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Categories: Breweries, American (Traditional), American (New)
123 E. Doty Street
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This place is legit. It was open on a Sunday night when Madison was closed across the street. Come here instead!
There are sweet leather couches to sit on, a long bar, pool tables and i believe there are regular tables as well. There are big screen TVs to watch games on. The music and sound system are solid. Played mostly hits from the nineties. Real nice.
The atmosphere is laid back cool. The service is attentive and not pushy.
I order their Oktoberfest beer. It was good. I also ordered fries and they were hot and crispy and delicious.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDATIONS.
Ambiance: kinda had the English pub thing going on
Beverages: I don't drink so the rootbeer was the highlight for me, but if you are a beer drinker they have a ton to choose from
Food: I had the chicken pot pie... it was pretty good... my wife had the beer can chicken, not too impressed there
Service: good
I had the fish fry and beer sampling here, so i can only review based on the quality of the food and not how great of a place this is to come after a couple of drinks for a late night snack. The fish here was on the greasy side and the batter was not well seasoned. All in all, this restaurant served a forgettable fish fry.
However, the beer selection here was not so bad. The atmosphere of the restaurant was also nice, with a pub type feel too it.
All in all, satisfactory beer selection with forgettable food, a place to be trashed and snack and get more trashed.
Good location, Good food with big portions. If that is what you want, then this is your place. They have a good selection of beer and appetizers as well.
The beer bread and honey butter were good, but the bread seemed a bit dry. I could have eaten the whole container of butter though... glad I didn't.
I wish I had the self control to not order the burger with a brat patty on top, and bacon on top, on a pretzel bun. It was delicious on so many levels... but my stomach was angry with me for that.
Sir -
I am a fan of your hefeweizen. I don't know its name, nor do I have any recollection of how much it cost. But I could care less about the latter issue because it was amazing and worth however many pennies I spent on it. Please send me a case of it at your earliest convenience.
Best,
Cadence
The Dane is always a great fall back when every other restaurant is packed; or when you crave some delicious pub grub! The food is typical Wisconsin cuisine but definitely above average. They brew their own beers, so depending on the season can differ, but are equally delicious. not to mention you can buy a jug of it to take home with you.
As with all restaurant around/near the square The Dane can fill up quickly on Friday/Saturday evenings. But the wait isn't terribly bad, especially if you can muscle up to the bar and satisfy your thirst while waiting.
back for a second time on business. I LOVE those habanero wings. Stayed for dinner and it was good. Bartenders and servers are cool. Just a really cool place with damn fine wings and good beer.
Beer selection is ample with quality beer. Above avg selection in quality of beer, however not… Read more »
up a hill, down a hill, up a hill, down a hill, along a lake, along another lake, up the capitol stairs, down the capitol stairs, through the arboretum (drive, trails, and all)
I need a beer and some cheese curds pronto!!!
Maybe this review is slightly affected by the fact that we were both starving and had been talking about all the beer we were looking forward to trying...but the cheese curds, the portabella sandwich, the sausage platter (i hear) and the four beers we tried were all phenomenal.
I've been to two branches of Great Dane for lunch,Downtown And Hilldale Mall,both good.I remember lunch at Hilldale being particularly good.Surprisingly they have outstanding onion soup.I was also impressed by the steamed bratwurst .The beer is solid if not that memorable.
I'm often in Madison for training and have always been looking for a place that I wouldn't find in Chicago. This is the place.
At first glance, I expected a Goose Island experience: good brews but mediocre pub food. Fortunately, this was not the case. The menu reads like a daily newspaper and after further inspection, this place was legit. It offered typical burgers and pub fare but start throwing in entrees like Cedar Planked Chive Buttered Salmon and Tandoori Chicken and you are just sucking up to the teacher! I ordered Mad City Mama's BBQ Meatloaf as the main entree and the Beer Battered Cheese Curds for starters. The Cheese Curds were just overglorified mini mozzarella sticks and were ok. The meatloaf however? Just like Big Mama alright! Okkkaaaaay! It was very delicious.
Another reason why the place is great to visit are their sampler packs where you can choose from 4 to 10 four oz samples of their brews. I got the ten pack, which was probably bad because I must have looked like that man who had a baby with all the food and beer.
Overall, a great experience. Too legit, too legit to quit. Hay haaaayyy! (No, I am not drunk while I'm writing this).
