cheese plus the peach habanero jam was spicy. It was good but not amazing The waffle stick churros were really good and perfect to split for a dessert. It comes with 4
Olivia N.
This is one of our go to spots. Starters that we enjoy- skirt steak, portabella fries, warm tomatoes and burrata. The menu changes, but current Entrees we like: cioppino, chicken piccata, the pork chop, Madison burger. We've had several of their cocktails. Some are not on the menu anymore, but old or new they are always just right. Recently we went on a Tuesday night with friends visiting from New York. One of them plays in a jazz band there and he said the band playing that evening was fantastic. It's hard to have conversation while they are playing, so just enjoy the music, food and drink if you're there on a Tuesday evening.
Fabiana Z.
First time coming here and I will say the drink I had, Stellar Ember, was delicious. It was the service that I had particular issues with. I will preface by saying I've worked in the industry and understand how it works and our server was not attentive at all and had to flag down for ordering every time, she wasn't necessarily engaged. But I will say she was absolutely engaged at the bar-top drinking wine out of a glass which I took to be unprofessional and hindering. I didn't love it and not sure ill go back.
Arjay U.
1st time here and we enjoyed our time here Food was amazing and delicious, we ordered mussels pork chop and osso bucco all so so good Service was nice and friendly shout out to our server Kylie Friendly staff and crew Ambiance is def 100 love the vibe and the decor Def coming back again
Aly Q.
Food 10/10 - pictures don't do it justice. The pork chop was crispy yet moist. The lamb shank was falling off the bone and the shish kabob was full of flavor. Ambiance 10/10 - fun and cute spot to grab drinks. Recommend for a date night for sure! Service 8/10 - dinner time can be busy so service is a little slower and may take time for your food to come out, But worth the wait!
Sandra P.
I love it at Madison. Nice people and good vibes. Breakfast tacos and the steak with potatoes are fire. Dog friendly. Try their motor bikes they are a must.
Erica B.
This was my time here! Really cute spot. The bar, dining room and outdoor patio is nice! We had a larger party for my friends birthday brunch. Service was great. The food was great. I had Papas Locas and it was really good. They have some awesome mimosas too! The espresso martini was a huge if as well! Would love to come back for dinner!
Have been a few times but unfortunately will not come back. I reserved a table for a few people that were in town and we were sat in a different table than requested. When I spoke to the front desk they were easy going, but once the manager (who was also our waitress) got involved, she was incredibly rude. She was creating an issue where one didn't exist and her staff was apologizing for her behavior. Either way, will not return.
Holly H.
Absolutely love coming here! The food and drinks are delicious! Ambiance is lively yet classy. Service is excellent! We've been there several times and have had Kylie as our server - she's the absolute best! Although you'll be hard pressed to find a server there who is not amazing. Highly recommend for date nights or group events!
CDW99
The staff is amazing. I've been going here for years. I love this place. It might sound odd, but get the burger and fries, so good. Waffle fries ?Update: Sadly, there has been a change in the menu, they no longer have waffle fries ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Daniel Dreifort
Math. That’s what I want to do when I’m out on a date. If you see an item for $18 on the menu, how much do you think it’s going to cost you? First factor in the 4% surcharge Madison puts in the smallest text at the bottom of their menu. Then calculate the sales tax on that and the price of food. And on top of that choose whether or not you’re going to tip on tax and service fees and choose the appropriate tip-rate for that. Stop hiding anti-consumer fees in small print and just raise your damn prices.Also, train your staff better. Staff came to our table 3x the whole time we were there. Once to take the order, once to refill the water before the food arrived although they inexplicably only filled one of the glasses. And then again to bring the food. Halfway through the meal with nothing to drink I went in and audibly put the empty glass down on the bar surrounded by at least five “workers“ not working. Grabbed two fresh glasses of water. Still, nobody came out to check on anything. After a while, we’re done. Want to combine food into one box and leave a poor dining experience. I go in again and ask them to bring a box and the check. I mention that nobody had come to check on us, One of the many employees standing around the bar exclaim that she is just one person and is handling lots of tables.Take from that what you will, both times I went to do their jobs for them there were many people congregating at the bar doing nothing.If I go back to Madison it will be to humor a friend.Also, I’m tired of this place and their sister restaurant advertising things on the menu that they don’t deliver.Madison: if you don’t serve maple syrup, stop listing maple syrup as what comes with the items. The artificially flavored garbage you are serving has no maple syrup in it.If somebody convinces me to go back to one of your restaurants and you’re misrepresenting the items you serve I’ll report you to the CA FDB.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Vic J.
