Really outstanding Indian food stop. Quick sit down, counter-service style restaurant. Owner gave us a fun walkthrough of the menu. Samosa were incredible. Pita tasted like it was baked fresh. Hummus was good. Would return for a full meal next time we're looking for a quick stop for great food. read more

We stopped in for a quick lunch before a show and had a wonderful experience. The owner was so sweet and made us feel right at home, restaurant was extra clean as well. We ordered the halwa puri and some falafels. The chickpeas in the halwa puri were delicious and were perfectly seasoned - gave us a great idea for breakfast - and the puri was toasted and went perfectly (plus the delicious pickles!) Falafels were perfectly crisp on the outside and soft inside, lots of greens included too which we loved. We wish we lived closer as we'd be here all the time!! read more

The owner is super kind and welcoming. The foods prices are great and my favourite is the butter chicken. It comes with naan, a cup of rice, and a generous portion of chicken and curry for $12. Food tastes spectacular too. read more

Food was great, wide variety for everyone. The restaurant is very well put together and the hospitality was some of the best I've experienced in Madison. read more

I took out dinner from here. Food was ready in 15 minutes. Chicken biryani was ok. Halwa puri was the other item I had. Halwa was good. Channa had too much vinegar. Puri could have been fluffier. Beef tikka roll was not good. It was lacking in flavor as well not made properly. read more

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The staff is friendly, the restaurant is exquisitely clean. The process are sooo reasonable. I'm so excited to try the food!!

Stopped in 2x now and ordered the chicken shwarma plate both times- you get rice and warm pita bread with it and some veggies (which I didn't eat most of). The food overall tasted pretty good and is made fresh to order and comes out pretty fast- within 10 minutes both times I went. Will come back to eat here again. The restaurant is owner run- typically at the cash register and can tell you a lot about the history of the restaurant and what plates are the best to order! There are about 5 tables on the inside, but no parking outside and difficult parking on the street. Both times I went it was not too busy and was easy to sit and eat quickly. read more

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First time experience at the Madistan! As far as legit Pakistani/Med/Indian grub goes, this place is solid. Based off the now one take out chicken shwarma plate I got anyway. This was a good pick as it was darn good for being a very basic typical dish for this cuisine. Seasoned basmati rice, warm pita bread, side salad and house tahini and hummus. The chicken shwarma is very well seasoned and spiced with those classic aromatic Indian spices. Portions are fairly generous and the prices are quite affordable. No pictures to share I know... food crammed into a Styrofoam container just does not hold much visual appeal IMHO... but that did not downplay the flavor and quality of this meal. The service is spectacular. Saleem the owner and his wife introduced themselves on my visit and we spoke a while. Great couple do great things to put out truly unique one of a kind food for the campus population. They should charge for the aroma inside alone! My gosh it smells so good in there! If you go in for your first time tell Saleem Josh "the puffed rice guy" sent you and hill know exactly who you refer to, trust me. read more

This place rocks! Super friendly service from the owner himself. He gave us great recommendations that turned out to be very satisfying. We got the Butter Chicken and Goat Masala (both of which come with rice and warm naan bread), the garlic chili hot sauce and mango lassi. We ate it so fast I forgot to snap a picture! Definitely give this place a shot if you're looking for simple quick (he got our food out to us so fast!) and delicious flavors. read more

I walked in just after closing (not knowing they were closed) and the owner was wonderful. He made me feel at home and offered up some great butter chicken. We chatted while the food was being prepared. I feel great about giving my business to this man. He has earned it and I will go back. read more

Food service ambiance awesome love them they are awesome went here for my birthday and the food was so amazing I got the roll and samosas

I ordered the chicken biryani, beef Tikka roll, and an order of puris. The chicken biryani was okay. Tasted sindhi style. The Tikka roll was a hot mess. It's a seekh kabob that they thinly sliced and then they threw a ton of veggies in a pita bread. I was expecting beef steak kabob in tikka spices in a paratha roll. The puris were disgusting. Don't order the roll or the puris. read more

Maybe it was just what I ordered that I wasn't please with, but I did not like the chicken dish I got. The samosas were really good, and different than what I'm used too. Very light and crispy. I ordered the chicken shawarma plate. Definitely lacked seasoning!! Totally was missing salt! The garlic naan was missing salt too in the butter, and I don't know if you ever sell mango chutney, but you definitely should!! Maybe I ordered the wrong thing? It just didn't seem like my order had enough love out into it. Also, why are you talking on the phone at the same time you're making my food? I was craving Indian, and was disappointed in many ways! Maybe I'll try it again someday, but maybe not. I thought it was unprofessional for the guy taking the orders by dropping f bombs, talking about someone leaving the cheese uncovered or something like that. Saying..."you got me f'ed up. " Anyone can walk in with kids, etc. you just don't do that in a business where you have customers that walk in at any moment. read more

