Where to start? I picked this restaurant for my husband's birthday which was a huge mistake. The two redeeming qualities about this restaurant were the view and the host. Other than that it was beyond lackluster. The staff were incredibly unprofessional--including what appeared to be a manager who was flustered and running around in a panic as well as our waiter who was yelling other table's drink orders to her while trying to deliver our food. He was nice enough but was too busy with tables outside to refill our water or check in on us. My salmon was cold and flavorless and my husband's walleye was "meh" at best. With high prices one would expect something much better. When I made the reservation online I was asked if it was a special occasion, to which I denoted "birthday." The host asked us right away whose birthday it was, to which I replied "my husband's." That was the last remark that was made about it until the end of the night when the waitor brought the bill (and I saw that one dessert comped for birthday) and told ME happy birthday. We did not correct him since there had been no mention of it, candle, whatever, the whole meal. Not a great experience--do not waste your money. read more

Everyone in our party loved The Statehouse. The food is excellent and the service was very attentive.. The view of the lake is beautiful. However it was discouraging to see that it was only 1/4 full. The only minor drawback is that the bottle of white wine that we ordered was not as chilled as it should have been. The server did a great job of getting it into an ice bucket immediately and getting it chilled to the proper temperature. I will definitely return. read more

Don't go! We had a large table and not one of the meals was anything beyond average. Maybe even not that. We had to ask for bread, ground pepper. Service was nothing special, but the food was even worse. A huge disappointment for the cost. No wonder the dining room was almost empty. They need a different chef and maybe even supplier. Will not go back. read more

The restaurant is currently being renovated but one of the waitresses told us it should be open by next week. In the mean time they were serving dinner in one of their private rooms. I had the caesar salad and my husband had the wedge 2.0. Both were beautifully prepared and tasted amazing. The waitress suggested the salmon, which was maybe some of the best salmon I have ever had. It was tender and seasoned perfectly. My husband ordered the ribeye and it was cooked exactly the way he asked. Finally, we ended the night with the creme brulee, my favorite dessert, and it did not fail my expectations. We were immensely impressed with The Statehouse and we will definitely return once the dining room is reopened. This spot will soon be the talk of the town! read more

Visited on Father's Day 2016. Assigned waiter provided poor service. He was perfunctory, and he was non responsive to requests, even simple ones such as asking for additional half and half for our table of 8. Long delay in food delivery, and two people received their plates 15 minutes after the rest of us. Complaint to management went unanswered. Food quality was average. We are l30 year locals, unlikely to return. The dining room was not busy. read more

Went to The Statehouse for our Anniversary and could not have been more pleased.I asked the assistant manager to arrange to have flowers at our table upon arrival and they were there waiting for my wife.The service that night was excellent.Our waitress knew it was a special day and she was awesome.I understand there are some new chefs and the food was delicious.Our steaks were prepared exactly how we ordered them.We had a brussle sprout appetizer that was yummy as well as the hashbrowns.We were seated right against the window overlooking the lake...simply beautiful! I can not say enough.They nailed our meal! read more

The panoramic views of the lake from The Statehouse's dining area are what make going here worthwhile. Otherwise, The Statehouse is a pretty typical hotel restaurant with over-inflated prices. The food is decent but the service is uneducated. Our server was very unsophisticated and could not answer a single question without first checking with the kitchen or the bar. They were out of two of the three seafood selections on Christmas Day, just after opening. She tried to make a joke out of it but honestly, print new menus. I'm not sure if the selections are always this limited or if it was because it was Christmas Day but they only had three salads available: Iceberg, Caesar and an arugula salad that was ruined with odd ingredients. The tuna I was served was no better than what I make at home and a bit a dry and overcooked- definitely not sushi grade! The accompaniments were good and the bread was actually excellent. The mashed potatoes were also quite good and plentiful as a side dish. Desserts were disappointing. The ice cream "selection" consisted of chocolate or vanilla (seriously) and was $6. They could not provide an after-dinner drink list and had no idea how to serve any that we ordered. The "coat check" was a complete disaster- the person taking them and bringing them out took more than five minutes on each trip. It turns out that the coat room is actually a tiny service closet. Why the pretense? There is valet service for $15 or self-park for $5. Overall, we were stuck going here because nothing else was open on Christmas in Madison. However, I would not recommend eating here if other options are available, unless you're strictly interested in the view, which does happen to be beautiful. read more

