This was closer to a 4.5 star experience food-wise, but I am rounding up overall score for the great service our server, Rory, provided (we found out it was only her 2nd shift!). Our table of 3 sat on the patio around 11 AM on a Saturday. The patio was partially shaded and it was fun people-watching as the farmers market was happening across the street. It was about a 5 minute wait to be seated. As I mentioned above, Rory was very attentive and kept scanning her section to ensure waters were filled and nobody needed anything. One member of our party had the sloppy joe w/ side salad, which he said was very flavorful. The other two shared the vegetarian lazy susan tray, which definitely represented classic Wisconsin fare well! The table also shared the chips and onion dip as well as the wedge salad. The homemade potato chips were amazing. We thought the prices were very fair and the food was fresh. We all agreed we would come back the next time we're in town. read more

The Old Fashioned - Wedge salad (no bacon) - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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3.7/5 The beer cheese soup is decent--- beerly and flavorful. The burger is good, especially the beef patty, well-seasoned with pleasant spices. Also very juicy. The sunny-side up egg is great, liquidy, and delicious. Salad is good, the dressing is decent as well (ranch-like, a bit sweet, was good). I don't feel much freedom to personalize the food, except k can choose how well the patty is cooked. I asked if the salad dressing can be other type (I saw the brandy dressing, which sounds interesting), but I couldn't. Not complaining, just saying that this is what I had. Service is okay. They didn't describe much about the food itself, more of giving me several names that tourists like to order. In general, this is a place I'd check out as a visitor of the city, but maybe with friends (so that you can try different types of food). read more

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Food was outstanding. Great menu lots of choices. Our waiter went out of his way to make us feel valued.

Ya know, sometimes you just need a simple plate of cheese curds and a spotted cow! That's what happens to me on a snowy Saturday afternoon while exploring downtown! Situated right on the capital square, this is a perfect place to meet friends, bring visitors or to simply grab brunch! Highly recommend for a classic bar/pub in Madison! They have the history, they have the drinks and they have the views! Simple and classic! read more

The Old Fashioned - Cheese Curds - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Really good. There is likely to be a wait...they have been featured on the Food Network, and we had a wait even for three people at 1pm on a Wednesday afternoon. Be prepared for that and you will be fine. But they take your phone number and will text and give you 10 minutes to get back to the restaurant, if you want to spend your time waiting by walking around the capitol square. Anywho, once we were seated service was on point. We OBviously ordered some cheese curds to share and they were OBviously delicious. Can fried cheese be anything but delicious? Anywho, to combat all the heavy food I had been eating, this visit I got a salad for my main dish and it was delightful. Nothing particularly noteworthy, just that it was fresh and tasty and precisely what I wanted. We all also got an old fashioned slushie for our beverages. Perfect for a grown-up cool down in the afternoon in the middle of July. I have visited here a few times over the years and I can say that the food has always been spot on and the service has always been friendly and prompt. You could do much worse than enjoying a lovely meal here! read more

The food was cold and sloppy I had the chicken and biscuits and was a basic as you could get was also served luke warm . My partner had the burger and was cooked over done and was put together sloppy . Also served Luke warm . Service was basic nothing bad nothing great . The ambience was slightly problematic , as a couple we were seated around a bunch of families with small children. . Not the ideal situation . I have eaten there before and was better . For the price there are so many better places in madison , that serve the same type of fare. read more

I dined in there on a Tuesday evening. I had to wait for 20 minutes to get a seat. Street side parking was available on that day. Wisconsin burger was my favorite item here. I got the side replaced with fried cheese curds, because that's the most Wisconsin thing to do. Cheese curds were good as well. Fish fry is the other great food to try. I went with the combo, that way I try all 3 fishes - cod, perch and walleye. It was all good. I think walleye is the most popular of the 3. I am seeing beer cheese soup for the first time, so got that as well. With slight bitterness of the beer and richness of cheese that was a unique taste. The kids meal - salmon with apple sauce was a good one as well. read more

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Loved the Perch Fish Fry! And the brand Old Fashioneds. Good Wisconsin Comfort Food! Will return next time we are in Madison. read more

Welcoming staff, very efficient in service and neat menu selection. Food was tasty. They really move customers in and out without feeling rushed. read more

The Old Fashioned - Vegetarian Lazy Susan - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Cheese curds are amazing!!!! In Florida the best cheese curds we got is Culver's. After having these, I'm ashamed to say Culver's have good cheese curds. These cheese curds were lightly breaded with a crispness and the gooey cheese on every bite!!!! I can't wait to go back to Wisconsin for cheese curds. read more

