Wow. I am particular when it comes to steak and this was one of the best I have ever had. The capital cut was fantastic.

My first visit was to duck inside with hubs for a slice of chocolate cake after dinner at another restaurant. The atmosphere was gorgeous, the cake was delicious, and a single slice was so big that there was plenty to bring home. I was looking forward to coming back. The main reason I wanted to write a review was over my recent NON-dining experience. I'd made reservations for this past Saturday evening via OpenTable. I didn't like having to create an online account to do so, but this is where my dad wanted to go. I specified in my notes that I was bringing my elderly grandmother who has a difficult time walking. On good days she still needs a cane, on bad days, a walker. I asked for a table that was closer to the door. I received a phone call around 10am Saturday from a gentleman who very kindly let me know that FreakFest was going on down State Street, causing all the surrounding streets to be blocked off. Grandma would be forced to walk at least half a block, if not more. On top of that, there was a huge band shell set up right outside their restaurant and he said we were definitely going to hear all the noise, even if we moved to the back of the restaurant. This was pretty much the worst case scenario for a pleasant dinner, as my grandparents are already hard of hearing. I thanked him for letting me know and said we were going to try to find someplace that could accommodate my grandma. I didn't use the exact words 'please cancel the reservation.' I think I said something like 'Wow, that's not going to work out at all. Thanks for letting me know.' Since most steakhouses don't open until late afternoon, that's when I made my other reservation. I called Rare around 4:30 to ensure they knew that I wasn't going to be there...just in case there was any misunderstanding. They were very nice about it, and I thought Rare went above and beyond by calling me earlier that morning. I would've been absolutely mortified to get all the way downtown and subject my poor, weak, frail grandmother to such a horrible experience. I'd give 5+ stars to Rare for their thoughtfulness and foresight. However, I was really, really frustrated with the OpenTable service they're using for reservations. I got labeled as a 'no show' and OpenTable had the nerve to send me an email chiding me for not giving more notice and costing the restaurant money. Seriously??? And then they sent me a survey asking what happened. I was happy to take it to explain the situation, but they gave no option of me informing them that the FreakFest had denied restaurant access to people with disabilities by blocking off streets. I also disagree that I personally cost the restaurant money. I'm sure that FreakFest costs a LOT of local businesses a LOT of money for the noise factor alone, as you can't relax and enjoy an elegant dinner with that kind of insanity going on outside the door. I wonder how many empty tables Rare had that night, along with other restaurants on the capitol square? I know it was a form letter email from OpenTable and a perfect storm to make for a crappy situation, but whatever. First world problems, right? I'll definitely come back to Rare...but I'm deleting the OpenTable account. read more

The steaks are SUPERB. Shared the 24oz porter house with my date. I do wish I would've asked for sauce on side. Excellent wine choices. I have to agree this is one of the best steak houses. Can't wait to go back. read more

My Mom and I were visiting from Arizona and wanted to eat somewhere around the Capitol. We went to the restaurant next door and they quoted us a 20 minute wait, so we walked into Rare and we are so thankful we didn't wait for a table next door. (The restaurant next door texted me our table was ready 2 minutes after we put our name on their waitlist. Really?) Anyway, we were seated right away at Rare. We chose to sit in the lounge, since I wanted to watch some of the NCAA tournament. Our server was AMAZING! She was knowledgeable and courteous. Service was fast and accommodating. We loved the cheese plate and the oysters. Our server encouraged us to try both kinds of oysters offered by the chef and my Mom and I ended up liking a different oyster, so awesome that they let us choose both for our half dozen. We split the 10 oz filet and asparagus for dinner. The filet was perfectly cooked. One of the best steaks I've had! They even cut the steak for us because we were sharing. We really loved the food and the service, not to mention the beautiful view of the Capitol at night from the lounge. read more

