Players Sports Bar has the best burgers in town when you are on the hunt for the ultimate burgers!…read moreTheir burgers are massively huge/filling, well seasoned, and deliciously made with love! Players Sports Bar & Grill is a fun, casual, cash ONLY, typical Wisconsin neighborhood dive bar nestled in the Atwood neighborhood of Madison, WI. They have a great beer selection, classic bar games, pool tables, and ping pong! This place has plenty of tvs to catch your favorite sports! It was super busy when we arrived on Wednesday night. It seemed to be a diverse crowd of neighborhood locals, blue collar, younger folks, and just people having a great time! It's a great place when you are craving greasy, fried, delicious bar food, and snacks! They serve not only burgers, but cheese curds, wings, and lighter far like salads. They need a round of applause for coming up with some of the tastiest unique burger creations ever such as their Poker Ho Burger, Lotza Motza Burger, and Players Burger. My husband and I were blown away by the burgers! My favorite is their Big Daddy Burger with a side of onion rings and my husband's favorite is their Lotza Motza Burger with fries! The Big Daddy Burger is made with Bacon, Ham, Swiss & American Cheese with spicy garlic mayo. It is served hot, made fresh, juicy, made with a huge 1/2 pound well seasoned patty! The side of onion rings takes it to the next level being fried hard, crispy, golden brown, and hot out the grease! The Lotza Motza burger which is a super fun burger made with Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks, Vito's garlic sauce, pepperoni & Mozzarella Cheese. Its like eating an appetizer and burger all in one! Players Sports Bar is your casual dive bar hooking you up with delicious bar food but don't expect sit down type of service or what you would expect for service at a restaurant. You have to order at the bar. Players Sport Bar is a great option if you are looking for a fun, casual dive bar serving up delicious rememberable burgers!

A couple bites into my burger and I said to my husband I don't know if it's because I was starving…read moreor if this is the best burger I've ever had. He said no it's the burger - they're super good and it's fresh and not a frozen patty. Seriously so freaking good! The bar is great with an old school vibe and the staff and cook were very friendly.

I came here for Friday fish fry in the winter - I think there was a basketball or hockey game, but…read morenothing causing a crazy wait or crowd. We had some old fashioneds before ordering food, and I thought they were good. Service was super attentive, especially as we delayed ordering to enjoy drinks and an appetizer for a bit. I ordered the beer battered cod fish fry (my staple), and overall it was yummy to eat. The two pieces that came out were enormous and a bit wonky shaped... made me wonder what on earth this fish looked like in its swimming days. The batter was quite tasty, crunchy but not too crunchy/hard, but it was so incredibly think I'm not sure I got fish in every bite. I took one piece home and give the fish part to my pup as a meal topper, and the ratio of breading I had to pull off compared to fish was a bit (quite a bit) much. Still, everything I ate was tasty. I got the salad with my dinner, and was so happy that it came out with quality greens instead of a chunk of iceberg type lettuce. Overall, I'd come back again if others wanted, but wasn't wild about the batter to fish ratio.

Quaint little corner-ish bar in the middle of downtown Regent street…read more Got the sour cream and chive potato wedges for an app, which came out piping HOT and fast. Great seasoning! Ordered the soup and half sandwich special for $6!!! Soup was good flavor but the consistency was chalky, you can tell it was on too hot and milk had split. Sandwich was perfectly grilled and served with a pickle. Nice portions for how extremely reasonable. Servers were helpful and quick, they both helped each other and had a good time behind the bar.

A must visit in Madison! The food is great and the beer is tasty…read more Came in early evening on a Wednesday. It was pretty empty. They have a wing deal - 15 wings and 2 pints for $25. We got the Korean BBQ and Habanero. The habanero is SPICY!! My mouth was burning after two wings. I always get the APA beer. Classically delicious! Luckily we walked because parking can be tricky to find. Service can also be a little hit or miss. Today our server was a lil forgetful.

