Blue Moon Bar & Grill

I've been a loyal customer at Blue Moon for quite a while now, and it’s always been one of my favorite spots for dinner and drinks before heading to a Badger Volleyball match. The vibe is always welcoming, and the staff are super friendly and attentive. Usually, the food is on point—especially the burgers and spicy chicken sandwich, which have always been full of flavor and really well done. I’ve brought friends and family here and everyone always leaves full and happy. On my most recent visit, though, things were just a little off. It was packed before the game (every table full!), so it’s understandable. The fries were a bit overcooked and the usually amazing onion rings were underdone and a little soggy—missing that crispy crunch we love. That said, the main dishes still delivered! Our table had the fish dinner (perfectly seasoned and flaky), the Reuben (huge and delicious), the fish sandwich (one of the best in Madison), and chicken strips (a bit cooler than expected but still solid). And the coleslaw and house-made tartar sauce? So good. Even with a few hiccups, the value here is outstanding. The food and drink prices are really reasonable, especially for the campus area. The staff worked hard to get everyone out to the game on time and still brought great energy despite the rush. Blue Moon is a true hidden gem near campus, and I’ll absolutely be back. Still highly recommend it!

I came here last week on Thursday for a burger with my girlfriend, we saw a lot of positive comments about the burgers on Facebook so we had to check it out. It was very busy with diners, however, the bar was just about empty with only two or three people and one bartender, an older gentleman who I assumed to be the owner or manager. We took a seat at the last 2-person table available, between the open kitchen/grill and the bar where we could see all the action. From what we could see, there was one waitress taking the orders for all the tables, and there were two runners taking the orders around. The waitress seemed slightly overwhelmed as she was juggling the upstairs and downstairs, which was maybe 15-20 tables in total, and it was BUSY. Despite the rush, we got service and our food fairly quickly and everyone was very kind in the interactions that were had. As for the food...we will definitely be back. I missed out on the Ribeye sliders special they had going on (which is on a rotating schedule) but I went for the Bleu Moon burger, my girlfriend had the Reuben, and we had some jalapeno poppers to start. Everything was awesome and well-prepared. Their prices were reasonable and the atmosphere was great for what we were looking for.

Cold beer, delicious food, reasonable prices and friendly personable staff. It can be hard to find a good place in Madison that isn’t pretentious but this place nails it. The clam chowder was not only the best clam chowder I’ve had but the best soup, period. Almost got hired as a receptionist but didn’t quite make the cut. :) We will be back as often as we can!

Blue Moon is a local pub on that small section of University Ave which is next to Campus Drive. It's tucked away a bit so you have to know it's there. There's no shame in using Google Maps to find it. I went there for lunch on a weekday and while it was reasonably busy, we were seated immediately. The waitress came quickly to take drink orders. She returned quickly with our drinks and took our orders. The service was prompt and friendly. The interior is light and airy with an upstairs which appears to have video games. I didn't get a chance to go up there, so I don't really know what that area is like. The background music was just a touch too loud so we had to speak a bit louder to have a conversation. I ordered the "Best cheeseburger" medium rare with cheddar along with a large basket of fries. The fries arrived fresh and hot, which is important. Nice job on that. The burger was cooked correctly to medium rare. A lot of places get that wrong. So why am I only giving the food 3-stars you may ask. It's because the burger itself was mediocre. The meat didn't have a lot of flavor and the burger lacked any char, suggesting the grill wasn't hot enough. It resulted in a burger that was, at best, so-so tasting. It's too bad because this place is otherwise excellent. For two people with tip, the meal was about $38 which seems a little high, but not outrageous.

Cheese curds and waffle fries are excellent. My husband and son liked their burgers. The patties are large and look handmade. I had the chicken black and Blue salad. Lots of blue cheese pieces, too heavy on the red onion, which was very strong and not enough tomato. Interesting atmosphere. Lots of fun pinball games on the second floor and only .25 a game!

Wow, one of the best burgers in town! This hopping place can get busy but hang out and grab a beer, worth the wait. Fries are simple and nothing special but OMG that burger punches above its weight, so good. Sub out fries for cheese curds and slip into bliss!

