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    Essen Haus

    3.4 (260 reviews)
    Closed 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Essen Haus Photos

    ESSEN HAUS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for kids

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    Russel R.

    Really nice "German" restaurant. Staff is very friendly and attentive. Food is very good and plentiful as it shares the kitchen with Come Back In. Been going here for many years and one of the original Stein Club members. That is the good news. Now the unfortunate- closing August 31. https://madison.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/essen-haus-come-back-in-closing/article_73154f06-393e-11ef-a2c6-7b6856e642ec.html Update on closing - https://madison.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/essen-haus-reopening-temporarily-auction/article_5eedf766-66fd-11ef-9015-a76582f87c69.html

    Bret B.

    Was planning to visit a Yelp restaurant and passed this beer garden that had a big crowd at picnic tables drinking steins and made a change of plans. When I walked up they were having an old fashioned cookout with ribs and Kraut, mashed with gravy and green bean casserole. $7 cash! Delicious. I washed it down with a $3 Bitburger tap. German beer is so good. Service was friendly and they cut me in on the stein club price. Well played amigos! BTW Madison is awesome

    tables and chairs outside a restaurant
    Nessa D.

    Great place to stop at if you like German food and drinks. They have a large selection of beers on tap and their food is good too. On Fridays they have live polka bands so stop on by and give this place a try.

    Inside view of the stage from the Bar.
    Corbin B.

    Old, incredibly charming. Never had the food. Only the boot. Sad to see the haus go even if it isn't the spot I frequent most.

    Das Boot!
    Rob M.

    Most fun I've had at a restaurant in Madison....and that's sayin something! Live music, good food, on point service and beer in a huge glass boot. Watch the boot, it burps and is expensive if you break it (I know first hand). Definitely going back and bringing a bigger crew with me

    Jaquavious W.

    This is my favorite bar in Wisconsin. The atmosphere is awesome with the staff dressed in German attire. Always has great live Polka bands. Great beer and always great service.

    BOOT

    Just got new shipment of meatloaf... and boy do i love some loaf. 10/10 service, 10/10 BOOT! loving the ambiance long live essenhaus

    Reuben Sandwich
    Paige M.

    Stopped here before a badger game and decided to indulge in some German food. We love schnitzel. It turned out great but the spatzel was a little bit more dry what than I was expecting. I understand there different types but I like mine a little bit more creamy. Our server was very friendly and I thought it was very fun that the girls dressed up in German clothes. It's also very cool to look at all of the German themed art and beer glasses. I'm glad we got there when we did because it did get quite busy for a Saturday night. My only complaint was that our food came out fast and we weren't even finished with our appetizer before the meal was on the table.

    Patio

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    3 months ago

    Anywhere that will serve me a boot of beer gets five stars. They also have great pretzels.

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Essen Haus

    Review Highlights - Essen Haus

    Giant boots filled with beer, giant pretzels with cheese, live Polka music, college servers in dirndls?

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    High Noon Saloon - Entrance photo

    High Noon Saloon

    4.3(92 reviews)
    0.2 miWilliamson - Marquette
    $$

    A lovely 400 seat capacity venue complete with a loft that features tables and chairs. From the…read morestreet, the space is available for lease, but on the backside it's all business. The wife and I were in town and had come to see Not Quite Brothers (Iowa) which have a phenomenal mixed set list that covers more decades than their age would suggest. In fact, I'm pretty sure the majority of the crowd were older than the band. Regardless, a good time was had by all. I'm pretty sure this Saturday night show was wrapped up and had a bow put on it by 10 or 10:30pm. I would totally come see a show here again and would totally see NQB again. One interesting thing to note about NQB, is that once they hit the stage, they played non-stop until they were done, no breaks, came back for an encore set and done \m/

    We have a great time every time we visit high noon saloon. We usually sit in the very small seating…read moresection upstairs but occasionally get down right to the band on the floor. This time we opted for upstairs seating and went downstairs to grab a couple of drinks just prior to the show starting. The beverage service is generally prompt even though at times there can be a long lines. The biggest joy is hearing these small bands perform and hoping for them that they make it to the big time!

    Photos
    High Noon Saloon - Schedule

    Schedule

    High Noon Saloon - Take note, this is certainly new and they have a medal detector at the door too!

    Take note, this is certainly new and they have a medal detector at the door too!

    High Noon Saloon

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    Crystal Corner - Ahhh the lights

    Crystal Corner

    3.9(49 reviews)
    0.9 miWilliamson - Marquette, Willy St
    $

    It looks like an average corner dive bar from the outside but wow, was this a fantastic place a see…read morelive music in Madison! Heads up: cash only at the bar. Come prepared. Bartenders were very nice. Tip them. There is an ATM near the restrooms if you run out of cash. The acoustics are fantastic and I loved the St. Patrick's Day weekend concert! It was packed, but we still found space to dance. Plenty of free street parking. I'm not used to that as a Chicagoan. That was a nice surprise.

