The bar tenders here are of the old world Wisconsin tradition of friendly and efficient. They also have the best vibes musically of any bar on the entire west side. Top tier music knowledge/taste from the folks running the show. If you want to get offline, belly up to a bar and engage in boring old conversation there are almost always folks here willing to chat. If you enjoy a '90s style' bar experience this could be one of the best in Madison. read more

Fun environment for drinks with friends and a night out! Cheap drinks and pretty clean atmosphere. Parking lot had plenty of parking. Food was okay, definitely a dive bar restaurant but hit the spot when out drinking or craving a burger. Service was order at the bar but staff was kind. read more

Bristled Boar Saloon & Grill - nachos - Bars Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Food was excellent, service and ambiance were great, their gambling machines sucked. There were 2 goons there adjusting them to pay out way less..I won't be back read more

Amazing staff, drinks are a little weak for ask for a double Oh also their wings with the dry rub are top tier

The drinks had stuff in them and they let a bunch of underage people in but wouldn't let people from other towns in. Don't think about coming to this bar if you are from anywhere but Wisconsin. Thought this bar would be cool but they were not. read more

Terrible bar, they let so many underage people in but didn't let my friends who were of age in. You would think a bar would have figured that out but don't even try going to this bar regardless of age. Also, there are so many bars in Madison and Middleton with better prices and service. Would not recommend to my worst enemy. read more

Fun and cozy environment to enjoy the games! Great burgers and juicy ribs. Will definitely be back.

First time here. The name attracted me. Rustic tavern. Lots of wood paneling and boars heads. But, it does have a certain charm. Otherwise, typical setup: pool tables, dart boards, other bar games, lots of TVs for game watching, etc. I really liked the covered patio in the back, overlooking the volleyball courts. The ladies tending the bar were friendly and on-point. They knew the names of every person coming up to the bar....Impressive. That tells me there are lots of patrons. Walking into a place like that can be intimidating, but the bartenders made me feel welcome. I had to try the Reuben Tater Tots. Bigger than I thought they'd be. Crunchy outside, warm & chewy inside, deep fried just right. Just the right amount of corned beef inside. Very tasty! I jacked up the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger with more fixins. It was a nice, juicy burger. Cooked just right. And....they grilled the bun!! (Thank you!) That always makes the burger taste better. The complementing fries were crunchy, nicely salted, and fresh tasting. I could see the cook at the flattop from my seat at the bar; I appreciated the care & attention given to preparing my order and others. The bartender was right: it was a lot of food for one person. But, it gave me another meal for the next day :) I'm definitely going back! read more

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We set out for another place that I will not mention, but they still had COVID distance tables at the bar and only five stools, which were full. If you have noticed by now, we always try to sit at the bar, faster and more informed service. So, we changed course and ended up here and glad we did. Very rustic, cabin like interior. Megan, behind the bar, was most helpful, attentive, hustling and she was the cook too, she rocks for sure!. We had the ribs and OMG, even though it was served like bar food, in a basket, they were so tender, tasty and very delicious. Big place with friendly atmosphere and games for a change of pace. read more

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Awesome place. Wonderful drinks Excellent food and exceptional staff. This is my " go to place" in Middleton. read more

Service sucked they just looked at us like we're we're nothing. No one helped us and on top of that mid day they kicked us out because we had a 5 years old with us. All we wanted was to eat dinner. The place is ghetto and seems all the people that were there always go there. I won't go back ever!! read more

Food was really good! My chicken sandwich looked real, fries were very thin and crispy, and the fried mushrooms were super hot. Also great prices read more

This is a great local bar. It has a casual, dive-ish atmosphere, yet the place is clean and welcoming. The service was also fast and friendly. The drinks were strong and we definitely got what we paid for. My boyfriend got a classic hamburger and we both tried the waffle fries and onion rings. The burger was cooked perfectly and had a nice flavor. The fries and onion rings hit the spot and tasted great. Everything came out fresh and piping hot in a timely manner. If you are looking for a fun, lowkey bar experience I would definitely recommend coming here. My boyfriend and I plan to return to try out the fish fry and I am looking forward to it. read more

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Absolutely terrible service. Bartender and even the owner were rude to our group. After an hour of being treated terribly we decided a to tip less than usual. The bartender came up to our party and asked us if the drinks were okay. We responded with "No, the service was bad." She proceeded to flip us off and tell us to "Get the f#ck out" Couldn't have had a worse experience. read more

While I thought this place did a great job in terms of menu, prices and service... based on their COVID model service it's just no longer the place for me. read more

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Great food and decor. Been here many times and always leave satisfied, have never had a bad menu item and the drinks are reasonably priced. Highly recommend this place read more

Twice before I stopped in to have a beer. The first time I didn't stay. The second time I sat for awhile and visited with a friend and enjoyed the place well enough. Lots of string lights and Xmas tree balls and stars were the decor. Tonight I dropped in to get some wings because I need my wing fix and the usual place was not open due to remodeling I believe. This place has quite a crowd for a Thursday night and the two bartenders are keeping pace. Finally I was able to make my to-go order known now it's waiting time. Garbage, the band, is playing though it's rather hard to actually hear the music. But not an issue. Hallmark. The store, the television channel. Suddenly it hits me. This place is precisely what would result if the Hallmark empire of sappy cheer was to set up a wet bar in one of their stores. This bar is a wet dream of Santa's drunken elves come to life. Up high above the bar, between two college basketball games is a Christmas village complete with snowmen and little drunken carolers Looking around, this scene can be found repeated at least three more times in various forms above the heads of the merry imbibers this Thursday and I fear every week day in and day out. A year round diorama of the North Pole sans Santa Clause himself. I guess he's more preoccupied with building toys than his pickled elves. I hope the wings are as good as the not overly friendly bar staff assured me before the $8.50 times three bill was presented to me as $35.75. No beverages for me, I can count, he blamed the cash register. Had I been drinking I may have let it go. I hope he still appreciated that I still tipped him. Finished the wings. Three orders. Nice generous portions one and all. The Buffalo sauced wing for my wife were typical in the use of a prepared Sysco condiment by my tastebuds. In fact I'd suggest that the sweet bbq as well as the spicy (not even remotely) bbq both were from a supplier, certainly nothing unique. My Spicy BBQ were only spicy once I tossed them with my own mix at home. As for the sweet bbq, I'm informed that they were good. Price wise this was a-ok. Very generous portions of good sized wing and drummies. Nothing special, but overall worth the effort. read more

Came here as a group bar crawl for my friend's birthday. Though we were only here for under an hour, from what I remember I enjoyed the experience. It's definitely a local dive, though the floors are cleaner than most. From the outside it gives you a feel of going to your cabin Up North. Christmas lights decorate the outside as well as inside of the establishment giving you warm fuzzies. In true Midwestern fashion, they sell cherries soaked in Everclear by the glassful for $1. The cherries tasted like a numbing agent in your mouth, but the remaining juice wasn't as bad. They have nightly specials, and tonight was Apple Pie Shots for $2.50. Not sure how much alcohol it had because we just kept doing these delights over and over again without any repercussion. They have a couple of pool tables, darts, slot games, and of course you can do the famed ski group shot here to go on your fb wall, you know, if you're into that kind of thing. read more

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More of a bar than a restaurant for sure. Wasn't sure what to expect but they have a small menu and some great bar grub. Bartender was super nice and service was fast. Also very clean and welcoming for being more of a neighborhood bar. read more

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A Business that refuses to be safe during a pandemic is not a place to patronize ever.

Walked here from The Club Tavern (bout a 15 minute walk, better than getting pulled over for ridin' durty, trust me). This was 2nd bar into the night and everyone knows that a night out with Michael F. translates to plenty of Soco shots and an occasional dart toss (good luck beating the prick, he has his own dartboard in his house and only stops shooting darts to watch tapes of Dragonball Z). Wooded interior like the retreat in "The Great Outdoors" starring John Candy. Typical Middleton crowd, typical Middleton drink prices and quality, atypical taxidermy (even for a Wisconsin bar). Its worth a visit. read more

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Dank wings! Cold beers, although I'm currently on a beer break the tap list is good. Very cozy in the winter, feels like a cabin up north. And it kind of is if you live south of century ave in Middleton. 70cent wings on Sunday. Go Pack!! read more

Bristled Boar Saloon & Grill - Bars Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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I knew I had to check the place out as soon as I saw the name in the yelp app. I was impressed by the large interior and overall layout. It was pretty tame when I was there, but after looking at a few of the pictures, I can tell that this place gets pretty wild. Awesome. I had a nice conversation with some locals and enjoyed a few local brews that were a perfect end to a long day. So next time you're in the neighborhood, come check this place out and give a nod to the stuffed boar head on the wall, it's seen a lot more action than pretty much everyone. read more

Bristled Boar Saloon & Grill - One of the more interesting tap - Bars Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Apparently I'm not allowed to order myself a drink, and get told "if I see your friend drinking it, I'm throwing you all out." Perhaps hire bartenders with more tact and professionalism. If I return and see the same bartender (short white guy in a backwards hat) I will gladly take my money and my business elsewhere. I expect good service if service is your only job. read more

I LOVE this bar. The only reason I'm leaving a 1 star review is because of how disrespectful Willis is. (If you remove him out of the equation, I'd give 5 out of 5 stars every time!) To give you an idea of how awful he is: my friend and I were there fairly close to bar time. It had been a long day of catching up with friends. Lots of drinking as well. My friend was exhausted so we were trying to find an Uber or Lyft. She ended up dozing off a bit while we were trying to get that ride. (Mind you, we were at a table tucked away from everyone else, tab paid, finishing our last drinks whilst waiting for an Uber.) Willis came over and slammed his fist on the table, right next to her head. Telling us to get up and leave. She can't be sleeping. (Causing no fucking harm.) Just rude. This is one of many instances where Willis has been awful. I have distanced myself from this bar specifically because of Willis... read more

In Middleton, there are only a handful of bars that feel divey without being run-down and bland. This place hits the sweet spot between dive bar and comfortably hip. You'll find a mixed bag of patrons: plenty of guys in camo Under Armor sweatshirts, along with some fun young groups and middle aged couples in Badger gear. There are a lot of tvs and lots of seating, so it makes a great place to watch sports with a fun crowd. They also have a pretty big patio by the volleyball courts. One of their biggest strengths: The bartenders are awesome, even during busy game days. They have a few macrobrews and a a decent selection of craft beers on tap and a good selection of bottles. There are a lot of daily drink specials and the food is decent. As another reviewer said, not a food destination spot, but if you are there and want some bar food, it's a fine option. Had the nachos during a recent Badger game and they were good, chips were maybe homemade? But they were pretty salty. read more

The Bristled Boar!! Just the name in itself is a sign of class. With its Barn like exterior, and its huge Boar's head are signs of a true Townie bar the town of Middleton can be proud of. As you walk in, the open area for the pool, Foosball, and darts is a nice area separated from the bar allowing proper game play and competition. Also the boar's Juke has a very nice display of music including some of my personal fav's Shinedown, System of a Down, and Hinder. The bar also has an interesting array of patron's for the true elderly drunks that have been attending this place from their mid 30's to those of the younger ages just looking to throw a few to many back. It allows for many interesting interactions making an evening here very fun!! Agreed with other reviews the beer selection is limited but they do have a descent array of hard liquors especially my personal favorite WHISKEY!! The prices from my one time stop seemed reasonable and the drinks actually had some liquor in them instead of just soda or water. I have yet to try any food or enjoy their volleyball courts but would recommend that anyone interested in a townie atmosphere with the possibility of some excitement to give the place a try. I know I look forward to taking some of my friends to this place to get their opinions of what I like to call Middleton's Best Townie Bar!!! read more

Wish they would have enforced mask wearing with staff and patrons. There last night and nothing enforced and people entered without coverings inside. Preferred outside but smoking was problematic. Didn't feel safe to stay. read more

