Camp Trippalindee

Traditional Graduate Hotel rooftop bar. Great staff and vibe. Wine selection was really miserable, but it's the Midwest. Lol. View is great. Interior is straight out of my memories of camp from the seventies, and the music matches. I'll visit this for a few drinks every time I'm in town.

Visited last October and loved the food! Fries had cajun seasoning and cheese curds were soft and warm. Only complaint was that there are no servers, so it was difficult to order at the bar due to how busy it was. Unfortunately, the food I had today was not as good as it was last time. Fries had no seasoning and the cheese curds were hard :/ . I’ve attached photos from both visits. Such a shame the food has gone downhill as this place has a great atmosphere and so much potential.

Great views and nice vibe. It's a nice scenic change from your normal bar or brewery. Staff was friendly.

The drinks are ok, I didn’t get food, but the place is cool with such a nice view of the lake and the city. It’s worth to go at the happy hour time.

We ate lunch, don't drink alcohol and brought our kids. Had a great time playing games and enjoyed the vibe!!! Great casual lunch stop. Nice to have a bar where you can relax and just enjoy each others company.

This was my first time hearing about this place. I came before I went to a Jazz concert at the union. I love that it's a rooftop restaurant and the inside the restaurant looks like a camper. The view was beautiful! I got the Cobb salad and ask for no bacon, but there was bacon in my salad. Our drinks were tasty.

Seat yourself grab a game or 2 and scan the QR for the menu! Fun drinks and solid bar type food with burgers and apps. Great theme and vibe plus some of the best views of lake/campus area!

Very cute, cozy atmosphere with northwoods vibes. Food is good, but it's quite expensive. They have alcoholic juice packs which are delicious and pretty strong. They also have board games (and several oversized board games too). I definitely will be returning here!

Such a cute spot to send a sunny afternoon. Camp trip is the perfect spot to hangout and play board games with friends. The drinks are solid and have really cute plating. There's lots of game options here and the snack selection is solid-although portions are on the smaller side. Next time I'll definitely need to try the table side s'mores

I visited too late to get food here, but came late on a Wednesday for a friends party. They really went all out with the camp theme. Rustic tables and goofy decorations and 3 gas campfire pits decorate this place. I had been to the space when it was the Madison Blind, but it's not even recognizable anymore. There are a ton of different board games to choose from including giant Uno and Janga. I ordered a cocktail for my boyfriend and I and they were eight dollars each and decently strong, but I didn't find them to be very tasty.

This place is the best, its rooftop with amazing views- it has a camp theme- awesome bar tenders and smores... good pub food- what's not to like- this is a fricken must stop when you are passing thru

I'm honestly shocked this place has great reviews. Yes, the view is great, the campy theme is great, but it's way overpriced for what is essentially bar food. $7 for a Modelo in a bottle is ridiculous. We got the Southwest bites for $12. They were greasy, the breading was falling off, and the inside was just flavorless cheese, no tasty spices or peppers, etc. After that, we knew we weren't going to eat dinner there. The bartender was very friendly. We will not be back.

Camp Trippalindee is hands down one of the best themed bars in Madison. You take the elevator right up to the north woods, summer camp 1988. The outdoor patio is unmatched, unfortunately we weren't able to get out and use the fires this time because of the rain but it's wonderful! The decor is incredible and they have a ton of table games to enjoy. You are able to roast marshmallows indoor or outdoor for s'mores and they even have Adult CapriSuns!!

Perfect wisconsin bar! The graduate nailed it for these Wisconsinites. Really cool rooftop bar with plenty of indoor seating as well as a decent sized patio overlooking the lake. They have a smaller specialty cocktail menu and also a full bar. Small tap list. We didn't eat here but looked like their bar food was enjoyed by many. They have Instagram worthy boozy capri suns. Perfect for a summer day! It was a good blend of college students as well as non college students. Not rowdy, a chill spot to enjoy a drink or two. Staff was nice and there were a few TVs to watch sports. We will definitely be back.