We were told by one of the staff at the hospital that the Blue Moon Bar & Grill has the best burgers in town. My husband and I went in the early afternoon. From the outside the place looked really small, but there are two floors. We didn’t go upstairs, but the first floor had some retro looking pictures on the walls. It was a clean and quiet place. The waitress was nice and helpful. She was at our table to take our drink orders right after we sat down. She explained that all food was a la carte. My husband ordered cheese curds and the Pile Driver with ketchup, mayonnaise, and yellow mustard. I ordered a cup of chili with cheese and the Pile Driver minus swiss, with ketchup, mayonnaise, and brown mustard. The chili was thick and had good flavor. It wasn’t spicy and was warm on a cold and rainy day. The cheese curds were good. They weren’t the type of curds that you buy at your local grocery store. The burgers were big. We had to cut them in half to eat them. The burgers consisted of the burger patty, three kinds of sliced cheese, thin slices of deli ham, and fried onions. The waitress stated that the burgers would be a little pink in the middle, they were not. They were a little over cooked and dry. The patty itself didn’t have any flavor. The burger as a whole was good though. I would eat here again. I would definitely give the burgers another try. We heard from two people that day that the Blue Moon had the best burgers in town. My idea of the best burger is a burger that is so juicy that the juices run down your hands while you’re eating it. The ground beef also needs to have good flavor, not relying on the flavor of the toppings.

Stopped in for an early dinner after visiting Henry Vilas Zoo. Wow! What a hidden gem! It looks sketchy from the outside and my hopes were not high when we walked in. Big mistake on my part! The staff was immediately attentive and welcoming! The beer choices were awesome and our server was more than willing to explain and make recommendations. I had a mushroom Swiss burger (medium) which was delicious. I only was able to finish half before I felt stuffed! Paired it with the seasoned waffle fries and a Cherry Almond Stout! Kid had a hot dog, which was also delicious. The bun was toasted which made it a 8/10! Hubby had the blue moon chicken sandwich which had garlic blue cheese on top....omg! I was stealing his garlic blue cheese and layering it on my burger! So damn good! Our server made the experience even better! She gets a 10/10! Don’t live in the area, but if I’m ever back here again, I will definitely return for more!!

Very good beer selection. Good atmosphere. Clean, relaxing. Cheese curds were awesome! Attentive staff. Will be back!

Classic WI! Perfect hangout for a feel good vibe. Drinks, I'm a bit picky, and the bartenders did not disappoint. Coming back for sure, found a gem!

Great service. Great food. Great prices. Pool table is gone. Ski ball and all other pinball machines are wiped out. So disappointing!!! We came here as a family to wait out the rain for a concert nearby and ONLY chose this place based on our past experience here playing games upstairs while waiting for our food. I really want to give this place 4 stars for their reasonable food options -- but they need to take on some major TLC, repairs and REPLACE gaming equipment that it advertised to be there.

Food was unremarkable z burger and bun was a hit. Chili meaty but served lukewarm and a large bowl comes with two packets of saltines. Heaped with cheese. I think they need to dial in on their portions. Fries are unremarkable krinkle cut and lacking the spice we had last time. Slightly undercooked. One part of the seating area is by a line of pinball machines. There's only three booths. Brick walls background music and tvs in each area means not great acoustics. Its also cool--be prepared to wear your jacket. Nice to be greeted immediately when coming in. Service efficient. Bathrooms clean.

Awesome dive bar that never disappoints. It's typically packed, and they have limited capacity but get through people pretty quickly. The burger was a solid beef patty that was cooked well and the bun had a nice fluff to it and wasn't too dry. Who doesn't love waffle fries?!

My college kid attending UW found this gem for us to try. Damn good cheese curds! The burger was amazing too! I need to find another reason to visit my kid so I can try more meals here! We had a lovely waitress, she was super helpful and gave us tons of pickles so she will always be my favorite! This place has a really fun 50's diner vibe! We went mid-afternoon and it definitely was a family hang out at that time of day. They have a huge app menu, but you're in Wisconsin so all you need are curds, baby! They had excellent ones! I really want to go back for the fish fry Friday and the reuben. See you soon Blue Moon!

