The food was amazing. The 28oz ribeye was perfectly cooked to exactly medium which as you know is always the hardest part of ordering a steak at restaurants. The flavors had us eating the remaining steak off the bone which made us happy they stuck us outside on the patio. First time eating walleye and definitely will be eating it again. The patio made me feel like we were in a page out of a fairytale being so quaint. My little family and I decided to try Tornados as a last minute decision while stopping in Maddison for the night. This place is definitely one you can tell you need reservations and dress to impress but nonetheless we walked in after driving 4 hours and they were extremely kind and we got lucky getting a table. It was a bit to get our food but once you taste the food you will know exactly why! Can't forget the rosemary loaf and will definitely be craving for weeks. Wonder if they would ship me . read more

Tornado Steak House - This picture doesn't even give the ambiance justice. - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Been a few times while living in Madison for 2 years and always a great experience. Food is delicious, they even were able to split things so we could share easily and try a few different things. Had the lamb and it was huge, cooked perfectly. Also the scallops as a starter and they were so creamy and melt in your mouth. The dim lighting and antique decor really makes the place special and intimate. Waiters are always attentive and knowledgeable on the the menu. read more

Tornado Steak House - Scallops - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Service was fast and efficient but the late night menu food that we ordered was subpar. The burger was well done (ordered it medium rare) which is quite disappointing for a signature steakhouse with such a sought after late night menu. The fries also were pathetic. The french onion soup looked greater than it tasted with a flavorless broth masked by a copious amount of cheese.. It wasn't even that busy by the time we came in. Wish we would've taken our $40 to Natt Spil instead. read more

We celebrated our 7-year anniversary here, and everything was absolutely delicious. I ordered the 8oz filet, which was cooked to perfection, and my partner chose the 28oz rib eye -- it was HUGE! For the price, the portions were generous, and every bite was amazing. We sat in one of the booths by the bar, which offered a cozy yet lively ambiance with dark, intimate lighting. The service was excellent from start to finish. Highly recommend! read more

Tornado Steak House - 28 Oz. Ribeye On The Bone 8 Oz. Filet Ginger Brussels Sprouts - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Amazing! They kindly squeezed me into a booth for 1 in the bar very last minute. Service and food were excellent! read more

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Ambience: great Service: terrific Food: average I had a sirloin and it was a very average cut and prepared a little below par for the price. I am giving 4 stars because everything else was very good including drinks. read more

Visited Tornado with my girlfriend during a special evening occasion. Our table was garnished with a candle and an edible flower arrangement made of vegetable which I thought was very neat. The venue itself is pretty dim so the candle definitely helped.I tried escargot for the first time at Tornado and it was very delicious. The oysters we had very fresh. The NY strip steaks we got very cooked well and had good seasoning. Will be returning! read more

Tornado Steak House - New York Strip with Onion Rings - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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3/3/22 - 5:35 PM I entered through the bar entrance (2 entrances) and was surprised by the atmosphere: dark, retro, romantic? No reservation but was seated without issue. This is the most expensive/fancy/upscale place I've ever eaten in so everything from the service/food/drinks/expectations were met! The bread they bring out was amazing, personally I skipped out on the soup/salad. Ordered the NY Strip with Steak fries: best NY cut I have ever had. Tasted a sample of the Gulf Shrimp: Best shrimp I have ever had, you can literally taste the freshness. The drinks were also the best, and wine is to be had with options here. Overall: I will save this place for special occasions. If you're passing by...stop here. Pros: Atmosphere Service was top notch Drink Menu (Wines/Whiskey options) Cons: ----- Nitpicks: It's for the atmosphere but I wish it was a tad lighter inside. read more

Tornado Steak House - Steak Menu. - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Came here for my Birthday dinner. It's been probably a good ten years since the last time I visited but I had high hopes! Service was fine. My husband and I were kinda shoved in a corner which is fine but the waiters kept bumping into our table lol. Drinks were good! And we were seated immediately. Bread is amazing 5/5 The French onion soup was boring. 2/5 Clam chowder was very good- my husband gives this 4.5/5 Caesar salad was so overdressed I couldn't taste the lettuce. 2/5 Steak was cooked well but lacked seasoning. 3.5/5 Scallops were very chewy- and raw. The mash and sauce were good but I actually ended up not eating them and cooking them when we got home. I never got a chance to mention it- waiter never came over To check on our food. There were big tables that apparently took priority. Overall it was fine. We probably wouldn't return. read more

Scallops appetizer. On mashed potatoes with lemon parsley sauce. A reason to return by itself. But the "remembered like it was yesterday" bone in rib eye I enjoyed probably over a decade past was and remains the elusive dragon I return here to grab hold of. Always beckoning. August 18, '21 was my most recent attempt but I decided to change it up, in part because I have accepted that I'll always desire that which can't be relived. Just like every yesterday that has been a better than most. This night I'm with a dear friend I haven't seen in several years by most counts. So like I try to always do, I'm thinking I'll do something perhaps completely unknown or perhaps something not on the regular rotation. Rabbit or Duck? Never tried rabbit, this place wouldn't offer if it they couldn't do it right. Duck is something I like to visit when the mood hits. Like a steak, but also like the best chicken imaginable, but still like a great steak. Following the excellent scallops, I opt for the known. The Breast came with my new vege favorite, Brussels with a currant glaze. Excellent. Though a think the breast portion was much smaller than I had expected. But prepared properly to temp. Unflattering and to myself I did find the sprouts to be overcooked, soggy, and drowned in the sauce. My friend however wasn't about to say no when I said he could have them. That's a star gone: poof. His dinner, a filet was reported and appeared from my perspective to be spot on. The accompanying salads were fresh and appealing as was the bread offered. As every previous visit, though this one was dry. Meaning not a whiff of spirits to either detract or enhance, which I'm my view always adds to my culinary palette in the positive. Cleaner more clearheaded life concerns these days has prompted an ongoing un enhanced worldview moving forward. Thus my writings, mostly hopefully more clarity, and certainly less profanity, in these recent 5-6 months might be apparent. But as stated, Tornado Steakhouse remains among Madison's legacy grub hubs and watering holes for those among the knowing and willing to veer from the new trend chef path. read more

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We visited the Tornado Steak House for our work Holiday party and had a blast. The Tornado Steak House had delicious drinks for everyone to enjoy. We had three appetizers awaiting us as we arrived. The crab cakes were the freshest & most delicious that I have had. A coworker of mine who grew up in Florida and loves crab cakes agreed they were the best she has had as well. The King crab bisque, and salad arrived first. The garden salad arrived as a fresh spring mix with dressing on the side, there was a nice bread assortment. My 8oz filet was cooked to perfection, and seasoned beautifully. The brussel sprouts were tasty. The one thing that was surprising is that we waited about 1/2 hr - 45 minutes between each course. The salad and soup, to the main course, and the dessert which I did not catch a picture of. We ended up grabbing one of each. Their pineapple upside down cake was tasty. The flan was like any flan, there were two more tasty treats, one tasted like a cheesecake, that was my favorite. Service was wonderful, the Coral room has nice decor. read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed our New Years Day dinner here. After a long day of travel, a great meal was on order and a great meal is what we got! We got the French onion soup, it was wonderful. We got the filet, filet au poivre and pork tenderloin. The filet comes with a great onion ring on top. It was cooked perfectly medium rare and came with a large baked potato. The pork tenderloin comes in a cherry glaze that was OMG good. I had the filet au poivre. Perfectly cooked, rare, the au poivre was so flavorful and the asparagus was perfectly tender. Cocktails were good and service was good. I was surprised at how busy they were for a winter storm night on a holiday, but I was thankful they were open and did such a great job. read more

Great food and old school super club vibe to it. My daughter had the fillet and I had the rack of lamb. Both cooked to perfection

Very nice atmosphere and service. Top notch. Steak was beyond amazing. The decor is like out of Good Fellas. I love it. Will be back. I loved the cocktails and salmon. The steak was beyond words cooked perfectly and Smokey flavor read more

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It's been over a year... damn covid. All is still divine. The best rabbit in the country I've been dreaming of coming back for ages. I'm so happy it did not disappoint. Service was slow and servers seemed scrambled . read more

We had our conference dinner here and the food was outstanding. The fillet was cooked to perfection and so tender. The people who had the lamb were so impressed with the preparation that we were going to go back. Our servers were efficient and accommodating to our needs. The room and music added to the atmosphere of our gathering. read more

Definitely a throwback supper club old school steakhouse vibe! Dimly lit, dark wood panels, no tv's, small bar area and compact dining rooms. Packed on a Monday night due to a conference, and for good reason. On-bone ribeye: not bone-in. I learned there is a difference! Huge 28oz slab of tender juicy beef at a perfect medium. Hard to explain that it was more than just seared or broiled steak. It was delicious! Brussel sprouts: not roasted or flash fried. Sprinkled with some kind of dry cheese or breadcrumb-like topping. C-minus Spinach Salad: awesome! Nice chunks of bacon and a tasty vinaigrette. Unique place to visit if you're in Madison, WI, and the steak is top 10 for me. They even give you a postcard to remember the experience. It's really a 4.5 read more

Feels like a classic Wisco supper club upon entry, but the food is better. All steaks are served with both a salad and your choice of side. Makes a $50 steak seem like a better value. Service was on point. We had Matt and there were several others that helped him from a water guy to a good runner. Steak was a perfect medium rare (see photo). You'll be surprised how often I haven't been able to say this at much more expensive ala carte steakhouses. Great choice if you're in the capital square. read more

Tornado Steak House - NY Oz . New York Strip in a perfect medium rare. - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The complimentary bread and fresh veggies were tasty. The breadstick with the butter was my favorite. The French onion soup was very salty. My friend was unable to finish hers. I ordered the venison and wasn't impressed. The sauce is very tart and the meat wasn't seasoned that well. However, it was tender! I'm used to being able to smell the food when they bring it out at a steakhouse. We didn't smell a single thing our entire meal. I wasn't impressed at all. read more

Tornado Steak House - Venison tender but very tarty - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Having lived in New York City, steakhouses were legendary. Peter Lugers, Sparks, Smith and Wollensky raised the experience of dining on charred beef. The Tornado Bar in downtown Madison also has old school charm, excellent service, and a focused menu specializing in steaks. Our party of 10 was handled deftly by experienced staff. The raw oysters, shrimp cocktail, and diver scallop appetizers were fresh and delicious but it was the steaks that took center stage. Large cuts of beef, sizzling at your table invoked involuntary salivating. The rib eye was large and perfectly cooked. The filet mignon was lean and delicious. The eclectic but ample wine list was an interesting challenge since it avoided more well known producers. Highly recommended for celebratory events both larger and small. Tornado Bar is a Madison classic! read more

Tornado Steak House - Ribeye medium rare - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Probably the best all around steakhouse in Madison. Steaks are amazing. Value is very reasonable and the atmosphere is outstanding. Mixing a nostalgic yet upscale ambiance. read more

Such a great fun night! Food was amazing and the service was wonderful. Cannot wait to go back! read more

Tornado Steak House - Lisa and I - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Love the ambiance of this place! Booked a 7:15 on a Saturday and it was a very busy spot, we were seated at one of the smaller round tables near the bar and was great people watching as the different reservations waited to be seated. There is a lot of food so come hungry. We noshed on the veggie tray spin and bread - I love a pre dinner snack - and opted for no appetizer as the portions looked large. I ordered the steak au poivre with French onion soup and Brussels sprouts. Very flavorful, the meat was cooked perfect! I ended up taking half of my meal home and was as good the next day. My husband ordered the huge ribeye with the lump crab soup and hash browns. He raved and same with me took home at least half of the gigantic steak. We took home one of the desserts that he enjoyed for his birthday, mentioned it was delicious! I'd love to come back with a group and will be back in general! read more

Tornado Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

First time at this place and most likely the last time. So the day started off as expected. Order drinks and food as normal. Drinks came. Still seemingly normal. Several other parties came in. Every other table was seated and served prior to our table. It took over 1.5hrs to get served. 3 steaks and piece of fish. Not sure why the food took so long. Our server was not around to ask what was happening. She popped over saying our food would be out shortly and nearly 45min later there she was with the food. The food was ehh. Certainly one of the worst filet mignon I have ever had. Over cooked and cold. Really terrible place to eat with such a high rating. read more

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Top Nacho! great steak, good cocktails. My friend and I go to steakhouses all over the country and this is easily in the top ten. Excellent cook, great char, fantastic salad (I got the wedge, my pal got the caesar). . both top tier. Would not hesitate recommending this place read more

Classic steak house. Are at the bar. Bartenders were knowledgeable and the experience was a throw back to that Rat Pack feeling.

amazing! The best steak I've ever had in Madison! The bread and the zucchini side are exceptionally great, as well as the ribeye!! The oyster is not so fresh, not recommendZ. The escargot is ok. Worth trying. Wanna try the rabbit and frog leg next time! The inside decor is elegant and cute. I had a great girls night with my friend. read more

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Awesome food n great atmosphere the staff is very knowledgeable on the foods n can recommend foods to if you want.

It's been a hot minute since I was here last but the fact that I can still remember what I ate and how the experience was should tell you all you need to know about this place. This is a dark and cozy place and you can smell the history of the building. If you squint you can probably still see the smoke curling up towards the ceiling from patrons at the bar. I can't wait to go back - only reason we haven't is because there are so many options in Madison and this price point scales more towards the "treat" night out rather than a typical Friday! I enjoyed the pepper crusted grass-fed filet both times that was a special menu item, but as I glance over the current menu I bet I would steer towards the rabbit or filet au poivre. read more

Great experience here! I was lucky enough to spend a weekend in Madison over the summer and we had an amazing dinner at Tornado Steak House! This was my first time in Madison, so I had never heard of this place before. We ate outside and everything was set up so nicely - the tables were appropriately distanced and the staff followed proper protocol the entire time. Our server was extremely nice and accommodating. Every single thing I had here was delicious! From the bread to the salad to the perfectly cooked steaks, I was thoroughly impressed. I'm a sucker for old school steakhouses, as steak is one of my favorite meals, and this place checked off everything on my list for a great steakhouse. It was so tasty we ended up coming back later in the evening for dessert! I will definitely come back here and bring more people with me when I visit Madison again! read more

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Tornado; where Mad Men go to dine. To be clear, we are a family of foodies who plan trips at home and abroad around restaurants, and have literally eaten at many of the best restaurants world wide. So when I suggest you should make a beeline to Tornado consider the source. Simply finding the correct entrance is an adventure, and walking inside, once you can actually see the interior, slams you right back to the late 50's. You walk through the dark bar, past banquets and down a dimly lit hallway to a set of dark velvet curtains. There you will find the host station and be guided through an interconnected labyrinth to your table. You can almost smell the decades of cigar smoke in the air. Presented with the brief menu you can chose steaks, steaks, a variety of red meat proteins, or a single fish. Please, you know why you are here. The 24 Oz bone in rib-eye is the obvious choice, though they lie and it is actually an unfathomable 32-34 Oz of coronary clogging pleasure. Simply seasoned and seared under a molten hot South Bend Range broiler, these cover the plate with a crispy crust and fork tender rare interior. Paired with "Hash Browns" cooked in individual pans with beef tallow, you might just consider texting your cardiologist for a walk-in the following week. To cut it short, there are none better. The best kept secret? Order the Venison Loin. Not only the best I've ever had, but in a size one person can actually eat without a case of "meat sweats". Is there better food elsewhere? You bet. Are there places with more innovative, cutting edge cuisine? Obviously. Is there any places else that are as true to itself than Tornado? Very few. It's a pretty much the definition of an Upper Midwest Supper Club. Go there and suspend all disbelief. read more

Quality meats value! Yes that was a pun. The steak was a 14 oz filet, with bread, baked potato, salad and I got a martini for 85 bucks! Steak had the most amazing crust which I love. I do wish they had some steak toppers such as blue cheese butter or bernaise but overall this was an excellent meal and well worth the price. Will be back read more

Tornado Steak House - 14 oz Filet, baked potato onion ring and a dirty martini. - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I HIGHLY recommend croquille saint jacques! I wanted to order more plates, even as my entree? The heavy cream-wine sauce was flavorful. Basically scraped all of it off the plate. A little bit of lemon squeeze makes it all more dynamic! Scallops cooked perfectly and laid on a bed of mashed potatoes. So mesmerizing! By the time the entree came around (8oz filet), I was pretty stuffed. They offer bread and butter which came out steaming hot and raw vegetables. You also get soup/salad and a side. As a first timer for French onion soup, it's almost exactly everything I imagined it would taste like (not my preferred soup to have, just average on a soup scale-not that it tasted bad by any means!). I had honey-brandy glazed carrots as my side. These were light, a tad sweet, and cooked perfectly. I ordered my filet medium. Had flavor and also tender. I think in terms of meat I wish I would've gotten something a little bit more marbleized like the steak strip? But yes this is my own fault for not knowing! I still throughly enjoyed it! We had the pineapple upside down cake. It came out warm; you could still see the steam. By itself, it's very sweet. Once you have it with the vanilla ice cream, it cuts down on that sweetness making it the perfect dessert. Very moist! Service was great! Food was timely, always had water filled. Server was super knowledgeable. Switched out plates/silverware in between. I suggest making reservations ahead of time (especially if it's on a weekend or a special event). read more

Tornado Steak House - 8 Oz . Filet - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Always outstanding service and excellent food. Shrimp cocktail is a must, and any steak is a joy. Go after 10pm for the late night menu and have a steak sandwich, you will thank yourself. read more

Incredible meal. Probably the best steak I've had in a restaurant. Service was great, as was the complimentary bread. Caesar salad and wedge salad were even great too. Definitely get the hashbrowns as your side. Generous portions for the price too; we all got multiple meals out of it. read more

Came here for a work dinner. Really great service with the wine, but it took a pretty long time for us to get the food. We ordered all of our steaks chef prepared Biscuit - solid and buttery Venison - I had never had venison before and this was good. Cooked rare and super tender. It was also the perfect amount of salt Bone in ribeye - this was huge! Could easily feed three people. There was some toughness on the side that I couldn't bite/cut through. But it was cooked perfectly Filet au pouvre - a little tough and the peppercorns overpowered it a bit. Loved the mushrooms though Hashbrown - this is huge! Probably half the plate. Crispy on the outside but I little bland/soggy on the inside Yorkshire pudding - a little on the dry side. But not flakey/buttery Brussels sprouts - a little on the al dente side. But flavors were good I would 100% recommend the venison read more

Tornado Steak House - Filet Au Poivre - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great food fast, fresh and a good value! Very friendly staff! Nice rustic ambiance! They have pizza by the slice and pie, and to go.

Food: Walleye was average; a re8 oz. Filet 52.oo latively easy fish to prepare yet it lacked flavor, hard to justify $32. The 8 oz. filet at $52.oo should have been medium rare but was incinerated, too much blackened by the grill. Salad - good; French Onion Soup 2 out of 5 stars: Need to toast the bread, so soggy that it tasted like a kitchen sponge. Escargots - buttery, garlicky, chewy - escargots. Desserts: Only recommend the Key Lime Tart - everything else was meh, esp Chocolate Caramel cake - cloying. Service: Wonderful server - no problem with service whatsoever. Ambiance: Comfortable booths in the dining area and the quirky bar area looks like something out of Goodfellas. An old steak house with high prices and minimal value for overpriced food. read more

Great food and service! We had an infant and they were accomodating with a high chair.

Another great meal at Tornado. Nothing bad to say, steaks were perfect as usual! Service was slower than usual at our visit but when the steak is this good, we can't complain. read more

Tornado Steak House - Filet Au Poivre - Steakhouses Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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