the vibes here were insane first time in Madison and we…read moredecided to spend NYE there--such a great decision. First off, the bartenders were so sweet and cool. It's such a cozy bar, cool menu and cheap too. The pizza was the best bar pizza I have ever gotten, and I am a bar pizza connoisseur.

Great dive bar, good specials, amazing burgers, and friendly service. Affordable prices and good…read moreselections of entrees and appetizers. A mystery shot is a must here! It's a true mystery decided by rolling dice.

What an awesome spot just outside of Madison!! There aren't very many reviews so I wasn't sure what…read moreto expect but WOW were we blown away by the quality!! We arrived around five on a Friday night and usually with fish fry you would have to wait for a seat, but there were two tables open. The waitress came over right away and took our drink order. We ordered the fried pickles to start. They were good. They have quite a variety of appetizers, including some Asian inspired. Then we ordered the three-piece fish fry, perch, and the salmon. At first glance, the portions of seafood seemed a little small however, for the price it's a good deal. You also get breadsticks, coleslaw, and baked beans. The salmon was the unexpected star!! Better than most chain restaurants and right there with expensive ones! The inside is decorated like a typical Wisconsin dive bar, but the food exceeded our expectations. The service was the cherry on top. We will definitely be back!

Hole in the wall dive bar goodness. My salmon was some of the best I've ever had! Staff was amazing…read moreand the drinks were stiff.

I love this bar. It's my new favorite watering hole. Friendly bartenders. Clean bathrooms. The only…read morereason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I wish the beer menu was bigger and included some craft brew.

A solid 3.5 for this lovely townie bar! It's a typical Wisconsin dive bar with a real chill vibe…read more It's a great spot for a cheap drink or bite to eat. The same crowd hangs around and feel very much at home at Landmark. It's surprisingly clean for a dive bar and has very nice games/slot machines. They don't have a lot of beers on tap and they don't have a soda gun for mixed drinks but they do have plenty of liquor, cans, and bottles to choose from. For food, they offer burgers, chicken and steak sandwiches, hot dogs, and brats. Very basic but gets the job done! They have tvs, pull tabs, darts, a modern juke box, and slot machines to entertain you during your visit. They have their own parking lot and are located right in downtown deforest. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit but enjoy being a regular in our small DeFo town!

Good bar, good prices, cold beer, good selection of deep fryer classics. My favorite were the dill…read morepickle cheese curds they are a must order!

Charlie is horrible - if I could give zero stars, I would!…read more The bartender, CHARLIE, immediately questioned the validity of one member of our party's out-of-state ID, even though she is 26 years old and provided legitimate identification!While we understand that checking IDs is part of the job, the interaction felt accusatory and unprofessional. Things only got worse when another person in our group ordered a sweet Old Fashioned--a classic Wisconsin drink--and Charlie responded with a disrespectful comment about how "you really are new at drinking- it's past 8 o'clock!" Giving a hard time for ordering a mixed drink. When we expressed our concerns about how we were being treated, the conversation became argumentative rather than constructive. The final straw was being told to the 26 year old- "I'll serve you, but I won't take responsibility if you get caught," despite no valid issue being identified with the ID. At that point, we decided to leave rather than continue the interaction! We will not be back! Never bring your family visitors to this bar.

Poor service & very small portions for the price. Bun on…read moresandwich just an ordinary hamburger bun, not grilled.

Staff was nice. A little slow though. We had a good size group. And we had to wait a bit for some…read moreof them to show up. The waitress didn't notice when they came and we had to wait around just for them to order their drinks. After we ordered the food came out fairly quickly. But then again we had to wait around for drink refills. I ordered the stir fry forgetting that I don't typically like traditional stir fry's because of the veggies. Thankfully my husband just took over my meal and I took over his Mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was amazing. I would definitely come back just for that!

We drove up and saw that The Bar Next Door was attached to a Super8 motel and we almost drove away…read morebut I am so glad we said 'what the hell' and went in. Rustic ambiance with a mix of high and low table seating as well as a good amount of space to belly up to the bar. Service was excellent. The servers worked great as a team and our order was taken promptly, food came out steaming hot, tables were bussed quickly. Great teamwork. I had to have the smash burger as it seems to be a signature item. It was so good! Two huge patties. I got mine with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and sauted onions. Fresh. Delicious. Love the little crisp on the smash burger. So good. My side was a salad but I may have stolen a fry just for a taste test and they had my approval. I can't believe we almost drove away. Do not do that. Go in. Enjoy the experience.

