Great burgers and if it's your birthday, they give you free beer. Prices are a bit high, but food is good.

We decided to stop in Sun Prairie for a bite on our way from MKE to Madison, and ended up landing a table in the bar area here at Nitty Gritty. The immediate area, which is downtown Sun Prairie was super cool and cute. Lots of shared spaces and mixed use buildings that included the building Nitty Gritty sits in. There are a few Nitty Gritty's scattered across the Madison area, but my buddy recommended this location due to convenience. We popped in on night 2 of the NFL draft, which is why we bellied up to a high top in the bar area. Nitty Gritty is more sports bar than anything, but if the bar is not your scene, they have several dining spaces inside and out. We started with a couple of beers and cocktails, and while we reviewed the dedicated "birthday shot book", we decided to stick with standard drinks...but the birthday shot thing is apparently a big deal here! My buddy went local beer from the tap and I went gin & tonic. Bad call on my part, as even though that is a basic cocktail, this is not a cocktail bar. The drink was not good, so second round I went Spotted Cow as well. All was right in the world in that moment. For food, we went quintessential bar food with wings and burgers. My buddy got the Smokehouse Burger, which is their house-bbq burger served on Texas toast. He sided it with the fries and noted that both were decent, not great, but also not terrible. Both lacked seasoning, especially the burger patty itself. I opted for the wings, black and blue dry rub to be specific. The wings were good size and fried well, very crispy and meaty for a wing. The seasoning, while present, was not very flavorful. I expected a bit more from a Cajun based rub. Food wise, it was just okay. Service was a hit and miss throughout the evening. While the place was not busy, the service was a bit slow for the amount of staff we noticed. We waited on refills and re-orders a bit longer than normal, especially sitting the bar area. This location has been here for a while and it shows in parts of the building interior and exterior. While conditionally certain areas need some love, the spaces were all clean and well kept. Overall, Nitty Gritty was okay. Seemed like your standard local sports bar with mid-level food and service. With that being said, I may be interested in spending time here for a birthday given that shot book! read more

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We had dinner with a couple of our kids here tonight. It was pretty quiet when we arrived but filled up quickly. We ordered the white cheese curds to start. They were hot and cheesy with a nice crispy texture. I ordered the Nashville hot chicken sandwich and chips it was okay. A bit dry though. My husband had a Chicago dog, it was definitely not impressive and honestly it was sad. The girls had a salmon sandwich and the gritty burger. Their reports are the salmon was dry but the gritty burger was delicious. So moral of the story. Get a burger, that's what they do well. read more