Drinks were decent. Food was good. Atmosphere is amazing. I would come back here every time I come to Madison. Great relaxed vibes. We were outside on a beautiful clear night with views of the capital.

Camp trippalindee has a great location and incompetent service. The kitchen was understaffed and it took a long time to receive our order. Our table was dirty and it took a while for anyone to come and clean it. The food itself was ok.

Didn't try any food but the rooftop bar was really nice with views of the Capitol at night. A bit expensive ($12 vodka tonics) but again it had a nice view and was not super crowded at 9 on a Saturday nite. Will go back

Smash burgers were one of the best I ever had! Great view and atmosphere. Perfect on a sunny day!

Camp Trippalindee is where you want to be if you like board games, s'mores, fun drinks, and nice scenic rooftops. I had a chance to check it out and was quite amazed that this place was located right in the middle of Downtown Madison.

This is one of my favorite bars in Madison! It has such a unique vibe since it's more obscure, you head up the elevators from a doorway not everyone would notice. There's lots of outdoorsy on the walls and the vibe is similar upstairs at the bar. The drinks are great and the bar food, from what I've had so far, is great! They have a slushy drink on special, as well. Camp Trippalindee also has some games, which honestly, I wish they'd update. I'm sure the local thrift store would have some great games that weren't beat up and worn so badly you can't even play anymore! But still, what a fun and memorable place. This is one of the places that I bring friends who come to visit me in Madison. Special place!

Fun ambiance and quality tasty burgers. Great view from the rooftop. The French fries were amazing, and definitely recommend the cheese curds.

This place is all about the cleverly done decor - real kitschy. We spent a lot of time studying the "artwork" and laughing at the memories some of these treasured stirred up. A fun vibe and a great view combined with some nice drinks makes this a worthwhile stop. We avoided some of the problems with the 21 year old crowd that others have mentioned by stopping in during the early evening on a Friday night - we also caught the happy hour special. Some of the regular drink prices were high. We did not eat anything so I cannot comment on the food. Great concept and when warmer it would be good to hang out on their deck.

Been here a few times and each round has been pretty consistent. The drinks are either quite strong or quite sweet/light, no like happy medium that I'm aware of. The grain bowl is large which is nice for the price you're paying, but I found it a little bland and needed to douse it with Sriracha sauce. The Camp Nachos I liked! They were unique with lots of toppings and in a really cute presentation. It's a great spot with a really nice rooftop area. I love how in depth they went with the camp decor and it's great they have board games and oversized uno cards for you to play with!

If you're looking for a hidden gem, this is it. Tasty cocktails and stellar views to enjoy with friends on the rooftop patio. The food was ok, mainly fried stuff. However, service was excellent.

Coming across Camp Trippalindee felt like discovering an amazing secret. I'm not sure how this retro summer camp restaurant/bar has been open for so long without tons of reviews and people raving about it. Maybe we should keep it a secret?? First off, the setting of the Graduate Hotel is gorgeous and sets the stage as soon as you enter. The retro lobby setup starts to take you back in time, and by the time you make it upstairs to Camp Trippalindee you've been transported to a 70s/80s summer camp! I love the way that they went all out with the decor. You can sit and then order at the counter... The service was a bit slow at the bar, but the food was up quickly once the orders were placed. The menu has a good selection and is not overwhelmed with choices. There are basics, like yummy-looking burgers and cheese curds with spicy ranch, and also unique options, like the flavorful and filling avocado grain bowl with farro. I loved having the option to splurge or go healthy, and thought the prices were reasonable as well. As far as drinks, there are several beers on tap but the adult boozy Capris (Capri Sun style) really caught my eye! Even if you're not in the mood for an adult bev, check out the clever drink names on the menu (again, they didn't slack staying on theme), and then choose from their selection of non-alcoholic drinks like Wisco Pop and Sprecher's. If the weather's nice, how can you not sit outside? The patio is gorgeously furnished and the fire pits add a lot to the camp theme. Especially if you pick up a $4 s'mores kit. You will end up making friends as you share a fire pit with some neighbors to roast marshmallows and curl up with the blankets that are also provided by Camp Trippalindee! The root beer floats look amazing as well. I can't wait to be back at Camp and relax out on the patio where the Capitol peeps out in the distance. Strongly recommend.

