Wonderful service and food!! We came in as a group of 9 and they were so amazing. Service and prices are exceptional! Highly appreciated the service and food read more

Kavanaugh's Esquire Club - Turkey Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I was a little worried to visit based on some of the reviews in here but we had a surprisingly good visit. We made a reservation for 5:30 Friday night and were seated immediately. They asked if we want to be upstairs or downstairs. This was our first visit so we didn't know what to expect so we checked out both options and chose upstairs. I do not recommend the downstairs as it is very dingy, cold, and no decor at all. There's hardly any decor upstairs either which definitely takes away from the possible atmosphere in some rooms. Our servers were great, it seemed like we had two because the second one seemed to be shadowing. Our old fashioneds were delicious, although they should upgrade to better cherries. For food, the rye bread and clam chowder were both a 10/10. I would come back just for these two items. The coleslaw was way too sweet, we barely touched it. We ordered the fried walleye and a fried perch sandwich. The walleye was large, good, and flaky. The perch was also flaky which was hard in a sandwich because it fell apart almost instantly. The baked potato was fine. The shrimp cocktail was pretty good but the shrimp were so wet it was nearly impossible to get the cocktail sauce to stay on. The fries were clearly from frozen which was disappointing. We got the turtle brownie for dessert and it was okay as well. The parking lot was full, and small, so we ended up parking on the street. Overall I wouldn't rush back but if I did it would be for the clam chowder and rye bread. Maybe we could just sit at the bar instead as that seemed like a lively and fun area. read more

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With new owners the fish dinners are excellent again! A crowded neighborhood place which is needed on this side of town. Unfortunately they have since closed since I was there! Locked the door without notice to the staff who showed up for their shifts. They were not paid as well. It's been written up in all the local papers so most of you already know. Don't plan to go there anytime soon read more

You can't go wrong at Kavanaugh's Esquire Club, whether stopping in for a cocktail or fantastic meal. The service is top-notch, old school ambiance feels cozy and the portions are huge! I especially enjoy their shrimp, a chicken dinner on Sunday evening or the Friday fish fry. You're gonna roll home happy and very well-fed! read more

We wanted to go here for my father's birthday. We made a reservation for 5pm. We got there and were told 20 minutes due to being short staffed....no big deal. After 40 minutes we tried to check on our reservation we were met with significant attitude. They informed us that they stopped honoring reservations without telling us until 40 minutes in and then let us know they were seating wake- ins and reservations the same. We unfortunately had to leave without trying any food. I was very disappointed with the staff attitude. Service: 1/5 read more

This place survives on pure nostalgia. Elderly relatives like it so we go every few months, despite the waterlogged ceiling tiles, dingy interior, and abysmal service. Just keeps getting weirder and weirder. Drinks didn't arrive until after 2 of the 4 salads, other 2 arrived later. Overcooked fish came with no butter/lemon/the usual side accompaniments; somehow the filet was patchy - 1/2 overcooked and leathery, 1/2 rare - didn't know that was even possible. Don't know their way around a vegetable unless it's a baked potato. Waitress's super long nails sticking into the actual food as it was served. Just amazing it persists. read more

Tremendous food, great service, comfortable neighborhood atmosphere, and good prices.

The Kavanaugh's are back go eat there fish it is the best and the service is wonderful. The Rye and white bread and Coleslaw so good can't say enough about the place that is reoped now! Bob and Karin read more

Not sure what the hype is about? Came in recently and our server smelled like a bag of skunk weed. She clearly knew nothing about wine when asked and called me "hun"? Not sure what they are going for here, fancy but trashy? They didnt have the drinks we asked for, service was terrible, food was cafeteria quality at best. The staff was vulgar and swearing near us while we ate. The decor seemed like that of a mortuary, not a restaurant. Don't get me started on the restroom. read more

Been there for Friday fish fry. The small wait is worth it. The waitstaff are great. Been to the Sunday breakfast and that was a great experience too. Wanting to try for other times too. read more

