Library Cafe & Bar — Restaurant in Madison

I really wanted to love this place because I love small businesses and hole-in-the-wall eats, but the quality of the food was abysmal and absolutely unacceptable for a $50 3-person lunch. The mocha was unpalatable, the worst I have ever had. It tasted like Folgers black coffee. I could only tolerate a few sips of my $5 mocha which really hurts any grad student's energy and their wallet! I'm in disbelief that they call themselves a cafe with drinks like this. Then, the food. The "best ever" turkey sandwich was oddly lukewarm. I still don't know if it was supposed to be hot or cold, but I highly recommend picking one because room temp was unappetizing. My s/o's burger was small and burnt black. I find it a disgrace that they could charge so much for low-grade dog food. Go to QQs, Subway, Union South, even Badger Market before...

The library is my bf and I's favorite spot on campus. This cozy little nook is tucked away right in the middle of the intersection across from the engineering campus. No parking lot means the only way to get here is on foot. As far as seating, there's the bar, high tables, and normal tables along with a nice big L couch right in the middle. The food is decently priced and is decent quality. I don't love their fries (they're the long crispy type), but their sandwiches are true to description and have always been enough to fill us up. The drink selection is pretty great, and they always have deals. Beyond the bar, they have a wide variety of lattes for those cold winter evenings. This bar has a reputation for being nerdy, and I love...

You can do many of the things you shouldn't in a "normal" library, and if you really want to, you can even read a book. I don't think you can check them out. They like the books to stay on the shelves. The place gets crowded easily, and that's part of the fun. Feels more like some rich person's study room, where they crammed all the leftover people. The cajun fries and sauce are delicious, and --small secret--, so is their black coffee (but check their hours because they don't have coffee shop hours). There's a minimum on all credit card purchases, but they have an atm if you like surcharges. Make sure you clarify to your friends that you're meeting at the library...