Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub
1265 John Q Hammons Rd, Madison, WI, 53717
Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
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Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1265 John Q Hammons Rd
Madison, WI, 53717 - Phone (608) 203-6545
- Website https://www.sprecherspub.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 12
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Music : Live
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Alex H.
Sprecher's is great for a large group; very accommodating wait staff, handled the big table well, and everyone found something on the menu that they liked. Food is pretty standard pub fare and was good, not impressive. I was not expecting to be blown away, and it did not disappoint. Their beers were hit or miss - I had the Scotch Ale and hated it, and someone else got the Hefe Weiss and raved about it. The root beer is delicious, and I plan to stick to that in the future.
(4)Stephanie M.
I wanted to love this place because they have tasty root beer and I was excited to sample the brewery in its home state. The beer - delicious. I had a Hefe Weiss - light and refreshing. The root beer tastes the same as if straight from the bottle. That is where the good part of the experience ends. The Thai lettuce wraps taste like a lean cuisine orange chicken dish was microwaved and served with butter lettuce. Horrible. Also had the Thursday rib special - half a rack of ribs with two sides. The onion rings leave more to be desired a slightly soggy. The jalapeño slaw is just dry cabbage and jalapeño. More appropriately named a cabbage salad. Come for the beer, and go to a different place for the food. Spechers I expected more from you. Revamp your food to match your delicious beer.
(2)Allie K.
We came here since we loved the specher soda and beer. The atmosphere and decor was really cool, it seemed like it would be a great place for big groups. The service was pretty good, but we were also one of the only tables there since it was 4:30 on a Sunday. The food was mediocre at best, if you're looking for a burger or pub food there are definitely better places in Madison.
(3)Megan A.
Went here with a couple of friends a few weeks ago. We all enjoyed what we ordered - I got the margherita flatbread (delicious!!), another person got a seafood salad, and another got the chicken special. I also ordered a side of fries, which I liked - I think they might be beer-battered, I forgot to ask. They have some of their non-alcoholic beverages on tap, but even the cherry cola I ordered came with a nice big frosted mug. Next time, I want to try the root beer on tap, it must be awesome! It had a nice atmosphere, not too loud (or too quiet) to have a real conversation. Friendly, helpful waitress. I live about a half hour away, but I'll be planning another visit here sometime soon!
(4)jennie b.
Ok food, ok atmosphere in Middleton
(3)rebecca s.
great ambiance, good beer, not great food.
(3)Thomas H.
Checked out the new Sprecher's Restaurant the other week for dinner with family. We were pleasantly surprised. Upon pulling up there were a ton of cars - we thought there would be a wait, but once inside it didn't seem that crowded and we were seated right away. We suspected the outside patio contained most of the people to go with all the cars we saw. The had a decent assortment of Sprecher beers and an equally as good selection of sodas. I got the root beer which was a bit small but very good. Our waitress was really nice and friendly and the menu had a good selection. The prices were fair - not real cheap or expensive. I had the Cajun Pasta. It was a very good portion and had good number of shrimp and andouille pieces. (I hate it when it says shrimp and you get like two). The only complaint was that it wasn't very spicy - but then I like it pretty hot. Wifey had the Steak and Wedge and mom had the steak sandwich. Both were very happy with the food with the exception of the "Sprecher beer cheese potatoes' - these were pretty flat and tasteless. Over all we enjoyed the dinner and plan on coming back again soon.
(4)Ross C.
Restaurants on Madison's west side are booming. Sprechers was actually are third stop after 2 other places had waits of 30 and 60 minutes on a Thursday night. My gf and I both really enjoyed our salads (see pic). I gave the hard root beer a try since I love the regular stuff, but I wont be drinking that again. It was way to sweet. Service was fine. Our waitress was being trained in...I think her trainer could have backed off a little bit... All in all an enjoyable experience at this location which once housed Hulahans, rated Madison's dirtiest restaurant.
(3)John G.
I'm surprised I haven't reviewed Sprecher's yet because they are a hidden gem in some ways that people in the Madison area should frequent more often. Why do I say that? Their outdoor patio. It is fantastic, easily my favorite in Madison. It can occasionally get busy but of the dozen or so times I've been there it's usually very comfortable and not crowded. They have firepit tables, trickling ponds, a big lively central bar where people are always having a great time, TVs for the games, and a live band on most weekends. I think the spacing is crucial, everything just feels very open and welcoming. On a nice summer day where you want one of their delicious cool beverages and some food, they have you covered. The bands they have vary, but they always play at an appropriate conversation volume which I see many restaurants get wrong (I'm looking you Claddagh!). And the music is agreeable to a wide range in my opinion; often folk or bluesy stuff, not hard rock, metal, or rap. Not that there's anything wrong with those genres, but this planned choice makes them more accessible without a doubt. If you're a meat eater you'll want to get one of their burgers; nothing terribly exceptional but one of the better menu choices and you get your money's worth. Their cheese curds, nachos, and other bar style appetizers are reasonable too. That's about where I stop with the food train, because unfortunately most of the other dishes I've had were a big miss or overly expensive for my budget. Burgers and Apps will keep you in the $10-12 or less per item range, but most dinners are $15 and up, so the bill gets high fast. And at that price I'd like to be wow'd a bit more. Everything on their menu sounds tasty, but the execution in my experience has just been off. And friends have echoed this as well so it's not just my own interpretations. Service can be good at times or just ok, I'd like to see more consistency on that end but the last few times I've been have been positive. Sometimes it seems like they have too many people staffed, looking bored or wandering around aimlessly when my party is sitting waiting for drinks/food or a table. Orders have been occasionally wrong, but again nothing recently on that front. These are easily improvable areas, they seem to be on the right track, and nothing has been terrible so I'm happy to keep returning for that beautiful patio. That's the gist of it, if you haven't been please make a point to get there before the summer is over. The patio is just fantastic, and while parts of the inside are nice too, the outdoor section is just something you can't miss.
(3)Molly H.
We just hosted my Dad's surprise 70th Birthday party at Sprecher's and I have to say, from the get go, everyone we worked with was over the top accommodating and such a pleasure. Planning this event from the West Coast could have been very challenging, however, I felt such at ease walking into the place on that afternoon. Angie, our waitress, was on point with every request and such a pleasure to work with. The appetizers were great, and due to a restricted medical diet, they had a great selection of vegetarian options! I highly recommend this place for casual drinks, get togethers with family, or to listen to the live music! We cannot thank you all enough for such a wonderful day that my Dad will remember forever!
(5)Deb S.
We really enjoyed our lunch here at Sprecher's. The beer flight was Huge! but the choices were ice cold and flavorful. I had a wonderful burger (medium, touch of pink within) on a soft delicious brioche bun. My daughter had the beer cheese soup and both were dynamite. I would skip on the sweet potato fries next time - soggy and bland. But the burger was so good, I didn't care. There's outdoor seating in good weather and TV's in the bar area. Their homemade root beer and sorbet made the most delicious float I've ever ever had. Don't miss it!
(4)Kelly F.
Sprecher always sounds like a good idea, and I always go in with high hopes only to leave feeling slightly disappointed with the food. The menu has a great variety and everything sounds good, but when you get your food it's always just okay...nothing special or memorable. I go here for the atmosphere more than anything. The outdoor area is super nice. There are tons of tables with comfortable seating including some with fire pits in the middle. The outdoor bar has huge TVs and fans. It's a really cool place to hang out and great for groups! Did I mention that the happy hour prices are amazing? $3 for a beer! They have lots unique drink options. The alcoholic ginger beer is very good and refreshing on a hot summer day. The alcoholic root beer isn't very good; I wouldn't order it again.
(3)Jack D.
The ambiance was excellent and the ouside seating had a lot to offer. Unfortunately, the service was poor. It took nearly 40min for our server to take our order. In fact, another waiter had to step in and take our order. Once the food came it was cold and flavorless and the bacon was leathery. Bottom line, drinks on the patio are a great idea, skip the food.
(2)PF A.
The kitschy German decor not withstanding, the food and beer are both very Wisconsin. From the various flavor cheese curds, to all the locally sourced foods, to the Milwaukee brewed craft beers on draft, this restaurant is a slice of local color. Every night there are different happy hour specials, live entertainment on the weekends, and trivia Monday's and Wednesday's. The servers were helpful, friendly and prompt!
(5)Kellie K.
The atmosphere of the outdoor patio was nice but the food and the service left a lot to be desired. We had to ask for water 3 times. My husband ordered the prime rib special - medium. It came out with a heat lamp induced crust on the top and was well done. No pink at all. He never received the soup that came with the meal even with a reminder. Service was very slow. 4 of the 5 meals at the table required catsup (burgers, fries, etc). It was not provided. Had to ask twice for it. Finally arrived 10 minutes after the food. Fries that came out limp to begin with were just nasty by that point. BBQ chicken flat bread was very unimpressive. Kids Mac and Cheese was from a box and had that lumpy and sticky look that it gets when you re-heat it. It's really too bad - such a great outdoor area but service and 5 bad meals in one sitting will keep us away.
(1)Nikole C.
I have been here a few times in the past and had a great time. But this time my experience was so-so. We came to enjoy the happy hour specials, but I didn't know you could only get those sitting in the bar area. We were seated at a table, but I unfortunately asked to move as we came here for those specials. I felt bad, but our waiter was very nice and understanding. If only he was our waiter at the bar, too. The guy manning the bar must have been trying to leave, because he didn't acknowledge us for at least five minutes. He kept counting his drawer and didn't bother to look up or tell us it would been just a second until he could help us. After he finished counting the drawer, he disappeared for another couple minutes and we were still without a drink. Finally after about ten minutes, we got a beer and ordered some nachos. Great deal on the nachos! Huge serving with all fresh ingredients. I wish it would have been served with salsa, but we didn't expect such a huge portion for only six bucks so I can't complain too much. The draft beers all seemed a little watery. Not bad, but lacking a little flavor. I ordered a mixed drink after that, which was as expected. After our initial encounter with the ninja bartender, we had good service. The two guys who came to take over for the night were very friendly and seemed to have a few regulars, so they must be doing something right.. And they were attentive. Overall, a decent experience. Food was good, and I like the happy hour specials. I also work in the service industry. So I know what it's like to want to get out of there when your shift is up, but sometimes you just need to grin and bear it and take on another customer or two. Or at least acknowledge people sitting at the bar or in your area ... They do, after all, pay your bills ..
(3)Grant K.
The food and beer is a 4, but it's got one of the best patios in Madison. That's worth a 5.
(5)John K.
I came here with a former friend with benefits and it was a bad idea. To see here not to come here, but it loses a star because it did take some time to get the food out when it was empty late night. She spilled ranch over her cans. Beer is great.
(4)Anthony K.
Great atmosphere...a little dark and loud...but then what bar/resturant isn't. Food was great. My and my son's burger was a little well done, but that might have been due to the large business crowd that was there getting lunch and watching the Big 10 game. The staff is pleasing, polite, and professional. Kids like it due to their own brewed sodas. I would recommend this place.
(4)Deb F.
Disappointed. The cream soda my husband was looking forward to tasted watered down. He said his fish tacos had no flavor. The same for the sauerbraten. There was no hot sauce or salsa for the fish tacos. Tabasco sauce was offered but never delivered. My husband thought the name Sprechters would live up to their brand. There is no sense describing each parcel of food as it all was bland and we are not picky eaters. The only thing we got out of our $40 lunch was full. The wait staff was friendly. This is one of those "been there, no need to go back" places. They have a large menu but we have no interest in trying again. The dogs are getting my leftovers as I ate less than1/4 of my $16.99 meal.
(1)Logan P.
Food service is awful - wait staff is good. Meals came out in waves like they do in China. Food was blah. Schnitzel was dry as were the chicken tacos. Reuben bites were filled with corn beef hash which isn't as advertised. Great atmosphere but would not come back.
(1)Janice J.
We went to dinner here tonight. Perfect night for alfresco dining. Ordered drinks at the bar as we waited for our table. For appetizers we had the wings and cheese curds of course. Very good. 3 dipping sauces. For entrees I had the corkscrew pasta with chicken and spinach in an Alfredo sauce. Delicious! My husband had the jambalaya which was just spicy enough. My daughter had the buffalo chicken flatbread which was good. If it's nice try to eat outside. Service was very good!
(5)Bryon S.
Second visit to Sprecher in Madison. I've been to the brewery in Milwaukee a few times as well. Quality beer and food as well. First time, my wife and I had burgers during their burger and beer special during the week. Very tasty burgers. I had the one with cheese curds. Delicious. Our second visit brought us in for the Old Fashioned Fish Fry special for $12. Excellent deal. You get a choice between three drinks with your either baked or fried cod fish dinner. You can choose an old fashion, beer or soda. The fried fish dinner comes with three pieces of cod and a choice of two sides. I had onion rings and the jalapeño slaw. One of the best fried cod fish dinners I've ever had. The cod was perfectly deep fried with a nice crunchy batter. Loved it. My wife had the wedge salad along with a beer cheese soup. I had a taste of the soup and it was very tasty. She also had a brandy slush, which was delicious too. Great meal and price too. We'll be back. No wait either for a Friday night around 6pm.
(5)Lonnie M.
Have been to the west side location several times. Great wait staff and food. Never disappointed.
(5)Jacyn W.
Not a bad place for dinner. Service was good and prompt. The breeze on the patio made for a nice night.
(3)Kelsi B.
