I've hesitated writing my review hoping I could write a more positive one...The hotel and the Statehouse are beautiful with excellent views. The food is hit or miss. That being said, we have had some excellent meals there. The service is very disappointing and hasn't improved with time. From the bartenders to the servers no one seems to own their position or seem comfortable. A few of our experiences...We were at the Statehouse for our anniversary and my parents had called to send over a couple glasses of champagne to us. The host told them that they couldn't seem to find us. We were one of two tables seated in the restaurant that night. They could have found us if they had tried. Also, my husbands steak was horrible, shouldn't have been served. We were in the bar another night with 5 bartenders behind the bar discussing who should go home since it was a slow night. As the only two in the bar we sat listening with empty drinks. A couple friends and I stopped in for drinks and appetizers after the homecoming game. Yes, it was busy and yes, they knew they would have a huge crowd due to the after party they were hosting. But, they all seemed flustered and irritated. It took at least 20 minutes for someone to acknowledge us. We asked about the wine and she said she didn't know because it was her first week. I knew for a fact it wasn't her first week. I hope the assumption isn't that everyone is a one time customer due to the fact that it's a hotel and people come and go. But, that's how we felt. I could go on... It's such a beautiful hotel and restaurant but the service does not live up the standards that you should expect to experience in a place like this. I really do hope they can figure it out and turn things around. Not sure how many more chances we will give. read more

This was my first time here even though it has been opening for 2 years? The restaurant was definitely understaffed. Now granted it was 9:30 am before a 2:30 football game, but when you pour coffee, either have the cream in your other hand, or return immediately. After our coffee sat and got cold, we still had no cream and had to ask for it. We did not have to wait long for our food, however when it was served, it was literally cold. I had not heard anything good about the restaurant other than the setting was nice, so did not bother going. Finally went because out-of-town guests made the selection. It will probably be another 2 years before I return. read more

We enjoyed a very nice dinner with good attentive service and very fine food. It was our first visit to the dining room after being at a couple of functions since the opening of the new hotel. The appetizers were highlighted by some very large prawns in the shrimp cocktail that were firm and succulent. The oysters of the day were a bit on the small side, but were also good. My wife had the fish of the day a pan seared Rockfish that was outstanding. It came steaming hot and was prepared just right. I had a ribeye steak sandwich that was tender and had great flavor. We enjoyed the view of the lake and the feel of the room. We will be back again. read more

Somewhat disappointed in this place as I had high expectations. Very limited menu, very expensive. On the plus side the food was very good and beautifully presented. Serving sizes were small, sides all cost extra. They were out of one main menu item even though the restaurant was practically empty all night. Service was ok - friendly but not enough attention paid to filling water glasses, removing used plates etc. read more

We were a little nervous about selecting The Statehouse based on earlier reviews. However, we decided to chance it, and we were not disappointed. We started with drinks on the terrace overlooking Lake Mendota. The view is spectacular. Bar service is a tad slow because they only had one server, and where the bar is located inside is a bit of a hike. Dinner inside was quite good. No problem with service; our server was quite attentive. For appetizers we had several. The shrimp cocktail was my personal favorite: huge shrimp, fresh and perfectly chilled. Other favorites included the crab soup and Portuguese soup. However, I thought the calamari was undercooked. Salads are good, very fresh. I think the iceberg wedge was my favorite. It could easily be shared. The entrees were all great: filet mignon and strip steak were perfectly cooked as well as the walleye and hake. All in all, it was a very nice evening. The place is beautiful, and I would definitely return. read more

Beautiful lakeside view, delish food. Pure elegance. We dined there last night. Jodie is an excellent server. Kudos to the staff. read more

My favorite part of Statehouse is the views, absolutely beautiful view of lake mendota with the option of either indoor or outdoor seating. I went for lunch and got the salmon and was not disappointed. It was cooked perfectly however it could have been more flavorful, I ordered a side of lemons which really helped add some flavor. I would recommend this if you are looking for a fancy place to eat in Madison. The staff was really nice too! read more

The Statehouse - Salmon - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Lovely views and a great bar, but unfortunately I cannot review the food this time. We had a great time enjoying some delicious cocktails from the bar and taking in the lakeside views inside and out of the hotel. Great place during the day to relax and wind down. read more

