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Great Dane Pub
Rating Details »
2980 Cahill Main
Fitchburg, WI 53711
(608) 442-9000
Fitchburg, WI 53711
(608) 442-9000
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
11 reviews for Great Dane Pub
I've been going to the Great Dane for nearly 15 years, and that includes time spent living outside of WI. Whenever I'd return "home," even if just for a day or two, I always made it a point to grab a pint and some grub from the Dane.
Not sure what to add... The beers are decent, but I do agree that most are too sweet, and most are a touch on the flat side.
The food has always been excellent. I'm a huge fan of the fish and chips... So yummy. I've also had the burgers, brats, chicken, and a few salads. All have been great.
Service is typically excellent, even when the place is jam-packed. Good service means a lot, and the Dane consistently delivers.
Go with friends, sit outside, sample the beers, and try the fish and chips. You'll enjoy it!
I had driven up from Chicago for business and was in Madison for the day. The pub was right next to my hotel (Candlewood Suites) and I was looking to grab a bite to eat back in my hotel room. I drove over (but could actually walk) to the place. I had to look for the entrance since I drove over and parked in the strip mall parking lot. The pub was up two flights of stairs if you park in the strip mall parking lot therefore you had to look for the entrance. (After going up the stairs I realized there was a parking lot in the back that led right into the restaurant. A little stair climbing is good if you don't have any medical issues.)
I ordered a Southwestern Cobb salad it was pretty good. I didn't like the roasted peppers and the guacamole dressing but it was fresh and big. I ended up buying some ranch at the grocery store and used that. It was tasty, usually I like balsamic vinaigrette but the salad did not have Gorgonzola cheese (WI Cheddar) so I had to go with it.
The place was clean, inviting and had late hours which is welcomed on a Sunday night. They even had free games/Wii and happy hour.
I would come back and get beer and one of the heartier dishes when I return for business.
I like this Great Dane's bar a lot more than the one downtown. It's classy looking and spacious. It doesn't tend to get overcrowded with tons of college students or Badger game-goin' sports fans, either. I can get my coveted Great Dane beers just a few minutes from my house. All of that is wonderful.
I am not very fond of the restaurant part of this location. It reminds me a little bit of a hotel restaurant or something. Plus, if you're seated near the window, you see....the grand, sweeping parking lot. Sexy. The food is still good, of course, but the overall ambiance leaves something to be desired.
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I haven't been here for a meal, so I can't say anything about the dining experience offered here.
However, the billiard area upstairs is always fun and the patio outside is a nice place to enjoy one of their many tasty beers when the weather is cooperative.
It's also great to have a Dane closer to home, so I don't have to go all the way downtown just to have a pint with my mates.
My first experience in Madison, WI. Okay, so it was a very snowy and very, very cold day in Madison when I had arrived. My flight was delayed due to the fact that the airport was still plowing the runways. I checked into my garbage hotel and asked where I could get something to eat. The Great Dane was still open, he exclaimed. Whatever. I walked into the loneliest looking bar I had ever seen. Granted it was after midnight, but still, no one was there, the bartender was already cleaning up and the place didn't close for a couple more hours.
I asked for a menu. He said only the late night menu was available. I discovered that meant an assortment of cheeses done various ways. Do you like fried cheese balls? How about boiled cheese curds? Mac and Cheese? Get the idea? I didn't realize this was Wisconsin, cheese, dairyland, etc. Okay, so I am slow sometimes, it was cold. Anyway, I ordered the Mac and Cheese. They must have felt that the carb quotient was not high enough, so they threw a soft pretzel on top. ??? The pretzel was the best part of the dish. This is a brewery. So I figured, I needed a beer. I told the bartender to surprise me. He was not in the mood. He wanted to know what kind of beer did I like. I told him Heinekin. He presented me a shot glass of something, asked me to taste it. Oh yeah, beer. Let's be honest, beer is beer. I know, there are some that claim to know differences, like wine, sure. Beer is beer and wine is wine. You might swirl that stuff in your mouth and tell me about the oaky flavor, but that is as believable as the person who smokes a cigar and talks about the chocolate undertones. Eat a chocolate cigar, there are chocolate undertones. If you want a runny bowl of garlicky macaroni and cheese topped with a pretzel, this is the place!
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This place is fantastic.
First, the beer is amazing and never disappoints... the scotch ale and sugar river esb are my faves and the oatmeal stout gets rid of a hangover immediately!
The food is sooooo good, especially for how inexpensive it is. I am a vegetarian and i never run out of options... my faves.. the tomato bisque soup, grilled cheese, portabello quesadilla, veggie burrito (HUGE) and the wisconsin style cheddar mac.