Great patio scene, with surrounding city views. We had s'mores and drinks, all good.

Great location and theme! Reshma, our Bartender, made delicious drinks and was so friendly. We would definitely recommend!!

The food here is below average for above average prices. You can find much better burgers at many other places. The drinks were weak. The cheese curds were ok. The fries were small helpings and just ok. The view is great.

Yelpers, never stop doing what you do. I never would have discovered this place if it wasn't for you! My cousin was visiting from out of town and we wanted to show her a good time but couldn't really decide what we wanted to do. That's when I remembered I bookmarked an Instagram post about this place. My original concern was that it is located downtown, which can sometimes be busy and parking can be a nightmare, but we were able to find street parking pretty close by. When we arrived, we immediately felt the ambience, as the main entrance is decked out in outdoors apparel, items, etc. You don't have to remember which floor to go to because the elevator only has 2 options (and you're already starting at one of them; so, it's pretty easy to navigate). Upon arriving to our floor, we immediately noticed the outdoor seating and fire pits, where you can roast your own s'mores with the kits available for purchase. Be careful if it's rainy, as the floor can get quite slick here. As we continued in, we were immediately transported to summer camp. From the tables that felt like they'd been plucked out of a mess hall (only by look and feel, not because they were unlcean), to the Capri-Sun-like pouches they serve their specialty cocktails (such as Bug Juice) in, all the way down to the thick red plastic cups they have for water, I could feel my youth being revived. We received rather prompt and courteous service considering how busy it was. There is a small variety of beers on tap, but if you can stomach the sugar, you should definitely try one of their specialty cocktails, for the simple fact that it's fun to drink out of the plastic pouch they serve it in. What really drew me into this place were the oversized games (i.e. Uno and Bananagrams). I couldn't stop playing the Uno game. I would have loved to try the Bananagrams, but there didn't seem to be a table large enough to make this feasible. People really enjoy the Uno game; so, it would be awesome if they bought another deck for their game stash (a lot of people hover and wait to get their hands on it, which can make it feel less enjoyable while playing). To top it off, the views are stellar, since you're so high up. One side overlooks Lake Mendota, while the other has a stunning view of the capital. I really look forward to returning here! I'm strongly considering having my next birthday party here... Because the older I get, the younger I want to feel and this place definitely makes me feel youthful!

5 stars for ambience and location, but the food reminded us of old school cafeteria grub.

As others have mentioned, you take a private elevator to the 7th floor of the Graduate Hotel. You then walk through an outdoor patio area and then inside to restaurant/bar area. The outdoor patio had fireplaces going, which was nice. We went on a December Saturday night and it was moderately crowded inside, but then it cleared out and became fairly empty around 6:30-7pm. The environment is very unique. It's Madison's take on what up north Wisconsin cabins/bars are. We had two burgers (mine specifically was the "Back to School Burger"), fries, and cheese curds. To drink, we tried the spiked eggnog. Everything was very tasty. The "Back to School Burger" was voted first place for best burger by some entity (the menu told me so). However, it was not the best burger I've had in the area. It definitely was not bad, but it wasn't incredible either. That said, the cheese curds are very good. They can compete with all of the other great cheese curds in the area. If you're in the area and want to try something unique, this is it. The food probably won't wow you, but you will leave satisfied.