We came early about 4:30 were seated right away. Only one of us had drinks.Rye caraway bread was excellent, lake perch fried to long, not moist. Fries were overcooked dry. Will try them other days of the week. read more

Supper club on a Friday night, visiting my son at school. I had two new restaurant experiences this evening that are worth a listen. First, our table was not being bussed at all (no water, glasses, plates and baskets literally piling up (yes, we like to eat). I asked our server, who is bussing the table, and he responded with, "i don't know, but it's not my job". I haven't heard a response like that in 50 plus years of dining. My son and I ordered 3 entrees to split and enjoy; a rib eye, a fish fry and a 14 oz lobster tail. The entree was served with two small tails instead of the 1 large tail. What a bait and switch. The tails reminded me of the lobster tail sales at the grocery store for $5.99/tail. You have been warned. read more

Worst experience I've had in a long time. Rubber calamari, ribeye that was really a roast - well done on the ends, raw in the middle. New York strip was described as mediocre. Soup that was tasteless. Took nothing off for the calamari. Took 50% off for the ribeye because I ate 5 pieces of it and nothing for the rubber calamari. We will never be back. read more

Absolutely DISGUSTING !! The staff had no idea what they were doing and talked like a drunken hobo. The food was sub par and not one item was above average and 90 % was way below average. We told our server of the issues and she did nothing to correct the problems. This place belongs in the middle of a very low class trailer park. So strange as we had been told how good this place was. The people next to us seemed to have the same problems and said the place had closed down then reopened......that was a big mistake as they should have remained closed. read more

It is so wonderful that the Kavanaugh's Esquire Club is open again. Excellent food!! Service was wonderful. Excellent portions. Pls stay open!! read more

As a SoCal native visiting Wisconsin, I know I definitely had to try Fish Fry Friday! My bestie took her friend and I here. I knew I definitely needed to try the deep fried cheese curds in addition to Fish Fry Fridays! We ordered cheese curds and it was amazing! I couldn't get myself to stop eating them! In addition, the bread and coleslaw was delicious! The fish and fries were perfectly fried and crispy, just the way I like them! I'd come back when I visit Wisconsin again! I'm definitely looking forward to trying other items on the menu. read more

Kavanaugh's Esquire Club - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Brutal. Period. 1st time I've tried Friday fish carryout since they took it over again. Nothing has changed. I'll focus on the takeout and not the same old, dingy atmosphere. I called and was told 30 minutes, kitchen is swamped. Ok. When I arrived, the parking lot was about 2/3 of a normal Friday, not swamped. The girl at the desk had her elbows on the counter with a frustrated look on her face. She rang me up and then said it would be 10 more minutes. That's the last I saw of her. She left her station and proceeded to bring out 2 water pitchers to fill glasses somewhere. Meanwhile, a guy asked the lady with the menus, who is the server who is supposed to be waiting on their table as they have been waiting a long time. Then about 5 people came to the desk to pay their bill. Crickets. Finally the menu lady had to help ring them up as the other girl chose to disappear. She finally asked what I wanted and I said that I had a pickup and it's been 50 minutes since I ordered. She said "everyone's waiting". Nice. Every staff member looked stressed and mad about something. Finally got my ocean perch dinners home and the fries were way overcooked, and the fish was dry and crunchy. In a word, "sucked". If you are so busy, one would expect undercooked food. A disorganized kitchen probably didn't help. I'm a lifelong Madison area resident of 65 years and this place simply isn't worth giving my business to anymore. Too bad, thought I would give it one last try. Please go out of business! Sorry. read more

Kavanaugh's was a good Friday night meal. The service was friendly, the walleye was fresh and the food was plentiful. My daughter's NY Strip was well over a pound of meat and she had enough for a couple of steak and egg breakfasts! The grandkids loved their kids' Mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. I must also add that the onion rings were some of the Bestest Ever and we're definitely made in-house and not the frozen variety. Sooo good and a definite return. The decor is a bit tired, but the food was wonderful... read more

