Always come when daughter from L.A. is in town. This time the service was especially good: outdoor seating was closed but it was a gorgeous day and they said they'd let us sit anywhere (a rare Monday at 2:30 p.m. with no crowds). Loved people watching and seeing friends walk by sitting on the sidewalk. We always get an Apple Jack Old Fashioned to start: amazing. Their Happy hour 2-for-1 from 3-5 pm is amazing, because their Old Fashioneds already are a deal at $5.50-$6.50. Always get the curds with garlic aoli: they never disappoint. Burgers and soups also are great: we split the beer and cheese with popcorn because it's so rich. My daughter also loves the beer flights. The Old Fashioned is a fixture for the Capitol Square. read more

Amazing food and really good drinks. I love going here for a meal or even just to hang at the bar, especially when the bartender does fun tricks! read more

Each of the three times I went, the drinks were nothing special and the food was average to passable, yes, even the cheese curds. Nothing about this place stood out for me to make me want to make it a regular haunt. And when you've gone to a place three times and each time was uninteresting, why go back again for a fourth time? read more

Really crowded but fun. Ate at the bar and had the obligatory cheese plates and bratwursts. Felt like a true midwesterner. Lots of great beer, especially new glarus. Unfortunately, I didnt get the cheese curds that everyone told me to get. Ill have to come back and give them a try. read more

Don't get the beer cheese soup! All else is OK, regular bar food in very crowded but also very lively atmosphere in a nice location on the square. read more

My girlfriends brother wanted to try this restaurant he said it came highly recommended via his coach. The location is perfect pleasantly placed next to the State Building and has plenty to do around it with the amount of museums around. As we walked it and I looked around I found the atmosphere to be very rustic and quite pleasant. I was greeted by the smells of dried/cured meats which I find super amazing. We were shown to our seats and created with water promptly which was amazing due to the heat out side. Shortly after sitting we bombarded the poor waiter with questions, being from out of area we hand an exuberant amount of the. The waiter was amazing friendly and quick to answer all the questions asked with out missing a beat. As he explains the different way of ordering food I found the beer list. This is where my jaw hit the ground. With a man like Old Fashioned I expected cocktails and variations of whiskey drinks however the craft beer list was outstanding. As I am a beer geek I was very pleased. The tap list seemed to be larger than 40 with what looked to be followed by another 40+ bottle list. Varieties were outstanding and Brewer selection was even more spectacular. I zeroed in on the beer in which my pallet desired and shifted my eager eye balls to the food menu I was not alone as all of us were surprised by the complex flavor this short menu offered. Offering combinations of cheeses on a single grilled sandwich with bacon and red peppers (this being their grilled cheese), a burger with a soft fried egg, pulled port ok Texas toast and a few amazing sauces to accompany the most amazing cheese curds my young taste buds have ever wrestled. All in all I as was everyone in my group today very impressed with the Old Fashioned and give a huge thumbs up and a huge thanks to the staff. Well done and bravo. Now go and enjoy this establishment now!!! read more

This place is hands down has the best burgers. I was referred here by the hotel bar staff because their food was too fancy. I wanted a old fashion burger and I got one. I had the The Old Fashioned House Burger without the fried onions and it was so amazing that I didn't have time to snap a photo! I'm from California and hands down the best burger I have ever had. Price was great, staff was friendly, TV to watch the game and food was mouth watering. Also, their beer selection was overwhelming but a good overwhelming! Will for sure be back!!! read more

Definitely go here when in Madison!! Excellent service, great and tasty food, and superb atmosphere!

Best cheese curds in Madison (we've tried just about all of them)! Their sandwiches and burgers are good, but not our favorite. Really affordable food prices and a good drink selection for a cheap date night. We always take out-of-town visitors here! read more

This place is very popular. Atmosphere is loud but fun. The brunch we had unfortunately pretty much sucked. Had a daily scramble which although the flavor was good the eggs were a soggy mess. I suspect it was the cherry tomatoes but they were just soaked. Husband had the potatoes which were dry and kind of boring. The toast and jam was good and the chicken fried steak was mediocre. The service was good and we didn't mention anything about the food so there wasn't an opportunity to correct the problem. It seemed to me at least with the eggs, it was obvious on sight so I didn't bother. read more

I just ate the best burger that I have ever ordered at a restaurant on Wednesday of this week! No, I wasn't drunk. Haha. I had 1 old fashioned sour before the meal and it was great also! My wife and I sat at the bar and everyone we dealt with was very friendly and fun. I ordered the #30 cooked medium. It was loaded with flavor. Just a little advice...Don't put ketchup or mustard on it before you taste it...You don't need it! I'm 52 and I love to cook or grill and I just wish I could duplicate this flavor! Cheese curds highly recommended! I can't get back here soon enough! read more