My coworker was staying at The Graduate Hotel and had mentioned that their rooftop bar/restaurant was super cute. We decided to have dinner there on Thursday night, after finishing the day at the convention center. First of all, can we talk about how cute the hotel is? The entire hotel is very college-themed. The rooftop bar is camp themed, with s'mores kits, craft beers, and free games. We started off the night with some booze - I had the Marine Biology, which is kind of a Mule, but with Gin. I ended up with two of these during the night and it was delightful. Coworker had the Old Fashioned, which was really, really good too. I had the Cheeseburger and coworker had the Incredible Burger, which is a veggie burger. Both were really good and super affordable! We also split an order of their Fried Cheese Curds with Roasted Jalapeno Ranch. This was a spectacular order of cheese curds. It's completely different than the ones we had at other restaurants, which were less fried/crispy. These were so crunchy and the ranch had a nice kick to it. We finished the night by splitting an order of their s'mores kit, which features a bar of Hershey's chocolate, 5 marshmallows, and a pack of graham crackers. They have fire barrels that are useful for keeping warm and making s'mores. I had a lot of fun (we played some games while we were there too) and highly recommend spending a chill night at Camp Trippalindee if you're in Madison.

This place was pretty darned cool. Totally enjoyed hanging out here and will definitely return. Outdoor seating - fire-pits, amazing views, nicely decorated and cool lighting .. Inside - super throwback style but done absolutely perfectly. It's like walking into your great uncle's suburban ranch home before everything got worn out. I loved it! Board games at almost every table - chess, checkers, Uno, Battleship, Jenga, etc. We started outside. I thought it was super cool they had a water dish set out for doggos. This place is dog friendly- awesome! The terrace area is pretty large and seats quite a few. Really enjoyed it and the awesome views were just the cherry on top. It started raining (booo) so we relocated to the inside. Sat a table that had oversized Jenga and immediately decided to play. Super intense game! Meanwhile service was great, bartenders cleaning up around us, checking on us, everyone in general having a nice time. They have these Capri-sun style drink bags that come with green juice stuff in them. I didn't order one myself, but one in my group did, and holy cow it was yummy! Definitely will give you gut-rot if you have too many, but at least one is a must. Yum!! The one and only complaint I have (and it's only a half complaint, really) is the restroom situation. They have two gender-neutral restrooms that are both nice, well stocked, and clean. Love it. HOWEVER.. there are only two. I had a pretty long wait both times I needed to use the facilities. It wasn't *super* busy in the bar at either time, so I can only imagine what it's like when they are truly packed. I love that they aren't gender specific, and I love that they are big with real doors as opposed to stalls, but when ya gotta go, ya gotta go - and the wait was definitely annoying. Other than that, though, I really have nothing bad to say about the place. I'm a fan!

I heard of Camp Tripalindee from the Eater food map. From a food perspective, I'd give it 4 stars. The chicken sandwich is deliciously moist and crispy. The kimchi slaw keeps it moist and interesting. They have a lot of toppings, so you get really creative with your sandwiches. The fries are ok. They're nothing amazing, but they taste the way fries should taste. I would stay away from the nachos. While they're one of the more interesting appetizers, I found them to be pretty bland. It was basically a light walking taco with blue corn tortilla chips. Camp Tripalindee earns 5 stars from me because of its concept and atmosphere. It's that cool. When you first get to the entrance downstairs, there's a sign stating their dedication to inclusion. I'm down with that. Past the door, you'll see a lot of camping and lake decorations and an elevator. The elevator can only take you to the 7th floor where the restaurant is located. Once you get to the 2nd floor, you'll see people hanging out on a rooftop with drinks, roasting s'mores on open flames. Just past the rooftop shenanigans is the bar. I get 70s diner vibes from the inside, but that's probably an inaccurate description since I was born in the 90s. There are plenty of comfy seats, and you order all your food and drinks from the bar. It's so chill. I find the place to be so relaxing and inviting while also providing good food and drinks. The Wisconsin summer camp theme is so clever too. Camp Tripalindee is great place to eat and/or drink if you love summer time. You'll feel like a kid at summer camp and a hipster at the same time.

