Great place to have a few beers and enjoy a great show. I came here on a Friday night to see a performance by Max and the Animals. I was impressed at the vibe and the great customer service. Even though the place was packed this night, the food was delicious and the bartender was fast. I recommend coming here if you are in town. You will not be disappointed! read more

Chiefs Tavern - You can see bands play here! - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Bands most Friday nights. Love that the music starts at 7:00. Great drinks. Great bartenders. Great fun. It's our favorite bar in Madison.

Being newer to town we had not tried this local hangout/ dive bar even though it is walkable from our house. My brother-in-law when in town likes this place so he took us there for an inaugural visit. He warned us that it was a dive and quirky though he liked it better on Friday's when they have the early-bird live music (6:30-9:30pm) My impression was that it wasn't as divey as sold to us but a typical Wisconsin neighborhood tavern. The drinks were solid and prices reasonable. If we hadn't already eaten we would have ordered the Buck's pizza from across the street (we have yet to try it even though we have heard good things about it). We likely will stop by on a Friday to get the full Chief's experience. read more

Stopped in on a Friday night and we were treated to live music at a shocking 6:30 p.m. startup time! I tried the smoked trout sandwich, which also has bacon. So if you want an overdose of smoked goodness, this is a safe bet. The menu is extremely small, but well done. During busy times some patience will be needed, but it is worth it. Good beers on tap, and a very clean place. It reminds me of when I was growing up and people would turn their basements into bars and host their friends. We will be back, hopefully for the Sunday blues jam. read more

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I love this place I started going after work and they also have a outside patio area with propane heaters when you wanna take a smoke break , great bartenders and great mix drinks. read more

Chiefs Tavern - Bar area - Pubs Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Strong, cheap drinks, good customer service and plenty of space. Was my first visit there but look forward to going back!

Definitely a neighborhood joint. I was there with a neighborhood guy... but if you just walked into this place, you might feel a bit out of place... not in a bad way - but sort of it'll take a little time for the place to grow on you. It is exceptionally noisy - cacophonous. The drinks are stiff and reasonably priced, but you may or may not get what ordered. read more

Awesome spot. Amazing bartender. Great service and fun crowd. Good prices and awesome screens for March Madness

Newer to this side of the town and we decided to enjoy a night at chiefs. Joe the bartender was amazing! And we had a great first night. We will be by soon for music and pizza! read more

Meat raffle. Stiff drinks. Nice bartenders. Decent prices. Great karaoke. Bucks Pizza from across the street. Easy parking. Clean interior. Friendly regulars. The only thing I don't like about this place is how far it is from my house. read more

hey Joe, The new artwork on the side of your building looks awesome! Very cool! jonathan

So I have been to Chief's several times. I like their draft list. I like that they have music early on Friday. I like the divey, local feel of the place. What I don't like is being completely ignored by the bartender. I arrived on a Friday evening looking for a beer and maybe some food. I found a spot at the bar, I went to the ATM to get cash and back at the bar again. The bartender took care of regulars...that is fine...I know plenty of regulars at other bars and they deserve that service. The bartender took care of more regulars. The bartender took care of a couple of females who came to the bar after me. I swear I had my invisibility cloak on or something. Completely ignored. I understand I am not a regular. I understand I am not a young attractive woman. I understand that that I should not judge a place on one bad experience. So I will give this place another shot and if the service improves I will change or delete this review. I left and went down Atwood to New Door Brewery, which was just as crowded, but must not have regulars because I was treated very well. Pride comes before the fall. read more

Chiefs Tavern is awesome! The owners did a great job transforming the old Packers Inn. Its a great place to hang out and there is always something fun going on. Most Friday nights there is live music. They have free shots anytime the Packers or Badgers score a touchdown and free food during packer games. The drinks are reasonable, the food is great. They use fresh and local ingredients including salmon burgers and smoked trout from Rushing Waters in Palmyra, WI. The staff and owners are all great. Come down to chiefs next time you're in Monona! read more

What was once The Packer Inn, is now Chief's. The sign is in a weird font that makes it look like "Chick's". Or something. We stopped in for a burger there, since they've re-opened their grill. It was a Sunday evening around 630PM and the place was dead except for 3 people: the bartender, a guy preparing stack of chips for some kind of poker night, and random maybe-drug-dealer dude. The grill lights were off, leaving us wondering if we could get anything off the food menu. When we asked the bartender, he reluctantly said it was open and pointed to the menu on the wall. It was obvious he didn't want to cook. When we ordered (two burgers), one of us wanted it rare and one of us wanted it medium-rare. His response: "You're asking too much of me." Uh, noted. Among the sides offered are pasta and potato salad. I got one of these, my friend the other. The side portions (which looked like Sysco pre-made stuff) are TINY. Like, a 3 ounce plastic cup tiny. The burgers- however reluctantly made- were actually pretty good. At 6 bucks, I'd hoped for quite a bit a bit more side, though. They have Lake Louie Premium on tap, as well as Hoplalicious, Spotted Cow, and Summer Shandy. The bartender did tap us nice, full pints with a quarter-inch head and in chilled glasses. Liked that a lot. He also discounted some shots of Patron, maybe because we offered to buy him one (which he politely refused as it was early). On to the "atmos"... the old bar top has been replaced with what looks like an institutional bathroom counter: particle board with a thick, shiny veneer of fake granite flecks. The place smells like off-gassing from the particle board, and the bar surface is sticky, kind of bumpy, and gross to the touch. The bartender had his IPod on the PA. It was at a low level and almost drowned out by two TVs blaring golf and baseball, respectively. While I'd prefer the music over the TVs... one or the other would've been nice. Not both. I'd stop in for a beer and maaaaybe a burger... but the whole experience was too sketchy for me to make a habit of it. read more

Great place to sit and have a few drinks and some food. Been going here regularly for about 2 years. Usually tend to go on friday nights as we like that bartender better. read more

Great beer selection and the TLT is awesome. I agree with a previous reviewer -- the place is a little towny, but not the least bit unwelcoming. I will be stopping back in the future. read more

I love Chiefs tavern its kinda like home. You can walk in have a beer have a burger, and chill. The bartenders are laid back and down to earth! The food is pretty awesome considering this chill atmosphere they serve quite a selection of upscale bar food. Ex: reuben sandwhiches, salmon burgers, TLT ( tomato Lettuce Bacon and smoked trout sandwich, chiefs chicken sandwich, burgers, steak sandwich, Gyros. they serve fresh non fried food which is a nice change for a bar. read more

I go here after my golf league every week and get consistently great service. Regulars are friendly and the place is comfortable, although a little small when the karaoke crowd gets in. Limited menu, but what's on it is great. Try the TLT (trout, lettuce, tomato) w/ Bacon. You'll love it and if you really like trout, tell them to leave the skin on. It takes it to another level. read more

This is one of my favorite dive bars on the east side. And there is a lot of competition! I especially love the karaoke on Wednesday nights. Tons o' fun! read more

Nice neighborhood bar. Some craft beers on tap. Staff is friendly, but understaffed during busy times. Can be hard to get a drink. They do have live music at times and that is a plus. read more

Nearly the best tap list in town. Very towny but not unwelcoming. Great for watching sports. Check out a meat raffle, it won't disappoint.

Love the low-key atmosphere, love the friendly clientele, love the beers, and the bartender's the nicest ever. I'm always happy there.