Argus

Love this place. Consistently one of the best bars in Madison. Strong drinks, good food, great owner.

I’ve enjoyed this bar for years. The staff is friendly and the outdoor sitting area makes a great summer day of drinking. Plus I’ve never had a bad meal from there, love those sexy fries.

Slow bartenders over priced and watch out for the regulars they are rude and have free range at this place.

So only came here for drinks, but I love the sports bar kind of feel here. TVs playing everywhere, good music playing in the background, nice traditional half rectangle bar that was pretty filled, awesome beer section. I ended up getting a draft cider boys. yumm!
The bar is kinda small, but the way they arranged everything makes it look really open and very inviting. Staff was great, greeting you from behind the bar, and thanking us for coming in when we left. Great customer service, which to me makes or breaks a great experience.
After reading the reviews for this place, pretty excited to try this place out for a late lunch, or dinner sometime. Seems like a solid place, with good drinks, and great staff!

I have come here plenty of times now and always have a great experience! It doesn’t matter who is working the staff is always very nice and polite. Today I ordered cheese curds, which I get every time because they are amazing, and a BLT even though it wasn’t on the menu they said they could make it for me. Came out looking better than ever!

While in town recently, I met up with my cousin for a morning of farmers market shopping and lunch. We chose Argus cause it was close to our cars (meter feeding in Madison is quite painful!)
Argus was not much to look at but their menu sure is! A full page of hot sandwiches, cold ones and wraps too. Not to mention their salads and apps. Everything looked great and the names were the best.
I decided to try the veggie Reuben and my cousin got the cheese steak sandwich and a bloody. Both sandwiches exceeded bar food expectation and the creativity in creating a veggie friendly rueben, blew. My. Mind. Plus, the potato chips were legit homemade and you can see the lines of the potato as it was being cut.
Also, shout out to the bartender/​server working this past Saturday. She was flying solo on the floor and got slammed with a rush. She handled it with ease and skill. We may have been a little late feeding the evil meters but she rocked that rush! You go girl!

I’ve yet to eat at the Argus (although the sandwiches look yummy); I’ve never seen a band at the Argus.
I have had drinks here, and it’s quite solid. The inside is open and airy — large windows help it feel a little bigger than it actually is. Couches in the back are comfy and inviting. But the real draw is the little outdoor area on the corner of the outer square. Iron tables, heavy chairs, a chained-​off area, and the clock tower… it’s just a cool space.
Decent beers, good prices, friendly service — a perfect place to enjoy a late afternoon/​early-​evening drink with friends, or solo.

I’m new to area always looking for new places to eat. Ok so I picked this place on the hot guy review lol. So not disappointed, food is fantastic, love people watching while I get my grub on. I went with classic sandwich, next time I’ll try the salad.

I don’t think people rush to Argus to eat salad, but I do.
Three times this month in fact.
There’s just something about blackened chicken on a bed of greens that gets this guy going. But they have 153 sandwiches if that’s more your thing. Ok… maybe not THAT many, but I’m always surprised when I pick up their menu after a while and see the plethora of burgers, sandwiches, wraps and yup, salads. And now that Main street is open again, it’s quite lovely to score seats on the patio and watch the cast of characters drift by.

This is city bar with patio seating, it’s not very big but does have good tap beers. We sat on the patio seating like everyone else was doing. They have food service to the patio as well with the spirits. People were having the food but we had drinks. The service was slightly slow because they were trying to work the inside and out but she kept up. It was a nice casual place to sit out. Side on a nice day and relax. The street was king of noisy but that was to be expected. This seems like a neighborhood because every one sitting there was bumping into people they know and talking. Staff was friendly and pleasant. This looks like a nice hang out place. I would go back again.

Stopped in after work on a Saturday. It was busy busy! My friend and I got onion rings and burgers… I asked for mine rare and they made it so. The two bartenders were running smoothly, delivering food and drinks to bar and tables alike. This place has a kind of exciting vibe, and I should stop in more often. I am not a vegan, but they do have a Mediterranean appetizer plate, which is meat and dairy free. Great selection of taps, and reasonable prices, too. Check it out, y’all.