The Statehouse - Cocktails lakeside before heading to the airport - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Terrible food experience at Sunday brunch. Very nice waitress, but inexcusable food quality - and at a time when it wasn't even very busy. The brunch Buffett didn't look good to most of us so all but one in our party ordered off the menu. The 1 who did the buffet was repeatedly thwarted because she mainly wanted the quiche from the buffet - and it each time she approached the buffet there was no quiche being refilled (ditto for the scrambled eggs). Off the menu: Beware the eggs Benedict; menu does not state that it sits atop a soggy blob of bread-pudding-like muck. The 3 folks who ordered it barely ate it. My over-easy egg-plate arrived totally cold, without the bacon, dry/tasteless cubed potatoes, and with the toast untoasted. I have never had a good meal at this Edgewater restaurant; finally had to speak up. read more

Great premium dining experience. Service, venue, ambience, view, menu, wine list - all top notch. As you would expect, you pay for it as well. We had a very enjoyable evening. read more

The Statehouse - View from main dining room - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We carried out a full Thanksgiving meal for 2 (and got about 6 meals out of it). Everything was fantastic. Including probably the best apple pie we've ever had. Here's hoping they offer a Christmas meal carryout too. Thanks to everyone who made it happen. It was excellent. read more

What a bunch of snooty A holes. The bartender Sam, looked at me three times and then served four people that came up after I stood at the bar for 10 minutes. I will never set foot in that place again. read more

I was only here for drinks at the bar but thought it was a very nice area. Fantastic patio to watch the sunset over Mendota. Drinks were good, and service was decent. Price for the drinks were fine, but didn't even look at the food menu. read more

This has been a previously great spot . Bad service . Cold food. The French dip ( 18.00) was described as prime rib - just processed sandwich meat. read more

The restaurant is beautiful. It was pretty much empty until towards the end of our meal, but it was nice having the quiet. The waiters automatically brought us more bread when we ran out and more drinks when we finished them. The only negative things that I can say are that my mother's scallops were undercooked and my filet was slightly burnt. Other than that, I have no complaints and I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a nice, quiet meal. read more

The Statehouse - Totally empty - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Amazing romantic views and delicious food. We had tomato salad, fish spread, cheeseburger and wine. It was delicious. Definitely good for special occasions due to romantic setting and expansive wine list. read more

Cheese board was delicious and service was good. Crispy chicken was kind of dry and suuuuuuper salty. Fish & chips was alright. The Statehouse was good to try once but wouldn't be my first pick to go back to if I visited Madison again. read more

It was our first outing to this newly renovated hotel and the Statehouse bar. We didn't dine there, although we intended to order some bar appetizers. Overall, the experience was just awkward. - The bar table we chose had been wiped down with a sour rag, so it smelled awful. Awkward. - We asked if we could sit in a different area. "Yes, but you can't have drinks out there." Awkward. - We found a spot to sit, but had to flag down a bartender/server to take our order. Awkward. - With a group of four, we were given just one bar menu. We asked for another menu but were told there was a shortage. Awkward. - The drinks arrived and the server promptly left. We were considering ordering some food, but we weren't going to flag down help yet again. Awkward. - All four of our drinks sat empty for about 10 minutes before anyone checked on us. Awkward. - To accompany the second round of drinks, we asked for ice water which was delivered about 15 minutes after the drinks arrived. Awkward. - We asked the front desk about validating our parking and was told, "No, you can just pay on the way out." Awkward. Given the Edgewater's longstanding "meh" reputation in Madison, its stumbles out of the gate after the renovation and its apparent lackadaisical attitude toward service, training and effective management, it's going to be a tough road. There are so many better options. read more