We love their burgers and salads! Our waitress was a bit rude to begin with, then she actually apologized and said she was sorry if she was short with us because they were very busy and short-handed. We were impressed by that. She was a sweetheart after we talked about it. We get that. Fun atmosphere, too! We'll go back (AND, we want that same waitress again as she did a phenomenal job of taking care of us). It's a great place! read more

One of the greatest meals I've ever eaten. Excellent service and wonderful ambience. Highly recommend. We had the wedge salad, prime rib salad and cheese curds. Everything was like the best comfort food - perfectly rich and not gross, know what I mean? read more

Fantastic place! A friend recommended this restaurant and we're glad we stopped by on our way home from the Dells. The cheese curds are very tasty as was the salad we split for an appetizer. Both my wife and I ordered the Tuesday special: a taco platter consisting of 3 different tacos, rice, and beans. There are many Mexican restaurants who don't achieve that level of quality - the fish taco was one of the best I've ever had. We would be back sooner if we lived closer to Madison. read more

Great food, amazing service and good beer selections. Definately worth the waits for brunch on weekends!

Served cold soup followed by cold chilli. Had the chilli replaced by another cold bowl of chilli. Wait person never asked about the second bowl. My experience with this place is hit and miss. read more

Service is always on point. Best tomato soup in town (only served on Mondays!) great burgers, good hot dogs-for the price, can't be beat.

One of my favorite restaurants in Madison! Get the cheese curds and beer cheese soup. And getting a brandy old fashioned is a must. I take my family here whenever they come to visit. Only downside is that when you're done eating and have paid, but just want to sit and chat a little longer, they ignore you completely. Couldn't get a refill on water even after spending $150+ for our table. read more

Best restaurant is Madison Wisconsin by far. Obviously they have great old fashion but allusion amazing selection of beers. My favorite thing to eat: the spicy burger with pepper jack and Jalapeño with a side of cheese curds. Also make sure to give their Arnold Palmer a try if you like them they truly make one of the best possible. read more

Fantastic food, when I moved to Madison this was the first place we hit and ever since then we make it a point to go once a week.

This place is about as Wisconsin as it gets. Awesome curds, huge meat and cheese plates, and a great selection of beers and cocktails. Definitely come here for something to fill you up, not if you're on a diet. This has been one of my go-to places since moving here! read more

This place is well-located, however, it missed the mark for me. Nobody, that I was with, liked their food, including me. It was all very low-quality food. The prices were very reasonable, especially given the location, however, I've had better food at fast-food establishments. Also, the hostess and our server were very unfriendly and borderline rude. We didn't appreciate the bad attitudes. I understand that we all have bad days, but, when I reviews places, customer service is part of the overall experience. However, first and foremost, for me, the food is, definitely, the most important part of the experience, and, given the fact, that nobody liked their food, it is what it is. read more

Haven't eaten here, but the namesake drink is great, and the $1.50 Hamms and other legacy beers are even better when you're drinking on a budget. read more

Locals told those of us that were travelling that this was a great pub with great grub! The mac and cheese was so tasty and the fried cheese curds were great. We don't have cheese curds in Washington, so we really enjoyed them. They had about five different dip options, all of which were really good. The lemondrop was a little odd - west coast lemondrops have lemon juice, whereas this one had more of a syrupy consistency. All in all, a great place to try. read more

The service was almost as great as the food. We had an incredible server who made great recommendations and suggested specials. Good thing because everything was the best. There was an amazing Sunday special of impecibly seasoned chicken, stuffing and potatoes. YUM! We also had fried cheese curds. Duh, it's WI. And a house brew beer to accompany. Will be back time and time again! read more

The different sets of parents at our table agreed that The Old Fashioned has the best cheese curds. Our 14-year-old son says that this is his favorite place for bacon cheeseburgers. The have their own root beer, enjoyed by all. Always packed. read more

I had lunch here with some colleagues. It was a pretty decent lunch. I had a battered walleye sandwich. The fish and batter were excellent. I really enjoyed the lightness of the fish with just the right seasonings and crunch. The accompanying sauce was about average, a good compliment to the fish. The bread used was nice, but I think it was a bit too buttered in the toasting process. It made it a bit too greasy. I was impressed with their beer selection and would be interested in going back some day to try a few more. read more

Food's pretty good, but generally not worth the wait as this place gets very crowded. If you can get in, great, but if the wait is more than 20 min, move on as there are lots of nice places in the area. read more

Been twice for lunch. Always busy , but has great food and speedy service!