The Old Fashioned - Yummy cheese curds - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

It was the kind of amazing food that made me think "ya, I could move here"! Ignore warnings about this place being a tourist trap - it's fantastic. The location is gorgeous, the fun pub vibe is cute, and the food is awwwwesome. The bratwurst was luscious and full of flavor. And the cheese curds? Ohhh the fried cheese curds. I'm still dreaming about the fried cheese curds. Lol read more

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I can see why so many love this spot! Stopped in for lunch today. Literally minutes ago. Couldn't wait to toss this up! Cool building, awesome decore, seriously delicious food, nice big bar. From the unique beer bottle chandeliers to the swag for sale all the details are here. The service was excellent, greeted warmly and promptly, server came by within 3 minutes, food was timed right, fresh and hot. I could have gotten down with some Day drinking just to try one of their Old Fashies but didn't want to fall sleep on my driver on the way back to GB. Not afraid of some full bodied greasy spoon goodness. The Mac n cheese looked noteworthy as well. Not to say there aren't healthy options. I spotted some fresh salads on tables near by. Grab yourself a Shirt on the way out too! read more

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The fried cheese curds were amazing. The Thursday night specialty of bbq ribs were so tasty and fall off the bone!

We wanted to stop by somewhere casual for apps this afternoon and settled on The Old Fashioned. Located right on the square, this spot is prime time and surprisingly pretty spacious on the inside. There is also an outdoor patio dining area. We were seated promptly inside and our food was brought out shortly after ordering. We literally split two appetizers so my review is based solely on those. We ordered the poutine and the famous cheese curds. I love a good fried cheese curd, so when I found out these were rated the best in the state of Wisconsin I had to try them out. They were definitely good! I enjoyed how light and fluffy they were. The batter was on point. The poutine was also really good. I think we may have gotten a bit of flavor fatigue since there were also cheese curds in the poutine. The poutine would have been good enough with just the fries alone. We enjoyed the light topping of gravy that was just the right amount to prevent any sogginess. Overall, both the curds and poutine were solid apps and stand their own ground individually. We were definitely feeling the diary fatigue by the end of our food with the amount of cheese curds we consumed. I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good or bad thing haha. read more

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While visiting Madison for work we were trying to find a walleye fish fry that wasn't on a Friday! The Old Fashioned was one of the only places that didn't have a Friday walleye fish fry so we were very happy about that. We had a very large group but had to separate our group in order to get seated but not a problem. It was still happy hour and I sat at the bar with another person and it was very busy. Ordered some drinks, I got a cider and I enjoyed my walleye fish fry. Prices ranged well, but restaurant, lots of options. They didn't have a huge dessert option. Located downtown so parking can be difficult, there's some street parking but a little distance away. read more

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My friend found a piece of glass in this cup of beer. He found the glass in his mouth when he started to feel blood in his mouth. His mouth was all bloody and cut up. Lucky my friend was able to spit out the glass in the beer cup. It was crazy how big the shard was that it was missed by the bartender. This is a clear case of negligence apart of the bar staff. If you're thinking of going to this establishment check your cups they're putting shards of glass in cups. read more

Definitely a tourist trap, I went here after reading that they had been voted best cheese curds in Wisconsin by the food network. Whenever I see those kind of designations I worry that they have probably lost the charm that earned them it in the first place. This place was a prime example of that. Extremely busy with tons of tourists, grossly overpriced menu items and insane drink prices. The cheese curds were pretty good but definitely not the best in Wisconsin. I also ordered the wood grilled chicken sandwich which was poorly prepared and bland as can be. I would recommend reconsidering eating here. read more

The Old Fashioned - Wood grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich split in half - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Got the Party Melt and old fashioned house burger, as well as the cheese curds. Definitely get the cheese curds as it's what Wisconsin is known for. The burgers and sandwiches were also great and well flavored. read more

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Solid food and drinks, good service, reasonably priced, though usually pretty busy. If you are willing to wait for a table, definitely worth a stop! Came to The Old Fashioned with some family on a Friday evening. We had a group of six and we're quoted about an hour wait for dinner. We were able to track the status of our table, which ended up being pretty accurate! Not of space to wait, many people were standing outside. We opted to go to a nearby bar for a drink. We were seated near the first bar and it surprisingly was pretty quiet - half of the bar seats were empty at 7pm. We ordered a round of Old Fashioneds - the bourbon option was my favorite! I got the fish fry with perch - the fish was perfectly fried, the fries were crispy, and the cole slaw was delicious! Our server was kind, food and some drinks took awhile to come out, but understandable with how busy it was. read more