Every time I visit Madison, it is an absolute guarantee that I will be stopping by The Great Dane…read morePub...most trips more than once! Great Dane Pub has become one of my favorite spots in Madison for a variety of reasons from the drinks, vibes, service and community support! Situated on the corner of Doty and King in downtown Madison, Great Dane is a welcome sight for any visitor or local looking for a chill spot to have a solid drink, tasty bite and/or a good time! The pub is one large space, but it is separated into a few unique areas. One side is quintessential pub with a long bar, lots of dark woods, and a good sized dining room. The other is more of a pool hall vibe where you will find the other side of the bar, several pool tables, lots of TV's, high tops, darts, etc...We have bellied up to both sides of the bar and while I like both sides, I prefer the vibe of the pub side. They have a fairly extensive food menu with several bar/pub classics such as wings, nachos and burgers. But they also offer a good variety of sandwiches, bowls, salads, soups and even tacos. While we are normally here for the drinks, we do enjoy the cheese curds, wings and poutine! Speaking of drinks, they always have a great menu of house cocktails that is constantly updated for seasonality. I have had several iterations of cocktails and since I visit a few times a year, I always get to try new seasonal cocktails and beers! Service is always stellar here, no matter what side of the bar you are on. Welcoming, friendly and helpful...every time! Overall, I am an absolute fan of The Great Dane Pub!

Came here for my birthday with the girls and had a fun time! The space was clean, trendy and open…read more There are a total of 6 simulators (1 in a private room) and many sports options, to my surprise! The simulator rate is $20/hour (weeknight rate). Plenty of seating at the bar--along with a lounge'y space with a cute backdrop for photo-ops! I recall four beers on tap, and no drink specials. However, the menu did have a variety of "upscale" bar food! We ordered a fair amount but I only remember eating the curds (3/5) and fried green beans (5/5), which was my fave! PROS: I loved that we were able to try a variety of activities at our own pace! Each area had seating, enough for 6-7 people (sofas or bar stool/counter). Alcohol wipes were available. Music level was good and lighting slightly dimmed--great ambience! We got to chat with Collin (the owner) about his vision and learned that the simulators can pretty much play anything! This means events held here can be both adult AND kid-friendly--woo hoo! Just try not to bring a stroller here, as it's on the second floor with steep steps. Looking forward to more events here...and to what becomes of the outdoor space! CONS: We came on a Tuesday, so there was only one person working the bar + kitchen. Service was a slow as it got busy, and later into the night. There are only two private restrooms (which were nice and clean!). I can see this being a problem, especially for a place that can hold 100+ people. Will be back for more indoor fun!

I absolutely love going to 7 Iron Social! It is located downtown Madison right on State Street and…read moreis perfect for groups! We've booked a simulator for several birthdays and other special occasions. They have tons of games to choose from on the simulators; golf, baseball, basketball, zombie dodgeball, soccer, and more! It is so much fun when you get a good simulators! We've noticed that some simulators don't work as well or maybe aren't aligned. Some of the equipment they provide is faulty as well. When everything is working well, it's a 5/5 star experience! They also have food and drinks you can purchase while you are playing. I've only tried one of the appetizers but I haven't tried the rest of the food. The appetizer my group got was delicious and the drinks are always good as well. The bartenders and servers are wonderful as well. They are alway super helpful and friendly. They do have happy hour and other specials as well so keep an eye out for those. Overall, if they make sure the simulators are working properly and replace the broken equipment, 7 Iron would be a consistent 5/5 experience in my opinion.

Unfriendly bartenders. Bartending staff gave me grief about my order of an espresso martini, which…read moreis on their online menu of classic cocktails. I know it's a dive bar, technically, but their website emphasizes the availability of cocktails. I was thrilled about the prospect of being able to order such a drink at a bar in Madison in general. And no, it was not busy, I was the first customer there. So unnecessary attitude about an order despite it being available on the menu. The drink was good though, so that's why this review is higher than one star!

Rating the erstwhile Red Shed and new baby sister of Wando's solely on the #Guinness pour, as my…read morecompanion was suffering through dry January on my first visit here, pregaming for a UW hoops game at the Kohl. First pour looked like a pint they'd serve you in Dublin -- bartender poured it, let it rest, topped it off. Outcome: unblemished white foam, domed above the rim of the 20 oz., G-split-friendly Guinness glass, stopping above the harp. First sip smooth, not a hint of bitterness, drank easy all the way down, light foam coating most of the empty glass. Just how you'd draw it up. Fluke? Had to find out, so I ordered a second, same as above. Heat check? Got a third (stopping back in after the game to wait out traffic), and it was same as above. Sláinte! One visit to a new place does not make it the king of pours in town -- maintaining the lines, having enough staff to know the proper pour, etc., but Jay's is off to a solid start toward finally getting us a proper pour on the campus side of downtown.

