They close a lot earlier than advertised. We dropped in at 11:30pm on a Thursday night when closing time was supposedly 1am and they were already closed. Kitchen closes even earlier! read more

Solidly ok in food, service, and atmosphere- food might be a notch above ok. We arrived with a large group of about 10 on a Sunday evening. The Side Door was pretty quiet. Service was a little slow and one of the meals ordered was forgotten. I had the volcano tots, which included large house-made tots with lots of spicy things. Not for those who are spicy /heat adverse. read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Volcano Tots - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Solid--decent food. A bit heavy for me but--that's me. Cheeseburger soup good but very rich. Cheese curbs were house made if you got the munster ones but I would've preferred house made cheddar. Still good though. Chicken wrap was very tasty. Good value too. read more

I absolutely love this place. The food is great. The burgers are phenomenal. The portions are huge. Prices aren't bad. Service is great. Always cool in the summer and toasty warm in the winter. read more

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. read more

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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 read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Fish Fry ( we got all you can eat and one order) - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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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 read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Bacon cheeseburger & Fries - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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! read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Literally the only sign of this place...literally the side door of the Samba building. - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Kendall The beer selection isn't the greatest. Restoration Cider Co. Cranberry is nothing to write home about Pacific Coast Dry Apple Cider w/ Pinot Grigio is an absolute waste of $7. Didn't eat the food. read more

What a great find ! We went to the farmers market and looking for a beer . Went on the yelp reviews. It has parking right next door . It's located on the main floor of the building that houses Samba restaurant. Tater tots are a meal ! Cheese curds are yummy too ! read more

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'. read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - The BBQ Chicken Flatbread. Headsup to the athletic peeps, they'll double or triple the chicken. +6oz. For +$4 ;) - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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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. read more

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If you build it, they will come. This may have worked for Field of Dreams, not so much for the Do It Yourself Bloody Mary bar at the Side Door. We happened to wander in after learning about the 1 hour+ wait at a nearby brunch hotspot (pure definition of first world problems). The place was empty but with happy hour 2:1 on rail drinks, bloodies, and tap beer, we were in no hurry to leave. They have an impressive tap beer selection and while the tomato juice for the DIY bloody marys was a tad sweet, the "add-ins" were top notch. Speaking of top notch, the homemade tater tots were incredible. Larger than the typical tot, the tater tot was the perfect mixture of crispy outside and soft inside. I would come back just for them. read more

1st visit since the turn over again. I came with a GroupOn and will return. We had the Bacon Cheeseburger, Mushroom with Fontina and sauteed onions plus a Flatbread pizza that included cilantro in the pesto base (which is why I tried it). First, I don't like the flatbread - it's too thick. I don't know if it was wheat but it appeaered as such the next day but didn't taste like wheat. The buns were a fan favorite at the table as it was sooooo soft per the kid. I like the pickles - I think they're homemade as the cut isn't standard. Not to brine-y nor vinegar-y so. The service was lacking and we were the only table but she chatted the guy up at the bar. The decor is lovely but I always liked Samba and it's spin-offs. The drinks come from the bar wand so you do the math. No frozen drinks of any kind because they don't' have a blender. Happy Hour during every Sunday game. $5 wings, nachos, and something else with $3 pretzels. I hope something gets to make it here. read more

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. read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Fish tacos - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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. read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - French Dip with plain tots - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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. read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I took the plunge and bought a few groupons ($11 for $20 deal) after I scanned through the menu and found more than a few things that I wanted to try. Ohmygerddd those tater tots doe. I ordered the seoul patrol sandwich with beer battered fries, and wow. I was not expecting much out of the bulgogi, but I was blown away by the bold flavors of the marinade. I would say that it compares to the bulgogi that I've had at Korean restaurants! I really loved the combination of the bulgogi and the tanginess/crunch of the kimchi. They definitely do not skimp on the meat or any of the other toppings! The menu is very reasonably priced, and for the portions you get, it is really a great deal. Although we didn't order any beverages other than water, I noticed that they have a pretty extensive wine and beer menu! I'd also like to commend the server for being so accommodating with our request to sit outdoors (because the inside of the restaurant is really way too dark...and who wants to be stuck indoors when the sun is still out at 7PM??). Even though he was the only server working in the evening, he was still pretty attentive and did his best to check in on us whenever he could. I can't wait to be back to try something new on the menu, although knowing me, I'll probably order the seoul patrol again and again until I get sick of it. :P Jump on that groupon deal! You won't regret it. read more

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! read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Top - Sunset Burger, Bottom - Seoul Patrol Sandwich and 312 Goose Island Wheat Ale - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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. read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Delicious beer - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The Side Door is a nice reliable pub with tasty food and reasonable prices. Get the tots! We've gone here numerous times with Groupons and simply because "it's next door." It's about 1 block from our apartment and it's awesome to have a simple gastropub with a variety of apps, beer, and burgers. On the most recent visit, I tried the Surly fish fry. It was awesome! Huge portions with crispy fish. I got tots as my side instead of fries, and it was such a good choice. Just listen to the people and try the tots. They are huge and so much better than the frozen things. I will say that I'm a little disappointed they changed the name from "Tot-chos" to "South of the Border Tots." Those are my favorite by far: cheese, guac, and other nacho toppings on top of tots. I also opted for some white wine since we were sitting outside and it was a warm summer evening. SD has a bunch of $5 beers and the rest of the drinks are equally reasonably priced. Can't wait to come back next time we need a quick dinner or can't decide where to go! read more

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. read more

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Great delivery in reasonable time. Ordered here just out of curiosity and was very pleasantly surprised. The food was good quality and arrived in nice containers, with good presentation. The bacon burger, cheese cubes and tater tots were all great. Did not come with silverware in the bag so be sure to keep that in mind. A great experience overall, will definitely order again or stop by. Kinda feeling like I need to go here in person now. read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Went in the first time today. Looks like a nice place, somewhat decent prices. The tacos are over priced. So I ordered a simple burger. They say it's cooked medium on the website but mine was quite well done, so much so I could not even finish it, tasted pretty burnt, like dog food. Very underwhelming and sad. definitely not a first good experience. Not sure if I'll go back when there's places like hawks that don't serve burnt food. read more

I have to say, I really love this place. Had it not been for word of mouth, I would've never found it. Luckily I did. All of the food is really good. The fish tacos are ok, but I'd recommend the all you can battered cod on Fridays. It's always been nice and crispy. Even if you're looking for something light(er), the apps are awesome. The homemade tots are a must. And the house-made soups and cheesecake are great. I honestly cannot say that, after over three years of patronage, I have had any bad food experience here. Compliments to Shane for keeping the kitchen at that pace. But the food isn't the reason I go there. It's the beer. Over 30 taps with many rotating through great craft brews. Their happy hour makes the beer ridiculously cheap. However, the best part of The Side Door is that they actually server beer properly! Some places in the area use proper glassware, which is great. What most places don't do is serve it at the correct temperature. I find that I need to wait 5-10 minutes before being able to drink my beer at nearly everywhere else. This place actually understands that a stout isn't meant to be served under 40 degrees. That difference is huge on flavor. It doesn't hurt that Spencer and the staff are amazing. This place has set the bar for me, no pun intended. I measure all other bars by it. read more

Love the food here. The tots cannot be described by review or photo. I've had several other items on the menu and nothing has disappointed yet. Sometimes wish the beer menu had a few other varieties but still pretty solid. I have had some less than favorable service but nothing to keep me from coming back. It can be hard to find if you haven't been here like everyone says, but I just walk up the side (hence the name) by the patio walk in and grab a seat. read more

We stopped in herefor the 1st time to see what they carried for craft beers. Man am I glad we did. They had a wonderful selection of craft beers. All types of local choices or many from.all over the map. So we had to sample several. After drinking for awhile it was now time to eat. So we decided to look over the food menu which was a smaller more limited on choices. However the bartendar offerd some reccomendation that we each went with. Fabulous fish tacos with beans and rice. I will be back just for those alone. I tried so many awesome craft beers this day, I dont even remember what to say about that topic. Other than if you are looking to try something new or unique stop in the side door for a cool laid back experience! Friendly staff, friendly patrons, chill little spot. We will be back for sure! read more

We went in during happy hour mid-week, following other reviewer suggestions to avoid the crowds. It was quiet and clean. The waiter/bartender was very friendly from the moment we opened the door, and stayed as attentive as needed. We tried the tots as suggested and we were not disappointed. Best tots ever! We also shared a burger -which was cooked to med perfection. Great place when you crave bar food that isn't exceptionally greasy. The happy hour deals sounded good, but we were fine with water that day. read more

Go for the tots and taps. That's all you need. The BF and I headed to The Side Door on a sunny, unseasonably warm Friday afternoon. We were a little confused to where it was until we saw a small sign with an arrow that pointed forward then left in a little table-filled walkway to the right of Samba. Once you get to the back of the walkway there's a door that leads down a few stairs and into a nice open bar and seating area. The Side Door is nothing fancy, but it's pleasant and, when we went, blessedly uncrowded. There's a large tap menu on the wall and they drop off several stapled pages listing the taps off at your table. While we skipped drinks on this go-round, there were a lot of tempting options. We started with the Baked Potater Tots - handmade tater tots doused with cheese sauce, sour cream, and bacon. They were phenomenal. Obviously terrible for you, but worth the caloric intake when you're craving that sort of thing. The taste reminded me of Tato Skins chips from my childhood, but, you know, with real ingredients. My gent and I each took down half the order, and I honestly could have stopped after that. I was full, but I'd already ordered dinner when we put in our tots order. I had ended up going with the Sunset Burger but with a black bean patty and no egg. On paper, the combination sounded good - potato bun, black bean burger, cheddar, guacamole, bacon-bourbon jam, lettuce, and tomato - ingredients I've eaten together several times before. The execution, however, didn't work for me. The bun was a little dry, the black bean burger's seasonings didn't meld with the rest of the toppings [not their fault, I made the substitution], and the bacon jam was almost non-existent. At first I thought they left it off (which would make sense with my meatless patty and no egg request) but the server said it was on the bottom bun. I had looked before asking her for the jam, and when I double checked it with her at the table she said the jam was what I thought was grease spots on the bun. My previous experiences with bacon jam is a chunky, rich mahogany spread, not an oil that's melted into the bread. The server did offer extra jam, but I decided to just eat it as the kitchen intended now that I knew it was there. With the black bean patty I couldn't taste it. The side salad I chose with my meal was just mixed greens and a side of my dressing choice - fine but nothing special. If there's going to be nothing to the salad besides greens I wish it came dressed with an interesting house dressing. Next time I'll have to look more closely at the menu to see what the dressing choices are and see if there's something better than my default choice of ranch when I don't know my other options. Now, my burger and salad weren't bad by any means, it was just a swing and a miss for my taste buds. The service and tots were great and I would happily return for them, and maybe venture into an entree salad or a flatbread pizza next time around if we're not going to gorge on the tots. read more

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What can I say! I am definitely a fan! Now, don't let the name of the restaurant cause you to miss it because the entrance really is at the Side Door! Let's start with our waiter, Aaron. He greeted us and brought water in a timely fashion. That is always a plus when you are part of a large group like we were. We were a group of about 10. Now, our of our group arrived before we did so their food came out a lot sooner. This was cool because this allowed us to browse the menu a little longer and review the list of extensive beers that they have. OMG! I almost felt like I was at the Firkin Fest because there was such a variety of beers from different breweries. So since I am a beer fan and enjoy trying new beers, I asked Aaron for some recommendations based on my preference of Wheat Style Beers. He recommended Mosquito Beach by Lake Louie (sp?). It was delicious! It had a very unique taste. Let me try to describe it. It was very smooth (and not bitter), but at the end had a mild hoppy flavor, but it was very crisp in that that hoppy flavor did not last long on your tongue. Now, that's the best that I can do, but it is definitely worth a try. Okay, now the food. Our group probably ordered everything on the menu and let's just say, we were not disappointed by anything we ate. Each dish was served pipping hot, had unique flavors, and was delicious in every way. So, we could not resist sharing our food with everyone in our group. I am going to try and remember what foods we tried: Side Door Burger (which came with Brew City Beer Battered Fries), Fish Tacos, Mac n Cheese, Tater Tots, Beer and Cheeseburger Soup. And I almost forgot that we tried the beer, Mob Craft Batshit Crazy. It was an English Brown Ale brewed with milk sugar to add a balanced creamy sweetness, and flavored with a delicious blend of Nicaraguan and Ugandan Coffees from Just Coffee Co-op that exhibit slight characteristics of cherry, tobacco, and brown sugar. Now that was the description from the restaurant and I cannot describe it, but it was delicious. It was not your ordinary brown ale. After dinner, I had the opportunity to chat with Aaron for a few minutes. He informed me that this restaurant used to be the Cabana Room and has only been open for about 18 months. Did you know that the recipe for the Fish Tacos was an original recipe from the Cabana Room? Now, that's cool especially for those that miss the Cabana Room. Now they have something to entice them to try out this place! As a side note, Aaron also recommended that we try out the Lemon Drop Martini at the Comedy Club on State Street. Sounds like Aaron knows a little something about beers and spirits! Oh and I almost forgot to mention the most important thing, all of the beers on tap are just $4/glass! How awesome is that! read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Side Door Burger with Brew City Beer Battered Fries - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I must say, for going with the very first place we saw after parking....this turned out exceptionally well. I was with my vegetarian friend who had a mushroom & pepper sandwich she could not stop raving about. I on the other hand had to go with the burger that had a fried egg as well as avocado (that made it the healthy choice, right?) anywho, it was really good. Not to mention their fries were pretty stellar. They had some other items on the menu that peaked my interest as well, too bad I'm not in this area often. I would definitely go back! **Bonus: Nice outdoor seating. We were surprised to be one of the only tables during lunch. **Double bonus: Our server was really nice! read more

This is our go to spot for a great cold brew and some appetizers. The homemade tater tots are indescribably delicious. Four different varieties from southwest to loaded potato. All four are amazing and each tot is as big as a roll of quarters but fatter. The bacon cheeseburger soup is my favorite. They serve it with an out of this world chewy crusty bread to dip it in. The mushroom flatbread is too good to leave out. It's perfect for two but my boyfriend has put a few away on his own. Each burger is fresh, grilled, grass fed beef on a ciabatta roll with fresh cheeses and toppings and come with uber crispy skin on fries or a side of mixed greens. Many, many great craft brews on tap and bottled. Different ones each month. The Mac and cheese was the first I've ever ordered in a restaurant, but I had a toothache that day and it was soooooo good. I would get it again and again. Enough to fill you up and have some to take home for that midnight snack. Staff is so very kind, attentive, knowledgable of the menu and bar area. Always feel welcome and comfortable here. great place to watch a game too. read more

The Side Door Grill and Tap - Nachos with pulled pork - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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On point for price to food ratio, flavor, and service. I ordered the "Seoul Patrol" which is succulent Asian BBQ on a bun, just bursting with wonderful flavors. The baked tater tots app was a heaping portion. Great service, but we went during lunch and there was only one other customer. Will have to visit again to try the rest of the menu. read more

Great burger! Oh my goodness! One of the best I have had in Madison! I got it delivered, it was fast and hot! Great place I will go again! read more

Nice spot. Good to catch up with a friend and grab some casual food and a drink. Probably the best part about this restaurant is the huge list of awesome beers on tap for only $4! I ordered a cider (can't remember the name but I hadn't heard of it) that actually tasted like legitimate apple cider, just with alcohol. Very different from an angry orchard or a cider boys. The food was really good - not the best I've ever had, but solid. I quite enjoyed my Mac n cheese and my friend liked her Seoul Patrol, which came with crispy and tasty fries. I would like to try more items from the menu, but I will say I wish there were a few more options. read more

Shut the front door, that was a great burger. Dang. So big I couldn't finish it after I ate some fries. Those beer battered fries were pretty scrumptious as well. Reasonable prices for hefty portions, classic and delicious pub-fare. read more

Side Door is an as-yet undiscovered gem, which is both good and bad. Good because it's never overcrowded or overwhelmingly loud; you can almost always sit where you want; they're big into promotional events; and the staff is super-attentive and friendly. Our group of friends have all become regulars. Bad because, well, we're afraid they won't survive in the long term! They're situated beneath a high-profile Brazilian grill, and you do more or less go in the side door, so they don't have a storefront the way nearly every other bar in Madison has. They're new, and many of Madison's bars are institutions, making exploratory bar seeking pretty rare. You really have to stumble upon it to find it, unless you're on a site like this. Here's what I can say. Their menu is full of delicious surprises, both old-school and super innovative. Almost nothing comes without at least some sort of creative twist. Their various tots appetizers are just ridiculously good, and they have an enormous, ever-changing tap list with lots variety and descriptions of every single brew. And almost everything is delicious. Only thing I'd change (besides their business volume)? They don't really play the bar angle as hard as they could. The dining room is always pretty well-lit, and the music, while quiet enough for easy conversation, could be a bit louder to set the mood without being disruptive. If they'd just add a little sense of intrigue to the place it'd really earn that last star. Help keep 'em alive! Go to Side Door! read more

I was looking forward to trying this place since we had a City Tin coupon and it has a decent Yelp rating. Sadly, there wasn't much to write home about. First, there's no sign out front (it's underneath Samba). The GPS told us we were there, but we couldn't see it, so we walked up and down both sides of the street until we saw the menu out front and a small sign hanging from their patio gate. Secondly, upon entry, there's no wait staff to greet you nor is there a sign saying 'seat yourself'. At least I didn't see one. (You seat yourself.) We were promptly brought menus and a list of beers on tap. After that the service was nearly non-existent. We ordered a beer, a soda and started with the Baked Potater Tots. The tots are about 4x the side of normal tater tots and they were pretty good. Surprisingly, I didn't think they had a lot of flavor, but my husband did. For dinner, I ordered the Sunset Burger with a side salad and my husband ordered the Seoul Patrol sandwich with fries. We sat around for quite a while talking and didn't realize how much time had gone by. The waitress had come and gone with the appetizer plate and didn't ask if we wanted refills or anything. After some more time had gone by she comes over to apologize as she had forgotten to put in our order and our meal would be on her. Dinner came out relatively quick after that and we were asked if we wanted refills at that time. The side salad was a mix of greens, two slices of tomatoes, some pickles and dressing. It was good. The greens were tender and the veggies seemed to be fresh. The Sunset burger, though, wasn't good. It was so heavy from having guacamole, egg, melted cheese and jam that after a while it became complete mush. Neither of us liked the flavor either. My husband didn't care for this Seoul Patrol sandwich, but I had a bite and thought it was pretty good. It had great flavor and texture. The fries were also decent. The waitress came back to check on us, we asked for a box, waited for another 10-15 minutes and we left. By this point it had been an hour and a half since we sat down, for essentially two burgers, and after seemingly being forgotten about all night we just wanted to leave. I'm sure there are other items on the menu that taste better, but between the slow service, the lackluster food and atmosphere, it's highly unlikely that we'll be returning. read more

This is easily in my top 3 places to hit up in Madison. The bartenders are always super friendly, most of them know the beers on tap backwards and forwards, and they're willing to give you a taste before you commit to a full pint. The happy hour deals are unbeatable- 2-for-1 beers every single day (even weekends), and all beers are $4 a pop every day. They only serve one pitcher at a time (from one tap), so you can't usually just get any beer in a pitcher form, but when a tap does go onto "Pitcher of the now," the deal is great. I've never had bad food here, either. The Mac is obscenely good (so good that I can't stop eating it, even when I'm stuffed), tots are a must. Basically, all appetizers are good, burgers are yummy. Make sure to get a side of queso with your French fries. I can't say any bad things about this place. Go and make it your regular stop. read more

We live in Milwaukee but visit Madison every now and then. Side Door is one of our go-tos. 30+ beers on tap, great burgers and tilapia tacos, unique decor. Mostly, just an inviting spot off State Street with good food and good people. read more