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    The Side Door Grill and Tap

    3.9 (121 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Pubs, Burgers
    Open 4:00 pm - 1:30 am (Next day)

    The Side Door Grill and Tap Photos

    THE SIDE DOOR GRILL AND TAP ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Reviews With Photos

    Burger
    Michelle C.

    This little shindig is tucked away on the side of Samba-quite fitting of the name. It's elusiveness made the fact that the delicious food even more of a pleasant surprise. Thought I'd order something light after a raucous night out, so what did I get: this monstrous platter of tater tots, as any local Scon would. Did I know what I was getting myself into when I ordered it? No. But was lowkey everything I could ever want? Yes. I ordered the Garlic Tater Tots and I was expecting some kind of slurry rendition with some frozen tots thrown in the mix but I got 8 massive tots covered in this delectable creamy sauce and a load of garlic flavor to boot. Beware the heartburn tho. My friend got some classic tendies. The tendies were middle of the road, but the ranch was divine (high praise from another local Scon). She got an extra cup for her doggy bag. My other friend got this burger. Which was pretty good, nothing too smashing tho. It was honestly ingenious that the toppings were on the side. Maybe some people would hate the idea of assembling that part yourself but it allows for maximum security in your topping to burger ratio. It looked like they had decent deals on drinks too, but like I said, it was raucous the previous night. Will have to come back for future raucous occasions! TLDR: the tots blew me away ok. Other than that you can count on some pretty reliable American food.

    Fish Fry ( we got all you can eat and one order)
    Maria M.

    The place may be hard to find but don't give up. Look for Samba on the door and that is the Side Door grill entrance. We ordered the Fish Fry. It came with Cole slaw, roll and French fries. All was hot and delicious! If you get the all you can eat you can literally eat all! The Old Fashion the bar tender made was the best we had so far in Wisconsin! We will return

    Bacon cheeseburger & Fries
    Nicole K.

    I have only been at this bar twice, the first time was just for a cold beer. The beer menu was good, awesome description of the beers & ciders they had. Great atmosphere and the bartenders rocked. Went back a few weeks later for some food, the menu had plenty to choose from. The burger could have had a dash of seasoning but it was still in my top 3 burgers. The bacon was the bomb and fries were great!! This has become my new bar - no stress, no drama bar. Go check it out for yourself

    Literally the only sign of this place...literally the side door of the Samba building.
    Cleda W.

    One of my friends was in town for work and we decided to meet up for lunch. I heard about the Side Door and their tots. Tots are my favorite so I had to try this place out. Ambiance/Location Lunch crowd is non-existent. So if you don't like crowds, you should come here for lunch. It was a bit hard to find this place. I posted a picture to show you the small sign. I didn't realize that you can enter the Samba building and The Side Door is located on the ground floor and Samba is upstairs. I haven't been to Samba yet either. So first timers --- go inside the main doors. Appetizers We ordered the Cheese Cubes and the South of the Border Tots. The cheese cues are hand breaded and fried cubes of Wisconsin Meunster Cheese served with a horseradish aioli. DELISH.We finished these first. The tots are masssssssiiiiivvvvveeeee. They are not your regular Sonic Tots. There were about 8 tots that were topped with black beans, nacho cheese, pico de gallo, guac and a citrus sour cream. The guac tasted fresh. The cheese made the tots perfect. The tots were hand rolled to perfection. Lunch I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger. Huge mistake --- I was full. I only ate a 1/4 of the burger. The best thing about the burger was the apple wood smoked bacon. I lied. Everything about this burger was great. The haystack onions were perfectly fried and there was a large amount stacked. The aged cheddar melted perfectly on the burger and the BUNS were HOT and soft. I love a burger where the bun/bread is actually hot and not cold/room temp. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I was lost when trying to find this place and the sign was pretty small. Other than that....I will come again and try out their beers on tap; I didn't try them out this time because I had to go back to work. They had specials listed on a chalk board -- check them out!

    The BBQ Chicken Flatbread. Headsup to the athletic peeps, they'll double or triple the chicken. +6oz. For +$4 ;)
    Nathan H.

