So good and such great service we came back a second night!! Popped in on a super busy Sunday and were greeted by Alex with an acknowledgment that I see you and I will be with you in a minute or two. Dropped menus right away and let us know the wait on food. We were committed so we stuck it out and so glad we did!!! (Wait time was way less than anticipated!!) Lydia rocked the grill and I had one of the best shrimp salads and the husband is still raving about the grilled hotdog sandwich!! They were both getting their asses handed to them but they greeted every customer immediately, never complained and smiling. Being from the service industry to see those two work together was awesome and so was the food. Not your classic bar food but elevated and delicious. Highly recommend for the service, atmosphere, hospitality and delicious food!!! read more

I picked this dive bar thinking we'd have a really nice burger. Heard it won burger of the week last year. I hate to say it but we were totally disappointed. Sat outside and it took awhile to be waited on. The waiter said to another table it was his first day on job. Well I'm very okay with new people learning but this took it to another level. Very very inexperienced to say the least or they gave him no training. Said it would be 30 minutes for food if we ordered; okay fine! Over 1 hour later we still had no food. He was very forgetful, brought wrong drinks, was told to turn umbrellas down. He didn't know how to turn the handle to lose it, I helped him with that. Said he'd put brewer game on tv - not. Burger of the week was special 65rrr. So t thought I'd try it; finally when we were served our food by the cook herself ( who god bless her ) tired her best to make up for the mess. The burger had fried onions, bacon ( lots of bacon ) good bacon I must say. The burger was huge 1/3 lb they say but all the flavors blended into one so so burger. My wife's cheeseburger was better. They wanted you to vote for the 65rr for burger of the week. I just couldn't. I'm pretty forgiving but this was probably the worst diner/pub I've been to and I've been at a lot! read more

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Outstanding service!!! The fish fry was not good and the burger was ordered medium rare and arrived well done. It was just ok. As I mentioned service was awesome, every member of the staff was attentive and polite. Perhaps it was an off night as the reviews were great. May try again but it will be a long while. read more

When you walk in the atmosphere is typical bar look and feel. We stopped here for lunch because my partner has been here before and wanted to share it. Our waitress was AMAZING! She was so friendly and helpful. I ordered the chicken bacon salad with truffle fries ( recommend by waitress) and my partner got the braised pork shoulder sandwich with french fries instead of chips. The food did not disappoint! We're bringing friends back asap! read more

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Burgers are amazing, great beer selection, friendly staff. The walleye sandwich was the best fish sandwich I've ever eaten.

This is a must stop, great local family owned place with amazing burgers and cheese curds! The staff is super kind and attentive and this is your classic neighborhood bar vibe. The burger was one of the best I've had and the cheese curds were crispy and gooey inside. read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - Spicy bacon cheeseburger & Jalapeno Cheese Curds - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Good service and I used to eat lunch there four days a week when I worked across the street. Best burgers in Madison.

Had to stop out here to see for myself why this bar is on the top of lots of polls for burgers. It's a very friendly good feeling place with some interesting things on the menu like the pull tab popper. My wife got the bacon cheese burger which was perfect with crispy bacon and cooked medium like she ordered. I ordered a regular hamburger which was way over cooked and dry. Not a deal breaker but dissapointing. The fries were good but were not drained first and were swimming in oil on the plate. The coleslaw was excellent and a generous portion. So, we did like the place and would return and hope for a little better in the food preparation . read more

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They won 2024 Cap Times Burger Week championship. Pull tab popper burger was the one that won the competition, and was available till the end of June. So stopped by to try it. It was a real flavorful burger worthy of the title. It even had 2 jalapeno poppers in it. The burger was flavorful with a lot of bacon and aioli. It was a big burger. Eating it was a messy affair. Had I had this burger during the burger week, I would have voted for it too. For side, I went for Frolic fries, which was funnel caked fried to resemble french fries. End of the day it is still funnel cake. read more

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PLEASE DON'T EVER GET RID OF THE PULL TAB POPPER!!! I literally will dream of this burger every day for the rest of my life. I don't want any other burger as long as I live! read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - Pull tab popper - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great food and atmosphere I simply loved my meal and recommend another visit this place will blow your mind

Stopped in for lunch, the food took over an hour. We finally asked refills on our beverages when the food came & there was something floating in the water glass so I went without. I ordered my burger medium rare and it was over cooked, no pink at all. The sourdough wasn't toasted so the burger completely fell apart. The chips were cheap bagged chips. A staff member repeatedly went out to the smoke patio and smoke lingered to our table which was not appreciated. Overall disappointing, I had been here in the past and had the spicy chicken sandwich and enjoyed it. read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - Pull tab Burger - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Had the fish fry here tonight and, except for waiting a bit long for our order, really enjoyed it. Great French fries. Loved the coleslaw and tarter sauce. The cod was delicious and came with lemon slices. I would recommend Friday night fish to anyone looking for a good price, well prepared food and a casual atmosphere. read more

Licari's is a fun, easy, casual go-to anytime you want a great burger & friendly service or a beer (or maybe something a bit stronger) - it's all good at this family-owned joint on the near West side of Madtown. Cheers to you! read more

