Looks like a great place. Looks are deceiving. High-end steak place not even close. 5 star reviews must be from people with bland palettes. Dry aged ribeye was not worth the weight in gold. Management must not spend time in the kitchen. Mash potatoes were dense. The salad was drenched in dressing. $380.00 bill would have been better spent at Ruth Chris. I hate to say this place needs to reinvent themselves.
A P
Perfect service.I tried the American Waygu. Next time, I'm springing for the Japanese a5.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jesse Patoka
Food and service were great. Prices high but that's expected.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Mercedes Fisher
Excellent service and great tasting food. So many wonderful choices. We really enjoyed it and will be back.
Superior service. Great recommendations. Exceptional attention to details. Worth every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thomas Knorr
Great food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
John Hoff
Great oyster rockefellar and decent burrata. Nice atmosphere and good service from the staff.But...this is some of the worst steak I've had. It was burnt crispy on the outside. Could barely taste my steak with that type of overwhelming burnt flavor. Lobster was terrible too.Not sure how a steakhouse can mess up a steak.No wonder nobody came by to ask me "so how is the food?" because they know their food sucks.Perhaps just my experience was a bad one. Maybe their other menu items are better or they had new chefs on duty that day.Will not be going back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Tom F.
We returned to celebrate our impending birthdays together and were, once again, very happy with our decision. We had a 7pm reservation on a Saturday night that was promptly honored. We were offered a table or booth and opted for booth. Justin, our server, introduced himself with a contagious smile & great attitude. He took our drink order & gave us a moment to talk & consider our options. We chose the Maryland crab cake, Caesar & a mid rare 32 ounce in house dry-aged, bone in porterhouse steak. The crab cake arrived in minutes. It was on the small side and shared the plate with a delicious fennel salad. We shared the crab cake appetizer. The cake had a perfectly toasted lightly breaded exterior with a "floaty" lightly connected and perfectly seasoned interior with a remoulade dollop on the side. Absolute winner. The Caesar arrived as we finished off the crab cake and was not long on the table. Lightly creamy Caesar dressing with chopped iceberg leaves (no crotons). Poof! Gone!! We then were served the steak. Perfectly cooked with an excellent Maillard reaction crust, seasoned nicely but arrived room temperature which was only slightly disappointing. Justin asked what we thought & I expressed exactly what I've written here. Without hesitation he offered to fire up a new one, but we declined as the flavor was spot on. The manager came over to apologize, touched the platter (cool to the touch) & appreciated our feedback. Justin returned to communicate that desserts & dessert cocktails were on the house. We were impressed by the generous offer & accepted. We had the bananas Foster and cranberry creme brûlée with a cappuccino martini. Justin presented the creme brûlée & went about making the bananas foster table side. Fun show with very delicious results (I found the banana bread wanting though?) The brûlée was, apparently, too delectable to share. The martini was terrific as well. We ABSOLUTELY made the right decision in celebrating at Rare and will MOST CERTAINLY return again without a celebratory need. A wonderful experience again!
Carl Schneider
The food was great, we went on Valentine’s Day. We had made a reservation but it wasn’t too busy. They had some free bread as an appetizer. For certain orders they created an entertaining spectacle for all of the diners. It was a bit expensive but worth going to for a special event.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
We returned to celebrate our impending birthdays together and were, once again, very happy with our decision. We had a 7pm reservation on a Saturday night that was promptly honored. We were offered a table or booth and opted for booth. Justin, our server, introduced himself with a contagious smile & great attitude. He took our drink order & gave us a moment to talk & consider our options. We chose the Maryland crab cake, Caesar & a mid rare 32 ounce in house dry-aged, bone in porterhouse steak. The crab cake arrived in minutes. It was on the small side and shared the plate with a delicious fennel salad. We shared the crab cake appetizer. The cake had a perfectly toasted lightly breaded exterior with a "floaty" lightly connected and perfectly seasoned interior with a remoulade dollop on the side. Absolute winner. The Caesar arrived as we finished off the crab cake and was not long on the table. Lightly creamy Caesar dressing with chopped iceberg leaves (no crotons). Poof! Gone!! We then were served the steak. Perfectly cooked with an excellent Maillard reaction crust, seasoned nicely but arrived room temperature which was only slightly disappointing. Justin asked what we thought & I expressed exactly what I've written here. Without hesitation he offered to fire up a new one, but we declined as the flavor was spot on. The manager came over to apologize, touched the platter (cool to the touch) & appreciated our feedback. Justin returned to communicate that desserts & dessert cocktails were on the house. We were impressed by the generous offer & accepted. We had the bananas Foster and cranberry creme brûlée with a cappuccino martini. Justin presented the creme brûlée & went about making the bananas foster table side. Fun show with very delicious results (I found the banana bread wanting though?) The brûlée was, apparently, too delectable to share. The martini was terrific as well. We ABSOLUTELY made the right decision in celebrating at Rare and will return!
