THE 50 BEST American Restaurants near Waunakee, WI - 2024 Restaurantji (2024)

Customers` Favorites

“My boyfriend and I went last night for our anniversary, we were recreating our first date. Unfortunately the table we had originally sat at was already taken but they gave us one close by in the bar area and had it decorated with fresh cut flowers and a little congratulations sign! That little step above and beyond made us feel so soo special! Our server, Bri was awesome and attentive even with taking care of a very busy bar area. The front of the house manager (we didn't get her name) was also awesome, she apologized for the bar being busy and not the romantic date atmosphere, we didn't mind though as that's not something they can control and we had requested the bar, its much more our style! The food was delish! We started with the cheese curds. I had the ribs and they were sooo good, falling off the bone and full of flavor. My boyfriend had the NY Strip which also looked delicious! Overall it was an excellent experience and we already can't wait to come back next August 12th, if not sooner!! Thanks Bri and the rest of the Buck & Honey's staff!!“

Customers` Favorites

“Great place to go to play cards. Usually pretty quiet, not a big crowd. Nice little bar, good food:)“

Customers` Favorites

“I love this place! The atmosphere and food are great. Brenda is an amazing host for you and your family for any supper club occasion.“

Customers` Favorites

“You can usually count on Culver's and the worst I can say is that I got a burger quickly thrown together, barely wrapped, with the wrong add-on during a snow storm once. The fact that people showed up to work and there were still a fair amount of customers says something. The service is spotty, people often complain about the parking lots and I don't care for the atmosohere inside, but it could depend on where you go and how young you are.“

Customers` Favorites

“Delicious menu options. Perfect portion size for tasting all courses.“

Customers` Favorites

“For several years, Salvatores has been my 1st or 2nd favorite pizza ever... this last weekend i had it again for the first time in several months. They've changed something about they make a basic tomato pie - how it's put together or the cheese or both. It's just not the same and it is more like pizza you get at any other place. The signature swirl of tomato sauce was barely there. It's still a regular good pizza but when you are expecting great, your favorite, it was a let down.“

Customers` Favorites

“Best meal I had while in Madison. This one was memorable.“

Customers` Favorites

“I’d like to thank the wait staff for being incredibly supportive and accommodating for our party. The food is absolutely fantastic and made with skill and love. I’ve been ordering takeout for years but really enjoyed being in the restaurant. My thanks to the entire staff!“

Customers` Favorites

“beautiful place to have dinner. I went here for prom and the staff was lovely, very kind and i received lots of compliments on my dress. my food was delicious and perfectly cooked. my mock tails were perfectly bitter and sweet (i got a peach one). I especially loved the small details and decorations, you can find a small fox in the picture below. overall a 10/10 experience.“

Customers` Favorites

“The maple braised bone in pork shank with carrot purée and maple pan sauce was just incredible. Friendly, helpful staff and a great ambiance added to a memorable meal. We can’t wait to return.“

Customers` Favorites

“My ex boyfriend took me here for my birthday once and I fell in love with it. The king salmon and the chocolate babka are amazing! 10/10“

Customers` Favorites

“Really awesome IPA selection!“

Customers` Favorites

“All the food was great, especially the fettuccine, biscuit, and skillet cookie! co*cktails were creative and yummy! It was also super cool to sit directly next to the kitchen and see all of the dishes come together.“

Customers` Favorites

“Went for Saturday brunch. Wish I had photos of our dishes. Everything was yummy. Breakfast burrito, bagel and lox, and hash.Great food and service, fun atmosphere,This is random, but the women's bathroom in basem*nt is really nice!! ? “

Customers` Favorites

“This is a great place for brunch. The lunch and dinner options are excellent also.“

Customers` Favorites

“Classic neighborhood Tavern, with a Menu full of outstanding Food... including the best Ribeye Steak Sandwich you'll ever bite into !!Am really missing this place since we're rarely in Madison anymore.Started having meals here in 1975; and everything I've ever eaten from here, whether dine-in or carry-out, has been fabulous.“

Customers` Favorites

“Great breakfast. I recommend checking out the daily specials, usually an egg dish and a pancake dish. The potatoes, which come with every egg dish, are crispy and delicious. The line sometimes looks intimidating, but it typically doesn’t take that long.“

Customers` Favorites

“Best old school diner in the Madison area. I've eaten here (usually with my family) MANY times. Food is consistently good. Service is friendly and welcoming. Prices are affordable. What's not to love?! We usually are here for breakfast, but if you're getting lunch, try their fries!“

Customers` Favorites

“The beer was great - nice on tap selection - the atmosphere was nice as it is a good-sized pub, 2 piece live duo act on a Friday night, and our female server was attentive, helpful & friendly, even if her attire was more appropriate as pajamas. Brian, another "server," was less friendly and, in fact, could be considered "surly." Aside from Brian, Bierock is a "recommend!"“

Customers` Favorites

“absolutely loved the food. we did catering option for work lunch amazingly good prices, beats sandwich shops even. great flavors and the cornbread came in mini loves. would definitely order again!!“

Customers` Favorites

“Our son just moved to Madison so we’re looking for local places to frequent, Slice’s is definitely on the list! Delicious food, friendly staff, good prices. Did the Friday fish fry and it was fantastic.“

Customers` Favorites

“Why the heck haven't I sopped by here before... this is the question you should be asking yourself. My Pop said he'd stopped for Fish Fry a few months back and said it was really good. So we were headed home - realized there wasn't anything in the fridge... thinking my Pop said the place was decent. Boy Howdy -Shazam... great burgers... I ordered mine medium rare and it was perfectly cooked. Wonderful mushroom bacon Swiss burger. The fries were nice and crisp... companion had the BLT with a fried egg... no complaints :) Old fashioneds were generous and only $6.50! Overall really reasonable prices and fantastic service. The folks working were genuinely inquisitive about how are drinks and meal was. We will be back... you should give this joint a shot.“

Customers` Favorites

“Delicious food, good drinks, and a great service. One of my favorite places for Sunday brunch. Highly recommend!“

Customers` Favorites

“These guys as not only bartenders, servers, etc. .....WOW just made my fiance and I date day after going to the farmers market one of the most special Saturdays that we haven't had in awhile.....not only was the service with a smile the conversations within the great service was incredible, all in all I give these two gentlemen a five star rating due to the gCt of after we left I felt as if I just gained two new friends....HIGHLY RECOMMEND this spot especially when Andy and Owen are the ones that are working!!!!“

Customers` Favorites

“loved the sweet potato frites cone (and kombucha) - our server had great saucy recos. went w some family to show what uw and the area is like to our own potential admit. we appreciate the new experience of sitting in that globe. our server was SO COOL N NICE n had great banter :)“

Customers` Favorites

“! Not a big menu but the burgers were Great!1st time there! We would eat there again“

Customers` Favorites

“Hard to give a rating - I want it to be 5 stars, and for Madison it perhaps is, but when comparing versus similar price points in major food cities around the country or in Europe - the food falls short.All the dishes were well presented and generally good, but there wasn’t really a standout, special dish - which at this price point is a disappointment. The dishes are comparable to other good restaurants in Madison, just in the form of a 13 course menu and a little extra creativity in some of them.Service and chef are exceedingly kind and good hosts, and the drink menu is good/unique and pairings matched well - so definite positives there.Constructive feedback for the restaurant would be to pair down the quantity served with each course a little bit and use that saved time/money/effort to introduce more ‘gastronomique’ refinement to the ingredients. The quantity can be a bit too much - we were served 4 dessert courses which were each about the size of a normal dessert plate elsewhere. This was far too much and took me from feeling comfortably full to just gorged and still ‘needing’ to eat a ton more super sweet dessert because it was next up on the course. Four times. Looking around, most of the guests were barely eating these desserts because it was just too much. Focusing more on the distribution of courses (a stronger balance towards lighter/whimsical courses at the beginning of the menu and having truly “unbutton my pants good” savory courses mid menu, and fewer, less sweet dessert courses) would really improve the pacing of the meal and give more flavor/textual/sensory variety to the meal as a whole.“

Customers` Favorites

“First time at Crema Cafe. I was surprised to arrive midday on Tuesday and find it so extremely busy. I ordered the beets and greens salad, side of the homemade turkey sausage with a matcha latte. The food was very good, excellent flavors with spices in sausage and salad combo with grated cheese, cranberries and walnuts with golden beets and greens was really good.“

Customers` Favorites

“Great Burgers“

“Had an awesome dinner here last night for my wife's birthday celebration. Delicious 5 course with perfect wine pairings, including a very hard to find Plavac Mali red from Croatia. Chef Ben shares all kinds of information about the ingredients, the dishes and even the tableware. A must-try spot in Madison for the true food enthusiast“

Customers` Favorites

“Best staff and quick delicious food!“

Customers` Favorites

“Unique atmosphere and menu. The vibe is moody. Delicious food and drinks. I had the beet salad with citrus, pistachios, goat cheese, and jalapeño vinaigrette. Super fresh. The champagne co*cktail was delish too. Definitely recommend this one!“

Customers` Favorites

“Not a dive bar. Feels like a family restaurant that also has a bar. Excellent vibes. Good burger, chef forgot my grilled onions, but was great. Pretty decent sized, all served with a bunch of pickles. Hidden valley ranch was served with curds.“

Customers` Favorites

“Came in for brunch and was delighted with the experience! The atmosphere reminds me of home cooked meals and that same welcoming feeling of home!The service was impeccable, incredibly kind staff who were happy to answer questions and the service was speedy!Food quality was amazing and the coffee (not pictured since I drank it so fast?) was wonderful! If you’re ever looking for a great brunch spot, I’d highly recommend!!“

“This is a members-only club that has rental rooms, a bar, and a restaurant for its members. I visited this past weekend for my mother-in-law's birthday dinner as my brother-in-law is a member. Unless you have paid for parking through the club you'll have to find street parking or park in one of the nearby ramps, which is a little annoying. The ambience once inside, though, is really fun with numerous different decorations throughout each of the areas and rooms. And the service is great. The bar and restaurant are on the third floor. We started in the bar area and ordered just-okay cheese curds and a few drinks prior to dinner. Most of the family ordered the special old fashioned on the menu. Interestingly enough, there was not a consistent taste between them. I wonder if there were multiple bartenders or if they ran out of ingredients. Either way, the one that was different was not good. I ordered a wine and it was just fine. Once seated for dinner, we were given a dinner menu with both regular and rotating food options, and a few specials were verbally delivered. Unfortunately nobody was really blown away by their food. The baked cod fish fry was so dry my partner and I couldn't eat it, but at least the crab bisque and the baked potato were good. The fried cod had too much breading, and the person who ordered the medium rare steak frites was disappointed to receive steak that was actually medium. The nduja toast that came with the octopus item was the saving grace for what we ordered as it was delicious, although we couldn't find the octopus in our dish. The lemon creme brulee is amazing and even though the beignets are actually just cinnamon sugar donuts, the kids loved them. There are so many better restaurants in Madison that I'm not sure we need to visit for dinner again. The membership may be worth it for people who want to rent out some of the various rooms or maybe some of the other menu items are better, but we certainly do not see a need to join. It was fun to be able to experience the different areas and I can see why people may be interested in visiting. Especially when you can sit on the outdoor patio overlooking the capitol building, which we did not do in the cold weather.“

Customers` Favorites

“how can you go wrong, awesome menu, lovely bartenders & great cooks... I'd be surprised if you have a bad thing to say here“

Customers` Favorites

“Had Mom's Bday party at Rodeside on Graduation/Mother's Day weekend and the staff was amazing. Kind and friendly and available! Food was delicious and any questions or concerns we had were addressed immediately. Somehow this place figured out a way to hire all the best people. Thank you, Rodeside Grill.5 stars!“

Customers` Favorites

“Vibes Galore! Tasty co*cktails, Cheap Beers, Tasty food until late... And the sexiest dj booth on earth! Jiggy Approved!“

Customers` Favorites

“My favorite go to when I’m in town! Drinks and eats are the best!“

Customers` Favorites

“I have been to several Cooper’s Hawk locations and I can confidently say that this is the best one! The staff are kind, friendly, and very accommodating. During my visits, Lisa (manager) took time out of her busy shift to ensure everything was going well! She was so gracious and personable. The food and wine are always on point with excellent taste and presentation.“

Customers` Favorites

“First time for us, and on Mother's Day at about 1:30 in a last minute decision to picnic in the sun. We called in our order and it was ready so quickly we were shocked. We had the Patty Melt (one side of bread was rye and the other white/maybe sourdough?), Gyros, Chicken Sandwich, and a Burger. All of the food was tasty, although the fries were bland with no taste for me. Cheese Curds were good. The pricing was appropriate for the servings and we enjoyed our carry-out picnic lunch. I think we will try this again, inside this time. It is a nice option that we never knew about.“

Customers` Favorites

“excellent food at great prices! and a shuttle to the game??? sign me up!“

Customers` Favorites

“I always enjoy my meal at Monty’s! Last night 1/14/23 my sister and I picked Monty’s for dinner! The food was good, the server did a great job! BUT the floor was littered with all kinds of things napkins, smushed French fry, a knife other things! On my way to the bathroom I noticed all that . I stopped at the counter and ask a person who was the boss, they said that they were the manager! All I said to them was ( take a look at your floor) Shortly after returning to my booth! I watched him come and begrudgingly pick up 2 pieces of paper and aggressively throw it in a bus tub! And he picked up the hazardous knife! This is a very bad impression! It was maybe 6:pm and not as busy as usual! If I was a manager I would have gotten a broom and dust pan and made sure I got it all, or ask a staff member to do it! Thank you for the good meals and good service! But by the cleanliness of your restaurant I will think twice before coming back! Thank you“

Customers` Favorites

“Nice atmosphere ,huge beer list,great food“

Customers` Favorites

“Cheese curds didn't have that famous stringyness when you bite into it and pull the other half away, maybe it was left out too long in the open air. Many of the curds also didn't have cheese just the outer shell.Happy hour deal was great. Customer service was excellent.“

Customers` Favorites

“Very clean college bar that has some neat ambience about it. Finally had true Wisconsin cheese curds which were spectacular. The service at the bar was very good Even though they were very busy and even the bartender stopped to talk to us since he knew we weren't from the area. It didn't hurt that he was a fellow Buckeye bartending at a Wisconsin bar! Highly recommend it.“

Customers` Favorites

“The best ! Always a blast shopping and dining in this neighbourhood“

Customers` Favorites

“Absolutely outstanding! Their curry and sweet potato fries are remarkably good. We'll keep coming back every chance we get!“

Customers` Favorites

“My daughter and I were greeted warmly, given a variety of seating options and decided to sit on the front patio for lunch. There were privacy panels so we felt separate from the parking lot and our dog was welcome. Our server was kind and attentive and the food was fast, fresh and really good. The menu is big enough but not too big and there seems to be something for everyone. Not only would I recommend, I will return tonight for dinner.“

Customers` Favorites

“Our class recently held our 50th high school reunion at this revnue! They did a fantastic job setting up the room and meeting our needs! We've held previous reunions here and will definitely come back again. Thanks to the owners and staff for making our MG reunion a great success!“