The food always tastes delicious, over the years the portion has gotten a little smaller…read more The last two times they forgot to put the lettuce/tomato/onion in the to-go order. But I have learned to always check. Staff are always moving quick even with a busy bar.

We had a birthday party for a family member this weekend. Everything from the booking process to…read morethe food to the service was excellent! The brisket, pulled pork, and chicken were tender and juicy and the sides were good too. Jessica and Kim and the rest of the staff were wonderful to work with. I highly recommend this restaurant for either a private event or for casual dining.

Driving through on our way to Chicago and my husband wanted to check out the Pink Elephant and we…read moresaw this was nearby! Our server Beth was incredibly sweet and always kept our water cups filled which was an absolute lifesaver because majority of the food was incredibly salty. We ordered some cheese curds to start, definitely wanted to have some of those while in Wisconsin! They were a tad salty but melty cheese goodness! I had the rib tip platter and got the corn muffin and Mac & cheese as my two sides. The rib tips didn't taste fresh and were hard, the mac and cheese noodles were the perfect al dente firmness I prefer but the cheese was also salty. My favorite part of the meal honestly was the cornbread muffin that was still warm when it came out!

After a Yelp search I found El Alegre Mexican Restaurant with really good reviews and an…read moreinteresting menu. A bit of a drive from Madison, but well worth it. El Alegre is located in a small modern strip of shops, with a party center they run next door. The restaurant is medium sized with a nice bar in the corner by the kitchen. The room is sleek and modern with black walls and tables, wood chairs and floors, and a colorful neon strip around the ceiling. Service was attentive without being intrusive. The menu is two sided and manages to have a nice variety without being overstuffed. I ended up ordering the Camarones a la Diabla, as someone who loves spicy shrimp it sounded great. A bit of a wait for the food, but the place was busy with the dining room almost full including a couple of larger tables. The chips and salsa was ok, but nothing special but provided a nice prelude while I waited for the meal. The meal came out nicely presented on a square white plate, which set off the colorful meal. The shrimp were nice sized, plump and well cooked; the sauce was excellent, not overly spicey, but instead complex and delicious with an interesting mix of flavors, it seemed to be similar to a mole instead of just a hot sauce. The refried beans and spanish rice were both good and the guacamole, sour cream and small salad was a nice compliment to the meal. The flour tortillas were very good, freshly griddled and fresh. I was very impressed with El Alegre, the decor is a nice change from most Mexican restaurants. I was very impressed with their version of Camarones a la Diabla, usually it is served with a fairly simple hot sauce, here they created a wonderful and complex sauce that perfectly complimented the shrimp and provided a true treat. If you are in the area and looking for some great Mexican food El Alegre is well worth a visit. If the rest of the menu is anything like my meal it is a great flavorful interpretation of Mexican food.

We found ourselves in DeForest, WI last Cinco de Mayo. After we finished our business, we did a…read moreGoogle search for a Mexican restaurant. Of course there was a Taco Bell close to the exit from I-90, but that wasn't going to cut it. So, we found El Alegre about two miles into town. The place was packed Well, we had a very good meal with happy service. A big sign on the wall in the kitchen said "work hard and be nice to people ". Gotta love that. So we were coming South on I-90 and remembered El Alegre. Being vegetarian, I usually find plenty of options in a Mexican restaurant (and also Chinese and Italian). This menu had a vegetarian section with about six or seven choices, but I looked over the rest of the very large menu and found several versions of Chile Relleño. I've never seen anything but the one stuffed with cheese anywhere else. Well, they had a version stuffed with vegetables! I had to try it. I am so glad I did. It was delicious and a very generous portion served with rice and beans that rose above the standard usually experienced. My wife had a shrimp dish that I sampled and loved. She said the margaritas were also excellent. So, if you find yourself on I-90, you won't regret driving a couple miles off the highway to find El Alegre!

The food is great and the bartenders are always fast and friendly. Love the atmosphere. I just wish…read morethey were open longer hours.

Staff was incredible to work with planning a family birthday celebration at their bowling alley and…read moreparty room facility. The food they served was delicious and second to none. If our family has any future catering needs, they will be at the top of our list. The bowling proved to be a hit for a wide age range of family members.

Service was excellent! Food was amazing! Steak and chicken fajitas/ so tender and tasty. We could…read morehave split entrees. Servings are huge. Margarine Sangria yummy. The restaurant is bright and inviting. We will return! Thanks

Still great. Dinner was very good and I was glad that they had hibiscus water, which was excellent…read more Our server was nice and attentive. And the atmosphere, always good. One of the best restaurants in Wisconsin.