    Cool place, The entrance is poorly advertised in a way that makes you feel adventurous. Once you find it and get in, its a pretty nice place - Definitely a bar, but everything seemed clean and well cared-for. The food was pretty good and the serving sizes were generous. A BBQ Chicken Flatbread and a Side of Fries was enough to feed me (right after having lifted weights) and my girlfriend (who admittedly wasn't that hungry to begin with,) then leave a fifth of the meal for our leftover box. Good decision tonight. Our thanks to the Side Do'.

    Beers on tap
    Chy R.

    Long lists of rotating local beers on tap. All you can eat fish tacos or fish fry on Fridays. We came with our Groupon deal, ordered two beers and one of each of the all you can eat fish and our tab before to was $12! The fried tilapia in the fish tacos were decent, the undressed red cabbage slaw took away from the rest of the tacos. It arrived with black beans and white rice - of which are not refillable. The fried cod was a winner, with a slightly salty batter crisp enough to hold through the tartar sauce. The service is flighty. We asked for no sour cream on the tacos and received them. Our companion ordered the AYCE fish fry and got the tacos. But was otherwise sufficient. No real identity or ambiance as it's located under the Samba Grill and has a basement feel. I won't come back here again without a Groupon.

    Fish tacos
    Rachel L.

    A friend saw a deal for Side Door on Groupon, so we figured that we'd check it out. The place was pretty empty, and we were seated right away. The inside was kind of generic looking, and the decor wasn't great. It's the kind of place you'd go with a group of friends to enjoy some beers and burgers. The menu had typical pub food and a pretty extensive beer selection. I split the BBQ chicken flatbread and the Side Door burger with a friend and it was way too much food! I think we would have been fine sharing just one entree. The burger was delicious, and the fries were well seasoned and crispy. The BBQ chicken flatbread was good but had a lot going on. The prices were fair, even without the Groupon. I'd come back again.

    French Dip with plain tots
    Jack P.

    Side door was a pleasant surprise, once I was able to find the door,predictably on the side of the building! A lack of signage, leant an air of mystery, like the Safe House, spy-themed bar in Milwaukee. Once your find it, you walk down a set of stairs into a classic old "wooden" bar with a large dining area.. At lunchtime on a Saturday, it was not too crowded. I took a seat at the bar quite easily. The daily specials sign offered Korean Tacos, so I knew I was not in a bar with a predictable bar menu. The bartender was helpful in making my choices. She recommended the French Dip sandwich, emphasizing the house-made sliced sirloin and french bread. The tater tots here are special-they are hardly "tot" size, and more similar to what the French refer to as "Quenelle.," More like tater adolescents. Chef Shane who popped out of the kitchen discussed the recipe, using roasted garlic mashed potatoes. They are deep-fried crispy on the outside, and creamy pleasant on the inside.I had the plain ones. There are four other tot orders which are available with special toppings. After narrowing my choice to the tacos, a swiss mushroom burger, and the French Dip, I went with the bartender's recommendation. The French Dip was rich and flavorful and the perfect portion of meat and soft, sweet French bread. The au jus was not highly seasoned and it worked well with the sandwich. As stated, II chose the tots upgrade instead of fries. My inner carb freak cleaned this plate with no leftovers, no doggie bag. Lunch with beer around $16.00. Sweet. I washed down my toothsome lunch with a Bell's Two-Hearted Ale. I like that the beer menu is limited, of sorts, to 30 different drafts, and the barkeep give you a nice list the minute you sit down. No need to squint at a chalkboard or eyeball all the tap handles. Service here was genuinely friendly, and included in my case, some chatty interaction with the chef and sous chef, who emerged from the kitchen for beverages and conversation. So I found the side door (eventually) to be a very laid back and casual scene with a thoughtful and creative, though at the same time standard, bar menu. Think good burgers and sandwiches and those special tots. Chef Shane recommends his Friday Clam Chowder, too. Ieft very sated through the front door, which is also the entrance for the other restaurant in the building, Los Gemelos. If there's a back door, I still need to find it.

    Rob C.

    I ordered Eat Street delivery. First couple bites of my sandwich were great, but then I got into the raw hamburger. Not so great. They advertised cooking their burgers to medium, which I don't mind, but this is alot closer to raw than medium. It wasn't even warm in the middle. Yuck! I'll give them 2 stars rather than one because the first couple bites were pretty good. But unfortunately I lost my appetite pretty quick.

    Top - Sunset Burger, Bottom - Seoul Patrol Sandwich and 312 Goose Island Wheat Ale
    Cisco N.

    Had it not been for the Groupon, I wouldn't have known of this restaurant. My bf and I ordered the South of the Border Tots as an app, which were delicious! Thanks to Yelp for the suggestion and photo. My bf ordered the Sunset Burger... Delicious and a bit messy, which is one of the factors I use to rate my burgers btw. Just messy enough (but not too messy) is a gold star. The buns soaked up the burger juices while still maintaining it's form. I ordered the Seoul Patrol sandwich, which had Korean BBQ and Kimchee on it. It was tasty (and I am a huge fan of Korean food), but I would've preferred more slices of Korean BBQ and Kimchee. Lots of beer options on the menu. I ate mine with Goose Island's 312 Wheat Ale. Not your typical bar food... definitely a couple steps up. (see pic with meh lighting) Staff was accommodating. Nice comfortable area below Samba Brazilian restaurant. Probably owned by the same business since my debit card transaction showed as Samba instead of The Side Door Grill and Tap. I'll be back for more food for sure!

    Delicious beer
    Kelvin P.

    I normally don't like gimmicks, and the side door entrance of this bar/restaurant didn't help out. However, I really like this place. Beer is cheap (make sure to get the $5 pitcher of the "now" beer), and the food comes in generous portions. My friends and I got one of the flatbreads, a burger, and the fish tacos. If you are looking for a casual spot, this place has ample space for medium-size parties, and it also has delicious food to boot. The burgers are cooked well, and the fries are crispy, thin, and satisfying. The flatbread isn't the best I've had, but it's above average. Like I said earlier, the portions are quite large, so you don't need to worry about that. The list of beers is quite long and impressive. They offer much more than the typical Wisconsin beer selection (Dogfish head, New Belgium, etc), and the ambiance is great. They have a dart board in one corner (along with a karaoke machine or music machine of some sort), and it looks like a place that you can establish as your regular spot. The pictures of side doors on the wall was a little much to me, but it doesn't detract from the experience at all. My friends and I will definitely come back, whether it be for drinks or food.

    Lisa R.

    Supremely disappointed, Side Door is a cool neighborhood type place that friends recommended. It is very cool on the inside, great beer selection and a fun vibe. The disappointment comes first from the service, very slow, I get that you are busy but have enough staff there or at least be polite and tell us there will be a wait instead of being snarky. I was also really disappointed in the food, we ordered a bunch of stuff to share, the spice rubbed wings were so salty we couldn't eat them, had to peel the breeding off and even then the salt was over powering. The baked tatertots, which they are apparently known for were greasy and the cheese sauce was watery. What was good was the Mahgarita pizza, they put cilantro on it so it has a great fresh kick, if only it had been hot. Sadly I won't go back or recommend.

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    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

    3.8
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    A must visit in Madison! The food is great and the beer is tasty…read more Came in early evening on a Wednesday. It was pretty empty. They have a wing deal - 15 wings and 2 pints for $25. We got the Korean BBQ and Habanero. The habanero is SPICY!! My mouth was burning after two wings. I always get the APA beer. Classically delicious! Luckily we walked because parking can be tricky to find. Service can also be a little hit or miss. Today our server was a lil forgetful.

    Every time I visit Madison, it is an absolute guarantee that I will be stopping by The Great Dane…read morePub...most trips more than once! Great Dane Pub has become one of my favorite spots in Madison for a variety of reasons from the drinks, vibes, service and community support! Situated on the corner of Doty and King in downtown Madison, Great Dane is a welcome sight for any visitor or local looking for a chill spot to have a solid drink, tasty bite and/or a good time! The pub is one large space, but it is separated into a few unique areas. One side is quintessential pub with a long bar, lots of dark woods, and a good sized dining room. The other is more of a pool hall vibe where you will find the other side of the bar, several pool tables, lots of TV's, high tops, darts, etc...We have bellied up to both sides of the bar and while I like both sides, I prefer the vibe of the pub side. They have a fairly extensive food menu with several bar/pub classics such as wings, nachos and burgers. But they also offer a good variety of sandwiches, bowls, salads, soups and even tacos. While we are normally here for the drinks, we do enjoy the cheese curds, wings and poutine! Speaking of drinks, they always have a great menu of house cocktails that is constantly updated for seasonality. I have had several iterations of cocktails and since I visit a few times a year, I always get to try new seasonal cocktails and beers! Service is always stellar here, no matter what side of the bar you are on. Welcoming, friendly and helpful...every time! Overall, I am an absolute fan of The Great Dane Pub!

    Photos
    Bar area
    Bar area
    6 Pack Pub Wings (habanero hellfire)
    6 Pack Pub Wings (habanero hellfire)
    The outside of the building is a little shabby and could use fresh paint but I guess that's part of the charm.

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    The outside of the building is a little shabby and could use fresh paint but I guess that's part of the charm.
    Jordan's Big Ten Pub

    Jordan's Big Ten Pub

    4.3
    (183 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    I came here for Friday fish fry in the winter - I think there was a basketball or hockey game, but…read morenothing causing a crazy wait or crowd. We had some old fashioneds before ordering food, and I thought they were good. Service was super attentive, especially as we delayed ordering to enjoy drinks and an appetizer for a bit. I ordered the beer battered cod fish fry (my staple), and overall it was yummy to eat. The two pieces that came out were enormous and a bit wonky shaped... made me wonder what on earth this fish looked like in its swimming days. The batter was quite tasty, crunchy but not too crunchy/hard, but it was so incredibly think I'm not sure I got fish in every bite. I took one piece home and give the fish part to my pup as a meal topper, and the ratio of breading I had to pull off compared to fish was a bit (quite a bit) much. Still, everything I ate was tasty. I got the salad with my dinner, and was so happy that it came out with quality greens instead of a chunk of iceberg type lettuce. Overall, I'd come back again if others wanted, but wasn't wild about the batter to fish ratio.

    Quaint little corner-ish bar in the middle of downtown Regent street…read more Got the sour cream and chive potato wedges for an app, which came out piping HOT and fast. Great seasoning! Ordered the soup and half sandwich special for $6!!! Soup was good flavor but the consistency was chalky, you can tell it was on too hot and milk had split. Sandwich was perfectly grilled and served with a pickle. Nice portions for how extremely reasonable. Servers were helpful and quick, they both helped each other and had a good time behind the bar.

    Photos
    Fun times!
    Fun times!
    Smoked brisket and cheese toasted sandwich with pub chips
    Smoked brisket and cheese toasted sandwich with pub chips
    Jordan's Big Ten Pub

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    The Old Fashioned

    The Old Fashioned

    4.1
    (2.5k reviews)
    0.5 mi
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    This was my second time visiting. I swore I wrote a review the first time but it didn't pop up…read more Anywho, this time my daughter and I were in Madison for the day and visiting the museum across the street and decided to come for dinner. It was Thursday evening and they had a ribs/pulled pork special. We waited about 10 minutes at the bar for a table. The bar and atmosphere is great. Pretty bar lights and an old wood bar. We were seated by the window with a great view of the capital. My daughter and I shared the rib dinner and had plenty of food for us. Our waitress was new and learning but was doing a good job. I'd definitely come back.

    The ambiance is amazing warm woods which were very inviting. Wednesday night 5:30 a party of 6 and…read morewe were seated immediately in the bar area at a round table. The waitress was quick to come over bringing menus and taking our drink order. We order the cheese curds of course and the cheese plate. Visiting from Florida so I can't really speak on the curds. We all thought they were tasty. For our main course two of us had burgers all claimed they were well prepared and tasty, Mac n cheese was dry, spinach salad with salmon was fresh and flavorful. I had the wedge salad which was over a half head of fresh crispy lettuce. Two dressings combo so refreshing. The cheese tray was nice for $14.00. Overall service was great and the food was good.

    Photos
    Inside bar
    Inside bar
    The Old Fashioned
    Schlitz beer with a pickled egg on the side.

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    Schlitz beer with a pickled egg on the side.

    The Side Door Grill and Tap - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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