The Plaza Tavern — Restaurant in Madison

I stopped at the Plaza Tavern for lunch today. I made sure to bring cash, as I found out the previous time I was there that they don’t take credit cards (which meant I left and ate across the street, that time).

When I walked in, there was one person behind the bar, one waitress, two booths with other diners, and one regular at the bar. Otherwise, the place appeared to be empty. To say the lighting was a little bit dark would be like saying the end of The Empire Strikes Back was kind of a bummer. The guy behind the bar came over and gave me a menu (after I asked for it), then hovered nearby until I was ready to order.

I asked if they had a double cheeseburger, since the menu only listed single burgers. I was told I could order it that way, but I would still get charged for the price of an entire cheeseburger. I opted to get the Plaza Cheeseburger (a cheeseburger topped with their special Plaza Sauce) and a half order of fries for my meal, as well as an order of deep fried mushrooms for an appetizer.

The mushrooms came out quickly enough, but even before I started eating them, I could tell they were under-cooked, even in the dismal lighting. Also, there were 9 of them…for which I paid $3.50. And no ranch. I tried one and they were definitely under-cooked. The inside of the “batter” was still mushy. I looked up to find the bartender, but he was at the other end of the bar, talking to an older guy behind the bar who had just showed up (the owner, I’m guessing), and watching (but not helping) another lady stock the bar, who had also just showed up. So much for ranch, or asking him to toss the remaining 8 mushrooms back in the fryer for a minute. I grabbed a ketchup bottle that was sort of near me and made do.

Shortly after that my meal showed up. Similarly small portions for the burger and the fries, but about a quarter plate of pickle slices, oddly enough, which I used to get rid of the taste of the undercooked mushrooms. The bun was about a day short of stale and didn’t look like it was that great of quality in the first place. The Plaza Sauce tasted like a poor, extremely salty, imitation of…a major fast food chain’s special sauce.

As I ate my meal, I observed the employees. The owner stood about 5 feet away from me, never once even remotely acknowledged I was there, and talked to the regular at the bar. The bartender, who turned out to be the cook, stayed at the grill and never came back to check on me again. The waitress mostly ignored her customers and talked to the cook, though I did see her get one booth more beer once. And the lady stocking the bar turned out to be the bartender, as she actually came and cleared away my plates and took my cash when I was ready to go. She actually seemed somewhat friendly, and made the difference between no tip and a 10% tip. (As a side note, I worked in restaurants for many years in high school and college and after college…I almost never tip under 20%.)

Right before I left, the couple at one of the booths got up and left. Apparently they were regulars, as the owner, bartender, cook and waitress all told them goodbye. About 30 seconds later I got up and left. Holding true to form, the owner, bartender, cook and waitress all completely ignored me.

Long story short…cash only, under-cooked food, incompetent and unfriendly staff, and small, overpriced portions. Maybe it’s different if you’re a regular, but if you’re not…save your money and go somewhere else. It’s downtown Madison, just off State Street…you have...

This occurred at this establishment on Saturday, October 4th, between approximately 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM.

Upon arriving, I was initially refused entry due to being accompanied by my service animal, a dog trained to assist with balance and mobility and to provide grounding and alerts during anxiety or panic episodes. Although I was eventually allowed inside, I was then harassed and publicly yelled at by your bartender, Danny, who stated, “This isn’t a place for dogs,” and instructed the bouncer to remove me.

When I attempted to explain that my dog is a service animal and began to show supporting documentation, Danny said he had “seen it before” and continued yelling at me. He also yelled in front of other patrons that I “never buy anything,” despite the fact that on previous visits, I have tried to make purchases but was ignored by him while holding out payment, forcing me to rely on the female bartender for service. On the night in question, I was not even given the opportunity to order due to being yelled at and expelled from the bar.

Under 28 C.F.R. § 36.302(c), public establishments are required to allow access to individuals accompanied by service animals.

They may not inquire about my disability, or deny entry or service on that basis. The actions of your employee constitute discrimination and harassment in violation of federal law.

I intend to file a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which handles public...

Bartenders ignored us. Rejected our songs on touchtunes on my friend’s birthday twice (did reimburse us though, but still felt rude because it wasn’t very busy and it’s not that serious to let someone play a song they like), if you are going to have touchtunes then don’t reject songs, rude service. Bartenders ignored us when we walked in after they IDed us to chat with each other instead, and very unfriendly service in general. The free pool was nice though, and the bar is nice enough if you are looking for somewhere chill. Didn’t eat the food so can’t comment on that. In general though, felt like the bartenders didn’t want us there, which isn’t a typical behavior when a bar isn’t busy. Also cash only, which always feels...