Pro tip. Gonna fly out if Dane County Regional Airport? Get a chicken tikka roll to go. It tastes great even if it's not hot anymore and it travels well and takes little space. The owner there is chatty and fun and the food is inexpensive but delicious. Parking is a bit challenging but there are loading spaces you can use if it's not too crowded. read more

Service was good, owner friendly. Sadly the quality was a big let down to other Restaurants specializing in their regional food. read more

I've tried this place twice and both times I forgot to take a photo. Their goat curry masala is seasoned perfectly and the meat is tender with no goat scent either. The uncle at the counter answered all my questions; this place feels like a mom and pop shop! Cozy and inviting, especially on a drizzling weather day. read more

The prices were good but the food was eh. The butter chicken platter was extremely disappointing. Tasted like chicken soaked in tomato soup. This was not butter chicken. Also tried the chicken Qorma which tasted decent but too spicy for my taste after a couple of bites. Left my mouth on fire. Didn't help that I started out with the chicken somosas that were already very spicy to begin with. The service was great and we loved the workers there but don't think I'll go back for the food. I've had better elsewhere. read more

the owner is really nice! he greeted my partner and i as soon as we came up to the register. the food is always delicious, will definitely be back soon :) read more

Solid food if you order the right thing. I've had a chance to peruse their menu over the last couple years as I live a couple blocks away. Stick with the biryani or butter chicken. Don't get the chicken zinger or burger. The owner is Pakistani and his wife is India so you get a bit of fusion between the two cultures. The biryani is slow cooked and seems to sell out fast. It is pretty good. My wife loves the butter chicken. I do wish they made their bread in-house but it's not bad. Overall it is good, if you order the right dish. read more

Really interesting and great vegetarian food. We had it delivered and it arrived fast and fresh.

Disappointed. I'm kindly giving this place two stars because one, it's affordable and two, their pita bread and naan were decently toasted. I wasn't expecting this place to blow my mind, but I also wasn't expecting my tahini to be a watery mess. I ordered the shawarma plate and my partner ordered the chicken tikka roll, which looked very much like a small, ordinary taco. As for my shawarma plate, the meat was shaved in small bits and pieces that were over-charred and underseasoned. read more

Madistan - Shawarma from the shawarma plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I was pleasantly surprised by visit to Madistan - the freshly prepared food hit the spot at a price that didn't wound my wallet. My generously portioned falafel sandwich was well seasoned and hint of heat. The exterior of the falafel had a pleasing crunch. While the fries were not hand cut, they were both perfectly prepared and seasoned. You order at the counter and they'll call you name when you order is ready. Food serve a little slow, but my food was definitely made to order. The owner was friendly and checked in to ensure I was satisfied with my meal. Located at the corner of University / Gorham and North Bassett streets, finding parking near the restaurant can be a challenge. read more

Great halwa poori--wonderful lunch on a cold wet day. The poori was light, the chickpea delicious and savory, and the dessert sweet and just the right level of crumbliness read more

Madistan - Okay, this is the delicious meal after it left the plate. You'll just have to imagine it! - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Average at best. There was only one employee working when I entered and he was on his phone the entire time. Ordered the gyro plate and it was mostly (probably 80%) rice. There was some meat, but it was cut super thin and piled up to make it look like much more than it actually was. Plenty of rice, the meat, naan and a tiny little pile of a salad (maybe the size of any ice cream scoop). Naan was delicious. Total was $13 but left still hungry. The reason I am giving two stars instead of three when I said it was average is because they charge a 3.5% service fee whether you pay cash or credit. The employee said it was the company that runs the POS system called "Toast." Absurd to charge extra to pay - just bump your prices up to compensate. read more

Great Pakistani / Indian place. We've been a few times to grab takeaway. Butter chicken, samosas, veggie dishes, and falafel were all very good. Love this place! read more

I always enjoy talking to the owner while waiting for my food. Great tasting food and a great atmosphere with the workers. My only complaint is the portion sizes for the different meals, but it's understandable as it's a relatively small business. My roommates loving coming here too. read more

My gyro looked like a mess by the time I got it home but it tasted damn good. Also got an order of beef samosas that were good but a bit smaller that I expected. read more

Madistan - Beef Samosas (3 Pcs) & Fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I ordered falafel, samosas, and vegetable biryani. I want to complement them first of all for being open as it was late at night. The food itself was extremely oily and just came in brown paper bags which were drenched. read more

Everyone needs to try this place , less expensive than State st ,friendly staff and great service ,give the little guys a shot ! the Gyro is amazing here, Mc Parthenon is a joke compared to this one plus its less expensive here ,I'd rather get quality and great taste than a over priced dried msg filled gyro from Parthenon any day ! plus this place takes cash !!! lol and they have better menu than just a gyro, cant wait to try the rest of the food ! welcome to Madison , Madistan ! hope you stay a long time . read more

So, we're new to Madison, and have come to hunt for a new house. We were actually on our way to another restaurant when we passed by here, so we turned in, because we both like shawarma, and Indian food in general. While made differently than we're used to back home, it was still delicious, and very filling. Fries were nice and crispy, and stayed decently hot for a long time. Also trying a piece of naan; which is good as well. read more

The food is PHENOMENAL. If you're sensitive to spice, I would certainly inquire about spice levels depending on what you order. However, as someone who enjoys spice, I have never been more impressed. Family owned and it shows. If you're looking for something different, stop by and try it out! They also deliver! read more

Madistan - Falafel Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This spot is right below my building I am moving into in a couple days. It is family owned and operated, and the service is friendly! The places smells amazing, not to mention the food is delicious. Pleasantly surprised with their falafel - and other recipes, all of which are prepared with love by the owners wife. You can bet I'll be eating here all the time...he even gave me a free sample of the biryani after finding out I was vegetarian and hadn't tried it yet! read more

Madistan - the name of the restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Came in for a pit stop on a bike ride. Shawarma platter was fine. For ~9$ I felt like there should be more protein. This could have been forgiven but the meat and rice were pretty plain. The green chutney was the highlight of the meal for me. I was told this normally comes with the chicken tikka so I might come back to give that a try. I can't help but compare this restaurant to the Pakistani restaurants in Milwaukee and the Chicago suburbs, and madistan does not compare favorably. Order at the counter and the order is called out when it's ready. Bottled water to buy or room temperature tap water for free. read more

Madistan - Shawarma was on a bed of rice and greens. Excuse the floating thumb. - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Finally got to Madistan for some great food! It's kind of a strange mix of homey ethnic food and fried things (think spring rolls, samosas, fried chicken), but it was all good enough to work! The chicken tikka roll had excellent quality shredded meat with a yogurt sauce and two decent dipping sauces-one spicy and one sweet. My friend loved his chicken biryani special; he said the rice rivaled Palmyra's! The samosas and spring rolls were both good, not great, but improved with the sauces. The man who took our orders (I think the manager?!) came over to check on us after the rush died down, which was super nice! Be warned that this place is small and fills up quickly. Definitely go for the low prices, flavorfully spiced food, and lovely service. read more

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You will really get mad after eating at this place. When we entered here, we observed that menu options were minimal but then we thought it would be home made like food. We ordered chicken korma + mango lassi =$11. We were hoping food to be good. We get food in a carry box..we open it darn a scoop of rice.. Little bit of salad and chicken korma full of oil. 1 frozen chapathi. Korma tasted stale at least 2-3 days old. I asked for additional paid rice, owner gave one more scoop in a small bowl but did not charge. Looks like they had limited rice and he wanted for his other korma orders. Big disappointment. People - please avoid. read more

Madistan - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Seriously no way can you trust reviews this place is HORRIBLE and I never review. It's the 4th of July so nothings open so when we found this open we stopped. My husband got chicken biryani and I got butter chicken. I ate some and felt sick and my husbands was horrible too. I will never return and I wouldn't recommend you go there either read more

Big portions and reasonable prices. Everything tastes great! One of the top choices for a quick lunch. read more

Madistan - Beef samosas - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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On the Phone: Me: "Hi, do you take coupons from restaurant.com" Server: "Yes, we do!" Me: "excellent! I'll order a gyro and some other food." Server: "ok, I'll get started right away, it will be ready when you come in 25 min!" *I leave and go to Madistans* At the Restaurant: Server: "Ok, that will be $34." Me: "ok, I have the restaurant.com coupon for $20." Server: "oh we don't take those." Me: "what?!??!????!!!........." Server: "that will be $34, the rest of your order will be ready in about 15 min." Me: "ok..." *pays $34 and cancels the coupon* Food arrives cold and old. It was good, but everything else about the experience was pretty bad. I won't be back. read more

Went in for lunch between classes and was very impressed. Food was amazing- fresh, very well spiced, and tasted homemade. The cooks are clearly very proud of their food & they should be! The special (chole puri) was AMAZING. Overall amazing quality food for very reasonable prices (~$5) and excellent service. We will definitely be back often! read more

Madistan - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Excellent customer service, owner is very friendly chef is very friendly. Food is excellent.