Piss poor customer service! Called on a Friday afternoon @ 430 and asked for a 530 reservation...the person who answered the phone said "we don't take reservations but we can fit in a party of 12." Showed up at 530 and the manager told us "their is no way someone would take a reservation..." basically called my wife a liar...first time last time. read more

Great brunch ! Scrambled eggs with soft scalloped potatoes was delicious. Nice variety on menu for Sunday brunch, including a muffuletta like breakfast sandwich and rigatoni pasta!! Booths that are kind of private; sound level is medium but still noisier then I like if you want to talk. read more

Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Atmosphere more loud and noisy than we were anticipating. Lots of children....which is fine... but the parents were not very interested in monitoring them. read more

Service is very mediocre. Expediter dude intentionally looks away from you as he sets down food, and ignores if you say, "excuse me..." Apparently his job is to drop and dash. Server had trouble writing down drink orders if you say two at a time. "mezcal, single, neat; andPBR with a glass" had to be said twice, then broken down and repeated again, one at a time, slowly. And then the neat drink arrived with ice. He didn't check on us after our food was brought to the table. I asked to check for allergen ingredients in the desserts and he never got back to me so I didn't order any. Lack of attention to the music playlist safe settings may lead to white hipster staff pumping in some choice selections with explicit lyrics including n-word, p-word, etc. He blames being at the end of a long shift but it's not his problem. Owner and top managers need to have that dialed in, and they don't. In 2022 it takes a little more effort to curate your spotify or pandora or whatever you use. Apparently we're all supposed to be OK with families and kids being subjected to tunes like WAP. The food is fine, barely. Pizza is super wet in the center. Burger serving is ok if you're not too hungry or if you're going to get lots of appetizers and sides. Oysters aren't too impressive. But I do love the vibe and crowd. Apparently this spot is popular with neighborhood locals, they do a good business so this probably won't hurt their core constituency. But if not in the immediate area and looking for a place to eat, don't go out of your way to come here. I'd prefer Buck and Honey to this place and that's not exactly a high bar. This place was better before the pandemic. read more

I am a big fan of Sardine (my go-to date night restaurant) and Marigold (who doesn't want a chili poached egg for breakfast?), so in my world having G&B move into the neighborhood felt like an early Christmas present. I would drive by and imagine being able to walk home after dinner with my roommate. My roommate and I would talk about our new favorite restaurant, as if it were already open and we were regulars. We were friends with the imaginary bartenders who worked there. I tried to convince my boyfriend's niece to apply for a job there. I was excited. Really. First Attempt: Gates & Brovi apparently aspires to the family friendly sports bar vibe. Great. Perfect style for the neighborhood. I am there with 2 friends. We are excited! Here's the problem: the menu is dumbed down to the point that not one, but both dinner companions picked up the menu, skimmed, flipped it over (to reveal no flipside), and said 'Did they give us the kid's menu?' Both. Same line. Appetizers are almost universally fried and include items easily accessible in the frozen foods section at Copps. Lovely. Wow, ranch dressing for dip? How innovative. Burgers and sandwiches--again, I can make these options (really) at home. On a weeknight. For children who would actually eat them because there are no 'weird' ingredients (Like vegetables. Or creative sauces. Or creative toppings. Or creativity, full stop). Option to add 'weird' ingredients? No. I understand that this is a family oriented restaurant, but there are burger and sandwich joints less than a mile away (ahem...Laurel, V, Jac's) that serve kid friendly food without the condescension of this menu. If this restaurant were unrelated to Sardine and Marigold, it would be a disappointment. As it stands, it's offensive. Moving on...We order one of two non-fried appetizers on the menu-- crab dip with veggies. Comes in a shallow, wide metal dish which, go figure with the dish selection, was instantly lukewarm and congealed. Veggies were 3 carrot sticks and 3 celery sticks, cut so thin they curled. Looks of dismay were exchanged. These are the same owners who serve the lovely fritto and chicken liver crostini, no? Surely they can identify an appropriate serving utensil and cut the veggies thick enough to hold shape. We also tried the shrimp fritters-- if fry is the primary menu option, embrace it, no? Meh. Not bad, not great...the point is, not memorable. At this same meal, drinks are ordered. Drinks menu? No. Beers on tap? Couldn't hear the waitress (oh wait, this is the one thing G&B has in common with Sardine and Marigold-- exceptionally poor acoustics). Is there at least a list of the tap and bottle beer? Don't have one, "but we have pretty much anything you can think of by the bottle". Great. Could my friend have a Crispin? "We don't have that". Ah. At this point we ordered a round a Spotted Cow (state beverage, apparently), gave up on the limp veggies and cold crab dip and half eaten shrimp fritters, and declared a hiatus. Surely the restaurant will improve, we thought. Second Attempt: Cut to 10 days later. Brainwave! It's a kid restaurant-- I'll bring a kid! I just had a bad attitude! It's going to be awesome! Have they now written a beverage menu? Not yet. Boyfriend and kid (aka focus group of one) pick up food menus, turn them over, look confused, and simultaneously say, "Is this it?". No, I did not prep them. Back to the lousy acoustics. Two "whatever that first one you said"s are ordered along with a root beer float and cheese curds. Root beer float arrives with a bottle of root beer and purple silly straw-- lovely. I was wrong. G&B is redeemed. Wait...is that a puddle of grease at the bottom of those curds? And why are they all stuck together? Darn it! But no, I will stay positive. Burgers are ordered-- this is a burger joint, their burgers are going to be inspired in their simple perfection! All will be forgiven! Oh...they don't come with a side? A Dixie cup of coleslaw? Okay! Sounds great! $10.50 for a burger and side of small fries! Grilled onions? Yum! Oh wait, you put raw onions on instead. Special sauce? Couldn't find it. Was it that penny-sized dot on the bottom of the bun? I can't say if it was 'special'. I couldn't taste it (see previous onion issue). Gooey melty cheese....so passé. Apparently the new way to serve burgers is with cold, unmelted cheese squares. Mmmmm. Kid verdict? Float finished, half a burger left uneaten. This is a teenage boy. The focus group has spoken. Adult verdict? I hate you for getting me so excited, for so many months, with my fantasies about my 'new favorite restaurant' (within walking distance!), and for then being awful. I hate you for being related to Marigold and Sardine and for making me expect more from you. Ugh. I give you two stars. One for the root beer-- the straw was cool (plus no-one got food poisoning, so hey, that's something). One for the awesome skeleton lawn flamingo I got next door at Mallatt's. read more

Listen. If you haven't had the pies at G&B you might as well just go jump into lake Wingra right now because your life is not worth living. Seriously, turn off the Duck Dynasty marathon and book it because your mind is about to explode into a million tiny pieces. I'm inclined to just quit my job, sell my house, and sleep in the fucking arboretum so that I can wake up each morning to the smell of de-fucking-licious pies and just eat them all day long. I'm only keeping my job so that I have money to buy pies with. My first time, I ordered the pecan pie. Pecan gooeyness and maple fucking whippy shit and I just put it all in my face and ordered two more. read more

First time in, great service! It had a nice modern bar vibe but kept classic decor. I had oysters, Cesar salad, and a glass of wine - all of which were excellent. My favorite oysters in Madison so far! read more

Great atmosphere; was quite busy but the service and the waittimes were perfectly acceptable. Everyone in my group had something different and was quite happy. A great addition to the Madison restaurant scene. read more

Like some of the other reviewers I was SO excited for the new restaurant (by the folks who brought us Sardine and Marigold) to open in the neighborhood. After recovering from the initial dissapointment of finding out that this was yet another beer & burger place (is that really the only definition of "family friendly dining" on the near westside?) I decided to check it out with the attitude that they would probably do really great, unique things with burgers etc. What a dissapointing meal. I ordered the tuna, tomato and olive appetizer. Served with crackers. I pictured sort of an antipasto platter. Instead, I got a mushy, inedible tomatosaucy mess of a dish served with SALTINE crackers. I've never seen soup crackers served with an appetizer before. My friend's pork sandwich wasn't much better. Dry and flavorless. Lots of bread. Some thin dry breaded meat. Some lettuce. The fried artichoke appetizer was pretty good, but got soggy quickly (almost all the appetizers are fried). The wedge salad was just okay - picture a decent cafeteria salad. The atmosphere is loud and bland, with flatscreen TVs. Not sure about the beer list, but only 4 wines. There didn't seem to be a drink menu. The service was very good, but that was the only redeeming thing about the place. I really wanted to like this restaurant because I was hoping it would be a great new addition to the neighborhood, but there's no point in going back unless the menu is seriously revamped. Lots of other choices in the neighborhood with much better food. read more