Love the beer selection at this place! This is a local hotspot in Madison and it's clear to see why. It's location is ideal because it's near WVDL and the UW hospital. The hours here accommodate both locations so you get a lot of nursing people and lab techs that stop by here. The beer selection is really great and the place is clean and well kept. However, I am not really a fan of their food items which are bland tasting. A better food selection would definitely bring more people in. Still a great place to grab a beer.

This place is dirty and the bartender was RUDE. There is no place to sit at this tiny bar. Avoid this place, there are so many other great places that appreciate their customers. Nasty people and food!

My coworkers and I go here every Friday and love it! All 10 of us agree the Ruben here is the best we've ever had in our lives!

Came to Madison for a work trip and we arrived late in the evening, this bar and grill was located across the street from our hotel. We had to try their cheese curds, I think I just got a grilled cheese and a cider because it was so late. Fairly priced, my boss got his wine and a salad. We saw that they have a fish fry for lunch so we came back during the week for lunch. They didn't have walleye though but service is quick, they have an upstairs and downstairs, along with outside seating. I had so many cheese curds during this trip. Food was decent.

Got beer battered cod dinner and a bowl of clam chowder to go. I was a bit let down. The clam chowder was not as herby as I would like. I like the smell and the taste of thyme. The fish was whatever. They could added something to it to make it pop. I did love their coleslaw because it was peppery. The French fries were very generic tasting. Didn't taste like freshly made.

Always a great place to eat; reliable, consistent and delicious. We've been going to the Blue Moon for over 25 years. The menu hasn't changed and the food remains some of the best in Madison. Their burgers are without question the best in town. We had our usual. I know it's boring but we sticked to the basics. Wifey had the standard hamburger cooked medium with a slice of raw onion and a pile of catsup. She also loves their pickles. I had the Blue Moon burger topped with the usual; garlic, blue cheese crumbles and a slice of raw onion. It's always cooked perfectly and dripping with flavor. We split a small fry. Our server on the second floor was excellent. Very attentive and friendly. The food came to the table fast and hot. I love this place and the bill was easy on the pocket. They actually take credit cards now which is a huge improvement from the good old days. You can't miss at the Blue Moon. Easy going, great location and ample parking. Highly recommend without any reservations. Tip: try the Pile Driver, it will blow your mind.

One of Madison's only worthwhile joints to get a decent burger at a decent price. If you order your burger medium rare, that's how you'll get it. Drives me crazy to order a burger medium rare and have it come well done... particularly in the land of the now all to common $16-20 Madison bar burger. Blue Moon is an honest bar with decent drinks and a worthy burger.

Blue Moon might have the best burger in Madison...it's always cooked to perfection and delicious. If you haven't stopped by, highly recommend. It's close to the hospital, has plenty of outdoor seating, and great service. There's a bunch of pinball machines upstairs if you're in the gaming mood! Great spot and perfect for a quick meal.

Stopped by on a beautiful summer weeknight and snagged a table out along the curb. They also have a bigger seating area on the side in the parking lot. We had heard from friends that this was THE place for burgers and curds (another of the many neighborhood joints like this around town) so we gave it a try. Our waiter seemed new (very common these days) because while prompt he was forgetful. We had to ask multiple time for different items. We started with the curds - they were typical for around here - nothing special. I tried the bacon cheeseburger while tasty it was overcooked. I asked for medium rare and it was medium well and a bit dry (could have been worse). The toasted bun was very good. My mate ordered the sockeye salmon sandwich and she gave it a big thumbs up. She asked for medium rare and it was medium rare. One out of two... Prices were reasonable esp the $2.50 for a Blatz (OK that maybe too high!). They now take credit cards which I understand was not true in the past - supposedly a positive change due to Covid.

Great staff and customer service, variety of options including vegetarian, gluten free. Classic American fare at decent prices.

