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    Bear & Bottle

    3.8 (216 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, Tacos, Sandwiches
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    Bear & Bottle Photos

    Business Info

    BEAR & BOTTLE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Denis D.

    You know? I am not a vegetarian, or a vegan, nor do i have a problem with glutenous foods, But the grilled asparagus at the bear and bottle are a delicious steak treat for anyone who has these said traits! Absolutely magnificent!

    Brioche blt
    Michael B.

    Legitimately couldn't find this place even in the parking lot without checking my phone. It's tucked in the corner without much signage. The place itself is modern warehouse garage windows and very clean. The light fixture is impressive. There's not a ton of brunch items, and many over $15. The cheese curds are decent. Most of us got the hangover burger. The let us know they may be out of the sausage patty's but the burgers came without them, or bacon, or spicy mayo. The brioche blt and other item someone got was okay. The server was fine with us splitting the bill.

    Old fashioned and banana Mai Tai
    PJ C.

    Even though we live on the east side of town I had never heard of this place until my father-in-law and his brother told us how they stopped here and had a great meal (I don't want to give their ages because it might deter some from trying out this fun and vibrant place). They did say it was one of the biggest bars in town and I think they are right. We stopped on a Friday night soon after it was featured in the Madison Magazine - thankfully it wasn't jammed. The space is airy and nicely done. Given the cold weather in late April the garage doors were closed so we do want to return when the weather is nice because those doors being open would be great. The waitress was very friendly and warned us of a couple items not available including no dessert (odd). We ordered a couple of drinks but neither the Banana Mai Tai or Old Fashioned wowed us - they were OK. One reason we did come here was that the menu was not just your typical Madison cheese curd, burger & fish fry selection. Yes they have all three but they have a menu with a number of interesting items. I tried the Tenderoni- a pork tenderloin sandwich with avocado and tapenade - it was very good and tender(oni). Pork can be easily overcooked so I asked for it pink and it was! My wife order the Bahn Mi sliders and gave them a big thumbs up - we told this to the waitress and she said it was lucky she got this because they had run out - at 6pm? Boy I guess supply chain issues impact everything. Overall we had a very good meal and we will return to enjoy this space when the weather is better.

    Chorizo Fritters
    Vicki A.

    Really cute place-natural brick and lots of interesting photos and some watercolors. Will be even better in summer- nice patio and glass walls that open up. Which might be why it was so cold inside! Put my coat back on and noticed I wasn't alone. Went for Restaurant Week. Made it for Happy Hour-had emailed-said till 5 and $2 off. When tap brought bartender said till 9 that night. Overheard next bartender said all night and 1/2 off. So they need to communicate better-affects my order! Food: Started with chorizo fritters. 2 big ones-1/2 through first one they brought out my asada burrito! Felt rushed-asked me if I wanted to pack up my fritter?! (Which was good-would have liked it spicier). Beef in burrito chewy and tough. Again- some hot sauce would have been appreciated. The chips and salsa verde was best part. Again generous portion. Molten lava cake-good but bottom hard and half was cold and not melted. Ice cream fine. Was at bar and place was full-with one bartender. Amazing-but took a while to get bill and leave. Overall will try again-but maybe for a Happy Hour in summer-if they figure it out!

    Dorthy X.

    I know this isn't a taco joint--but when there's a Taco section on the menu, you think, this might be good!!! Unfortunately this didn't hit the spot. We ordered after 9PM, on a Friday night--cheese curds, street chicken tacos and carne asada tacos--and was told it'd be ready in 10 minutes (WOW, that's fast!). Pick up was smooth and the bar had a good amount of patrons. People were spaced out and masks utilized appropriately. They were true to their word and my food came out timely. At first glance, the curds did not seem appealing. They weren't crispy but flavors were there. Definitely tasted better when dipped in sauce, tho. Street chicken tacos had roughly a table spoon of seasoned meat (which was cold), corn and cheese in double-flour tortilla. Two sauces came with it, 1) elote flavored mayo and 2) spicy mayo, which were pretty good. The carne asada meat was a bit warmer than the chicken but lacked flavor. The salsa verde did not help either. Not worth $40 (that's with tip!) in my book. :( I would have not minded if they took an extra 5 minutes to make sure the food was the right temp. This was my first time here, so am willing to give them another shot. Besides that, the space looks beautiful and seems like it would be a great event venue!