Smothered with succulent fruit, the Door County Cherry Salad came dangerously close to perfection. The Cheese Curds are entirely worthy of the high praise they have garnered, and are unequivocally the best I've had. Ambiance was casual and welcoming. Service was great. The Old Fashioned is a must-visit for anyone taking in the impressive state capitol in Madison. read more

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Tasty food! The cheese curds are a kind of a big deal, won awards and whatnot. The beer cheese soup was good too, I wanted both and appreciated my servers suggestion to upgrade my sandwich side to curds.. YES PLEASE! I had the Rachel and it was savory, melty, and delicious. Loved the bread. The sandwich was my favorite. The place was packed, old Irish bar vibes. I enjoyed myself and my meal. read more

Great location, right on the square and only a short walk to state street, the Old Fashioned is a staple restaurant in Madison,WI. Some of the best cheese curds ever and incredible brandy old fashioned, the perfect pairing when in WI! read more

Referred to by locals as a "go-to" place and now we know why! Delicious food, friendly service, and an upbeat atmosphere at reasonable prices. read more

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This spot deserves all the hype! Granted we only came in for a drink & snack but our short little visit was fabulous! Come early on the weekends or sit at the bar. Great bar service, bartenders were very friendly! We popped in on a Friday night around 6 PM and they were already on a wait for a table. Our first time in Madison and we wanted something local. This place is it. From tons of local brews on tap to awesome cheese curds- our visit couldn't have gone any better. We left wondering why we had no idea WI had such great breweries. Will be back! New Glarus might be my new favorite brewery. They have several of their brews on tap. If you like sours you MUST get the black currant sour. Pretty much life changing. They have several beers on tap as well as ciders, seltzers and cocktails! Apparently they have amazing "old fashions" hence the name right?! Not a whiskey girl but we saw plenty of them being made! New to cheese curds so I'm not sure what to compare them to but never have I ever tasted fried cheese that tasted so fresh! Still thinking about them. Nice golden crispy on the outside, soft & delicate with a mouth punch full of sharp cheddar flavor on the inside. They came with a paprika aioli but honestly they were so good we barely used any sauce! Absolutely a must try. The location is so great, plenty to do (on foot), right across from the Capital building and within walking distance of other great bars, pubs, shops & breweries! Short walk to State St. which has even more shops & bars! Get your tourist on & check this gem out. read more

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Historic building across from Capitol with tasty Wisconsin fare and brews!Great fir birthday celebrations or casual meal when you are downtown. read more

TL; DR. If you go to a place called "the Old Fashioned", expect to get served the namesake drink, whether you ordered it or not! My hotel van driver named off a few choice picks when prompted, and added "if they don't serve cheese curds, then they're not a restaurant". This was a great entrée into the mindset of what Makes Food Wisconsin. So, let's begin, shall we? I, solo travelling, seat myself at the bar, eye to eye with the lead bartender. This is not a man, friends, this is a well oiled machine. He's pumping out cocktail orders like it's the last night on earth, and there ain't no party like an Armageddon party. I place my drink order (beer) and the whirling dervish lands an old fashioned in front of me, and goes on with his decanting dance. Well, what the hell...friends, I'm NOT a whiskey guy, but this cocktail made me seriously reconsider. I order a burger, with curds. The burger (more well done than the medium rare I requested) is super flavorful, clearly spiked with salt 'n' pepper, and the curds are hot, crunchy and gooey. Sold! Eventually, said barkeep circles back for my second drink order, I ask for a beer (again), and his light goes on. "Wait...you ordered a beer! Why'd you take that"? "Well, I thought maybe you were trying to tell me something, that I should broaden my horizons, and hey, it was good!". "You're too kind" he says chuckling, gets me my long awaited Sprecher Trippel, and eventually knocks the old fashioned off my bill. Here endeth my tale... read more

Mac and cheese was horrible and they gave us little portions. In addition to that they charged 20$ for the garbage Mac and cheese. In addition to that decorations were tacky and distracting. read more

The mac & cheese was ass for $16 for some mid mac & cheese and smalls amount of food damn near for a kid they was no cheese for the mac & cheese read more

This establishment has earned its reputation for a reason. The full bar options with numerous takes on their namesake old fashioned. Servers were friendly and the patty melt was quite good though the fries could use some seasoning, like any at all. Atmosphere was a touch on the loud side but had fun signage on the wall as decoration. The rated #1 by Food Network cheese curds were good but better is to be had in the Madison area if that's your desire. read more

The Old Fashioned - The food network famous cheese curds. - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The Old Fashioned in Madison was great! The food was tasty. Perfect spot to relax and enjoy some good Midwestern comfort food. It is right across the street of their State Capital. read more

The place was packed. I get the impression that it is consistently that way. Try the bar if there is a wait. The OF was just fine. Nothing special. Definitely not worth a wait. It's in a great location right by the capitol. They have a pretty impressive beer list and whiskey list. The cheese curds are REALLY good. It's worth going once but probably not more than once. read more

The Old Fashioned - The Old Fashioned - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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The Old Fashioned offers many different types of drinks and beers. We have been here before the pandemic. Today we tried the restaurant again. It was a little disappointing. I ordered the Walleye and it came with just 1 piece of fish. Some items were sold out. So my husband and son ordered prime rib and beef tenderloin sandwich. Food is mediocre. Maybe drinks and appetizers are more appropriated for a busy Saturday. read more

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BEST CHEESE CURDS!!! Service was fast and our waiter was very friendly! We stop in here for a beer & cheese curds every time we're in town. read more

The Old Fashioned - Cheese Curds - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Busy restaurant on a Wednesday night. First time here and had to try the famous cheese curds -- they're amazing! Also tried the brat and hot dog, and they were good as well, but the cheese curds are the real reason to come here. read more

The Old Fashioned - Cheese Curds - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Two stars for the Cheese Curds, Old Fashion, speed, and friendliness of service. Dinner, on the other hand, was just not good, bland, and lacked any real flavor. I ordered the fried chicken legs (3pc); the skin was crunchy, but the meat was too wet and greasy to Enjoy. The cornbread was super thick and didn't soften up even with butter. The side of blacked beans was the star, but even they could not hold up to any authentic flavor. The service was excellent and fast, which left me with high hopes, but the blandness of the food was very off-putting. Madison, WI has a lot better restaurants; unless you want drinks and Cheese curds this is the place. read more

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Best cheese curds I've had in this state. Also got their walleye fish special of the night which was basically fish and chips but it was really quite good. Cooked perfectly with a good batter. And of course the old fashions here are really quite good. read more

I came to The Old Fashioned for lunch on a Saturday during my trip to Madison. Tip: this place gets packed during brunch hours. We went for a walk over to Lake Monona, came back at 2pm when brunch ended, and this place had almost completely cleared out. Be careful if you sit at the bar. The flies were insane in that area the day I was there. As a fan of old fashioneds, which are normally made with bourbon/whiskey, I was quite pleased with the classic old fashioned served here, which was made with brandy. The food portions are generous here. The cheese curds could have been a little crispier, but the cheese inside was great. I loved the warm bacon dressing that comes with the spinach salad. Also, can all salads be served with a deviled egg on the side please? read more

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Went for a tour at state capital then lunch here. Had the famous cheesecurds and they were amazing!!! Fish fry with the matchstick fries were spot on and super reasonable. Would come here again!!! read more

The Old Fashioned - Famous cheesecurds - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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The cheese curds are to die for! So good. They were the highlight of our visit. When we arrived, we were told a 20 min wait. 20 min later, we were told 20 more minutes. We asked to sit at the bar. We were seated right away. It's not exactly ideal for a family at lunch. Luckily, kids were allowed at the bar. It was quite noisy. The old-fashioned drinks that our family ordered were gross. They were not made right. The salad was good, but kind of expensive. Overall, it was a fun family joint. However, not sure we would be return in the future. read more

The Old Fashioned - Salmon Salad - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This place was recommended for their drinks and the best cheese curds in Madison. The cheese curds are definitely the best, however the color of my old fashion surprised me because it looked watered down; not a typical old fashion. The Pork shoulder sandwich was delicious. Although the pork was just a bit dry, some mustard helped that. The service was great. There was a bit of a wait so we decided to sit by the bar. The bartender was welcoming and friendly, she even explained why the Old fashion came with that light color. Basically, Wisconsin has their own old fashion called Brandy Old Fashion aka Wisconsin Old Fashion, where they use brandy instead of bourbon. Overall, it was a great experience. I definitely recommend ordering the cheese curds, a Wisconsin Old Fashion and watching the Badgers game. read more

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