I used to walk past this restaurant almost every day, and I am so sad that I hadn't gone to this restaurant earlier! The restaurant is upper woods/camp themed, and as a Wisconsinite, I was flooded with nostalgia from the decor, the menu, and the games. My friend and I ordered sweet cocktails that came in what looks looked a juice pouch and were very good and had fun names. They were very sweet, so I suggest only ordering one of those. I also ordered the impossible (veggie) burger and sweet potato fries. The burger had a delicious special sauce (and I usually don't like that sort of sauce). And the sweet potatoes fries were soooo good; they were really thick and allowed you to still taste some of the sweet potato instead of only the fried breading stuff. There was also a small fake fire pit outside where you could roast marshmallows for s'mores - just amazing. The views and the games wrapped everything together. I will DEFINITELY be coming here again.

So much fun and it's great to have an outdoors rooftop bar downtown. The interior seating is very camp-like, there are board games and lots of fun wall art. The outside area is more lounge-like with padded benches, stringed Edison-bulb lights and a fire pit. Views of the lake are enjoyed from a few tables and booths inside, the outdoor area faces downtown. Didn't order any food but there are fun, classic items to enjoy. We did get the root beer floats made with Sprecher's and they were great. Drink prices are slightly premium, but totally worth it.

I have mixed feelings about CT - most of them good! Starting with the negative: 1. Their veggie options are quite expensive. For example, my favorite item to order is the Impossible Burger*. Though I LOVE that burger, it only comes with cheese (no vegan option), lettuce and a special sauce. No side options - you have to order those a la carte, sadly. So by the end of the meal, you've spent a pretty penny. If only they'd give combo options! The Avocado Grain Bowl is $13, which I'm happy to pay. But when you look at the veggie options in comparison to the non veggie options, it almost feels like you're being punished for trying to eat healthy! And this is not specific to CT- it's something i notice at many restos. Ah well! I'm still a fan! Positive: 1. They get customer service right! At one point, it was not mentioned on the menu that the Impossible Burger came with cheese. Seeing as I'm lactose intolerant, I ended up having to call to request a reorder (since the cheese was melted onto the burger). They were so apologetic and so accommodating. They personally delivered the new burger, even though they could have asked their delivery service to make that delivery. So kind! 2. The fact that they have a vegan burger is so cool. They are one of two restaurants in Madison that the Impossible Burger- kudos to them! *3. if you don't know what the Impossible Burger is: https://www.impossiblefoods.com/burger/ 4. Their sweet potato fries are so bomb. Seriously, try them! Bon apetite!

Food was not good. The bar person got my order wrong and the salad was dripping in dressing

Fun place away from some of the college craziness down on the street. Campy and a throw back to rural bars back in the day.

love this place. I'm pretty sure I'll give it 5 stars the next time just because of the ambiance. Walking in feels very nostalgic and the I got the chicken sandwich, cheese curds, sweet potato fries, and tried the cheese burger. My favorite was the chicken sandwich. I thought it was perfect. So tender, moist, and crispy. If you're debating whether or not to get the chicken sandwich or the cheeseburger, I would definitely go with the chicken sandwich. The burger was pretty standard. Nothing out of the ordinary. Tasted yummy, but the chicken sandwich was special (: The cheese curds were just okay. Don't think I'll order them again. Sweet potato fries- this was more like sweet potato wedges than fries. It tasted excellent, but just not what I was expecting. I was expecting something more crispy, but it was soft like wedges. The sauces were delicious. The sauces made the curds and sweet potato better! Spicy ranch. Get it! I cant wait to come back! I hope they'll expand their menu!