Not impressed. Really just a concept restaurant with meh food and kitschy decor. OK as a local bar hangout and no more. So many other options especially on Monroe St! read more

Much of my criticism and compliments have already been detailed very nicely by others, so I will just summarize in bullet points. 1. Great location for walkers, inconvenient for those driving from other neighborhoods. Given that it is geared toward the neighborhood and repeat customer base... (see number 2) 2. Very limited menu selection. Literally turned the menu over to see what was on the back, only to find it empty, thought to myself, 'is this a kids' menu?' Turns out that is what everyone at the table was thinking too. 3. In response to my request for a drink list, our server replied, "We have every beer you can think of in bottle." False. Who wants to play the game, "Do you have {insert beer}" repeatedly in a noisy crowded restaurant? Write it down or memorize it and be able to tell me all of them. 4. A basket of individually wrapped saltine crackers like one would find at a salad bar is NOT an acceptable bread item to serve with hot crab dip. Just cut the carrots and celery into adult human size, give enough of them, and/or add some nice crostini. 5. The clam chowder is very good. 6. The shrimp fritters are pretty good. I am interested to see if the owners read their own reviews and improve the quality of food and service. It really is a great location, and I so eagerly awaited their opening. read more

Fantastic Fish Fry. Went back a few times to enjoy the fish fry. One of the best on the West side of Madison in my opinion.

I always was curious about trying out this restaurant and finally made it this past Friday night. Upon arrival we were seated immediately. The restaurant had a few big groups and overall was a little loud. However that's to be expected on a busy Friday evening. Overall the staff was very attentive, we received waters almost right upon sitting down. Our server was friendly and ensured the pacing of dinner was perfect. We had the calamari for an appetizer which was cooked perfectly although I think a little less breading would have been nice. For dinner I ordered the chicken piccata which had a nice lemon caper sauce and the portion was huge! Typically this dish is served with pasta but Gates and Brovi gave it a creative spin. Their piccata is served with green beans and potatoes. The green beans were cooked perfectly and the potatoes were very tasty as well. The menu describes the potatoes as crispy but in truth the sauce soaks in and they weren't what I expected in terms of texture. Overall I enjoyed the ambiance, service and food. I highly recommend it and look forward to trying one of their pizzas next time. Parking seems to be an issue other yelpers have brought up, however even on a busy Friday night we easily found street parking a block and a half away. I also would point out that their space allows them to handle big groups so I could see if being a great choice for birthdays. read more

Gates & Brovi - Chicken piccata! - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We have been to Gates and Brovi a few times, both during the weekday for lunch and weekend dinners with friends. It's a nice place with a very local friendly feel to it. The prices are very reasonable. I have to say the food is not particularly special. The fried cheese curds are pretty tasty, but that's about as good as it gets. The fries are thin and not particularly tasty, they don't give you very much, even a large order. The panfried bluegill blt was alright, but really messy to eat and had too much sauce on it. The G&B similar - strangely drippy. Our dining companions seemed to like their food better, the linguine with sausage and clams and the soup of the day. When I went for lunch, the place was practically empty and it was really cold. I had brought a guest from out of town and she thought the place was charming and loved the homey Wisconsin feel, but didn't say much about the food. We ordered dessert, which turned out to be a mistake for me as it was a stale piece of blueberry pie. Parking is super difficult. Even in the middle of the afternoon during a snowstorm. That's not really their fault, but it does make it a challenge to eat there. Go for the relaxed atmosphere, stay for the conversation and the beer, leave before they make you order any food. read more

Waited 1:15 hr for our food. Food was good but over priced. No acknowledgement or apology for excessive. Tonight was my last vusit.

