The Thirsty Goat

We enjoyed a nice meal. We had the Mac n cheese bites and Brie dip as appetizers. They were both delicious! For our main course we enjoyed brisket, ribs, fish fry, and sliders. Food was tasty. Loved the BBQ sauces. Our waitress was wonderful! The sangria was great. Loved the apricot old fashioned. Delicious! I gave a 4 on food because I like food served hot. My brisket and corn bread tasted great, but were only warm. The ribs tasted nice, but I like my ribs falling off the bone. We will definitely be back.

I didn't order food. I lived in Wisconsin almost all my life but moved south 8 years ago. There are a bunch of things I miss about living in Wisconsin. Bloody Marys are one! I stopped in here to get my bloody Mary fix. I'm kind of a purist and thought the increasing amount of toppings was silly and kind of ridiculous. I saw on the menu that their Bloody Mary was topped not only with the traditional pickles, but also olives, mushrooms, cheese curds, sausage among other things. I ordered a bloody and told the bartender to just give me the pickle. She ended up giving me pickles, olives and celery. The bloody Mary was perfect! Maybe it was because I hadn't had one in a long time, but it had the perfect balance of tomato and heat. My boyfriend, if he had been on this trip, might have liked more heat or maybe some horseradish, but this was perfect for me.... now about the toppings... I'm not a fan of the over the top stuff they put on bloody Marys now. Just a pickle for me. I had pulled the pickle, olive, and celery out and put it aside. Halfway through the drink I decided I needed a big bite of pickle....ugh...I took a bite and swallowed and immediately started to gag. There was a very long hair wrapped around the pickle. It had wrapped around one of my teeth. I was able to grab at it. It was attached at one end to the pickle and the other end to my tooth.I was able to fish it out of my throat. Yuck. That almost ruined the experience but the taste of the bloody Mary was so devine that I kind of ignored it and hoped that the alcohol in the drink killed any germs on the hair.

This place is super dog friendly and we love to come here! The patio is open year round as long as you want to brace the weather with your pup! They have a fire pit and plenty of tables to dine at! The patio is pretty spacious, which we really enjoy. Favorite drink, half blueberry wheat ale half mango cart with easy blueberries! Favorite meal, fish tacos!

This was my first trip to the Thirsty Goat. I tried the wing, and they were the largest chicken wings I had ever had. They were smoked, and the flavor was amazing. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, from the waitresses to bartenders. I will be back and try some other food to see if everything is as good as the wings. This place receives a 5 STAR rating from me, and I recommend anyone to come and enjoy this establishment.

Great dinners! I had the beer battered cod, which was perfect. Nice choices of sides. I had very good cole slaw, and the sweet potato fries were the best I've had anywhere. So was the tartar sauce. My husband had the Cobb salad, which he gave an A+. Our server was fun, friendly, and excellent at her job.

I just had a really nice dinner with a friend at The Thirsty Goat. It was our first time there so we had no expectations. The entry is ADA friendly and the restaurant including the patio is wheelchair accessible. Also their outdoor patio is also pet friendly. Our server said that their cheese curds were really popular so we had these as an appetizer and they were really good. For my entree I decided to try one of today’s specials. The spicy baked Cajin Shrimp was delicious it came with toast pieces that were not great. I also added a loaded backed potato which was perfect. The outside potato skin was covered in sea salt. My friend had the sliders, loaded baked potato, and the Mac and Cheese. For drinks we had margaritas on the rocks. This restaurant has and incredible drink menu too. We not got the Bourbon Caramel Cheesecake to go and it was good. Lots of food options. I would definitely return to this restaurant.

We had tacos. Fish and brisket tacos. They were both amazing. We also had their potato skins. The server was very good, she even double checked a few things for us.

Ryan, our server, was great. Once he new we were first-timers, he walked us thru everything. I had smokehouse tacos, 3 different varieties. Daughter had pulled pork and Mac and cheese. We split sweet potato fries. Wife had ranch chicken melt and drunken peaches. We all had some very good cheese curds. Took home at least a meal each.

Here is what I say. Ambience. I feel like I'm at Applebees. Cheese curds, all melted together no crunch. Plus? Great ranch! Fries. Just fine. Good. No complaints. Broasted Chicken, juicy, flavorful inside, outside, needs more salt, Peprika, other spices. The spicy corn. Is this from kid cuisine? Tastes like it comes from the can. Waterier than lake Mendota.

