Waypoint Public House

Had a great experience here. Annabelle was our server and she was super friendly and made sure we had what we needed. The cheese curds made for a great appetizer. They were so good. Pineapple Shrimp Tacos for dinner with fries. The tacos were delicious with great flavor. They were a bit spicier than I expected but still good. And the fries were the perfect crispy fry.

Great first visit. Carolyn was friendly and suggested the delicious jalapeño cream cheese brisket sandwich, cool vibe and will definitely go back.

Cute spot, but VERY loud, we couldn’t have conversations without yelling. The fish tacos and the cod were good but two members of our group ordered sandwiches, both of which came out extremely soggy. Parking and finding the entrance was super hard, there’s essentially no signage, just one small sign once you’ve already gotten halfway in.

I have been to Waypoint many times but this was my first time for brunch. My dad likes that it’s tucked away. My dad loved his brunch. I liked mine too. Am not sure I got their concept for potatoes. I couldn’t each all their smoked salmon which isn’t a bad issue.

We enjoyed our time at Waypoint! The food was tasty and our server was nice. The old fashions were inconsistent but were still enjoyable. The appetizers were okay - we had the pretzels and beer cheese as well as the fried cauliflower. The fried cauliflower is literally just that with a side of ranch and buffalo sauce. It was meh. The burger stood out though! Definitely recommend that. Oh and the seating was a mixture of private/separate tables and community/cafeteria style.

Great food, great prices, great staff, good place. Their happy hour is 2 dollars off apps and drinks. The place got packed at 5pm on a Friday. Parking can be a bit of a pain, but it's a beautiful area. I'd recommend coming here again!

Excellent wings! Pretty impressive beer selection. Brie Smash burger was delicious and loved that I could add on a side salad of one of their fancier salads. Not just a standard house salad. Server was super nice

These chicken wings are in the top 5 for Madison. Can hang with Athens Grill and are just a step below Chicken Licks. I went with them done house style, which is the garlic buffalo with a dry rub on top. Great flavor and texture. Just a really good wing. Will have them again for sure.

Hardest part about eating here is deciding which of the amazing sandwiches to get. Credit to our waiter who tried but admitted I couldn't go wrong with any of my choices. Went with the smash burger with Brie and PB&J. So much going on but so good. Can't wait to go back in the summer so we can enjoy the patio overlooking the bay. And maybe a cocktail or six.

Food 4.5/5 Service 4/5 Ambiance 5/5 Seated in a lakeside strip mall under an apartment complex, Waypoint Public House allures guests in with its soothing waterfront and courtyard views and its comforting, chill interior lighting at night. The food's no slouch either - the steak tacos I got were incredibly nice, with a very nice balance of flavors between the chipotle crema and chimichurri sauce as well as textures from the crispy potatoes and steak. Top that with Cajun fries that puts even Five Guys's fry portions (and flavors) to shame, and you've got yourself an amazing plate. Dessert, which I almost debated skipping on, was also wonderful. The brownie was a lot bigger than I imagined it, and the ice cream drizzled with caramel really brought it all together in this classic combo. Overall, I'd come back again - I can see myself being here with friends or on another solo venture. I just feel bad trying to find parking among the spots for the apartment tenants...

I lived above this place for two years and might be biased because I just got bored of the menu but this place is a little overpriced and the food is mid for what you pay. I am not knocking the service or ambiance at all- bartenders were always super kind and prompt, and the inside had cool vibes. For a while their Jalapeno chicken sandwich was dripping in mayo (they fixed this), their brisket sandwich was way too sweet, and their desserts were an afterthought. I got a salad wrap Asian chicken thing once that didn't taste great and was madly difficult to eat (the wraps fell apart). Their fries appear to be frozen bagged ones and not fried which is a little disappointing for the price point. Their burgers are solid but it's hard to mess up a cheeseburger. The Brie jam burger is weirdly sweet. My favorite item there was actually the chicken chipotle salad, it had nice dressing and fresh ingredients. I also really love their fried cauliflower, and they make great cheese curds. I feel like waypoint could be good but it needs to do some self reflection on what it's trying to be, maybe offering a narrower range of entree options. The jalapeño chicken sandwich kicked ass once they got it right. If you're gonna serve fries in a sconnie bar and charge more than $15 a plate they better be fried fresh. And I would love to have seen a consistent chocolate cake on offer, though I have a sweet tooth.

Went here on a rainy Saturday night, because we'd heard good things about the wings. The wings themselves were decent (the lemon pepper on my half of the 20-pack order was very good, very peppery), but I got zero drumsticks, only flats. My wife's half, the chipotle BBQ, were a disappointment to both of us - she said her mouth was on fire, I thought the BBQ part was super sugary and not great. The jalapeno poppers were good - a different take, with them not being battered, but having chipotle crema and bacon in them made the unique. The nachos were super run-of-the-mill, not much different than you could assemble at home with grocery story ingredients. Service was okay, but with the rain everyone was inside, and it was super loud in there the whole time. Not even because of sports fans in the bar, just everything seemed to echo and it was hard to have a conversation. And the terrible music (at least for my taste - 70s rock) didn't help with the atmosphere.

Pretty good vibe inside. Outdoor seating that faces the yahara river and beltline which is ok but bring bug spray. Food is highly variable. Wings, burgers, and fries are sometimes great, but sometimes cold and soggy.

I was heading back home to the Milwaukee area from the west side of Madison around lunch time and wanted to pick something up to go. The pictures of cheese curds I saw from Waypoint Public House looked too good to pass up, so I ordered those along with the garlic turkey wrap and Cajun kettle chips for the side. The cheese curds were disappointing. The breading wasn't crunchy like I had hoped and in addition to the curds themselves being very greasy, there was a pool of grease in the bottom of the container. It's not often I don't finish something because I hate wasting money, but I ate half of the Cajun kettle chips and gave up. The seasoning was a dry powder, it didn't have much heat like Cajun things tend to, and the seasoning didn't have any salt in it either. I don't know about you, but I feel that unsalted chips that dry out your mouth are gross. The garlic aioli in the wrap tasted good, but at times waffled between just the right amount and too much. There were large chunks of turkey breast in the wrap, which I appreciate. I ordered the wrap without the pickle spear and tomato in it, so the wrap lacked crunch and that's on me. If you order it the same way, ask if they can add lettuce to it to mix up the textures.

Great food , great selection of beers. Patio is perfect in summer ,very clean and staff is spot on. I've enjoyed everything I've ordered here ,

Food and service were great. Atmosphere was good too just a little chilly for my liking.

Great menu options at good prices and service with a smile. The buffalo cauliflower app was great. Brisket man 'n cheese was so tasty! And great wine list too! We will be back to sit outside and enjoy the view.

Love the happy hour specials! We don't get tired of coming to this place before an event or gathering. Always fast and friendly service, good drinks and apps! Place has a calm yet upbeat vibe. Perfect for date night or joining with friends.

An always stop when we visit Madison. Fun to dock the boat and head up to Waypoint public house. The cheese curds and brisket quesadilla are a must. It's fairly loud but a relaxed atmosphere easy to get a table with options for large groups. Would recommend and also have a good sized beer list.

They made pb&j smash was the highlight burger for burger week. I took out lunch from here. I asked for the burger week special. I think I got pb&J brie burger instead of pb&j smash burger. Interesting they dont know what is their specialty burger. It doesn't matter too much to me. Brie burger was equally good. Pb&J only meant they will provide you with a small bowl of pb&j sauce, which one can pour over the burger while eating. It made the burger a messy burger. Good I ate it at home. Otherwise it would have been an embarassing sight.

I came here for the fish on a night celebrating getting a new apartment in the area. My partner and I both ordered the Friday fish fry and were pleased. We also got an order of cheese curds. The fish was delicious and we always talk about going back. It was a bit pricier than some other options in the area, but I think you pay for the location and the ambiance. Inside was really chic. We sat outside and while it was a bit muggy (thanks midwest summer), there was nothing more relaxing than being right on the water. There was no belt line traffic deterring our view at that time. Service was pleasant and we were served in a timely manner. All around a great experience.