I'll start by being brief, don't bother. Cross the Capital Square and go to the Tornado. Hoping for the best, experiencing the worst. From the moment we put our three person reservation in, to the moment we sat down in the bar-room as we waited for our third party member, I felt it would be a bad experience. After taking our coats off after finding one of many open tables open in the bar, I expected things to go south, but not as quickly as they did. I walked up to the bar, cash in hand, but not waving it around or anything, the bartender silently walked past me three times without a look. Better to pay attention to the four or five couples already enjoying beverages, or clearing drinks and plates on a $40 closed tab than to glance at me. Only after a second bartender joined did I get my drinks...that was the best part of the night. Getting a couple of drinks. After our third party arrived, we continued to sit in the bar-room so he could unwind with a drink before heading to the dining room...upon finishing, we walked to the host/hostess station at the front and let them know we were ready for dinner. After being seated, we began to wait. Others around us were getting served drinks and water, but no service came to our table. We waited for five minutes, talking, trying to avoid talking about the lack of service...then came ten minutes. Still, nothing. Not so much as a glance from any wait staff, or support staff. Upon reaching the 15 minute mark we looked at one another and decided to walk out. I've NEVER done that. I was surprised to see staff stare at us like, "what, we were coming to you next", or something...as they stared at us like a deer stares into the blaring headlights on a dark fall evening we simply left. They were visibly dumbfounded. It was the worst service I really never had the pleasure of experiencing. Do yourself a favor...go to the Tornado. We were seated, enjoying cocktails and ordering within ten minutes of arrival. Rare should be overlooked completely. that's the best advice I can give to anyone with the patience to read this entire review. read more

Madison is not New York. Perhaps in the big apple It may be exciting for some tourists to have a "table captain" entertain them - but for we Madisononians, the stand-up comedy routine and narcissism were irritating. We really don't care if he is the "only one" in the restaurant who knows how to make a tableside Caesar, or that he is the "house expert" on wines, and the continuous "we are the best in Madison" routine was boring. If I want dinner and theater, I will go to Fireside. If I want advertisements I will go to the movies early. I respect wait-staff, they work hard - but the best ones are able to balance personality with respect for privacy. What's with the lights? Something strange to see 6 people reading the menus with their cell phone flashlights, and the "table captain" showing wine choices with a flashlight. This place probably has the most awesome mahogany interior in town - and you can't see it. The 6 oz bone-in filet was thin, overdone and literally 5 small fork pieces. A bone-in steak that sags instead of bulging by the bone is depressing. The term "Dry-aged Beef" was thrown around like it's Baluga Caviar - really? NOTE: The hash browns were awesome. Plate presentation was reasonable, but you had to turn on your flashlight to see it. It was a slow Wednesday night and dinner was equally slow. Way too much time between courses. The crab cakes tasted like the sanitizer was left in the bowl it was mixed in. I kept thinking it was too much of a particular spice - but could not identify it. Size? Anyone who has been downeast knows that a crab cake is a crab CAKE. Not a crab petit four. The wine list was enormous - but the first two choices of our friends were, of course, not available. No sommelier should carry two lists; a menu list and a list of "sorry, we are out of that one". The bartender made a great drink and the happy hour items were exceptional - but he could smile on occasion. There are only a few restaurants in Madison that tout this kind of exclusivity and set this kind of price range. Rare could be at the top, first class interior, location-perfect, but turn up the lights, turn down the tableside floor show, tune up the food prep. Maybe Wednesday is B-Team day, will give it another go on the weekend. read more

At the recommendation of my good friend and Yelper Rob P. I took my gf to Rare for our 1 year anniversary. A great choice to say the least!! I noted our occasion in my online reservation, and after taking our coats and seating us, they brought us each a flute of champagne and said congrats. *The key to my heart* I looked at many yelp reviews of Rare before going, and the only real qualms I read were about the service and the temp of the steaks. Both were perfect for us! Our "Captain" and his assistant were both friendly and punctual. And my medium rare bone-in rib eye was perfect. The extra blue cheese crumbles I ordered for the top may have been a little excessive, but my steak was delicious! My favorite part of the meal, however, was the first course. I had the Cesar salad which was made table side, complete with a pop quiz and the history from our waiter about the origins of the Cesar Salad. My partner had the carrot and dill bisque, hands down my taste buds' favorite! B had the chicken in mushroom sauce with asparagus and we shared a bottle of pinot gris, all fabulous. We passed on the desert and yet they sent us home with a small complimentary piece of cake. I highly recommend Rare for any special occasion!!! I can't afford to go again for a while, but I'll be back for sure. read more

