Tex Tubb's Taco Palace is a tex-mex restaurant in Atwood, Madison.
Tex Tubb's Taco Palace on Atwood Avenue, Kevin Tubb's Austin-style taqueria since 2006, serves tacos and burritos plus house-made limeade and horchata.
Signature dishes: Austin-style tacos, House-made horchata
Must order: An Austin-style taco plate with house-made horchata.
Tip: Happy hour brings Mexican beer specials; weekend dinner is the busiest, weeknight lunch the calmest.
Address: 2009 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Glass Nickel Pizza on Atwood Avenue, the operator's original Madison east-side location since 2002, runs specialty pies and by-the-slice on Schenk-Atwood.
Signature: Specialty pizza, Pizza by the slice
Order: The Spicy Sicilian specialty pizza, or a slice of a daily-changing house creation.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Thursday at the Atwood location; Friday and Saturday run until midnight.
Mickies Dairy Bar on Monroe Street, in business at the same address since 1946, runs a classic Madison breakfast diner across from Camp Randall Stadium.
Signature: Scrambler, Pancakes
Order: The Scrambler scrambled egg plate or a stack of buttermilk pancakes.
Tip: Cash only with an ATM inside; closed Monday and Tuesday and the lines stretch on football Saturdays.
Ian's Pizza on State Street, the Madison pizza-by-the-slice operator at the foot of State Street, runs the famed mac and cheese pizza late into the night.
Signature: Mac and cheese pizza, Slices by the wedge
Order: A slice of the mac and cheese pizza and whichever weekly experimental slice the kitchen is testing.
Tip: Friday and Saturday night runs late, until 02:00; the State Street slice line moves quickly at the window.
Pasture and Plenty on University Avenue, the farm-to-table meal-kit and deli on Madison's west side, runs plant-based and pasture-raised dishes since 2017.
Signature: Meal-kit dinners, Deli plates
Order: Whichever Wisconsin-farm prepared meal is featured on the daily deli menu.
Tip: Closed Sundays; weekday late afternoons and Saturday morning are the easiest window for the deli counter.
Schwoegler's Park Towne Lanes on Grand Canyon Drive, the Madison bowling-and-supper-club institution since 1919, runs a fish fry and a sports bar restaurant.
Signature: Friday fish fry, Burgers
Order: The Friday fish fry plate with the brandy Old Fashioned at Keglers Sports Bar.
Tip: Restaurant runs 11:00 to close all seven days; the 36 synthetic lanes plus volleyball draw the family crowd.
Glass Nickel Pizza on Atwood Avenue, the operator's original Madison east-side location since 2002, runs specialty pies and by-the-slice on Schenk-Atwood.
Signature: Specialty pizza, Pizza by the slice
Order: The Spicy Sicilian specialty pizza, or a slice of a daily-changing house creation.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Thursday at the Atwood location; Friday and Saturday run until midnight.
Heritage Tavern on East Mifflin, chef Dan Fox's farm-to-table dining room one block off Capitol Square, has anchored Madison's new-American tier since 2013.
Signature: Farm-driven seasonal plates, Heritage burger
Order: The Heritage burger, plus whichever Wisconsin-farm preparation the kitchen is leading the menu with that week.
Tip: Reservations on Resy open three weeks out; the Tuesday-through-Saturday dinner runs faster than the weekend brunch.