Licari's Bar and Grill is a hidden gem with delicious affordable pub food right here in Madison, WI nothing fancy but truly a great dive bar! :) Licari's is one of my favorite small Wisconsin hometown bars in Madison that is truly a Bacon Lover's Paradise!!!! This local, small, casual hometown bar has great food, a nice selection of tap beer, and friendly staff! Licari's Bar also has affordable drinks, bar games like darts, outdoor patio seating, and serves bar food late night! You can even call an order on the phone ahead of time and the food will be ready for you! This bar is one of my favorite must go destination for delicious bacon cheeseburgers!!! They don't skimp on the bacon piled high with yummy crispy bacon!!!!! They offer some low carb menu items such as delicious naked unbreaded Cajun chicken wings and salads with chicken/steak that can be piled on with delicious bacon cooked perfectly with side of ranch! It is not a gluten free establishment but they do offer a few gluten sensitive menu food options! Licari's Bar is a great place to go when you are craving delicious deep fried pub snacks/bar appetizers such as pizza rolls, jalapeño poppers, pickle chips, tator tots, etc. They also serve great daily home cooked meal specials (varies day to day), soup, variety of delicious sandwiches, fried chicken wings, unique scrumptious tasty burgers with crispy hot fries, and they have a nice Fish Fry!!! Licari's is really just a super fun low key bar to go to enjoy to watch the game, play a few bar games, enjoy delicious pub food, enjoy a beer, and sip on a Wisconsin Style Old Fashioned cocktail! :) read more

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The service , food and atmosphere were perfect. I ordered a bacon burger and it was super tasty. The others with me ordered the pull tab burger that was a gourmet version of a burger read more

pretty disappointed with this place. I came one time during the day and had fast and friendly service so I decided to bring my family here to try it again. we waited 10 minutes before asking if we could get service then we waited 50 minutes for our food do it to come out cold literally cold not even warm and way over cooked. We ordered both our meals medium rare and they were extra well done and not prepared correctly (didn't have my pull tab it was supposed to come with as well). when we let them know of the issue the two little girls that were serving us were rude about it and never got us refills. We also had to go to the bar to ask if we could pay because we never got checked on. Only the cheese curds were good. i don't think I'll come back , not worth the wait or the price read more

This is a great establishment - a Madison staple, if you will. Speaking as a true Madisonian, they probably have the overall second best burger in Madison (first is Caribou Tavern on Johnson St - get ). Anywho, the bartenders Jenn and her husband Logan are dope! They are "people-people". The older dude Jason is cool too and real good at his job. All in all, great food! Especially since they have limited equipment to work with, as far as a "kitchen". GREAT DRINKS / great drink prices. Cool bartenders whom are good at their jobs. The one and only down fall of Licari's is this guy Austin. Guy sucks at his job lmao. You order a brat and it never comes... order wings with ranch and buffalo and you never get the sauces. There's never a time where he doesn't mess up the order. In fact, I play a game now every time I go where I order a simple drink and a simple food menu item and he never fails to mess it up in some way. It's just hilarious at this point. In conclusion, go to Licari's! Good drinks and food + activities like darts, gaming machines, and pull tabs!! Fun spot no doubt. Just make sure anyone other than Austin serves you (laughing but serious). read more

I stopped in here with a co-worker for a working lunch. It was actually quite busy, but they kept up pretty well and had plenty of staff working. We ordered cheese curds, bbq bacon cheddar burger, and just a regular bacon cheddar burger. The cheese curds were delicious and you CANNOT beat $6 cheese curds these days! The burgers were loaded with almost a half a point of bacon, which is amazing! My main reason for the rating, is the fact that the burger was so overly greasy that my stomach was so uneasy after lunch. Some might say that grease is how you know it's good, however, just putting anything from the deep fryer into a paper towel lined pan first would really help. The fries were some of my favorites though! But I am sure I will be back to try again. The price point and service are definitely worth a second time around. read more

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Super clean and quaint establishment! We came here for my birthday dinner and it was just as other reviewers had posted. Great prices, great burgers (even had GS options) and a good variety of appetizers that arrived quickly to our table. So many different side choices, it was a lot of fun choosing. read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - Menu - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Such a cute "dive" bar and grill! The wait staff was amazing. The lady we spoke to was the daughter of the business owner - family owned and operated for about 60 years! I love supporting local businesses and families, but that's not the only reason I'll go back! The food was good, service was excellent, and the atmosphere was laid-back and welcoming. Plus, look at all that BACON! read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - Jalapeño cheese curds with ranch - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Visited here Sunday afternoon as I am a salad lover and heard of their amazing chicken bacon salad. We received our drinks right away. The staff was very friendly saying hello when we came in and thank you & goodbye when we left. We had their fried cheese curds & that salad with bacon and chicken, chopped up tomatoes, cheese, house made ranch, and a peppermint patti on the side which I believe I forgot to eat. When you combine fresh lettuce and a delicious house made dressing salads are just wonderful and this one hit that bar. It's been a while since I had eaten bacon on a salad this was nice freshly cooked bacon as well. Licari's gets my vote. read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - We sat at the bar, look at this beautiful, delicious, and very filling salad. - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great little gem! Second time here decided to eat. Amazing appetizer platter where you can pick three items. Mini tacos, Jalapeño cheese curds and beer batter boneless wings were great. Also had the walleye fish fry for $8.75! A bargain for two delicious fillets and a pile of crispy fries (we added the Cajun seasoning which was a smart choice). Bartenders and patrons are friendly. Very clean and a great patio which looks like it would be great for warmer weather with a bar outside. If you're on your way from the west side or east side and want some place right off the Beltline, this is the place! read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - Snacks menu - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Nice local spot. Very lowkey. Not somewhere you come if you're high maintenance. Service is solid, workers are laid back but kind. Food was fantastic and a great price! Would recommend. read more