After being recommended by a local couple, we decided to give this place a try. I looked at some pretty negative Yelp reviews but thought we'd make our own decision. I'm very glad we did. The place is very "old Wisconsin supper club" in the best ways. We were seated right away, our food and drinks came out quickly and everything was excellent. My wife and I each got a fish fry with fries and our daughter got a grilled cheese. The old fashioneds were delicious, the food was great and the addition of soup and bread along with a plate of cole slaw was over the top. Even with an extremely rude couple next to us, it was still a great experience. Will definitely make this a regular stop. read more

Kavanaugh's Esquire Club - a table full of food - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We were a group of 14 for the Friday fish fry and thought it was fantastic. The service was great and the food was tasty and plentiful. Everything, right down to the salad dressings, seemed to be made in house. Yes the place is a bit old, but to me that was part of the charm. The fish fry wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was pretty darn good and you can't beat the prices (those in our group who ordered the fish broiled instead of fried weren't as happy since parts of the fish got dried out; stick to the fried fish - you can always pick away some of the batter and eat mainly the fish). The slaw is great, as are the onion rings, curds etc. I wouldn't order a $70 lobster tail or $50 steak there (I'm not saying they wouldn't be great, it's just not the place I personally would order those dishes at). read more

I was excited to check out Kavanaugh's. I made a reservation, we arrived early, checked in and made our way to the bar. They made a nice brandy old fashion. I thought it was very cool that the owner and his daughter were behind the bar. A local regular said that Mr Kavanaugh is in every day working in the kitchen. We were seated within 10 minutes of our reservation time. Our server was soft spoken and you couldn't hear what she said most of the time. She didn't help herself as I think she forgot about us more than once. When she finally took our order, we ordered Onion Rings, Steak John and Prime Rib & Shrimp. The Onion Rings were amazing, although our server forgot to bring the homemade ranch. There is NO WAY the Steak John was a tenderloin, it was tough but cooked to order. The hollanaise sauce has no flavor and the shrimp were over cooked. The prime rib looked good, but very blah. The fried shrimp were really good and the cocktail sauce was good as well. The hash browns showed potential but were burnt and mushy. It took over 2 hours for us to get all of our food. Our server said to us more than once that she was sorry for the delay, but as I watched everyone around us get their food, I highly doubt it was the kitchen but really bad service. I heard a different server apologize to another table for the delay in getting to them, and offered a free dessert for all 4 of them. We may go back, probably to order onion rings to go and have a couple drinks while we wait for the onion rings. Very disappointing experience. read more

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Dining room has no appeal whatsoever and is too tight when crowded. You feel like you are at the same table with the people next to you. Food is mostly mediocre and greasy. I can't figure out what anyone sees as a reason to eat there. read more

I moved from Madison 10 years ago. I used to go to The Esquire frequently when I lived here. It was a classy supper club. Always great service, great food and drinks. The fish fry was awesome. All these still hold true in our recent experience. The one thing that has slid down hill is the atmosphere. The chairs in the dining room are beyond worn out. Ceiling tiles are missing. It really saddens me to see what's going here. This was such a nice place but it needs some updating. I enjoyed our experience and would come back but I hope some improvements are made in the dining room. read more

I Went there for my traditional family Birthday dinner, and it wasn't good. The service was very slow. My wife and I ordered Steak Jon (an 8oz filet with asparagus and hollandaise sauce). We were told they were out of asparagus. We ordered medium rare, and both were cooked extremely well-done. The waitress took it back and returned later with a medium-cooked steak that tasted like a cow tender and no baked potato. The new owner is not maintaining the previous owner's standards. It is a shame to see a 57-year-old tradition fail so miserably so fast. The management dressed as if they were running a dive bar. read more

I'm so sorry, but I wish i could give this a zero. We had a reservation at 6:30. We didn't get sat until 9:15. Once we got sat, a lady helping set the table spilled water all of the table and my stepmothers lap and had no reaction to it other than "oops". She didn't even offer to get us napkins, we had to ask. The actual server was nice and was definitely overwhelmed, but got some of our orders wrong. The food was genuinely disgusting. There was no flavor or seasoning. I had a filet. It was pure rubber. No one offered any sort of compensation for having to wait almost 3 hours past our reservation. Apologies are barely there. It was just a very unfortunate experience and also the atmosphere was dated. There were huge chunks of paint missing from the wall. The whole area just kind of felt dirty. I don't know what to say besides utterly disappointing. Also my dad had accidentally signed the customer copy instead of the merchant copy. After we left we were all outside getting in our cars the owner ran after my aunt, and demanded she fix it. Wtf read more

I heard supper clubs in WI still hold a special place in the culinary scene so my boyfriend and I decided to come here for their Friday fish fry and some cheese curds. Decor: a bit dated or old fashioned but still inviting and cozy. We sat down at a table by the window which was nice. Food: my boyfriend had the bottomless fish fry and I had the baked cod. He said the fish fry was mediocre and the batter was a bit too thick for his liking. My baked cod was kind of bland but still very tender. There's generous amount of coleslaw, tartar sauce and sour cream on the table to accompany your food. The cheese curds were not the best we've had. Again too much batter and they were not squeaky. We weren't particularly impressed by the average food here. However, our sweet waitress delivered excellent service. It's unlikely that we'll eat here again since there're better options for fish fry close by. read more

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So I got there at 7:00pm and I waited until nine pm I new that they stopped serving at nine o clock and I left.!!!! Had to settle for Chinese food!!!!! read more

Kavanaugh's Esquire Club - They also carry spaten Oktoberfest on tap! All year long! - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

My waitress was amazing ! Definitely no complaints with her. My first bite of food , I bit in to raw chicken. Last 2 times there have been disgusting, I will not be returning. Just at home now waiting to be sick. read more

Started with Brandy old fashioneds that were great and then it went downhill. We ordered. Mentioned we ordered clam chowder two times. All of the tables were not getting any service and there were 4 tables and 4 waiters/waitresses. Got our food that was eh. Then a confrontation happened between a waitress and another customer that was awkward for everyone and waitress was rude to customer. Seemed similar to our experience where things were just not coming out and the wait staff had no clue what to do. As we were watching this we saw our waiter get in a car and drive away. We waited for 20 minutes until we walked up to someone and informed them our waiter left. And we were still waiting for clam chowder and told this person 3 times we didn't get it. It then took another 20 minutes for that person to get us the bill and a box and they brought us a to go bowl to put the clam chowder In when it came. After waiting another 10 minutes for waitress to come back after we paid she asked what else we were waiting for. We just had to leave. So the clam chowder never came. Wish we would have just left and not paid, I honestly don't think anyone would have noticed. Would not recommend coming here on a Sunday night for sure. read more

The name is actually Kavanaughs Esquire Club and when we arrived for our 6 pm reservation the bar section was packed and rocking. As the night wore on it became more and more apparent that this was a highly unusual experience. Once we were all assembled we were seated in what appeared to be the "new section" a bright room with stained ceiling tiles and large leather chairs with windows overlooking the small parking lot. Where or where to start? It's as if it was the first day of work every employee on this busy Saturday night on Graduation Weekend for University of Wisconsin; Everything seemed a jumble and mistake after mistake were piling up across the restaurant. It started with our server,perhaps it was her first day as she could only carry two glasses of water at at time so it took quite a while for our party of 7 to just get water. Next the menus, because it was busy (clearly a novelty for this place) they could only find 3 for our table and they weren't even all the same-most had three pages but 1 only had 2 omitting all the steaks. Next our waitress whom I'm sure was the town librarian as she spoke barely above a whisper, came for our drink order. I had spotted a bottle of Caymus in their wine cabinet while we were waiting so asked for that. At least 15 minutes later I flagged down the manager to ask about the wine as our server had vanished and then the bartender jumped into the fray to track down the wine which she brought out -already opened-and splashed it around filling the glasses to the top. Clearly they don't sell much fine wine here. I could go on and on but just to give you a flavor... -took over an hour for the food to arrive which was of only average to below average quality and barely warm -table next to ours, older couple who were clearly regulars, shrimp cocktail appetizer finally arrived 10 minutes AFTER they finished main course -hostess sat a group of 14 at a table with only 10 chairs and as the rest of group arrived they had to commandeer another large table -at least 2 other nearby tables had incorrect meals with the young bartender jumping in again to try and smooth over mistakes All in all LOTS of unhappy customers who will likely spread the word about their experience. In the end it just became more and more comical with the hostess jumping in as a server along with the bartender and everyone running around in full panic mode. I'm sure this is not the experience they were hoping to provide and our celebration ended up being quite memorable-just not in a way one would expect. NOT RECOMMENDED!!!! read more

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If you go there and it is busy and the boss's wife is working. Don't plan on her going in the order of people. She will seat the people she knows first. We waited 30 minutes and watched 4 groups of people get seated before us, that came in after we did. Service really sucks. The bar was great. But for food service it sucked. Someone needs to tell the owner his wife can not work there. Thumbs down for you. read more

We drive by this place every day on our commute to work and finally tried it. It was quite busy even with a reservation. We waited 45 minutes to an hour to be sat, but the bartender Rachel was a sweetheart and took care of us while we waited. Once at the table service was pretty slow due to how many people were still waiting, but the food was good and the servers were nice. Nothing to write home about but great drinks and decent food. Glad we stopped by. read more

Been here a few times in the past. It used to be a decent supper club.The last two visits were disappointing. This recent visit my wife ordered the 7 ounce tenderloin which was very tough and the size of it was smaller than the Nabisco cracker (see picture). I checked the size of the cracker because I was thinking maybe this saltine cracker was a 11 ounce cracker after seeing the size of this so called 7 ounce tenderloin. I tried bite of it and I had to spit it out. Absolutely disgusting flavor. Not sure what they did to make a little piece of meat taste so horrible. The rest of us had the perch which was good but the service was bad. What a shame. It's so hard to find a consistent supper club these days. read more

Kavanaugh's Esquire Club - 7 ounce tenderloin my ass. Truly not 7 ounces nor was it a tenderloin - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

So very disappointing. For the cost of a supper club meal, this is what we got: - Chairs that are literally peeling apart, scuffed up to high heaven, ugly and beyond worn. They are in such bad condition that they aren't re-sellable. The "leather" upholstery flaking off; some chairs missing 3/4s of the leather. Ugly, unsanitary, and inexcusable. - Ceiling tiles missing from the ceiling in the dining room, with open exposed yuck right above. - Server station in dining room open and exposed, featuring industrial/unfinished background that looks, also, ugly, unsanitary, and the antithesis of good dining atmosphere. - Dining room with zero ambiance. Not a single piece of wall decoration or art work. - Dirty, flaking, outdated paint throughout building. - Prime rib that is Ponderosa quality - precooked/pre-made and so salty you think you're eating bacon. A re-heat scenario. Hi Sysco. - Servers with FILTHY aprons that should be changed when that gross and dirty. Server should look clean, neat, presentable - not like a fry cook in back. - Dining tables so small you can hardly move when seated with more than 2 people. Also really enjoyed the table behind me discussing Trump and colonoscopies the entire meal - not an issue if tables spaced properly. - Desserts that are Sysco quality, like a cheap Greek restaurant pie case. - Server mistakes. Though server apologetic. - Need horseradish sauce? Why nicely serve it in a table appropriate serving dish when you can fling a grocery store bottle of it at the guest like a bottle of ketchup at a diner? - No need for new utensils for dessert. Just use the ones at your table coated with your meal. - Make sure an already small, cramped table gets more cramped by serving family-style/size gravy boat of gravy with ONE portion of mashed potatoes. Good: - Soup - Salad, dressing - Cheese curds - Piping hot baked potato - Cheese spread with crackers Absolutely would not recommend this restaurant unless food prices significantly reduced to reflect quality of food - and- establishment cleaned-up (literally) and took some pride in appearance. We traveled out of town a hefty distance for this experience. read more

Talk about a hidden gem! This is the old school supper club! Amazing steaks! Always cooked to perfection. Fresh baked bread so warm and delicious. Nick the bartender is the best and funniest. Since moving to the neighborhood I think we have eaten here once a week and never been let down. It's a must try! read more

The food here is very shoddy! Sometimes burnt, sometimes raw, this will not adhere to the standards of this community!

Read in a tone of Morgan Freeman: To call this place a blast from the past is misleading. This place is stuck in past, but in all the right ways. As a 26 year old lawyer, I was out of place amongst people my grandparents age. The talk was about Florida time-shares, grandkids, and the good old days of Brett Favre. Time moved slower here. Maybe it was wood panel walls, the jukebox, or maybe the fact that I was the only one with a smartphone capable of accessing the unending stream of, mostly useless, information. As for the food, it was exactly what I would expect. Not great, but not bad at all (however my perch sandwich was very good). My waitress was attentive and efficient-what more could one ask for. Everyone knew everyone here and I wish I knew them. The collection of stories alone would be worth it. In an age, where us millennials are always seeking "experiences" I hope you take the time to experience Kavanaugh's Esquire Club. You might learn something. It's exactly what you expect, but that's a good thing. read more

Requiem for a Supper Club............. I can't stand chains. Give me a Mom and Pop joint anyday. I have been to this venerable Madison haunt a handful of times. A couple of years ago a group of us went to the Esquire Club for our periodic get togethers on a Thursday night and were intent on trying the legendary corned beef and cabbage special. Much has been written about the famed beef. Wow. It was one of the most memorable meals of my life. I bragged the place up to everyone who would listen to me. Several months later I went to the lunch buffet served on Thursday also. Again it was pure ambrosia. So last night a crew of chums and I decided to go to the classic supper club again for corned beef of course. For the uninitiated, I really whipped up enthusiasm for the esteemed reddish tinted beef of the gods. All of us ordered the special corned beef and cabbage. Sidebar: it is time to discuss the incompetance of our waitress. She didn't fire on any cyclinder. The classic service errors were in full display: disappearing for too long, forgotten drink orders, mistaken drink orders. I guess it shoundn't have been much of a surprise when she came back after some time and told us that THEY WERE OUT OF CORNED BEEF!!!!! At this point in the evening there were 10 diners total in the place. We were there at 5:30 and seated about 6:25. And they were out of corned beef. Their signature dish. Like Noodles is to pasta and McDonalds is to hamburgers and Culvers is to custard. In all fairness, the alternate dishes we ordered were great. Ribeye steaks and the ribs were wonderful. But we came for the corned beef. This is a sad commentary. Like Lincolon and Cadillac, the place could use some younger patrons. They are not going to get it serving up this level of experience. They are not among the countless hospitality providers getting whipped by Amazon and Ebay. You can't get corned beef in a kitchy classic enviornment on the internet. Please someone rescue this one bit of Americana worth preserving. read more

Kavanaugh's Esquire, what a strange name. This was the latest stop on the Friday night fish fry circuit. I had the ocean perch "family style" which means all-you-can-eat, in case that didn't make much sense to you (like it didn't to me). It's actually the cheapest option too, which is fantastic for a big eater like me. It's breaded with cornmeal, nothing particularly special I would say. It didn't have any distinct flavor to it. One of my companions who had the lake perch said that was distinctly different than the ocean perch, though I didn't try it so I can't compare. The fries are unsalted and soft. I like well-seasoned and nicely crisp fries so that was definitely a minus for me, although another companion apparently likes limp fries with crisp ends...go figure. Coleslaw is plentiful and was overflowing with whatever sauce goes into it (I don't eat slaw). Overall, it's not particularly noteworthy food but $14 all you can eat fry is a solid deal and it's a nice supper clubby place, and we had a great waitress. read more

The name may be a bit strange, but there's nothing strange about the food - it's excellent! It's a rather understated place and the interior is a bar combined with a dining area, but not noisy, at least on a weekday night. I had the cheese curds (oh the delight) and the Perch fish fry was pretty good as well - highly recommended if you're visiting Madison and want to sample the local flavors :). read more

Kavanaugh's Esquire Club - Cheese Curds - Seafood Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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