The Madison burger is a tavern burger, griddled and ordered alongside a beer, and the State Street area is its heartland. The Plaza Tavern on North Henry Street is famous for its Plazaburger and secret sauce, and Dotty Dumpling's Dowry nearby has built a long reputation on its patties. Tipsy Cow on Capitol Square and Mickey's Tavern on Williamson Street extend the format across the isthmus.
Burgers restaurants in Madison
9 burgers places in Madison we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Madison · Burgers across every city.
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Tipsy Cow
- ★ 4.3
- $$
- Capitol Square
Order A Wisconsin butter burger with cheese curds on the side.
Tipsy Cow on King Street, just off Capitol Square, runs an American burger menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, craft beer and a long whisky and cocktail list.
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The Plaza Tavern & Grill
- ★ 4.3
- $$
- State Street
Order The Plazaburger with the secret sauce, plus a side of fried cheese curds.
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, a block off State Street between the Capitol and UW Madison, is home to the secret-sauce Plazaburger since 1964.
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Dotty Dumpling's Dowry
- ★ 4.7
- $$
- State Street
Order A Melting Pot burger with hand-cut onion rings on the side.
Dotty Dumpling's Dowry on North Frances, downtown Madison's burger institution founded by Jeff Stanley, runs a long burger menu with cheese-curd toppings.
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Tipsy Cow
- ★ 4.4
- $$
- Capitol Square
Order A Wisconsin butter burger with fried cheese curds on the side.
Tipsy Cow on King Street, just off Capitol Square, runs an American burger menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, craft beer and a long whisky and cocktail list.
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The Plaza Tavern & Grill
- ★ 4.3
- $$
- State Street
Order The Plazaburger with the secret sauce and a side of fried cheese curds.
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, a block off State Street between the Capitol and UW Madison, is home to the secret-sauce Plazaburger since 1964.
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Mickey's Tavern
- ★ 4.4
- $$
Try Late-night burger menu and tap beer
Mickey's Tavern on Williamson Street, the east-side Marquette dive with pinball, runs a late-night kitchen with burgers, sandwiches and tap beer until close.
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Mickey's Tavern pinball room
- ★ 4.5
- $$
Mickey's Tavern pinball room (Burgers) in Madison: Arrive before 21:00 on a weekend to claim a pinball table; cash bar tips appreciated for the bartender.
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The Plaza Tavern
- ★ 4.3
- $
Try Plazaburger with fries
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, the State Street campus bar since 1930, runs the legendary Plazaburger and cheap beer pitchers in a student-friendly room.
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Dotty Dumpling's Dowry
- ★ 4.3
- $
Try Melting Pot burger with onion rings
Dotty Dumpling's Dowry on North Frances, downtown Madison's burger institution, runs cheese-curd-topped burgers and hand-cut onion rings under $15 at lunch.