The service was good. Our meals were a bit of a disappointment. Maybe better next time.

Heard so many great reviews about this place and finally decided to check it out. We ordered the pretzel appetizer which was smothered in cheese and chives. The combination was nothing I've had before but certainly will have again. Our entrees were the BBQ burger, Angus burger, and cheese burger Mac. The cheese burger Mac was AMAZING, so tasty and came with garlic bread slices on the side. The cheese burgers, especially the BBQ burger, were even better. Criss cross fries were an up charge as the burgers only come with chips or a salad. Broccoli & cheddar soup was honestly one of the bests I've ever had. Overall this was a great find will definitely be coming back to this restaurant. read more

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I wanted to like this place alot more than it turned out to be. The ambiance is nice, semi upscale irish/local bar, but the service was subpar and the food was just okay. I came to try their fish fry and happy hour. The cod was good, not great, the coleslaw was fantastic and the pickles were incredible. They saved the review along with the tar tar sauce. Now, while, I liked the fish fry quite a bit - I have a hard time fully recommending this place or aching to go back. Overall, I would say solid 3.5 experience. read more

Good food, good service, good drinks! Dog friendly! Literally my only gripe is that the Double Smash Burger needs dill pickles instead of bread and butter...but that's 1st world problems! Great little spot! read more

Craftsman Table is a Middleton must! My partner and I went on a date to Craftsman on a Saturday night. It was his first time there, and my first time back in at least 4 years. We were able to make a reservation just 6 hours before going out to eat. It was a busy night; some high schoolers there for formal, other couples on dates, and families of all ages. Both of us LOVED our meals and the drinks that accompanied. I tried the shredded sirloin sandwich and he had the bbq burger. We each got the pub chips and they were really great - lightly salted and a light crunch! If you are considering trying the cheese curds as an appetizer, I couldn't not recommend them more. They are a bit pricy, but totally worth it as they are sourced by a locally-owned cheese company, Carr Valley Cheese. The Craftsman curds are some of the best in Madison! read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - Carr Valley Cheese Curds - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Thank you for the wonderful girls night last night! We appreciated the drinks, talk time, and great food. read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - Deviled eggs and hummus - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Good outdoor dining experience. Food is delicious and the services was quick. The kids loved their burger and fries. My burger was well cooked and chicken salad was refreshing. The outdoor seating could use some light in the evenings. Definitely will be back again to try other things from the menu. read more

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I live in the neighborhood. Before COVID we use to come here fairly regularly. But always received a cold welcome. It was convenient but not desired. Just went there first time in a few years. Nothing has changed. Abrasive workers. They seem so stressed and very unfriendly. Just a bad vibe. Food is mediocre and the staff has no idea about the craft beers on tap. Don't waste your time here. There are many better places close with wonderful staff. read more

Very lovey staff. Great atmosphere.. the Brussels sprouts salad was stunning..my son's wrap was fresh .

First trip since moving and had no idea about restaurant week, well it was fantastic! I ordered the beet salad which I have to admit I wanted to lick the plate, husband ordered the loaded waffle fries omg the portion was crazy but he was so happy, my entire was the fish tacos they were ok I was a little sad because hubby ordered the smashburger he just closed his eyes and groaned a bit, then our dessert I had the crème brûlée and honey had the pecan pie with vanilla bean ice cream all for $20 each we waddled out very happy customers for life THANK YOU !! service was attentive without being pushy great atmosphere , we are telling everyone! read more

Excellent walleye and green bean dish. Great draft beer selection. Bartenders were super polite. Wish I could stay longer and visit again.

Fantastic service and honestly the pics on this Yelp page don't do it justice. Here are some fabulous pictures that I took that are way better than 99% of the pictures on this yelp page. 10/10 would dine again. read more

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Felt like I was imposing here! We came in at 9:07. They close at 10. There were 2 tables seated and nobody at the bar. Someday at the bar to order apps and a drink. The bartender seemed extremely bothered rather came in. The staff was cleaning in hopes of early closing. They were wheeling garbage cans through the dining room. The old fashioned was not good and the margarita was awful. He never even asked if I wanted salt on the rim. He was just obviously bothered that we were there. Never offered food menus, we had to ask. The wings were good and the pretzel was very good. But I would never come back here because I didn't feel like a paying patron, I felt like a bother and intrusion to the staff. read more