Good... not mind blowing.
Beer was probably the best part of it, and it's cool you could get it at Mallards games.
Not overwhelmingly amazing, though. I once won a $40 gift certificate and forgot to redeem it. Was not disappointed. Might be a sign.
Don't miss out on the beer bread and honey butter. Great variety on the menu. I could have easily gone overboard. Shared a Margarita Pizza - the crust wasn't my favorite, kind of thick, a little doughy for my taste -- so the pizza didn't rock my world, but there are other great entrees on the menu that I'm dying to go back and try.
Good bar food and micro brew beer. I had a brown ale and the catfish sandwich both were delightful. Nice building.
The food at Great Dane is some of the best "bar" food I've ever had! THe last time I went there, they had something new -- a "sustainable" burger. It was amazing, and I'd definitely recommend it--very flavorful, with most or all of the toppings locally sourced. Portabella sandwich is a great veggie option, and the other burgers I've had are very good too. Even the other dishes I tried that stayed away from traditional "bar food" such as pasta or enchiladas were pretty good (enchiladas better than pasta).
I'm not a beer connoisseur but they have a large selection of beers including ones they don't bew plus they have sample glasses of their brews. They also brew their own rootbeer which is super good.
Highly recommend their Sunday brunch buffet as well!
After spending a ridiculous amount of time searching for a restaurant that apparently didn't exist, we stumbled into the Great Dane exhausted, peeved and borderline crazed.
Almost like they sensed this, we were shown the way to a darling outdoor patio and brought us 2 of the Black Earth Porter, which was a super dark, rich beer that really hit the spot.
So then I order a cup of the Chicken Peanut Soup. Nice balance of peanut vs the other ingredients and enough flavour to stop my peanut craving that day. Then I went and ordered the fish tacos (which I do have one gripe about - don't list them on your menu as $2.50 each and then when I ask for 2 say "oh its a minimum of three". That's really stupid. At least change the menu to say "$7.50 for three and $2.50 each additional!")
Anyway the fish tacos were lovely, very fresh, full of cilantro and plump white fish. They also come with 2 sauces, a chipotle BBQ (which was too sweet and kind of overpowered the fish) and a habanero hellfire sauce. Can I get a "HOT DAMN!" for that sauce! Because, yeah, its pretty friggin hot! You have to know that I put the whole cup of sauce onto one taco, in a dimly lit area of the patio around 9 at night. Had I not been someone who eats incredibly hot peppers on a pretty regular basis, this sauce might have knocked me unconcious from the shock of how spicy it was. So bewarned! But I might come back just for that sauce, that's how freakin awesome it was.
A fantastic find - almost glad we couldnt find that other place! I'll be back!
My only complaint about the Great Dane Brewing company is that it made me miss my college days.
This is a wonderful little eatery that has nice, laid back vibe to it. Our server was wonderful and made sure that our beer glasses were full.
There is a beautiful outdoor seating area in the back and a beautifully decoded indoor area.
We had the boneless wing appetizer. The portions were generous and the sauce (while not hot) was quite tasty.
The burger that I had was juicy and delicious. The next time we are in Madison, we will be sure to stop back in.
I'm laughing as I write this as I've just come from this bar and had a great time! Great Dane Pub and Brewing is the kind of bar that I would make my neighborhood joynt if it was in my neighborhood.
Great Dane has been in business since 1994 and is the first brewery to open in Madison since 1966. The building is amazing (you know me and my love for old buildings!)- it is split between a Queen Ann style and a Victorian brick both looking to be from the early to mid 1800's. There is a historic plaque outside that explains that this was once a fine hotel in Madison. The remodeling showcases the interior brick walls, a mahogany bar and a rathskeller in which the beer is made. But the coolest spot? An outdoor garden with brick pavers and up lighting makes this one of the best al fresco dining areas in the city.
The bartender took care of me until my friends arrived- offering me samples of their local brewed goodness cuz I couldn't make up my mind. He knew all along just what I would like (sorry Dave- should have listened to you from the start!)
We moved to a table with the gang arrived and had some tasty appetizers and burgers. When in Wisconsin- do as they do so everything we had was laden with cheese- deep fried cheese curds, nachos buried in cheese and meat and even a cheddar melt burger with onions and cheese. Now this was calorie worthy grub!