Stopped here for dinner after my boyfriend's graduation this past weekend. We stopped at 8 PM and it was still packed, which was kind of to be expected due to the amount of people in Madison for the weekend. However we were seated within 15 minutes of getting there so the wait wasn't too bad! Keeping my rating the same. However our service was much worse this time around. We barely saw our waitress and had a very difficult time tracking her down to order more drinks. We experienced better service from the guy who brought our food out, which he would've received our tip rather than our waitress. This time around I decided to try their fish fry and it was very good. The breading may have been a little too thick for my taste, but it wasn't very greasy and the actual batter had some yummy herbs in it to compliment the fish. You also get a fairly large serving (3 big-ish pieces of fish with fries and coleslaw). The fries were yummy, not a fan of the coleslaw but I generally don't like creamy coleslaws so whatever. Everyone else really liked their food too. This is always a solid place to stop and grab a bite to eat, just wish our service would've been better!
(4)Nichole C.
Food was great. I've always enjoyed their wing appetizer. The burger was tasty as well. Best things though was their nachos, AMAZING!!! Service was not good and would often disappear for a while with the checks. But great outdoor bad and seating area. Definitely coming back to hangout on the patio and eat some nachos
(4)Joshua B.
I've lived in Middleton close to 2.5 years now and can't believe I haven't ate here yet. My wife and I decided to go out for lunch with some family to Sprecher's Restaurant and Pub. We walked in and I was impressed with the ambience. It's very comfortable, low lighting, nice size booths. We started out with an appetizer. We ordered the nacho's. The nacho's are offered in two options, choice of chipotle chicken or black bean and beef chili, corn tortilla chips, cheese sauce, shredded lettuce, jalapeños, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. We had the black bean and beef chili option. It was very good, the serving was huge considering we had three people! My wife ordered the Mushroom and Swiss burger, topped with Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms and red wine gravy with lettuce, tomato and onion. She liked it, she also had a side of the French Onion soup instead of fries. The soup had way to much salt in it for our tastes. My father in law had the Breakfast burger, which comes with a Fried egg on top with bacon and cheddar, he chose hash browns as his side per recommendation on menu. He loved that burger and said the hash browns were a good touch. Now for the real food! If you've read my reviews you know I LOVE pulled pork sandwiches. My wife pointed out to me the pulled pork on the menu. I was instantly inclined to order this bad boy. The sandwich contained slow-roasted pulled pork, Sprecher's BBQ sauce, Gouda cheese, jalapeño slaw and crisp onion straws on a toasted onion bun. The bbq sauce was weak in my opinion. The rest of the sandwich was great. The Gouda cheese really finishes it off. I ordered a side of pub style fries that were seasoned. They were very good. The service here was really spot on, the refills kept coming and the waitress was very friendly and informative. Overall I'm happy to have finally tried Sprecher's. My wife and I will probably walk here in the summer versus the chains at Greenway Station. I recommend this place for any business lunches, nice dinners with family, or just catching up with friends. We will be back!
(4)Kate E.
Do not order the salads! I ordered the BBQ Chicken salad and was disappointed to find it made of mostly iceberg lettuce (with huge chunks of iceberg cores), cold bland chicken (was expecting warm grilled chicken) like that from a fast food restaurant, mealy tomatoes, and they forgot to top both mine and my mother's with the much anticipated onion strings. It came with cold stale bread and an overly-sweet bbq drizzle. I had previously been impressed with their appetizers and had hoped for a much better experience.
(1)Steve L.
It would be impossible for me to count the number of times I've been back to Sprecher since my review of 2010... maybe 50? 60? We visit here quite often for work-related functions and lunches. + Great venue and space; love the bar and the outdoor patio, in particular + Friendly staff - always very helpful and great to work with + Generally good beers - there are a few stinkers that I'm not as fond of, but for the most part, I enjoy them + You can grab some additional non-Sprecher beers if you're so inclined + Full bar as well + Free wifi + Good bathrooms - huge and always clean - It gets crazy busy in the summer and service suffers a bit + The food can be awesome at times - The food can be less than awesome at times - Food is a bit pricey + Summer patio often has live music/entertainment Where Sprecher's shines for me is with hosting larger functions. We have many the happy hour in their bar area, and we've used the back room to host more intimate events (as well as Fantasy Football drafts). If you've got a group of 20-40, this is your place. They really do an outstanding job with groups. For smaller groups (2-4 people), I've found the service can be hit or miss. Yes, the staff is friendly, but there have been several times (especially in the summer), where we absolutely couldn't flag anyone down for a water or drink refill. It's a nice problem to have to be so busy, but it is a bit frustrating when it's taking place. All things considered, Sprecher's is a solid 3.5 - 3.75 star venue. I like it. I like it a lot. I bumped them to 4-stars because they're so helpful and accommodating for group events.
(4)Ally M.
Service was terribly slow, I heard the manager say some nasty things to his employees, and the food was very mediocre. Can't believe we paid so much to have this experience.
(1)Nick G.
So want to like this place but every time it has been a disappointment. Beer is typically good and of course they have a decent selection but this and the patio are the only good things about this place. Food is well below average with minimal vegetation options. Service has been poor more times than not and for some reason, this place is always packed.
(2)Stephen F.
Some friends and I went here for dinner tonight. It was their first time, my second. The weather was great and we got to sit at a fire pit table on the patio. Our waitress was great and very attentive. Couldn't have asked for a better environment for dinner tonight. The food is pretty good too. (I had the ribs, a friend had the "Sconnie Burger.") My only complaint is in the quality of taste didn't match the price. Make sure to get a bottle of root beer when you're here!
(4)Ben A.
Black bean burger was dry and barely flirted with the idea of having a flavor. 911 burger was served rare (almost mooing) at the request of 'a little pink' and the pretzel bun had dried to a crisp under a warming lamp. The service was leaning towards mediocre. The appetizer came after the meal and the drink order materialized seconds before we were ready to leave. The best part was the beer, however I will not be returning to this establishment.
(1)Chris R.
The food is ok, on par or slightly better than other restaurants of this style. The waitstaff on a Friday night was competent and friendly, but the front of the house is a mess. There were at least four different people behind the hostess stand at various times, and none of them seemed to communicate with the others. When we put our name in, they asked for our phone number so they could call when a table is ready. This seems unnecessarily complicated, and we watched two other couples who arrived after us get seated before us. The waiting area is small and completely in view of the hostess stand...just call my name or come get me when you're ready to seat me! Or if that simple system, which has worked for ages, is too complicated to grasp, then invest in the pagers that other similar restaurants use. They do get points for having all of their beers on tap, but they only offer three of their sodas on tap. The others are in bottles. If it's a company store meant to highlight their products, why not have all of the sodas on tap too? For what it's worth, pick up a variety pack of their excellent sodas and pretty good beers elsewhere, and skip the brewpub to get better food and service elsewhere too.
(2)Joe H.
I was in Madison last weekend, got in late, and went to Sprecher's, mainly because it was right across the street from the hotel I was staying at. The place is typical pub-type atmosphere, which to say, a bit loud. But it was Friday night and there was a game on. Friendly hostess seated me right away. Waiter was cheerful, service was good. I ordered the Schnitzel (pork). It came a-la Holstein, which is to say it had a fried egg on top. The sauce on the side was a lemon-caper sauce, very good, though it reminded me a lot of Veal Piccata. I've never had Schnitzel which included capers, but there's always variances in recipes. They had a Hefewiessen beer on tap which was pretty good. I left well-satisfied. If you're looking for good food that isn't too expensive, Sprecher's is a good choice.
(4)Kristene C.
beautiful patio~ one of the best in town. Large, clean & with nice view. They have a captive audience on the West side of Madison for dining outdoors with live music or just nice quiet atmosphere with easy parking. Food is poor quality, cold & unhealthy. Service is very slow. And if you order a glass of wine....selection is very poor and that might be understandable since it is a brew pub, BUT ....they only serve wine in plastic cups. Water is served in glass, beer is served in glass, mixed drinks, also served in glass. BUT if you happen to want a glass of wine? you have to have it in a plastic cup. Wine is the only drink they serve in plastic cups.
(2)William W.
Fish was below average. Cachapas were terrible, had one bite and felt sick. Beer cheese soup was good. Probably stick to stick to their sodas and beer.
(1)Doug B.
The Flatbread pizza had less flavor than frozen pizza I can get at the grocery store. The other food we ordered was just passable. The service was sub par. We had to ask for napkins and silverware after the food was served. It took almost 10 minutes to get water we asked for. I would never come back.
(1)Dayna M.
Meh. This place is right up my alley and I really want to like it, but the food is subpar..it just is. I have gone to Sprechers 3 times, each time hoping to have a better experience (because I feel like it should be awesome..) but I am always disappointed. Their beer that I've tried is okay, nothing to write home about. I generally love Ambers and their Amber is decent. The wine is laughably overpriced.. Just don't. The 7 cheese curds that came as an appetizer were good, but this is Wisconsin.. We want more than 7 cheese curds. On my last visit, I got the fish and chips. The fish was unbelievably over seasoned, I could barely taste the fish! It seemed like they coated the fish itself in seasoning before they coated it in the batter that was also over seasoned... Bad!!!! Also, the breading was so sad, it fell off the fish every time I cut a piece of fish off. I had to work pretty hard to get a bite with both fish AND breading. I have made delicious fried fish at home, I know it's not that hard.. But apparently it is for Sprechers. I think I'm done giving this place chances. Too bad.
(1)Robb S.
Great food, reasonable lunch prices, an awesome ambience and friendly service. I've been here twice, once for a private party and again for a business lunch. Well done on both counts
(4)Priyanka V.
I went to this place for a b'day dinner. We had apple and walnut salad and a quinoa chickpea roll. It was okay. Not great, not bad ! My friends said that they liked the beer which is locally brewed. I don't drink :P I would say if you like drinking, give this place a shot :)
(3)Mark L.
Third time here in 4 years. Don't plan to come back. Worst brew pub in area. Asian noodle bowl tasted like water, no flavor at all. Medium rare (some pink) curd burger was served well done despite having the med/rare skewer in it. Burger didn't have much taste either and was pretty pricey for what you got. Fries were pretty boring. Quesadillas went uneaten, meh. Cheese curds were at best average. The soft pretzels were awesome and the beers are really good! Love the atmosphere! Service was fair at best, mother in law said her dish was awful and they barely said sorry and no discount or replacement. Mediocre food, overpricing and bad service means this place is just a bar to me now.
(2)Benjamin R.
NO VAPE, EVEN OUTSIDE ! I am no "power vaper", I just enjoy a little nicotine with my after work beverage. Pretty good Belgian tripel, really bad policy decision. We won't be back.
(1)A K.
I really enjoy going here. I like the service, the beer, and the atmosphere; especially the patio on warm days. However, I have been disappointed with the consistency of the food, lately. I go every few months and it seems even if I order the same thing they prepare it or present it differently each time I go... the changes aren't always for the best. The beer cheese soup was very watered down the last time I went. I remember having it in the past and wondering why I even ordered a main dish because the soup was filling. A few weeks ago the soup was watery and disappointing. I won't order that again. I'll definitely return, but if the food continues to go downhill, I will stop going and update my review.
(4)Emily S.
Drink the Cream Soda - don't eat the food. Seriously. I want to like this place - Sprecher Cream Soda is my favorite "craft" soda of all TIME. I lived in IL for 10 years and would seek it out in every grocery store I could. I was super excited when we moved back to the Madison area and lived near the Sprecher. **Disclaimer - I don't eat meat!** The first time we ate there was in the restaurant, where I ordered their version of Mac and Cheese. I have eaten a lot of Mac and Cheese in my day - this was nothing to write home about. In fact, it was pretty sad, considering Sprecher is a WI company and should specialize in WI things like CHEESE. The second time we had carryout, and I got a Margherita Flatbread. I kind of feel like it's hard to screw up pizza - but even this was lackluster. It was soggy and the ingredients were definitely not fresh. I wouldn't say it tasted bad, but it definitely didn't taste good. I can't speak for our guests, because they aren't going to admit that they didn't enjoy the meal we just fed them, but I know both of my husband's meals were "just okay" - with the exception of his Fish Dinner, which he did love. In MY opinion, the menu here has SO much promise - I just wish it was executed better.
(2)Ellen K.
Really wanted to like this place, the atmosphere is nice, but the food left a bad taste in my mouth. My husband and I ordered the fish fry, which tasted good at first but after a few bites it tasted very bland. We ordered "cachapas" which are piles of "pork" and lettuce on top of a soggy corn patty. They smelled spoiled and one bite was more than enough to make me feel sick to my stomach. We left without getting the root beer floats we were both looking forward to.
(1)Meridith G.
Service was okay. Food was okay. Husband had the fish fry and he said it was good. My burger was not freshly made like the menu says. My bun was very stale
(2)Tina Z.
If you like pub food, this is your place. The service is slow because the place is packed. The food is pub food and not the best i've had. I did try the low cal homemade root beer, but even that was not the best. All in all, I will pass next time, but pub food is not my thing.
(3)Danielle B.
God, the food here is terrible. Just awful. Drinks and happy hour specials are decent, but don't even bother eating here.
(2)Sarah M.
Stopped in because we heard they had good food. Enjoyed our pretzel appetizer with three different dipping sauces but our burgers were greatly lacking. Mine was greasy and had no flavor. Wouldn't come back for dinner but may try appetizers again.
(2)Joe C.
Email I sent Travis I just wanted to express my disappointment with the service. We were here two years ago passing through town and the service was terrible. We decided to stop again today since we were in town for a hockey tournament and unfortunately I have to say there was no improvement to the service, slow to be seated, slow to be waited upon and slow to get our food. Also, my wife 's potato soup was very watered down. I thought there would be improvement but not even close.
(1)Matthew F.
Stopped in for a quick beer last week with some friends on our way back from dinner, and to my surprise the bartender was beyond excellent, being my first time here I was interested in all the beers. She knew all the little tings and tangs about the various beers, she even game me a mini tasting to I could try, I had a citrusbomb, it was out of this world. Citrus hops, clean crisp finish, made me say wow out loud. Can't wait to return for a full flight!