So the Boar, as we affectionately call it. It's good for a lot of things. Darts, pool, Tuesday blues night (live blues band!), fun times, decent beer, waffle fries, and fried cheese curds (if you don't mind the sort that come from the freezer). The food? Not so great. It's not so bad, but it's just not that good. I think everything is frozen at this place. Everything. We had pizza there the other night and I could taste the freezer burn. We still had a blast, but it would be nice if the food wasn't so obviously frozen. Everything is ordered from the bar, which is fine but a little weird. There isn't too much to say about this place other than what I've just said. I'll go back because my friends at work like it, but it wouldn't be my top choice. There are definitely other places that can fill my dart needs while providing me with at least decent, non-frozen food. Sorry, Boar - the truth can hurt. read more

Some friends and I ended up at the Bristled Boar mid-week because they offer one of the earlier trivia shows on the west side (crucial for our pal that has to get all the way back to Lake Mills at the end of the night after killing time after work from 4 o'clock on). The Boar is a pretty standard suburban bar - okay food, cheap drinks (my Shirley Temple came in a giant glass and was $1.75 on the low end, and my friend who ordered two Ketel cocktails got out for $9). One person in our group ordered a burger & fries and it looked okay - not a place I'd make a dinner destination, but also not a terrible option if you're already there. On the trivia front, the venue was great - it was roomy, there was plenty of seating, and there are speakers placed throughout the building so you can actually hear the host's questions from wherever you sit. Everything was clean and we received table service despite the menu stating orders needed to come through the bar. I don't know if it'd be my scene once the lights go down, but we'll be back to play trivia again and spend our gift certificate winnings! read more

Saw someone doing lines of probable what they thought was blow off a toilet seat and there were hookers at the bar. Not a family place. Johns kept going up stairs and I bet the basement stinks. Food was garbage fried food nothing to write home about. Will not go again. read more

The bartender was very rude and seemed like ordering anything was an inconvenience. The food ended up being dry and gross. Honestly so disappointing and I will literally never go back. read more

Definitely a place I could frequent...nice and open and live blues music every Tuesday night. Be sure to check out "Blues and Brews"

I came here for the first time, on my birthday. I came in with my boyfriend and the female bartender was nice enough and got us our drinks. We asked the male bartender, Willis, if the kitchen was open and if we could get a menu. We got the shortest 'yep' as an answer to both questions and the menu tossed in front of us when he got to it. If you aren't established friends with people there you are an outsider and treated as such. read more

I just went there for drinks with friends this past week (either Weds or Thurs, I can't remember which right now). They had an excellent drink special--$2.50 Absolut mixers. Woohoo! It's an odd place. It's got an "up north lodge"-kind of vibe in one part of the bar; wood paneling complete with a boar's head with glowing red eyes. The other part, I *believe* had a different theme without wood paneling and a linoleum floor with a pool table. There was a volleyball court outside. The crowd was a strange mix. Overall, I have nothing against the bar, and would go back if I was at my friend's house again. read more

Really good and inexpensive food. The staff were very friendly and I will definitely come by here more often! Also the portions were surprisingly large, especially for the price. read more

Always a fun time at the bristled boar. A great place to watch games and the staff is always engaged. Willis and Cindy are great behind the bar. I love the wings especially on Sunday when on special. read more

Cool rustic bar to just hangout meet people. I've been there several times and always enjoy the service and people. Fun to sit on the patio and watch volleyball or a game on the tv. I highly recommend stopping in and checking it out. read more

Not gonna lie....Its a dive. But its the lesser of the evils of the surrounding bars(Club Tavern and Branch St. retreat are much worse). The bar is usually not packed they have a decent selection of tap beers and almost always have decent drink specials. I was there a few weeks ago and the special was Jameson mixers for $3.50 on a Friday...not bad. Overall if your in the area its worth stopping at but nothing spectacular. read more

I'm a big fan of the Boar, and had been here many, many times over the last few years. Almost all of the servers are friendly and wonderful, and service is always prompt even when they're busy. The owner goes out of his way to celebrate with the entire bar on special occasions, such as football games, by making sure the full bar gets a touchdown shot, or including everyone in halftime goofiness. Halloween is especially fun here. I recommend The Boar for a fun place to go out and have a good time with friends. read more