The ambiance is spectacular, particularly the outdoor patio with the fountain. Staff are nice. The food is pretty good, but I reallyyy wish it was just a bit cheaper, then I would come here way more often. I got the wings appetizer which was decent (good bbq sauce), and had the bbq brisket sandwich (pretty good) with a side of fries (again pretty good). Portion sizes were okay. Like it was all pretty good, but I really wish it super excelled in one of those categories to justify the prices to me. I probably could have just gotten away with chicken instead of brisket.

Caitlin made the best spicy Bloody Mary I have had in a really long time. So good. She was great. Broasted chicken is enough for at least 2-3 meals. Great beer menu as well. It's not fancy, but it is delicious.

Surprisingly great food in an unassuming location! I wish I lived closer. We tried the Mac and cheese bake, pork slider, and bluegill. Mac and cheese was AMAZING. This may be my new favorite Mac and cheese in the area. The cavatappi noodles were a great complement to the different cheeses and it was baked perfectly. The side salad was OK, I would have preferred fries because the salad was a little overdressed. Another highlight was the sweet potato fries that came with the pork sandwich. Overall fun vibe and we liked the large space. It seemed like they have karaoke and trivia some nights too. Was not super busy for a Saturday night. Service was a little disappointing. We originally visited because we wanted to use a free drink coupon. Our server didn't seem like they wanted us to use it, understandably if it was a hassle. Also, When we got our bill for a party of 5 we noticed there was a service charge for a party of 6+. We notified our server who took it off, but it seemed purposefully added. Regardless, I would definitely come back for the great food!

3% additional charge for using credit card. The only notice is on your paper bill in small print. No signs anywhere indicating this. Disappointed

The place we were supposed to meet our son and daughter in law was closed and this was close by so we tried it. The service was awful I had to ask other servers to help us. Thos there is not a lot of vegan choices my daughter in law chose the Big Burrito and she likes it. My son and husband like there's brisket, ribs and pork. I like ribs that fall off the bone these were not. My brisket was very very fatty and my baked potatoes skin was so salty I couldn't eat it which was okay because it was as hard as a rock. I will not be going back

Four of us had lunch there and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. Sat outside under an awning. Steph was a wonderful server and the bar keep made solid Bloodies. The food came in good time and we all enjoyed the wide range of food items though the baguette was less than impressive. Could have used more jam and seasoning. Personally my sliders were spot on with tangy bbq sauce and I can't wait to go back and try something different.

I found my new favorite drink served cold for a warm summer day, blueberry lemon gin-jito. Yum!

I had a decent experience at the Thirsty Goat. We (me and one other person) got sat immediately mid day on a Sunday. Service was good for a place like this. Food was just fine, expensive for what it is. The restaurant is dark, good for a late night watching the game and drinking with greasy food but not for a mid afternoon meal.

Was a great place for food and beer during a weekday. The service was great. Very friendly people and knowledgeable of the menu. The sliders were fun to try various flavors on the menu & the have a great beer selection! Definitely a great place to go.

My adult son and I have been regulars here for about 5 years. He's a mac and cheese eater and I am a salmon eater. The mad and chees is great and the salmon cooked exactly the way I like it. Evelyn is our server and she knows exactly what we want and how we want it. We have no plans to change our weekly midweek dinner.

We were out on the west side of Madison for an appointment, and though it was early for dinner, my husband was starving, as he hadn't eaten all day, so we stopped at a restaurant nearby, The Thirsty Goat. We stood at the front waiting to be seated, but then saw a sign to seat yourself. We decided to eat at the bar, as that was where everyone was sitting at the time. We were told it was happy hour, so we enjoyed a few beers on tap, and ordered an appetizer before deciding what we wanted for dinner. The appetizer we ordered was onion rings, which came out piping hot, and had a delicious Cajun ranch sauce. They were nice and crisp, and not greasy. For dinner, my husband ordered a Wisco Burger, consisted of beer cheese sauce, bacon fried onions and jalapenos, with fries. I ordered the Brie Burger, which had brie cheese, fig jam, arugula and sautéed onions with fries. The fries were nice and crispy. We both ordered our burgers medium rare, but my husband's burger was more medium rare, then mine. My burger was just very slightly pink, which made my burger dry. My husband thought his burger was good. We both agreed that they were greasy burgers, as evidenced by the grease on your hands, multiple napkins used, and soaking into the paper underneath. My brie burger was good, however, the brie ended up making the burger a bit pungent, which took the enjoyment out of it a bit. It's all a matter about taste, and whether you like older brie, or younger brie. The inside bar area was quaint, and the bar area full. There were multiple TVs on with sports channels on, but no sound. The staff was very nice. The front area was cutely decorated with an Easter theme. The only thing I might add, is though we were there for happy hour, we didn't get the discounted amount for the beers we drank, on our bill, and didn't notice it until later. Also note they add an extra fee for using a credit card, but it seems a lot of restaurants are doing this nowadays. We might go back to taste their smokehouse specialties and fish, when we are in the area again.