Like playing pool or shuffleboard? They've got your game! And there is live music (so I am told) Thursday through Sunday. The staff is friendly and quick- keeping the beers flowing and the food coming.
Dinner for 6 was around $80. Cheap, cheap cheap. But fun.
And the best news of all? Walking distance from the hotel (although there is a parking garage next door) You can bet the next time I am in Madison- the Great Dan Pub will be on my list to visit!
Because of the high Yelp rating I was really looking forward to GDP&B, but was disappointed. Large portions, but quality was underwhelming. Agree with other reviewers about the beer - too sweet - often the case for brew pubs.
Still, I'll give GDP&B another chance.
I'm not particularly keen on their beer, but then again, I've not drank there in a while. However, this place serves some pretty damn tasty food and I have to say that they have the best damn Reuben sandwich I've had in Madison. Friends of mine have recommended the steak and they make them fairly decent if I remember right. Their burgers and nachos seem pretty popular around, but I've not had a chance to try them out fully yet.
The atmosphere is nice for a bar, not ridiculously noisy or trashy, yet pretty fun to be around.
Will need to go there more often before I can give a full review.
These beers are impressive. Most get above average ratings on Beer Advocate, including the two I sampled: Potter's Run IPA and the Devil's Lake Reed Lager. And they offer a ton on draft, including staples, seasonal and specialty brews.
The space is fun. Plenty of pool tables (by the hour!) and shuffleboard.
We didn't eat, so this rating is for the beer and bar only.
The Dane doesn't mess around when it comes to burgers. If you usually get the plain Pub burger, try the Dane burger sometime.
For those of us who like a lighter beer, go for the Crop Circle Wheat. It's light and tasty and it's great with a meal or by itself.
The service here is always excellent and the food is always good. Go to the Downtown Dane on a weekend night to see the REAL Madison. :)
Pub food but large portions and decent quality. I've never had BAD food there but I've never been overly impressed. Its like a chain but a little better.
As for the beer, I'll disagree with most and say overall its just 'ok'. Most of the beers are way too sweet for me. You can feel the sugar in your system after you leave.
Good for groups, clean, great patios and has good energy. Solid three stars which is one more than I would give a comparable local chain like TGI Fridays.
Fuck.
This growler from last week's jaunt is really great.
I guess if you get a growler of Crop Circle Wheat and let it sit in your fridge for a week it gains potency.
This is the Madison version of Chicago's Goose Island.
They brew their own on site. The one brew that…
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love it at first sight, even though i'm not a pub fan myself.
the atmosphere is warm and home-y, the place was bustling on a sunday noon but not excessively noisy. loved their menu that's printed like a newspaper; pretty unique (and relatively environmentally friendly!).
had a french toast for brunch; it was loaded with the creme thingee, syrup, sliced almond, and confectioner's sugar--too sweet for my taste. but it wasn't bad per se. friend has the aphrodite's omelette's (which i thought of ordering previously) which might have had some sort of veggies inside, looked good. the other friend ordered a sampler of 4 beers, for $6!!!! no wonder he's drinking even if at noon.
in short, while food and service was not particularly memorable there (typical diner/pub stuff), i had a pretty good time regardless. the staff was very laid-back (in a way), added to the environment, made me feel very... at home. maybe that's why i enjoyed this place even though the food wasn't award-winningly fantastic. and that goes to prove my point that a great restaurant serves more than just food.
For a pub, the Dane has some pretty good vegetarian options, clearly marked on their menu. I enjoy the falafel sandwich and the peanut stew. The mac and cheese, hot pretzels, and beer bread are also great comfort food options on those Wisconsin winter evenings. The veggie burgers USED to be great, but they've been replaced by Boca patties; the buns have similarly gone downhill from fresh to a more commercial substitute.
My beer-loving friends praise the Dane's beers, but I am not a beer drinker so I can't appreciate it. The cocktails are mediocre. I've also heard good things about the Sustain-a-burger (I think that's what it's called), but being vegetarian, I haven't tried it myself.
The desserts are tasty, but I'm usually too full after my meal to have them.
The Dane's patio garden in back is beautiful. Ask to sit outside if the weather is pleasant.
A brew pub with a "master brewer" in residence. Seasonals are worth a try.
I ate my average burger at lunch while the brewer walked his latest creation around to the staff. As a brewer myself, I was 'green with envy' as every new batch is like a new baby, and the first tasting has the magic of holding that newborn baby in your arms.
