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    Lake Vista Cafe

    4.4 (33 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Lake Vista Cafe Photos

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    Herb Burger
    Dillon B.

    This was a great place to grab lunch outside with a view of Lake Monona. The staff was friendly, and the food was excellent! One downside is that one person in my party asked if something contained nuts (allergy), but the staff didn't know so that sauce was put on the side. When it came out, it was touching the food. I wish there was better care for the allergy. Overall, I would recommend.

    Fish tacos
    Ericka B.

    Great place to have food and look out over the water. It was packed when a group of us went there for lunch on a Friday, so be sure to get there earlier. Because of the amount of people, it can take a little while to get your food. I would say you could easily expect to be there for 45 min to an hour. Most of us ordered the 2 fish tacos, which I think is the best value on the menu. The tacos are always super flavorful and if you want more its $1.50 to add a taco. There is also a slaw that comes on the side. I have to say this is one of my favorite fish tacos in town! Also a perk is that if you ask for a cup of water, they will add a lemon wedge if you want.

    Menu
    Marissa L.

    If you're looking for a casual meal with a view in Madison, Lake Vista Cafe is your spot. The rooftop of Monona Terrace has gorgeous, expansive views of both the lake and the Capitol, and sitting at a table in the cafe, you pretty much get a panorama of the lake, which I found incredibly calming and peaceful. On top of the spectacular views, the service was a step above so many other places. Every staff member I encountered was so courteous and polite, always offering to help and checking to see if I needed anything. I was only looking for a light meal while I was there, so I appreciated that the kids menu indicated that it was available for both young and "young-at-heart" guests. I got the meal with two burger sliders, a side of tots, and a small lemonade. It was just the right amount for what I was looking for, and such a wonderful experience sitting outside enjoying the view. This somewhat hidden cafe ended up being one of my favorite spots in Madison, just a really pleasant experience with tasty food and an amazing view. Great escape from the city.

    Rashid T.

    5 reason I'll be back. 1. Great view of Lake Monona 2. Outdoor seating (only) 3. Good choices for pescatarians 4. Good food. 5. Reasonably priced

    Falafel salad
    Amanda O.

    This is quickly becoming my favorite place to bring people who are visiting from out of town because the food is delicious and the views just can't be beat. It also seems like quite the hidden gem - I've gone a few times now and it's never packed. I took my parents here when they were in town and I had the farmers market tomato salad. It was incredibly refreshing, the tomatoes were probably some of the juiciest tomatoes I can remember eating, and the mozzarella was fresh and just enough. My mother had shepherds pie and my dad had salmon and they were both great as well. I've also had their falafel salad, which comes nicely plated and is light and delicious to boot, as well as their truffle fries.The service has always been friendly and efficient. They also have a bar and stock Spotted Cow. What's more Madison then drinking Spotted Cow while taking in beautiful views of Lake Monona? If you haven't been here yet, I highly recommend a visit.

    Bloody Mary
    Erin C.

    If I'm downtown when the sun's out, this is the best place to while the day away. It's now become a tradition, whenever we are in need of respite from the bustle, we'll steer towards our favorite spot at Lake Vista Cafe. The drinks are well made, reasonably priced, and you can enjoy one of the best views by the capitol. I haven't tried much of the food here, but the portobello frites were fantastic - crispy and flavorful. The bloody mary is impressive for a patio - it comes with a sausage stick and beer chaser among other things - and if you like fruitier drinks I recommend the frozen raspberry piña colada. As long as there's no private event going on at the terrace, this is a tranquil watering hole where you can chat with friends under the sun and away from the crowds.

    Lake Vista Cafe's perfect Bloody Mary's always accompanied with a sidecar of Spotted Cow #newglarus
    Megan M.

    Farmers market tomato salad and homemade fries. Can't beat the view and the atmosphere. Great, quick, courteous service.

    Crab Cake Benedict on a bed of asparagus topped with poached egg, lemon hollandaise and micro greens

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    Great location. Yummy selection of food. Awesome place to hand and watch live music.

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    12 years ago

    Beautiful on a sunny day. Excellent outdoor patio. Food is amazingly good for a walk up window. We all had the chicken sandwich. Very tasty!

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    11 years ago

    Second time eating there. Great food. Only thing that sucks is if it is windy out... Fun place, unique selections, great view.

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    11 years ago

    Rooftop cafe, terrific lake view with yummy foods, not expensive. We happen to meet while walking along the Monona lakeside Will come again.

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    The Weary Traveler Freehouse - Table Lamps!

    The Weary Traveler Freehouse

    4.0(715 reviews)
    1.1 miWilly St, Williamson - Marquette
    $$

    The Weary Traveler Freehouse is an unexpected, but also on point eatery and bar situated on the…read morefamed "Willy" Street in East Madison, and have quickly become one of my favorite spots in town! Weary is an eclectic space that is full of a hodgepodge of artwork, mirrors, lighting, decor and a bunch of random items that just make sense together. The vibe here is uniquely local for this part of Madison and from the moment you enter through the large ornate wooden door, you are teleported into a special space where a good time is sure to be had! We have come here for Friday Fish Fry, weekday lunch and weekend brunch, and we have never left unhappy or hungry. The menu is made up of mostly classic dishes such as salads, soups, burgers and sandwiches, with a few mains like steak frites and pork chop. Brunch has your classic brunch dishes such as breakfast plates, biscuits and gravy, burrito and of course, French toast. The fish fry is excellent here, especially the pan fried version, which still provides the light, crisp and fresh fish but less the thick breading. For brunch, the breakfast burrito add sausage was spot on and super tasty! For cocktail, they have a stellar menu of house curated cocktails. For brunch, I went with the Bloody Mary and outside of brunch hours, I gravitate to the Killer Bees Knees gin based cocktail. I will grab a beer on occasion, but the cocktails are too good to pass up! Service is always stellar here whether we are sat in the dining room or bellied up to the bar. Overall, absolutely in love The Weary Traveler Freehouse!

    Great food, cozy bar, attentive staff. Relaxed and laid back. Several NA options on the menuread more

    Photos
    The Weary Traveler Freehouse - Specials Menu as of 4/25/25

    Specials Menu as of 4/25/25

    The Weary Traveler Freehouse - Friday Fish Fry - Walleye

    Friday Fish Fry - Walleye

    The Weary Traveler Freehouse - Side dining area

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    Side dining area

    Turn Key Madison - Relish tray

    Turn Key Madison

    4.1(104 reviews)
    1.4 miTenney - Lapham
    $$

    I highly recommend this restaurant. We stopped by to see if we could get a reservation on a Friday…read morenight. They were able to work us in. The food was very good. I ordered Friday night fish fry, which was deep fried haddock, a popover, coleslaw and french fries. All of the food was cooked perfectly. My fiance ordered a prime rib sandwich and it far exceeded his perfection. The reason for taking time to write this review is due to the service. Every single employee was so friendly and the service was exceptional. The hostess, the wait staff, the bartenders, etc. We also had drinks at the bar and they were amazing! The ambiance was very nice. We were seated at a table with a candle and away from other diners. Thank you, Turn Key!

    This is a nice supper club that is away from downtown and has parking. We were sat in their main…read moredining room but apparently theirs an upstairs I don't know if that is for parties or the public though and then the have a large bar area. The area is very moody lighting and even has small lamps on each table. Our server and staff were great and everything came out timely. We got an old fashioned and a sangria. The sangria is strong but you won't know it until you stand up. We started with the cheese puppies and they had a fantastic pull to them. Some of the best version of cheese curds I've had in a while. My husband and I both had salads and the bowl was too small for the salad but it was a decent salad I do wish the cheese was sprinkled on top as it ended up going to the bottom of the bowl. For an entree I had steak frites. Fries were solid and the cooking of the steak was good with the charcoal but it didn't have much flavor. The chard on the side was also good considering I've never had it. For dessert we had the valentine special chocolate cake and again it was good but nothing super special. We didn't stick around the bar too long but enough to get a winning pull tab. I would come back for the bar tenders they seemed chill.

    Photos
    Turn Key Madison - Beautiful dining room

    Beautiful dining room

    Turn Key Madison - Charred carrot

    Charred carrot

    Turn Key Madison - Turn key brunch has lots of delicious food

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    Turn key brunch has lots of delicious food

    Settle Down Tavern - Fried pickles

    Settle Down Tavern

    4.4(177 reviews)
    0.2 miCapitol
    $$

    PROS: -Unique/good cheese curds…read more-Unique cocktails that don't disappoint -I loved the Good Idea Smashburger -Molly, our server was GREAT! (other staff was equally friendly) -I enjoyed the overall vibe Music playlist was really good as well,...to the point where I tried to Soundhound /Shazam two or three songs, but due to the acoustics, it proved difficult - all in all still appreciated. They have a good special every day of the week, all of which look enticing. -This was my first time here, but I will be back! -History Lesson: building was once oldest hotel in Madison (1841?) CONS: -The TP in the restroom could improve -Coat hooks somewhere would be nice (in the winter, in a booth, coats take up space)

    I came here on my last day in Madison to experience a Friday fish fry, and I was not disappointed!!…read moreThe fish was super crispy and the fries were really good as well. I liked all the different dipping sauces and the slaw they served with it had a nice unique flavor. We also shared the chocolate chip cookie, which was huge and served warm. It was loaded with chocolate chips and had some flaky sea salt on top. I think this had to be one of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! All of our servers were super kind and helpful, and the food came out pretty quickly. The ambiance is really nice, we ate in the patio area and it was super cute with nice natural lighting.

    Photos
    Settle Down Tavern - Bar area

    Bar area

    Settle Down Tavern - Cheese puppies

    Cheese puppies

    Settle Down Tavern

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    Graze - Heirloom tomatoes with local burrata cheese.  Fresh and yum

    Graze

    3.9(1.4k reviews)
    0.3 miCapitol
    $$

    We came for regular brunch menu on Easter Sunday. The ambience is open, airy, and inviting. Service…read morewas prompt and accurate. However, our server wasn't super familiar with the menu and didn't know what was in certain dishes. We ordered a variety of dishes. Overall, everyone liked their meals. The flavors were great. Love the Korean fusion. However... despite that we were the first ones in the door, they did not have the chicken that was on the menu. That seemed strange to all of us that they didn't plan ahead for a holiday weekend. A solid restaurant would usually have their menu items well stocked prior to a holiday weekend. Overall, still a good expertise if you're willing to be flexible.

    I know most people like it here, but everytime I've been here over the years something has gone…read moreastray. This time we went to Sunday brunch with a group, including some kids. We had reservations, so we were seated right away which was a plus. Also, I will say I don't think any of the issues we had were because of our waitress. She was super friendly and quick enough to take our orders on a day when there restaurant seemed full enough, but manageable. We got our drink orders in and our food at the same time to speed up the process for getting little kids food, and the waitress even took note of that. We also ordered an appetizer to help during the wait. It took a while for the drinks to come out, but they were all rather tasty. I think my apple cider mocktail was the best and refreshing since it was getting hot in the restaurant with the sun beating in. Our food however took forever and the kids meals did not come out any earlier than everyone else. One person in our group also initially didn't get his meal, which the waitress apologized and said there was a mixup in the kitchen. That's fine, it happens, but then the staff running meals tried to bring him the wrong order 3 times. The rest of us were all finished eating by the time he finally got his food. Overall, the food was fine. I got the eggs benedict which was a little underdone on the eggs for me as the whites were too runny for me. The kids chicken nuggets were pretty tasty with a flaky breading. I heard decent reviews of the breakfast burger, but the thing that was the best to us was the breakfast sandwich. It was quite messy, but the messiness of the sauce was worth it. We also got an appetizer of the cinnamon roll. I feel like it's a little mislabeled though, as it was more like a morning bun with some frosting/glaze over the top. Tasted pretty good and helped keep kids entertained for a while. Overall, the food was fine, but the experience wasn't great. With the multiple mixups in orders and getting a little green house effect going with the sun shining in, there wsnt a great feeling when leaving. Again, I don't think it was our waitresses fault, so not sure what was going on in the kitchen.

    Photos
    Graze
    Graze - The reason for five stars!  Chefs Signature Korean pork belly, local Hook cheddar "grits", aka polenta. From NY Times feature

    The reason for five stars! Chefs Signature Korean pork belly, local Hook cheddar "grits", aka polenta. From NY Times feature

    Graze - Basque cake, spongy and tart.  Most popular dessert

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    Basque cake, spongy and tart. Most popular dessert

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company - 12 Pack Pub Wings (1/2 - 3 alarm, 1/2 - general tso's)

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

    3.8(1.1k reviews)
    0.2 miCapitol
    $$

    A must visit in Madison! The food is great and the beer is tasty…read more Came in early evening on a Wednesday. It was pretty empty. They have a wing deal - 15 wings and 2 pints for $25. We got the Korean BBQ and Habanero. The habanero is SPICY!! My mouth was burning after two wings. I always get the APA beer. Classically delicious! Luckily we walked because parking can be tricky to find. Service can also be a little hit or miss. Today our server was a lil forgetful.

    Every time I visit Madison, it is an absolute guarantee that I will be stopping by The Great Dane…read morePub...most trips more than once! Great Dane Pub has become one of my favorite spots in Madison for a variety of reasons from the drinks, vibes, service and community support! Situated on the corner of Doty and King in downtown Madison, Great Dane is a welcome sight for any visitor or local looking for a chill spot to have a solid drink, tasty bite and/or a good time! The pub is one large space, but it is separated into a few unique areas. One side is quintessential pub with a long bar, lots of dark woods, and a good sized dining room. The other is more of a pool hall vibe where you will find the other side of the bar, several pool tables, lots of TV's, high tops, darts, etc...We have bellied up to both sides of the bar and while I like both sides, I prefer the vibe of the pub side. They have a fairly extensive food menu with several bar/pub classics such as wings, nachos and burgers. But they also offer a good variety of sandwiches, bowls, salads, soups and even tacos. While we are normally here for the drinks, we do enjoy the cheese curds, wings and poutine! Speaking of drinks, they always have a great menu of house cocktails that is constantly updated for seasonality. I have had several iterations of cocktails and since I visit a few times a year, I always get to try new seasonal cocktails and beers! Service is always stellar here, no matter what side of the bar you are on. Welcoming, friendly and helpful...every time! Overall, I am an absolute fan of The Great Dane Pub!

    Photos
    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company - Bar area

    Bar area

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company - 6 Pack Pub Wings (habanero hellfire)

    6 Pack Pub Wings (habanero hellfire)

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company - The outside of the building is a little shabby and could use fresh paint but I guess that's part of the charm.

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    The outside of the building is a little shabby and could use fresh paint but I guess that's part of the charm.

    Vintage Brewing Co. Capitol East - Nashville hot chicken

    Vintage Brewing Co. Capitol East

    3.9(173 reviews)
    0.7 miWilliamson - Marquette
    $$

    I went to vintage while visiting some friends in Madison to grab some dinner. We all shared the…read morenachos which had a good amount of toppings and tasted great. I ordered the og burger and it was cooked to my liking and although it's a simple burger the flavor was phenomenal. One of the best parts of our time at vintage was our server Lidia. Lidia had a fun and bubbly personality and made a great effort to make sure we were all satisfied with our food. Definitely recommend checking out vintage if in the area!

    Loved my food here. Fries were excellent. Pretzels are hand braided and huge! Plus they give you…read morecheese and mustard to dip them in.... Love that. But the fried cheese curds were the best item of that day! They came out in a metal pull with ranch to dip them in. I asked for a side of buffalo sauce and tossed the cheese curds in the sauce and that just took them over the top!!!! Service was good. Everyone was friendly. My coworker and I got there at the end of the brunch hour (2 pm) and settled on the things we ordered. After we put our order in they gave us new menus.... They could've gave us a heads up as the lunch menu had more items and more of what we really wanted so that we were a bit frustrated with the staff because of that. Place was cool as it was game day for foot ball so it had people in there cheering and giving the place to life.

    Photos
    Vintage Brewing Co. Capitol East - Bar - lots on tap and lots of options

    Bar - lots on tap and lots of options

    Vintage Brewing Co. Capitol East - Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap

    Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap

    Vintage Brewing Co. Capitol East - Buffalo Chicken sandwich

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    Buffalo Chicken sandwich

    Lake Vista Cafe - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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