50 Best American Restaurants in Madison

“I planned a 30 person surprise brunch party at Madison’s and they did a great job in every way. They were specifically good at communicating before hand and adjusting to my requests like ordering a champagne tower, and having drinks for me and my fiancée ready at the door when we walked in. Food and drinks were quick and the price was in my budget. I worked with Andrea, Henry, Hailey and Rachel was our server. The staff seemed like they were genuinely having a great time with us and having this party.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Me and my family stopped by a day ago. The customer service was amazing. If I remember correctly, our server’s name was Trinity. He was very kind to my grandma . Also, the food was delicious, our server recommended I try the strawberry burrata which was amazing. I would stop by again. Five stars.“

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

“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!“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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 👌“

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

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

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

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

“Always consistently good food and great customer service!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Do you want a good burger in a great Wisconsin bar? Hank's has you covered. Their burgers are simple, straight to the point, and tasty. Also, the Potosi root beer is one of the most wonderful, rich root beers I've ever tried. They serve it ice cold like root beer deserves. We'll definitely eat here again when we're on this side of town!

Be aware that the seating fills up fast, so it's mostly bar seats or standing room.“

“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!!“

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

“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.“

“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!“

“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!!“

“great food, and even greater people“

“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.“

“Excellent soup and salad bar“

“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.“

“Went on a Wednesday afternoon, since I was on campus for work that day and wanted to try something new. They had the special of buffalo chicken wrap, grilled or crispy. It was SO good. I’ve been thinking of it since 😂! The had generous amounts of chicken on it, which is always nice. The service was excellent too. Definitely will be going back when I’m on campus again. 😋“

“Amazing fish tacos today!!“

“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!!“

“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“

“how can you go wrong, awesome menu, lovely bartenders & great cooks... I'd be surprised if you have a bad thing to say here“

“Best Madison dive bar, hands down!“

“I’m perpetually impressed with the quality of food at Dextie’s. The staff is like family. Incredibly professional, personable, and friendly.“

“Visited Graze while in Madison. We popped in without a reservation and were pleasantly surprised to be seated right away. By the time we left, the restaurant had completely filled up, which says a lot about its popularity.

The atmosphere was casual yet vibrant, and the service was decent throughout our visit. I was particularly impressed with the Friday Fish Fry — a Wisconsin tradition done well and a great choice for the evening.

We also enjoyed the Wisconsin Cheese Board, which showcased some local flavours, and I couldn't pass up the Bourbon Bloodline cocktail, a well-crafted drink that paired nicely with the meal.

Overall, a solid Madison dining experience with good food, local character, and a great atmosphere — definitely worth checking out when you're in town. Saluti.“

“Great Burgers“

“We stopped at this Madison WI Culvers on our way to Rockford today and our 16mo made friends walking around the restaurant after we ate. The manager was so nice to her, gave her 2 stuffies and meal cards for our next stop through! Thanks, Ana! We'll see you again in a few weeks. :)“

“We were there for breakfast. It was absolutely delicious. Everything was done perfectly. As breakfast is our jam, this was one of the best. The staff was great also. Five stars plus!!“

“We attended a family birthday gathering of about 28 people. Check this place out! Friendly great service with awesome food menu & bar. I highly recommend!“

“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.“

“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.“

“The Madison Club was the absolute perfect venue for our wedding. Located right off the Capitol Square, the location could not have been better, especially for a Memorial Day weekend wedding and most guests traveling in. Our guests were able to truly immerse themselves in Madison, which made the entire weekend feel extra special.

The venue itself is gorgeous and full of historic charm. It is decorated so beautifully that we did not feel the need to provide many decorations at all. The space truly speaks for itself.

Jillian and Alex were incredible to work with. We had multiple meetings and conversations leading up to the wedding, and they made the planning process completely stress free. On the day of the wedding, we did not have to lift a finger or worry about a single thing. Alex handled everything so seamlessly that we did not need a wedding planner. They had a list of vendors they’ve worked with and most of ours were already on there, which made coordination with them so simple.

The flow from the ceremony space to cocktail hour was perfect, the band fit beautifully in the reception space, and the food was immaculate. The food was something that stood out to both us and our guests, many still mention the steak and mini-brats and cheese curds. The staff working the event were professional, attentive, and wonderful throughout the entire day. Our day was truly everything we had wanted and hoped it would be.

We could not recommend the Madison Club more highly. If you’re looking for a personable, stress free, and gorgeous day, you will not regret having it at the Madison Club.“