McG’s College Ave Burgers & Beer

Decided to check this place out based on the Unilocal reviews, because who doesn’t love a good burger?
The place seems to have changed names, the sign now says Mad Hatter, but many of the menu items were the same — so I’m not sure if it’s the same or new ownership.
First of all, if you’re from out of town like I was and are looking for an actual restaurant, this is a bar. There’s a few high topped tables with bar stools and seating along the small bar. The only staff person (owner maybe?) was very friendly but also unobtrusive while we ate, even though we were the only people there. It was nice not to have him hovering over us.
My dining companion had the special burger of the day, the angry badger, and RAVED about it. Pretzel bun, ¹⁄₃ lb burger, fried cheese curds, ranch sauce, buffalo sauce, and jalapenos. I mixed and matched ingredients from a couple of burgers to build my own (love that they were flexible), but it came overcooked from my specifications and the meat didn’t seem to be the highest quality.
This place really is a burger & beer joint. There weren’t any other food options, not counting a few sides (the fries were above average). I wouldn’t head here for the best burger ever, but if you’re out drinking and want some decent food to go with it, this is a decent option.

Really good burgers! Much better than the average pub burger. Try the loaded fries, not your average cheese and bacon, it comes with cheese lettuce jalapeños and sour cream. They were amazing!

Love the Royale Burger. Know why they call it the Royale burger? Neither do I, probably has something to do with the metric system. If you haven’t had a burger with a fried egg on top, jump on it you won’t regret it. Oh yeah, and bring a couple friends and split a Luther burger for a side. I think it’s too rich to get as your main burger, but it’s a delicious couple of bites.

Awesome burgers!!! Husband and I have been looking for a great burger place for years… finally found it! Service was great and super friendly. Try the Badger Burger!

Have only been here once with my girlfriend, but I can definitely say we were impressed with the menu and will be coming back! We each split a burger and a hot dog each (highly recommend doing that to sample the menu). The Pittsburger was just like I had imagined a sandwich from Primanti Bros in Pittsburgh. Also, the Fried Pickles are delicious.

Awesome burger, awesome staff, awesome bud lights! I’m not giving them a 5-​star review because the waitress asked me if I wanted fries with my burger but didn’t tell me it costs $ 2 extra. I’m not cheap but I don’t like feeling like I was «swindled».
Nevertheless, I would go back and I encourage you to check this place out. It’s probably fun at night as they have a full-​bar, tv’s, and games in back.

Ordered takeout. Uptown burger was lip smacking good!

Yum yum yum yum.
My hubs and I stopped here after looking for some food after an event late Friday night. Our concierge listed a couple places, but obviously overestimated our snootiness, since he didn’t mention the «burger and beer» place half a block away and only told us about the steak house and upscale place.
I got a bacon cheeseburger and my husband got Chicago dogs and we didn’t talk until we had polished off all of our sandwiches. Delish, man, delish.
They have a nice beer list, including the Leinie’s Vanilla Porter, which I can’t recommend enough.
The server was ultra-​cool, in a friendly way, and listened to my husband complain about pop music, AND chimed in with her own VERY KNOWLEDGABLE opinions.
They played great music over the sound system, had darts and mixed drinks, and we will definitely visit there again if back in western WI.

Drinks were pretty good, atmosphere is nice, and waitresses are SUPER nice! I would recommend this place as an afternoon get together place :) Not that I would eat it… but there is a burger thats buns are a doughnut… won’t see that in AZ :)

Walked in and had a little déjà vu. Pretty sure this used to be a gyro joint not too long ago.
The décor was a wired mix of collage bar and Irish Pub I think. I did like the Animal House and Johnny Cash pics.
At first I was the only customer and 3 staff members huddled in the kitchen/​bar entry and talked the whole time I was there. Until a few of their friends/​regulars came in. This really didn’t bother me too much except that the waitress screwed up my order (I wanted my burger on a pretzel bun!)
The burger was good and prepared well. One nit-​pic is that they use shredded lettuce, I prefer a nice crisp leaf. The rest of the meal was very poor however.
My soda tasted like crap! For sure there is something wrong with their soda mix on the bar gun. As far as the fries, they tasted a little off too. Plus they where very small (think cocktail weenie size). Maybe it was the bottom of the bag?
They offer a customer card. Buy 10 get one free. Not sure if ill fill this one up.
One more thing. When I left one of the customers said «thanks for coming» (jokingly) and not the waitstaff!
If you want a good burger order it to go… Skip the fries and drink!

You guys. If you are still reading this review, then do the following: stop reading; turn off your computer; go to McG’s. You won’t be disappointed. I got the Luther Burger, and let me tell you — this delicious treat practically melted in my mouth. A ¹⁄₃ lb patty, grilled to perfection, with melted American cheese and crispy bacon sandwiched between two halves of a Manderfield’s Bakery glazed doughnut. Guuuhhhhhh… I may have just orgasmed a bit thinking about it.
In addition to the afore-​described delicacy, they have a whole slew of other delicious burger varieties to choose from, all of which sounded fantastic. I also got deep fried pickles and fries, both of which were tasty treats. Top it off with a nice beer and other drink selection, and this is one place you won’t want to miss!!!
McG’s has a pretty low-​key bar atmosphere — we sat right at the bar and chatted a bit with the bartender who was friendly. There are also tables available. It’s not really big, and wasn’t too loud. Overall, exactly my type of restaurant. I can’t wait to go back again!