The Coopers Tavern is a local pub-style restaurant in downtown Madison that has the neighborhood…read morevibe combined with a rustic-almost European energy, which makes sense when you learn the owner is from Ireland! The menu is filled with elevated pub food, a few classics and then a few twists on those very classics. Come hinge, because the menu is carb-driven, so be ready to eat! To start, we went with the poutine, because why not! The fries were crispy, gravy was velvety and the curds were firm, yet melty enough for a good cheese pull! For our mains, we both went sandwiches. I went with the Celtic Burger, which is their standard burger with added caramel iced onion, whiskey bacon jam, Irish cheddar and a garlic aioli. The burger was good and cooked well, but it was less impressive than I expected given all the goods they added to it. While the aforementioned additions sound like a flavor bomb, it was still fairly one note in overall flavor. It was still tasty, but again, not as expected. My buddy went with the corned beef sandwich. He enjoyed it, no major issues! I did appreciate that exchanging fries with fried curds was an option, especially after loaded up on fries as a starter. The curds were well fried, pillowy and quite tasty. Perfect side for sure! In addition to the food, they are known for their bar offerings so you know we had to grab a few cocktails! I went with the Golden Dew and my buddy the Old Fashioned. Golden Dew was delightful, however the old fashioned was a bit sweet, but that's possibly the brandy. Service was great. We walked in and hit the wait list, however was able to scoop up a few seats at the bar before our table was ready. The bartenders were friendly, helpful and an overall joy to interact with. Overall, definitely a fan of The Coopers Tavern! When back in Madison, I would certainly swing by again!

I was kind of nervous about trying this place because of some of the other reviews, but I was…read morereally wanting something quick before I had to go to my Epic training class. I decided to get the grilled cheese with tomato soup and a side salad. It was plenty enough food. Somebody who seemed like he was in charge took my coat for me, which was really sweet and hung it up. The waiters were really attentive, and even though the grilled cheese has made my hand sticky it's given additional napkins to help with the stickiness I would return here definitely for lunch. I was one of the only few people in here, but I did go for an 11 AM lunch.

If you are looking for authentic, German-style food and ambiance, look no further than Prost…read more I was raised with my mom's German cooking and the food is very spot on. The servers are great and promote a celebratory atmosphere.

We came here for some beers and appetizers, but their dinner food looked tasty as well! I didn't…read morehave a beer, but my friend said it was good and the prices aren't bad. The appetizers were pretty good, I wouldn't say they were anything special but they sufficed for sure. I like the variety of mustards they provide on the table, and the sauce that came with the cheese curds was delicious as well. It's a fun hang out spot with decent service and a cute vibe, with lots of long bench tables.

What a fantastic fish fry!! Erin was an amazing server. Even though we aren't regulars like many…read morepeople there, it was a super welcoming environment. The energy was great, and the food came out quickly. The grilled and blackened walleye were both excellent. The coleslaw and tartar were also delicious. We've been here before for burgers, and we have really been missing out on the fish fry! I love that you can get the fish fry any day!

I can't believe I haven't written a review for Badger Tavern - I've loved this place since it was…read moreTony Frank's and continue to love it. It is a great neighborhood bar with surprisingly great food and a nice variety of beers on tap. While the food isn't anything fancy, the menu has a good range of stuff and everything I've had is always delicious. Bartenders and servers are attentive and provide good service. It's a small place so sometimes it can be hard to find a spot at the bar or a table, but it's worth the trip. They have one of my favorite grilled chicken sandwiches - again, nothing fancy, but always well cooked and very tasty. My mother swears by their fish fry. Parking lot is usually full and a bit haphazard, but there's plenty of parking down the street if you can walk a tiny bit. Highly recommend!

Awesome time at the LovB game- watch of the USA Women Olympic Volleyball game today (vs Serbia)…read more Great service. Good bar food and a great crowd Yeah!!! Nothing like being at a bar on a Wednesday at 9:30 in the morning - very Wisconsin!

Absolute bull I was…read morewaiting in line. Two belligerent women in front of weren't let in. The bouncer assumed I was with them. I have zero desire to associate with them. I wasn't allowed entry. I'll be suing

Echo was one of the few restaurants in town open during a snowstorm. When we had arrived the…read morekitchen had just closed early for the night. Seeing we had just arrived the kitchen stayed open later to get out one more meal for us. The staff was so kind, drinks were great, and there kindness was so appreciated on a snowy night. Ps the Bacon, Apple, Burboun Burger was one I will be comparing all future burgers to. It was SO GOOD.

(This is only a food review) I got the Friday night fish fry. The texture was on point: hot, crisp,…read moreand juicy fish and fries. But the flavor was just completely missing. It was weirdly bland. The lemon and salt were not enough to offset. The burger was disappointing. No toppings, too dry and overcooked, and the chips on the side were too salty. Our friends got a pizza and I ate some leftovers. Granted it was already cold, but it was a gloopy, greasy mess.