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Multi-Visit Update as of April 14, 2025: Sam is still KILLING IT as a waitress! How she keeps getting more fun, we don't know!? So was her colleague, Annika, when we could not connect with Sam! Their Front Desk Guy from 04-12-25, 6:30 PM - So friendly & dynamically welcoming !!! WAY TO GO, MY MAN! ("2-10" Rules)! LOVE their chix breast (both Flatbread Pesto, & Pretzel bun). Fries/O-rings/Curds to die for! With most of our travel to this area slowing down, we will be looking for reasons to stop by Nitty Gritty - which has now become our MUST STOP TO EAT spot in this area! Original Review March 9, 2025: Discovered Nitty Gritty ("NG") while attending a Destination Imagination Regional Tourny, and we are glad we did! It has instantly become a fab for us in this area! For First-Time Visitors: NG is inside a historic canning factory in a safe, pleasant area of downtown. Adequate on-street parking as well as some adjacent lot parking. Outdoor seating available near the entrance.. Cutting right to the chase: NG's greatest asset during our visit was our server, "Phredde" (pronounced "Fred," also known as "Sam"--it's a long story, but she can share that with you if she wants to!). She was a total ROCK STAR, making what most would consider top-tier service look second class. Phredde (Sam) was prompt, attentive, professional, and had a fantastic personality, which is essential when serving people like us! She accurately took our orders, especially for my wife, who has Celiac disease, ensuring everything was correct, hot, timely and safe. While our initial arrival here didn't feel particularly welcoming, she completely turned that, around, making us feel like honored guests. From what we observed at our table, we were not the only ones benefitting from this level of care; this seems to be Sam's default setting when serving guests at NG (okay, I'll start using her real name - I think I've "damaged" her enough by now!!). We plan on returning to the area within the coming weeks, and we will be looking for Sam as our server again! If you stop by - you should be asking for her also! Sam will make your day! Next, the food. Fabulous! I took advantage of the Friday Fish Fry, Soft Pretzel Appetizer, and their "Worlds Smallest Sunday" (although, I am sure that Ed Dedevic's in Chicago may have something to say about that claim!). The Soft Pretzel Sticks (4 count, about 6" x 1" each) were warm and delicious. Firm, but not unforgivingly tough. The cheese sauce for dipping was a great addition ( I passed on mustard - hate mustard!). The sticks were tasty just on their own. They were not salted, which I prefer. While others often choose lesser-quality cuts for their events, NG uses premium cuts of cod that are light and flavorful. Instead of a thick layer of partially fried dough, their cod is enveloped in a very light and fully cooked batter. The accompanying fries were lightly salted and cooked to perfection. The "Smallest Sunday" was about a golfball-ish sized portion which was just perfect for a filling meal. I had chocolate and caramel sauce added....WA! My wife chose the gluten-free cheeseburger, and she found it to be a surprising tastey. While many gluten-free food options can be fairly bland, this sandwich stood out for its flavor. More importantly, it was carefully prepared to avoid gluten and any cross-contamination. Although NG is not a dedicated gluten-free establishment, their staff clearly understands the importance of these precautions. We experienced no adverse effects whatsoever. Great job! Finally, if NG has an Achille's Heel, it is in the initial greeting as we entered. Both greeters, along with someone we suspected was the manager, were prompt, professional, and efficient--perhaps overly so. They did not offer any smiles or warm greetings, instead carrying out their duties quickly and politely. They quickly assessed how many were in our party, whether we preferred a booth or a table, and then escorted us to our seats. However, that somewhat flat start to the evening was completely transformed by "Phredde" (...did we mention "Phredde?"). As we alluded to earlier, she truly elevated our experience, turning what would have been a 4-star review into the 5-star rating we are giving today. read more

Fun birthday bar. Burgers are okay didn't have much flavor & the bun should have been toasted. Fries weren't soft & limp, not worth eating. Staff is nice but not very attentive. read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Raspberry Chipotle Burger - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Good food took a bit to make but we had a large table. We did have a spill at the table and was kinda frustrating cause it took them forever to clean it, and there was still wet soda under the table and ice. I felt like I could have cleaned it better and the employee seemed very annoyed at the accidental spill. read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Rasberry chipotle burger - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

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The chicken tenders are great so are fries but warm pickles I wanted a chilled pickle read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - My food - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

I stopped late because they were one of the few places open which was nice. The cheese curds and waffle fries were so good (especially with ranch). I tried the roasted garlic burger for the first time and wasn't super impressed as I think it needed more flavor. However, the bartender was super friendly and the overall service was great. read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Roasted Garlic Burger - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

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I ordered 4 sliders with cheese and only got 2 without cheese and when I asked about it they ignored me and when I asked again they slammed a random burger and said eat it read more

Asked 3 times for a Dr Pepper and took 25 minutes and it it was flatter then my ex because these chicken tenders were super dry

Service and food were good. Drinks were delivered on time and the beer was nice and cold

The Sun Prairie location is my favorite of the Nitty Gritty's. If I had one complaint, it would be the impossibility of parking. I get that it's in a downtown ish location, but it's also in the middle of a suburb so people are going to be driving. I digress. They have a great patio in the pleasant weather months which allows dogs. I don't usually come out this way, but was headed up north and we had three dogs with us. We just wanted a spot that was open a bit later (7:30pm?) for a Friday fish fry, and they could seat us immediately on the (otherwise very full) patio. It's super loud both inside and outside, but definitely a community gathering place. I would normally give it three stars, but the fish fry bumped it up to a four star. One of my favorite fish fries in the area. That said, it's actually a challenge to eat it. It came in these odd high-rimmed square bowls, and getting a fork horizontally in there to cut the fish was a huge challenge. It was surprisingly very frustrating. I will absolutely request a plate (who knew that'd be a necessity?) next time I go back. read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Friday Fish Fry - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

