Blue Moon Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Madison

We were told by one of the staff at the hospital that the Blue Moon Bar & Grill has the best burgers in town. My husband and I went in the early afternoon. From the outside the place looked really small, but there are two floors. We didn’t go upstairs, but the first floor had some retro looking pictures on the walls. It was a clean and quiet place.

The waitress was nice and helpful. She was at our table to take our drink orders right after we sat down. She explained that all food was a la carte. My husband ordered cheese curds and the Pile Driver with ketchup, mayonnaise, and yellow mustard. I ordered a cup of chili with cheese and the Pile Driver minus swiss, with ketchup, mayonnaise, and brown mustard.

The chili was thick and had good flavor. It wasn’t spicy and was warm on a cold and rainy day. The cheese curds were good. They weren’t the type of curds that you buy at your local grocery store.

The burgers were big. We had to cut them in half to eat them. The burgers consisted of the burger patty, three kinds of sliced cheese, thin slices of deli ham, and fried onions. The waitress stated that the burgers would be a little pink in the middle, they were not. They were a little over cooked and dry. The patty itself didn’t have any flavor. The burger as a whole was good though.

I would eat here again. I would definitely give the burgers another try. We heard from two people that day that the Blue Moon had the best burgers in town. My idea of the best burger is a burger that is so juicy that the juices run down your hands while you’re eating it. The ground beef also needs to have good flavor, not relying on the flavor of...

I've been a loyal customer at Blue Moon for quite a while now, and it’s always been one of my favorite spots for dinner and drinks before heading to a Badger Volleyball match. The vibe is always welcoming, and the staff are super friendly and attentive.

Usually, the food is on point—especially the burgers and spicy chicken sandwich, which have always been full of flavor and really well done. I’ve brought friends and family here and everyone always leaves full and happy.

On my most recent visit, though, things were just a little off. It was packed before the game (every table full!), so it’s understandable. The fries were a bit overcooked and the usually amazing onion rings were underdone and a little soggy—missing that crispy crunch we love.

That said, the main dishes still delivered! Our table had the fish dinner (perfectly seasoned and flaky), the Reuben (huge and delicious), the fish sandwich (one of the best in Madison), and chicken strips (a bit cooler than expected but still solid). And the coleslaw and house-made tartar sauce? So good.

Even with a few hiccups, the value here is outstanding. The food and drink prices are really reasonable, especially for the campus area. The staff worked hard to get everyone out to the game on time and still brought great energy despite the rush.

Blue Moon is a true hidden gem near campus, and I’ll absolutely be back. Still highly...

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