Great cheese curds, we enjoyed the paprika dip on them. The perch was good, it had a very nice breading, not too heavy like so many places. The location is fun. We went on a Friday evening, so it was about an hour and 15 minute wait, but we were able to get drinks at the bar while we waited. read more

I just was there for lunch with friends. They are experimenting with the ordering process. You have to write down your order and bring it to the bar which was AWFUL. Additionally, this was very inefficient. The person in our group who went to the bar to order had to keep coming back to ask questions about our order (we weren't specific enough). I wish we had someone taking our order. Also, I felt that I didn't even need to tip (but I did - just not 20%) because there was a lack of service esp. if one of our group is doing the job of a waitress. The food was good. I had a burger that was seasoned wonderfully, but it seemed small for the price. There are many different beers to make anyone happy. read more

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Madison. I come here every time I'm in town. Such a nice up-scale twist on classic Wisconsin food. I love the cheese plate appetizers! They have great breakfast options and great salads. As a vegetarian I have lots of things to choose from here! Great bloody marys with lots of veggies and beer chaser! It can get very busy on weekend mornings during the summer since its right across from the farmers market. And it's a great night life spot too! read more

I've never had a bad meal here. And while I wouldn't say I've had a mind-blowingly great meal here, everything I've had has been a well-executed, slightly-upscale take on the "supper club" food I grew up with. Well, one exception on that "mind-blowing" thing - the fried cheese curds are amazing. It's a feat to elevate something as heavy as fried cheese to a crispy, transcendent little morsel, but they do an excellent job (and offer a wide variety of tasty dipping sauces. I prefer the smoked paprika). Breakfast, lunch, dinner - always solid, always delicious. Breakfast/brunch here is a hidden gem - fresh scrambled eggs, house-cured smoked salmon, granola with Door county cherries, and other takes on brunchy classics make appearances, and there's even a few actual good options for vegetarians. I've always had fresh ingredients, excellent preparation and seasoning, generous but not overwhelming portions. Oh, and they have one of the better Friday fish fries in town, especially the walleye. I've heard their Saturday prime rib is delicious, too, but I've never actually been able to get a table on a Saturday night to try it. And therein lies the restaurant's main problem. The Old Fashioned is a victim of its own success. Even after the expansion into the old L'Etoile space, the restaurant is seemingly always uncomfortably crowded, loud, and the waits for a table are often unreasonably long. If you do choose to wait, you can either pack into the bar area, stand outside, or try to cram yourself into the tiny vestibule. It's not really something they can do terribly much about (although I do wish I didn't feel like I was running a gauntlet past the bar to get to the restrooms), but it is uncomfortable enough that when they say "it'll be about an hour wait for a table" I usually go elsewhere. read more

YUM! This place smelled of delicious meats and cheeses. We were in visiting Madison and I found this place on doing a yelp search. Oh man it was really tasty. Awesome beer list, happy to try some native brews. We had the crackers and wisconsin cheese dips for an appetizer, it was super tasty. I had a delicious veggie sandwich with eggplant, red peppers, and goat cheese (#4 or 35 maybe) and my husband had some crazy burger with an egg and all kinds of stuff on it. The kids had mac n cheese, totally decadent and thick, and salmon, good but on the small side. We were too stuffed for dessert. I like the atmosphere and the waitresses were wonderful. Would definitely go back! read more

Ate here for the first time and was not impressed. The burgers were over seasoned and not that great. The cheese curds were the worst that I've ever eaten, all mashed together (try Craft table & tap in Middleton for good cheese curds). The warm potato chips were good once you added a little salt to them. The beer list was exceptional, which was needed after the meal I had. read more

Get there early! But if you don't have reservations the wait is absolutely worth it. My gf and I stopped by with no reservations for dinner at around 5:15pm and the place was PACKED. We waited for about 20 minutes and were seated. The staff were very friendly and patient with us. We got beer and hamburgers. THEY WERE SO GOOD. I love eggs on my burgers and they nailed it. DELICIOUS DELICIOUS. Definitely will be going back. read more

My husband and I were passing through from Cleveland. This place had the greatest beer selection, fantastic service and awesome cheese curd. I highly recommend this place! read more

Great tap selection! Love the local brews. Food looks really good!

I have eaten at The Old Fashioned for several years, and have never been disappointed! It is good old Wisconsin comfort food at its best, with appetizers that include Wisconsin's Best Wurst Platter, Soups that include Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup garnished with Popcorn (yes, really!), Entrees that include The Old Fashioned Burger, grilled over a live fire and topped with fried onions, Bavaria's hickory-smoked bacon, aged Cheddar, garlic sauce and a soft-cooked egg on a buttered and toasted roll... How good is that! Don't eat here if you worry about cholesterol! They also have great cheese curds! The ambiance is of a bustling and lively place, with a great selection of beers. It just doesn't get better than this! Another Madison great! read more

How do I love the Old Fashioned? Let me count the ways... The burgers kick so much ass, especially the one with the fried egg on top. I even really dig the jalapeño one as well. An absolutely perfect burger, not to be missed. An ever changing, evolving, extensive beer selection and not to mention the different varieties of old fashions. Cheese curds with tiger sauce, I mean come on. Its just a really great place to enjoy a real nice time. read more