Great on paper (or screen rather) and a unique, fun space with a seriously great, hip rooftop patio ...however you're not gonna like it unless you're a 21-26yo. We were staying at the Graduate Hotel that this restaurant and bar resides above and were excited about this rad looking spot being just upstairs from our room. After spending our evening elsewhere, including dinner, we returned to the hotel looking forward to a nightcap upstairs. However when the elevator doors opened it was quickly clear we misunderstood a bit. It seems that this bar is the hot spot for the just-turned-21 in college bunch, which is fine and obviously makes sense given its proximity to the school, but the party vibe, overly packed patio, and general rowdiness of the place wasn't what we were in the mood for. In summary I have to say this place is great at everything it's trying to be and if what I described appeals to you then maybe it's your 5 spot but it just wasn't for us that night.

While in town for business, a coworker of mine took me to the top floor of a hotel. To my surprise, we were smack dab in the middle of a 'Wet Hot American Summer'! The theme and vibe of this spot is unlike any other that I have been to, and I mean that in a great way. The outdoor patio has 70's lawn furniture, and overlooks a beautiful skyline & lake. The inside has board games, and an awesome, fully-stocked bar. I ordered an Udder-Ly 75, and it was a boozy, liquid version of the Lemon Heads candy. So good! As far as food goes, holy WOW! I jumped all over the Crispy Spicy Chicken Sandwich - fried & breaded to perfection, and topped off with a delicious kimchi slaw. On the side, the sweet potato wedges were savory (especially in the chili mayo), and the cheese curds were WILDLY tasty. Prices were fair, and the bathrooms were clean. No complaints here!

Super fun rooftop bar! Sweet view, quirky decor. The drinks, food, and service were all good. I highly recommend this place

This place is fantastic - we had nachos, cheese curds and fried cauliflower and drinks - all so delicious (we had to get more cheese curds cause we gobbled them up so fast) and topped the evening off roasting marshmallows and making s'mores at our table - so much fun - and the view of the lake is spectacular- oh, and we played a bunch of board games and laughed our heads off - thank you to the owners and all the amazing staff

Super fun place to check out when you get a chance. You order at the bar and get a pager that tells you when the food is ready. There are board games to play while you wait for your food. The adult version of the Capri sun are delicious, I recommend trying it if you like sweeter/mixed drinks. For dinner, I ordered the impossible burger (which I am a huge fan of in general) but I think Camp Trippalindee missed the mark with it. It was pretty salty and plain. The fire pit & smores were the reason why I was excited to visit and they definitely did not disappoint! It might take a while to snag a spot by the fire but once you do it's worth it! You get a little kit enough for two people to enjoy the gooey chocolatey treats. Definitely will visit again, where else can you make smores by a fire in the middle of Madison if you live downtown?

Come for the decor and views (it's super cute!) Leave before spending too much on overpriced drinks. This is a review about drinks. We did not order any food. That being said, I really wanted to like this place. Sadly the drinks were not consistent. Our first bartender was great. The next couldn't fill a glass...no, literally, our glasses were 3/4s full. Myself and my friend ordered the slushies and they were not even close to being full. My husband got an old fashioned. He really liked the first one but the second was topped with ice to make it appear full after I watched him make it. Oh and he forgot the cherries! Cute bar, great views, but if you're going to charge $10 a drink, can you at least fill the tiny cups up? Speaking of cups, the juice box idea is cute but it's such a waste of plastic. Also the contents lacked booze and were either too sour or super sweet.

One of my favorite movies is Back to School. Some of the movie was filmed at UW. I'm not sure if people realize the reason for the name. The bar...ambiance is typical cabin feel; kitschy and rustic. The patio is wonderful. They have a great view of Madison. The bartenders were professional, even at the height of happy hour. I loved the jalapeño ranch with the cheese curds. The spicy chicken sandwich was delicious. I didn't taste kimchi, just cabbage. But the crispy chicken was the all star. I ordered two IPAs and got two Hefeweizen. I'd like to think the bartender would know the difference in appearance. But it was busy. Not a big deal. I overheard someone say as they got off the elevator, "It doesn't seem like this place is a secret anymore." I thought that was very telling.

