40 mid-range places in Madison, editor-picked. The comfortable everyday-good restaurants in Madison, with real cooking and no surprise on the bill. All Madison food.
40 places
Order Fried Wisconsin cheese curds with a brandy Old Fashioned, plus the Friday fish fry if it's a Friday.
The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney, the Wisconsin canon codified into a tavern menu since 2005, runs cheese curds, fish fry and brandy Old Fashioneds.
Order A Trenton-style tomato pie and a Wisconsin tap beer at happy hour.
Salvatore's Tomato Pies on North Livingston, the Madison branch of the Sun Prairie Trenton-style pizzeria, runs tomato pies with sauce on top of the cheese.
Order A Laotian curry preparation plus the spring rolls and a rotating special.
Ahan on Williamson Street, the Brown-Soukaseume family's Asian-inspired room, brings Laotian and Southeast-Asian dishes to the Willy Street corridor.
Just Coffee Cooperative on Orin Road, the Madison worker-owned roaster since 2001, sources fair-trade certified organic beans with wholesale supply statewide.
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.
Wonderstate Coffee on West Main, the Capitol Square cafe of the Viroqua-roasted specialty coffee company founded in 2005, runs pour-over and espresso menus.
Greenbush Bakery late-night donuts in Madison: bakery room. The Regent Street kosher dairy bakery runs almost 18 hours daily, with hot donuts from the fryer.
Order A doro wat platter or the vegetarian combination served with injera.
Buraka on Williamson Street, Madison's Ethiopian flagship since 2000 on State Street, serves wat stews and injera at its Willy Street home since 2016.
Barriques Coffee Roasters on Monroe Street, the Madison cafe and roaster across multiple city locations, runs house-roasted beans with a wine and bites menu.
Working Draft Beer Company on East Wilson, the east-isthmus craft brewery from 2018, runs modern lagers, IPAs and a serious mixed-fermentation program.
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Quality Inn Madison Huntsville Decatur Hwy
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Super 8 by Wyndham Madison
Located in Madison, Super 8 by Wyndham Madison is within a 10-minute drive of Lake Frances Recreation Area ...
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Sleep Inn And Suites Madison
A stay at Sleep Inn And Suites Madison places you in the heart of Madison, a 5-minute drive from Lake Waube...
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Woodspring Suites Huntsville Madison
Located in Madison, Woodspring Suites Huntsville Madison is in the business district, within a 5-minute dri...
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Days Inn by Wyndham Madison
Located in Madison, Days Inn by Wyndham Madison is within a 5-minute drive of Beacon Heights Shopping Cente...
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Quality Inn Madison West Near University Area
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Best Western Plus Madison-Huntsville Hotel
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Try Fresh kosher dairy donuts straight from the fryer
Greenbush Bakery on Regent Street, the only certified kosher dairy bakery in Madison since 1998, sells donuts and pastries until 23:00 most nights.
Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton in Madison opens its bar at 17:00 and pours a Wisconsin brandy Old Fashioned locals consider the city's standard.
Order A breakfast hash with the house pastry of the day and an espresso drink.
Marigold Kitchen on South Pinckney off Capitol Square has run Madison's daytime breakfast-lunch-brunch flagship since 2001 with house-made pastry.
Order A wood-fired pie or the Wisco-Detroit cheddar-crusted pan pizza, plus a Pan-Latin small plate.
Lucille on King Street, in a historic bank on Capitol Square, runs wood-fired pizza, a Wisco-Detroit cheddar pan pizza and Pan-Latin small plates.
Order A blue-plate meatloaf or hot turkey plate with one of the house-baked pies for dessert.
Monty's Blue Plate Diner on Atwood, the Schenk-Atwood Food Fight diner, runs all-day breakfast, blue-plate specials and house-baked pies in a retro room.
Order The Settle Down burger plus one of the rotating Old Fashioned variations.
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.
Colectivo Coffee on Monroe Street, the Milwaukee specialty coffee roaster's Madison location since 2015, runs filter and espresso from house-roasted beans.
Karben4 Brewing on Kinsman, the east-side Madison craft brewery and taproom since 2012, runs balanced flagship IPAs and a kitchen with bar food.
Try Mac and cheese pizza by the slice
Ian's Pizza on State Street, Madison's late-night slice counter founded on Frances Street in 2001, sells mac-and-cheese pizza and slices until 03:30 weekends.
Try Russian pelmeni with butter, curry and sour cream
Paul's Pel'meni on West Gilman, the late-night Russian dumpling counter near campus since 2009, sells a single dish of pelmeni with butter and sour cream.
Try Gastropub menu, fish fry and Wisconsin tap beer
The Coopers Tavern on West Mifflin off Capitol Square, the craft-beer-and-Wisconsin-pub flagship, runs a kitchen until 23:00 on Fri-Sat with a fish fry.
Curd Girl food truck is the madison cheese-curd food truck rotates locations daily; the website map is the only way to catch them in person.
Old Sugar Distillery is the east-isthmus madison craft distillery and tasting room from 2010 makes brandy, rum and bitters on east main street in marquette.
Settle Down Tavern on South Pinckney in Madison runs the city's most considered brandy Old Fashioned two blocks off Capitol Square, supper club homage.
Madison Sourdough on Williamson Street sets up a small Saturday egg-on-toast and laminated-pastry brunch counter most Madison residents don't realize exists.
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.
Paul's Pel'meni on State Street in Madison is the late-night Russian dumpling counter selling a single menu item until 02:00, the city's defining 1am snack.
Order The Heritage burger at brunch, or the chef's egg dish of the week.
Heritage Tavern on East Mifflin off Capitol Square, Dan Fox's farm-to-table dining room since 2013, runs a weekend brunch with seasonal Wisconsin-farm plates.
Order The Friday fish fry leftover hash, or the Wisconsin breakfast plate with brandy.
The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney, the Wisconsin-tavern flagship on Capitol Square, runs a weekend brunch with cheese curds, hash and breakfast plates.
Order Whatever the brunch plate of the day is, plus a bottomless coffee or a brunch cocktail.
Bassett Street Brunch Club on West Johnson, the Food Fight group's downtown brunch flagship between campus and the Capitol, runs all-day brunch and cocktails.
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.
Bradbury's Coffee on North Hamilton, the Capitol Square corner cafe known for crepes and espresso, runs a tight specialty coffee menu with pour-over options.
Capital Brewery on Terrace Avenue in Middleton, the Madison-area German-lager brewery since 1986, runs the Bier Garten and a flagship Wisconsin Amber lager.
Giant Jones Brewing on East Main, the certified-organic woman-owned Madison craft brewery, runs strong ales and a small taproom in the Marquette corridor.
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.
Try Old Fashioneds and classic cocktails until close
Gib's Bar on Williamson Street, the converted-house Marquette cocktail bar with sofas and an upstairs lounge, runs classic cocktails until 02:00 weekends.
Try Classic cocktails with a hand-rolled humidor
Maduro Cigar Bar on King Street off Capitol Square, the second-floor cocktail lounge and cigar room, runs cocktails and cigars until 02:00 on weekends.
Order Steak frites brunch plate or the Belgian waffle with the house bloody Mary.
Brasserie V on Monroe Street, the Belgian-French beer hall and bistro, runs Sunday brunch with steak frites, eggs Benedict and a long bloody Mary list.
Order A signature scone and the breakfast burrito, with a side of bacon and coffee.
Lazy Jane's on Williamson Street, the Marquette scratch breakfast cafe since 1998, runs a weekend brunch with scones, omelets and breakfast burritos.
Order The Scrambler, hash browns and a pancake side with bottomless coffee.
Mickies Dairy Bar on Monroe Street, the campus-side Wisconsin diner since 1946 across from Camp Randall, runs weekend brunch with the legendary Scrambler.
Nothing matches.
