Alchemy
| Address: | 1980 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704, USA |
| Phone: | +1 608-204-7644 |
| Site: | alchemycafe.net |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2:30AM 11:30AM–2:30AM 11:30AM–2AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 13
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A Private User
Neighborhood restaurant. Seasonal menu. Unique tap beer selection. What a fun find! The menu is creative and changes every season. I had a gourmet BLT and buttermilk mashed potatoes and was very happy with my food. The dessert menu looked delicious, but I didnt have a chance to try anything. The tap beer selection is fantastic. Microbrews reign in this restaurant so this is definitely my kind of place. As an added bonus, the tap beer menu changes often. The service is okay. Friendly staff, but only one waitress served the entire restaurant. I didnt mind this too much because the place was small, but I felt it left me waiting for food and check longer. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. The interior is largely made up of wood, local art adorns the walls, and my fall visit was extra fun with tasteful Halloween decorations. Name a restaurant you know that has Jack OLanterns outside the front door! Good value for your money. The vast majority of meals are under $10. Be sure to bring cash or check since this restaurant does not accept cards. An ATM is available on site. Ill be back to check out the live music and bar atmosphere!
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Benjamin Nash
Cool Schenks corner location for good drinks and live music. Im usually a craft beer drinker, but, if Im in the area and in the mood for good cocktails, this is my go-to spot. Not that they dont have a good beer selection — they do — its that theyve also got good cocktails. Their old fashioned is maybe my favorite from the signature cocktail section of the menu, though Im also always eager to see what the seasonal option is. Im never here for a full meal, but the menu looks good, with clearly marked vegan options. Im a fan of the Maize salad and usually also get an order of their fries — though theyre more potato slices than fries. Theres often good music. Seems like I usually get bluegrass, country, or jazz, but their calendar shows more variety than that. They dont take credit/debit cards, so either bring cash or plan on using the ATM in the bar.
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Laura Chavez-Moreno
In the last 3 years, this has been our go-to-place for fish fry Fridays. But the last several times Ive been, the fish was not up to par. Fryer seems to be in need of cleaning after an hour of work because the fish come out a bit too dark. Also, in my last visit, we received half a portion of the fish fry order compared to a table neighbors who, right as we were leaving, we saw got their fish orders (our plates were literally half the size of theirs, and the amount of fish was also noticeably different ). not cool to charge the same for serving less and for the waitress to have served it that way. Other than that, the food is ok (depends what you get. For example, cooks put a bit too much liquid smoke into their burgers. Place is noisy and not good for conversations. Staff is pleasant and always moving.
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Debra Alleyne
I took my husband out for his birthday dinner and only after we ate and I was ready to pay did they tell me they didnt accept credit cards at all. Not only was it embarrassing as he had to end up paying for his own birthday meal but when I told the staff that they might have mentioned it when I sat down they seemed annoyed, put out and referred me to a tiny sign on the front door that was blocked with a bunch of tables and chairs stacked up. If I can pay for something on the street in farmers market with a credit card I think an establishment of that size should accept them too or at the very least let customers know before they begin ordering food. Very upsetting.
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A Private User
The food is fresh and delicious, the atmosphere is funky and charming. I was upset the other night, however, at a bartenders reaction to a legitimate complaint: My drink was basically coke-flavored ice with a tint of rum. When my roommate mentioned it cordially to the bartender, the bartender was rude--no, more like mean--to her. Thats just not okay. But dont let this deter you, folks: the owners are AWESOME, the waitstaff is AWESOME. The bartender was probably frustrated after a long night...and ageist (Im 23).
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A Private User
Awesome food. The stuffed grilled cheese sandwich with a twist is a must for the cheese/veggie lover. The Zaramba burger with green olives and swiss cheese is tasty and the sweet potato fries with their tarragon/mayo and jalepeno/blackberry jam dipping sauces are to die for. We have already brought two different couples with us to share this tasty cruzine. They enjoyed the AppleRum burger, Tarragan Ham Sandwich and the Bruius Salad. I look forward to going back to make my way through the menu.
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Marty M
I consider myself an east side guy. Ive lived on the east side for awhile, I prefer it. But why is it so hard to find a place that caters to the business lunch. This is not someplace that I will come back to because of it. No credit cards, (the big ATM taking away bar space and a hefty fee)no parking and a day staff bartender who thinks he works at Ed Debevics. Why not try having a business that appreciates customers.
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Gretchen Geivett
I gave this place 4 stars even though I actually did not get anything I ordered. Since it was busy and the waitress was new, I didnt want to make too much of a fuss and Im not a picky eater. I ended up with a Zaremba burger and side salad which were both delicious! The food was good enough that I would definitely try this place again. Side note: they are a check or cash restaurant, no cards.
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Justin Simpson
Delicious food, friendly staff, great tap beer choices, and lots of great values. Hanger steak is fantastic and the best value for a steak I can think of in Madison. They do a great job of using local organic ingredients, and they have several vegetarian and a few vegan items to choose from. I like to eat meat, and love cheese, but even the healthy vegetarian dishes look great to me.
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Thomas Pfeifer
The quest for the best burger in the world ends here. Great environment, astounding food, and even though the beer list is small compared to some other places in town, every single beer on it is good, and it changes fairly often. Dont be put off by the wait. Nearly every time Ive been there for dinner, the wait was at least half an hour, but it is definitely worth it.
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Seneca Marks
Kinda small, Hip bar with a great simple menu of unique, locally sourced, fresh dishes. Open late, and a perfect option for late night dining. Absolutely excellent burgers and sandwiches. Salads to die for. Specials every day that are always exciting. Can be loud on weekends, with live music. Great neighborhood, decent parking. A must for Madisons near east eaters.
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RedArmyInfantry
Do you like food? Do you like beer? Then why arent you here ya jabroni! Eat the wings, and the sweet potato fries, and the stuffed grilled cheese, and the Brutus salad, and the and the.... Need I go on? Come on, you get the picture. I shouldnt even be telling you about this place. Youre gonna ruin it, but Ive been drinking soooo... Yeah
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A Private User
The Alchemy is a great bar/restaurant. They use great quality ingredients, have great specials and desserts and the one of the tastiest tap beer selections in town. They continually rotate draft beers. Alchemy is a great place to go and Im glad I live close enough to it that we can go often. Keep up the good work Alchemy!
