Showed up early. Plenty of outside seating! Server was very attentive despite being busy. Food…read morearrived VERY quickly; I got the Sigawot, which was delicious! The injera wasn't as sour as I'd hoped (perhaps made with wheat flour? Not sure) and the coffee was just a french press, but these are MINOR quibbles about a very positive overall experience. I'll forgive minor issues if the service is good and the portions are appropriate, and this exceeded my expectations for both.

This place is absolutely gorgeous, there was live improvised chill jazzy music, not much staff but…read morevery friendly and was surprisingly not too busy. Food was smaller on the portions size (especially the Samsara), the taste of the meat was spectacular, and the injera (Ethiopian flatbread) was a miss for us (as well as the lentil salad). Overall highly recommend trying this place out once. Dolowot and other main entrees look solid enough!

Fantastic beef and lamb gyros. Sweet potato fries also very good. Eager for them to reopen…read more Can go very spicy or stay mild, whatever your preference.

Note: This place is closed until at least mid 2026. They stated that they're moving to 8309…read moreGreenway Blvd. I miss this place as it combined efficiency with fresh mediterranean food for a fantastic lunch! I cannot wait for this place to open back up. Watch their instagram or facebook for info.

I've been here a couple of times. The first time just for desserts. And boy howdy do they have a…read moregreat variety. I had some sort of chocolate cake that was outstanding. As is the house made baklava. Tonight we indulge in the house made honey cake. Here's the thing... the owner is just so accommodating. He made me two plates with shawarma, hummus, salad and rice with a side of pita. Wasn't on the menu and I was going to order everything separately... but this was an awesome gesture and was really good. I'll be back to try the other main dishes, but so far the standouts are the house made desserts by the owners wife! Eat local :)

I enjoyed my experience at Altim! I've heard great things/whispers around Madison and I always love…read moresupporting local. That being said, you need to know that this isn't a sit down restaurant, it's more of a food truck+ kind of place. Order and take it home to eat or to a park in good weather. They're also on door dash and when I arrived, everything was well prepared and on time. The owners greeted me and were excited to have the business. The front of the shop is clean and the menu is clear and easy to read. It's nice that they let you see the kitchen too, so you know exactly what they're working with. Now, let's get to the good part - The food. As you can see in the menu, they have a wide variety of options. Pastries to pizza to wings to dessert - truly, there is something for you here. We landed on the following - - Falafel App (3.5/5) : 4 falafels with a side of tahini. The falafel outer crust was flavorful but the inside was incredibly dry. It was also more puck shaped which has me thinking they were frozen, so that could be why it tasted as it did - Lamb Kebab Plate (5/5): FANTASTIC. The rice is super flavorful and is the same that comes with all plates. The salad was light and refreshing with some cheese that looked like tofu but tasted more like paneer. It was good and light and exactly what we needed to cut the richness of the lamb. Speaking of lamb though. It was exceptional. Clearly well marinated and well cooked, tender with some chewiness from the grizzle, which I love. Would absolutely have this again. - Beef Kebab Plate (5/5): Just like the lamb, very tender and flavorful. You could taste the char on it and it was truly, fantastic. - Chicken Donor in Homemade Bread (4/5): I think I would have preferred the shwarma wrap but the homemade title got me. It's basically just a pita bread, wasn't special. The chicken was well seasoned and the fillings were plentiful. -Kurabie Cookies (3.8/5): Nothing special, but a nice little treat. -Honey Cake (4.5/5): Not very sweet and still light. I continued to go in for more bites -Praga Cake (Chocloate) (4.9/5): RICH, decadent, deliciousness. So good, would highly recommend. - Azerbaijani Baklava (4.8/5): a really stinkin good baklava. I would get 2 for myself to eat. I didn't get any pictures of the food because we were starving and it smelled so good. Happy Eating!!

We loved the dirty Thai Tea! Great space with great views of the Capitol. Looking forward to coming…read moreback!

My friends and I had a 10/10 meal at Eloura, one of those meals where you just can't stop eating…read moreeven when you're already stuffed! Drinks and service exceeded expectations, and the food was nothing short of delicious. The chili crisp hummus was addictive, and I have not gotten over the amazing crispy brussel sprouts. Do not sleep on the brussel sprouts! For mains, the skirt steak, zatar-crusted branzino, and octopus were all wonderful. But the stand out was the seared halloumi. So flavorful and a great vegetarian option that even the carnivores wanted a taste of. Overall, Eloura is a wonderful spot for a date night or big group dinner with lots of options for sharing and a unique menu offering flavor profiles that you won't easily find elsewhere. It was a memorable meal, and we are looking forward to visiting again!

Bahn Mi sandwiches are delicious! Bread is perfectly crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside…read more Meat and pickled veggies are yummy! But don't go here if you're in a rush. To go orders (for 1-2 sandwiches) typically take a min of 20 mins to put together.

This is a great place for Vietnamese cuisine. They have a great selection of banh mi, pho, and…read moreother Vietnamese culinary delights. This is a large restaurant. They have a lot of seating. They have separate tables along the walls, and long tables down the center of the establishment. Thus, you should always be able to find a place to sit. The staff here are super nice. Very friendly! They're happy to help you with any decisions you need to make, or just to take your order in a rapid manner. This restaurant is located in a shopping area that has a very large parking lot. You should never have a problem finding a place to park. Overall, if you want some great Vietnamese influenced food, this is a great place to find it.

My new favorite boba shop!…read more I've been trying to try all the specialty boba shops in Madison and this one is definitely my new favorite. I always have issues with Ube flavoring tasting watered down at specialty drink shops however this was not the case at Dreamy Teazy. What's also special about this boba shop is they strictly use non-dairy creamer for their drinks. I am SEVERELY lactose intolerant, and sometimes I'll still get stomach aches with cross contamination but never had any reaction at their store. It's nice having a boba shop you don't have to be worried about dairy being used since most boba shops I've been to rely on dairy to make their blended/specialty drinks! Highly recommend the pistachio smoothie while supplies last ;) If you're hungry while you're there, it's also worth giving their food a try. If you're there on the weekend, definitely try the pho, but otherwise the bbq pork Bánh mì is a great classic! We will be back to try more of their food :) I went twice within a week, and with it being the first times I've been, I had a lot of questions. Every question I asked they were super nice and helpful! It seems this store is family owned which makes it even better in my opinion. The store/seating area is smaller, probably around a total of 8-10 couple tables. The two times I've gone, most of the tables were taken, but people come and go quick. By the time I was done eating lunch, most of the tables opened back up. It's a cozy and casual eating area. If you're wanting good boba but don't know if you should try it, -100% give it a shot. I prefer this boba shop over any of the "specialty" ones on state street and would recommend Dreamy Teazy to anyone new moving to Madison area/are looking for a new favorite drink shop.

Went here to grab dinner on a week night when it was way to hot to cook. There was only one other…read moreperson there so it was easy to grab a table after we ordered at the counter. A very friendly person took our order and gave some recommendations on the menu. We ended up getting the grab and go shrimp spring rolls, a taro milk tea, and the lemongrass chicken bahn mi. The bahn mi was the star and quite large. It was easy to split between two people. The bread was the perfect texture and the pickled veg was standout. Only complaint is that it's always hard to get a bite with meat and veg. The milk tea was fine, but I did like that you could pick the sweetness. Probably would not get the shrimp spring rolls again. The sauce was nice and was also good with the bahn mi, but the seasoning on the shrimp and in the roll made it feel a little less fresh than we hoped. Overall, worth a try and I'd go back for the bahn mi. I also want to try their purple sticky rice and maybe one of the curry specials. Feels like a good addition to this side of town.

Stopped in about 1pm after visiting the zoo. Fairly busy for a slow Thursday afternoon. Had a bowl…read moreof Jarre chicken and rice soup, which was fairly spicy and delicious. Also a pumpkin spice latte, which was also very good. Light on the pumpkin, which I appreciate, as it can be overdone. Sprinkled with nutmeg. Cute place and friendly service. Outside seating is always a plus.

A small, local café across the street from the Henry Vilas zoo. They offer both indoor and outdoor…read moreseating. There's a sandbox with toys for kiddos out on the patio. Inside offers a vibe with upbeat music. It's a great place to stop for lunch, a cold beverage, or a treat after your visit to the zoo. Order and pay at the counter, find a table and your food will be brought to you. The menu offers a variety of options from sandwiches to salads to hot entrées, etc. The service was really friendly and fast when I was there on a fall Saturday at lunchtime.

Teddy Wedgers is the ultimate college food. The pasty's are delicious! I recommend getting a half…read moresize as they are very large and filling. I usually get their yummy chicken pot pie or pizza pasty but I strongly recommend asking for whatever special they have that day! They typically don't have a dessert on but on this day they had an apple pie pasty. I don't know if I would get it again. The service is great even though there's typically only one person manning the entire place. It's also worth mentioning that it's extremely small and more of a carry out place. You can take your pasty to go and sit around the beautiful capitol square to enjoy it!

This place has been here for decades and I am sure I have walked by it hundreds of times but never…read moregave them a try. Finally during the Art Fair on the Square we stopped in. Recently we were in the UP of Michigan where pasties are king and we tried the traditional beef version - I was less than enamored with the somewhat bland hand-wich! I understand its origin as a miner's lunch food but that doesn't make it tasty. So we gave the Madison version a try and this time went for the breakfast version with cheese, egg and bacon. It was much better and had more flavor than a traditional beef pie. Still it was just OK. I now understand why they had packets of hot sauces, etc. on the counter. It is a relatively inexpensive meal and it is filling.... Just not my thing.