Breakfast of Corned Beef Hash was as good as I've had for a long time With good friendly service.

I usually love Waypoint! Definitely higher end fresh food. But this trip I was trying to impress my boss from Indiana who never had cheese curds. So we got WI cheese curds and they tasted like fish! :(. Gross. Don't they have 2 fryers? There's no way a high end restaurant like this would fry fries and fish in the same oil. We asked the waitress and she said yes, everything goes in the one fryer. My fries, chicken tenders, everything tasted like a hint of fish. Disgusting!

The reuben meat was cut with the grain very tough, the bread overcooked. Would not eat there again.

Went here on a Sunday for brunch. There was a group of 4 adults and a baby in a carseat. We had asked to be sat somewhere where we could see the water, but were sat in a corner, which was helpful to be able to set the carseat on the bench, but they didn't bring us another chair to sit at or a highchair for the baby. It was a table for 4, so we needed the extra chair. We ended up finding some on our own. Our waitress was super friendly and prompt, so big thank you to her. We ended up ordering the mexi-cali breakfast, chimichurri breakfast tacos, corned beef hash, and smoked salmon benedict. The mexi-cali, chimichurri, and corned beef were all pretty decent and you got a pretty big portion size. The smoked salmon benedict was just kind of a let down. The poached egg was more underdone than we would like, with parts of the white being runny and raw. The yolk runny makes sense, but the white not so much. Additionally, we didn't notice any dill in the dish. There was ample amounts of smoked salmon however. Overall, this is a solid brunch menu and the waitress and food runners were great. We were kind of disappointed that there aren't any appetizer options for brunch though, as some people in the group wanted cheesecurds.

Waypoint consistently has had very good service employees waiting on tables, at least from the perspective of being friendly and helpful. I always feel like the coworkers have positive relationships with each other which makes dining there more pleasurable. The food is very good and the choices are varied. I am becoming a heart healthy eater. Or, rather I am a heart healthy eater and they have several choices of fish and chicken items for which to choose. As you know, they are located on the lake, so the ambiance is quite good. Once, however, I came on a very cold day and the walk from the parking lot was longer than I wanted. Yet, if you go outside in the WI winter it is your own fault if you're cold

Always great food! Staff is friendly and personable! Went for Sunday brunch yesterday. My friend had the Walleye & Eggs I had Chimmichurri brekky tacos with potatoes since I wasn't sure how many tacos were coming. Omg! I did not need the potatoes even though they are very good. There were three OVER FLOWING tacos!!!! I had one for this morning's breakfast and the other one is going with me to lunch for work today! All of that for only 17 bucks. Great cocktails too.

Before I left the area I was on a mission to get some Wisconsin cheese curds and a good Wisconsin IPA. I did a little searching for something near my hotel and found Waypoint Public House. They had a good selection of beers including Wisconsin IPA'a and their appetizer menu had cheese curds. In addition, they had good reviews. I arrived at the location from the maps on my phone. It looked like private apartment complex because most of the parking spaces I saw said something like "reserved for tenants. Right next to it was a boat launch. I could not see this place anywhere. I turned toward the boat launch, parked and called Waypoint. They told me they are one of the businesses on the ground floor of the apartment complex and that if you follow the boardwalk on the right of the building from the parking lot, they are the last business before the water. They also told me that the tenant parking is not enforced and I should feel free to park their. Instead of searching for an empty spot, I parked in one of the open spots that was not designated by the boat launch and walked toward Waypoint. Just like they said, I found them at the end on they bottom floor. I could also see they had a patio at the end of the building. I walked inside and asked the host if I could just sit at the bar and she said yes. So, I grabbed a seat and the bartender arrived shortly. I told him that I wanted an order of their Wisconsin cheese curds and the best Wisconsin IPA. He told me that would be the Karben4, Fantasy Factory American IPA from right there in Madison, WI. The beer was provided promptly and the cheese curds arrived shortly after. The beer was good and the cheese curds hit the spot. Who does not love cheese curds? I was surprised to find out that it was happy hour and I just made before it ended. The only downside is that it was a little hard to find.