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Classic sports bar! Living its best life as the birthday bar!! Chill spot for a beer and some darts, no complaints. Just a classic sports bar! read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Sunrise Burger - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Place was so friendly. They were very quick to serve and reccomend burgers for me any my group. Love this place. read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Restaurant area - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

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I don't usually write reviews, but after this experience, I feel obligated to warn others. We went to the Nitty Gritty in Sun Prairie to celebrate my wife's and father-in-law's birthdays, expecting a decent meal and a good time. What we got instead was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in years. Let's start with the food (honestly, calling it food is generous). It was so bad that most of us didn't even bother to pack up our leftovers. One person in our group took a single bite and left the entire plate untouched. That tells you all you need to know. If you can't even make a meal palatable enough for people to consider taking it home, what are you doing? Then there was the service, or lack thereof. Our server was clearly overwhelmed, struggling to keep up with the number of tables he had, and frankly, he looked unprepared to provide even basic service. I had to get up and go to the kitchen several times to get things that had been forgotten. And not just once, but several times. On top of that, whoever was in charge of running the food must have thought we were in a tapas bar, because plates came out one or two at a time. That's ridiculous for a large group. Worse, after the last plate was dropped off, we sat there waiting for the server to check on us. I timed it--over ten minutes. If I hadn't timed it, I would have thought I was losing my mind. Ten minutes of sitting there with no refills (we never got refills), no check-in, nothing. I've worked in the restaurant industry for over 30 years, managing and owning more than my fair share of businesses. I know how the front and back of the house works. I hadn't been to this place in years, and now I know why. It is safe to say that this will be the last time I set foot in the Nitty Gritty in Sun Prairie. If this is the best we have in town, I'll be happy to take my money elsewhere. In fact, the experience was so bad that people stopped by my house after we left, and I ended up cooking dinner myself. read more

We ordered delivery from DoorDash. They were super quick with our order around 35-45 minutes for the delivery. My friend got a chicken bacon ranch wrap with waffle fries which looked good. My cheeseburger was huge and delicious. Their chipotle aioli was sooo good. It was $50 for our food and I ordered a can of Sierra Mist. read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Burger - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

The food for the Mother's Day brunch was amazing! The service was excellent also. It was a little expensive but worth it.

We went to Sun Prairie Nitty Gritty for a family birthday celebration. It was quite an experience. We were quickly sat, since it was 3:30 when we got there. The food was alright, but the service was terrible. We are a very understanding and easy group of customers, as many of us have worked in food service, but we have never had an experience like this. We were there for about two hours total and in that time we had to search for our own napkins, refill our own drinks at the soda machine, hunt down someone for sauce that was missing, go to the bar for drinks, etc. Towards the end of our meal we realized why the service was so poor. I kid you not, about a half dozen of the staff (including our waitress) were in and out of an office/closet near the event space smoking something green with a very distinct smell. This was made abundantly obvious by the hosts saying things like, "There is no ventilation in there, that's why the smell is still on you.", and "There were too many people smoking in there, it was claustrophobic." These comments were made right in front of me and my two small children standing about ten feet away at an arcade game. This pungent smell filled up about a quarter of the restaurant including the host station and bathroom area. Great way to welcome customers! This was brought up to the manager on duty and his response was, "I can assure you that isn't happening. I can get you your bill." read more

I like the milkshakes, I got the strawberry milkshake last time. I also got the grass fed beef burger it was good.

