We've been to Gates and Brovi a handful of times now. We've had all good experiences. We mostly come for their oyster happy hour. It used to be $1 a oyster but they raised the price recently to $1.25 I believe. It still a good deal and the oysters are always fresh. I also really enjoy their fried cheese curds, some of the best in Madison. A very light coating of breading served with a delicious ranch dressing. Their fries are also really good, they are very thin and crispy. I have had a pasta dish with sausage and clams and it was super good. They have pizza but we haven't tried it yet. They have a nice cocktail menu and the drinks are always good. This is also a nice place for kids. Parking can sometimes be a little tricky. They don't have their own lot and you cant park in in it until after 6 or 7. So its mostly street parking before that. read more

I was last at G&B a few weeks ago for the Friday Oysters. My eldest daughter was home from college and Oysters at G&B have claimed a place on the visit checklist as a dad/daughter date whenever she makes the long trip from the West coast. Disclaimer, G&B is probably my favorite Madison area restaurant. I have not tried the Brunch, which I notice gets some mediocre love in other reviews. The Menu food has been spot on every time for me however. I've enjoyed slower meals there with my wife and noisy feasts when visitors come from out of town and we want something fun and special. I like to think I have pretty good taste for seafood, having spent extended time in fishy Capitals like New Orleans and Houston, and I can say with confidence that G&B would do quite well competing with the big league restaurant regions. The fillets are always fresh, perfectly cooked with fresh sides. The bar is excellent as well, with a great list of beers and bartenders who can mix more than the basics. So my daughter and I munched through a pile of Oysters, shared our techniques and then hit some more great appetizers and really good gumbo .. the vibe at G&B is relaxed but bustling and feels like a great neighborhood place to be. The price is high end Pub.. but for me anyway worth every penny and I never have buyer remorse at G&B. TIP1 well not so much a tip WARNING.. the parking is non-existent, plan on parking several blocks away, not so good on bad weather nights. Definitely worth the trouble though. TIP2 if you want a try a Poorboy for the first time, or an Oyster for the first, and you happen to live in Madison.. I would recommend G&B or get an airline ticket! TIP3 G&B has only limited TV.. is 80% restaurant only 20% Pub.. so if you are wanting to watch an event and eat there a good view may be difficult. read more

All I heard was 35 min wait.. hold up.. it's 545pm and already a 35 min wait? Okay then. Our friends raved about this place and he was meeting is there tonight... no turning back now.. you know what. IT'S WORTH EVERY MINUTE OF WAIT TIME. We were seated and brought drinks.. the place was packed. An order of cheese curds and fresh.. damn fresh.. oysters landed on our table. Along with pasta and fish fry.. everything was amazing. Amy our server was sweet and attentive. Well for sure be back. Prices are perfect for quality of food and atmosphere is talkative, loud, and fun. read more

After being here three times I thought they were something very unique. Now after they took their only bone-in chicken dish off the menu (other than wings), I think they are just above average. They have a nice decor, gastropub atmosphere, and they serve fresh oysters and mussels, but they are becoming more of an average Wisconsin bar. You know you are plummeting towards ordinary when umpteen reviews say you have the best cheese curds in town. read more

Some positives: - they made a good brandy old fashioned - oysters were decent - boiled potatoes were really tasty - a great space Some thing to improve on: - the fried chicken breading was too heavy and doughy. - a very random feeling menu, expected more seafood options. None of the burgers sounded appealing. Braunschweiger? Really? - no drink specials read more