The fish I got was SO good! The mango salsa on the top was excellent. Good vibes inside. Parking can be a challenge and you have to walk a bit to get inside.

It's not the best brunch or atmosphere I have been to, sadly to hot to sit outside and to loud to enjoy a meal and conversation. I enjoyed my meal of salmon Benedict, which is why this greats a two star. Sadly, my friend got the French toast sandwich and potatoes, which fell short. Dessert was a miss too. We hand to flag our waitstaff down too many times for me to want to rush back.

Really like this place. Easy to get to, tons of room? And far better than average food. Right on the river, you can eat on the deck is you like. If you want to join a group, several big tables. Staff is super nice. I have taken my mom there several times and they are considerate and helpful And the food? Huge servings and great taste

We came here as a surprise for my husbands birthday with 3 other couples. They were very accommodating to the fact we didn't all get there at the same time. We got a few appetizers while we waited for the last couple. They tasted really good. For the main course I ended up getting the strawberry pistachio salad. And oh my!!! I could eat this salad several times a week. It was amazing!!! My husband got the walleye and said it was good as well. The only suggestion I have is maybe have a new more "fun" n/a options on the menu. Would definitely come back!

We came here the Thursday evening before the 2022 Great Taste, based largely on proximity to our hotel that night, the menu and the favorable Yelp reviews. We weren't disappointed by much. Once we arrived at the large apt complex this place is a part of, found a parking spot and figured out that the restaurant was at the far end (facing the highway), our walk was rewarded with a 'just in time' spot opening on the beautiful patio of the lake inlet the complex sits on. The 'dial-it-up' weather and the fact that the sun was setting only enhanced our 'date night' experience. We quickly realized that the two main menus of interest to us - beer and food - were just about the perfect size and quality we were looking for, one page each and very few poor choices present! In fact, I remarked the next day that if I ever opened my own place, this is the size and quality of menus I would desire. The place was modern, vibrant (given the proximity of 20 and 30-something's living in the complex) and seemingly well run. I settled on the Rueben and she had the SW salad and both were fresh, VERY well-executed and extremely flavorful. Our local (Amber and IPA) taps we also fresh and delicious and the service was damn near impeccable. All in all it made for a wonderful first night in Madtown and I suspect we will be back in the coming years. Cheers Waypoint!

we stopped here on the way up from chicago. solid 4 star place. we both got the smash burger - i got the brie version, wife got the standard. they were both delicious. they both had the right amount of char without tasting burnt. the brie added a creaminess to the burger that was well needed (see note below). wife also found her burger delicious. i also got the cajun kettle chips with mine, and they were great. good amount of seasoning and the chips were nice and crispy. you get a huge portion, which i appreciated as i used about 2/3 of them as an on the road snack. the service was great. we were having trouble deciding which beer to get and told our waitress of our preferences. she brought us 3 different samples of ones she thought might fit the bill. one thing i will note about the burger - something i always do at a new place is taste just a piece of the burger meat without anything on it. mine was pretty dry and the meat didn't seem to be seasoned at all. if the brie had not been there, i don't think i would have liked it as much.

We had really great food at the waypoint public house. I had their delicious spicy cauliflower burger with greens for a side and my companion had the BLT with avocado on it - and sweet potato fries. Plus a nice pour of white wine. Everything was fresh and tasty, with a really nice waitress who checked on us just the right amount. This is kind of a sports bar, and the football game was on, but the service was still great. It does lack obvious signage for the location, as an out of town er, it took a minute to find it with help from a map. That is literally my only complaint. Nice job- would go there again.