Fish fry was very good and a nice portion of fish I had wallleye and partner had cod Both delicious, but I would like a side other than fries if possible read more

3.5/4. Two words: cheese curds. I'd say their curds are better than the all hailed Old Fashioned. I'm assuming they use a panko breading which ends up being less greasy and crispier. Win for sure. My regrets lie within getting the curds as a side for an additional $2.99 instead of as an appetizer. Seems pricey as an add-on for what you get. Their burger was your average burger, nothing too memorable about it. I like their space but always manage to enter on the wrong side so I have to walk through to get seated. If I haven't made my point yet, just order the damn curds already! read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

This is the first time in a long time that I have not given five stars. The Craftsman is always busy, I can see why it's busy the food was good. I expected a little more on the appetizer menu but the burger I had was really super. The service sucked! We sat at the bar which we normally do, the bartender was young but he knew how to sling drinks which is where my four stars come in. We get our food, as soon as the plate is down he ask how is our food?How do I know how the food taste I have not even taken a bite. He did not come back down to us to see if we needed any more drinks unless I waved him over. Actually after serving the other customers, he did not go back to them either. He would respond with yep, then I ask for the check and he just put the bill on the bar and taps his fingers on the bill. The drinks were really really good, the food was great, like I said the bartender was only 20 and he made great drinks just lacked the whole pay attention to the bar too. He did all his dishes, cleaned the counters instead of asking me if I wanted a drink which meant he lost out on more tip money. But go check it out!! read more

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A place with decent food but an unfortunate staff member. During our visit last night the server we had rushed us basically out the door. Not only did this server fail to get us our appetizers before our entree but he also failed to bring side plates for a hummus appetizer. I'm not sure I wanted the plates either, he never stopped playing with his hair which should most likely of been in a hair net. Lastly, someone should tell him that rushing a table and failing to fill a water glass is a bad experience. read more

Service was OK, friendly staff. I enjoyed my meal (Turkey club with sweet potato fries), but everyone else I was with did not fully enjoy their food, saying something was soggy, inconvenient, or tasted "off". read more

French onion spring rolls amazing! Brussel sprouts toast was sweet and flavorful. Caft burger thick juicy delicious! Sweet potato fries just right ! My dark porter was to die for! The amiance is nice clean and well lit. Service was great. Prices fair. Very highly recommended read more

Service was outstanding and the server was one in a million! Love that! Food was very good. Very enjoyable experience.

Celebrating a birthday... large group. 6 of 9 got sick soon after we left. I hate writing these kinds of things. We called, Never heard back. Beware. read more

I was thrilled to see the outside dining section. And it had a number of empty tables. Unfortunately the host said the shaded tables were reserved for those with dogs as dogs are not allowed inside, even though the website states no reservations for outside seating. She asked if partially shaded was alright. I suppose. We sat around the corner and felt like a step relative. Half the table was in the sun and as the evening wore on, the whole table was in the sun and hot. As we left, I looked at the tables reserved for dogs and only saw one or two dogs at the tables. The two I requested did not have a dog that I could see. The food was not that great. The walleye was bland and could have used lemon pepper or something. The Cole slaw was good but only about 2 tablespoons. The server forgot the bread and I had to request it. There are too many good restaurants in a Madison that don't put dogs ahead of people. I won't be back read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - Dining area reserved for dogs. The table we sat at was around the corner on left of photo by flowerpot - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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We were here on a Sunday in time for brunch and it was very quiet which I always get nervous about, but it seemed the whole town was quiet. We came for the cheese curds and we're not disappointed. They were light and flavorful and the dipping sauce was complimentary. We weren't starved so we split a breakfast BLT as well which was good, nothing revolutionary, but isn't that kind of what you want with a BLT? They did split the portion onto two plates for us so my half did not get any runny egg (just the fried whites) which I do think would have made it better. The potatoes though were absolutely fantastic. My only real complaint was that I ordered two separate soft drinks which both tasted like unclean lines so I didn't enjoy that, but my partner had a beer he enjoyed that tasted good. Our server was very kind and attentive. Overall would recommend stopping. read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - Breakfast BLT - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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I ordered this to-go for lunch and it was really good. The chicken was extremely soft and the batter wasn't too harsh where it still had a crunch but very easy to bite through. The cheese curds on the other hand were some of the best ones I've had in Wisconsin so far! The prices are a bit high for what it is / how much food you get. I wish the chicken came with some carbs at the very least. read more

Beers were good and appetizers cheese curds were great. Smash burger was dry and not good at all. Salad was bland. Beer and cheese curds great all other food was blah read more

The place was pretty much empty but took a while to get a table. Drinks and food were good but just way too long waiting for food to come out and to wait for a bill. read more

Passable but not great. The Craftsman feels like it has some potential but hasn't progressed much over the past couple of years. Kind of waffled on two or three stars for this one, but three for now. There's a fair amount of raving about the cheese curds but we found them kind of greasy. The breading is panko-like which didn't quite work out. The brisket sandwich is decent. Recommend getting it without the cheese. The burgers are fancy -ish but still undifferentiated. On our most recent visit the salads and Brussels sprouts seemed (and tasted) old. The greens were visibly wilted. They comped the salads but from just looking at them they should never have been served. It's generally easy to get in. read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - The brisket sandwich. - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Craftsman is probably one of the first restaurants on the west side that tries to offer gastro pub quality food. It has on several occasions been cited by local news for its high quality cheese curds. The luster quickly falls off after this point. I've always thought the entrance of this place to be in an awkward position. I find my self entering through the back and moving internally to the entrance after realizing the situation. Service is always kind and prompt even during peak hours. The food? Really just okay. People sing praises about the cheese curds. Yeah they are good most of the time and an overwhelming rush of garlic flavored breading on other days. Other foods are generally not ones I would crave and hope would come here to order. The burger for example isn't really flavorful and has a texture consistent with previously frozen meat. The bun also seriously overpowers the meat. Over all a decent place to hang out on the west side but nothing to miss if the people you are dining with would like to eat somewhere else. read more

They are a bit pricey and the food is good but pretty standard. The drinks tho are not worth the price I got one drink that was $14 and it tasted like water down tequila. So I was a bit disappointed, my waitress only showed up twice during our dining experience which was kinda lacking in customer service. As a former waitress myself I completely understand being busy but when we were dining it was not busy at all. So overall the service could have been better. read more

Had dinner there last Friday evening with my wife. The inside area was half filled and the patio about the same. We choose the outside patio. Bad choice! The constant roaring of motorcycles and cars without mufflers on the streets made it almost impossible to carry on a conversation. Not the fault of the restaurant. I had the fried chicken sandwich which had a peculiar greasy taste of shortening that was way beyond its life expectancy. Also was disappointed that the draft bees were only high ABV beers. Local favorites like Spotted Cow or even Coors Light were not available on tap. Lastly the service was mediocre at best. Will not be going back read more

One of the better FoodFight restaurants, but pretty inconsistent. Their Fried Cheese Curds are really good. Also recently has a great bowl of chicken curry soup. In general the Brussels Sprouts Salad with chicken is my go to. But on last occasion the components were all cold and it wasn't clear as to whether or not the salad was dressed. I've really enjoyed that salad the last several times I've had it. Couple of other nice features of this restaurant. They serve late on week nights. Until I believe 10PM. This is a rare find in Middleton. Also if you order a salad to share, it comes split up in two bowls. Also the cocktails are well made and always enjoyed. read more

Great place for casual dinner with great service and good food. Cheese curds definitely lived up to the billing.

Been in the town for the past 4 days and this is by far the best place I have been to. The menus is modern, while still honoring Midwest cultures, the flavors are bold and still palatable for many tastes. I was surprised by the deviled eggs. They were very light and fluffy and overflowing with goodness. read more

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Tried this place on our last visit to Madison. We went on a Friday night and got there around 6pm the wait was currently an hour. It was definitely busy but I'm not sure why. I got a Bloody Mary and the mix was horrible, my sister had mashed potatoes that had a string of hair in them, she got a new side of mashed potatoes but no visit from a manager or anything. I had the fried chicken sandwich which was ok and had good flavor but was over fried and the outside was rather dark. A lot of people seemed to be ordering the cheese curds. It seemed that the staff couldn't keep up with the amount of business they were getting or the place was poorly managed. I would not go back. read more