I love the seat yourself! especially when you have a big party :) staff was very friendly. gumballhead beer pitcher was delicious jalapeño poppers: 9/10 yummy filling and overall good popper popcorn shrimp: 8/10 small but yummy cheese curd: 9/10 first cheese curd ever! good impression, thought it would be stretchy haha onion ring: 9/10 big crisp onion rings :) blue moon cheeseburger with bacon : 8/10 blue cheese was very potent and good, nice amount of patty, very good burger for its price!! would recommend and come back! :)

Immediate seating on a Saturday afternoon after visiting family at nearby hospital. Capable attentive staff. Tasty Bloody Mary and good craft beer selection. Love the Wisconsin brews and info on upcoming selections. I enjoyed a Salmon Caesar salad that was quite good. Husband had a big cheeseburger and fries. Generous portions and delicious. We would stop again when in the area.

The atmosphere is awesome and the foot was excellent. Our server was also exceptional. Overall a great experience for a couple of construction workers outta town!!!

Greasy fried bar food. Outside closes fairly early and I don't know that you can/would want to bring kids inside. I had mine with me, so we sat outside. The food was good...but we had to be quick so we could get out of there before the outside closed down. Overall seemed solid.

Good spot for a fish fry. Were able to sit (at the bar) with no wait at 6 on a Friday which was nice. Five pieces of perch (not hand battered but still good) delicious coleslaw. Clam chowder was surprisingly good! Fun beer on tap and attentive but not overbearing bartender. Will probably be back.

Only 5 stars? Not enough! Awesome food and an awesome staff! They put up with my questions about the dart board and oche line, both on the phone and at the bar.

Food, service, and ambiance was perfect! Packers were playing, so cheese curds, and a bowl of chili for me! It wad the best chili I have ever had! My welcome to Wisconsin dinner could not have been better! I am here for a week, will be back.

I am a fan of this place! It's like Echotap without as much of a crowd and a kick ass fish fry (currently ranked third on my list). It's casual, friendly, and has just the right touch of divey. A perfect happy hour or end of the week dinner spot with your friends, but come early because they still fill up quick! Good food, standard drinks, sports energy bar, what more could you want.

First time trying this place with my boyfriend, and I would definitely come here again. It was cozy and had quite a nice atmosphere. The cheese curds were greasy and not as crisp, but they were still good. I didn't expect the fries to be crinkle fries, but they were also alright.(I'm not too into crinkle fries.) The servers and bartenders are nice. Definitely going to try this place again sometime.

Great burgers, good fish fry, tap list is rotating and consistently good to great. This is one of the top pinball locations in the Madison area.

Really love this place! Feels homey & "neighborhoody." Great Reuben! Friendly staff.

Best damn burger I've had in ages. Tender, slightly crisped bun, and good thick-cut cheddar. Waffle fries were also crispy, hot and plentiful. Place definitely gives off "dive" bar feels and chairs are old bar stools with tiny dining tables. Friendly staff. Come here for a quick, satisfying bite, not a place To post-up for the long term.

Eric was extremely accommodating for our bachelorette party, he gave us great recommendations and was awesome to talk to. Bar vibe was great and we had a great time. Appetizers were amazing!!! Thank you Eric for such a great time before going out for night!!!

Came here for Camp Randall game day. The place wasn't super full, but as people got tired of sitting in the heat it filled up. There is always a decent beer selection on tap and the food is standard bar food. We ordered the fries and buffalo chicken bites. The fries are always a good value and you can pick additional sauces to go with them. We had mixed reviews of the buffalo chicken bites as they seemed very salty, but also had a nice spice to them, again you can pick your sauce to go with them. The best part was while waiting for the game to start, there were six pinball machines upstairs, so we played a few games! Always love playing some pinball!