AMAZING FOOD! The Staff Was Sooo Kind And Sweet! The Wait Times Were Kinda Long Though It Was Very Calming But The Seats Were Kinda Uncomfortable The Arcade Is Soo Nice There Are So Many Great Machines And, An Entire Candy Machine It Was Like Halloween Playing That Thing read more

I decided to venture out and escape the frozen dinners that awaited me at home. I was actually headed to another place but everyone was closed (Labor Day) so as I was making a U-Turn I stumbled upon Nitty Gritty and I'm glad I did! This location has a nice little outside sitting area, a large indoor bar area and a restaurant area. I was welcomed immediately and shown to my seat on the outside patio. There's a good selection of food but the Baja Fish Tacos caught my eye. OOH-EMM-GHEE!!! These tacos were easily in my top 3 best fish tacos I've had! Seasoned and garnished nicely, fish was tender and I was mad I only had 3 lol To wash it down I had the Spiced Pear Old Fashioned. OOH-EMM-GHEE!!! I wanted to order a big pitcher to take home with me. It was absolutely delicious!! I wish I remembered my server's name because she handled all of her tables with care, was attentive and I could tell she enjoyed her job. Don't let the name Nitty Gritty fool ya, there was nothing "gritty" about this visit!! read more

The food was delicious and the waitress was great! However, when we walked in with a larger party, we were greeted by the manager at the hostess station with complete annoyance. They lost business because one family of our group refused to stay and eat there because of the rude manager. She couldn't have made it more clear that we were just a burden. We were happy to wait and knew it would be. We were there killing time anyway in-between softball games for a tournament. When I left, I overheard the manager say to the associate "wow, that was rough" and I couldn't help but turn around and tell her that the only reason she perceived it was rough was because of the way she handled it. In the customer service industry, there is no room for that kind of blatant disrespect to your customers. Shame on you. read more

A wonderful place to celebrate your birthday! They really treat the birthday celebrant well, with a free drink in a special glass you get to keep. It's fun to find a place that will make a fuss over your birthday even if you are a grown-ass adult. We have a whole collection of Nitty Gritty birthday glassware now. The food is great, too, we devoured our fried cheese curd appetizer with their special sauce, and the burgers/veggie burgers and side dishes were all perfectly cooked. We get takeout from there pretty often, too, even when it's nobody's birthday. Great on your birthday, great anytime! read more

Food was good. Friendly staff as well. At about 2:40 in the afternoon, it wasn't busy. There were several staff on hand and only 2 other tables in the entire restaurant at the same time. That said it was a bit disappointing that out beverage glasses (2 out of 3) were empty for nearly half our meal. Someone in our group ordered a beer from the canned beer portion of the drink menu and it was served without an offer of a glass. Maybe because of COVID? But it wouldn't been a courteous gesture to offer a glass. As a final note, for as slow as it was and the number of staff (bus, servers and hostess) the women's bathroom could've really used some attention and supplies. read more

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A couple of weeks ago we were looking for an outdoor dining place during these Covid times and decided to try the NG in SP. We were able to get a reservation for one of their patio tables. It is a nice space, tables well spaced, and on this evening it was perfect since the wind was blocked. Our server was very pleasant and helpful. After a couple of cocktails we started with their yellow cheddar curds which were good but not great. One of our members decided to have a malt for dinner along with her gin & tonic - go figure. The malt was huge and tasty! The rest of us ordered more traditional meals like their Reuben which was very good and tender (though their house chips were lacking - not quite stale but lacking freshness). The salmon sandwich was excellent. Overall we had a good experience though outdoor dining maybe done for the season. read more

Oh Nitty Gritty...you have so much potential! Great patio space, great bar area, friendly servers, fun brunch drinks. I'm just a bit baffled why the food is so extremely mediocre! I got a BLT breakfast burrito with spinach, and the tortilla wasn't heated or grilled, it was just a cold wrap, cold spinach...That's not typically how breakfast burritos come and it wasn't very good. The side potatoes were pretty good. My friend got a breakfast scramble that was supposed to be potatoes, eggs, cheese, veggies, and it was basically just potatoes. No eggs to be found. We liked the variety of mimosas, but neither of us would go back to eat brunch. This is so easily fixed! I don't I understand when restaurants serve food that's mediocre/not good. Taste your food and adjust. read more

In March, the Nitty had something called the Guinness Melt. It was a burger with corned beef, mustard, and sauerkraut on a black rye bread. It was one of the best burgers I've ever had at any establishment. Wish they'd put it on the regular menu. read more