One of the most known/unknown places in Madison. On top of the Graduate Hotel, there is not much buzz about this place yet when my Mom was in town visiting, we were surprised on the number of people that were there. Decorated in a "camp" theme, CT has both indoor and outdoor seating. Cocktails are structured and named around a camp theme but were fun to drink while seated outside. We didn't have a chance to eat. The only drawback is that with only one bar and at times, the bartender's can be swamped.

Absolutely love the atmosphere here. This is the perfect hangout spot throughout the year! On a summer day, you can tag your group of friends to enjoy a drink and games out on their patio. Otherwise, burgers and cheese curds over a game of jumbo Jenga, UNO and Connect Four would do just the trick! My definition of having a good time.

Very modern and trendy. I always seem to be looking for more rooftop bars, especially in Madison, but this one is a good stop. There is an indoor dining area as well as the outdoor patio, which makes it nice for whatever mood you're in. I've never tried the food here, but have heard nothing but good things about it. It's not the cheapest place to get a drink downtown, but prices are about what is to be expected at a trendy rooftop bar. Overall, it's a good stop if you're looking for something different downtown. Be careful on when you're going because the place isn't very big and fills up during popular hours.

I like the kitschy decor and theme. It's camp o'clock here year round, with a great deck area for s'mores roasting to top. We sat at a table with oversized jenga...I love all the games they have available! Unique ambiance is a solid 5 stars. Service was fairly efficient, although ordering food a the bar felt crowded and awkward. We messed up in not ordering the boozy juice boxes, which I'll likely come back for. The real knocker for me is the food quality. For $9 I'm expecting exceptional curds. Don't hold your breath, they're a little too chewy and breaded. The chicken sandwich with kimchi slaw looks magazine quality but tasted a little dry. I kept comparing it to chick fil a, which for a third of the price is much moister and tastier to me. The fries were well, just fries. Nothing special food wise. Side note: happy to see they're serving the impossible burger for veg heads. I'll be back for drinks, views, games, and s'mores. Food prices and quality make me hesitant to make this a dinner spot.

Let me first start of with the good: The bathrooms are gender neutral and very clean. The ambiance inside is a fun camp feel with flannel booths, tons of games and their fun things. The patio area is super beautiful as well, with a great view of the Capitol. The good stops here. The bad: This place was overpriced and not what was expected. The drinks we ordered came in juice pouches, which sounds fun but they were room temperature (not refreshing after a long day walking through downtown). Also, the drinks were prepackaged. I watched the bartender take off the screw top, squeeze some out and then add a weak shot of alcohol to each pouch. For a person who lives to reduce waste in this world, it was hard for me to feel okay drinking a beverage from a non-reusable bag. We ordered a couple drinks and a nacho to share and did not get the nacho for 15 minutes. By then we had choked down most of our over-sugared bagged drinks. The nacho was labeled "shared grub" and when it came it was enough for maybe 2 people. The nachos were nothing to write home about with mostly broken chips, some ground meat and luke-warm cheese. Overall would not come back. Nice try, but paying $8 for a juice pouch and $7 for a nacho was not worth the view. On a lighter note, the canned Sprecher Root beer was great!

Great little spot atop the Graduate Hotel. The flavors coming out of that tiny kitchen were way beyond our expectations. The grilled wings are a huge hit. Tom and Hillary (Bartenders) were perfect hosts during our two visits. Monday night Trivia!!!! Good times.