(5)Margaret G.
If you want to wait 30 min to be seated after parties your size or larger have been seated before you even though you're first in line and then wait at least an hour for simple food (burgers and brats), then this is your place. Only redeeming factor was the band, Retro Specs.
(1)Kelsey B.
Awesome outdoor seating, I would come here just for that alone. There was live music as well which was great. The food is decent, the new thia summer options are really good and I would recommend those.
(4)Pauline J.
I'm ok on this place. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special. The root beer, of course, is delicious. The look of the restaurant is great. I'd rather buy the root beer from the store and eat elsewhere.
(2)Amber V.
Prices are good. My flatbread was pretty good however my boyfriends burger was overcooked. The waitress was a little inattentive and didn't ask how our food was until I was done eating. Also tried to charge an extra $1 for having a strawberry margarita vs regular which seemed odd considering they didn't use fresh strawberries. They did revise the bill and take it off though. Overall okay place. Might go back but won't go out of my way.
(3)Onotse I.
Sprecher's is a good standby for an after work happy hour. It is close to the office, has good happy hour specials, and decent service. This place also has a large selection of apps which are on special during the happy hour along with the drinks. On my most recent visit we ordered the deep fried muchrooms, cheese curds, chicken nachos, pretzel sticks and a bunch of other apps that were on the menu. None of the items were stand out but they weren't bad either. Because this place is so close to my office we find ourselves here a lot. It is especially nice in the summer as they have a great patio with live bands some nights.
(3)Susan F.
Stopped in for a quick bite/lunch. I tried the cheese curds and pretzels. At first I thought the cheese curds were okay, then I had cheese curds at Madison's. Sprecher's definitely need some help. Tasted just like a frozen appetizer. I had never had cheese curds before, so I thought it was just cheese curds in general. Pretzel sticks were pretty standard for pretzel sticks anywhere. Highlight of my meal was my beer! I had the Heffe Weiss, and it was seriously awesome. Loved it. I sat outside on the patio, on a beautiful day. That part was nice!
(3)Faye B.
I would say that my experience was more like 3 1/2 stars. On an impromptu trip to Wisconsin with my husband we made it a point to eat at the restaurant since I have heard of the root beer before so we were equally intrigues by the prospect of an eatery as well. Going here worked out perfectly since it was less than a mile from where we were staying in Middleton. Parking was ample and the place seemed to be hopping when we were there on a Saturday evening. Not overly crowded, but sounded busy. Wisconsinites sure love their cheese and beer (not to say that I have a problem with that). You can clearly see this incorporated into their menu. We had to have the fried cheese curds app (when in Rome) and we opted to get a beer cheese soup. Our server was even nice enough to suggest split bowls. We loved the apps. Our food on the other hand was just ok, it didn't sit so well with us the next day. I guess we don't have the iron constitutions of Wisconsinites mixing beer and cheese into all their food. I had a chicken marsala with portabella ravioli and my husband had the schnitzel. The marsala didn't really taste like one in the traditional sense, but it was drowning in a cheese sauce. I can't complain too much because I loved the portabella ravioli. My husband had the schnitzel and he liked the gravy it came with and the twist by putting an egg on top. He only wished it was a a little more runny. On the whole we had a good experience. My hubby loved the mix and match deal for the beer and the soda. He thought it was worth it so we got both. Our waiter was really nice and friendly and we got seated quickly. I wouldn't mind coming back.
(3)Rebecca L.
Mediocrity, Sprecher's is thy name. Aside from their retail line of delicious sodas (their root beer is top notch) and beers, they don't really have much going for them. The food is on par with what you would find at Chili's or TGIF; bland, unimaginative Americana. For Monday's happy hour specials, they have 1/2 priced apps (although the waitress told us they were $6; the check said they were 1/2 off. Very confusing.) The buffalo wings were buffalo wings in name only. I have no idea what was put in front of me. Neon orange wings that tasted like sweet and sour chicken? No thanks. The dipping trio (spinach and artichoke dip, hummus, and spicy crab dip) served with crostini and tortilla chips (remind me never to eat tortilla chips outside of TX and CA) were fairly unimpressive and oily. If you were to come to Sprecher's, I would recommend drinking your meal. Go elsewhere to satisfy your hunger.
(3)Eric G.
I really do enjoy this place, I come into Wisconsin for work every once and a while and this place is directly across the street from our hotel. They have a fantastic IPA and a few other decent beers. The fried cheese curds are delicious and ive heard the other food is ok also. The staff here is super friendly and always on top of their game. This is a regular stop for myself as well as others in my company who travel to madison for work.
(4)Leon G.
I would've given it 5 stars, but when I first walked in and sat on their really nice patio, for about 10 minutes the wait staff completely ignored me. I ended up sitting at the bar, and the bartender took my order right away. The food (5 stars): I ordered grilled chicken with quinoa and it was delicious! Overall, definitely a repeat.
(4)Kevin H.
After two years we decided to try this place again. Huge mistake!!!! Place was packed so we decided to sit outside. We were ignored for 20-30 minutes before we got our order put in. Do you waitress continued to tell us that our order will be right up. Well at hour and a half later we decided to walk out . 2 hours there waiting and no food along with being ignored ...horrible service ....the manager was shocked when we confronted him. I had originally put it that this is a great place for the great food and great service but now I take it back, one of the worst places to eat in Madison. We were also told by the manager that they were gutting our order to fill other orders. The manager sent us home with free food but we could not even eat it because it was disgusting. We will not return!!!
(1)Joe H.
Terrible customer service! Every time my wife and I try to go there, the seating host always greets other people before us even when we arrive first. I don't think I'll be going back.
(1)Bryan F.
Mediocre. The soda is great, but everything else misses the mark. I was disappointed the last couple of times here, but decided to give it one more shot. Beer cheese soup was more like a watery, premade broth. I could have sworn I found small still powdered cheese lumps in mine (i.e. this wasn't "homemade" but probably from a premix bag or something). Hamburger was just OK. Chicken wrap was tasteless. The servers, while earnest, seem to always be new on the job and miss the mark on offering solid, balanced, unobtrusive service (either too much or too little attention given to table). My soapbox thoughts of why a restaurant gets into this state? It's either the manager or restaurant owner or both. If you have a supportive owner who wants to make quality food using quality ingredients and a manager who really knows the restaurant business and can keep the staff on their toes, you can't go wrong.
(2)Brandon C.
I read a lot of the reviews before going there and was a bit nervous. After going, I'm not sure if I just went on a good day/time or what. Service was really good, the pretzels were amazing and the quesadilla was really good too. Being a fan of micro-brew beer i found the beer to be pretty good too. Overall it was a good experience and I will be back! One extra bonus is that on Sunday's it's happy hour all day, $3 beers and $6 apps!!!
(4)Erin B.
Not much to say that hasn't been said before. Food was good (not super great) but service was severely lacking. They have a variety of food options, and some good pics for lunch, but nothing overly awesome. The one plus: Sprecher's root beer on tap. Worth the trip for that. So good!
(3)Steve G.
Burger was cold charged a $1 for soda refills, service was horrible and non existent. Worst of all they doubled charged my amex tried calling them to get it fixed none seemed to care so I disputed it with amex instead. I wouldn't go back here. It's a shame I do live their beer/root beer Update: amex informed me that the location was unresponsive to their request and refunded me the double charge.
(1)Drew B.
Sat at the bar, had a burger with a fried egg on it and their own brewed beer. It was pretty good. Bartender lived in my home town at one point... more than 1900 miles away. Decor is so so, but the food and beer was excellent. Good prices too.
(4)Danielle B.
Womp womp. Just stopped in here. Was seated in the bar and waited for 15 minutes without so much as a glance from the five waitstaff and bartender who were in the bar bar area at the time. Disappointed..have been wanting to stop in for a long time.
(1)Melissa P.
The service was absolutely terrible. The restaurant was half empty when we arrived yet our waitress managed to mix up our drinks and mess up 2 of the orders in our party of four. We notified the waitress and she said she would "check right on it" yet she took an order for a table of six and checked on another table before telling the manager our meal was wrong. Those in our party that had our correct meals were half done before the manager came over to say the flat breads we order would be out soon. He saw we were upset and gave a round of beers to those who were still waiting to eat. After the meal the waitress came over and curtly said, "Sorry, I'm busy." and then walked away. I waitressed for ten years, and if she can't handle the slow Sunday night she needs to switch careers. The food overall was ok. Not great, not terrible.
(1)Amanda S.
I've been to Sprecher's a number of times; sometimes I'm impressed, sometimes underwhelmed. Service tends to be slow and unfriendly, though not bad. Ambiance is pub-like, as is the food selection. It's fairly dark and can be loud, much like other pubs I've been to. The food, however, varies greatly in quality. My first visit, I got some delicious fish tacos and thought I'd found a new favorite spot. Subsequent visits have been increasingly worse. Most recently, I got Beer-battered fish and chips that were more batter than fish. Also,the menu did not specify what kind of fish it was, and the fries were limp and tasteless. My companion got the Reuben bites, which, though tasty, resembled deep fried pink goo. For the price of the food, I would expect higher quality.
(2)S T.
This place is hard to find because it's hidden in an office park next to a corn field. Great bar/restaurant with an out side patio that has bar and restaurant seating . No cover live band on the sat I went but no seating because it was packed. $ 3 drink specials between 9pm and 11pm with a band and the beer was good. Great tap options with the good beer no miller or bud stuff. I can see why this is a cool local spot. The food looked and smelled great but we just came from dinner for drinks. Tables with fire pits to eat at or the bigger communal fire pit with deck chairs to relax around is where we ended up because the Bar was packed. This place was cool so check it out.
(4)Jeff L.
I"ve eaten at the Sprecher's in Madison about a half dozen times and at the Sprecher's in Wisconsin Dells once. I have found the food to be solidly good but not great. I usually order the Schnitzel. I was in for dinner last night, and I ordered the sauerbraten over spaetzle. My associate ordered the Friday fish fry. We arrived about 7 and they were VERY busy and we waited about 30 minutes before we found a place at the bar. And dinner was solidly good but not great. They have an excellent selection of Sprecher beers on tap. Sprecher special amber is one of my particular favorite beers. I had an amber and also a seasonal Winter Brew, which was also good. So I recommend Sprechers as being solidly good but not great, with a good menu selection and a great beer selection.
(4)Sherry C.
Stopped in after finding out that I had friends hanging out here for the evening, I have to say that I will definitely go back, I really like the atmosphere, and the fact that they have a really nice outside patio is a major plus... The drink selection was great and bar staff was really friendly.. Sat out on the patio for dinner to enjoy the music that was playing... The meal was excellent and the wine was ok...
(5)Julie H.
Not a great experience. My husband and I stopped in to Sprecher's for a sort of post-Memorial Day/back to work after a long weekend treat. The wait staff is friendly but I think we were very rushed. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms to start - Chef "Mic" (as in Microwave) did not get all of them as hot as they should have been. I wondered in what freezer lane of Costco they were found. Also, our server forgot to bring the little plates - not a huge glitch but I wondered what else would go not-so-right. Well, that was dinner. Decided on the spur of the moment to get comfort food - meatloaf, mashed potatoes and "creamed corn." The corn actually was whole kernel with some semblence of cream sauce, which was ok-tasting but not hoopla. I am not sure what flavor was in the potatoes, that were under the two thinnish slices of meatloaf. I could tell by the "stiffness" on top of the slices that the meatloaf - perhaps the entire plate - had been sitting a long time and zapped for heat. yarny breaded onion whatever-they-were didn't do anything to cover that up. We sat on the patio, which we normally like there, but were seated just under a speaker at the edge of the gazebo that covers the bar. I'm not "old" but can only take so much Z104 during dinner. Once we were done, took forever to get our bill and a take-home box for the leftovers. Would have been an OK instead of really not-great experience if it hadn't been so expensive. Not such a treat. Has been better other times we've been there.
(2)Alex S.
Beer is pretty good, but last time service was bad.
(3)Kara D.
I went last night with my mom and fiancee to celebrate mine and my fiancee's birthdays. We got there right around 6, so there was a 30 minute wait. However, the bar outside was open and we were served beers fairly quickly. Plus- the beers were $3 on tap for happy hour! I was a big fan of the Amber beer. When we were seated, our waiter was quick, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. My mom and I were torn between dishes and he was able to tell us about them and recommend his favorites. I thought the food came out fairly quick. I got the schnitzel (hey, don't get many chances to try that in Madison!) and was pretty pleased. The beer cheese potatoes were to die for, but there were a lot and they filled me up pretty quick. The schnitzel itself was good, but I felt the pork chops were flat and not very meaty. However, the lemon caper sauce that came with was very flavorful. My mom got the curry shrimp and loved her dish. I tried her asparagus and thought it was really crisp and fresh. My fiancee got the meatloaf, and while it was not the best he has ever had (that was in Detroit!), he still enjoyed it. We never felt we had to wait for our waiter long or try to flag him down for anything and overall I really enjoyed my experience. I definitely recommend sitting outside!
(4)Carolyn Z.
Awesome root beer. The best Reuben sandwich I have ever had in Madison. Good service on a quiet Tuesday night. All the other dishes on the table looked good, too. We will be back.
(4)steve d.
Love the $3 pints and $6 appetizers during happy hour. Friendly staff and a great bar to sit at. Try the $6 happy hour nachos.
(5)Katie H.
Great beer and great food but the best part is the outdoor patio! The summertime is the best time to visit Sprecher's in Madison. But for those colder nights they do have fire pits!
(5)Grace C.