    I REALLY wanted to love Crystal Corner, but sadly after our recent visit, popping back by on my…read morenext trip to Madison is not looking very likely. Crystal Corner is located in the famed Willy Street area of Madison, sitting on the corner of Willy Street and Baldwin Street. Crystal Corner has the vibe of the neighborhood, as is it divey, funky, nostalgic and truly local. However, even with all those things, this spot missed the mark for me and my buddy. We swung by on Sunday afternoon for a few drinks while wandering around Willy Street. We bellied up to the bar and ordered a couple of Bloody Mary's, to which the bartender said "Oh, I need to make up some mix. I can't believe people still drink those things around here.". Which was odd, as that was about to be our third bloody of the day, with neighboring restaurants going as far as having special bloody menus. The bartender pulled a can of tomato juice out, dumped it in a pitcher, added a few dashes of hot sauce, Worcestershire and some seasonings. And that was it. She then took some rail vodka, mixed it all up, and topped with an olive and pickle. While I know this sounds phenomenal, it was in fact one of the worst bloody's I have had. Additionally, the olive and pickle were a weird, almost rubbery texture. The combination of everything was off putting...and that was just the start. Next up is the space itself. While I appreciate a good dive bar that is full of nostalgic artwork, furnishings, lighting, etc...but it shouldn't be visible that the place hasn't been cleaned since these things were added. The ceilings and floors were the worst part, with the ceiling tiles being caked with black dust and dirt. Again, being worn is part of being divey, but being dirty doesn't have to be. In addition to the the main room ceilings, the bathroom ceilings were awful, missing tiles, moldy pipes exposed and just an overall feeling of ick that is beyond a normal bar bathroom. Last, but certainly not least, was the service and vibes. They were off, and kind of weird. When we arrived, there were a few locals and regulars, and then a few folks, including us. While the bartender was friendly with us, she was very rude, uncomfortably so, to another patron when he pulled out a credit card instead of cash (cash only spot). There was a little back and forth, then he left. Even after he left, she was calling him names and such to the other patrons. Again, uncomfortable, especially as a new patron to the bar. Overall, the bloody wasn't the only thing that left a bad taste here. From the bloody to the service to the dirtiness, this place needs some love and was just not it for us.

    Photos
    Crystal Corner
    Crystal Corner
    Crystal Corner

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    The Sylvee

    The Sylvee

    3.8(60 reviews)
    0.3 miWilliamson - Marquette
    $$

    This was my first show at The Sylvee. I had heard a lot about it, but I finally got to see what it…read morewas all about. And OH, I was not disappointed! I got to see the Static-X/Sevendust/Dope show, and fortunate to enjoy it from one of the few suites (far from the mosh pit!) that line the perimeter of the viewing area. The location: If you love downtown, this is a great location. If you fear downtown Madison, well, sorry. The good news is you can find decent (or free) parking nearby without getting lost in the mess of one way streets and chaos. The better news is that there's no shortage of places for your "pregame" efforts, whether you are looking for dinner or just a cocktail. The venue: The Sylvee is clean and tidy. You can tell it was built for the best concert-going experience. Plenty of room to move about, good bathroom situation, and numerous places to find a beverage. Up by the suites? Even better, with a special bar and bathroom situation just for them. And the bars have a great selection of craft/local beers. Overall the technology in the venue is great. The sound is excellent, and the lighting is on point. I know a lot has to do with the act that is in town, but Sylvee seems to have what they need to put on a good show. Now, you won't find Aerosmith or KISS coming by to do a show here, but you can find some pretty sizable acts performing here. If you find a show in town that really trips your trigger - and it's at The Sylvee... book it! You won't be sorry.

    My first time at The Sylvee and definitely not my last. Such a cool, modern, spacious, event space…read more I got to see Maren Morris and it was incredible! The layout is great. You walk in and you have a huge bar area on the left to grab a drink, then you can walk down a few steps and it's a huge area right in front of the stage. We got standing only tickets so that's where we stood. It was awesome because you could get so close to the stage. They do have a second floor with an additional bar and paid seating that looked really nice. The sound was great, everything was clean, air conditioned, the bar staff were efficient, and the prices weren't insane. There were a lot of people there but you still had your own standing space, it wasn't a packed sardines situation at all. Even leaving was easy, it wasn't a stampede. Overall an awesome somewhat more intimate experience for a concert. They do have a parking garage for $15. We went to dinner on Willy Street before and had street parking there so we didn't need to move our car. Only a few block walk, super convenient! I can't wait to see another concert at The Sylvee!

    Photos
    The Sylvee - The exterior

    The exterior

    The Sylvee
    The Sylvee

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    Cardinal Bar - Dance floor

    Cardinal Bar

    3.6(31 reviews)
    0.0 miCapitol
    $$

    The Cardinal Bar is both retro and classy. Stopped in for some pre-dinner beverages and listened to…read morethe live conga band get set-up and play their first few songs. The service was really good with cool bartenders and a mellow vibe. Didn't try the food although it is on the menu. A bit further from campus, the CB seems to be a place catering to a more mature crowd rather than a UW student bar.

    The decor is so cute and I really liked the food options and NA drinks! Parking is a challenge so…read morewe parked in the Essen Haus lot then walked over. We arrived shortly after they opened and it was excellent: great service, great vibes. We were so relaxed. We visited on a dancing night and even though we stayed at our table, it was so fun to see people of all ages, sexualities, and wardrobes coming to and from the dancefloor. Once it got busy, the bartenders were really struggling. It seemed like most of them were new because they kept asking one of the bartenders questions. One of them didn't even know where to find the drink I ordered (it was on the menu, and in the fridge in a can). Once all of the employees are as seasoned as the one they were all asking questions to, I think things will run much more smoothly. It also turned into a big party atmosphere which was fine with us, but many of the tables that were relaxing when we arrived were gone shortly after the music started. So just choose your visit time based on the type of experience you want.

    Photos
    Cardinal Bar - Dance floor

    Dance floor

    Cardinal Bar - Sitting area

    Sitting area

    Cardinal Bar - Old Juke Box

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    Old Juke Box

    Essen Haus - german - Updated May 2026

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