I have been eating here for 6 years Barbecue is very good The seasonal salad which I have been ordering for years, is 1/3 the size it used to be! I don't get it. Lettuce is not that expensive

My husband and I were just there. I ordered the fish tacos that are to come with your choice of two sides. Hillary, our server didn't ask what I wanted so I thought maybe it was decided for me. No sides showed up. So then we thought the guacamole was the two sides, no such luck charged an additional $3.99. Complete bull.

Overpriced and overhyped. This bar certainly has lost its way over the last few years. It used to be a great neighborhood bar... Now, poor service and a resemblance of just another chain bar. Which is quite unfortunate as it has excellent potential.

So, the server was nice and provided good service. But, our table was underneath a very dusty ceiling and dust kept falling on us/our table. Also, the food was not very good for how much it cost. One of us ordered the "adult" root beer float and the first one had no alcohol. Our server had the bartender make a new one, which did contain alcohol this time, but looked nothing like the photo in the menu. Small and disappointing. Prices of everything were way high for what it was.

I'm shocked at these bad reviews! We've eaten here for years- this place never misses. Great vibes and always feels good to support an awesome (dog friendly) local spot. Cheers!

We decided to order in last night and boy, did we hit gold with The Thirsty Goat. We are new to Fitchburg and haven't explored restaurants in person, but based on last night's order, this is our new place to splurge because damn. Let me break it down. On our menu: the fries, pretzel bites, the goat cheese salad, loaded mac n cheese with pulled pork, the meat sampler platter with side salad, the brownie and the bread pudding. The fries were cooked to perfection -- crispy but not crunchy and not greasy or weighted down. The pretzel bites were a little bit hard, but the cheese sauce they came with made this a non-issue. The goat cheese salad was, hands down, the best salad I've ever eaten. It is a testament to a restaurant's excellence when they make something as basic as a salad into a fine cuisine. The goat cheese was a warm patty? It was cooked as like a little patty that you had to break up over the salad, which was fresh, full of strawberries and incredible croutons. I don't like croutons, but these were not ordinary croutons. The dressing was amazing -- not overly oily and not heavy either. Just perfect. The meat platter and Mac n Cheese with pulled pork were both excellent as well. Their pulled pork is nothing short of immaculate, I highly recommend getting at least one item with the pulled pork. I would tell you about the short ribs, but my husband ate them immediately, groaning about how delicious they were. The desserts were also great -- again, brownies and bread pudding are not exotic cuisine, but The Thirsty Goat makes the most amazing bread pudding I've ever eaten. Outstanding. The takeaway here is that you should eat here or order from them. The prices are medium-range, but the food is worth it. I look forward to visiting in-person in the future!

Came to Madison for a meeting with other floor covering dealers and they played golf today. We came out after the golf and we all met at the thirsty goat for dinner. We were the guest of Sergenian floors thought this was a great place and they were correct I ordered a melody salad, which was terrific. My wife got the Capri salad which she loved and finished And they ordered different things from chicken to sandwiches and there were no complaints. The waitress was Johnny on the spot brought everybody drinks repeatedly I might add and everybody was happy with what they ordered us eating so I have only good things to say about this place and if I ever came back here, I would go there again.

High prices for the blandest food I've had in awhile. Kitchen must have been running low on cheese because I barely got more than a sprinkle on each potato skin. Bartender completely inattentive and spent more time worrying about the TV channels than making drinks. As I sit and right this, I've been empty for over 10 min and it's not even busy. This establishment is obviously not concerned with repeat business. Disappointing.

Walked in and were immediately greeted by a hostess. The hostess sat us and our waitress came over right away to get drinks. We waited quite awhile for her to come back to actually take our dinner order. I ordered blackened salmon, sweet potato fries, and cornbread with a glass of Prosecco. My salmon was amazing. My friend had the fish and chips and said there was too much breading. My other friend had the baked bluegill and she said it tasted "dirty" similar to catfish. The restaurant was cold though due to all the windows so bundle up if you're a freezy cat like me.

