I was out and about, exploring Madison, and Merchant looked like a cool place to stop for happy…read morehour. I sat at the bar, and Mi took great care of me. I had dinner plans, so I just wanted to stop in for a drink and snack. They have some really good offers for HH and their cheese curds are half off. I had never had one, so it sounded like the perfect time to try. I got a glass of wine and the curds. They came out quickly, hot and fresh. It was a big bowl of fried cheese. They come with ranch and hot honey, and apparently they recently won best cheese curd at the cheese curd crawl. They were super tasty. Well seasoned, perfectly fried, and kind of chewy. I am not on the hot honey frenzy train, but I tried it and thought it paired well, just wasn't for me. The ranch was tasty though. Even the happy hour portion was hefty and I couldn't put down half. A little wine and cheese on a beautiful day, just makes for a good experience. They were making some pretty interesting cocktails behind the bar, and it is definitely worth coming back to try out their other options.

Wanted to sit outside for dinner and came across Merchant. Waitress was quick to come over with…read moremenus and water. We started with the cheese board for $32.00. Let's say not the best board I've ever had. Very light on the cheese for the price. Wouldn't order again. Cheese curds were tasty. My husband at the steak which came rare had to return to cook more. The fries were over cooked. My son had the Mac n cheese with chicken that he enjoyed. We also ordered a salad which was fresh and tasty. The menu was small but a nice place to come and have a drink after work then move in for dinner.

The food is amazing . Service is friendly. Great decor. Overall very enjoyable experience both for…read morebrunch and dinner

We stopped by for dinner after a pretty draining couple of weeks, and I can't say enough about the…read moreexperience. The food was great, but our server, Lily, was incredible. She had no way of knowing we were feeling worn down, but her warmth and genuine care completely turned our evening around. She made the visit feel special in a way that really stuck with us. Lily is a massive asset to the team, and we're beyond grateful for the hospitality. We'll definitely be back.

This place is amazing. It's farm to table so they partner with neighboring farmers for their fresh…read moreingredients. The cheese curd is a must try - they come with a garlic aioli and gochu jang sauce, yummy! The kale caesar and bibimbap were both very good. Nice ambiance, high ceilings, very clean. Our server was good and attentive.

Good restaurants are run by human beings. Human beings sometimes have bad days. That's part of…read morehumanity. The mark of a good restaurant is how they respond when something goes wrong. Regrettably, something went wrong at my dinner at Graze. After the meal, I received an email asking for direct feedback with the management, which I shared. And I received a very well written apology with a sincere effort to make things right. That effort brought what would have been a 2* experience up to a 4* review. The most important tidbit I have to share for someone contemplating a dinner at Graze is to go hard on the vegetable focused starters. Wow! These were the stars of the show. Hands down. Full stop. Those were five star dishes all the way. Asparagus in season with bread crumbs. Stunning! Young tender beets paired with strawberries? Inspired! While the burger was tempting, I had a burger for lunch and I couldn't bring myself to do a two burger day. I went for the Korean Fried Chicken app as my main, paired with those veggies. It was plenty of food, and I had high hopes for the chicken given the chef's background. But some of the meat was stringy and overcooked. The sauce was zesty with good heat. Still, it fell short of the standard. Warm cookies and milk are never bad. Classics are classics for a reason. But given some of the culinary creativity that exists in the kitchen, it's a bit uninspired. That said, one scoop of seasonal pear sorbet was fantastic! Great flavor and texture. While the server did not know what type of pear was used, I'd put my money on Boscs. The place is popular. Make reservations early. Madison turns out not to be such a late night town, so plan accordingly. While I may not have been tempted to return originally, after the care and attention I received from management, I would indeed come back. I'm sure there is a 5* experience to be had at Graze, but sometimes it takes a second visit to get there.

This is a great spot for first timers and regulars. The menu consists of your typical pub grub…read moreoptions. The real excitement of this place is found in the upstairs and downstairs bar areas. The downstairs area is known as the Rathskeller which is like an old dank cellar, great for parties. The craft beers they make here are decent, but on the little on the tame side, although I would recommend their I-5 draught IPA. The wine and dessert menus are very limited, but I noticed that they do sell a cannabis infused seltzer. They do keep things interesting menu-wise with monthly specials and featured Dane deal specials. The food overall is on the 3 to 4 star level which is fine as long as you're expectations aren't too high. Everything's handled on the handheld device, including the final payment and tip. They have the right formula working for them, the food and prices are fair, the beer is decent and the service was attentive. 10 photos for more insight, including the menus and bill.

We arrived on a Friday evening around 7pm, the place was busy due to all the pre beer festival…read moreevents going on that day. We sat at the bar and ordered a few beers and some food, the girls behind the bar were great.. attentive, helpful and friendly. I ordered a Rueben sandwich and some nachos for my girlfriend. The food arrived in a timely manner but the nachos had sat under the salamander (or in the oven) too long; to the point that the cheese was crispy and not melty. The sandwich was ok, the corned beef was tough and big pieces would pull out of the sandwich when I tried to take a bite. Some beers were good and some were not, the highlight of our visit was the service at the bar.