The blond dining waitress was a sweet girl next door stunner and the bartender was a regular joe. My kinda pub.
Tons of unoccupied regulation pool tables (properly swept) and where else can you get a "Wanna bone" T-shirt and play it off as a 'big dog' innuendo.
Next time I come back I'll get a 'to-go' container and test the TSA on their 3oz policy.
i'm a fan of the devil's lake red lager, which was surprisingly flat & bitter on my last visit. food's just okay--fried cheese curds, chicken wings & nachos were typical, burger a disappointment. that being said, i always somehow end up here, and i like it. it's probably been my most visited bar since moving to madison this past summer, so i kinda just dig it's familiarity. bartenders & staff are cute & helpful. capital square location makes the crowd less young & douchey. nice to have a new go to bar when you move, and this place will surely keep me bloated & tipsy.
Food is pretty fucking good. They do a decent burger, and the nachos are great. Enough for two - easily. Forgetting the beer part of the menu, this place is like TGI Friday's but with class, not packed with families, but with yuppies (or whatever passes for a yuppy in Madison).
Beer is pretty fucking good two. It's a brew pub, so there are a bajillion different kinds on tap. They've even got traditional cask ale, which is just like normal beer but served warm and flat. Just like they did it back in the day. You know, before fucking electricity was invented and everyone died from lame ass diseases.
The prices are not pretty fucking good. It's $4.50 a pint. That sucks. And they don't have cheap ass beers on tap, so if you're a broke as student and want to mix it up a bit to save a few bucks, well - you're fucked.
Also, for that pretty fucking good burger, prepare to pay like 10 bucks.
Great beer. Great food. Good service. Beautiful historic building. What more do you need?
The Great Dane is somewhere I make a habit of going to whenever I'm in Madison. Last time I was there for five days with my wife we ended up going twice.
The food is quite good. A simple but excellent treat is the soft pretzels. I have yet to have a bad meal at the Dane.
The beer is good. They have many choices that change over time. If you are a beer fan, they will have something to match your taste. They even make their own root beer and ginger ale. Both are amazing.
Great Dane has a great selection of micro-brews that changes regularly and a remarkably diverse menu that includes everything from burgers and brats, to chicken tikka masala and Africa peanut stew, to salads and pastas. I've never been disappointed by anything I've ordered, which includes at least one example of everything I just mentioned. The food really is amazingly good for a brew pub. The place gets crazy busy Thurs-Sat, but the wait is usually no more than half an hour for smaller parties. As far as brew pubs go, Great Dane is by far my favorite.
As a vegetarian, I love looking at a menu and seeing plenty of vegetarian options. These were even marked with a carrot - even better! The group of us came for the beer, and weren't disappointed. Many choices available.
Of course we started with the cheese curds, which to me seemed like mozzerella sticks but whatever, they were delicious and served with ranch. The mozzerella salad was pretty good - but I've had better. It came with tomatoes, red peppers, and asparagus and was a good size, but I prefer mine with less veggies. I also had to try the mac and cheese, which wasn't as creamy as homemade should be and served with a pretzel - talk about carb on carb overload!
The service was great and fast, especially for our table of 6 on Homecoming weekend.
I love the Great Dane. Here's the thing - the food is ok. Actually even good. But the beers are spectacular. Absolutely top notch. They should start giving a nobel prize for beer, and this brewmaster should get it.
And in a world where we waste European water by drinking Belgian beer in San Francisco, and deplete all our natural resources by shipping crates full of heavy beer bottles all over the globe, I think one of the most thoughtful environmental steps any beer-drinker can take is to drink local brews.
Think Globally - Drink Locally! It's my mantra. The Great Dane makes that more than easy.
Out in San Francisco we've got Trumer, Anchor, Lagunitas, Big Daddy, Boont, Biersch, Magnolia - heck, even Budweiser is brewed only 90 miles away. We've got lots of options.
And Madison, Wisconsin? What are its options? Well, Great Dane isn't the *only* local beer in Madison (this is Wisconsin after all - we know from beer in Wisconsin) - but it's the best.
Think Globally - Drink Great Dane!
This is a pretty solid place with decent beer. I used to get growlers here once in awhile and we like to gather here if we're back in town for a football game or something.