I am such a sucker for historical buildings, and they kept so much character in this building, which adds SO MUCH to your dining experience (in my opinion). It is extremely open and spread out inside, which is perfect for the current pandemic climate. When you come in with a birthday, they send you to the bar to get your birthday mug (free beer, soda or juice) and balloon. When we got there, it was "busy," which when you are seating every other table, it just fills up quicker. After 10 minutes, we still hadn't had anyone check in on us for drinks and such. At this point, a few tables had gotten up, so no one HAD to walk by us to get anywhere, which made it hard to flag someone down. Luckily, the hostess was super nice and noticed me waving. She went and got someone ASAP. Food was great, prices are a little excessive, and we mainly came for our 10-year-old who wanted to go there to celebrate her day. The same issue came up again, where we wouldn't see our server for a long time. She brought us a box but never brought our check, waited 10 minutes in between each step of getting the check, her coming back, and then her running the check. So it was just a lot of down time when you are all finished eating. Great experience place, but definitely bring some things to keep your kiddos busy in all the down time. read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Mark's Buffalo Chicken deep fried and subbed in a pretzel bun - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

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Not sure of food, as we've been here 30 minutes and no one available to take our order. Bartender disinterested, assured us someone would come along. A person did check, acted surprised we'd want a menu. So we will see about food. read more

Consistently fine. Not a huge fan of all their food, but the wings I order are consistently good and they have historically had good happy hour specials. read more

Friendly staff, great food, huge portions, and decent variety. I ordered a pesto Flatbread sandwich with the house made coleslaw. Very good! My only complaint is the bathrooms, as they are slightly run down.Gritty Burger read more

Nitty Gritty - Sun Prairie - Pesto Chicken Flatbread - American Near Me - Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

I come here once a year for my brother's birthday, as well as some of his in-laws' birthdays. We come as a big group with bigger appetites for beer and food alike. We had good service. Our group was about fourteen people including four birthdays in the group. Our waitress seemed to get everything right and everything was fast (although it took a bit for me to get my beer at the beginning, as I ordered that after arriving later than the rest). Mask usage was not great, as I saw a couple employees without or not wearing properly. I recognize no one wants to wear them right now, but that docks a point for me. The beer options are plentiful, although I perhaps wish they had a few more or some new ones as I have drank all the beers on their list and usually aim to try new ones. I got a tasty witbier and the Asian chicken salad. The beer was tasty and cold. The salad could have used more chicken. I was not a fan of the salad dressing as it was oil-based but not flavorful and made the whole thing a little smushy. I was still pretty hungry after the salad as it was mostly lettuce. They are good for groups and birthdays, but it is not my all-time favorite spot. However, I will be back at least next November. read more

I've been here many times since they've opened this location, so I think I've experienced enough to give an accurate review. There's really 3 ways to enjoy the Nitty Gritty of which I've all done at the Sun Prairie Location: Dine in, Take-out, and night life. Dine-in: The Nitty won't knock your socks off with any particular dish or service, but there are somethings that are certainly worth going back for. The staff is typically very attentive with keeping drinks filled and accommodating needs. You can't go wrong with any of the burgers as they are clearly homemade and well put together. Some of their sandwiches are lacking like the Prime rib (not enough meat) and the turkey avocado (pretty plain imo), but don't let that dissuade you from trying some of the others Take-out: I have only done takeout for the Friday Fish Fry, which is usually tougher to rate because fried fish and fries don't hold up well in a box with steam. This was an exception to that. While you should be prepared that the breading on the cod can be a bit thick, the crisp and flavor that it brings is phenomenal. The waffle fries are also the way to go if you get the fish. Night life: There really isn't a lot to write home about here. It's not as fun as the Madison Nitty by any means, but the free beer/drinks on your birthday will get the job done if you're in the area. There typically isn't a lot of people on the usual Friday/Saturday, so if that's your things, go to the Madison location read more

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The Chicago dog was not a Chicago dog. They blended all the ingredients together to make a "sauce ". Not good! Service was good considering there was only one server for the entire resturant. Will not go back again! read more

Stopped in here for our anniversary dinner. Had a great time. Food was good, drinks were strong. Kid's had fun playing the games. We will definitely be back. read more