I disagree with the people who say the food is terrible, but it's not fantastic either. The prices are also definitely not three-dollar-sign high. I got a half-size Sprecher's Wrap with a Caesar salad and sweet potato fries for around $10, and it was pretty good. The melted cheese (mozzarella, I think?) in the wrap was a bit rubbery, and the greens could've been fresher. It also didn't have any Ranch dressing, which I thought I saw on the menu, but I didn't ask about it so I might've read it wrong. The fries were good--I've always been a fan of the sweet-and-salty combination of sweet potato fries--but they didn't taste fresh, mostly in texture. The salad was actually the high point of my meal; the lettuce was fresh, the croutons were nice and crunchy, and the amount of dressing was perfect. Sprecher's isn't terrible, by any means, but it's not absolutely outstanding either. The atmosphere and service were lovely, and the price was great.
(3)Todd R.
The atmosphere was very nice, but the food was terrible. Everyone I was with disliked the food. It's very obvious that the kitchen staff is trying to be super cheap. The nachos had a LOT of chips, but almost no toppings. The meat dishes had almost no meat, but copious amounts of potatoes (which were horrible and bland) and cheap sides. The schnitzel was like eating breaded shoe leather. The flat breads were incredibly expensive for a mediocre frozen pizza like dish. The outdoor patio is awesome though. It's a great place to grab a drink, but you shouldn't get anything to eat unless you're really hard up.
(2)Marnie R.
3 stars for the food. Not superb, not horrible. They have a great selection of apps, salads, burgers and entrées. I had the Wedge and Steak salad and was very pleased. Roasted asparagus, beets and spiced pecans accompanied my 5 oz steak cooked to order and typical wedge salad. However I had been there previously and had the flat bread. It was drowning in an oil they put on the plate. I haven't been able to test the flat bread waters again. Hopefully they have changed it up. They get a fourth star for their patio alone. It's spacious, loaded with tables, a fire pit and they are even working on expanding the already huge patio to allow live bands in the summer. Three cheers for a great place to enjoy the summertime on the West Side!
(4)Brian D.
I would say the beer is decent, service good..... Food terrible. There is nothing "fresh" tasting about anything I have tried, and I have given them many a chance. The beer garden is really nice, but again the food straight off the Cisco truck and into the fryer. Too bad.
(2)Thaadd P.
I chose Sprechers for dinner - after hearing that the presidential debate was being watched there on Wednesday. We called ahead to confirm this was actually happening, but when we got there we were told it was a private party, but maybe a TV in the bar could be switched to it. Then we received the menus, and I got a (gluten free) beer that they do - which was the only good point of the evening (other than the waiter, who was very friendly and did his best...) Sprechers had been on a list (which I will try to remedy) of 'Gluten Free Friendly' restaurants, which it very much should not be. Not only was there no accommodation in the menu, the response from the chef conveyed through the waiter was 'tell us what you want, and we'll see what we can do'. At a restaurant the size of this place, they have not ONE stock dinner, salad, or even a list of safe sides? There were zero appetizers after discussing how the chips were made - that I could eat, and most of the sides were unsafe too. I don't expect a ton with 'non hippy' restaurants, but even Wendys has their crap together more than this place. It's not such a rare thing any more to request this, and the irony was their menu had signs for people with peanut allergies all around. I won't be going back - and I would suggest anyone else who needs more than off the shelf no thought food does as well.
(1)Jeff T.
Would not recommend this place. The management is arrogant and the food is mediocre. We have visited them annually for the past few years with a group of 15-20 following the Crazy Legs run in Madison. Everyone in our group (15) agreed to look for a different venue for next years event.
(1)Ryan C.
I frequent this restaurant. The food is very good, but there is room for improvement. I would say that this is an excellent place to grab a salad for lunch, their salads are outstanding and you get a good portion. The appetizers are also very good and although you'd never think to get it, I recommend the hot pretzel, it's the best you'll find anywhere. Last but not least, they have great beers that they brew themselves (try the Abbey Tripel or Hefeweizen). The service is also good most of the time. We've had an experience or two with a lackluster waiter or waitress, but they have an Asst Manager named Matt that is incredibly friendly and helpful and he will be quick to right any wrong you encounter. P.S. If you go there during the summer, they have an INCREDIBLE outdoor patio! A+ for that!
(3)Graham T.
Sat on the patio tonight and it was great. Happy hr until 7, cheap drinks and and large portions. very friendly wait staff. All together a perfect night. Hoping to go back before I leave town later this week
(4)Tripp K.
This was a very lively social place with some great atmosphere on the patio. The night life was so lively, that I actually never made it inside the restaurant and spent several hours outside. There was live music, a wonderful fireplace, and a large bar with big screen TVs showing the game. The food was good and there was a wide selection. The only problem that I had was that the didn't have any schnitzel on the night that I was there. I guess to me, that is like going to McDonalds and them telling you they don't have any Big Macs today. As such, I have to give them only 3 stars. If they had schnitzel and it was poor tasting, I would still have given them only a 4.
(3)Alyssa M.
I visited Sprechers on an unassuming Wednesday night and was quite impressed. My group reserved a table online first (unnecessary? Perhaps.) But there's always something to be said about being able to be seated the moment you walk in the door. The service throughout the night was fantastic- I don't have one complaint (and this is coming from a former server with a very critical eye). Sprecher's brews their own beer (and root beer). Not sure if it's done at the actual restaurant? Either way, my wheat brew was fantastic. It went perfectly with the giant plate of nachos that we chose for our appetizer. Without exaggerating this was THE biggest plate of nachos I've come across thus far- loaded with all kinds of goodies ! Yum! I ordered the grilled meatloaf as my entree...and although nothing beats mom's homemade loaf, I really, REALLY enjoyed my meal. The portion was more than enough and even though I'm not normally one to eat leftovers, I couldn't wait to give this another go around the next day. Finally, I just couldn't resist trying an orange cream float for desert. My overly full stomach said no, but by tastebuds screamed yes! It was the perfect ratio of ice cream to soda. An excellent cap to my unassuming Wednesday night at Sprecher's.
(4)Anthony P.
I went here with some coworkers while we were in Madison. It was very convenient, as we were staying across at the Comfort Suites. Their menu has a very wide selection; while it's nice to try to have something for everyone, it was a little all over the place. I'm pretty sure that this restaurant was going for a German theme, yet you can order all sorts of pasta dishes and sandwiches. In any event, the cheese curds and fettuccine alfredo with shrimp was enjoyable. If I got placed at the same hotel again, I would be likely to return, if only for the convenience.
(3)Josh H.
I ordered the am old fashioned, a Caesar salad, and the mac and cheese. My drink was not properly made. Not bad, but certainly not good. The salad was bland at best and the croutons were flavorless. These could have been forgiven if it weren't for the entree. It was one of the saltiest things that I have ever attempted to eat. A few bites in and I had to stop (despite the fact that I was starving). I had to complain to the manager and my drink and meal was comped (I sure as hell wasn't going to pay for a meal that I didn't eat). Even though I could have gotten another, I was completely uninterested. From my booth with a window to the kitchen I could see more flies than I could count. I'm really surprised that they haven't been slapped with a penalty. That really should have been my sign to leave. Service was slow, even for a Friday. It took forever for our drinks to come out and to have our order taken. I think this goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. I will NEVER go back to Sprecher's, since this is the WORST restaurant experience I have ever had.
(1)Ann S.
We visited Sprecher's last night and left feeling dissatisfied. We each had a burger and the clam chowder and split a side of onion rings. The onion rings were very good. However the rest was not. The soup arrived somewhere between lukewarm and hot. Not cold enough to complain, but not really soup temp. We were not offered water or given a napkin. We had to ask for that when our burgers arrived. We also had to ask for condiments. When they brought the ketchup (for two burgers and onion rings it was only a small container with a couple tablespoons in it. When I asked for more, the server acted like that was unreasonable. The burgers were also less than hot and served on a huge thick bun which made them very hard to eat. We ordered a second beer and that must have been served in a glass with cleaning residue as there was an off taste to it. The restaurant was cold and everytime a smoker stepped out to the patio we were hit with a blast of 5 degree air. Overall - we will not go back there.
(2)Rachel K.
The food here was TERRIBLE. Really, Really bad. We had ceviche. It tasted like ketchup with chunks. I had shrimp, which was very over cooked. My husband had a hamburger which he ordered medium, but was very well done. My friend had chicken lettuce wraps, the chicken was dry and over cooked. The place was empty. I can see how the patio would be nice on a pretty night, but it was too hot to sit outside so we were stuck inside, which is like any other chain restaurant in America. The beer was fine. The service was good. Would NEVER GO BACK.
(1)Zack P.
Sprecher's restaurant just opened off greenway blvd. They serve the well known Sprecher's brand of beer and root beer. I ordered the 8 oz fillet mignon with house salad, sprecher's beer cheese potatoes and grilled asparagus. The house salad was everything I was looking for with mixed greens, bacon and some cheese. The croutons were even delicious. When the steak arrived I was expecting the sides to be along the sides of the plate but was surprised and actually impressed tontine they had made a nice layered arrangement out of the items i ordered. Presentation was great and the food was outstanding. They use a wood fire grill which gives the steak an amazing earthy flavor. There is a sweet brown 'juos' I suppose it would be called that comes with it. The potatoes are like a cheese scalloped but better. The beer i drank was the heffe and it was quite nice and in large quantity for 3.50 during happy hour. Finally for dessert I got what they call a 'mini' creme brûlée for 3$. Thisnis actually a pretty good sized dish much larger that the bite size I was expecting. It was not overdone and tasted great. Seriously a steal at 3 dollars!
(5)Deidra T.
Went there on a Sunday afternoon for the first time. All of the tap beers were $1 off and all of the appetizers were $6, so that was a plus. They had a great selection of stuff on tap from Belgian triples to a fruity porter, so if you like beer, there will be something you'll enjoy. Waitstaff/bartenders were really friendly and the food arrived in a timely manner. The cheese plate had very generous portions and came with capers, kalamata olives, and blueberry jam. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing (well, there weren't too many people there on a Sunday afternoon). If you like the Dane but want to try something different, check this place out!
(4)Goober G.
Stopped by for a beer. Outdoor bartenders were sort of inattentive and just not very good at tending bar in general. Beer is just o.k. It was nice weather though, and nice to be outside.
(2)Steve A.
good food, good service, had a nice time with son, daughter-in-law and spouse on 10/12. Easy place to hold a conversation over dinner.
(4)C M.
My husband and I went to Sprecher's for the first time tonight. We had put off going for a while (to some extent because of poor reviews on Yelp) but went finally. It was "burger and beer night" so my husband got a burger and rather large beer for $8--amazing deal. He was very happy with the burger. I had a big salad with chicken which was also good. All the ingredients were fresh and the dressing was good. Service was attentive. The food took a little bit longer than expected but within normal range.
(4)Kay E.
The only reason this restaurant is getting two stars is because of their great outdoor patio. Otherwise the food wasn't very good and the service was very poor. However, I think this restaurant has potential they have a good menu if they could get someone to cook the items well. I will return, but probably just for a drink on the patio.
(2)BD K.
I've been to Sprecher's quite a few times now since they've opened and I've never really been disappointed. As a big fan of the brewery I was excited to hear a restaurant serving their beers was opening in my area, if only for the opportunity to get Black Bavarian on tap. In fact I'd probably just keep coming back for that alone but fortunately there are few other things they offer on top of one of my favorite beers ever. The first few times I was meeting my father for lunch on Fridays, usually a bit later in the afternoon as I tend to get off work around 1. My father especially likes the lunch salad and soup AYCE special and frankly all you'd ever need to do to get his undying devotion is offer him anchovies on the side of his Caesar salad. Sprecher's does this, hence our repeated returns. I like their combo specials and usually get the chicken wrap with their house salad. My only complaint is the wraps are always open-ended and sometimes these can devolve into a hell of a mess. The place always seems to be packed for lunch but since we usually arrive a bit later we tend to catch the tail end of the rush. That sometimes means the service is a bit slow as we might catch a shift change or something, but overall I've never had any issues worth getting worked up over. The lunch prices were probably a dollar or two higher than I'd pay normally but nothing egregious. I could see it being loud if we were at the tables in the middle of the room but we've always been seated in the booths along the walls. After getting used to the lunch atmosphere it was a bit different to come here later at night for dinner. The bar area gets livelier but the dining area can be a bit empty depending on the night. I definitely like coming here when I can enjoy a Black Bavarian or two - it's one of my favorite beers ever and finding it on tap somewhere is always a treat. Once I did experience a soapy glass but the bartender was quick in getting me a replacement. One of these days I might just try one of the other Sprecher beers but as of now my thirst for Black Bavarian has not been slaked. The burgers are quite good - I last had half of my sister's BBQ burger which completely invalidated my "healthy" wrap choice. I also recommend the chicken sandwich, which pairs bacon and gouda with a tasty mustard, and also the turkey, bacon and guac sandwich. I've never tried the Friday fish fry but a friend of mine seemed to like it when he ordered it. I have had the brewpub tacos, deep fried tilapia with an interesting spicy slaw. They're not too bad at all despite the fact I'm not usually a fan of the fried variant. The sides are usually good. My default choice is always the sweet potato fries which are crinkle-cut and dusted with a bit of sugar. The beer cheese potatoes aren't bad either but depending on the entree can be a bit too much. One of these days I'll try the sauerbraten or the schnitzel but it hasn't happened yet. Dinner prices are more in line with expectations and the prices for the beer ($5 for a stein, $4 during happy hour) are a steal. The quality of service has always been great for dinner and I can't recall a time that was less than satisfactory, so it's become one of my favored dinner destinations in the area.
(3)Melissa J.
They have an awesome outdoor patio, but the food is so-so, and eac time we go there, they mess up the order somehow. But, location, location location and on a nice day, its nice to sit outside for lunch.