Great food and service.Oysters fresh and sweetWedge salad was decentTable bread was warm and delicious with butter (sweet or it had honey)Scallops 8.5 of 10New york strip 9 of 10Creme Brule, perfect sizeAfter dinner coffee was goodService 10 of 10Minor complaint: was dark
We had a wonderful experience at Rare Steakhouse for our 8 year wedding anniversary. Everyone was so kind and congratulated us as well as giving us complimentary champagne to celebrate! We were blown away by the presentation of various drinks and desserts and also by the service of all staff members. We both said this was our best overall dining experience in Madison based on the food and flavors as well as the service and beautiful ambiance. We will definitely be returning!
Jeggert
Rare is one of our favorite restaurants, and due to the pandemic, we hadn't been there in at least 3 years. My husband is a leap year baby, so I decided it would be a great surprise to take him there for his birthday. We did not anticipate how busy and loud it would be on a Satuday night at 7pm; it was as if a football game had let out and they all went to Rare. In my opinion, Rare is a very classy restaurant and as such we always dress appropriately. (My husband in a suit, and myself in a dress and heel) Unfotunately, there were a lot of people dressed very shabbily. One patron had SLIPPERS on...I guess there is no dress code enforcement at Rare. Fortunately, Genevieve, our server, saved the evening for us. She was so attentive, highly educated on all of the menu items, and intuitive. She was always one step ahead of us on menu items, our drink orders, and she suggested so many wonderful menu items. We will definitely be back soon, and will ask for Genevieve. She is amazing, and we couldn't have asked for better service.
Stephanie Klein
Great experience. The food and service were excellent - we had the beef tartare, oysters, a dry aged steak, New York strip, oyster mushrooms, creamed spinach, and hashbrowns. The cocktails were wonderful as well - highly recommend the smoked old fashioned and chocolate martini.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gretchen DEVENECIA
Horrible service. We had a reservation weeks in advance and they sat the two of us at at table for 6 two feet from the kitchen and bathrooms. When we asked about moving to an available table they said no. Felt homophobic.
Looks like a great place. Looks are deceiving. High-end steak place not even close. 5 star reviews must be from people with bland palettes. Dry aged ribeye was not worth the weight in gold. Management must not spend time in the kitchen. Mash potatoes were dense. The salad was drenched in dressing. $380.00 bill would have been better spent at Ruth Chris. I hate to say this place needs to reinvent themselves.
Perfect service.I tried the American Waygu. Next time, I'm springing for the Japanese a5.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and service were great. Prices high but that's expected.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Excellent service and great tasting food. So many wonderful choices. We really enjoyed it and will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Lobster Bisque, Aged Steaks, Steak Dinner
Superior service. Great recommendations. Exceptional attention to details. Worth every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Great oyster rockefellar and decent burrata. Nice atmosphere and good service from the staff.But...this is some of the worst steak I've had. It was burnt crispy on the outside. Could barely taste my steak with that type of overwhelming burnt flavor. Lobster was terrible too.Not sure how a steakhouse can mess up a steak.No wonder nobody came by to ask me "so how is the food?" because they know their food sucks.Perhaps just my experience was a bad one. Maybe their other menu items are better or they had new chefs on duty that day.Will not be going back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
We returned to celebrate our impending birthdays together and were, once again, very happy with our decision. We had a 7pm reservation on a Saturday night that was promptly honored. We were offered a table or booth and opted for booth. Justin, our server, introduced himself with a contagious smile & great attitude. He took our drink order & gave us a moment to talk & consider our options. We chose the Maryland crab cake, Caesar & a mid rare 32 ounce in house dry-aged, bone in porterhouse steak. The crab cake arrived in minutes. It was on the small side and shared the plate with a delicious fennel salad. We shared the crab cake appetizer. The cake had a perfectly toasted lightly breaded exterior with a "floaty" lightly connected and perfectly seasoned interior with a remoulade dollop on the side. Absolute winner. The Caesar arrived as we finished off the crab cake and was not long on the table. Lightly creamy Caesar dressing with chopped iceberg leaves (no crotons). Poof! Gone!! We then were served the steak. Perfectly cooked with an excellent Maillard reaction crust, seasoned nicely but arrived room temperature which was only slightly disappointing. Justin asked what we thought & I expressed exactly what I've written here. Without hesitation he offered to fire up a new one, but we declined as the flavor was spot on. The manager came over to apologize, touched the platter (cool to the touch) & appreciated our feedback. Justin returned to communicate that desserts & dessert cocktails were on the house. We were impressed by the generous offer & accepted. We had the bananas Foster and cranberry creme brûlée with a cappuccino martini. Justin presented the creme brûlée & went about making the bananas foster table side. Fun show with very delicious results (I found the banana bread wanting though?) The brûlée was, apparently, too delectable to share. The martini was terrific as well. We ABSOLUTELY made the right decision in celebrating at Rare and will MOST CERTAINLY return again without a celebratory need. A wonderful experience again!
The food was great, we went on Valentine’s Day. We had made a reservation but it wasn’t too busy. They had some free bread as an appetizer. For certain orders they created an entertaining spectacle for all of the diners. It was a bit expensive but worth going to for a special event.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
We returned to celebrate our impending birthdays together and were, once again, very happy with our decision. We had a 7pm reservation on a Saturday night that was promptly honored. We were offered a table or booth and opted for booth. Justin, our server, introduced himself with a contagious smile & great attitude. He took our drink order & gave us a moment to talk & consider our options. We chose the Maryland crab cake, Caesar & a mid rare 32 ounce in house dry-aged, bone in porterhouse steak. The crab cake arrived in minutes. It was on the small side and shared the plate with a delicious fennel salad. We shared the crab cake appetizer. The cake had a perfectly toasted lightly breaded exterior with a "floaty" lightly connected and perfectly seasoned interior with a remoulade dollop on the side. Absolute winner. The Caesar arrived as we finished off the crab cake and was not long on the table. Lightly creamy Caesar dressing with chopped iceberg leaves (no crotons). Poof! Gone!! We then were served the steak. Perfectly cooked with an excellent Maillard reaction crust, seasoned nicely but arrived room temperature which was only slightly disappointing. Justin asked what we thought & I expressed exactly what I've written here. Without hesitation he offered to fire up a new one, but we declined as the flavor was spot on. The manager came over to apologize, touched the platter (cool to the touch) & appreciated our feedback. Justin returned to communicate that desserts & dessert cocktails were on the house. We were impressed by the generous offer & accepted. We had the bananas Foster and cranberry creme brûlée with a cappuccino martini. Justin presented the creme brûlée & went about making the bananas foster table side. Fun show with very delicious results (I found the banana bread wanting though?) The brûlée was, apparently, too delectable to share. The martini was terrific as well. We ABSOLUTELY made the right decision in celebrating at Rare and will return!
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food and service.Oysters fresh and sweetWedge salad was decentTable bread was warm and delicious with butter (sweet or it had honey)Scallops 8.5 of 10New york strip 9 of 10Creme Brule, perfect sizeAfter dinner coffee was goodService 10 of 10Minor complaint: was dark
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Creme Brulee, Steak Dinner, Seared Scallpops
We had a wonderful experience at Rare Steakhouse for our 8 year wedding anniversary. Everyone was so kind and congratulated us as well as giving us complimentary champagne to celebrate! We were blown away by the presentation of various drinks and desserts and also by the service of all staff members. We both said this was our best overall dining experience in Madison based on the food and flavors as well as the service and beautiful ambiance. We will definitely be returning!
Rare is one of our favorite restaurants, and due to the pandemic, we hadn't been there in at least 3 years. My husband is a leap year baby, so I decided it would be a great surprise to take him there for his birthday. We did not anticipate how busy and loud it would be on a Satuday night at 7pm; it was as if a football game had let out and they all went to Rare. In my opinion, Rare is a very classy restaurant and as such we always dress appropriately. (My husband in a suit, and myself in a dress and heel) Unfotunately, there were a lot of people dressed very shabbily. One patron had SLIPPERS on...I guess there is no dress code enforcement at Rare. Fortunately, Genevieve, our server, saved the evening for us. She was so attentive, highly educated on all of the menu items, and intuitive. She was always one step ahead of us on menu items, our drink orders, and she suggested so many wonderful menu items. We will definitely be back soon, and will ask for Genevieve. She is amazing, and we couldn't have asked for better service.
Great experience. The food and service were excellent - we had the beef tartare, oysters, a dry aged steak, New York strip, oyster mushrooms, creamed spinach, and hashbrowns. The cocktails were wonderful as well - highly recommend the smoked old fashioned and chocolate martini.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Horrible service. We had a reservation weeks in advance and they sat the two of us at at table for 6 two feet from the kitchen and bathrooms. When we asked about moving to an available table they said no. Felt homophobic.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1