Believe the bad reviews. They are true. Gone is the truly elegant, fine dining experience of yesterday's Edgwater. We read the reviews and hoped what was said was because the restaurant was new and improvements would have been made after 6 months since opening. Sadly, improvements better be made soon or I fear for the worse for the Statehouse. We had dinner at the Statehouse for Valentines Day. The dinner was 4 courses $75 a plate. The food was not very good and the service worse. You can read the details if you like but the bottom line is The Statehouse has a 5 star location but 1 star service and 2 star food. We were given a complimentary glass of champagne. Surprisingly when our champagne was gone our waiter did not inquire if we wanted another drink. We needed to ask for one. When that drink was gone, we were not asked if we would like another. My wife and I both had a crab soufflé for a starter. The flavor was good but the soufflé was rubbery and heated inconsistently. It had obviously been reheated in a microwave. My wife's plate was cleared while I was still eating. The salad was spinach with a marinated pear. Again, the flavor was okay but it was very small. It was served very quickly following the starter course. The spinach lay flat and was wilted. It had been made hours before. I had a filet. It was done medium rare as requested. The sauce was sparse. The plate was very empty. 5 little salt encrusted fingerling potatoes with the filet. My wife had scallops in a bed of split pea risotto with pancetta. The scallops were not hot all the way through. The restaurant is elegant with an open kitchen concept. We watched food set on the wall waiting to be served for 3-5 minutes. Servers would carry 4-5 plates cradled in their arms. We waited a very long time after our salad for our main course, which is why we noticed the food sitting on the wall waiting to be served. Our waiter served our entrees to the table next to ours. He politely apologized to them for the wait. When they informed him they already ate he served it to us. No apology for the wait or the mistake to us. After the main course we again waited a long time for our dessert. Dessert was good. After dessert we waited for our bill and waited for our credit card to be run. Finally the manager noticed us waiting that he came and ran our card. Although the restaurant is elegant, it is loud. It was full for Valanetine's day. Music cut in and out of the speaker. It was usually too loud to hear the music. The design of the room has no sound barriers like three-quarter walls. We made a reservation for two but the hostess was surprised we were not a party of 4. We were sat at a 4 top. There was a 4 top next to us with 2 at the table. I was glad, had there been 4 at the table next to us I would have been closer to the person sitting at the next table than I was to my wife. We tried to valet park upon arrival. Although we saw valet's, none came to our car. We parked ourselves. When we arrived at the restaurant the hostess took our coats and checked them. There is no place to set your things like a purse or gloves while you get your coats on. We wanted to eat at the Statehouse so ignored the reviews. After tip, parking, and dinner we dropped approximately $225 for a dinner for 2. This is not a sustainable situation for the Statehouse or the Edgewater. I hope the ownership figures out soon. read more

The plus side: Gorgeous views, delicious crab cakes, nice staff and ambiance. The minus side: The onion rings. PSA- do not be temped by the onion rings. For me, the lake view really made the experience.The food was in general good, with a few rock stars and a few misses. Overall, I was not "wowed." Which is why I'm dealing out 3 star What I tried: Crab cake lyonnaise- fantastic, this was one of the rock stars. One of the best crab cakes I've ever had. Waygu meatballs- did not like the texture at all. Not quite seasoned enough. Was better when used as a spread on bread. Lobster bisque- lovely, very rich, very flavorful. You should order this. Grilled Atlantic swordfish- Fish was cooked perfectly but simply. Served with roasted red potatoes that were very boring. Grass fed beef tenderloin- added steak diane enhancement- delicious, but not quite cooked as ordered. Did not ask for a re-fire, but i'm sure they would have happily done so. Potato hash browns, horseradish cream, arugula- it's one really big hash brown that is about 5 inches in diameter. Not enough sauce but was pretty good Beer and vodka battered onion rings- very oily, not flavorful. Would not recommend at all. Our server was very nice when we said we did not love them and look it off the bill. Which was very nice and above and beyond. Pear tart- The worst. The crust was so hard it could only be sawed apart with a steak knife and the pears were very hard and lacked flavor. The red wine reduction, however, was very nice. Overall, I would probably come back and was definitely worth the visit. I'll be back, but may be in a year or two. read more

My original review below was posted on April 5 after our Easter brunch. I travel 45 weeks a year and rely on reviews on Yelp to be accurate when I'm picking out a place in a new city to go to. So I'd like to retract part of what I originally posted. This morning (4/6) the GM of the Statehouse gave me a call and apologized for our experience. He said he has been in the job a short time and knows they have areas that need to be addressed and he is working on them and appreciated the comments. He urged me to give them another try, which we will. So I retract my comment that management doesn't care, as it appears they are paying attention to Yelp reviews and recognize the need to fix service issues. We'll try again. Original 4.5.15 posting: Great views, that's about it though. We've been to the Statehouse twice, each time the food is average and the service is awful. I don't mind spending on a meal (this one was $250 for 4 adults and 2 kids for a brunch), but there are lots of places in Madison that consider themselves high end that have better food and decent service. Today we went for Easter brunch (ordering a four course brunch off of the menu). It took 25 minutes to get a server, it took 45 minutes to get the first course. The total meal took 2 hours. You might say "well it was Easter brunch", but at this time there were at least 6 open tables and a lot of the rest were people sitting waiting for food. Any food. There were servers standing around, but it looked like they had no food to serve - lots of cooks in the back but it was a scene right out of "Hell's Kitchen" - lots of activity with no results. The team in the back would have had to face elimination. If it wasn't for the view and the hotel I'm not sure this level of service and food would allow this restaurant to be viable. I see a lot of negative reviews for the Statehouse on this site. It doesn't seem the owners really care because these negative reviews start on opening day and continue to now. Six months is enough time to get some value to equal the price. read more

I'll cut to the chase on this - stay clear of this disaster of a restaurant. I went out to with some friends last night and this place screwed up in every possible way. It took about a half hour to get served something to drink, and even the water was lukewarm and had some stuff floating in it. Had I known what was coming I would have savored the mysterious floating gunk because it was the best thing I ate at this dump. After about an hour and a half we were served our entrees, although we watched them sit under the heat lamps for 20 minutes beforehand. I had the yellowfin tuna special, which was dry and indescribably nasty and smelled foul. It was, however, served with 4 green beans. The steaks were overcooked, some in our group wisely choosing to send the meals back and skip dinner. They came with some strange salt crusted balls they claimed were potatoes, but tasted more like salt crusted balls if you know what I mean. It took about another 45 minutes to get our checks, which were wrong when they arrived. The meals ranged from $38 for a serving of three scallops served atop gummy rice, to $60 for the steak that would have been Applebees quality at best had it been correctly cooked - which it wasn't. This wasn't my first bad meal in Madison, but it was the first one I consider cruel and abusive to my mouth. I bought my first tongue scraper on my way home. Recommend to your enemies. read more

We went for a brunch buffet on a Sunday morning. The atmosphere was nice with a fantastic view of lake mendota. The food was very good, great selection at the buffer and great quality. The pastries were excellent, as was the French toast and sausage. However, the service was very poor. Might be in part to them being fairly new, but some things were inexcusable. The staff never picked up our used plates, there was just a big stack on our table. We also had to ask repeatedly to get coffee refills and the omelette bar was all over the place. They served us the incorrect omelette on one occasion and underdone omelettes on two others. The waitress we had was only mildly attentive and seemed overwhelmed though they weren't terribly busy. Would like to go back for the food but if the service doesn't improve we won't be back. read more

Maybe it was that it was UW Homecoming, or maybe it was that since having been there years ago it had been remodeled and was more of a sports bar atmosphere, but the service and ambiance mid-October were deplorable. We had been there for Valentine's dinner a few years ago and I remembered it to be elegant and top-notch in terms of service and atmosphere. It was my birthday and I was all dressed up, but I was so disappointed with the entire experience. The food was fine--not great--but way too expensive for the lack of professional attention, the clatter created from the new wood laminate flooring (in contrast to the carpeting from the past) and poor lighting (giant bright light pointing at us from the waitstaff station) that all contributed to a negative experience. Three of our party of four ordered the cheaper bar food (my chicken entree was nearly $30), and three of us ordered separate salads. The young and inexperienced waiter finally revealed when questioned that he thought he'd bring the salads with the rest of the food so that no one would feel left out. (Huh? We were starving and ordered salads for a reason.) We didn't get bread, whereas I watched all the other tables receive it in a timely manner. (We finally asked a managerial type walking by who brought us some.) My partner secretly asked for a birthday dessert for me, which our neighboring table got along with a lit candle and singing. Not me. I was told to pick a dessert which the young man brought it out like any other dessert. No fanfare. It was just such a disappointing birthday celebration. If you are looking for more of a bar atmosphere, do it, I guess. Just don't expect elegance. read more

My wife, her parents and I ate at the Statehouse restaurant for the first time Saturday, Oct. 11, and we were very disappointed. Although the food--the walleye, scallops, beat salad, pasta dish--was good to above-average, it was not on a par with several other of the better restaurants in Madison. More disappointing was that my mother-in-law had made the reservation indicating it was a special dinner for her 62d anniversary and specifically asked for and was assured a table by the windows. Well, of course, the maître-d refused to honor that request even though two tables sat empty during our entire meal! Our waiter was very personable and competent but no one offered us a wine list until we asked for it twice. It may be unfair to compare the new with the old Edgewater, but we always thought the old Edgewater had a unique panache in that it served steak diane and Caesar salad at tableside and had a number of other very nice touches that made it a destination for many special occasions. Not a whole lot is unique about the Statehouse. read more

Not worth the price! Excellent decor and atmosphere, wishing for the menu to catch up. We ordered calamari and oysters which were decent but nothing special and definitely overpriced. The vodka martinis had a weird after taste so that was disappointing. Between us we had four entrees: half chicken, filet, scallops and walleye. Nothing was flavored well, we all were adding salt to it. Lackluster and disappointing since we were so enamored by the new look of the place. If you're going to spend $50 a person go to Rare, Graze, Cento, Estrellon, etc. Madison has so many good restaurants, unless Statehouse picks it up I don't know what would draw us back. read more

Wow. What a disappointment. So 4 of us went for a business dinner. 2 bottles of wine, 3 starters, 3 sides ,4 entrees, 2 desserts and $400 later.... But really. I wouldn't have minded the price tag if the food was actually good. For starters we ordered the octopus; which was overcooked and tough, the oysters; good, and the crab soufflé; rubbery. Sides; a Corn dish which was decent, portobello fries; also pretty good and kale... Way to salty, but cooked well. Entree; I had the scallops-way way way too salty. I seriously couldn't even eat it. Even the risotto was salty. My husband had the crab linguini and for $39 I expected way more crab in the dish. The restaurant itself has an amazing view and beautiful interior but the food is nothing to be desired. read more

Bar: The brandy Alexander was ultra tasty, but once I got my drink, I was totally ignored. The bartender who made my drink was presumably on break so I don't blame him, but the other guy just kept walking past for an hour without bothering to ask if I wanted more water or anything. Would like to try the restaurant but the bar has only half the required elements of a decent haunt. read more

Paid $9 per beer for average craft beers and to sit in the A/C on a hot day. Felt a little violated when we left. I guess I forgot what hotel prices are like. read more

The Statehouse is a beautiful venue overlooking Lake Mendota. Excellent shrimp cocktail with extremely hot cocktail sauce. The lobster roll was very fresh but relatively tasteless. The crème brûlée dessert was very good. The servers were pleasant but not polished. We would probably come back and try them once more. read more

I was really looking forward to trying out the cocktails at the Statehouse. Unfortunately I was not as wowed as I had hoped. The cocktail menu has some standards, and the apple old fashioned was tasty. However, adding in tax, parking, and tip; $30+ for two cocktails is a bit much for an average bar experience. It seems to be the most expensive parking rate I have seen in the city at $3.00/hour. read more

Good food but bad silverware and plates. Hard to eat the good food. Mashed potatoes are amazing- bring your own spoon.

Was anxious to try the Edgewater after its renovations and reopening. Went twice -- once with friends for dinner and another time to show my visiting relative the new buildings. The Statehouse is beautiful and the Edgewater is still a wonderful location. Food was OK, not really special. Had the walleye pike. Service was very nice but very inept. Our waitress was covering for the bartender as well and knew nothing about making drinks. She served a glass a prosecco in a large wine glass instead of a champagne flute. at the bar the next night, I asked the same waitress for an Irish Coffee on a very cold night and was served whiskey and lukewarm coffee in a glass; no whipped cream at all, none offered. My wife ordered a Sambuca. It arrived over ice (supposed to be served neat with a couple of coffee beans as a garnish; flambée optional). These things could be fixed with a little training or even by consulting a bartender's guide for one brief second before serving. I sure hope that they invest some time and money into staff training to get the service level to rise to the level of the setting. read more

I will try the Statehouse again, perhaps in another year, at which point I hope they have their act together. Positives: - an outstanding location, ambiance, and interesting decor (history). - a menu which is exciting and holds great promise. - The burgers looked great. Perhaps we should have stuck with simplicity instead of the entrees. Negatives: Please understand this visit was homecoming night ... perhaps they were overwhelmed, or not on their game that night, yet there were empty tables. - Took 20 minutes to seat after reservation time (forgiveable). - Waited over 15-20 minutes, while seated at the table, for a server to great us (not forgiveable). We saw the manager chatting with a server about who was assigned to our table. - Server was really, really nice ... yet she disappeared frequently and was very inattentive. Cutlery wasn't cleared / replaced, had to finally ask for the bill, as she wasn't around ... and it was now 2 1/2 hours in... !!!! Several times she mentioned our food was coming, only to have it walked by us to other tables. The servers misplaced the salads and entree dishes to the incorrect diners. - The food took forever ... and then was served as it came out, yet we saw plated entrees sitting under the heat lights for a while. Orders were confused, not properly cooked, and even the promising menu items were lacking the flavor they deserved, and I'll even say some were bland. A bright spot was the walleye. - The prices were high for the offering, and I don't normally say that, because fine dining, flavor, presentation, and uniqueness deserve a premium value. It was not found here. In general, given the prices, I would have expected more. At about $70-$80 / person, the Statehouse has a long way to go to gain a reputation worthy of the price, given the lack of value. Yet, with the transient and unknowing clientele, they will get it and continue to muddle by. The service and food prep wouldn't last six months in a big city. Even in Madison, I wonder if the other restaurants gaining a good rep won't cut into the Statehouse future ... but the Edgewater will likely prop it up and provide a stream of diners. read more

We dined at the Statehouse this weekend. The Edgewater Hotel is officially out of the long soft-opening phase but this is still a work in progress. I'm not surprised that previous reviewers genuinely were displeased with their experiences, but I'm optimistic that as this impressive space comes together- Madisonians and our guests will come to love the new Edgewater Hotel. Service was outstanding, attentive and personable. Everyone that we interacted with in the restaurant was incredibly welcoming and gracious. We enjoyed wonderful cocktails, entrees and desserts. The restaurant is positioning itself to contend with the likes of the Capitol Chophouse and while perhaps not quite there yet- they are well on their way! read more

I was VERY disappointed in our experience at The Statehouse. The host and waiter seemed inexperienced and lacked the professionalism i would expect in a restaurant of this nature. We were seated at a table so small there wasn't enough room for our food despite the fact that there were plenty of larger tables for 2 available. We had reservations but no choice in where we sat. The drinks were terrible. I sent my lemon drop martini back as it appeared to be nothing more than flavored vodka. Our waiter acted irritated that I sent it back. My wife ordered a Cosmo that had a nasty aftertaste. The food was mediocre. The beef tenderloin was a good quality cut of meat but it was under cooked. My wife ordered braised ribs with root vegetables. The ribs were ok but the root vegetables were nearly raw and almost impossible to eat. The waiter was inattentive and indifferent. We were over half finished with our meals before he asked how our food was. We had to ask for both the drinks menu and the desert menu. The only positive thing I can say is that the mashed potatoes were delicious. Needless to say, we won't be going back. read more

I've given the Statehouse 2 months to resolve their issues. Unfortunately, the food is still no good and the management doesn't seem to care. read more

Amazing view, fresh oysters, delectable desserts. My family and I had a wonderful time with great service and fresh dishes. Try the scallops! read more

We celebrated my sister-in-law's 50th birthday party at the Statehouse not too long ago. The service was excellent and the waitstaff were very attentive to our needs. Everyone seemed very pleased with their meals and my sister-in-law and her husband said the steaks they had were among the best they've ever had. It's quite a compliment coming from them as they live overseas, have travelled extensively, and I know they've been to more than their fairshare of nice restaurants. Personally, I had the Heritage Pork Chop w/cheddar jalapeno grits, mashed potatoes, and a Caesar salad and I could not have been happier with my meal. Afterwards, my daughter and I stolled down to the dock, which had some pretty nice evening views of Lake Mendota and the UW Terrace. Overall, a great experience and one that I'd highly recommend. read more

We went for brunch and it was incredibly good. Pancakes with Nutella were great, and the bacon was stellar. Endless mimosa also available.