Yesterday was our first visit to Rare Steakhouse and absolutely loved not only the food but also the experience. Our waitress, Carli, truly made the evening amazing with her knowledge and expertise about the entrees. With her help we were able to order some delicious crab cakes, wagyu, and a tasteful bottle of wine. We can honestly say that we've had the best steak we've ever had and the best service! This is my first yelp post ever and had to create a yelp account just to rave about our experience. read more

This review is only pertaining to the organization of the restaurant because, due to their lack of organization, I was unable to experience the food and wine at this new Madison establishment. We had inquired about attending a multi course wine makers dinner with wine parings that was advertised via Grgich Hills winery. First, when we called to make reservations, the restaurant was confused and had it on their calendar for 10/29 even though the winery advertised 10/30. We eventually had to call the winery directly to get a straight answer. After a few different conversations, it turns out the dinner will be cancelled due to Rare's lack or organization and marketing of the event. We have yet to be contacted back by Rare and found this information out through the winery. Guess the is "The Madison Experience...." that will be missed. read more

We stopped in for a drink at the bar only to be totally offended by the hostess who was so rude we (a table of 8) left before we even ordered. Never will go back!!! read more

Shared kansas strip with guest. Sides were pitifully small. Steaks very average Better steaks at Oakcrest. Oakcrest knows how prepare a shared steak and sides. read more

Went here for restaurant week, and was quite under-whelmed. First, be aware they do not let you "split" a set for restaurant week, even if you upgrade to one of the more expensive steaks that is 22 oz and more than twice the cost (e.g. $35 for restaurant week pre fixe + $45 for the 22 oz ribeye upgrade). Second, everything about the food was okay, not quite what you would expect from an expensive steakhouse. My medium steak was more like medium-rare/rare, with blood oozing from the center. The flavor was completely bland. Mushroom and mashed potato were soggy. Indeed, I see no quality difference from say a Longhorn Steakhouse. Crabcake appetizer had basically no crab, and was almost entirely mayonnaise and breading. Dessert chocolate tart was probably the most decent out of everything, with a subtle nutty taste. Pass on the coffee panna cotta, tasteless and boring. Edit: Apparently Bill F. was so offended by my review he actually wrote me and called me a plebeian and told me to stay home because I wanted to split the upgrade restaurant week fare (for the record, it was another couple in our party who wanted to do that, but whatever, I don't know why it's anyone's business that it's what they wanted to do and was refused). I didn't like my experience at Rare. If you did, cool, write a review. No need for name calling. read more

I opened the Ruth Chris Steakhouse in Chicago (AGM) back in the early 90's so I know a bit about what a Chicago Steakhouse should represent. The service needs to shake out the cobwebs a bit, they are still working out kinks and timing. They will nail it after a bit, but they still need additional training and tighter standards. The décor is fantastic, absolutely beautiful. Steaks were excellent, although they were a tad off on the temp. I like rare steak so I was fine, but it would have been a challenge for those ordering medium (it was medium rare minus). The order their dry aged steaks from Chicago via the best location, so quality is not at issue for the product. Execution is key for Rare to get to top status. It was probably a 3.5 in this outing, but I rounded up due to effort, décor, and food quality read more

I'm a big fan of steakhouses and this place was great! My dry-aged steak was incredible and the wine was fantastic. It was refreshing seeing a young server with a lot of knowledge of the menu and offer top-notch service! I want to go again next time I'm in Madison. read more

Rare is a fantastic dining experience. Under the wings of General Manager SARAJANE GOLZ, everything looks and tastes perfect! Sarajane made sure that our reservations were honored. She noted it was a special occasion and went out of her way to alert the entire staff. Everyone we encountered wished us a happy anniversary! she is very organized and efficient. Most important, her warm personality really makes a dining experience terrific! Our server, Ryan Mirate, was a superstar. We followed his suggestions and loved everything we ordered. The salads were inventive and plentiful. He taught us the difference between DRY and AGED meat. We ordered one of each to see if we could tell the difference. Truly, both were delicious. He noted our allergies and made sure nothing we ate would be a problem. He was attentive, but never intrusive! The best part of the dinner came when he made us BANANAS FOSTER at our table side. He is a terrific chef! Best Bananas Foster anywhere (and we have had in in New Orleans!) RARE is a special restaurant! What a great addition to the Madison dining scene. read more

