The Wisconsin butter burger is a fresh-griddled beef patty with a pat of butter melted on top, served on a toasted bun with stewed onions and American cheese.

Kenneth Salmon, known as Solly, popularised the butter burger at Solly's Coffee Shop in Milwaukee in 1936, and the style spread across Wisconsin as a tavern lunch counter staple. Madison's Tipsy Cow, the King Street tavern off Capitol Square, codified the butter burger on a downtown bar menu in the early 2010s; the Plazaburger at the Plaza Tavern, the secret-sauce double-stack served since 1964 on North Henry Street, runs in parallel as Madison's other defining tavern burger.

Where to eat Wisconsin butter burger in Madison

4 editor picks for Wisconsin butter burger in Madison, ranked by editorial score. All Madison signature dishes · Wisconsin butter burger across every city.

  • Dotty Dumpling's Dowry

    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.

    DetailsDirections

  • Settle Down Tavern

    Order The Settle Down burger and one of the rotating Old Fashioned variations on the cocktail menu.

    Settle Down Tavern on South Pinckney, in the First Settlement District a block off Capitol Square, runs a tight tavern menu and a strong cocktail program.

    DetailsDirections

  • Tipsy Cow

    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.

    DetailsDirections

  • The Plaza Tavern & Grill

    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.

    DetailsDirections

Make it at home

Serves 430 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 500g 80/20 ground beef chuck
  • 4 soft white hamburger buns
  • 60g salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 4 slices American cheese
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Yellow mustard
  • Sliced pickles to serve

Method

  1. Divide beef into 4 equal portions; form into loose patties slightly larger than the buns.
  2. Heat a heavy skillet or cast-iron over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the sliced onions; cook 8 minutes until soft and golden.
  3. Push onions to the side. Season patties with salt and pepper, then sear on the hot pan 2 minutes per side for medium.
  4. Top each patty with a slice of cheese in the final minute; cover the pan briefly to melt.
  5. Toast the cut sides of the buns in the butter and onion-fat residue in the pan.
  6. Place a patty on each bun, spoon a generous pat of butter on top of the patty, then add stewed onions, pickles and a stripe of yellow mustard.
  7. Eat immediately, ideally with a chocolate malt on the side.

Editor tip. Butter goes on top of the patty after cooking; do not skip. Use salted butter and stewed onions; American cheese is canonical, cheddar works.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy.