Nautilus Diner — Restaurant in Madison

We're new to the area, and have been trying the various diners. Stopped in for lunch on a Monday, right around noon exactly. We were seated reasonably promptly, and the waitress took our order and read it back.

We ordered two meals: a veggie burger with Swiss, no fries, sub cole slaw, and a PATTY MELT (sub a Beyond Burger for beef) with side of fries.

Food took longer than I expected for a diner with very few patrons present, but eventually arrived.

The veggie burger was OK, house-made. The cheese was bottom shelf, more Swiss-flavored than real Swiss, and melted on the bun and not the burger, resulting in something that was more like a plain veggie burger served with an open-face grilled cheese on the side than an actual cheeseburger. Plate was loaded down with fries and no extra cole slaw as ordered. Charged on that plate for the 'deluxe' even though she said we wouldn't be.

The 'Patty Melt' was deeply disappointing. It was a Beyond Burger, with the same barely-Swiss, this time melted on the burger, but instead of grilled onions on the burger, there was a pile of raw white onions (upcharge $1!) and the rye was not buttered and grilled as expected, but just half-toasted so it was soggy and cold by the time it arrived.

No beverages, just water, total bill for two veggie burgers and fries for lunch: $30. It would have been cheaper and a thousand times better to go to Bearburger, a mistake we won't ever make again. Waitress took away our plates without asking if we wanted to wrap the remaining fries to take home.

When we arrived at the register to pay, we experienced the sticker shock of a 5% markup because we used a credit card, no warning, no signs we saw indicating that they'd stick us with their costs of doing business.

When I asked what the upcharge was for (it was NOT labelled as a surcharge on the bill), the dude ringing me up sneered and barked "credit card, we lost unmpty-blah grand processing cards last year so...". Definitely the least pleasant interaction with a cashier I've had in recent memory.

We did end up fed, and haven't gotten sick, so two stars. If you're pining for expensive mediocrity with a chip on its shoulder to punish customers for living in the present, you can't really find a more perfect example than this place.

Our quest to find a halfway-decent diner in the...

Used to be one of my favorite diners in the area, I hadn’t been there in a while until today that I decided to go and treat myself with what used to be my All time fav burger which is their blue cheese burger needless to say I was very very disappointed at it. It seems like they keep blaming the pandemic on their poor quality. My bill was $44 for 2 burgers and 2 sodas. The burger was dry as hell over seasoned and my fries were dry and plain. When I came home I checked my receipt and realized that they didn’t served my salad nor my pickle thats included with the meal. I went online to their website to match the prices and noticed is off a bit, I called and they told me those prices are old and that they now charge $3.50 per soda and that they forgot to put my pickle and salad and that I should’ve asked for it. 🙄. I was extremely disappointed I will not be...

The well-known Madison, New Jersey-based Nautilus Diner serves traditional American fare. I recently had the opportunity to sample their cheeseburger wrap with fries, which was a pleasant experience. The fries had the perfect amount of salt to bring out the flavor, and they were soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. A luscious hamburger patty, melted cheese, fresh lettuce, and tomatoes were all expertly arranged in the cheeseburger wrap, which had a rich flavor and texture in every bite. Despite its small size, the restaurant is spotless, well-run, and offers a cozy dining experience. Guests were made to feel very welcome by the attentive and kind staff. Madison's Nautilus Diner is notable for its mouthwatering cuisine and first-rate service. This restaurant will satisfy your need for comfortable dining and traditional...