Dude.
Why didn’t anyone ever tell me that the downstairs turns into a BUMPIN nightclub on the weekends? While it’s a little dungeon-​y, it makes for a hilarious mosh pit of action and grooving. Their was a great combination of above 40’s and college frat bros that somehow managed to work. The bar upstairs was being flogged, but the downstairs one was manageable and I snagged a Ballistic for a reasonable $ 3.75. The whole scene was hilarious; I recommend it if you’re up for a night of raging.

I went here for their open mic, and discovered their sandwich menu. If the comedy sucks, go upstairs and sit at the bar– then order any sandwich off their menu. Add a spotted cow, a shot of whiskey, and VIOLA! Night saved.
Perfectly toasted french bun, melted cheese, avocado, portabello mushroom, onions, and chipotle sauce. If you like meat, there’s options.
Bartender is perfectly friendly.
One of the few things I liked about being in Wisconsin was this bar.

Argus is right off the Capitol square, which is convenient for some people. They have happy hour from 4 – 7 ($ 1 off taps, rail drinks and wines, I think). They also have some tasty buffalo wings and a host of delicious sounding sandwiches and burgers with clever/​punny names. I split an order of wings and the LBGTA (Lettuce, bacon, gorgonzola, tomato, avocado) sandwich with my boyfriend, and they were gone rather quickly. The fries are thick cut and salted just right. Yeah, I’ll be back for sure.

For years I have wanted to come to your bar and check it out. A bunch for my friends got together last night and decided to check out a new bar location, which was yours. As you know, there is plenty of others places in Madison we could have taken our business. After getting severed with our first drinks and having a great time, what happened next was very disappointing. Your staff decided to totally ignore my group of friends (15 thirsty drinkers) and not provide service. We were not intoxicate (I only had one drink). After 20 – 30 minutes of waiting patiently for service, we left for a bar that would provide service. Myself and majority of my friends are from the hospitality industry and we would never treat customers in this fashion. The bar was not busy or under staff.
Sincerely, one very disappointed customer.

One of Madison’s best, most consistent least appreciated Downtown bars. Right off the Capital Square but well above the pricier spots that serve up less value than true substance. Great food good service and authentic Wisconsin hospitality.

Went here to drink and play Scrabble. Very stiff double jack & coke so woohoo! Got my buddy drunk for the first time in his life!

Argus is a fun, tasty and reliable lunch choice on the Capitol square. Especially if you are with a crowd because Argus has something for everyone, including vegetarians and the gluten free.
But the main reason I love Argus is because ordering can make you feel just a little dirty, as in «I’ll have Dick Frank’s super sub and the lady will have Barbara’s Garden.» Add a side of sexy fries to the order and you get the feeling that this might just turn into a long lunch. Nooner, anyone?

The Argus and I have a relationship. I worked at La Mestiza (which has since closed) next door for a few months while in Madison. I was originally drawn to the Argus by the very handsome man who works there named Davin. (He is still there, go visit him!)
The offer live music, pool tables and great food.
The best sandwich in Wisconsin exists here: The LGBTA
Lettuce, gouda, bacon, tomato and avocado. And you get fries… but not just any fries, sexy fries. Reasonably priced, clean and always friendly, the Argus is one of the best casual restaurants to go to in Madison,

I keep waffling between three stars and four on this one. On a good night, I really like Argus. It’s generally not too crowded, prices are average, and on warm nights they have one of the more comfortable options for seating. The music is usually pretty good, and at the very least it’s interesting — not a lot of Top 40 or classic rock.
Some nights though, the lack of a crowd works against the atmosphere, and the food (in my limited experience) was fine but nothing stellar despite their large menu. It could have been an off night, and maybe my particular sandwich isn’t indicative of their other offerings.
I always enjoy Argus, but there’s not anything that’s yet to tip the scales permanently from «A-​OK» to «Yay!».