busy but tasty brunch spot in university heights! visited this place on a sunday morning - as expected, the wait time to be seated without a reservation was not so promising. we grabbed any open seats at the bar area - pretty tightly seated next to others, no room to move around. ordered their chicken plate and their GOAT sandwich! the fig habanero jam that came with the sandwich was delectable - i would totally buy just their jam!! food - 8/10 customer service - 7/10
The first time I went here, everyone in my group agreed that the food was pretty meh for how pricey it was. We are all very happy to spend money on good food, but this just wasn't that good. So despite the great location and ambiance, we left pretty disappointed. My husband and I decided to give it another chance yesterday. We really wanted to like it. And things started out great with a very yummy appetizer (tomato & burrata) and a great cocktail (any port in a storm). But things went downhill with the entrees. I got the pork chop. It says it comes with a "balsamic drizzle," which I figured would be some kind of balsamic reduction or glaze, but no. The pork chop was served in a 1/2" pool of balsamic vinegar. It was the weirdest thing. The pork chop itself was cooked really well and the breading was delicious, but why was it sitting in a big pool of straight up vinegar?? It made the dish significantly worse. And honestly a drizzle of a slightly sweet balsamic glaze would have been delicious on it, so I wonder if somewhere down the line a huge miscommunication happened about what this dish was supposed to be. My husband's entree was also weird and disappointing. He got a seafood linguini special. Most components of the dish were really good, but the pasta itself was not good. The pasta was overcooked and all stuck together in large chunks. They had clearly just left the pasta out without sauce, letting it sit for a while. There are so many fantastic restaurants in San Diego. Madison just isn't one of them. At that price point, there are dozens of other places I'd easily recommend. I unfortunately just don't think I'll ever go back to Madison, despite living very close by.
We used to love this restaurant, the original owners must have sold it, Stay Away! The food hasn't been so good the last few times, the drinks used to be individually made now they definitely make them in batches. The decor is still cool vibe so we tried it again but now the staff is rude. We made a reservation for our daughter's birthday months ago and they wouldn't seat us anywhere but outside on a cold night and the restaurant was almost completely empty and her reservations weren't coming in for 1.5 hrs. No from a hostess is ok but this one named Ray was cold and mean towards customers, the opposite attitude I'd want if I owned a restaurant and was paying her to do a simple job, smile be nice and seat customers. She also had such an unappealing appearance, like she just rolled out of bed and hasn't washed her hair in awhile. We will never come back and we will tell our friends to skip this one from now on. There are lots of good restaurants in SD this one is no longer one of them.
Came here on a date on a Sunday night, and I was struck by the dim-lit, rustic, and earthy ambiance of the place. The interior has a strikingly gorgeous, but simple design with an indoor/outdoor feel. I was pleasantly surprised by the live band. For these reasons alone, I might one day venture back to Madison. My 3-star rating stems from the food and drink. The cocktails are pretty at most, but don't do much with regard to taste and complexity. I tried the Queen of Crowns and Rainbows and Ridges, which are both supposed to be gin-based but instead over powered by syrup and/or bitters. Would not get again. My date ordered the old fashioned, which was not anything to brag about. For food, the portobello fries are great for appetizers. I liked that they weren't too heavy on the batter and you really got a big bite of mushroom with each piece. However, the fries lacked seasoning. I also enjoyed the green sauce that came with it. I would skip the tuna tartare - it didn't taste fresh and was VERY fishy. I didn't feel that the avocado was an appropriate accompaniment to the fish, either. Main plates were the surf and turf and the pesto pasta with chicken. I was very disappointed in terms of the quality of the filet mignon and that it was not cooked to medium like I had ordered. It was pink and cold inside...more RARE than anything. Also lacked seasoning and flavor. The vegan pesto pasta was good, but I found it odd that the chicken was mixed in to the dish and chopped up into little pieces. It felt childish and classless. Service is friendly, but on the slower end. We had to waive down the waitress to get her attention, and our apps weren't even in by the time we were ready to order dinner. TL;DR: Cute place, subpar food and drinks.
I love the inside of Madison; it's such a cute restaurant plus they have a nice outdoor patio in front I would suggest making a reservation They have a very interesting drink collection for brunch. The Queen of Diamonds came with a tarot card drawing I got the GOAT sandwich which tasted more like Brie than goat cheese plus the peach habanero jam was spicy. It was good but not amazing The waffle stick churros were really good and perfect to split for a dessert. It comes with 4
This is one of our go to spots. Starters that we enjoy- skirt steak, portabella fries, warm tomatoes and burrata. The menu changes, but current Entrees we like: cioppino, chicken piccata, the pork chop, Madison burger. We've had several of their cocktails. Some are not on the menu anymore, but old or new they are always just right. Recently we went on a Tuesday night with friends visiting from New York. One of them plays in a jazz band there and he said the band playing that evening was fantastic. It's hard to have conversation while they are playing, so just enjoy the music, food and drink if you're there on a Tuesday evening.
