I used to eat breakfast here every Sunday when I lived in Madison. The place is the same as I remembered it. Wonderful service and great food! The American fries are amazing! read more

Come as you are. Leave full, relaxed and satisfied. You want pretentious and overpriced? Good. More elbow room here for me. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. read more

Yeah its a dive. Most definitely. But its cheap as hell and they make some mean pancakes. Opens at 6, unlike most other spots.

I have been coming here since 1986. Always been great! I love the homemade corn beef hash and biscuits and gravy best but all of it is good. I also like that it isn't some fancy place with no character. Always good to see Bill behind that grill! read more

The Curve is an institution in Madison, a pseudo-townie secret greasy spoon not far from the UW campus. They serve no-frills breakfast and lunch for shockingly low prices, and the coffee is hot and always pouring. The waitress calls you "sweetheart," and fastidiously makes sure that she has every detail of your order correct and that your coffee mug is always full. There are always a few copies of the State Journal floating around the place for customer perusal. While I have very little inclination to eat sweets, I love their savory breakfasts. They always remember that I want my scrambled eggs cooked until they're dry, and their homemade corned beef hash (served only as a special; the kind that's always on the menu is not homemade, a smaller portion, and not as flavorful) is to die for. They don't have a ton of choice in toast options, and make sure to tell them when you're ordering if you don't want your toast buttered. The waitress and head chef must work in a flow state, as I've never noticed them miss a step, even when the restaurant's full and kids are running around. They keep calm and take care of everything quickly; I've never had to wait more than 30 seconds for a to-go box (and you can definitely use one on their larger breakfasts), or for one of them to make change. The orange juice isn't the best, though, so I'd skip it unless it's a necessity for you. All in all, my favorite place to go for a solid breakfast (though they do serve lunch, too) without the circus aspect of navigating my way through hungover UW students. One important note: they're CASH ONLY, so make sure you visit an ATM before you go. read more

The Curve - Homemade corned beef hash with scrambled eggs & whole-wheat toast. - Diners Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Sometimes, you want a big plate of food. A BIG plate of food. Food that tastes good, but also soaks up the booze boiling in your stomach, or to prepare for the day ahead without pretense. The waitress will take care of you, as long as you don't bullshit too long. This is not the place to worry about whether or not your breakfast is gluten free or vegan-friendly. This is the place when you want to hunker down in your carhartts, fill your belly, and smile at your neighbors. It's ok. No one will bite you. And that omelette you ordered? Be prepared to feel guilty for not finishing it. read more

Beware of The Curve! I love a good greasy spoon, but cannot understand why this place has received so many accolades. I should have gotten the hint when the waitress informed my husband that the corned beef hash found on the menu is out of a can - but we decided to order anyway. My omelette, The Curve Special, was bland and incredibly under seasoned. The corned beef hash was overly creamy, under seasoned (as were the accompanying eggs), and straight up the worst my husband has ever had. The toast was soggy, the coffee was terrible, and I feel like I was cheated out of $20. Some reviewers have praised The Curve for the size of its portions, but honestly the portions are not exceptionally large (nor does portion size come close to making up for the blandness and low quality of the ingredients). The menu selections are as basic as basic can get: plain eggs, maybe 3 types of omelets, plain pancakes, french toast - that's it for breakfast. Many good "classic" diners offer a similarly stripped down menu, but again the quality of the food is just appalling here, and at least a few house specialities would be welcome. I have yet to find a decent greasy spoon in Madison. The best I have found so far is Three Sisters in Middleton, and even that is lacking. read more

A great stop here in Madison. This is clearly a locals favorite. If your looking for a good diner with lots if food and good service, this is your spot. The decor is simple and reminds you of "middle America". The waitress was very friendly and accommodating to our slightly complicated ordering. It is cash only so be sure to stop by an ATM if need be. Overall, great experience. read more

Being a frequent traveler I am always looking for good breakfast restaurants. I love the old diner feel because it reminds me of when I was young and visiting many Chicago diners. The best place to go for breakfast if you demand food that tastes good, friendly atmosphere and reasonable food expense, this is the place to eat. read more

I'll give it four for the food. On my visit I found the service average and the resturante barely clean enough. I will visit again though....; read more

This is a nice little place to stop in have breakfast. Service has always been pleasant.

Generous portions, does all the basic breakfast items right (e.g. pancakes, eggs etc.) Their burger is pretty good as well.

This place is a lot like a darker, moodier Mickies Dairy Bar: Total dive, a little unkempt, greasy spoon, diner. Food is great, particularly if you enjoy pancakes that size of manhole covers. I am always a big fan of bacon cheeseburgers served during breakfast time, and this place has great burgers! Sometime this spring I plan to take my son there-the place is kid friendly enough, and the price certainly is right. read more

Great old school, cheap breakfast place. Small standard menu you can't really go wrong on, hit up the cinnamon raisin toast too.

We have been going to the Curve for many years on Park . I go there for the food and not the ambience. The breakfasts are great the spuds are best in town. Also the Hamburgers are wonderful . The staff are friendly , always with a cheery Hello, and also a nice come back soon. Having lived in Madison wi. For all of my life.I have traveled a lot and this is what I look for ,it is just like getting off the I- system and hitting the small towns I am 75 so I just might think and look at things a little different. Keep your eyes up and don't look at floor so much. read more

I've had one good experience and three bad ones at The Curve. Why they deserve a 2nd star: The hash browns are home made and the best in town. Why they lose 3 stars: Every surface is covered in grease, and so I'm afraid to have my bag touch the ground. The owner is a serious grouch and yells at the super nice waitress. Today it took 20 minutes to get a cup of coffee. I eventually gave up on getting served breakfast, paid and left. I will not return to The Curve. read more

Don't let the greasy spoon look scare you away. The food is all amazing, portions are ginormous, the coffee cup is infinitely deep, and the mom and pop who run this place may initially seem uninviting, but are super friendly and provide great service (if they seem short, they're just busy!) There's no better place to spend a weekend morning than eating breakfast sitting on one of the red cushioned stools at the Curve's bar. Your prissy friends won't like it (as some of the reviewers below attest), so just leave them at home! read more

Best breakfast I have ever had!!!! Everything was from scratch...unheard of anymore...but so incredibly good!!! Always good, but best when Bill is cooking. The portions are huge and the prices are low. Eclectic patrons. Diner definitely has no frills, but the food is incredible! Closes by 1pm everyday so make it there early. The inside is a bit run-down and cramped, but the food is the best you will find anywhere! It is always busy so cleaning is done quickly...so you may find a utensil that the washing machine missed a spot...just let the waitress know and she will quickly apologize and replace it with fresh silverware. I whole-heartedly recommend this place for breakfast (only eaten breakfast here). My husband and I actually have cravings for the food here....sooooo good!!! Cash ONLY! read more

Best breakfast I've ever had. Love the Curve Omelette that's my favorite. Haven't had the burgers yet but trying them soon. Love this place

I have been partaking in this quaint establishment since I was knee high to a deer (is that Wisconsiny enough for ya?)! It is a small joint with big flavor. I am always a fan of the old school diner feel, and they stay true to it through and through. I love me some breakfast potatoes, and they make the best in Madison. If you are looking for a pancake, they will make them the size of your plate, and don't bother going if you are on a diet because this is downright diner food! We are talking about HUGE portions on your plate and plenty of hometown talkin' in the air! No apologies about it. PS: Bring cash because they don't accept credit or debit. read more

CASH ONLY Great place and food for breakfast. The homemade corn beef hash was extremely good and I saw a burger come out which was a good size. I also received and was charged for a coffee I didn't I order. Walking up to the building I had a feeling the restaurant was cash only but those notions were put to rest after I saw a No Checks sign and a Visa and Master card sticker on the front door. Only to find out at the end of our meal it was CASH ONLY. I didn't see any of the signs for cash only that other reviews mentioned, only no checks. My friend had to run across the street to the ATM while I sat and waited. They really should just get rid of the Visa and MasterCard stickers on the front door along with the no checks sign and just have a Cash only signs. read more

You know you are in Madison when the person next to you orders a double cheeseburger with bacon at 9:30 am. I'm not that bold. Breakfast has been solid here since my first visit 25 years ago. Got to love the pancakes and French toast. Corned beef hash is fantastic. Don't miss this place. Great to stop by before a heavy dose of tailgating. On Wisconsin ! read more

eh, very average. They had us packed in there like a can of sardines. Very uncomfortable seating. The only reason I think this place is so highly rated on yelp is because how cheap it is. I would rather spend a few extra dollars and get some quality food. So if your a cheap a== or broke college student, check it out. If you like quality and comfort then this place is not for you. read more

Great food & service. Portion large. A little pricey: food and coffee was $10 .

Chill, full but laid back, very small town feel which I like because Im from a small town, their food was good I was just sad they didnt have biscuits and gravy! That's the whole reason I went there cuz people were raving about it but I guess its only a special? read more

This is what I'm talking about. Got the eggs and hash browns when I was brutally hung over. OJ rocked but I didn't try the coffee. Bacon was good crispy, hash browns requested well done were done so- I know how important that is to some of us. Wish it was open now I would slay a plate of four eggs and a full order of hash read more

Short: Possibly one of the worst diners I've ever been to. Let me start by saying that there are a few small things that the owners/operators could do to dramatically raise the quality of this place. These things would add little/no operating costs. Service (1/5...poor): I came in on a Saturday, it was busy and I expected service to be a little slow and it was. I don't fault them for that. I was quickly served coffee but it took literally 10 minutes to get cream for it and instead of milk/cream/half-half they provide a premixed disgusting non-dairy creamer. Even McDonalds serves real cream. I ordered the special omelet and asked to add sausage into my omelet. The waitress rudely pointed to the bottom of them menu where it stated that no substitutions were allowed for sausage, bacon or ham. I pointed to the part where it said "addition ingredients $0.60" and that I didn't want to substitute, I wanted to add. She said she'd have to charge me $3.00 for an order of sausage, mind you that the difference in price between a cheese omelet and a sausage omelet is only $1.50 and that the $0.60 was for mushrooms/onions/peppers/etc not meat. I said i would pay the $1.50 to add sausage, but she wouldn't back down and got quite upset. Food: Large portion size but poorly cooked. It must have been the equivalent of a 4-5 egg omelet, however the onions, green peppers, and mushrooms in the omelet were completely raw. This was quite unpleasant. The american fries cooked like hashbrowns were quite good, however they weren't seasoned at all. A little salt and pepper during cooking would go a long way. The coffee was TERRIBLE. I'm not expecting starbucks or fresh roasted coffee, but Folgers coffee is better than the stuff they served. I can't believe with all the coffee roasters in Madison, they couldn't serve a better cup. Atmosphere: It's a diner, I don't go there for atmosphere nor really care. Value: Had the vegetables in the omelet been cooked and the coffee better, it would have been a good value, not great, but good. $11 for an omelet and coffee in a diner is a little high but not excessive. Simple area's of improvement: Cook the vegetables in your omelets State the price of adding extra meats to omelets Better coffee Cream or half-half Season the hashbrowns/fries Remove the Visa/Mastercard sticker on your door if you're not going to accept it read more

I really enjoy this restaurant. I have been coming here on and off for 25 years. Booth there breakfast and lunch are exactly what you want from a diner. My only complaint is it constantly takes a half hour to get your food and for breakfast that wait gets painful when you have to smell all the delicious food being consumed around you. read more

To me The Curve is the classic greasy spoon diner and one of my favorite places to grab breakfast in the Madison area. The curve burrito is great (especially the fresh tomatoes) and the BEWARE the pancakes are huge! :) If you're looking for a nice fancy breakfast this is not the place for you. But if you're looking for some tasty, buttery, greasy, no-frills goodness, give it a shot! read more

I gotta give the 3 people working credit for working hard, because they do. But they need 2-3 more people to make this place work well. Service was SLOW. Food was mediocre. When asking for eggbeaters we were told it was too busy to offer them (they come in box pre-prepared so not sure why they are too difficult). Actually this place deserves a 2-3 star, but I have to give them a 1 star to get their average down so people know what they're getting into. I would not return. read more

I enjoy eating at The Curve occasionally; I've got a friend who lives nearby, the place has a comfortable greasy-spoon vibe, and the food isn't bad. But you'd have to go way out on a limb to say they have the best breakfast in the city or anything of that nature. This is standard diner fare, done pretty well, but nothing that's gonna blow your socks off. And one has to admit that the place is a little grungy, right down to the 70's-era sign outside. A good place for a hangover breakfast, but not if you want to impress visiting family. read more

The Curve rocks! This quaint, cozy little diner is in a great location, their prices are very reasonable, everyone is so nice and the food is fantastic! Whether you have breakfast or lunch, everything is delicious. EVERYTHING! (I especially LOVE their hamburgers! I am hooked). You can either carry out or dine in. Either way, you will not go wrong going to The Curve, you'll be glad you did! :) read more

Returned to the Curve after more than 13 years on a trip to Madison. I'm so glad this small, neighborhood diner still exists. The breakfast - Denver omelette with cheese - was excellent and the service incredibly friendly. Kathy, who has worked at the Curve for 20+ years, still recognized my friend and me and greeted us with a warm hug. This quaint little diner is often overlooked, which really is a shame. Highly recommended if you like old-fashioned American diners. read more

friendly atmostphere, seems like a lot of locals but was very nice to non regulars to being me food was good but there only open till 1 pm

The Curve is a Madison gem! I would call this place a diamond in the rough because you can't simply judge based on appearances. Once inside, you will experience the greatness of true American diner food. Do not expect a frou-frou breakfast or lunch but instead an excellent but basic American menu. This diner serves hands down the best French toast I have ever tasted! If you enjoy poached eggs, make sure to come before 9AM; otherwise you will have to get them basted (just as delicious). I would also recommend their omelettes, especially for you Wisco chedder lovers. Keep an eye out for their home-made corned beef hash as a special on the weekend. I wish this were offered more consistently but totally worth ordering if on special Do not order corned beef hash during the week though because it's not home-made and probably from a can. If you're craving lunch, the burgers are a must! I would rate this place in the top 5 for Madison's best cheeseburgers. This place is perfect for those who are looking for their regular, weekly diner. Bring Cash! read more

good old fashioned breakfast diner. big portions, free coffee refills, friendly staff, relaxed environment.

Good old inexpensive American-style breakfast. Enormous pancakes, yummy eggs and American fries.

When you arrive at The Curve, you are greeted by an old-fashioned Pepsi sign, saying "Eat." The place looks as if it was dropped into this century straight from the sixties. One has to use a good amount of strength to pull open the front door, when walking into the restaurant. The second door is not quite as heavy, but resonates a loud creaky sound, in place of door chimes. The Curve is an old school diner that is not going to win any beauty contests. The white tile ceiling has the occasional brown spot on it, and the slanted, red and white, tiled floors give one a sense that they have not remodeled in decades. Everything about the place screams dive, but that is where the place gives off its charm. Through the doors, you walk right into a U-shaped bar, with six tables scattered between the front and the back of the restaurant. All the walls are covered in mirrors, so one quick gaze, and you can see the entire restaurant. What the Curve lacks in outdoor scenery, with the Park Street traffic slowly driving by, it makes up for in character. Within minutes of walking in there, you feel like a regular, which the place is filled with. There were two men working, one was handling all the orders and cleaning, while the other was in the back cooking. The middle aged man, with a mustache and red apron, could not have been friendlier. Greeting every customer as they walk in, with a "How's it going?" for the faces he did not recognize, and a more informal greeting for those he knew by name, which was a vast majority. However, this was not the most welcoming part of walking in. When you walk in, your nose is filled with the aroma of bacon, sausage, and coffee. Your mouth begins to water as you hear the bacon sizzling in the kitchen, which is in plain sight. Taking a seat at the bar, the neighboring customers ask "How are you?", in a way that is filled with actual compassion, rather than the standard passing by exchange. A good portion of the customers seem to know the man up front and continue having conversations with him. The topics covered could not be more ordinary, among friends. But, unless people are talking to the man behind the counter, the conversations are in a quiet hush, barely above a whisper. The red aproned man pulls up to us, and simply asks "Coffee?" and immediately begins to pour it, almost quicker than we can respond. Now, the sound of clanking silverware and dishes can be heard along with the still sizzling bacon. The simple, two-sided menu features the most standard of breakfast dishes. No descriptions, just the names of the meats, and how many eggs come with it. Most of the people come in, and order without even glancing at the menu. Now, the man comes up to us and asks, what will it be. I order: two eggs over easy, American fries, and the sausage, that I've been craving since that smell hit me like a train, the instant I opened the door. After several refills of coffee, our food comes out. Unlike most restaurants, they bring you out your food when it is ready, regardless of whether the rest of your party's food is also ready. Two grease dripping sausage patties are stacked above some golden brown hash browns, which are stacked alongside four buttered pieces of wheat toast and two of the best looking over easy eggs you will ever see. I do not even know where to begin on this mammoth plate of food. I dig my fork into the hash browns, and sausage, and take my first bite. The crispy top of the hash browns, with the soft middles let out an amazing potato flavor. The sausage is the perfect amount sweet, and almost melts in your mouth. Next, I cut into my eggs and the yolk begins to run along the plate, like a river breaking through a dam. As I finish my meal, the man puts my green check in front of me, with a price that is in barely legible handwriting. Finally the cook begins to make his rounds around the small place, making small talk with customers. He is tall, bearded, and well built. We were taking notes as we ate, and I was kind of intimidated as he stood over us. Finally, in a raspy voice he says, "You guys cheating?" Then lets out one of the friendliest laughs I have heard to date. We all begin to laugh, and just like that he moved on to another table. We paid our checks and headed out, pushing through the screaming then heavy door, as the man up front wished us well. read more