I'm thrilled to have G&B within walking distance of my house. As others have commented, the interior is gorgeous. It reminded me of a Door County restaurant, one of those that has been there for ages. The menu is not extensive, but there is enough variety that everyone in your party should be able to find something they would be happy with. In fact, I think the menu choices do a great job of covering a lot of different preferences with a minimum of options. I have been to other restaurants with far more extensive menus and found fewer choices that were appealing to me -- I don't eat red meat or poultry but I do eat seafood and fish. In some restaurants I may have a single option on a very large menu, yet at G&B there are several I could eat. I have eaten there twice -- very good, not "gourmet" but a cut above the regular bar/sandwich place for sure. I am not sure I understand the critiques of other reviewers who downgrade G&B for being the kind of restaurant it is, rather than the kind of restaurant they wish it was. If it's a casual local gathering place, then that's what it is. And not everyone wants a big haystack of fries automatically with their sandwich. It's wasteful. The cole slaw that is served with the sandwiches lacks flavor, in part because it is dished into the serving cups long before it is served so the dressing sinks to the bottom. If you don't know this and don't stir it up before you eat it, you get plain cabbage for the first few bites. Even so, the dressing is pretty bland. As I'm not a sophisticated drinker the lack of a drink/beer menu doesn't bother me, but I get how that should be remedied. My only other issue with the place is not the fault of G&B but with the patrons. Both times I have been there, parents have allowed small children to scream and/or run around while they sat either oblivious to the behavior or assuming other patrons would find this adorable. There are clueless people everywhere but casual dining is rife with them. read more

I have been to Gates and Brovi twice. I did not write a review the first visit because I wasn't particularly impressed. I do not want to give an unfavorable review after only one visit. Truthfully, I cannot even recall what I ate. I just remember that no one at the table was thrilled with their food. We walked away full but the food was totally forgettable. The first visit was at night, the place was bustling. We had good service despite the crowd. A few days ago I visited Gates and Brovi at lunch time. It was a business meeting of sorts but my friend and I agreed that we would not bring our paperwork into the restaurant as not to "hog" a table during the busy lunch hour. It turned out we had nothing to worry about. We were at the restaurant for a couple of hours and there were many tables available during our stay. I had the shrimp salad sandwich and my friend had the eggplant sandwich. I thought the dressing on the shrimp was extremely thin and tasteless. The shrimp were small and probably had been frozen. The bread became soggy and there was a sad little lettuce leaf for some desperately needed crunch. I ate the sandwich with a fork. The eggplant sandwich looked very appealing. It was a pretty plate of food. However, my friend stated that the sandwich was terribly under-spiced and just bland in general. So, I do not plan to return until I hear that changes have been made. The menu is very small and not many of the items drew my attention. I cannot believe that the restaurant is run by the same folks who own Sardine and Marigold. Both restaurants have consistently excellent food and a great vibe to go with it. I still hold out hope for Gates and Brovi for the future. ( I wish they would change the name). read more

We ordered Chicken Picatta and it was amazing. Ot had lemon-y taste and the potatoes were too good. A must try.

Finally had a chance to get over to Monroe St and check out Gates & Brovi. The yelp reviews on here were such a mixed bag that I wasn't sure what to expect, but it looked like a cosy place from the outside and I generally like the Monroe street establishments. We went on a Friday night after work, which I'd expect would be crazy busy but we were in the mood for a new place. It was reasonably busy considering, but they have a lot of open space so it didn't feel like it. I'll agree with other Yelpers here that the acoustics are pretty bad, being that it's one giant room. The atmosphere was fairly loud, although you can still hold a conversation. The wait for a booth was going to be a while so we snagged a seat at the bar. They had one bartender for about 20-25 people there. He was a nice guy but not terribly attentative, and we were probably there a half hour more than we needed to be as a result. I ordered an Old Fashioned and wasn't too happy with the taste, but otherwise was enjoying a Friday night out. Based on the bartender's suggestions my wife ordered a G&B burger and I ordered the lasagna special with side salad, along with some cheese curds for an appetizer. The cheese curds were really good as others had mentioned, I'd definitely rank them pretty high up for the Madison area. My wife enjoyed her burger, but my lasagna was extremely mediocre, which I was surprised by since it's virtually impossible to mess up pasta. It just had a bland taste and a sauce that didn't do much for it. Prices were expensive. Granted we had a few beers, but at the end of the meal our check was $70/75 after tip for two people. If this were a place that I felt had more going for it I'd be comfortable with that amount, but I don't think I'll be making a return visit. Even if some food choices are better than others, the atmosphere is too disjointed, certainly not the cosy interior I perceived from driving by. read more

Nice place, has a New England fishing shack decor I think. Very limited menu with maybe a half dozen sandwiches and burgers. The appetizers are very good with the sandwiches getting just a good mark. The kids really enjoyed. read more

Four of us stopped in for an early dinner on a Friday after a very busy week at work. Food was plentiful and very good. Nice neighborhood location , service was excellent and the prices were ok. Recommend this place read more

Had high expectations with all these good reviews, and being one of the few oyster places in town. The price for oysters and wine/beer was reasonable during happy hour. However, we were very very disappointed with the oysters. Oyster liquor keeps them unique and tasty, but at this place, they seem to rinse and dump the liquor. It made the oysters really bland, not briny at all. The atmosphere was nice, so was the service, and they have a pretty good selection of drinks. read more

Gates & Brovi - Bland :-( - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

What a great neighborhood restaurant! I've been a few times now, with girlfriends, family and on a date with my hubby. All great experiences! We had to wait a bit this past weekend for a table but there was room at the bar and the bartender was very friendly and quickly helped us. Once we got our table, the waitress was as equally accommodating and friendly. I ordered the GF shrimp & chorizo pasta and my husband had the fish BLT, both were delicious! The decor is comfy and hip. I highly recommend Gates & Brovi. read more

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We love this place. G&B has a really great vibe and pleasant atmosphere on Monroe Street. Our food has been uniformly excellent, though some may balk at the unusual menu. Service is cheerful and prompt. Parking can a challenge, but if it's too inconvenient, you can always go to the mall. A short walk won't kill you. read more

I came here for a double date on a Saturday night. Reading the reviews on Yelp, I had my bar set a little lower than usual. However, I was pleasantly surprised! We has the veggie fritters and oysters for apps. The fitters were basically lightly fried, tempura(ish) style veggies. They were tasty combined with the sauce it was served with. The oysters tasted fresh and were served with the usual Tabasco, crackers and horseradish. For dinner, I had the Fisherman's stew with was a combo of seafood (oysters, clam, fish, crab, mussels) in a spicy tomato broth. It was served with a side of French bread. I really enjoyed the stew. I highly recommend it. My wife had the seafood penne pasta. It was also very tasty and well prepared. Presentation and portions were right on. We also had homemade cherry pie ala mode. It was delicious! Overall, decor and environment was very nice. The food was tasty. It was very pricey so be prepared to spend a lot if you go with a three course meal. Do not go here on a game day or night unless you want to actually watch the game. It gets very loud! read more

On our first attempt to go there for dinner the place was packed on a Saturday night. On our second attempt we arrived shortly after the kitchen closed for the night. On our third attempt we got in right as dinner started to be served on a Wednesday night. It wasn't packed but business picked up over the hour we were there. The waitress didn't quite have her banter. The only adjective she used to describe menu items was "interesting". The 1/2 order of oysters for appetizer were decent. Fried chicken is the Wednesday night special. The serving was large, consisting of 4 oddly chopped sections of bird. The breading was heavy and tasted slightly overcooked. The boiled potatoes were good. The brandy old fashion was great. But there is no happy hour so we both had one and called it a dinner. read more

Have now had three meals here, and I have been a few other times for beers and apps. Not quite five stars, but on its way. First, the two burgers I have had were both fantastic. Clearly, they are using quality beef. The fried onions on the Mushroom/Swiss were cooked in what tasted like a wine sauce, and they made this a flavor full burger. The G&B burger was even better, one of my new favorites in Madison. Unique and satisfying burger. I had the patty melt one other time, and it was disappointing. It was greasy, and I think they used too much butter on the bread. Also, while I like little twists on a classic, I just didn't think the sauerkraut/mustard combo was right for patty melt. Just one guys opinion, but the opinion of a life long patty melt lover. The cheese curds are also obviously hand made with their own batter, and I love the dill dipping sauce that comes with them. The selection of beers on tap is spot on. Some unique choices, but not different just for different's sake. For example, the great Chech beer Staropramen on tap - bravo! Finally, fun atmosphere that is bright and lively. One problem - parking. Give yourself time to find a spot and be ready to walk. read more