Have been coming since the location has opened. Been there for several birthday meals. The food as usual has been good as well as the service. We have been taking advantage of the buy coupons that gritty has been sending out. We have ordered in the past the fish tacos and a burger. They have in the past accepted the coupon and taken 8.99 off the bill. We had a newer server tonight and she went to check to see if it we could use . Came back and said no. We ordered . Would have been nice if manager on duty would have taken time to come over and explain why the change in accepting their coupon. Not that the restaurant was that busy. My wife said just let it go. Looking at the non responses from other reviews I will expect the same from this comment. read more

Best Nachos Ever!! We started Friday-night out family dates a few years ago. Nitty Gritty is one of our frequently visited. Even during COVID. read more

We are in our 80s and don't eat out much. Disappointed in SunPrairie, 4/11/2022 at 12:30. Very few customers. Ordered hamburgers (2) 1 NA beer and 1 iced tea. Waited 40 minutes for food. Burger meat was not all the way spoiled but was not fresh tasting either. French fries were soggy. Lettuce was limp but tomato was fresh. Food was not hot just warm. The bathroom was really dirty. For all the rave reviews we heard our expectations were high. it was $41.00 with tip. That is a lot of money for old folks. Realize costs have gone up but this cost was not justified. Probably won't be back. Sad. read more

I was there for the first time on Sunday, by myself, for brunch, at a less than busy time of day when far more tables were empty than occupied. Let me tell you it was first, last, and only time I'll ever visit this establishment. My first issue: The server I had should not be employed as waitstaff. Within moments of being seated, she came over and asked if I knew what I "wanted right away." Upon telling her it was my first time there, she simultaneously looked offended and dumbfounded; she didn't welcome me, thank me for giving them a shot, offer me a drink, or anything else that common sense would dictate a server might do for a new guest. I had to ask for a drink that I randomly, and hastily, pulled off the menu just to have a moment to review the menu. My second issue: Once I eventually figured out what I wanted and my "server" dropped off my food, she was absent - as in didn't check on me until after I was done choking down the barely palatable meal. My third issue: What made the chicken and biscuits barely palatable was that it was overly salted, over cooked as in my chicken was actually rubbery; dried brown; and the breading was nearly black. Either they used really dirty oil or left the chicken in for far too long. The poor excuse for "homemade gravy" was a flavorless white substance that appeared to be a splash of milk with small "chunks" of sausage that were barely bigger than dried bacon bits one might find on a salad bar. The only thing on this dish that was actually not unpleasant was the biscuit. My final issue: When I finally received my check, I wasn't told what to do with it. Do I take it to the front or give it to my server? She walked by a minute later and looked disgusted that there wasn't money on the table and I was still there. So, I finally took it up to the register, within two minutes of receiving it, and the woman at the counter looked taken aback that there was a non-employee at the register. She didn't ask how my meal was, only "can I take care of this for you?" This whole experience was so poor that it made me wonder how this could be the "official birthday place" when it appears to be difficult to manage a 1 top on a less than busy day. read more

We headed out east to hit the Sun Prairie location for a fantasy football draft. As expected, the experience there was much like the other Grittys we know and love. BUT, Sun Prairie seems to have a little more to offer than others... For our draft, we got the party room. We had 10 guys, but the room could have easily held 20 or 30. Maybe more - I didn't count. The free WiFi was a bonus. Having the separate room was nice - we could relax and have fun without feeling like we were disturbing other patrons. They also have a much larger room for bigger events - something to consider if you need a large event space. An extra bonus was their beer selection - many more choices than the west side establishment. Being my birthday, I was obligated to have a few free taps with my mug. They had Lake Louie Warped Speed on tap - game over! I'm sure they had other beers, but that's my favorite. Our server was spunky and fun - perfect for our group. She gaffed a few things with our party, but it wasn't anything we couldn't straighten out. She was attentive and stayed on top of our situation. Very well done. We got the happy hour special of "half price apps and taps" for our draft. The food was fresh and tasty. It'll be hard to find another place to draft at that has more to offer. read more