I've been here a few times recently and I am presently surprised with how wonderful it is every single time. Most recently we visited on a holiday and they were fully operational. We are always greeted quickly and our request for where to sit has always been granted. If it's a nice day we will sit outside, and it's so nice to see the water and wildlife. If it's not as nice, we ask for a high top in the back bar area. With the huge windows, it's like being outside on the water anyway! We've visited both on our own and with guests and nobody has ever been upset at their food order. My personal favorite is the cauliflower tacos, and I feel like there is something on the menu for everyone. In addition, they have a fairly extensive beer list with a lot of German beers which we love. The service has always been impeccable and we will keep coming back as long as it remains this wonderful!

The restaurant is in an apartment complex located at the back. Make sure that you pay close attention to where you park. The tenant spots are very well labeled. We sat outside on the patio which was very nice. The waiter was very friendly. I had the fish fry with fried cod and the side salad. The coleslaw was very flavorful and fresh. The side salad was also fresh. The breading on the fish could have been a little more flavorful but the fish itself was very good. I would go back and maybe try something different next time.

Wow this is a Madison must-see! The location is beautiful and the atmosphere is fun and trendy. Highly recommend! The best part of the experience was our server, Tia (aka T-Bone) the absolute gem of Waypoint. Ask to be seated in her section, she is sweet, funny, charming -- all the best energy from one person. That's not to say the food wasn't amazing -- it was also excellent. Some of the best cheese curds I've ever had, outstanding cocktails (Blueberry Citrus and Honest Abe) then excellent walleye fish fry (fish Friday!) We enjoyed a peach blueberry cobbler that was also great. I will be back and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun spot to meet friends!

This place has an outstanding menu. Tons of choices and they all sounded great. I went with the Brie burger and it was very good. Would skip the peanut sauce next time but they put it on the side which was awesome! Our server was polite and prompt. It was a little hidden but not too hard to find. Will definitely be back to try more!

This lovely patio is a perfect spot to catch a fulfilling meal. From the entrance to the table the staff carefully considered our request and gave us the beset seats in the house. The food was so delicious I couldn't but help finish it in moments after arriving.

Absolutely excellent experience. After I failed to secure a reservation anywhere for Mother's Day, Waypoint came through in spades. No reservations required, we walked in and got a table immediately. Service was excellent, food was amazing and the atmosphere made us already plan to come back. I had the French toast sandwich, my daughter had kids French toast and my wife had the Mexi-Cali breakfast and we all were thrilled. Highly recommend. Can't wait to go back.

Poor business practice to not update your hours on your website or yelp. It says open til midnight but at 8:30 I arrive after walking over from my hotel and the sign in the door says closed. Today is the day AFTER LABOR DAY!! I will not be back tomorrow or any other day.

We have been here a few times since it is one of the few places on the lake to eat. The dock is nice but the water in this area is very shallow and the water is yucky. The food is constantly good.

Was only in Madison for a few days but decided to stop by after seeing some pictures of the food and it was a great decision! It's a bit tough to find if you don't know where to go but the food is worth it! I had the Jalapeño popper brisket sandwhich with house chips and it's on my short list of favorite sandwiches in the US. Excellent bread and tender brisket along with a some cheddar and cream cheese to give some nice contrast to their BBQ sauce. House Chips were good, interesting seasoning on them where I think I'd prefer just salt but probably just a me thing. Overall I highly recommend them if you're in the area!

First and only time, but amazing customer service and outside patio view. We were greeted immediately and chose outdoor seating. Drinks and food were quick to follow and our waiter checked in with us frequently. The lake view on the patio was gorgeous! My chicken sandwich was so juicy and delicious.

What a beautiful place right on the water. Very large too and hidden in the first floor of an apartment complex. They have a huge beer menu which is always great. The Bloody Mary was also very good and spicy! My food was so good! The cauliflower tacos were so tasty! 3 huge tacos stuffed with fresh ingredients and I added avocado, they were so incredibly good. The cauliflower itself was a little spicy, I'm not sure what they coat it with. The kettle chips were also a bit spicy, it didn't say what flavor chips they had. So my mouth was on fire through out the whole meal. The flavor was really good though I could easily eat those tacos everyday. My friend on the other hand ordered a chicken sandwich and her chicken was undercooked and pink. She ended up getting sick afterwards, that was definitely a bummer since I loved my meal so much. Service was okay, could of been improved but I really enjoyed my meal and drink!

We've seen this place from the Beltline and it is only 3 miles from our house but in the last two years we have never eaten here. A friend was raving about their poke bowl which is a favorite of my wife's so we had to go. We stopped by for an early dinner expecting it to be busy after a Badger football game but it was not. Despite being early October it was nice enough to sit out on their patio on the Yahara River. The highway noise was not too bad - just white noise. The service was very good and attentive - a surprise these days since so many restaurants are short handed. No issues at the Waypoint. I started with the Thai Up drink - it was very good both cool and hot at the same time. I ordered the blue gill sandwich which was tasty. The kettle chips unfortunately were way too heavily seasoned - they were thickly coated - too much! My wife did not get the poke bowl but the cauliflower tacos which she really liked. The fries were solid. There were a number of other interesting items on the menu so we will return.

Perhaps the best place in Madison to have a beer and watch the highway while people launch boats. I was worried they wouldn't have space for my extended family but we sat down at a table that went on for MILES. I watched the Brewers beat the Red Sox which would have been more enjoyable if I hadn't been so confused about what was actually happening. I had a terrific sour beer served to me in a goblet that made me feel like a prince. I had the reuben which satisfied my salt intake needs for the next WEEK so I don't need to worry about that. 12/10 would go again!

We have been at Waypoint a few times now, each time has been very solid. Food is excellent, atmosphere is comfortably casual & service is always excellent. There is a somewhat strange parking arrangement, that might be the only negative...but we keep returning, so it must be worth the walk!

Great food and even better service! The vibe of the restaurant is awesome. Give the smash burger a try.

Got in just before 10 and they wouldn't let us order from kitchen. But the wings and fries were good. Music is loud over poor quality speakers. Staff was rushing everyone out. Looked like they all had a party they wanted to get to even though their hours are posted as midnight or 2 am.

I was with a large party and everyone agreed that the food was great. I had the brie burger and I loved it. I love Knoche's beef and it was great again. The combination of brie cheese with raspberry jam was wonderful together. The brioche bun and arugula made everything perfect. The service was top notch. We got our drinks immediately. A short time later we got our food. We got there when the doors opened, and that's probably why we had such excellent service. We asked them to turn down the music because we had a lot of talking to do and they turned off the speaker. Perfect. It's a nice comfortable space inside, but if it had been warmer than 13 degrees, we would have been outside. Spring is close.

This place deserves Best of Madison. Best restaurant, good service, best wings, best cheese curd. Best margaritas! This place is phenomenal.

Took my wife for an early dinner on a clear fall evening. The restaurant was only about a quarter full so we helped ourselves to a table near the windows overlooking the lake. We had a hard time picking our dinners because of all the tempting choices. Lots of regional options: bluegill sandwich, fried cheese curds, poutine etc. My pepper Jack jalapeño chicken sandwich hit the spot. Grilled chicken on a toasted ciabatta roll with cheese, jalapeño, and aioli. The portion wasn't huge but it was enough to satisfy. My wife was happy with her black bean burger. For dessert, we had a brownie and ice cream, which was probably more food than we needed. Service was good, prices were fair, and the view was nice. We'll be back; I saw someone else's order of tenderloin poutine and I need it in my life.

Cute little spot!! Love the decor & the view of the water!! Great beer choices & the food was amazing! Hugeeeeee portions!!!!

Great little meeting place for friends. The view is awesome right on the water and the menu is fab. There were so many options and all the meals that came out the whole table was pleased with. I ordered the ahi tuna poke bowl. My only complaint is there was veiny cuts of tuna and then tender cuts. The rice was also not a short grain rice it was a basic like minute rice tasting so didn't work right.

Cauliflower chickpea burger fantastic. Easy to find in Monona. On the Yahara. Near nice boat landing that has parking for trailers.