I definitely second the previous review on the SMELT! A huge amount for an "appetizer". Perfectly cooked and seasoned and the tartar "sauce" on the side was perfect. I bet there were 50 little fish on the platter. Split it with a friend, but I know I got at least 30. He had the Bluegill BLT which he deemed fantastic. I had that the last time, so I got the shrimp salad roll with hot mango jam. Perfect transition from the smelt. I do believe I might just have to sneak in some day again for a lunch and order a whole order of smelt just for me. Don't miss this place...it's a hidden gem. read more

Great Friday fish fry. Great slaw. Good salmon burger. Very appetizing flatbreads. In short I'm a fan.

Noise level is really bad-- my head was ringing after 5 minutes from the noise bouncing off the wooden floor and ceiling, brick walls, and wooden tables. Service was nice but food came out slooow (couple that came in after we had ordered was almost done with their food by the time ours arrived-- not good w/ two hungry kids at the table...) Salads are overpriced for what you get... they're priced fine if they were something special, but they're not. Menu is a bit all over the map, but centered on sandwiches. My veggie burger was pretty good (not dry at all). But overall with the horrible parking (none before 7:00), horrible noise, slow service, and with substantially better food elsewhere, I don't plan on going back. read more

The pizzas have a great, crispy crust. I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. The black bean soup of the day was also delicious. The pizza could feed 2-3 people easily, too, so the price is worth it to me. read more

This place is ok, but for a great burger, go to Everly or the Laurel. Be warned that there is a large kid contingency here, which is great if you have kids, but is not for everyone. The appetizers need work. That being said, it's a cute space and I like that they open their windows and door on nice days. read more

Great tap beer selection - the cold Canadian Pilsner washed down the tasty shrimp fritters and oysters very nicely. Atmosphere is casual and kid-friendly. Avoid sitting near the door on a cold day. Highly recommend! read more

Went here last night and had a great time, great food and great service. We started off with a dozen blue point oysters (only $1 each during happy hour), cheese curds and drinks. The oysters were incredibly fresh and very good. Nate, the owner, said he gets the oysters in 5 times a week from the east coast. The cheese curds were light, flakey, delicious. Our first order of oysters was quickly sucked down our gullets so we ordered another dozen and the artichoke dip. Yummy! More drinks and then a dozen beer steamed shrimp. The shrimp had a really great flavor! and they came in a steamy broth that kept them hot and flavorful until the last one was eaten. The service was incredible. Tara, our waitress, took very good care of the four of us. I'm definitely going back back to Gates & Brovi soon. read more

Great food and cold beer (great selection) in a cozy atmosphere. The waitstaff is super friendly as well....this is our "go to" spot for watching sports as well. Great neighborhood location! read more

An outstanding place for fun, unusual, and delicious breakfast choices! The service was impeccable, and the Bloody Marys topped it off perfectly! read more

So I decided to give this place another shot (the thought of their cheese curds drew me in) I ordered the avocado, tomato, cucumber salad and it was amazing. I ate it right up. My boyfriend ordered the clam chowder...for something that is listed on there menu all the time we expected it to be amazing. It wasn't, it was runny and didn't have a lot of clams. Also the cheese curds were not as good as I remembered :( so disappointing. We may come back here if we are in a pinch but otherwise probably not. Average but not great. read more

This place was neat! Wait staff was friendly and attentive. We ordered cheese curds and the crab and spinach dip for appetizers. Both were delicious. I had the special of the night for dinner which was some salmon burger and it was AMAZING! That's salmon burger will get me going back there again and again. read more

Cool looking layout. Only had drinks this time. Wait service was hit & miss. Bartenders spot on great. Busy place on a weekday - neighborhood crowd I suspect. Parking a pain mostly. Food looked good. Appetizer options not ideal for my taste buds. read more

Excellent new spot with great seafood and drinks. I had the fisherman's stew and it was fantastic. Portion size left me stuffed. They have a little of everything and not too pricey. read more

I like this place- the food is good. The beer selection is good. The bar is good. Love the decor and layout. But there is something about the menu that is off. Its like they have a little bit of an identity crisis. Are they seafood? Creole? American? With pie?? Anyway, its one of the best cheeseburgers in all of Madison so I'm sticking with them. read more

This review is integrated over several dinners here, both with a larger family group and with a small party of two. If you are reading this and wondering if you should go to Gates & Brovi for dinner, the short version is "yes, you should go." The food consistently good - I feel like I can order anything on the menu and I will be happy with my meal. Fancy enough for a nice dinner out but also a place that families eat at? Yes, somehow it all works here. Fresh oysters in Wisconsin? Yes, they are good here! read more

The atmosphere was clean and friendly. The pie and ice cream amazing!! Give it a try you might not go back to Hubbard Diner.

