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The Downtowner

3.8 (121 reviews)
Closed 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

The Downtowner Photos

THE DOWNTOWNER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for working
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - The Downtowner

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Downtowner Trio (Chicken Salad, Potato Soup, and Pasta Salad).
Terry T.

If you find yourself in Madison. Give this place a try. It is located downtown and only a block or so away from the Courthouse. Food is good and service at lunch is quick. What more could you ask for?

Spinach Chicken Wrap
Christina B.

This cute cafe is right in the middle of Downtown Madison as the name suggests. There's plenty of free street parking outside. They have lots of sandwiches to choose from, in addition to pizzas, soups, and salads. I had the spinach chicken wrap. Everything tasted fresh, which is why I was so surprised it was served with a bag of chips. It was still good though. My mom had the potato soup and loved it. The staff were friendly and we got our food quickly.

a man sitting at a table in a restaurant
Billie K.

Food first, the potato soup was really good. The potato salad had no flavor. Salad was bigger than expected. There is a lot of seating. Nothing fancy just a casual place to have a casual lunch or dinner. The service was slow but they are low staffed. We waited at least 20 minutes for them to take our order. Would likely try a different spot while in Madison next time, but, that soup- YUM!

people sitting outside of a restaurant
Laura M.

The locals recommended Downtowner for a casual lunch and it was a great choice. There is a nice selection of sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, pizzas and don't miss dessert. We had the chicken salad with the side of red potato salad and the Italian turkey pesto on focaccia. Best sandwich I've had in awhile. Portions are large so you won't leave hungry. Checkout the oversized cookies they are worth it. Our server Chelsea was excellent!

Built my own veggie sandwich due to lack of vegan options
Lisal F.

I visited The Downtowner for lunch during a recent day trip to Madison. As it was my first time in Madison, I relied on recommendations from friends who had been there before, and The Downtowner came solidly recommended. My experience could have been better. Here is why: 1. While there are quite a few vegetarian menu options (parmesan pesto grill, black bean & cheddar ciabatta, extra cheesy grilled cheese, Greek pizza, garden, pasta, and potato salads) there are no vegan selections. While not surprising, it is disappointing. 2. As there were no vegan choices, I opted to create my own sandwich, which should have been a roaring success, as I was the one creating it. I ordered a veggie sandwich on rye, grilled, with sauerkraut and "all the vegetables," which were reported to be: lettuce, tomato, peppers, green and black olives, mushrooms, cucumber, and spinach. My sandwich arrived after all my other dining companions', and rather than having "all the vegetables," had lettuce, a tomato slice, 4 mushroom pieces, 1 sliver of pepper, and 3 green olive slices. More concerningly, it was sprinkled liberally with cheese, which not only covered the top of the sandwich, also spilled over onto the plate. When I pointed this out to our server, she took the sandwich back to the kitchen and returned very quickly with the same sandwich, slightly altered, on the same cheese-sprinkled plate. The top of the sandwich had been replaced with un-grilled bread, which resulted in half my sandwich being grilled and the other cold, with small bits of cheese sneaking in. 3. I did not receive a check. My three dining companions did. 4. As I try to be ethical, I pointed out the lack of check to the server who did then print a check, however I had substituted a side salad instead of chips, and was charged for the salad. When I pointed this out, the server was not sure how to correct the issue; after consulting a colleague it was resolved, but this compounded an already less-than-par experience.

Loaded potato soup, grilled cheese, Italian pasta salad
Laken T.

A Madison staple!! The Downtown is a classic Madison experience for lunch! Friendly staff and service. I crave the loaded potato soup and grilled cheese and when I'm back in my hometown it's a must stop! So yum! Also save room for dessert and get a cookie or slice of cake. Parking is always free and lots of adorable shopping in the area!

a dining room with a ceiling fan
Peter P.

This place doesn't look like much from the outside, but when you step inside you feel like you just walked into a little New York deli on Wall St. They have a nice selection of soups and sandwiches and the price is right.

Sides and Kids menu
Keith F.

We had lunch at the Downtowner this past Saturday during one of many Madison weekend walk around events. One of the first signs of a good establishment is the tables are full but turn over quickly meaning they had great food and great service. That rule certainly applies here as our seating wait time was short and the food was every bit as good and a nice choice of different meals available very fresh and a great value. So would we recommend the Downtowner, absolutely they are a better lunch spot or a quick dinner, there's no wine or any afternoon beverages we'll call them, so if you looking for a dinner of that atmosphere this one is not the place.

Big Reuben. Kinda big deal!
rod m.

We happened across this restaurant on Sunday. It was pleasant surprise and sandwiches were big and flavorful with soft hoagie buns. I had BLT with nice aioli and crisp bacon. The star sandwich was the Big Reuben... see pictures. I need to have one of these next time.

The Downtowner burger and loaded potato soup

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11 years ago

Always awesome homemade soups, sandwiches, salads and other foods! Friendly atmosphere, "the place to be" in Madison.

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The Downtowner - sandwiches - Updated July 2026

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