After you get off the elevator on the 7th floor of the graduate hotel, you're greeted by a fantastic view of Madison and a place with a nice 70's camp vibe. Upon entering, it's not immediately obvious if you're supposed to seat yourself, and then it's not clear that you are supposed to go order at the bar - there is no wait service. Luckily, I had read a few other reviews, so I knew what to do. Our group ordered pretty much everything on the menu - because the menu is VERY small. I'm all for places having a limited menu of items that they do well, but the menu was a little too small. First, the good stuff: the cheeseburger was decent. Not great, not terrible. Simple item - beef, cheese, "special" sauce and a bun. Pretty difficult to mess that up. The "juice box" mixed drinks were a cute touch in line with the overall theme. Cheese curds were average. Now, for the bad stuff: the chicken wings were a disappointed - not very good taste and they weren't fully rendered. You can get better crinkle cut fries at Culver's (and they won't charge you $5 for a handful of fried). Finally, the horrendous: the chicken sandwich was absolutely disgusting. If you're deep-frying a boneless piece of chicken, you can't leave the skin on... the result was a flabby layer of undercooked skin directly under the fried exterior. Just gross. I suppose, though, the last time I had fried chicken that disgusting, I was actually at a camp, so maybe this was an attempt to be consistent with the theme. The sweet potato fries are too big and raw in the middle. On top of all this bad food, when I went to fill up with water at the water station, there was gum stuck to the inside of the bottom of one of the cups. Given the limited selection, it shouldn't be that difficult to execute on the premise. I hope that Camp Trippalindee cleans up it's act.

This is super fun spot. Their trivia is lively, and the drink specials (cheap margaritas) available directly before trivia begins are a fun way to ease into a weekday evening. Their food menu is limited, but I'd say there is something for everyone. The portion of nachos is enough to share for an appetizer, and they can do the chili with meat on the side. The outdoor patio is definitely the spot to sit, yet we'll see if they keep that area open over the winter... I'm thinking no. They do have heaters outside, though, that help during these mild, autumn nights.

Come for the atmosphere, NOT the food. We were so excited to visit Camp Trippalindee. A rooftop restaurant with awesome views and a camp theme? Yes, please! However, our experience wasn't great, and we left seriously disappointed. Atmosphere: There's an awesome patio area on the rooftop, offering seating, fire pits (you can purchase a s'mores kit from the restaurant-- pretty cool, and board games. The inside of the place feels like your grandparents lake house up north. It's very 70's/kitschy, with paneled walls and old school outdoors equipment and forest themed decor. Overall, super cute, homey, and just...comfortable. Some of the drinks are served in Capri-Sun style pouches with curly straws, which is a really fun touch. Food: A really limited menu, which would be fine if the food was good, which overall, was not. The sweet potato fries are really thick, and weren't cooked all of the way through. These basically tasted like quartered sweet potatoes that were half-baked. The dipping sauce for these was tasty though. The chicken wings had great flavor, but I couldn't get past the fact the fat wasn't rendered, leaving them really chewy. Two of us had the crispy chicken sandwich. The breading was crispy and tasted good, but something about the sandwich was off. I peeled the breading back and saw that the meat was a skin-on chicken thigh, and the skin hadn't been removed or cooked down. It was literally a flap of chewy skin covering over half of the meat. It was inedible and just, well, gross. The manager did offer a $20 gift card, which wasn't expected, but was very much appreciated, even though I'm pretty sure we won't be returning. I will say that the cheese curds weren't bad, and I was told the burgers are okay as well. A side note: be sure to check your water glass, as our friend's had gum at the bottom of his. Oy! Overall, I'd say come for the atmosphere/drinks and not the food, which as I noticed on our way out, was what many of the patrons were practicing.

Cool place in Madison to take visitors or coworkers. Laid back environment with a beautiful view of the capital. This is a rooftop bar/restaurant that serves things "camp-style". The outdoor portion has a great view with little campfires you can purchase s'more packs for. Indoors has board game options. Ordering takes awhile, since you have to order both food/drink at the bar. Seating is also limited (if you want to get a good fire pit place versus any table) so keep a lookout for movement. Drinks range from classic to many fun camp-style types, such as brightly colored drinks in pouches (don't be fooled, this is for adults). Stop by if you want a laid back night and a place to chat with close company.