Once a bank, this two-story space has gone from counting dollars to counting cocktails, and…read morehonestly, it seems very happy about it. The old bones are still showing, with exposed brick walls and the large open windows giving the place that "well, they sure don't build 'em like this anymore" kind of charm. Right smack in the middle of the main floor sits a big ol' bar, surrounded by bright lime-green accent chairs that somehow make perfect sense once you're sitting in one, bellying up to the aluminum topped bar. Tables are scattered throughout both floors, all are absolutely packed, and not a grumpy face in sight. Upstairs, the two-story layout gives the place a little extra breathing room and a touch of old-building grandeur. It's quirky without trying too hard, colorful without being fussy, and comfortable in that distinctly Midwestern way. Why not start with an Old Fashioned and those Wisconsin cheese curds--because apparently regular cheese wasn't doing enough heavy lifting. These little golden nuggets come out hot, crisp, and gloriously greasy, a little salty, a little oily, plenty cheesy, and best eaten while they're still hot enough to make you question your life choices. The Old Fashioned, well... bless its heart, it tried. It had all the usual suspects--whiskey, a little sweetness, an orange garnish, and a healthy dose of bitters--but somehow the bitters forgot to show up for work. It wasn't terrible, exactly. It just lacked that gruff Wisconsin attitude you'd hope for in an Old Fashioned. God Bless The Queen! The Queen is their wood-fired pizza that keeps things simple while teasing your taste buds with rich fresh flavor. The flavors are classic Italian comfort, with the tomato bringing a little tang, the mozzarella keeping things creamy, and the Parmesan adding that salty, nutty punch at the end. The basil gives it a fresh, herby lift, while the wood-fired crust brings that smoky, crispy edge that makes you want to pick up another slice before you've even finished the first. Loved it! Eating this pizza in an old bank feels like peak Wisconsin: keep the brick, add a bar, fire up a pizza oven, and throw some cheese curds at the situation. Somehow, it works. Cheers!

4.5 stars. Date of visit: July 2026…read more We stayed in Madison 3 nights and ate at Lucille two of those nights. One night we sat downstairs and one night upstairs. Central downtown location near our hotel and the Capitol. The service was friendly and the food was good. Outdoor seating available in the summer. The only complaint was the chairs were uncomfortable! (The second visit we had a booth, which was more comfy!) See photos attached. Helpful?

Such a good restaurant! It has a smaller menu but various options for everyone. There was plenty of…read moreindoor and outdoor seating and the staff was so kind! There was some very fun drinks that made the instagram :) The restaurant was fairly empty when we went but still had a lively ambiance at the bar. The restaurant was not wheelchair friendly, so just keep that in mind! And parking can be tricky- parking garage is likely the best option when going around supper time.

The experience overall was really great. The outdoor patio was perfect for a summer evening. We…read moreordered cheese curds for an appetizer which were really good and not overly breaded. I got the steak and bleu salad which was heavy on the blue cheese, but I really enjoyed it. I wish my steak was closer to a medium rare but was still good. The drinks were super fun and the service was good.

This is a nice supper club that is away from downtown and has parking. We were sat in their main…read moredining room but apparently theirs an upstairs I don't know if that is for parties or the public though and then the have a large bar area. The area is very moody lighting and even has small lamps on each table. Our server and staff were great and everything came out timely. We got an old fashioned and a sangria. The sangria is strong but you won't know it until you stand up. We started with the cheese puppies and they had a fantastic pull to them. Some of the best version of cheese curds I've had in a while. My husband and I both had salads and the bowl was too small for the salad but it was a decent salad I do wish the cheese was sprinkled on top as it ended up going to the bottom of the bowl. For an entree I had steak frites. Fries were solid and the cooking of the steak was good with the charcoal but it didn't have much flavor. The chard on the side was also good considering I've never had it. For dessert we had the valentine special chocolate cake and again it was good but nothing super special. We didn't stick around the bar too long but enough to get a winning pull tab. I would come back for the bar tenders they seemed chill.

So the two stars are for excellent full service at the bar and one rather good appetizer…read more Everything else gets a zero their "Ancho margarita stereo" with ancho chili liqueur suggests a spicy margarita. It is not. It is rock candy flavored with agave. It was sweeter than my wife's rail Margarita on the rocks with salt. Their French onion soup is arguably the worst I've ever had. Flavorless. Slightly warmer than room temperature and the cheese was barely melted yet alone browned. Their appetizer of pork belly Fundido was the best option of the evening. Flavorful delicious and filling it was fantastic. However, the $40 pork chop entrée was unpalatable. Describe as a pork chop topped with a strawberry barbecue sauce. The sauce had no strawberry flavor. The pork chop can hardly be described as a grilled pork chop and is better described as a salt brine soaked Virginia ham warmed topped with watered down sweet baby rays barbecue sauce. Honestly. You could take this cut of meat, put it in a wooden box in the woods and use it as a salt lick stand during deer season. It was disgusting as much as it was dehydrating. The accompanying mac and cheese was basically Kraft dinner topped with panko. The highlight was the summer squash and that's saying a lot as it was nothing special and for crying out loud-it's squash. My wife and I could not stomach finishing more than half the entree between us and left. I repeat. The servers at the bar were great. But nearly everything brought in front of us disappointed.

I'm a vegetarian and love Reubens. This is the best vegetarian Rubin I've ever had. Actually, it…read morewas vegan and it was still the best! So was the potato salad that came with it. Cool restaurant with a cool vibe.

Finally got to try The Weary Traveler, it did not disappoint!…read more Easy street parking found on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Walked in to a friendly greeting & were seated right away. To drink I ordered a watermelon refresher-tasted like summer! We shared the Goulash, Walleye Sandwich, & Prime Rib Dip. Every single bite was delicious! The garlic fries were crispy & flavorful. I appreciated that their full menu is offered during brunch. Can't wait to come back!

The salad here is SO GOOD!!!! I'm a vegetarian and often struggle to find a solid, meat free salad…read moreout and about but the salad here was just great. Their lettuce was so good in it as well! The cheese curds, fries, and chips were also amazing. The staff is super nice and even though I got it to-go the wait wasn't too bad in the nice bar.

The fans were on a pulley. The food was great but it did take a while for the food to come out.read more