    Ask for the lemon curd cheesecake. It's AMAZING!
    Eva S.

    I stopped by while in town celebrating my birthday solo; I was feeling a bit lonely but thought it might be weird to ask for attention while out on my own, so I wasn't going to say anything. The extremely welcoming and kind server chatted with me and made recommendations; I had a huge, delicious sandwich and greens with the best strawberry vinaigrette I've ever had. I felt comfortable enough to mention why I was there, and he brought me a slice of heavenly lemon curd cheesecake as a birthday treat. I stopped feeling lame and just enjoyed being celebrated. I so appreciated the kind reception and will happily visit this spot again next time I'm in Madison!

    Wonton nachos
    Kristin S.

    This place has a lot of potential. I like the ambiance and large bar for seating. We came here after work on a Tuesday for a drink and to try some food. The place was pretty empty. They had a fun list of seasonal cocktails out but no drink specials or deals/happy hour. The menu felt a bit scattered to me like they are trying to do too many different things. They have Ramen, tacos, salads, etc. I got the wonton nachos and my partner got the Ramen. As you can see in the photo the nachos were absolutely drenched in this sweet and sour type stuff, which was a bit off putting for me. It was disappointing because I think this could be a really fun dish if it was executed differently. The ramen was also surprisingly flavorless, almost like it was missing its entire flavor base. I would not recommend it. It's possible we just got two dud apps/entrees but overall my impression was that this place is underwhelming, especially for the prices.

    Crab Rangoons
    Dynae S.

    Went to bear and bottle a few weeks ago for a business meeting. I grabbed the Crab Rangoons & Birria tacos. Crab Rangoon's were amazing and perfectly crisp. The Birria meat in the tacos tasted so processed and over cooked it was mush and the Birria sauce was flavorless. The walleye was flavorful and the bacon broccoli salad was fresh and full of flavor. Burger was great too. This was the second time I've been here and both times My expectations haven't been fully met. It's a great atmosphere and location but the flavors aren't there for me.

    Lime salt beer

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

    Caesar salad night, crispy chicken, no croutons, extra corn, extra avocado, extra dressing. And the brewers are on the television!

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    11 months ago

    Just amazing food! The meatball bahn mi was outstanding. Great casual atmosphere and outdoor space. Can't wait to come back!

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    St patty's day and no specials, no corn beef embarrassing for neighbors bringing friends. Sorry you don't care more about your locals.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Very good! Enjoyed my meal. Went back a second time and enjoyed my meal again. Worth the drive from Verona for a change.

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great service, awesome beer selection, and a menu with something for everyone. Love watching the world go buy on the large patio.

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Went here for Valentine's day, great service, nice lighting and a few TV's to peek at during dinner.

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Bear & Bottle

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    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company - 12 Pack Pub Wings (1/2 - 3 alarm, 1/2 - general tso's)

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

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    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!

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    Bar area

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    6 Pack Pub Wings (habanero hellfire)

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company - The outside of the building is a little shabby and could use fresh paint but I guess that's part of the charm.

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    The outside of the building is a little shabby and could use fresh paint but I guess that's part of the charm.

    The Coopers Tavern - Harvest Soup

    The Coopers Tavern

    3.8(592 reviews)
    2.5 miCapitol
    $$

    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.

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    The Coopers Tavern - Upstairs private room table decor. There is a full bar behind and not pictured.

    Upstairs private room table decor. There is a full bar behind and not pictured.

    The Coopers Tavern - Dublin Cobble

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    Jordan's Big Ten Pub

    Jordan's Big Ten Pub

    4.3(183 reviews)
    3.5 miSouth Campus
    $$

    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.

    Photos
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    Fun times!

    Jordan's Big Ten Pub - Smoked brisket and cheese toasted sandwich with pub chips

    Smoked brisket and cheese toasted sandwich with pub chips

    Jordan's Big Ten Pub

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    Bear & Bottle - pubs - Updated May 2026

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