Truly one of the best steak houses in Madison and the state. I was lucky enough to have been included in a family birthday celebration in Rare Steakhouse's Boardroom. A nice quiet room greatly suited for a birthday celebration. Our group started off with a selection of a few appetisers. I really enjoyed the crab cakes and the Oysters Rockefeller. Both had loads of flavor. We then continued on with salads. Our server (Jahar Glover) did a beautiful job of making Caesar Salads table side. A beautiful performance hard to top (but her did later). Our group ordered a variety of steaks and main dishes including Wine Braised Short Ribs, that I can only say not a bad word was voiced. Each was done to perfection. my filet was mouth watering and very tasty. It is unfortunate that they feel the need to charge $4 for blue cheese sprinkled on top. Along with our meal we shared orders of Brussel Sprouts, Duck Fat Frites, and Rare Hash Browns. All of which where delightful. it was nice to see the sides served family style. Our waiter was also very helpful when it came to selecting a nice red wine to compliment our meal. With over 400 bottles to pick from a little help was welcomed. And then we come to dessert. After having eaten way too much, and birthday cake to come later, we opted for an order of Bananas Foster to be shared. Waiter Jahar Glover out did his earlier performance in preparing the Bananas Foster tableside. Starting out by making caramel from butter and brown sugar and then adding the bananas and finally setting the liqueurs aflame. It was fitting end to a wonderful meal and celebration. (Our only regret was having spent too long looking for parking only to realise they offer valet parking. Would be nice to have that noted on their website.) read more

Rare Steakhouse is a super good restaurant. Their brussel sprouts were very crispy. We loved the service by Ryan and Jahad. We had filets and the Kansas City strip. Don't miss out on the mashed potatoes and the crispy buttery popovers. We will be back! read more

Food was delicious but the wait staff was very rude, inattentive, and our meal, which came from a preset menu during restaurant week (only three selections available) took upwards of an hour and forty five minutes to get. Talked to the wait staff about how long it took and was not offered any compensation (not even an apology for the wait being so long). Food was fantastic it was just a disappointing experience. read more

The service, ambiance and food was exceptional! Even being a vegetarian the food was amazing!

We need to talk about Rare Steakhouse. First of all, if you plan on going all out for dinner here, you better plan on spending about $300. To me, "all out" means appetizer, entree, sides, dessert, and a bottle of wine. If you're okay with spending that (or a little less if you skip the extras,) then I HIGHLY recommend Rare. Yes, it's expensive, but YES it is worth it! Hands down, this is my favorite upscale restaurant. The atmosphere is GORGEOUS. Last year for our wedding anniversary, my husband and I were seated in the library room. It was beautiful. The service is unlike anything I have ever experienced. They are knowledgeable about all the dishes and wines, but they don't hover. They seem to know when you might be needing a refill on your wine, but that's about the only time you will see them while you're eating your entree. We have had some amazing wine recommendations from servers that have literally become staples in our household. Out of all the steakhouses in Madison (Disclaimer: I haven't been to Fields or Ruth's Chris,) Rare is without a doubt THE BEST!!! The marbling on the rib eye causes the steak to literally melt in your mouth. The sides are meant to be shared, and are pretty standard, and there are usually a couple of dessert specials. Last time I was here, they had an amazing orange creme brûlée. If you are looking for a fabulous night out and are okay with the hefty price tag, you will have a hard time finding a better, more romantic spot than Rare. Pro tip: come a little early and enjoy amazing craft cocktails in their BEAUTIFUL bar before you are seated for dinner. You can thank me later. :-) read more

Extremely professional staff. The menu is incredible and your waiter knows it like the back of their hand, very impressive. Their drink menu is amazing and the wine list goes on forever. I had a 10 oz sirloin and the au gratin potatoes and it was the best I've ever had, and then their chocolate cake was also the best desert I've ever had. I will 100% be calling them to make that cake for my wedding one day, theres nothing like it! Overall an amazing atmosphere and we will be back! read more