I live close to here, so you'd think that we go to G&B a lot, but we actually don't. It's not bad food, not by a long shot, but we just don't go here that often. I will state a bad point from my point of view: the menu is limited. On one side it's sandwiches and burgers and the other side is just pizza. So when I went here for the first couple times there was no food on the menu that appealed to me, so I ended up sharing with my family and having fries and sipping Pepsi. But then I went with my dad one time, and I just said, "You know what? I'm just gonna go for it." I ordered a G&B burger, which is this monstrous burger with two patties and the works. Tomato, onion, bacon, two kinds of sauce, lettuce, and two slices of American, Swiss or Cheddar cheese, your choice. I am not exaggerating when I say it was by far the best thing that involved grilled beef slapped between bread (aka a hamburger) that I have ever tasted in my life. It was heavenly. I ended up barely finishing it because it was just that big. The pizza is amazing for a place that doesn't specialize in pizza. They have classics, and then they plop on sausage and other goodies to get you on your knees begging. The fries are, in my opinion, the best in Madison and the surrounding area, and the cheese curds are way up on the list too. The chicken tenders as an appetizer are delicious as well. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because of the small menu and I'm also not a huge fan of the ambiance. read more

I have to put an asterisk next to this four stars. The linguine was too salty for my taste but if you get a meal of just beer, cheese curds, and pie you're set. If you are thinking I can't just have a dinner of beer, cheese curds and pie; I think you're in the wrong state. read more

All Hail the place with the world's greatest cheese curds! These are an absolute must try! Stopped in with the girlfriend for a few drinks and appetizers and loved it. The decor reminds me of a typical family diner. Very casual and very friendly. So, Did I mention the cheese curds? Yeah they are awesome! The place also serves up fresh oysters, fish fries, burgers, and more! Check it out! read more

This was our go-to spot while working in Madison. I was on a location shoot and most of us are from the LA, CA area. We can be very picky when it comes to food. Everything was served well and tasted great! Thanks for the good food Madison! read more

We rented out the arbor house for a family reunion which is right around the corner and fell in love with this restaurant. The bar tenders know how to make a drink and after trying almost the whole menu, we never found something we didn't like. read more

Went to check out G&B last Saturday night and stayed for the Badger game; Bucky lost to Alabama but I definitely won by choosing to dine and drink here !! Can't go wrong with the cheese curds or the shrimp fritters, but the bluegill BLT was definitely the headline; wow !! They have a Friday fish fry with the bluegill too and I can't wait to return. Jason and Carrie behind the bar and the experienced and knowledgeable wait staff, all managed by Tim were phenomenal. If you live in Madison r are just passing through this is a must try destination ! Oh yeah, Free Parking !! read more

Gates & Brovi - Nice looking pub pizza !! - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Go to the Laurel... Seriously. This place seems like a great idea but does not deliver on food OR service. The menu is small, and I get what they are trying to do but if you have a small selection I expect everything to be spot on. I had the fish sandwich which was kind of cold and the bun that it was on was soggy, which was far from appetizing. My sister had the shrimp which were good, definitely the best thing that my party ordered. We got the french fries for an appetizer and they were seriously worse than McDonalds! Ouch! (I know, but it's the truth). The service was weird and the decor confusing. All in all just go to the Laurel... or Culver's and save yourself some money! read more

Stopped for lunch here with my 4 year old son. Was greeted with prompt service and some crayons for my son. I had the pan fried bluegill belt and it was very tasty. The pimento cheese spread was a nice touch. The kids chicken tenders were lightly seasoned and crispy. The cheese curds were great and the ranch based dipping sauce was spot on. Overall a nice ambiance with the lighting and reclaimed wood. Parking requires a bit of a walk and would be enough to keep me from coming during peak hours read more

This is a nice neighborhood place with good food and a cozy atmosphere. The cheese curds were flavorful and not over breaded. The shrimp I had was fresh and firm. The service was fast and friendly. I didn't give it 5 stars because parking was a pain and it was really noisy in the restaurant. read more