Great staff and atmosphere. It was a Badger game day on a sunday and the place was mostly filled. My spouse and I ordered the 3-meat platter. I was satisfied with the porition and how well we were able to share this. Only critique would be that the pork ribs and the bisket were a bit dry. The pulled pork was good and our sides (mac and fries) were great. Love me some beerbattered fries. My wife was a bit disappointed but would be glad to go back and change her mind.

While visiting our little cousin who plays Badger football, we came across this wonderful restaurant. We have the fried cheese curds, caprese salad, shrimp cocktail and smokehouse trio. Everything was absolutely delicious. But what made our dine in experience even better was the AMAZING customer service we received from Jenny. Jenny was not our waitress but she interacted with everyone and made sure everyone was good. We will definitely return whenever we come back to visit. Thank you Jenny.

Stumbled upon this place while being at a nearby guitar shop. The drinks and food are fantastic! Hillary, the bartender, makes the best drinks and has the best suggestions. Check it out!

My group's neighborhood hangout, they also have good food. Their burnt ends are a particular favorite, that come in a generously sized portion, crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, glazed with a tangy and slightly spicy sauce. Their fish tacos are good too. They have lots of seating and there hasn't been a wait on any of my visits. Lots of TVs, a good spot to catch a game.

Great draft selection, craft cocktails. Friendly, attentive service TVs everywhere for sports viewing. Excellent food, smoked meats are the best. Patio pond side that has a doggo friendly area and outdoor dining as well.

I have held two employee going away parties here and they are very accommodating. You can reserve a side room for 20-30 people without a minimum. We had a server that came back and forth to grab drinks and food orders. I love coming here for a working lunch and just get their amazing goat cheese potato skins. So yummy.

This is a nice place to have a drink late at night. The prices for the drinks are pretty reasonable. I sat at the bar with a friend just to chat. I wasn't in the mood for a big meal so I decided on some nachos. I read the ingredients and I didn't like the sound of BBQ sauce on my nachos but the bartender said that I had to try it on the nachos or I wasn't going to like it. He also said that they are a different type of nachos and he wasn't wrong. I wasn't a fan! I got the nachos is good time and the dish was hot but the flavors were awful. The BBQ sauce okay but mixed with the cheese and all the other items on top was just a mess of flavors. The chicken was dry and the chips tasted more like pita chip which I hate. The chips didn't even hold the items. I think if they just stuck with a regular style of nachos with real nacho chip this would have been a winner. Other than that this place was nice.

Great service. Bar tender made a great old fashioned. Walleye 6 ounce great for me. Served with drawn butter. Spouse had bluegill. Hot, crispy and crunchy. Fries great. Nice crunch too. Lots of sides to choose from. Were from Illinois but need to return.

Stopped for a beer and cheese curds on Saturday afternoon. The bartender was very attentive with a great attitude. The beer selection was great and cheese where plentiful and tasty.

Food has always been good. Last night 6 of us had a couple of beers and an appetizer on the outdoor patio When we received our bill, they added a "surcharge" line item for tables of 6 or more plus an open line item for tip with a suggestion of at least 18% tip. We asked about the surcharge and were informed that it was for the waitstaff and bartenders. At a 20% tip thats 38% on top of beers and a $24 half order of nachos. We wont be back!

This is the best BBQ that I've had since having it down South. The brisket in the south was a bit better but the pork and kielbasa here was phenomenal! They also make a really tasty Bloody Mary :) The Service was speedy and friendly. Next time we're in the area we'd definitely come back and scarf down that kielbasa. Only think that could make this better is hush puppies and buttermilk pie.

First off don't go there if you're in a rush, the service is SLOW! The deep fried cheese curds were very good as an appetizer. The main course however left something to be desired. The meat was clearly cooked apart from the spices and sauce and both mixed and delivered to the table. As a result the meat was tasteless while the sauce was good, but not a good mix while you're masticating.

Food was greasy . Very very oily . Not tasty . The service provided us wrong item and over charged us . Service was bad. Too much salty . For any type of sauce you have to pay extra. Lots of tricks to utilize there hidden costs . Not worth it .

We dropped in for a late night bite to eat and a couple of drinks. The chicken soup was savory and delicious, just like grandmama used to make. Awesome craft cocktails too. Reasonable prices, a fun staff, and a very lively atmosphere.

Good barbeque, excellent and expansive tap menu, good cheese curds, reasonable prices, good service. Definitely not the best of everything but difficult to find faults with anything here. I think the brisket could have been a bit more tender if I had to find a fault but I think you'll probably be happy here.

Stopped by for a quick dinner and tried the seasonal "mocktail", the Christmas Spritz. Finally a non- alcoholic beverage that doesn't taste like a kid's drink! Delicious apple cider base with whole spice and fresh herbs. Nice way to ring in the holidays.

Finally ventured to the Thirsty Goat for a late breakfast this weekend. I've only been to the Goat once before for dinner and man the ribs were the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T). I've heard a lot about their lunch from friends and gave it a go! Our previous service at the goat is was awesome, but this weekend we had a server who waited ten minutes to greet us, it wasn't very busy at all. We asked for the breakfast menu, which also took him awhile to get. We got coffees and smokehouse skillets. The pulled pork was delicious, well presented, but the entree itself wasn't very hot. Our server seemed somewhat lackadaisical. I love the food and atmosphere, but this time was just an overall odd experience. Don't worry Thirsty Goat, we will be back.

Mystic ode and I with a 13 and 11 year old went to dinner tonight. The fried Gouda mac and cheese bites were amazing and the kids liked the pretzel bites with cheese. I had a great burger and the beer selection is pretty good. It wasn't overly busy but service seemed a bit slow but we weren't in a hurry so not a big deal. I'd definitely go back.

The food is rather expensive, and just OK. The kettle chips are greasy. Soggy fries. They serve lots of smoked dishes, but I'm not sure where they actually do the smoking. The decor is a little too rustic for me, kind of cheap looking. I was most dissatisfied with the fact that they included a 20% service charge without my knowledge. A customer would have to check every item on the bill to see a 20% charged for service! Imagine not seeing their service charge, and adding your own tip. If you were generous, you could be adding a 40% tip. This may not be illegal, but it's certainly unethical.

Never again Very fatty burnt ends Mea brisket dinner Chewy chocolate chunks in the bottom of our drinks-gross No question the blender was broken No manager

Clean place, awesome service from our server Delaney. The bloody mary was to die for & they had a great selection of beer. The only disappointing thing was we asked for our burgers Medium but they came out well done. We would definitely come back.

Was looking forward to this place based in Yelp reviews. Service was terrible. Had to flag down or go find the waitstaff who went out of the way to avoid doing even the basics. They were out of 4 of the first selections of beer/cider requested. The food was really fatty or dry. The house chips just taste like oil. Left hungry. Won't be back.

Folks, it's a BBQ place. Those complaining about the French dip are missing the point. The BBQ is smoked on site and is very well done. House sauces are tasty as well. The people who work here seem really upset they are there. You are a chore they need to check off the list apparently. They're not rude or anything, but each visit they just seem put off by the audacity of my desire for some burnt ends and a beer. Come for the meat and beer. Don't expect an intimate ambiance or servers who want to be there.

Have been eating here for years and always enjoyed it. Went back in person for the first time since I switched to takeout during the pandemic. Food was still great, but I was really disappointed that they now restrict you to one barbecue sauce flavor per order rather than having bottles with the four flavors on the table, even for large orders like the 3 meat sampler. Honestly trying the different sauces is my favorite part of going to a barbecue place. I probably won't go back.

Checked out The Thirsty Goat for their Sunday brunch. Nothing plain about the brunch menu. Nearly all dishes included a signature bbq meat of some kind. I had the brisket Benedict. Lots of tender beef brisket atop an English muffin, then topped with perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.... delicious! Unfortunately, the cubed potatoes served with my Benedict weren't hot enough, and seemed to be of frozen origin. My fruit cup was a lovely, fresh combination of grapes, blueberries and one strawberry. My mate enjoyed his waffle covered with scrambled eggs, brisket, onions and cheese. His only complaint was the shredded cheese on top should have been melted. Our waiter was a fine multi-tasker and friendly. They really do a great job of bringing BBQ and breakfast together!

I use to live down the road from this restaurant and we would come a lot! I love the variety of food, the patio area and the beer selection. Very friendly staff!

Both times we have come here it was phenomenal, great food, and great service! Enjoy the wide menu options and beer options!

Great food. Fun atmosphere. The Broasted Chicken was amazing. The brisket fries were awesome. Pulled pork was very good and the corn bread was some of the best that I have ever had.