My wife and I visited Rare with my son and his girlfriend. The entire meal was very good. We all ordered different steaks with sides: Asparagus, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, etc. Great wine list and good drinks. We will try again on another visit to Madison. read more

Well it starts off with an 8 pm reservation after waiting 10 minutes at an unmanned desk. An uncaring Sarah Jane arrives to do nothing. Eventually they figure out how to check our coats. It is Wisconsin. And drop us off at an a great booth, no menus or wine list. Ok server shows, (here is wine list it's huge I will be back) lol. Taking an order - OK we order wine. And wait, wait, observe server at 4 other tables. It has now been 35 minutes since seating and wine shows up. Last bottle in stock had to look hard. Starts telling us specials - we order. 2 Apps -table side Ceasars - entrées and all the extras we are here to eat. Oysters Rock a feller - dry -small Steak tar tar - bland -but pretty. Really lacked quality processing for a kitchen item . Ceasars - Great Table side love concept. Classic . Might as well have done it in back. Set ingredients no personal touch or quality interaction. T-bone s 1 ordered well with pepper rub. More like charcoal. Must have forgot it. Seriously top crumbled when cutting. LUCKY had blue cheese on it to make it look ok to serve. My med rare ok tastless. You sure you aged it? At $75 apiece and lots of steakhouses under our belt it was . JUST POOR. Wait before our entrees are served we ordered a second bottle from a neighboring waiter. Arrived about have way thru steak. Or when we were half done. Sauces- mushroom - cooked to death- pudding Bearnaise- like a lemon exploded. We surrendered. Ordered a creme Brule. Sea salt -yea that's what it tasted like. We tipped the busboy and other waiter and about 13%for server. What a waste of $700.00 before tipping. To bad they worried about there labor dollars instead of a dining experience of customers who would have been back. Poor floor management. And weak kitchen follow thru. It was a 3 hour dining (experience )lol Will say service wise the Captain was a great guy to bad we did not have him. He exemplifies service. But it appeared he could not fix our server. read more

Very good service. Lobster tail ($50) was "rare" ( yuck)! I had the 8 oz filet. It was....mushy in texture. I've had "aged" steaks many places but never mushy texture. read more

I have only been here for lunch but it was so amazing, I HAD to rate it 5 stars. I have been here twice for business lunches and both times I've had the same thing. The Prime Rib burger with duck frites is simply amazing. The atmosphere is quite decadent and though pricey, it is an awesome lunch. Will definitely be back! read more

Not impressed. Steaks were not as good as advertised, especially for the price point. Anyone who says this is a good steakhouse has never had a good steak. read more

Fabulous ambiance, great service, outstanding food. I suggest the Oyster Rockerfella, table side Cesar salad, steak Oscar style and a few dirty martinis. 5 stars. read more

nice atmosphere, friendly staff. Waiter was never told he had a table, no big deal. Food was good but very pricey.. don't think it was worth it. read more

This was hands down one of the best meals of my life. They have an amazing wine selection, so you can't go wrong there. I had the crab cakes appetizer and they were the best I've ever had. Also I would recommend the Caesar salad that they make at your table for you and ask them to put their bacon on it... Another best of my life, and our server was awesome. The steak was amazing, the filet was great with mushrooms and the one bite potatoes are so delicious. Basically I don't think you can go wrong here, I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a great meal and don't mind spending a little more. read more

Amazing bar atmosphere and bartenders. Food for happy hour very overpriced that half price is a normal price for the food so I didn't really feel like I was getting a deal. The drinks are well made and the food tastes great. Just the prices were a little much for what I think I should pay in Madison WI read more