We came here during happy hour to try out some of their appetizers and drinks. We ordered their Beer & Bacon Brussels and Carr Valley curds along with a cider and a sour Old Fashioned. The sprouts had good flavor, but we really didn't taste much of the "beer" glaze, and the haystack onions were not crisply fried. The curds were good, but nothing overly special. The real disappointment for us was the sour Old Fashioned, it did not taste remotely like what an Old Fashioned should taste, extremely fruity. Our waitress was very attentive and the restaurant was setup well for social distancing. read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - Old Fashioned - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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This is probably my favorite fancy-ish brunch spot on the West side. I get something different every time and have never been disappointed. The patio is pretty bare if you get there before 10:30, but after that you may be waiting a few minutes (sit yourself at the bar and get that thyme-y salty dog concoction--it is DELICIOUS). Whatever you do, try to start with a cocktail. The drinks are pretty darn tasty. Waitstaff are always on-point with the coffee refills, and I really like their perfectly balanced amount of hovering/leaving you be. The last time I was there, I asked if they could crack an egg over my Brussels sprout salad for protein. They didn't bat an eye and it arrived perfectly over-easy. I was the happiest camper, and that may be my favorite thing I've ordered. Park in the "secret lot" behind the building--you can't get there from Century Ave--you'll have to go around a little bit. Sometimes it's full, but parking on the street isn't really a big deal. I don't think I'd bring a group of more than four people here. Unless you reserve the private party space upstairs (which I would like to do for a game over the winter or something fun like that). read more

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Great rueben with perfect balance of corned beef, dressing and kraut. The vinaigrette on the greats was super tasty. read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - Lunch Russian Reuben - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

We went here and for my birthday breakfast and the food was amazing, the service was speedy! They have Diet Coke, and a pretty decent dessert selection! We also got the pecan caramel creme brulee, which was good. We didn't get a picture of it because we ate it pretty quick. If you like cheese curds get the cheese curds from here, my sister says they are better than the Old Fashioned. I haven't been there in a while but the cheese curds here were amazing! And the sizing of the plates for our entrees were great. I had a decent amount leftover. All around a great meal!! read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - The chicken fried steak and eggs with cheddar cheese, it was amazing! - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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A decent, pleasant place to have a sandwich and beer. Most food is very good with the exception of the eggs Benedict on this visit. It's been our experience that very few places no how to make them anymore. The muffin wasn't toasted, the sauce was far from the hollendale sauce it should be and, drum roll please, the egg yokes were not runny like they should be. We sent them back and got a fried egg with slightly runny yokes the second time. Doesn't anyone know how to poach an egg or make a sauce anymore? Restaurants shouldn't have them on their menu if they don't know how to do it. This was the third place in recent memory that served it this way. Other than that we still like going here and they do make a very tasty BloodyMary from scratch. I had the shaved sirloin sandwich that's always good but the side "greens" that I got with it had way too much dressing on them with a strong vinegar taste. I guess I should have asked for it on the side but didn't expect it to be drenched like it was. read more

Our party of eight arrived here at 10:30 on a Saturday morning and had no problem with getting a table. We were looking forward to a post-run Bloody Mary and the brunch menu! The drinks hit the spot and were served with a few fun extras - cheese curd, bacon, pickle, blue cheese stuffed olive....as well as the trusty sidecar. We ordered cheese curds for the table and they were among the best I've had - melt in your mouth delicious. I ordered the breakfast burrito which was filled with egg, red pepper, a little bacon, Pico de Gallo, and was supposed to be topped with a verde sauce made from braised pork. The burrito was good - though I don't know if it's just me or what but this was the second burrito I've tried from different places that just wasn't able to be kept warm enough from kitchen to table. I did find one large chunk of pork in the chili verde sauce but that was it; would've like to see more as the flavor was good. I'm not a fan of how Craftsman does their breakfast potatoes - medallions, fried with a spice rub. These same potatoes made up the hash part of the corned beef hash, and my husband felt the same way about them. Not bad, just didn't feel very complementary to either of the dishes. I appreciate the multitude of vegetarian options here which makes it a good option for my family. They have a nice beer selection - Zombie Dust was on tap; is everyone still going nuts over this? I feel fortunate to live in a city where there are so many 3-4-5 star places to eat - this is a good meal, it just hasn't particularly stood out any of the times I've gone. Except for those cheese curds this time! read more

Craftsman Table & Tap - Breakfast Burrito - Gastropubs Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin