I came here for a celebration with a large group and unfortunately a couple members of the group didn't tip. Don't know why, but they didn't. Super shitty of them. Even more shitty was that the waitress came over to our table and confronted us about it, complaining. When we told her that it was super shitty and we were sorry and would definitely make up for it she responded by saying things like, "Oh, no it's fine. Don't worry about it." If it was fine, why did you come to our table just to complain to us about it? I am consistently disappointed with a couple of the waitresses here because of this attitude and their vocalization in response to it. read more

Comfortable, relaxing neighborhood place. We bring the whole family. It wouldn't be a destination restaurant, but we live nearby, so we return again and again. Simple burgers and fries menu. I wish they served fresh tomatoes on the burgers. read more

The fish fry, for the price, is the best in Madison - and I mean it. 3 big pieces of walleye with a potato side and soup or salad m8? Sign me up. Don't go between 5 and 7:30 on Friday Otherwise it is a neighborhood bar. Try the Scotch ale. read more

I live in the neighborhood and have tried the Laurel several times. Consistently inattentive service and lackluster food. They cater to their regulars and do not treat other customers with respect in my experience. Many other places nearby to choose from that have better food and treat their non-regular customers like actual customers. read more

I'm leaving this review without ever having eaten here. For the past year I've been going to the Laurel maybe about once every 2 weeks to catch a drink after closing another bar. The closing time here is very consistent so I always know they will be open until bar time. Lately every time I enter there is the same bartender working. Never smiles, never asks how we are, gives us a drink and ignores us even knowing that we've finished. He even skips the songs we play on the jukebox! The selection of booze is pretty average. Always have the same thing whenever I enter though so I'm not up to date on the prices. I'm giving this a 1.5/2 for the bar atmosphere just because the people who work here are boring and down right rude. read more

Grade : B Old school bar and food. Great prices. Decent service. read more

By far the best fish fry in town. Also best old fashioned (but ask Diane to make it for you!). Always packed on Friday night but turnover is quick. Family friendly and family run. One of my favorite restaurants in Madison for 14 years running. read more

This review is for 3.5 stars. This is bar food. This isn't great service, fancy atmosphere. The service isn't the friendliest but they get the job done. They do have a game room with a pool table and dart board but they don't always work. Drinks are good. The one thing I will say I love about the place is the grilled cheese!!!! Best bar grilled cheese I've ever had. You get to pick your cheese and pick your bread. Plus the bar chairs are awesome. They are tall, cushy, and they swivel. This isn't the best establishment but it's a decent neighborhood bar that I think will continue to grow on me. Oh and I'd like to add that yes the fries are crinkle cut but I think they are great!! read more

This is pretty much the typical Wisconsin Bar/Supper Club. The food is good and plentiful. The prices are reasonable. And Most importantly the beer selection is ample and cold. I was in on a Saturday night with a group that had been to a beerfest and we were a bit loud but the bartender didn't mind. I had the prime rib special and it was very good. The steak had lots of flavor and they gave me a whole plate of fries to go with it. One of the group had a bowl of chili that looked good as well. If you are in the area and want to have a classic WI experience stop in here. read more

Pretty standard bar food. I would not recommend it unless you were in the mood for simple fried or grilled food. Maybe a beer too if you're a middle-aged Packers fanatic. It's a cozy little old-American joint that honestly just reminds me of life in the suburbs, minus the gigantic portions. read more

This review is based, solely, on the service aspect because we didn't stay to experience the food. We stopped by for a casual lunch on 7/14/14 at around 2:15pm, there was nobody up front. After sitting and waiting for someone to appear for a bit, my boyfriend stuck his head in back to give the bartender a heads up we were there. This to which he received a very unenthusiastic response. She came out and said "what do u want to drink" with a pretty significant eye role. Needless to say, we will not be offering our business to a place that treats their customers like this. Note to management: I read a couple reviews that resemble our experience, today. This isn't a one time incident. read more

Went there for a quick burger on a Thursday night with a friend. Ended up staying all night. Obviously stayed a while, felt like a classic neighborhood bar. Great staff and friendly "regulars". Btw have the brewmaster burger. Phenomenol read more

The current free drink policy is one free drink ticket for the first Packer touchdown of each half when you already have an alcoholic drink in front of you. Less generous, but still nice (although I hear rumors that the High Noon Saloon gives out free shots for every Packer TD, "my people" are here). read more

Good reuben and excellent beer selection. But then again, there's really no such thing as a bad reuben. I like drinking and eating here, but am a little put off by the ever-present intense west-side badger fans screaming about how you have to protect players and break the legs of other teams every time I go. Love the mural, however. Hot. read more

I usually order the hot dog which is something like 3/4 lb. The mini corn dogs, which are bite-sized, hence the title, are a good finger-food appetizer. The fries are a bit of a disappointment in my mind however. I am not a fan of crinkle-cut fries, which is how the Laurel serves them, because the crinkles keep the heat in and when you pop them in your mouth they are SCALDING hot. They only taste good if you leave them to cool down for like 20-30 minutes. They have a lot of sandwiches, which I don't order because I just don't order sandwiches, but I have heard they are decent. The burgers, though small, are pretty good, but the Reubens are awful. Usually my dad orders a Bleu Cheese Reuben, but lately he just isn't a fan anymore. He says they don't make them like they used to. So one day we went there, and he orders Buffalo wings instead of his usual BC Reuben, right? Well not to elaborate but I had a wing and they were horrible. The Laurel has definitely been on a steady decline in service and taste since Gates and Brovi showed up down the road. Some good points to The Laurel, though: they're drinks are really well made, they pride themselves on that, being a bar, and they have a game room with a pool table and dartboard when you walk in via the lot entrance and TVs everywhere, so really, the only good business they get anymore is on big game nights. I personally do like this place over Gates and Brovi, but The Laurel just isn't what it used to be, and I expect them to peter out in a couple of years. read more

This place is the quintessential American tavern. Cheap greasy food and beer. The couple times ive been in the staff is always friendly and attentive and the food is pretty good. I typically gonwoth the basic burger and fry but their ruban isnt too bad either. read more

Burgers and fries are a little pricey for what you get but the service is quick and the environment is nice. Pretty good environment for kids too; at least during the lunch period and on a weekend. read more

Best cheese curds in Madison! Service is generally not very good they can be slow and don't seem to care if you need anything after food is dropped off. Prices are a little high for bar food. But poor service and slightly high prices wont keep me from going back for curds. read more

Small neighborhood tavern with lots of regulars, it seems. I had a great burger and a couple of beers. Great service from friendly staff.

Good food. Local crowd. Good selection of taps. One of my fave spots to take in a game.

We had a wonderful reunion of friends at the Laurel. The service was great and the food outstanding. I think it was the best swiss mushroom burger I've every had. Prices were very reasonable and there were enough TVs for everyone to see the game. Will definitely be back. read more

Hubby and I were looking for a nice spot for lunch before hitting Trader Joe's and thought the Laurel Tavern looked like it would be just the place for some good grilled burgers. We were sorely disappointed. He ordered the mushroom burger and I had the bistro burger (sauce, lettuce, tomato). Both of our sandwiches were completely tasteless. No grill flavor at all - in fact all I could taste was that the sauce which seemed like mostly mustard. The fries were just OK. We have to be careful with money and don't get to go out that much, so this was a real disappointment. The only reason we would return might be to try the fish fry. read more

Went with two classy broads that are just friends but I'd entertain the notion of clapping under the right circumstances. Great atmosphere, feels like you're in a down home supper club despite being located on the yuppy cesspool known as Monroe Street (tho outta that part of it). The kinda establishment you could take your racist grandma to, or, because it's so outta the way, your side hoe. Stellar beer selection. All three of us ordered the so called "best Reuben around" (quite a bold claim) and some fried shit. Everything went down the word-hole real nice. Certainly the best Reuben in that neighborhood, once you start expanding what "around" means that claim gets real trumpy. Waitstaff was quite nice, and granted it was busy af (Saturday eve) didn't come around til post eating & I was fixing to get the beers going. Also, doesn't seem like a very Mary Jane friendly place, although we were grounded so I couldn't say for sure. Very Hebrew friendly however. read more

I have been to the Laurel a handful of times, and my most recent visit was the worst out of them all. The food is OK, nothing too fancy, just your typical bar food. The prices aren't bad but I have yet to receive good service at the Laurel. The last visit the waitress was so rude, you could tell that she didn't even want to be there. My friends and I had called ahead of time to ask if there was a wait, we were told there wasn't one, less than ten minutes later when we arrive, there are several people lined up waiting for a table. How do you go from no wait to having several parties waiting for a table? While waiting for a table this particular waitress was rude when we asked her how long the wait would be. Her response was "I have no clue, you are just going to have to wait". When we were finally seated and handed menus, she walked away for several minutes before returning to take our drink order. When she finally came back to get our order she proceeded to walk away before all of us finished ordering. She then proceeded to ignore not only us, but other restaurant patrons as well, when we (and they) tried to flag her down for a simple request (requests for a refill, additional cutlery etc). Now I'm not expecting for any waitress to be overly friendly and bubbly, but this woman was clearly in a horrible mood. No smile, no how are you, how can I help you, nothing. I have never received friendly service at the Laurel, which is one of the reasons I don't go there often. Not only did this waitress have a foul mood, but she made it known that she did not give a rats a** about anything. One of my friends decided not to tip her at all because she was very rude the entire time, and my friend was so disgusted by this woman's attitude. My friend has ALWAYS left a tip no matter how shitty the service, but in this situation she felt that this woman did not provide the service one would expect. Come to find out a few weeks later, that this waitress wrote in a $2 tip on the credit card receipt, after my friend had written a ZERO in the tip section. Who does that? I will NEVER return to this place again. I have also heard that other newbies or people that don't come here often have complained about service before, and that those complaints were not taken seriously. If you are a regular, chances are you will be treated way better, but if you are a newbie or someone that doesn't frequent this establishment often, do not expect fair or even decent customer service. If you don't care about the quality of service, and want a good greasy burger, then by all means visit this place. read more

Two of my friends and I went there on April 4, 2015 to watch Wisconsin play Kentucky in the Final Four. There were five or six guys at the end of the bar by the door on Monroe Street who were extremely inebriated. As they game went on they got louder and more boisterous, yelling at everything, good or bad, that happened. They used the F-word in almost every sentence, often multiple times, yelling at the TV. "What the f*#k kind of call was that? F*#k, yes, that's the way to do it." I walked over nicely and said hello, said I hoped that they were enjoying the game and asked nicely if they would refrain from using the F-word. The said "No" and were upset I even asked. I then asked Dave, the bartender, nicely if he would say something and he said, "No." I was stunned. One of the guys yelling then went outside to have a cigarette. When I turned to look that way he made threatening gestures towards me indicating he wanted me to come out and fight, which I ignored. When the game was over he came up to me, was very aggressive and tried to engage me in a argument. At one point, another bartender looked at me and said something to the effect, "they're just having a good time." If I recall, Dave said they were there drinking when he got there at 6 PM. While the behavior of these guys is horrible, I'm more surprised and disgusted that the staff would over serve them, tolerate such horrible behavior that was making the other patrons in uncomfortable and rationalize it as just some guys having fun. Not only did the behavior create a very uncomfortable environment, I felt unsafe by the aggressive behavior. After I told Dave about the aggressive behavior and that I did not feel safe, he volunteered to walk me to my car. Frustrated we couldn't leave without missing the game, we stayed. read more

Arrived Saturday night at 6:35 with friends for their "Special"--prime rib, the only reason we went there. Said they were already "out", not very sympathetic or apologetic either. There foods was nothing special, many better burger joints in Madison. We won't be back. read more

We have loved the Laurel in the past but tonight they were awful on all points. Took my girlfriend for her Birthday dinner unfortunately. We were told 30-35 mins and were seated almost an hour and a half later. Rail booze old fashioned was $6.25 per. Don't mind paying for a good drink but thought that was high for a neighborhood bar. When I asked another bartender what a bourbon old fashioned cost he stated $5. The last time we were there they were $3.75 so not sure where the price list resides.....and no it was not a happy hour issue. Hash browns were other-worldly. Like no other I've ever had and we dine out often and hash browns are a go-to for me. Our normally fab walleye were both way overcooked. Never offered the night specials while other tables were. She never stopped back after setting the plates down. The hostess did clear the salad plates and brought our check 10 mins after we finished. Never offered dessert. I will say the salad was acceptable. I have never left such a crappy tip in life but I thought it was deserved. It was not a "it wasn't the waitress' fault" as she played a major part in the failed birthday dinner. Honestly one of the worst dining experiences ever not sure when we'll go back. Might ha try someplace new after this. We thought maybe we peed someone off there? We went through the scenario and could not come up with anything we may have did or said-nothing. I did gp and check on our table after an hour or so??? I have heard Fitz' on the Lake and Villa Tap both have good walleye might try those next. read more

Saturday prime rib special was very good. Food came out quickly. Confusing set up when you enter the restaurant... I asked another customer if there was a host to be seated with and they said yes. After standing for a bit, I had to ask a waitress how long the wait was for three people. If I hadn't said anything, I'm not even sure whether they would've greeted me at all. Considering they were not a full house, I was surprised at the lack of customer service overall. Our server seemed irritated with our questions of her recommendations on the menu. Food was good but service could use improvement. Again, not extremely busy so perhaps there was a rush before we got there, causing the staff to be irritable by the time we got there, but it was only 7:30 so seemed relatively early in the night. Food was 4/5, service 2/5. read more

loves the fish sammich. the drinks are very good, but they sometimes come in these ridiculous tear drop shaped glasses, which make the manly act of ordering a scotch and soda less manly. good place for a drink. read more

Had not been here in years so decided on Badger game away would have lunch & watch game here. The food absolutely fantastic, one of the tastiest Veggie Burgers around. Standard bar food, nothing fancy, exceptionally good. Decent selections of beer on tap, good variety of local craft beers. My big problem & the reason I decided to leave & go watch Badger game elsewhere, there is no wi-fi network. Bartender told me depending on carrier may not be able to do anything on phone. She was absolute right, as could not even send a text, she referred to it as a dead zone. In 2016 how can you own a Sports bar & not have a wi-if connection available for your customers? Will I come back for a burger now & then, probably would, but am I going to stay for extra beers when my phone is not usable, probably not. read more

Since you've lived in madison all your life with a drinking problem you might as well visit the Laurel Tavern. Now updated by Home Depots finest! Observe the remnants of the old guard wasting in contrast with the new yuppie crowd both paying top dollar for an average sysco meal. They do have a decent beer selection but don't clean the taps regularly. Staff is generally ok but not outgoing or friendly. You may notice a distinct odor of sewage backup along with an impressively detailed mural on the back wall. read more

The Laurel has always had one of my favorite Reuben sandwiches. Last night I convinced my son to have one as well. We both ordered them and drat -- they have changed their corned beef. This is the first time I have ever had a Reuben that tasted like it was made with bologna -- not pleasant at all. I hope they go back to their old corned beef for people's sake. I doubt we'll go back t find out. YUK. read more

My family LOVES the Laurel Tavern! One of the best fish frys in Madison and an even better prime rib on Saturday night! We also love going there on Thursdays for their prime rib sandwhich special. Their burgers are just average but their specials will make up for it!!!!! read more

What an incredible disappointment! I stopped for a great burger and a beer, which I got. However, the SERVICE was TERRIBLE! I had never received such poor service at a restarant ever!! I think this was a real shame considering the food and the atmosphere was pleasant. read more

I love this place!! Everyone is always friendly. I love their Ruebens and the bacon cheeseburgers. The Friday Fish Fry can't be beat !! Prices are great and the atmosphere is very relaxing. read more

A definite contender for our "Winchester" -our go-to neighborhood pub like The Winchester in the movie Shawn of the Dead.

The food was good. Great chili, great burgers......the top of our buns were grilled and added a lot of flavor. But I am really not writing about how the food was. I have to comment on one of the most horrible waitresses I've ever come across (50's, short blonde hair)...............we waited a good 10 minutes to get waited on, no "I'll be with you in just a minute", just waited. When she finally came to our table she literally slammed down the menus she was carrying on our table, and on top of that slammed down her notepad and then walked away. I actually thought for a moment we were suppose to write down our own order. We waited for a few more minutes and she asked what we wanted......no friendliness, just quite bitchy. A young server brought our food and took our plates when we were finished. However, the waitress never came over to see how the food was or if we needed anything. She did refill my husband's glass with water, but said nothing and looked like she was angry; after pouring the water, slams the filled glass back on the table. She was only friendly when bringing our check....a smile and "thank you for coming" because I guess she wanted some kind of a tip. She did not interact with any other patrons other than "What do you want".......no friendly words or smile, and same refilling of glasses then slamming back on the table. If this is the same waitress others have mentioned in previous posts, the owner or manager should have talked with her........she seems to have the same attitude year after year. This reflects poorly on an otherwise nice little place.....we will NOT be back......fire the rude waitress! read more