I see I'm writing one of the only negative reviews about Rare, so maybe we were there on an off night. I hope so for their sake. Service: REALLY nice servers and staff, but our table wasn't clean and we didn't get utensils, plates, drinks, etc... in timely or consistent manner. Food: from average to downright gross. The caprese tower was made with an unripe hothouse tomato and grocery store mozzarella. The Brussels sprouts were mushy and starchy (I love Brussels sprouts and will tolerate mediocre, but I couldn't even choke their's down.). They tasted a few days old. The most disappointing were the steaks - I had the ribeye and my husband had the strip. My ribeye was nasty. I had two bites and gave up. NO flavor, the bleu cheese wasn't a type that goes well with steak, and the texture was really, really cheap - stringy and grisly and stone cold. My husband's cut was slightly better, but nothing to write home about. The wine wasn't a great bottle either, and we did seek advice from the sommelier who mentioned the distributor was seated next to us. On a positive note, I enjoyed the cocktail. Like I said, reading the other reviews it seems like we may have been there in an off night. We won't be going back as there are so many other great options in Madison for a good steak. read more

I had dinner at Rare twice this week. The Filet was outstanding and Bananas Foster for dessert - what a treat! Service was very good both times. I highly recommend! read more

A few months ago, I met some friends at this location, and the service was beyond extraordinary. I wish I could remember the bartenders name, but he was incredible. A couple of my friends and I were there during a street fest. Our bartender gave us great directions in how to find the bar that we were to continue on to, but later realized I forgot my credit card at his restaurant. This man actually walked to the bar and brought me my credit card. It seems like a small and easy thing to do, but it's not common. The food was perfect, it's always nice when the service is the same. Thank you!!! read more

Until today, one of our favorite Happy Hour spots. But they have whittled the "sharable" menu down to very little and made the rest full priced entrees. Who would pay $21 for 2 pieces of half dollar sized steak and a handful of fries that used to called duck fat fries...but are now called, "beef fat fries." In addition, the waiter attempted to tell us that they did this a year ago, except for when we were there 2 weeks ago, and two weeks before that and a month before that, and 2 weeks earlier... read more

Best steakhouse that I have ever eaten at! We are from Chicago which have the best restaurants, Rare Steakhouse has excellent service the best steak whipped potatoes are to die for and popovers are unbelievable ! Nice friendly staff, you have to come here read more

I've heard mixed reviews and went in a tad skeptical. I was pleasantly surprised. Friendly, attentive staff. Great decor. Big, comfortable booths. Good drink selection. Steak was prepared well and tasted great. My wife's sea bass was excellent. Great date night dining experience! read more

We started dinner with cocktails. The Manhattan with Port was excellent. My wife had the Luxarita which was okay. We skipped appetizers I had a bone in New York Strip steak which was excellent. My wife had the crab cakes that were below average . They were more like crab balls. The crab was cooked through but they would have been better crispy and browned. We shared the signature hash brown with every thing on it. The flavor was good but the potatoes were too thick at nearly 2". I prefer hash browns crispy; these were not. We took half home and the next day smushed them down in a frying pan, fried them until crispy. They were excellent. For me, the steak was one of the best but the rest of the food average. I expected more especially after spending over $200 for two with 2 cocktails and tip. I would go back though for the steak. read more

Was looking for a steak after the football game on Saturday and decided to try Rare Steakhouse. Nice place, quite fancy, with very good service. Food was good with a few problems, one of the baked potatoes was not completely cooked and the NY strip, ordered medium well, was well done, without a hint of pink. Other than that, the food was very good. Would try again, but at these prices, I was a little disappointed. read more

We have now been to Rare twice and it has not disappointed. The special touches are what makes the experience memorable and special. We had salads, apps, and steaks both times....not to forget the popovers which are a MUST. I will say our recent side selection of hash browns and brussel sprouts were not the best. The wine list is extensive and has many great choices. The service is exemplary as you'd expect from a restaurant of this caliber. The decor is very upscale steakhouse and not my favorite but to be expected. You may want to bring a flashlight to see the menu, however. All in all, its very expensive but I have not left wondering if its worth it! read more

Poor value. 2 of 5 steaks at table significantly overcooked. Not very flavorful and sauces mediocre. Vegetables sides very mediocre as well. Cauliflower side special undercooked and bland. Brussels just ok, and not very flavorful. Popovers, wedge salad, and hashbrowns were good. Service was not very attentive. Had to track down waiter to send well-done medium rare ordered steak back. Won't be back. read more