Fat Duck Tavern — Restaurant in Madison

I hope the owner sees this and takes it for what it is, an honest recount of a customer that wants to see this place succeed.

We arrived around 6 p.m. and were seated immediately — so far, so good. But right away, the atmosphere was a letdown. The lighting is harsh and poorly designed, stripping the space of any warmth or character. Add to that the echoing: the room has no sound dampening, making it feel like you’re sitting in a hollow, vacant space.

The server was very friendly, no complaints there. The menu, though limited, could work if executed well — but that’s where things fall short. Notably, there’s no liquor license. I don’t know the reason, but in this market, competing with top restaurants without alcohol is a major disadvantage. The mocktails were surprisingly good, which only makes the absence of a full drink menu more frustrating.

Food rundown: • Poutine appetizer: 6/10. Tasted more like a side than a proper starter. • Clam chowder: 8/10. Easily the best thing we had all night. • Wings: One flavor, not crispy, decent taste but ruined by a slimy texture. Wouldn’t reorder. • Fat Duck Burger: Cooked well but overly greasy, nothing that stood out or wowed.

The worst part: the kitchen speed. From sitting down to receiving our mains took over two hours — and we weren’t the only table. Nearly every group around us was experiencing the same drag. We skipped dessert purely because we didn’t want to endure another long wait.

Summary: Mediocre food, painfully slow kitchen, poor atmosphere (bad lighting, loud echo), and no liquor license. I genuinely believe Fat Duck won’t survive long-term without major improvements in ambiance, kitchen efficiency, and menu/drink upgrades. Kayla was a...

Great food but service leaves something to be desired. I would like to start by saying that the chef in the kitchen is clearly a master of his trade. The fat duck burger is easily in the top 5 best burgers I've ever eaten. The restaurant was clean and modern with fun decorations that made it more cozy. The ingredients used are awesome and clearly the quality is taken seriously.

That being said there is a down side. My wife and I arrived at 7:10 pm we ordered immediately because we'd already looked at the menu ahead of time. We didn't get our wings until 7:45 and our burgers didn't come out until almost 8:15. I overhead one of the waitresses telling some other guests that the chef was by himself in the kitchen and they were sorry for the delays. The problem we had was not with the delays, I've worked customer service before and I personally understand the pain of being swamped. It is, however, the responsibility of wait staff to address all of their guests with important information like this. The staff went around table to table over the hour that we were waiting and never once spoke to my wife and I. I don't know if we didn't look as fancy as the rest of the guests or what it was but we were insulted. My wife and I said to each other "the food is the same price for us as everyone else, so why are we being ignored?"

Overall very impressed with the food but the wait staff should learn that anyone who's in the restaurant is a paying customer, regardless of how wealthy they look. I don't have any trouble paying $90 for a dinner date. I'd like to give the tavern a second chance, I really hope things are better the next...

Had dinner at The Fat Duck Tavern recently and had a mixed experience. The tuna crudo appetizer was definitely the highlight—fresh, clean flavors with a nice kick from the chili oil. Unfortunately, the rest of the visit didn’t measure up.

The cocktails were a disappointment. They were much weaker than expected, and the descriptions on the menu were misleading—ingredients not listed showed up in the glass, which made for a less than enjoyable beverage.

The Pork Belly Banh Mi was particularly underwhelming. Instead of the vibrant, flavorful sandwich I expected, it was served with dry pork belly on what looked like a plain white sandwich roll, lacking the aioli and pickled carrots; flavors that make a bahn mi what it is. It was dry, bland, and not even close to what was described on the menu.

Another diner order the Grilled Chicken Sandwich which they found to be underwhelming at best. The bottom bun was soggy with pesto at the time it was served and the cheddar and bacon were scantly applied. Neither sandwich the the $18/piece we paid.

Also worth mentioning: one of the restrooms had a toilet that wasn’t bolted to the floor and rocked dangerously when sat on. When I mentioned it to someone who seemed to be the manager, it was casually brushed off as "being worked on," which didn’t inspire much confidence.

On the upside, our server was friendly and attentive, which helped take the edge off the issues. But overall, the experience left a lot to be desired. I won't...