The back patio area is cool. Overall a nice brew pub in a good location.
I love this bar. There was a time in my life when I felt that I lived here.
This is as good as pub food gets. I have never had anything bad here and I have had almost everything on the menu. But, the real star is the house beer that they brew.
Many a non believer has become a beer drinker after trying the Peck's Pilsner. My personal favorite is the Velvet Hammer. Be warned, it is seasonal only. The pumpkin beer is also surprisingly good.
Here is my haiku in ode to the Dane.
Boy, I miss this bar.
Great beer, good friends, and hot nights.
Opps, I'm drunk again.
This bar is a must if you are ever in Madison Wisconsin.
I have used this bar for business clients and dates over and over again. It never gets old or disappoints.
Talent Level ? Hit or Miss. Best bring good company with you.
Dropped by for a late night dinner last Friday. Not really sure what the bar scene is like here, but I can vouch for a number of things on the menu.
I split an order of chicken tenders and pretzels. Yes. This place has pretzels offered as a menu item. While these were really good, the highlight of the dinner was the macaroni and cheese that was being eaten across the table from me. When I think of mac and cheese, I have the typical habit of imagining a blue box of processed foodstuff. This mac and chseese couldn't be further from that stuff. It's hard to explain if that is what you picture. But trust me and just try it. And yes, that wedge of goodness served up on top of the dish IS a hunk of cheese. MMM...cheese...Wisconsin...cholesterol...car ride back to Minneapolis.
In all fairness to the pretzels, I may be selling them a little short because I am not a huge fan of pretzels in general. Nevertheless, they were good.
I had the day off, it was 11a.m. so I went and picked this boy (whom I occasionally make out with on a regular basis) and we randomly drove from Chicago to Madison.
We arrived in Madison and went to the Great Dane and ordered every beer they had available, cheese curds, and the mac and cheese. - They were all awesome.
People were cool, bar was fun, it was also 2pm on a Monday so it was cool and quiet.
Get the mac and cheese - its made with otter creek cheddar - enough said - oh and there is the pretzel roll that comes on the side, but that is secondary to the cheesy goodness.
Cheese and beer - way better combo than peas and carrots if you ask me.
A Madison must. All of the food is great. The home brewed beers are amazing. Great atmosphere both late night and any time of the day. Only complaint is that it's sometimes very loud and can take over an hour to get food and get out. But it's worth it!
I'll make this short and sweet.
My first time for cheese curds, oh yes.
Red Ale on Nitro, love it love it love it.
Oktoberfest German meal special, are you kidding me... amazing.
Cute & friendly waitress... does it get any better?
I struggled with whether I should give the Great Dane 4 or 5 stars. 4.5 stars would be perfect. Damn you, Yelp! ;)
The Dane has been a consistent favorite of mine ever since I started going years and years ago. The menu doesn't change too often, so I've had the opportunity to sample quite a few dishes. Their burgers are top notch (particularly the buffalo burger that comes with a mushroom-red lager gravy...*drool*), the fries are excellent, the Big 10 burrito is enormous and packed with goodies, the peanut stew is hearty and flavorful, the grilled cheese is full of gooey wonderfulness, the Friday Night Fish Fry has the best Walleye ever; I could go on.
Two sad things: I deeply, DEEPLY miss the Salmon Orzo "salad." That was my favorite thing to get there, and now it's gone. :( Also, their fancier, more expensive entrees always *look* good, but they're sub-par compared to the normal, cheaper fare. I have always been disappointed with those dishes, so would recommend sticking to burgers and the like.
They have excellent microbrews. I'm especially fond of the German Pils. At $4-ish per pint for awesome beer that's brewed right there, you can hardly go wrong.
P.S. If you can manage to cram it in your already-too-full tummy, PLEASE try the Black & Tan Brownie. Split it with someone (you'll probably need to anyway, it's friggin' huge). So. Damn. Good.
If I was a beer drinker, this place would have five stars.
I love going to the Great Dane. Fun atmosphere(if a bit loud) and fantastic food. I haven't had a dissapointing meal here EVER. The waitstaff is friendly and know their stuff.
Great Fish Fry, delicious sandwiches(and fish tacos!), and desserts to drool over(two-spooners).
Madison, WI
Category: American (Traditional)
Fitchburg, WI
Category: Pubs
Madison, WI
Category: Nightlife
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