This place has a great atmosphere as well. The downstairs dining room is nice and quiet (usually) with dark wood and roomy booths. the bar downstairs has a ton of seating with a tv in every corner. The upstairs has a Wii, pool tables, video games, and shuffle board. And and Fridays and Saturdays they have popular djs from the Madison area.
The Sunday brunch is also fantastic, with a full salad bar, nacho bar, omelet station, fresh fruit, patries, prime rib and anything else you could think of!
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As brewpubs go, I think this is the best in Madison. The food is great, and the beer is very good. While I prefer the downtown location for its atmosphere and garden seating, the Fitchburg location is a bit more convenient for a west-sider and parking is never a problem.
All of the Great Dane standard beers are good, although I've tasted a few "misses" in their seasonal and special varieties (like the watermelon wheat, yuck), but favorite/stand-by is the Scotch Ale.
The Dane is on my list of "must visits" when friends and family come to town.
The Great Dane's second location in Fitchburg has never disappointed me over the years. I'll always love the downtown location and all the hazy memories I have of it from my college years. However, I find myself in the suburbs these days and you can't always head downtown when you want to meet up with friends for a burger and a beer. The Fitchburg location of the Dane serves this purpose exceedingly well. Judging by the crowds that pack this place every night of the week, a lot of people feel this way. I first graced this establishment with my presence right after the opening, for New Years Eve 2002, and I've been a semi-regular ever since. During the summer there is not much more enjoyable than sitting out on the deck having a beer and a burger as the sun heads down on the horizon. During the cooler months the upstairs gaming area is a great place to meet up with friends for some pool or shuffleboard, and you can get food service up there as well.
I have always really enjoyed the food here. I put the buffalo burger at the top of my list city-wide. The mushroom gravy that comes with this at first seemed superfluous, because the buffalo burger was so perfectly seasoned that no condiment was required. That is not to say the gravy went to waste - it is astoundingly good with the fries. It is so good I have a hard time ordering anything else off the menu. However, I've branched out on occasion, and I can safely say that the Capital falafel, Mayan chicken wrap and Cajun chicken sandwich are all delicious. I used to always get the fries, and don't get me wrong I enjoyed them (especially with that gravy), but earlier this year I tried the Israeli cous cous side and this is now my go-to. The cous cous grains are larger than the traditional style, or at least the kind I make at home, but the seasoning is perfect.
As good as the food is, I really like the Fitchburg Dane because of the beer. The Great Dane is always known for coming up with a variety of delicious brews, and this is true wherever the location. What I like about the Fitchburg Dane is that they have several beers that are exclusive to the location. My personal favorite is the Sugar River ESB - it goes great with a meal or as a stand-alone. If you're looking for something more sessionable, try the Verruckte Stadt (Mad City auf Deutsch) German Pils. And if you're going for something rich and creamy, try the Stoner Oatmeal Stout. The beer is tapped using nitrogen, which gives it an exceptionally smooth mouthfeel.
The only drawbacks that I have with the Fitchburg Dane are almost all a result of the popularity of the place. Sometimes it's hard to find a parking spot in the nearby garage or on the street. Other times it's hard to even get a table, but the wait is usually not longer than the time it takes to have a beer at the bar, assuming there's room at the bar. The service is almost always good, but I've been upstairs and been forgotten once or twice when it's busy. The price is on the high side compared to some of the other similar places in Madison. And above all, it can be packed, just like the downtown location. I suppose you can chalk this up to being a victim of one's own success, and I certainly don't hold it against them.
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Though it's kind of far out, I prefer this to the downtown location for meals with visiting parents due to ease of parking and proximity to Copp's, where I can hope that aforementioned parents will buy me stuff.
Has a slightly different menu than the downtown location, including the delicious (vegetarian) Taliesin tart and the same tasty hummus.
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The Dane is one of my local hangouts. Where I go for a good meal when I have nowhere new to go. I almost always get a burger (they cook it to the actual mediumness that you want!).
Their beer is good, although with many microbrews, it is a little grainy. Love the crop circle wheat though.
Their fries are a little lacking. They over pepper/salt/spice them always and they typically aren't done too well. (I like'em crispy.)
Wait staff is pleasant, but the actual wait that it took to get a table is typically longer than i normally would wait.
My only real complaint (and the reason I gave it 4 stars) is that smoking is allowed there.
It's good, not great. Nothing to write home about. Varied menu items and service was good. I don't see why all the rave reviews and excitement over this place.