I live nearby, so I frequent this place. It has quickly become one of my favorite spots in Madison for reasons beyond convenience. Blue Moon's burgers may be the best I've had anywhere. They're simple but fantastic, cooked to your liking on a flat-top grill beside the bar. Come with an appetite, though, because these burgers are thick and dense. The fries or cheese curds are my go-to sides -- you can't go wrong with either -- and you get plenty. Blue Moon also runs different specials throughout the week, with wraps, sliders, and other sandwiches. Though I've never had it, the fish fry seems pretty popular too. The Blue Moon has a wide selection of tap beers for a smaller dive bar. There's something new every time I come in. The Blue Moon has a laid-back and comfortable atmosphere with a mix of patrons. The bartenders have always been generous to me and will remember your name if you come in enough. I am moving to a new part of town later this summer. But I'll continue to come here every time I have the chance. Great place.

Great place! Good food but even better service. All the staff was very friendly and attentive. Prices were very reasonable. I will go here when ever I'm in Madison each and every time.

Great burgers here! My grandpa came here a lot when he was younger and wanted to see if the burgers were still good. They did not disappoint and have plenty of drinking selections!

Heads up.. This is a cash only bar/restaurant. I came here on a Monday night to meet a friend around 6pm and the place was packed. We were lucky to snag a spot at the bar. The food smelled great so we decided to order a quick bite to eat before heading out. I ordered a bacon cheese burger with grilled onions, and my friend ordered a chicken sandwich with a side of waffle fries. My burger was HUGE for the price! When it came time to eat, it was next to impossible to pick it up. I had to ask for a fork to finish eating it because the burger was falling apart. Overall the burger was very moist and not over cooked, it just didn't have any flavor. The side of waffle fries was huge, like a whole heaping basket full huge! My friend said she enjoyed her chicken sandwich. Some of the reasons why I am giving this place 3 stars. - Limited beer menu (I prefer craft beers and they didn't have a great tap selection). - Crowded and loud (it does make for good people watching though) - Parking can be a pain (they do have a parking lot but most of the time it's full) - The food (mainly burgers need some seasoning)

Some coworkers and I ordered food from here & had it delivered to our office. My burger was SO good: thick, juicy, cooked to temp. I'm kind obsessed with the garlic blue cheese--I could eat it by the spoonful. Everyone else was happy with their food as well (cheese curds, chicken, brat..) though not as enthusiastically as I was. Everyone agreed that the prices were great, too. Classic Wisconsin bar food done well. I'll be back for more burgers.

We were told on the phone that this place is DOG friendly 2 times drove 1.2 hours to eat No one outside not to many in side just the regulars she told what she must think she had to work told Me I was given wrong information they are not dog friendly I asked if they could do some thing She told me sorry and refused to do anything to accommodate my wife me and our little white dog they could've made $100 because that what we spent on lunch this girl is Rude insulting and very negative I will never go there again and I will tell people not to go there and that if there's owner would know what this woman is doing I'm sure she wouldn't be working there anymore

I am not into burgers too much so it's even more special when I love one so much. I ordered the mushroom Swiss burger with fries and onion rings. My friends ordered bacon cheeseburger and the best burger. We all loved our burgers. It was super juicy- cooked medium well to perfection. The fries and onion rings though were mediocre. I couldn't give them 5 star just because the onion rings and fries felt like they were frozen ones deep fried. It just wasn't freshly made. I was impressed with our server as well. We came here on Weekend- during a football game and it was packed but the server made sure she came to us several times to ask if the food was ok or if we need anything else. She was awesome. Whenever I am craving for a burger- I am coming back here again. I will skip the fries and onions rings though!!!

Stopped in here the other day for a quick dinner and a beer with a friend. It was a Monday night and the place was pretty busy! We were still able to easily find a spot at the bar and that is where we chose to eat as well. I went with the chicken sandwich. It was delicious! It's pretty hard to mess up a plain ol' chicken sandwich, but there is something to be said about the quality of the meat used. This was a big plump, perfectly cooked chicken breast. It was full of moisture and not at all dried out. It was very flavorful. It was served with a couple little packets of mayo on the side. My friend went with a grilled onion cheeseburger. It was enormous!! She said it was very tasty. It looked great! It was a little greasy and started falling apart at the end so she was eating it with a fork. A burger isn't a good burger if it isn't a little greasy, amiright? We split an order of french fries as well. The order was huge. I would recommend splitting if you're not super starving. They were really great, too. Nice and crisp. Service was good. The beers were cold and fresh. The atmosphere was nice. Overall it was a nice experience. I had been in here before a handful of times, but this was my first time trying the food and I definitely was not disappointed.

Every time I come to Madison (every year) I have to come here for the Blue Moon burger and cheese curds. The burger is always very good. The way the melted blue cheese mixes with the raw onion is wonderful. You can wash it down with one of the local beers that they have on tap. I highly recommend coming here. They are cash only but they do have an ATM inside.

I finally got back for the burger so I will leave my food review now. The burgers are made with fresh ground beef that you can smell in the air. Lots of people with children were eating mixed with adults consuming drinks. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger rare with raw onion, cheddar and pickle. The burger was cooked perfect rare with a thick slice of cheese. As a pickle lover I thought the pickles were bland and boring. The bun was the bummer of the good burger because it was dense and hard compared to the soft versions of most craft burger places. The fresh ground beef burgers didn't match the crappy frozen onion rings we were served and why do fresh beef and frozen sides anyway. Overall the burger is on the good side but it does need a little work because it's not far from a great burger and that's a shame.

Just a nice older neighborhood restaurant and bar with friendly patrons and staff. Good burgers and apps served quickly!

It's a typical small Wisconsin bar with seating on two levels. Sparse and a little stark in the decor. Our server was friendly and the food came quickly and was done just as we ordered. Three of us had the bleu burgers with sautéed onions instead of the raw. Lots of bleu cheese in these. Very juicy. Good buns. Over all - a very good burger! We also had the battered cross-cut fries, the jalapeno poppers, and the cheese curds. I didn't think those were anything particularly outstanding.

Good spot to grab a bite for lunch. I did not get the burger (I was told they are very good) but it looked great. BLT was good and the staff was very friendly.

This place was delicious! Glad they are still open during covid. We tried the cheese curds and hot turkey panini. The grilled cheese was delicious also. Will definitely be coming back when I'm in Madison.

THEE best burger in town, anywhere. Service is great. Great drinks. Not really a dive. This has it's own class.

Perfect Friday afternoon happy hour spot! Delicious cheese curds, salty crinkle cut fries and some friendly competitive pinball with colleagues. Blue Moon is a classic Wisconsin bar. Being cash only throws us millennials who don't carry cards off, but luckily there's an ATM located inside.

I lived right around the corner from Blue Moon for 2 years and visited so frequently my fiance and I were invited to go on the bar trip to a Brewers game. So my perspective is that of a regular, albeit one on the younger end of the spectrum. Blue Moon has everything I love about a neighborhood bar, and then some. Their rotating list of beers is impressive enough for my beer snob friends to want to visit, but they still have your standard Miller Lite on tap, and the prices are reasonable/affordable. Drinks and wine are significantly cheaper than the bar across the street. And the food is good! I think they have the best ruben in town, good waffle fries, a HUGE brat, and generally good soups/specials. While I'm sure not all the items are 5 star generally anything they're making on the grill is good. I've gotten to know most of the staff over time and am always treated well. That being said, I could see how someone new to the bar might get the impression of ambivalent service. Also, there are a number of REGULARS that hang around talking and can get a bit sauced. For me, that's all part of the atmosphere of the neighborhood bar, but if you are looking for something a bit more high brow, maybe this isn't your regular spot.

Hands down best burgers in Madison. We've tried a lot of them and we keep coming back to this place. Come hungry!

Food and service great- 4 outside tables CASH ONLY It's a small place, not what I consider a steak house though.

My boyfriend and I just moved to town and we were on our bikes, enjoying the sunshine, when we randomly stumbled across Blue Moon! I was in love with the dive-y feel of the place, you could tell most people knew each other and the atmosphere was great. The bartender, who we learned is also the bar manager, was super funny and we enjoyed talking to him quite a bit. The beer selection was small, but packed a punch. Everything on tap was awesome and offered a great variety. I got a turkey melt and my boyfriend got a burger -- both were absolutely delicious! We will be back soon, this could easily be our new favorite hangout!