Copper Top Restaurant — Restaurant in Madison

Start appreciating your customers or loose them. We are regular customers here and have been for over 2 years. We’re always kind, quiet, leave promptly and tip 20-25%. Most reviews are accurate in that, copper top has a nice combination of price, atmosphere, food quality. This is not fancy food, it’s very basic American style family diner food but it is just OK which most people are going for.

My problem is this: the service from owners and staff is athetic and sometimes outright rude. Literally every single time I come I have to ask multiple times for things that come with the meal, and sometimes they never come. Want ketchup with your fries? Good luck with that. Every time we come they act like they’ve never seen me and my family before even though we’re there consistently 1-3 times a month and seat us in crappy places when there are nicer places available. They never say good to see you or thanks for coming. No smiles or basic social kindness. I hate to wonder whether some thisnjs racially motivated behavior because they also treat their mostly Hispanic bus staff badly while they sit around much of the time. The bad service kills the vibe and makes it a negative dining experience. So I think we are done...

I rarely write reviews, and if I do it's always 5 stars because I like to support local, but I do feel like Copper Top owes an apology to how they treated a Black man in their restaurant today.

I'm going to acknowledge that it's a Sunday during the brunch rush hour and they were very busy, but the food my friend and I ordered came out cold. We didn't see our waitress the whole time we ate (again it was busy and totally not her fault she was great) but by the time she came back we didn't want it reheated or a new order. My friend decided to mention something when we paid to see if they would take a portion off our bill. I was was standing a couple feet away from him, but could tell his tone was calm and quiet and his face kind. Apparently, the man at the counter looked at him and aggressively said, "Well no one else here is complaining but you!" My friend quietly paid and we left. I didn't say anything because I didn't hear what the man at the counter said and my friend didn't say anything because he didn't want to be the "angry Black man." However, I guarantee had my friend been a white man, or I had been standing next to him (I'm white), he wouldn't have been treated that way.

Please do better next...

Ordered for carryout and at first thought this was good idea, as lobby was packed with people waiting to be served. Got there and was told food would be another couple of minutes. Guy at counter said he would pop out and call my name when ready. I told him I would be outside front door as lobby was too packed to wait in, he said ok. Needless to say after 15 minutes went back in to see what was holding food up, and he said he thought I left as he had called my name 10 minutes ago in lobby and I didn't come in. Hmmm, paid for meal, why would I leave without it, and had TOLD him, to which he said OK, I'd be outside. Oh well, food over all was meh, filling, but pancakes were salty, I had Irish Skillet and amount of corned beef hash on it was sub-par, barely any there. Companion had hot roast beef. Beef was almost shredded and very dry. Also tasted like it was borderline going bad. I've heard rave reviews about this place, but both the time and food experience have made me cross this location off my list as...