(3)Dave J.
Not great but not bad either. I like the smell of the wood fire and our service was decent. We'll be back but it won't be a priority.
(3)Megan A.
Went here with a couple of friends a few weeks ago. We all enjoyed what we ordered - I got the margherita flatbread (delicious!!), another person got a seafood salad, and another got the chicken special. I also ordered a side of fries, which I liked - I think they might be beer-battered, I forgot to ask. They have some of their non-alcoholic beverages on tap, but even the cherry cola I ordered came with a nice big frosted mug. Next time, I want to try the root beer on tap, it must be awesome! It had a nice atmosphere, not too loud (or too quiet) to have a real conversation. Friendly, helpful waitress. I live about a half hour away, but I'll be planning another visit here sometime soon!
(4)jennie b.
Ok food, ok atmosphere in Middleton
(3)rebecca s.
great ambiance, good beer, not great food.
(3)Thomas H.
Checked out the new Sprecher's Restaurant the other week for dinner with family. We were pleasantly surprised. Upon pulling up there were a ton of cars - we thought there would be a wait, but once inside it didn't seem that crowded and we were seated right away. We suspected the outside patio contained most of the people to go with all the cars we saw. The had a decent assortment of Sprecher beers and an equally as good selection of sodas. I got the root beer which was a bit small but very good. Our waitress was really nice and friendly and the menu had a good selection. The prices were fair - not real cheap or expensive. I had the Cajun Pasta. It was a very good portion and had good number of shrimp and andouille pieces. (I hate it when it says shrimp and you get like two). The only complaint was that it wasn't very spicy - but then I like it pretty hot. Wifey had the Steak and Wedge and mom had the steak sandwich. Both were very happy with the food with the exception of the "Sprecher beer cheese potatoes' - these were pretty flat and tasteless. Over all we enjoyed the dinner and plan on coming back again soon.
(4)Drew B.
Sat at the bar, had a burger with a fried egg on it and their own brewed beer. It was pretty good. Bartender lived in my home town at one point... more than 1900 miles away. Decor is so so, but the food and beer was excellent. Good prices too.
(4)Danielle B.
Womp womp. Just stopped in here. Was seated in the bar and waited for 15 minutes without so much as a glance from the five waitstaff and bartender who were in the bar bar area at the time. Disappointed..have been wanting to stop in for a long time.
(1)Melissa P.
The service was absolutely terrible. The restaurant was half empty when we arrived yet our waitress managed to mix up our drinks and mess up 2 of the orders in our party of four. We notified the waitress and she said she would "check right on it" yet she took an order for a table of six and checked on another table before telling the manager our meal was wrong. Those in our party that had our correct meals were half done before the manager came over to say the flat breads we order would be out soon. He saw we were upset and gave a round of beers to those who were still waiting to eat. After the meal the waitress came over and curtly said, "Sorry, I'm busy." and then walked away. I waitressed for ten years, and if she can't handle the slow Sunday night she needs to switch careers. The food overall was ok. Not great, not terrible.
(1)Amanda S.
I've been to Sprecher's a number of times; sometimes I'm impressed, sometimes underwhelmed. Service tends to be slow and unfriendly, though not bad. Ambiance is pub-like, as is the food selection. It's fairly dark and can be loud, much like other pubs I've been to. The food, however, varies greatly in quality. My first visit, I got some delicious fish tacos and thought I'd found a new favorite spot. Subsequent visits have been increasingly worse. Most recently, I got Beer-battered fish and chips that were more batter than fish. Also,the menu did not specify what kind of fish it was, and the fries were limp and tasteless. My companion got the Reuben bites, which, though tasty, resembled deep fried pink goo. For the price of the food, I would expect higher quality.
(2)S T.
This place is hard to find because it's hidden in an office park next to a corn field. Great bar/restaurant with an out side patio that has bar and restaurant seating . No cover live band on the sat I went but no seating because it was packed. $ 3 drink specials between 9pm and 11pm with a band and the beer was good. Great tap options with the good beer no miller or bud stuff. I can see why this is a cool local spot. The food looked and smelled great but we just came from dinner for drinks. Tables with fire pits to eat at or the bigger communal fire pit with deck chairs to relax around is where we ended up because the Bar was packed. This place was cool so check it out.
(4)Jeff L.
I"ve eaten at the Sprecher's in Madison about a half dozen times and at the Sprecher's in Wisconsin Dells once. I have found the food to be solidly good but not great. I usually order the Schnitzel. I was in for dinner last night, and I ordered the sauerbraten over spaetzle. My associate ordered the Friday fish fry. We arrived about 7 and they were VERY busy and we waited about 30 minutes before we found a place at the bar. And dinner was solidly good but not great. They have an excellent selection of Sprecher beers on tap. Sprecher special amber is one of my particular favorite beers. I had an amber and also a seasonal Winter Brew, which was also good. So I recommend Sprechers as being solidly good but not great, with a good menu selection and a great beer selection.
(4)Sherry C.
Stopped in after finding out that I had friends hanging out here for the evening, I have to say that I will definitely go back, I really like the atmosphere, and the fact that they have a really nice outside patio is a major plus... The drink selection was great and bar staff was really friendly.. Sat out on the patio for dinner to enjoy the music that was playing... The meal was excellent and the wine was ok...
(5)Julie H.
Not a great experience. My husband and I stopped in to Sprecher's for a sort of post-Memorial Day/back to work after a long weekend treat. The wait staff is friendly but I think we were very rushed. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms to start - Chef "Mic" (as in Microwave) did not get all of them as hot as they should have been. I wondered in what freezer lane of Costco they were found. Also, our server forgot to bring the little plates - not a huge glitch but I wondered what else would go not-so-right. Well, that was dinner. Decided on the spur of the moment to get comfort food - meatloaf, mashed potatoes and "creamed corn." The corn actually was whole kernel with some semblence of cream sauce, which was ok-tasting but not hoopla. I am not sure what flavor was in the potatoes, that were under the two thinnish slices of meatloaf. I could tell by the "stiffness" on top of the slices that the meatloaf - perhaps the entire plate - had been sitting a long time and zapped for heat. yarny breaded onion whatever-they-were didn't do anything to cover that up. We sat on the patio, which we normally like there, but were seated just under a speaker at the edge of the gazebo that covers the bar. I'm not "old" but can only take so much Z104 during dinner. Once we were done, took forever to get our bill and a take-home box for the leftovers. Would have been an OK instead of really not-great experience if it hadn't been so expensive. Not such a treat. Has been better other times we've been there.
(2)Alex S.
Beer is pretty good, but last time service was bad.
(3)Kara D.
I went last night with my mom and fiancee to celebrate mine and my fiancee's birthdays. We got there right around 6, so there was a 30 minute wait. However, the bar outside was open and we were served beers fairly quickly. Plus- the beers were $3 on tap for happy hour! I was a big fan of the Amber beer. When we were seated, our waiter was quick, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. My mom and I were torn between dishes and he was able to tell us about them and recommend his favorites. I thought the food came out fairly quick. I got the schnitzel (hey, don't get many chances to try that in Madison!) and was pretty pleased. The beer cheese potatoes were to die for, but there were a lot and they filled me up pretty quick. The schnitzel itself was good, but I felt the pork chops were flat and not very meaty. However, the lemon caper sauce that came with was very flavorful. My mom got the curry shrimp and loved her dish. I tried her asparagus and thought it was really crisp and fresh. My fiancee got the meatloaf, and while it was not the best he has ever had (that was in Detroit!), he still enjoyed it. We never felt we had to wait for our waiter long or try to flag him down for anything and overall I really enjoyed my experience. I definitely recommend sitting outside!
(4)Carolyn Z.
Awesome root beer. The best Reuben sandwich I have ever had in Madison. Good service on a quiet Tuesday night. All the other dishes on the table looked good, too. We will be back.
(4)steve d.
Love the $3 pints and $6 appetizers during happy hour. Friendly staff and a great bar to sit at. Try the $6 happy hour nachos.
(5)Katie H.
Great beer and great food but the best part is the outdoor patio! The summertime is the best time to visit Sprecher's in Madison. But for those colder nights they do have fire pits!
(5)Grace C.
I disagree with the people who say the food is terrible, but it's not fantastic either. The prices are also definitely not three-dollar-sign high. I got a half-size Sprecher's Wrap with a Caesar salad and sweet potato fries for around $10, and it was pretty good. The melted cheese (mozzarella, I think?) in the wrap was a bit rubbery, and the greens could've been fresher. It also didn't have any Ranch dressing, which I thought I saw on the menu, but I didn't ask about it so I might've read it wrong. The fries were good--I've always been a fan of the sweet-and-salty combination of sweet potato fries--but they didn't taste fresh, mostly in texture. The salad was actually the high point of my meal; the lettuce was fresh, the croutons were nice and crunchy, and the amount of dressing was perfect. Sprecher's isn't terrible, by any means, but it's not absolutely outstanding either. The atmosphere and service were lovely, and the price was great.
(3)Todd R.
The atmosphere was very nice, but the food was terrible. Everyone I was with disliked the food. It's very obvious that the kitchen staff is trying to be super cheap. The nachos had a LOT of chips, but almost no toppings. The meat dishes had almost no meat, but copious amounts of potatoes (which were horrible and bland) and cheap sides. The schnitzel was like eating breaded shoe leather. The flat breads were incredibly expensive for a mediocre frozen pizza like dish. The outdoor patio is awesome though. It's a great place to grab a drink, but you shouldn't get anything to eat unless you're really hard up.
(2)Marnie R.
3 stars for the food. Not superb, not horrible. They have a great selection of apps, salads, burgers and entrées. I had the Wedge and Steak salad and was very pleased. Roasted asparagus, beets and spiced pecans accompanied my 5 oz steak cooked to order and typical wedge salad. However I had been there previously and had the flat bread. It was drowning in an oil they put on the plate. I haven't been able to test the flat bread waters again. Hopefully they have changed it up. They get a fourth star for their patio alone. It's spacious, loaded with tables, a fire pit and they are even working on expanding the already huge patio to allow live bands in the summer. Three cheers for a great place to enjoy the summertime on the West Side!
(4)Brian D.
I would say the beer is decent, service good..... Food terrible. There is nothing "fresh" tasting about anything I have tried, and I have given them many a chance. The beer garden is really nice, but again the food straight off the Cisco truck and into the fryer. Too bad.
(2)Thaadd P.
I chose Sprechers for dinner - after hearing that the presidential debate was being watched there on Wednesday. We called ahead to confirm this was actually happening, but when we got there we were told it was a private party, but maybe a TV in the bar could be switched to it. Then we received the menus, and I got a (gluten free) beer that they do - which was the only good point of the evening (other than the waiter, who was very friendly and did his best...) Sprechers had been on a list (which I will try to remedy) of 'Gluten Free Friendly' restaurants, which it very much should not be. Not only was there no accommodation in the menu, the response from the chef conveyed through the waiter was 'tell us what you want, and we'll see what we can do'. At a restaurant the size of this place, they have not ONE stock dinner, salad, or even a list of safe sides? There were zero appetizers after discussing how the chips were made - that I could eat, and most of the sides were unsafe too. I don't expect a ton with 'non hippy' restaurants, but even Wendys has their crap together more than this place. It's not such a rare thing any more to request this, and the irony was their menu had signs for people with peanut allergies all around. I won't be going back - and I would suggest anyone else who needs more than off the shelf no thought food does as well.
(1)Jeff T.
Would not recommend this place. The management is arrogant and the food is mediocre. We have visited them annually for the past few years with a group of 15-20 following the Crazy Legs run in Madison. Everyone in our group (15) agreed to look for a different venue for next years event.
(1)Ryan C.
I frequent this restaurant. The food is very good, but there is room for improvement. I would say that this is an excellent place to grab a salad for lunch, their salads are outstanding and you get a good portion. The appetizers are also very good and although you'd never think to get it, I recommend the hot pretzel, it's the best you'll find anywhere. Last but not least, they have great beers that they brew themselves (try the Abbey Tripel or Hefeweizen). The service is also good most of the time. We've had an experience or two with a lackluster waiter or waitress, but they have an Asst Manager named Matt that is incredibly friendly and helpful and he will be quick to right any wrong you encounter. P.S. If you go there during the summer, they have an INCREDIBLE outdoor patio! A+ for that!
(3)Graham T.
Sat on the patio tonight and it was great. Happy hr until 7, cheap drinks and and large portions. very friendly wait staff. All together a perfect night. Hoping to go back before I leave town later this week
(4)Tripp K.
This was a very lively social place with some great atmosphere on the patio. The night life was so lively, that I actually never made it inside the restaurant and spent several hours outside. There was live music, a wonderful fireplace, and a large bar with big screen TVs showing the game. The food was good and there was a wide selection. The only problem that I had was that the didn't have any schnitzel on the night that I was there. I guess to me, that is like going to McDonalds and them telling you they don't have any Big Macs today. As such, I have to give them only 3 stars. If they had schnitzel and it was poor tasting, I would still have given them only a 4.
(3)Alyssa M.
I visited Sprechers on an unassuming Wednesday night and was quite impressed. My group reserved a table online first (unnecessary? Perhaps.) But there's always something to be said about being able to be seated the moment you walk in the door. The service throughout the night was fantastic- I don't have one complaint (and this is coming from a former server with a very critical eye). Sprecher's brews their own beer (and root beer). Not sure if it's done at the actual restaurant? Either way, my wheat brew was fantastic. It went perfectly with the giant plate of nachos that we chose for our appetizer. Without exaggerating this was THE biggest plate of nachos I've come across thus far- loaded with all kinds of goodies ! Yum! I ordered the grilled meatloaf as my entree...and although nothing beats mom's homemade loaf, I really, REALLY enjoyed my meal. The portion was more than enough and even though I'm not normally one to eat leftovers, I couldn't wait to give this another go around the next day. Finally, I just couldn't resist trying an orange cream float for desert. My overly full stomach said no, but by tastebuds screamed yes! It was the perfect ratio of ice cream to soda. An excellent cap to my unassuming Wednesday night at Sprecher's.
(4)Anthony P.
I went here with some coworkers while we were in Madison. It was very convenient, as we were staying across at the Comfort Suites. Their menu has a very wide selection; while it's nice to try to have something for everyone, it was a little all over the place. I'm pretty sure that this restaurant was going for a German theme, yet you can order all sorts of pasta dishes and sandwiches. In any event, the cheese curds and fettuccine alfredo with shrimp was enjoyable. If I got placed at the same hotel again, I would be likely to return, if only for the convenience.
(3)Josh H.
I ordered the am old fashioned, a Caesar salad, and the mac and cheese. My drink was not properly made. Not bad, but certainly not good. The salad was bland at best and the croutons were flavorless. These could have been forgiven if it weren't for the entree. It was one of the saltiest things that I have ever attempted to eat. A few bites in and I had to stop (despite the fact that I was starving). I had to complain to the manager and my drink and meal was comped (I sure as hell wasn't going to pay for a meal that I didn't eat). Even though I could have gotten another, I was completely uninterested. From my booth with a window to the kitchen I could see more flies than I could count. I'm really surprised that they haven't been slapped with a penalty. That really should have been my sign to leave. Service was slow, even for a Friday. It took forever for our drinks to come out and to have our order taken. I think this goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. I will NEVER go back to Sprecher's, since this is the WORST restaurant experience I have ever had.
(1)Ann S.
We visited Sprecher's last night and left feeling dissatisfied. We each had a burger and the clam chowder and split a side of onion rings. The onion rings were very good. However the rest was not. The soup arrived somewhere between lukewarm and hot. Not cold enough to complain, but not really soup temp. We were not offered water or given a napkin. We had to ask for that when our burgers arrived. We also had to ask for condiments. When they brought the ketchup (for two burgers and onion rings it was only a small container with a couple tablespoons in it. When I asked for more, the server acted like that was unreasonable. The burgers were also less than hot and served on a huge thick bun which made them very hard to eat. We ordered a second beer and that must have been served in a glass with cleaning residue as there was an off taste to it. The restaurant was cold and everytime a smoker stepped out to the patio we were hit with a blast of 5 degree air. Overall - we will not go back there.
(2)Deidra T.
Went there on a Sunday afternoon for the first time. All of the tap beers were $1 off and all of the appetizers were $6, so that was a plus. They had a great selection of stuff on tap from Belgian triples to a fruity porter, so if you like beer, there will be something you'll enjoy. Waitstaff/bartenders were really friendly and the food arrived in a timely manner. The cheese plate had very generous portions and came with capers, kalamata olives, and blueberry jam. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing (well, there weren't too many people there on a Sunday afternoon). If you like the Dane but want to try something different, check this place out!
(4)Zack P.
Sprecher's restaurant just opened off greenway blvd. They serve the well known Sprecher's brand of beer and root beer. I ordered the 8 oz fillet mignon with house salad, sprecher's beer cheese potatoes and grilled asparagus. The house salad was everything I was looking for with mixed greens, bacon and some cheese. The croutons were even delicious. When the steak arrived I was expecting the sides to be along the sides of the plate but was surprised and actually impressed tontine they had made a nice layered arrangement out of the items i ordered. Presentation was great and the food was outstanding. They use a wood fire grill which gives the steak an amazing earthy flavor. There is a sweet brown 'juos' I suppose it would be called that comes with it. The potatoes are like a cheese scalloped but better. The beer i drank was the heffe and it was quite nice and in large quantity for 3.50 during happy hour. Finally for dessert I got what they call a 'mini' creme brûlée for 3$. Thisnis actually a pretty good sized dish much larger that the bite size I was expecting. It was not overdone and tasted great. Seriously a steal at 3 dollars!
(5)Goober G.
Stopped by for a beer. Outdoor bartenders were sort of inattentive and just not very good at tending bar in general. Beer is just o.k. It was nice weather though, and nice to be outside.
(2)Steve A.
good food, good service, had a nice time with son, daughter-in-law and spouse on 10/12. Easy place to hold a conversation over dinner.
(4)C M.
My husband and I went to Sprecher's for the first time tonight. We had put off going for a while (to some extent because of poor reviews on Yelp) but went finally. It was "burger and beer night" so my husband got a burger and rather large beer for $8--amazing deal. He was very happy with the burger. I had a big salad with chicken which was also good. All the ingredients were fresh and the dressing was good. Service was attentive. The food took a little bit longer than expected but within normal range.
(4)Kay E.
The only reason this restaurant is getting two stars is because of their great outdoor patio. Otherwise the food wasn't very good and the service was very poor. However, I think this restaurant has potential they have a good menu if they could get someone to cook the items well. I will return, but probably just for a drink on the patio.
(2)Rachel K.
The food here was TERRIBLE. Really, Really bad. We had ceviche. It tasted like ketchup with chunks. I had shrimp, which was very over cooked. My husband had a hamburger which he ordered medium, but was very well done. My friend had chicken lettuce wraps, the chicken was dry and over cooked. The place was empty. I can see how the patio would be nice on a pretty night, but it was too hot to sit outside so we were stuck inside, which is like any other chain restaurant in America. The beer was fine. The service was good. Would NEVER GO BACK.
(1)Melissa J.
They have an awesome outdoor patio, but the food is so-so, and eac time we go there, they mess up the order somehow. But, location, location location and on a nice day, its nice to sit outside for lunch.
(3)BD K.
I've been to Sprecher's quite a few times now since they've opened and I've never really been disappointed. As a big fan of the brewery I was excited to hear a restaurant serving their beers was opening in my area, if only for the opportunity to get Black Bavarian on tap. In fact I'd probably just keep coming back for that alone but fortunately there are few other things they offer on top of one of my favorite beers ever. The first few times I was meeting my father for lunch on Fridays, usually a bit later in the afternoon as I tend to get off work around 1. My father especially likes the lunch salad and soup AYCE special and frankly all you'd ever need to do to get his undying devotion is offer him anchovies on the side of his Caesar salad. Sprecher's does this, hence our repeated returns. I like their combo specials and usually get the chicken wrap with their house salad. My only complaint is the wraps are always open-ended and sometimes these can devolve into a hell of a mess. The place always seems to be packed for lunch but since we usually arrive a bit later we tend to catch the tail end of the rush. That sometimes means the service is a bit slow as we might catch a shift change or something, but overall I've never had any issues worth getting worked up over. The lunch prices were probably a dollar or two higher than I'd pay normally but nothing egregious. I could see it being loud if we were at the tables in the middle of the room but we've always been seated in the booths along the walls. After getting used to the lunch atmosphere it was a bit different to come here later at night for dinner. The bar area gets livelier but the dining area can be a bit empty depending on the night. I definitely like coming here when I can enjoy a Black Bavarian or two - it's one of my favorite beers ever and finding it on tap somewhere is always a treat. Once I did experience a soapy glass but the bartender was quick in getting me a replacement. One of these days I might just try one of the other Sprecher beers but as of now my thirst for Black Bavarian has not been slaked. The burgers are quite good - I last had half of my sister's BBQ burger which completely invalidated my "healthy" wrap choice. I also recommend the chicken sandwich, which pairs bacon and gouda with a tasty mustard, and also the turkey, bacon and guac sandwich. I've never tried the Friday fish fry but a friend of mine seemed to like it when he ordered it. I have had the brewpub tacos, deep fried tilapia with an interesting spicy slaw. They're not too bad at all despite the fact I'm not usually a fan of the fried variant. The sides are usually good. My default choice is always the sweet potato fries which are crinkle-cut and dusted with a bit of sugar. The beer cheese potatoes aren't bad either but depending on the entree can be a bit too much. One of these days I'll try the sauerbraten or the schnitzel but it hasn't happened yet. Dinner prices are more in line with expectations and the prices for the beer ($5 for a stein, $4 during happy hour) are a steal. The quality of service has always been great for dinner and I can't recall a time that was less than satisfactory, so it's become one of my favored dinner destinations in the area.
(3)Dave J.
Not great but not bad either. I like the smell of the wood fire and our service was decent. We'll be back but it won't be a priority.
(3)Alex H.
Sprecher's is great for a large group; very accommodating wait staff, handled the big table well, and everyone found something on the menu that they liked. Food is pretty standard pub fare and was good, not impressive. I was not expecting to be blown away, and it did not disappoint. Their beers were hit or miss - I had the Scotch Ale and hated it, and someone else got the Hefe Weiss and raved about it. The root beer is delicious, and I plan to stick to that in the future.
(4)Stephanie M.
I wanted to love this place because they have tasty root beer and I was excited to sample the brewery in its home state. The beer - delicious. I had a Hefe Weiss - light and refreshing. The root beer tastes the same as if straight from the bottle. That is where the good part of the experience ends. The Thai lettuce wraps taste like a lean cuisine orange chicken dish was microwaved and served with butter lettuce. Horrible. Also had the Thursday rib special - half a rack of ribs with two sides. The onion rings leave more to be desired a slightly soggy. The jalapeño slaw is just dry cabbage and jalapeño. More appropriately named a cabbage salad. Come for the beer, and go to a different place for the food. Spechers I expected more from you. Revamp your food to match your delicious beer.
(2)Allie K.
We came here since we loved the specher soda and beer. The atmosphere and decor was really cool, it seemed like it would be a great place for big groups. The service was pretty good, but we were also one of the only tables there since it was 4:30 on a Sunday. The food was mediocre at best, if you're looking for a burger or pub food there are definitely better places in Madison.
(3)Ross C.
Restaurants on Madison's west side are booming. Sprechers was actually are third stop after 2 other places had waits of 30 and 60 minutes on a Thursday night. My gf and I both really enjoyed our salads (see pic). I gave the hard root beer a try since I love the regular stuff, but I wont be drinking that again. It was way to sweet. Service was fine. Our waitress was being trained in...I think her trainer could have backed off a little bit... All in all an enjoyable experience at this location which once housed Hulahans, rated Madison's dirtiest restaurant.
(3)John G.
I'm surprised I haven't reviewed Sprecher's yet because they are a hidden gem in some ways that people in the Madison area should frequent more often. Why do I say that? Their outdoor patio. It is fantastic, easily my favorite in Madison. It can occasionally get busy but of the dozen or so times I've been there it's usually very comfortable and not crowded. They have firepit tables, trickling ponds, a big lively central bar where people are always having a great time, TVs for the games, and a live band on most weekends. I think the spacing is crucial, everything just feels very open and welcoming. On a nice summer day where you want one of their delicious cool beverages and some food, they have you covered. The bands they have vary, but they always play at an appropriate conversation volume which I see many restaurants get wrong (I'm looking you Claddagh!). And the music is agreeable to a wide range in my opinion; often folk or bluesy stuff, not hard rock, metal, or rap. Not that there's anything wrong with those genres, but this planned choice makes them more accessible without a doubt. If you're a meat eater you'll want to get one of their burgers; nothing terribly exceptional but one of the better menu choices and you get your money's worth. Their cheese curds, nachos, and other bar style appetizers are reasonable too. That's about where I stop with the food train, because unfortunately most of the other dishes I've had were a big miss or overly expensive for my budget. Burgers and Apps will keep you in the $10-12 or less per item range, but most dinners are $15 and up, so the bill gets high fast. And at that price I'd like to be wow'd a bit more. Everything on their menu sounds tasty, but the execution in my experience has just been off. And friends have echoed this as well so it's not just my own interpretations. Service can be good at times or just ok, I'd like to see more consistency on that end but the last few times I've been have been positive. Sometimes it seems like they have too many people staffed, looking bored or wandering around aimlessly when my party is sitting waiting for drinks/food or a table. Orders have been occasionally wrong, but again nothing recently on that front. These are easily improvable areas, they seem to be on the right track, and nothing has been terrible so I'm happy to keep returning for that beautiful patio. That's the gist of it, if you haven't been please make a point to get there before the summer is over. The patio is just fantastic, and while parts of the inside are nice too, the outdoor section is just something you can't miss.
(3)Molly H.
We just hosted my Dad's surprise 70th Birthday party at Sprecher's and I have to say, from the get go, everyone we worked with was over the top accommodating and such a pleasure. Planning this event from the West Coast could have been very challenging, however, I felt such at ease walking into the place on that afternoon. Angie, our waitress, was on point with every request and such a pleasure to work with. The appetizers were great, and due to a restricted medical diet, they had a great selection of vegetarian options! I highly recommend this place for casual drinks, get togethers with family, or to listen to the live music! We cannot thank you all enough for such a wonderful day that my Dad will remember forever!
(5)Deb S.
We really enjoyed our lunch here at Sprecher's. The beer flight was Huge! but the choices were ice cold and flavorful. I had a wonderful burger (medium, touch of pink within) on a soft delicious brioche bun. My daughter had the beer cheese soup and both were dynamite. I would skip on the sweet potato fries next time - soggy and bland. But the burger was so good, I didn't care. There's outdoor seating in good weather and TV's in the bar area. Their homemade root beer and sorbet made the most delicious float I've ever ever had. Don't miss it!
(4)Kelly F.
Sprecher always sounds like a good idea, and I always go in with high hopes only to leave feeling slightly disappointed with the food. The menu has a great variety and everything sounds good, but when you get your food it's always just okay...nothing special or memorable. I go here for the atmosphere more than anything. The outdoor area is super nice. There are tons of tables with comfortable seating including some with fire pits in the middle. The outdoor bar has huge TVs and fans. It's a really cool place to hang out and great for groups! Did I mention that the happy hour prices are amazing? $3 for a beer! They have lots unique drink options. The alcoholic ginger beer is very good and refreshing on a hot summer day. The alcoholic root beer isn't very good; I wouldn't order it again.
(3)Jack D.
The ambiance was excellent and the ouside seating had a lot to offer. Unfortunately, the service was poor. It took nearly 40min for our server to take our order. In fact, another waiter had to step in and take our order. Once the food came it was cold and flavorless and the bacon was leathery. Bottom line, drinks on the patio are a great idea, skip the food.
(2)PF A.
The kitschy German decor not withstanding, the food and beer are both very Wisconsin. From the various flavor cheese curds, to all the locally sourced foods, to the Milwaukee brewed craft beers on draft, this restaurant is a slice of local color. Every night there are different happy hour specials, live entertainment on the weekends, and trivia Monday's and Wednesday's. The servers were helpful, friendly and prompt!
(5)Kellie K.
The atmosphere of the outdoor patio was nice but the food and the service left a lot to be desired. We had to ask for water 3 times. My husband ordered the prime rib special - medium. It came out with a heat lamp induced crust on the top and was well done. No pink at all. He never received the soup that came with the meal even with a reminder. Service was very slow. 4 of the 5 meals at the table required catsup (burgers, fries, etc). It was not provided. Had to ask twice for it. Finally arrived 10 minutes after the food. Fries that came out limp to begin with were just nasty by that point. BBQ chicken flat bread was very unimpressive. Kids Mac and Cheese was from a box and had that lumpy and sticky look that it gets when you re-heat it. It's really too bad - such a great outdoor area but service and 5 bad meals in one sitting will keep us away.
(1)Nikole C.
I have been here a few times in the past and had a great time. But this time my experience was so-so. We came to enjoy the happy hour specials, but I didn't know you could only get those sitting in the bar area. We were seated at a table, but I unfortunately asked to move as we came here for those specials. I felt bad, but our waiter was very nice and understanding. If only he was our waiter at the bar, too. The guy manning the bar must have been trying to leave, because he didn't acknowledge us for at least five minutes. He kept counting his drawer and didn't bother to look up or tell us it would been just a second until he could help us. After he finished counting the drawer, he disappeared for another couple minutes and we were still without a drink. Finally after about ten minutes, we got a beer and ordered some nachos. Great deal on the nachos! Huge serving with all fresh ingredients. I wish it would have been served with salsa, but we didn't expect such a huge portion for only six bucks so I can't complain too much. The draft beers all seemed a little watery. Not bad, but lacking a little flavor. I ordered a mixed drink after that, which was as expected. After our initial encounter with the ninja bartender, we had good service. The two guys who came to take over for the night were very friendly and seemed to have a few regulars, so they must be doing something right.. And they were attentive. Overall, a decent experience. Food was good, and I like the happy hour specials. I also work in the service industry. So I know what it's like to want to get out of there when your shift is up, but sometimes you just need to grin and bear it and take on another customer or two. Or at least acknowledge people sitting at the bar or in your area ... They do, after all, pay your bills ..
(3)Grant K.
The food and beer is a 4, but it's got one of the best patios in Madison. That's worth a 5.
(5)John K.
I came here with a former friend with benefits and it was a bad idea. To see here not to come here, but it loses a star because it did take some time to get the food out when it was empty late night. She spilled ranch over her cans. Beer is great.
(4)Anthony K.
Great atmosphere...a little dark and loud...but then what bar/resturant isn't. Food was great. My and my son's burger was a little well done, but that might have been due to the large business crowd that was there getting lunch and watching the Big 10 game. The staff is pleasing, polite, and professional. Kids like it due to their own brewed sodas. I would recommend this place.
(4)Deb F.
Disappointed. The cream soda my husband was looking forward to tasted watered down. He said his fish tacos had no flavor. The same for the sauerbraten. There was no hot sauce or salsa for the fish tacos. Tabasco sauce was offered but never delivered. My husband thought the name Sprechters would live up to their brand. There is no sense describing each parcel of food as it all was bland and we are not picky eaters. The only thing we got out of our $40 lunch was full. The wait staff was friendly. This is one of those "been there, no need to go back" places. They have a large menu but we have no interest in trying again. The dogs are getting my leftovers as I ate less than1/4 of my $16.99 meal.
(1)Logan P.
Food service is awful - wait staff is good. Meals came out in waves like they do in China. Food was blah. Schnitzel was dry as were the chicken tacos. Reuben bites were filled with corn beef hash which isn't as advertised. Great atmosphere but would not come back.
(1)Janice J.
We went to dinner here tonight. Perfect night for alfresco dining. Ordered drinks at the bar as we waited for our table. For appetizers we had the wings and cheese curds of course. Very good. 3 dipping sauces. For entrees I had the corkscrew pasta with chicken and spinach in an Alfredo sauce. Delicious! My husband had the jambalaya which was just spicy enough. My daughter had the buffalo chicken flatbread which was good. If it's nice try to eat outside. Service was very good!
(5)Bryon S.
Second visit to Sprecher in Madison. I've been to the brewery in Milwaukee a few times as well. Quality beer and food as well. First time, my wife and I had burgers during their burger and beer special during the week. Very tasty burgers. I had the one with cheese curds. Delicious. Our second visit brought us in for the Old Fashioned Fish Fry special for $12. Excellent deal. You get a choice between three drinks with your either baked or fried cod fish dinner. You can choose an old fashion, beer or soda. The fried fish dinner comes with three pieces of cod and a choice of two sides. I had onion rings and the jalapeño slaw. One of the best fried cod fish dinners I've ever had. The cod was perfectly deep fried with a nice crunchy batter. Loved it. My wife had the wedge salad along with a beer cheese soup. I had a taste of the soup and it was very tasty. She also had a brandy slush, which was delicious too. Great meal and price too. We'll be back. No wait either for a Friday night around 6pm.
(5)Lonnie M.
Have been to the west side location several times. Great wait staff and food. Never disappointed.
(5)Jacyn W.
Not a bad place for dinner. Service was good and prompt. The breeze on the patio made for a nice night.
(3)Kelsi B.
Stopped here for dinner after my boyfriend's graduation this past weekend. We stopped at 8 PM and it was still packed, which was kind of to be expected due to the amount of people in Madison for the weekend. However we were seated within 15 minutes of getting there so the wait wasn't too bad! Keeping my rating the same. However our service was much worse this time around. We barely saw our waitress and had a very difficult time tracking her down to order more drinks. We experienced better service from the guy who brought our food out, which he would've received our tip rather than our waitress. This time around I decided to try their fish fry and it was very good. The breading may have been a little too thick for my taste, but it wasn't very greasy and the actual batter had some yummy herbs in it to compliment the fish. You also get a fairly large serving (3 big-ish pieces of fish with fries and coleslaw). The fries were yummy, not a fan of the coleslaw but I generally don't like creamy coleslaws so whatever. Everyone else really liked their food too. This is always a solid place to stop and grab a bite to eat, just wish our service would've been better!
(4)Nichole C.
Food was great. I've always enjoyed their wing appetizer. The burger was tasty as well. Best things though was their nachos, AMAZING!!! Service was not good and would often disappear for a while with the checks. But great outdoor bad and seating area. Definitely coming back to hangout on the patio and eat some nachos
(4)Joshua B.
I've lived in Middleton close to 2.5 years now and can't believe I haven't ate here yet. My wife and I decided to go out for lunch with some family to Sprecher's Restaurant and Pub. We walked in and I was impressed with the ambience. It's very comfortable, low lighting, nice size booths. We started out with an appetizer. We ordered the nacho's. The nacho's are offered in two options, choice of chipotle chicken or black bean and beef chili, corn tortilla chips, cheese sauce, shredded lettuce, jalapeños, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. We had the black bean and beef chili option. It was very good, the serving was huge considering we had three people! My wife ordered the Mushroom and Swiss burger, topped with Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms and red wine gravy with lettuce, tomato and onion. She liked it, she also had a side of the French Onion soup instead of fries. The soup had way to much salt in it for our tastes. My father in law had the Breakfast burger, which comes with a Fried egg on top with bacon and cheddar, he chose hash browns as his side per recommendation on menu. He loved that burger and said the hash browns were a good touch. Now for the real food! If you've read my reviews you know I LOVE pulled pork sandwiches. My wife pointed out to me the pulled pork on the menu. I was instantly inclined to order this bad boy. The sandwich contained slow-roasted pulled pork, Sprecher's BBQ sauce, Gouda cheese, jalapeño slaw and crisp onion straws on a toasted onion bun. The bbq sauce was weak in my opinion. The rest of the sandwich was great. The Gouda cheese really finishes it off. I ordered a side of pub style fries that were seasoned. They were very good. The service here was really spot on, the refills kept coming and the waitress was very friendly and informative. Overall I'm happy to have finally tried Sprecher's. My wife and I will probably walk here in the summer versus the chains at Greenway Station. I recommend this place for any business lunches, nice dinners with family, or just catching up with friends. We will be back!
(4)Kate E.
Do not order the salads! I ordered the BBQ Chicken salad and was disappointed to find it made of mostly iceberg lettuce (with huge chunks of iceberg cores), cold bland chicken (was expecting warm grilled chicken) like that from a fast food restaurant, mealy tomatoes, and they forgot to top both mine and my mother's with the much anticipated onion strings. It came with cold stale bread and an overly-sweet bbq drizzle. I had previously been impressed with their appetizers and had hoped for a much better experience.
(1)Steve L.
It would be impossible for me to count the number of times I've been back to Sprecher since my review of 2010... maybe 50? 60? We visit here quite often for work-related functions and lunches. + Great venue and space; love the bar and the outdoor patio, in particular + Friendly staff - always very helpful and great to work with + Generally good beers - there are a few stinkers that I'm not as fond of, but for the most part, I enjoy them + You can grab some additional non-Sprecher beers if you're so inclined + Full bar as well + Free wifi + Good bathrooms - huge and always clean - It gets crazy busy in the summer and service suffers a bit + The food can be awesome at times - The food can be less than awesome at times - Food is a bit pricey + Summer patio often has live music/entertainment Where Sprecher's shines for me is with hosting larger functions. We have many the happy hour in their bar area, and we've used the back room to host more intimate events (as well as Fantasy Football drafts). If you've got a group of 20-40, this is your place. They really do an outstanding job with groups. For smaller groups (2-4 people), I've found the service can be hit or miss. Yes, the staff is friendly, but there have been several times (especially in the summer), where we absolutely couldn't flag anyone down for a water or drink refill. It's a nice problem to have to be so busy, but it is a bit frustrating when it's taking place. All things considered, Sprecher's is a solid 3.5 - 3.75 star venue. I like it. I like it a lot. I bumped them to 4-stars because they're so helpful and accommodating for group events.
(4)Ally M.
Service was terribly slow, I heard the manager say some nasty things to his employees, and the food was very mediocre. Can't believe we paid so much to have this experience.
(1)Nick G.
So want to like this place but every time it has been a disappointment. Beer is typically good and of course they have a decent selection but this and the patio are the only good things about this place. Food is well below average with minimal vegetation options. Service has been poor more times than not and for some reason, this place is always packed.
(2)Stephen F.
Some friends and I went here for dinner tonight. It was their first time, my second. The weather was great and we got to sit at a fire pit table on the patio. Our waitress was great and very attentive. Couldn't have asked for a better environment for dinner tonight. The food is pretty good too. (I had the ribs, a friend had the "Sconnie Burger.") My only complaint is in the quality of taste didn't match the price. Make sure to get a bottle of root beer when you're here!
(4)Ben A.
Black bean burger was dry and barely flirted with the idea of having a flavor. 911 burger was served rare (almost mooing) at the request of 'a little pink' and the pretzel bun had dried to a crisp under a warming lamp. The service was leaning towards mediocre. The appetizer came after the meal and the drink order materialized seconds before we were ready to leave. The best part was the beer, however I will not be returning to this establishment.
(1)Chris R.
The food is ok, on par or slightly better than other restaurants of this style. The waitstaff on a Friday night was competent and friendly, but the front of the house is a mess. There were at least four different people behind the hostess stand at various times, and none of them seemed to communicate with the others. When we put our name in, they asked for our phone number so they could call when a table is ready. This seems unnecessarily complicated, and we watched two other couples who arrived after us get seated before us. The waiting area is small and completely in view of the hostess stand...just call my name or come get me when you're ready to seat me! Or if that simple system, which has worked for ages, is too complicated to grasp, then invest in the pagers that other similar restaurants use. They do get points for having all of their beers on tap, but they only offer three of their sodas on tap. The others are in bottles. If it's a company store meant to highlight their products, why not have all of the sodas on tap too? For what it's worth, pick up a variety pack of their excellent sodas and pretty good beers elsewhere, and skip the brewpub to get better food and service elsewhere too.
(2)Joe H.
I was in Madison last weekend, got in late, and went to Sprecher's, mainly because it was right across the street from the hotel I was staying at. The place is typical pub-type atmosphere, which to say, a bit loud. But it was Friday night and there was a game on. Friendly hostess seated me right away. Waiter was cheerful, service was good. I ordered the Schnitzel (pork). It came a-la Holstein, which is to say it had a fried egg on top. The sauce on the side was a lemon-caper sauce, very good, though it reminded me a lot of Veal Piccata. I've never had Schnitzel which included capers, but there's always variances in recipes. They had a Hefewiessen beer on tap which was pretty good. I left well-satisfied. If you're looking for good food that isn't too expensive, Sprecher's is a good choice.
(4)Kristene C.
beautiful patio~ one of the best in town. Large, clean & with nice view. They have a captive audience on the West side of Madison for dining outdoors with live music or just nice quiet atmosphere with easy parking. Food is poor quality, cold & unhealthy. Service is very slow. And if you order a glass of wine....selection is very poor and that might be understandable since it is a brew pub, BUT ....they only serve wine in plastic cups. Water is served in glass, beer is served in glass, mixed drinks, also served in glass. BUT if you happen to want a glass of wine? you have to have it in a plastic cup. Wine is the only drink they serve in plastic cups.
(2)William W.
Fish was below average. Cachapas were terrible, had one bite and felt sick. Beer cheese soup was good. Probably stick to stick to their sodas and beer.
(1)Doug B.
The Flatbread pizza had less flavor than frozen pizza I can get at the grocery store. The other food we ordered was just passable. The service was sub par. We had to ask for napkins and silverware after the food was served. It took almost 10 minutes to get water we asked for. I would never come back.
(1)Dayna M.
Meh. This place is right up my alley and I really want to like it, but the food is subpar..it just is. I have gone to Sprechers 3 times, each time hoping to have a better experience (because I feel like it should be awesome..) but I am always disappointed. Their beer that I've tried is okay, nothing to write home about. I generally love Ambers and their Amber is decent. The wine is laughably overpriced.. Just don't. The 7 cheese curds that came as an appetizer were good, but this is Wisconsin.. We want more than 7 cheese curds. On my last visit, I got the fish and chips. The fish was unbelievably over seasoned, I could barely taste the fish! It seemed like they coated the fish itself in seasoning before they coated it in the batter that was also over seasoned... Bad!!!! Also, the breading was so sad, it fell off the fish every time I cut a piece of fish off. I had to work pretty hard to get a bite with both fish AND breading. I have made delicious fried fish at home, I know it's not that hard.. But apparently it is for Sprechers. I think I'm done giving this place chances. Too bad.
(1)Robb S.
Great food, reasonable lunch prices, an awesome ambience and friendly service. I've been here twice, once for a private party and again for a business lunch. Well done on both counts
(4)Priyanka V.
I went to this place for a b'day dinner. We had apple and walnut salad and a quinoa chickpea roll. It was okay. Not great, not bad ! My friends said that they liked the beer which is locally brewed. I don't drink :P I would say if you like drinking, give this place a shot :)
(3)Mark L.
Third time here in 4 years. Don't plan to come back. Worst brew pub in area. Asian noodle bowl tasted like water, no flavor at all. Medium rare (some pink) curd burger was served well done despite having the med/rare skewer in it. Burger didn't have much taste either and was pretty pricey for what you got. Fries were pretty boring. Quesadillas went uneaten, meh. Cheese curds were at best average. The soft pretzels were awesome and the beers are really good! Love the atmosphere! Service was fair at best, mother in law said her dish was awful and they barely said sorry and no discount or replacement. Mediocre food, overpricing and bad service means this place is just a bar to me now.
(2)Benjamin R.
NO VAPE, EVEN OUTSIDE ! I am no "power vaper", I just enjoy a little nicotine with my after work beverage. Pretty good Belgian tripel, really bad policy decision. We won't be back.
(1)A K.
I really enjoy going here. I like the service, the beer, and the atmosphere; especially the patio on warm days. However, I have been disappointed with the consistency of the food, lately. I go every few months and it seems even if I order the same thing they prepare it or present it differently each time I go... the changes aren't always for the best. The beer cheese soup was very watered down the last time I went. I remember having it in the past and wondering why I even ordered a main dish because the soup was filling. A few weeks ago the soup was watery and disappointing. I won't order that again. I'll definitely return, but if the food continues to go downhill, I will stop going and update my review.
(4)Emily S.
Drink the Cream Soda - don't eat the food. Seriously. I want to like this place - Sprecher Cream Soda is my favorite "craft" soda of all TIME. I lived in IL for 10 years and would seek it out in every grocery store I could. I was super excited when we moved back to the Madison area and lived near the Sprecher. **Disclaimer - I don't eat meat!** The first time we ate there was in the restaurant, where I ordered their version of Mac and Cheese. I have eaten a lot of Mac and Cheese in my day - this was nothing to write home about. In fact, it was pretty sad, considering Sprecher is a WI company and should specialize in WI things like CHEESE. The second time we had carryout, and I got a Margherita Flatbread. I kind of feel like it's hard to screw up pizza - but even this was lackluster. It was soggy and the ingredients were definitely not fresh. I wouldn't say it tasted bad, but it definitely didn't taste good. I can't speak for our guests, because they aren't going to admit that they didn't enjoy the meal we just fed them, but I know both of my husband's meals were "just okay" - with the exception of his Fish Dinner, which he did love. In MY opinion, the menu here has SO much promise - I just wish it was executed better.
(2)Ellen K.
Really wanted to like this place, the atmosphere is nice, but the food left a bad taste in my mouth. My husband and I ordered the fish fry, which tasted good at first but after a few bites it tasted very bland. We ordered "cachapas" which are piles of "pork" and lettuce on top of a soggy corn patty. They smelled spoiled and one bite was more than enough to make me feel sick to my stomach. We left without getting the root beer floats we were both looking forward to.
(1)Meridith G.
Service was okay. Food was okay. Husband had the fish fry and he said it was good. My burger was not freshly made like the menu says. My bun was very stale
(2)Tina Z.
If you like pub food, this is your place. The service is slow because the place is packed. The food is pub food and not the best i've had. I did try the low cal homemade root beer, but even that was not the best. All in all, I will pass next time, but pub food is not my thing.
(3)Danielle B.
God, the food here is terrible. Just awful. Drinks and happy hour specials are decent, but don't even bother eating here.
(2)Sarah M.
Stopped in because we heard they had good food. Enjoyed our pretzel appetizer with three different dipping sauces but our burgers were greatly lacking. Mine was greasy and had no flavor. Wouldn't come back for dinner but may try appetizers again.
(2)Joe C.
Email I sent Travis I just wanted to express my disappointment with the service. We were here two years ago passing through town and the service was terrible. We decided to stop again today since we were in town for a hockey tournament and unfortunately I have to say there was no improvement to the service, slow to be seated, slow to be waited upon and slow to get our food. Also, my wife 's potato soup was very watered down. I thought there would be improvement but not even close.
(1)Matthew F.
Stopped in for a quick beer last week with some friends on our way back from dinner, and to my surprise the bartender was beyond excellent, being my first time here I was interested in all the beers. She knew all the little tings and tangs about the various beers, she even game me a mini tasting to I could try, I had a citrusbomb, it was out of this world. Citrus hops, clean crisp finish, made me say wow out loud. Can't wait to return for a full flight!
(5)Margaret G.
If you want to wait 30 min to be seated after parties your size or larger have been seated before you even though you're first in line and then wait at least an hour for simple food (burgers and brats), then this is your place. Only redeeming factor was the band, Retro Specs.
(1)Kelsey B.
Awesome outdoor seating, I would come here just for that alone. There was live music as well which was great. The food is decent, the new thia summer options are really good and I would recommend those.
(4)Pauline J.
I'm ok on this place. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special. The root beer, of course, is delicious. The look of the restaurant is great. I'd rather buy the root beer from the store and eat elsewhere.
(2)Amber V.
Prices are good. My flatbread was pretty good however my boyfriends burger was overcooked. The waitress was a little inattentive and didn't ask how our food was until I was done eating. Also tried to charge an extra $1 for having a strawberry margarita vs regular which seemed odd considering they didn't use fresh strawberries. They did revise the bill and take it off though. Overall okay place. Might go back but won't go out of my way.
(3)Onotse I.
Sprecher's is a good standby for an after work happy hour. It is close to the office, has good happy hour specials, and decent service. This place also has a large selection of apps which are on special during the happy hour along with the drinks. On my most recent visit we ordered the deep fried muchrooms, cheese curds, chicken nachos, pretzel sticks and a bunch of other apps that were on the menu. None of the items were stand out but they weren't bad either. Because this place is so close to my office we find ourselves here a lot. It is especially nice in the summer as they have a great patio with live bands some nights.
(3)Susan F.
Stopped in for a quick bite/lunch. I tried the cheese curds and pretzels. At first I thought the cheese curds were okay, then I had cheese curds at Madison's. Sprecher's definitely need some help. Tasted just like a frozen appetizer. I had never had cheese curds before, so I thought it was just cheese curds in general. Pretzel sticks were pretty standard for pretzel sticks anywhere. Highlight of my meal was my beer! I had the Heffe Weiss, and it was seriously awesome. Loved it. I sat outside on the patio, on a beautiful day. That part was nice!
(3)Faye B.
I would say that my experience was more like 3 1/2 stars. On an impromptu trip to Wisconsin with my husband we made it a point to eat at the restaurant since I have heard of the root beer before so we were equally intrigues by the prospect of an eatery as well. Going here worked out perfectly since it was less than a mile from where we were staying in Middleton. Parking was ample and the place seemed to be hopping when we were there on a Saturday evening. Not overly crowded, but sounded busy. Wisconsinites sure love their cheese and beer (not to say that I have a problem with that). You can clearly see this incorporated into their menu. We had to have the fried cheese curds app (when in Rome) and we opted to get a beer cheese soup. Our server was even nice enough to suggest split bowls. We loved the apps. Our food on the other hand was just ok, it didn't sit so well with us the next day. I guess we don't have the iron constitutions of Wisconsinites mixing beer and cheese into all their food. I had a chicken marsala with portabella ravioli and my husband had the schnitzel. The marsala didn't really taste like one in the traditional sense, but it was drowning in a cheese sauce. I can't complain too much because I loved the portabella ravioli. My husband had the schnitzel and he liked the gravy it came with and the twist by putting an egg on top. He only wished it was a a little more runny. On the whole we had a good experience. My hubby loved the mix and match deal for the beer and the soda. He thought it was worth it so we got both. Our waiter was really nice and friendly and we got seated quickly. I wouldn't mind coming back.
(3)Rebecca L.
Mediocrity, Sprecher's is thy name. Aside from their retail line of delicious sodas (their root beer is top notch) and beers, they don't really have much going for them. The food is on par with what you would find at Chili's or TGIF; bland, unimaginative Americana. For Monday's happy hour specials, they have 1/2 priced apps (although the waitress told us they were $6; the check said they were 1/2 off. Very confusing.) The buffalo wings were buffalo wings in name only. I have no idea what was put in front of me. Neon orange wings that tasted like sweet and sour chicken? No thanks. The dipping trio (spinach and artichoke dip, hummus, and spicy crab dip) served with crostini and tortilla chips (remind me never to eat tortilla chips outside of TX and CA) were fairly unimpressive and oily. If you were to come to Sprecher's, I would recommend drinking your meal. Go elsewhere to satisfy your hunger.
(3)Eric G.
I really do enjoy this place, I come into Wisconsin for work every once and a while and this place is directly across the street from our hotel. They have a fantastic IPA and a few other decent beers. The fried cheese curds are delicious and ive heard the other food is ok also. The staff here is super friendly and always on top of their game. This is a regular stop for myself as well as others in my company who travel to madison for work.
(4)Leon G.
I would've given it 5 stars, but when I first walked in and sat on their really nice patio, for about 10 minutes the wait staff completely ignored me. I ended up sitting at the bar, and the bartender took my order right away. The food (5 stars): I ordered grilled chicken with quinoa and it was delicious! Overall, definitely a repeat.
(4)Kevin H.
After two years we decided to try this place again. Huge mistake!!!! Place was packed so we decided to sit outside. We were ignored for 20-30 minutes before we got our order put in. Do you waitress continued to tell us that our order will be right up. Well at hour and a half later we decided to walk out . 2 hours there waiting and no food along with being ignored ...horrible service ....the manager was shocked when we confronted him. I had originally put it that this is a great place for the great food and great service but now I take it back, one of the worst places to eat in Madison. We were also told by the manager that they were gutting our order to fill other orders. The manager sent us home with free food but we could not even eat it because it was disgusting. We will not return!!!
(1)Joe H.
Terrible customer service! Every time my wife and I try to go there, the seating host always greets other people before us even when we arrive first. I don't think I'll be going back.
(1)Bryan F.
Mediocre. The soda is great, but everything else misses the mark. I was disappointed the last couple of times here, but decided to give it one more shot. Beer cheese soup was more like a watery, premade broth. I could have sworn I found small still powdered cheese lumps in mine (i.e. this wasn't "homemade" but probably from a premix bag or something). Hamburger was just OK. Chicken wrap was tasteless. The servers, while earnest, seem to always be new on the job and miss the mark on offering solid, balanced, unobtrusive service (either too much or too little attention given to table). My soapbox thoughts of why a restaurant gets into this state? It's either the manager or restaurant owner or both. If you have a supportive owner who wants to make quality food using quality ingredients and a manager who really knows the restaurant business and can keep the staff on their toes, you can't go wrong.
(2)Brandon C.
I read a lot of the reviews before going there and was a bit nervous. After going, I'm not sure if I just went on a good day/time or what. Service was really good, the pretzels were amazing and the quesadilla was really good too. Being a fan of micro-brew beer i found the beer to be pretty good too. Overall it was a good experience and I will be back! One extra bonus is that on Sunday's it's happy hour all day, $3 beers and $6 apps!!!
(4)Erin B.
Not much to say that hasn't been said before. Food was good (not super great) but service was severely lacking. They have a variety of food options, and some good pics for lunch, but nothing overly awesome. The one plus: Sprecher's root beer on tap. Worth the trip for that. So good!
(3)Steve G.
Burger was cold charged a $1 for soda refills, service was horrible and non existent. Worst of all they doubled charged my amex tried calling them to get it fixed none seemed to care so I disputed it with amex instead. I wouldn't go back here. It's a shame I do live their beer/root beer Update: amex informed me that the location was unresponsive to their request and refunded me the double charge.
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