We are staying at the Edgewater on an annual romantic getaway excursion. We were so pleased with a top-rate meal tonight, stellar cocktails and impeccable service by the warm and gracious Dean and Rileigh. Truly baffled by the lukewarm reviews for this place. The food and service always impress, especially Dean our knowledgeable and elegant waiter. read more

i attended a luncheon for 60 women at the Statehouse. The hotel is lovely and the view is gorgeous. The food was horrendous. Many of us had a chicken caesar salad and some had mushroom risotto. The salad was $23 and looked like a side salad. The chicken seemed similar to a prepackaged cooked chicken but was so sparse it was hard to find. The risotto was rice with a few mushrooms, not even close to correctly cooked risotto. Not even a breadstick with the $23 salad, much less a muffin or roll. The service was acceptable but very unprofessional. We were given a lovely dessert plate of bars for our table of four but were never told by our server to share with the table next to us. How about a smaller plate for each table! This would've been a wonderful opportunity for the Edgewater to have captured 60 future Madison customers. At a recent meeting of this local group, the conversation turned to the horrible food at the Statehouse and the terrible experiences they've heard from others. read more

Best views in Madison, and really the only truly lakefront fine dining experience in the city (without a road or parking lot between the restaurant and the water). In winter it would be worth going for the valet parking alone. Our service was prompt and attentive. The cocktail list is excellent and creative and very reasonably priced. The menu lacks imagination but the bar for comparison in Madison is very high. Our overall impression is that it should have been much more crowded. read more

We stayed at the Edgewater this weekend. The hotel and location are beautiful. The first night I ordered the calamari and the lobster roll. The calamari were exceptional. The lobster not so much. It was bland and loaded with lettuce. I have had lobster rolls before and that was odd as I have never had lettuce in the roll before. It gave it a watery taste. I had the lobster roll at Buckleys in Milwaukee and that was incredible. The next day for lunch I had the Portugease bean soup. It was out of this world. I addition I had the ribeye sandwich. It was okay however it was loaded with horseradish sauce. A little goes a long way. I would put it on the side and let the diner decide how much they want to put on. We went back that evening for diner. We shared an order of the oysters in the bar while we waited for our table. They were large and fresh. They were the best I have had outside of New Orleans. That night I had the 12 oz fillet. My companion had the strip steak. We ordered them medium rare. When I received mine it was well done. It was not even medium. My friend's steak was medium however he did not want to return it. The server took the steak back and I waited for a new one. The next fillet was medium at best. The server brought the chef out to apologize for the first steak. I said thanks and when they asked how the second one was I told them it was fine. I did not want to get into a discussion on the steak and was uncomfortable about the chef being next to the table. In addition I was hungry. I had a steak similarly priced at the Five O'Clock club in Milwaukee. That was made to perfection. So tender you cut with a butter knife. The next morning I had the savory bread pudding Benedict. That was absolutely wonderful. The best meal I had that weekend. All in all a mixed bag. If I stayed at the Edgewater again I would try the Statehouse again however for being a fine restaurant and the prices they charge I think they need to do some fine tuning. read more

Inedible food and incompetent service in a shiny 4-star toy on the lakeside waterfront "100% corner" in Madison. After staying at the Edgewater for business over four days and dining at the Statehouse four times, this review applies to the front of house and the back. Routinely, I was not acknowledged or offered water for more than 20 minutes even when indicating in advance that I was on my way to a meeting. The food was not served to order (raw poached eggs, tough and over salted meats/fish, over sauced mystery fish, raw strawberry pie dough). At breakfast, I had to request my check FIVE times and was 20 minutes late to my meeting. At the last meal (and why didn't I learn my lesson?), my salad and entrée were served at the same time, swimming in a mass of unidentifiable glop. Servers are not trained/ knowledgeable about what they are selling/serving. I had requested fish similar to trout and got a fatty, oily, thick, tough, over-salted bottom feeder. When I opened my napkin for silverware, there was a lone spoon inside and no fork so I couldn't eat it anyway - again after a 45 minute wait. I sent it back and got a cheese plate. Go for the view and enjoy a drink, but prepare yourself to feel like the invisible guest. I suggest all employees watch the film "A Five Star Life" (Italian with English subtitles) to get an idea of a luxury guest's expectations and the Statehouse's vast room for improvement. read more

My family and I made a reservation for eight and ate off of the diner menu. The atmosphere was great and the seating was very comfortable, although elbow around the table could have been better. The food was OK, not great. I had the KC steak which I ordered medium rare but it came back medium. My wife ordered the same and hers was cooked perfectly. Overall, I'd say the steak was comparable to Outback Steakhouse but at more than twice the price. The steak wasn't a bad cut, it just didn't have any real flavor. I recommend visiting the Tornado Room for a high quality steak that's actually worth the price. We had several appetizers. The crab cakes were good. The "sweet bread" wasn't bad. Understand that this is a meat dish though, and from what I understand, it's cow thyroid. Again it wasn't bad, but I certainly wouldn't order it again. The highlight of the menu were the several desserts. The cheesecake, baked in-house pie, and chocolate cake were all very good. I'm willing to try this restaurant again, maybe for the breakfast menu, but currently, this restaurant isn't worth the high price point. If you are staying at the Edgewater, get a cab and try out any of downtown Madison's better restaurants. You'll spend less and have a better dining experience. read more

We were there for dinner before going to the theater last Friday. It is a beautiful room but there is something seriously wrong in the kitchen. Everyone at our table agreed that the prices are very high for the quality of the food. I had the fish and chips (it was Friday night in Wisconsin) this is something any even average restaurant can do well....not this kitchen. There were two thick, heavily battered under-cooked chunks of fish on the plate along with a mess of flabby unattractive fries. The fish was so raw that I couldn't eat it. I sent it back and they brought a new plate but it was pretty much the same thing...I still couldn't eat it. and everyone else was done with their meal by that time so the waitress, who was pleasant, took the price of the fish ($18) off our check. I don't ever care to eat there again. there are so many better places to eat in Madison. It's too bad because it has one of the most attractive views in the city. read more

As others have said, this is a beautiful place and welcome addition to Madison's scarce lakefront dining. Unfortunately, they are still a work in progress. We were seated at a beautiful window table, as requested in our reservation. The restaurant was empty on a monday night. They were conveniently out of two inexpensive ($40?) wines we requested. They made suggestions for more expensive wines, but with no offer to adjust the prices. They did comp 2 glasses of wine we ordered when the check was presented but I've never been to a nice restaurant where this wasn't offered up front. Lighting was very bright on our table, and they were not able to figure out how to dim it during our meal. On the bright side, our entrees were good (scallops and fish du jour) and our server was a very nice attentive young lady. Restaurant is pretty with great views, just need to work on their food and serving policies at these prices. read more

My family and I were seated in a noisy and disorganized dining room. When it took 15 mins to get our drink we knew that this was gonna be a rough night. After ordering the cheese curds (which were very good) we ordered oysters. The oysters came in a light very powerful and potent sauce. A combination of vinegar and saltwater. They weren't even cold! Entree I got the fish fry. It came with very little fish and HEAVY batter. My sister got about 2 oz of fish in her still headed cheap slice of sea monster. My dad got the lamb chop. You mines as well give him a pile of animal fat. Only 10% of the chop was actually edible. You could have given me a warm Diet Coke for a meal and I would have been pleased more. After this horror movie we went to chocolate shop ice cream down the street and got SUPER GOOD ice cream. I got blue moon in a conr. We headed to our car and then laughed about the entire event. read more

We were a party of 6 on a Friday night for drinks at around 8:00. The decor is beautiful and we were met outside the door by 2 doormen who opened doors. Those two guys should have come in to the bar and helped out because the staff in there didn't even acknowledge us. The bar was mostly full and three or four tables were taken. We sat at a dirty table because we needed a bigger one. We sat there for about 10 minutes looking at the drink menu before I got a pen and piece of paper and took our table's drink order. I saw 3 cocktail waitresses way down at the other end of the place. I walked down to the far end of the bar and stood there for another couple of minutes while 4 bartenders stood there talking to each other. After a little while they scattered and all walked away. Another minute or two one of them came back and asked if I needed something. After that they did come over and cleared our table and service was Meh. Not impressed. They need to work out the kinks! read more