First time coming here and I will say the drink I had, Stellar Ember, was delicious. It was the service that I had particular issues with. I will preface by saying I've worked in the industry and understand how it works and our server was not attentive at all and had to flag down for ordering every time, she wasn't necessarily engaged. But I will say she was absolutely engaged at the bar-top drinking wine out of a glass which I took to be unprofessional and hindering. I didn't love it and not sure ill go back.
1st time here and we enjoyed our time here Food was amazing and delicious, we ordered mussels pork chop and osso bucco all so so good Service was nice and friendly shout out to our server Kylie Friendly staff and crew Ambiance is def 100 love the vibe and the decor Def coming back again
Food 10/10 - pictures don't do it justice. The pork chop was crispy yet moist. The lamb shank was falling off the bone and the shish kabob was full of flavor. Ambiance 10/10 - fun and cute spot to grab drinks. Recommend for a date night for sure! Service 8/10 - dinner time can be busy so service is a little slower and may take time for your food to come out, But worth the wait!
I love it at Madison. Nice people and good vibes. Breakfast tacos and the steak with potatoes are fire. Dog friendly. Try their motor bikes they are a must.
This was my time here! Really cute spot. The bar, dining room and outdoor patio is nice! We had a larger party for my friends birthday brunch. Service was great. The food was great. I had Papas Locas and it was really good. They have some awesome mimosas too! The espresso martini was a huge if as well! Would love to come back for dinner!
Restaurantji Recommends
Have been a few times but unfortunately will not come back. I reserved a table for a few people that were in town and we were sat in a different table than requested. When I spoke to the front desk they were easy going, but once the manager (who was also our waitress) got involved, she was incredibly rude. She was creating an issue where one didn't exist and her staff was apologizing for her behavior. Either way, will not return.
Absolutely love coming here! The food and drinks are delicious! Ambiance is lively yet classy. Service is excellent! We've been there several times and have had Kylie as our server - she's the absolute best! Although you'll be hard pressed to find a server there who is not amazing. Highly recommend for date nights or group events!
The staff is amazing. I've been going here for years. I love this place. It might sound odd, but get the burger and fries, so good. Waffle fries ?Update: Sadly, there has been a change in the menu, they no longer have waffle fries ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Math. That’s what I want to do when I’m out on a date. If you see an item for $18 on the menu, how much do you think it’s going to cost you? First factor in the 4% surcharge Madison puts in the smallest text at the bottom of their menu. Then calculate the sales tax on that and the price of food. And on top of that choose whether or not you’re going to tip on tax and service fees and choose the appropriate tip-rate for that. Stop hiding anti-consumer fees in small print and just raise your damn prices.Also, train your staff better. Staff came to our table 3x the whole time we were there. Once to take the order, once to refill the water before the food arrived although they inexplicably only filled one of the glasses. And then again to bring the food. Halfway through the meal with nothing to drink I went in and audibly put the empty glass down on the bar surrounded by at least five “workers“ not working. Grabbed two fresh glasses of water. Still, nobody came out to check on anything. After a while, we’re done. Want to combine food into one box and leave a poor dining experience. I go in again and ask them to bring a box and the check. I mention that nobody had come to check on us, One of the many employees standing around the bar exclaim that she is just one person and is handling lots of tables.Take from that what you will, both times I went to do their jobs for them there were many people congregating at the bar doing nothing.If I go back to Madison it will be to humor a friend.Also, I’m tired of this place and their sister restaurant advertising things on the menu that they don’t deliver.Madison: if you don’t serve maple syrup, stop listing maple syrup as what comes with the items. The artificially flavored garbage you are serving has no maple syrup in it.If somebody convinces me to go back to one of your restaurants and you’re misrepresenting the items you serve I’ll report you to the CA FDB.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
busy but tasty brunch spot in university heights! visited this place on a sunday morning - as expected, the wait time to be seated without a reservation was not so promising. we grabbed any open seats at the bar area - pretty tightly seated next to others, no room to move around. ordered their chicken plate and their GOAT sandwich! the fig habanero jam that came with the sandwich was delectable - i would totally buy just their jam!! food - 8/10 customer service - 7/10