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I came in for lunch on a weekday and was served a bacon cheeseburger and fries, it was delivered in minutes, grilled to my liking with lot of bacon and fries. Friendly people! read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - Bacon cheeseburger and fries with mint! - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Such an amazing bar. Great food and drinks. Laid back atmosphere. Super bartenders. Jenn is my favorite bartender. You can't go wrong visiting this bar. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. read more

Call John Taffer, bearded bar manager thinks he's the owner and is a dick, cancer runs through the staff, this place is a goldmine. Fire all staff , remodel and let the money flow great location in Madison wi with a patio better then most upscale places in the area that they don't even use. Not even close to the potential. Get rid of the regulars, they are scarring away the the money. read more

Absolutely loved this place! The table centers were real flowers, great touch. Beautiful decorations, welcoming staff and of course the food was absolutely delicious!! The food was prepared quickly and they brought us a water pitcher so we never ran out of water. Even the chairs were just a dream. Wonderful experience! 100% recommend! read more

The best food ive ever had and i travel the world for work the drinks are amazing and the staff is kind and happy so blessed I found this place. read more

$8 for fish fry/shrimp, fries, and coleslaw? AND you get a peppermint patty?! Color my impressed! The cocktails and beer prices were also super reasonable. We enjoyed everything we ordered in the spacious patio area outside. There was even an outdoor bar and cooler back there, presumably for when they are busier or have special events. Even the staff were super gracious and attentive to us. I'm going to ask if that patio is dog friendly, and then I'll change my review to 5-Stars! read more

Licari's Bar and Grill - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Is located in a very sketchy area. The food and drinks are very good. I like dive bars,but keep an eye open for hoodlums.

We came here on a whim and were not disappointed!!! Could barely find a parking spot at like 1pm on a weekday. We sat ourselves and were greeted almost immediately asking if we had ordered a drink yet. My steak salad was to die for and service top notch. The real flowers on the table in winter was unexpected but nice! Can't wait to go back to this hidden gem!!!!! read more

Worst service I have ever experienced. The female waitress in the hat specifically. Didn't take our order for 10+ mins of us being there, then once the cook delivered our food she NEVER CAME BACK. We were there for over an hour. With no drinks, she never brought us the water that we asked for. Lowest we have ever tipped in our lives. Too bad because we've enjoyed ourselves several times there in the past. Don't waste your time. read more

Average bar with average bar food. Not the cleanest but not the dirtiest bar I've been in. Ate there once, don't need to go back. Bartender guy had the personality of a couch pillow. read more

Great people, cold drinks and friendly service. The burger special is my favorite! Good food, fast, and served Buy some of the friendliest staff around. Perfect for a quick lunch for business also! read more

One of the best bar burgers I've ever had. Blown away every time I have one. Will definitely be back soon.

Austin was our friendly and attentive server. My husband had the summer sausage sandwich with pepper Jack and I had the ham sandwich with cheddar. We polished them off in about 5 minutes. The regular and sweet potato fries were excellent. The Brandy old fashioned sweet was strong! All very cheap too. read more

This place is one of the few things I actually miss about living in Fitchburg. The BF and I used to come here on a pretty frequent basis. They have really good food, so we often would order by phone and just go pick up a to-go order without stopping for a drink. Or, pop in for an order and have a drink while it's being prepared :) Service was always good. The bar is kept up pretty well, usually nice and clean. The outdoor patio area is really nice. There are 3 restrooms total, one for men, one for women, and one that is neutral. Always use the neutral one as it is much larger and nicer than the other two! There's also a sliding glass door that leads to a smoking room for those who don't want to go all the way outside for a cigarette. As others have mentioned, this does allow smoke to seep in to the bar which kind of stinks (literally), but it is a great convenience for the smoking crowd. Go check this place out! read more

I come here, but I hate this Bar. Smells like vinegar as I'm sure they're trying to kill something.Customer base is sketchy at best. Be careful what night you are there. Drinks are flat. read more

Great service from the one young man who was working. He washed his hands over and over, which made me feel good about cleanliness. Nice locals hanging out here. The bartender/server/cook knew them all by name. Love that! They had Spotted Cow on tap, so that was a nice touch. And the crinkle fries were as good as they looked in the photos. My burger was a little over cooked, but the bacon on my husband's looked amazing. The mayo came in packets. Not sure what to think about that. Great local place. read more