As a big fan of both Marigold Kitchen and Sardine, I was fairly excited to try Gates & Brovi. It has some hits and misses, but overall is a pleasant enough space to have dinner, and given the restaurant desert that is its location, a welcome addition to the area. As others have mentioned, the parking situation can be nightmarish, but if you arrive at 7 or later, you are officially allowed to park in the Mallatt's Pharmacy lot in back. The decor is casual but clean and rustic, with lots of reclaimed barn wood. The tables and chairs are somewhat comfortable, though nothing to write home about. I do wish there was some aspect of the decor that absorbed sound, but there isn't, so it's fairly noisy. Also, if you want to watch the game while eating, you'll practically have to sit at the bar. The bathrooms are beautiful and clean, though. All waitstaff are quite nice and attentive, and those with long hair are careful to tie it back - always a plus in my book. The first time I visited, I came for dinner with my boyfriend. We shared the cheese curds with homemade ranch as an appetizer. They were closer to The Old Fashioned's style than, say, Culver's - more free-form and greasy with less breading. They tend to clump together a lot, a mild annoyance. The homemade ranch was quite good, though. I ordered the brown sugar roasted pork sandwich (a la carte - the cheese curds were so filling). It was delicious but incredibly messy; I had to use a ton of napkins, the bread was soaked by the end of the meal, and I still had to excuse myself to wash my hands at the end of the meal. Not a problem for me, but if I were dressed well I might avoid it. My boyfriend ordered the G&B burger and a side of fries. I'm not sure why it comes with American cheese as the default - anyone who's tasted real cheese knows that American cheese tastes like the plastic in which it's wrapped. My boyfriend substituted cheddar, and it tasted fine, but not up there with the real burger champs in Madison (Dotty's and Blue Moon being high on my personal list). He was a little bummed that it didn't come with fries automatically, but given that the burger is only six bucks, it seemed fair to me. The fries were crisp and hot on arrival; they reminded me of the delicious fries at Sardine. The old-fashioned I had to drink was quite nice, just the right balance of booze and mixers. The second time we visited, I just had a beer (Anchor Steam in a cold glass straight from the fridge), but my boyfriend was craving a root beer float. You'll have to order one of their "ice cream sodas" with root beer, but it's great. The ice cream is rich and tasty, and my boyfriend loved their choice of Stewart's for the root beer. They only pour half of the bottle into the glass, but they do give you the rest of it to refill at your leisure. Since he finished his "ice cream soda" before I finished my beer, the bartender courteously brought him some water without request, which I thought was a great touch. They were touting a new menu which starts today, so I will be returning to see how that is. I also look forward to trying their oyster happy hour someday, since I've liked Sardine's oyster happy hour so much. read more

Gates & Brovi - Bon Chovi Pizza - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We had a lovely dinner at Gates & Brovi on our most recent visit. Our food was excellent and service was pretty good. Add that to a cozy atmosphere on a winter night and you can't beat it. We went right around 5:30 which was fortunate as the place seems to fill up around 6 or so. The host seated us in a booth towards the kitchen, but our waitress was prompt in getting us water and explaining the specials. I decided on the seafood cannelloni special and my friend got the salmon burger. We ordered the cheese curds as an appetizer. The curds were excellent! I wasn't expecting them to be since this place is known for pizza and burgers, but they have their own recipe going and I think the ranch was even homemade. Who knew! I also loved the seafood cannelloni; it had big chunks of shrimp and scallops with a delicious sauce over top both cannelloni. Again, better than what I was expecting for G&B. I'm taking off one star for the portion size (small) and the price (high). I would have left hungry if not for the curds appetizer. Overall, the space is charming and their food is high quality. It's a bit off the beaten path, so probably best for a weeknight date. They have a good happy hour too! read more

We were invited here by some friends who said they have good oysters, they do. That unfortunately is where the good review ends. The meal itself was nothing to right home about. I had a shrimp Po'boy and it was just okay, I've had worse but I definitely have had better. The waitress seemed more concerned about getting us out of the place and the next guest into the seats than whether we were enjoying our evening there or not. I would return for the oysters and that's about it. read more

This place is awesome. The aesthetic is somewhere between north woods cabin and Florida fish camp. Everything on the menu is worth trying, but if you don't have week to invest, start with the curds, try the special, and finish with pie and ice cream. Grab a few mixed drinks and have a good time. read more

Love everything on the menu! Chicken piccata and salmon burger are my favorite so far

This place is great. $1.25 oysters, great pizza, great service and a beautiful spot. Very unique! read more

Gates & Brovi - Not much from the outside - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

First time here. Love the atmosphere. Burger and blue Gil sandwich really good too. We will be back.

Just ate here normally have good Service but not tonight I had to ask the waiter for a scoop of ice cream twice

Well the fried smelt was a GREAT appetizer, that by my knowledge is not readily available. Essentially a ten$ appetizer and is like a meal, I definitely come here for the lakes/great Lakes. read more

Gates and Brovi was a great find. Went there for brunch. The biscuit and gravy was the best I've ever eaten, the buttermilk pancakes were delicious, the greens were awesome, the strawberry rhubarb pie was outstanding, the brownie sundae melted in my mouth, the atmosphere was rustic yet homey, the service was great, and yummy complementary butter mints. I definitely recommend this for brunch. read more

The parking situation is terrible, but the pizza is great. Let me explain. Gates & Brovi is located next to that Mallatt's at the end of Monroe St, where it splits off into Nakoma Rd and Odana Rd. There is not private lot; it's all street parking. They have these very complicated diagrams everywhere showing you where you can and cannot park. Most of the suggested parking areas have some kind of restriction. Anyway, back to the pizza. They have 7 or 8 specialty pizzas on the back of the menu, and having tried about half of them, I can say they are all amazing. The crust is on the thin side, and I think they must have a wood-burning pizza oven in the back. The Clam Pie has clams, roasted fennel, tomato sauce, cream, basil, mozzarella and parmesan and it all melts together in your mouth. The clams are very juicy *insert clam joke here* but the basil and fennel really make the flavors pop. The Green Goat is also a good bet: basil pesto, zucchini, roasted tomatoes, oil-cured black olive, mozzarella and goat cheese. You can't go wrong with pesto and goat cheese. Another one of my favorites is the Sausage and Roasted Artichokes pizza: parmesan béchamel, red onion, house-made giardinera and italian parsley. It combines many of my favorite things; giardinera, sausage, and artichokes. Win-win. I also love the interior...it is really spacious, and the exposed brick walls, the cozy booths, and the wooden ceiling give it a casual but upscale feel. There are also a couple of big screens if you are into sports. I'll be back for more pizza...and their chowder looks good too! read more

I thought the fried shrimp were amazing! Definitely family friendly but for a busy Saturday night I was surprised kids got bar seats. The space is kind of a nautical theme and very cozy. Service was fast and food was yummy. I'd like to try the fish fry. read more

First off, go early because parking is terrible. I know they aren't totally in control of the parking but because of this I can't give a perfect review. However, once you find a parking spot everything gets much, much better. This is one of our go-to neighborhood spots for a casual dinner or even just cocktails. Get the hot trollop cocktail...a margarita with jalapenos in it...totally great! Nice, upper-class decor that's much better than the dark wood paneling of most supper clubs in Madison. Gates & Brovi is a family favorite. read more

This place has kind of a weird east coast harbor decoration theme or something to that effect. Decor aside this is one of the better food joints that also has TV's. The fish fry is a good dish. The portion size here is pretty good (if you want a lot of food.) The burger scores 7.5 out of 10. Also full bar is quieter than the downtown scene so getting a table is more likely. Good soundtrack as well music at a reasonable volume. Parking nearby. Serves food 'til 10 on weeknights. read more

Excellent food and the management is fantastic - had a bit of a problem with a less-than-helpful bartender and owner wanted to know all about it, was very responsive, and completely took care of the problem and wiped out our tab (which was not necessary, as the food and waiter were fantastic)!! Have been here many times and will continue to do so! Blue Gill fish fry best in Madison! read more

Great food, nice craft beer selection and excelente attention. Loved the aura of the place

Great veggie burger that is vegan too! Even came with a side of vegan coleslaw :) Been back a few times now and the kitchen is more than accommodating :) read more

Solid. Madison needs good seafood places. Its good. Not great. Nothing spectacular to me, though my party disagreed, but the service is good, the happy hour specials are great. Parking is iffy but its on Monroe street so whatcha gonna do. I ordered the pizza with the clams on it (forgot the name). Solid. wasn't amazing. Wasn't mind blowing. Came out nice and fresh. Wife had the G&B burger and she said it was one of the best burger's she's ever had. I had one bite of it. Thought it was better than average but wasn't a "destination dish." (Of which I am still searching for in Madison). Calamari was average. Kid friendly with a decent kid's menu. Solid place. You can't go wrong. Your mind won't be blown but on the other hand I don't think this place is vying for that. read more

We stopped here sort of on a whim after riding by on our bikes one evening. We stopped hoping for good food and good beer, and to our delight, we were not disappointed. The draft beer list was relatively long and the food we ordered was tasty. I had the Italian artichokes, radicchio, kalamata olives salad and he had the shrimp po' boy. The salad was super flavorful and the po' boy didn't disappoint with the amount of shrimp that was stuffed between to pieces of toasty baguette. We will be back! read more

Just left a very delicious dinner at Gates & Brovi! Hubby had the G&B burger and I had the Salmon Burger at the recommendation of the waitress (was also considering the Bluegill BLT). Hubs liked his burger, although it was a bit messy. I REALLY liked the Salmon Burger. It comes topped with a slaw, cucumber slices and spicy aioli that were the perfect complement. There's also a slaw served on the side that is on the vinegar, rather than mayo, side of the flavor wheel. The level of vinegar was pretty much perfect for my tastes. Hubs and I also split a small basket of fries, which was plenty for the two of us. The fries were thin cut - just like I like them! - and a tad overcooked. But hey, I'd rather have an overcooked fry rather than an undercooked one. Portion sizes were good and we both had half of our burgers left over to take home. We ended out our meal with their dessert of the day - a simple almond cake with hand whipped cream. The cake was lightly dusted with powdered sugar and was absolutely delicious! Needless to say, there was no cake left over to take home. The space is open and airy, although our table in the bar was a little overwhelmed with patrons waiting in the bar area for tables to open up. It's also a little noisy with the bar flowing right into the main dining area. There is a smaller, snuggly room at the rear of the main dining area, so I imagine if you can finagle your way into that room, you'll experience significantly less noise. For a busy Saturday night, our wait was fairly short (20 mins), and absolutely every member of the staff was hustling to serve the patrons in an efficient but unhurried manner. We'll definitely be back for the excellent food and service! read more

It's not that I have a love/hate with this place. It's more love/annoyed. The food is reliably very very good. It's pretty pricey, but not exorbitant. They have a decent tap list, it's usually dominated by multiple different IPAs on a list of draft beers that's pretty small. A bit more variety would be nice. The real annoyance with G&B come from trying to park (which isn't their fault) and having no place to easily wait for a table when it's crowded - which it usually is. If you get there early enough to find a table you'll struggle to find parking. If you get there after the parking restrictions lift it will be too packed to find a table without without waiting while standing against the northeast windows dodging people trying to get to the bar. read more

Decent atmosphere, definitely a neighborhood family-oriented restaurant- it is always very loud and hectic in here. I have eaten at Gates and Brovi about 5-6 times now, and never been particularly impressed with anything beyond apps and burgers. I like their wines by the glass, and it's an okay happy hour option, but the entrees I've tried tend to be bland and not very filling for the price. Plus the service is pretty hit or miss. I haven't had their pizza (gluten sensitivity) but my friends like the pizza there better than the rest of the menu. read more

I was not super impressed by this place. I had a couple of friends who raved about the place and wanted to meet here for drinks after work. They have an oyster happy hour from 3-6pm (T-F) and you can get raw oysters for $1.25/ea and $1 off beer. I had 6 oysters and a beer. The draft beer was cool and refreshing. The oysters were ok. I've had better oysters along the east and southern US coasts. These were not too meaty and were pretty tasteless. They come with sauce and crackers too. The ambience of the place is pretty casual and clean. The parking is a problem though. Without any formal dedicated parking lot, patrons are forced to cruise the neighborhood in circles to find a decent parking spot. The prices of the meals seemed a bit higher than comparable restaurants in Madison. I like that it's close to the bike path. read more