Great Dane Pub & Brewing

This is Wisconsin. Everyone loves a good grilled cheese me included… The Great Dane DELIVERS. Their version the «Alpine Grilled Cheese» has Roth Kase and cheddar with leeks, red onion and beer jam on some of the BEST bread I’ve ever had.

Great place to go for a filling meal & great beer. Though they have recently changed the menu and have taken off a few great items (my personal favorite the Veggie PLT): — why I unfortunately docked a point) they still have a great selection of delicious burgers & mouthwatering appetizers.
Our favorite dish is the poutine appetizer. That alone can feed dinner for the two of us. The poutine is delicious and just what you would expect to be on your plate.

Good beer. Good good. Good times! Always have a good time. Can be busy at times. The beer is now available in cans to take hime. Live the German pilsner and the crop circle wheat!

This is not the best Dane in the Madison area but the closest, most convenient one for us.
Service is always so-​so and the food quality just seems to get worse and worse every time we come. We usually get an order if poutine which is one of my favorite dishes in general. Theirs is ok, nothing special but good enough. They Asian tuna salad is also pretty tasty. The meatloaf also isn’t bad or their burgers but like I said quality that we have expected from a Great Dane Restaurant just isn’t there anymore.
Their beer is good and we will sometime stop here for just that but every time we pass the Dane now my husband and I just kinda make a face and choose another spot to dine. There are a lot of other choices now for quality American cuisine that the Dane is rarely in our rotation anymore.

Do not get the Walleye on Friday! Bland, soupy, scary.
Not happy.
Had hoped for better service and review of Friday fish fry, response «Its the greatest, its my favorite fish fry!»
Beer…good!

I really enjoy The Great Dane! I especially enjoy the Hildale location, although the Fitchburg location is where my husband and I had our first date many years ago. Last night we attended the NYE event at the Hildale location. We had a really lovely time. There was only a five dollar cover charge and the band was fun. My burger was well cooked and very tasty. My favorite new discovery is the
Stone of the Scone Scottish Ale. Our waiter was friendly but not constantly in our face. It was great to see folks of all ages out having a good time. The Great Dane Hildale put on a great party at a reasonable price. Good service and good food!

I’ve been to this Great Dane location a few times, and overall I’ve been pretty happy with it. Parking can be an issue, but after that, the same consistent product you’ll find at other Great Dane locations.
Most of the time, I end up just there for drinks. And their beer menu doesn’t disappoint.

This is definitely the least favorite of mine for their locations. Parking is difficult during their busy hours and with the mall and theater nearby, it makes things even more tricky. I do like that the bar is very central in this pub when you walk through the doors.
As always, the food is great and the beer is decent.

With the space for two bar areas and several dining rooms, this location is a decent option for groups. They also have a pool table, shuffleboard, and darts without a lot of crowding in order to play.
The bars are generally efficient, and the service is adequate though not exceptional. The menu is decent although I’d like to see it expand a bit more. The food is filling and tasty on the higher end of a bar menu. The appetizers and mac and cheese tend to be my favorites.
My only real downfall here is the parking situation. Hilldale has not figured this out, which is unfortunate. If you park in the ramp you cannot leave any vehicles overnight. I find this discouraging as this area now has several bars/​restaurants serving alcohol and should be more accommodating for safe options. The other options are risking a ticket in the bank or hardware store lots, or parking back by Sundance Theater or University Bookstore (which is my usual go-​to) for less hassle.

Great Dane at Hilldale is a pretty gigantic restaurant and brewery. It’s not the best of anything, but the menu is varied, the food is okay, the prices are reasonable, and I’m fond of the scotch ale. They can serve a large group without breaking a sweat. At that scale the emphasis in the kitchen would be efficiency.

I stopped here a week ago for an early dinner slightly before my first day of training at a new job nearby. I was starving, nervous, and looking for something familiar. I frequent the Doty Street location as I live downtown, so I knew that this location would have a similar feel.
I always get the PLT with sweet potato fries, (It’s my favorite!) and was not let down with their friendly and fast service. I sat by myself at the bar and was able to relax and enjoy my meal without feeling awkward or rushed. Now that I will be working in the area I’m sure that I will frequent this location as well!

My husband and I are pretty much a waiter’s wet dream. We are kind, polite, over tip, and stack our own dishes to make it easier for the server to grab. We have both worked in the service industry so we try to show how much we appreciate their time. We try to be über patient and understand the kitchen taking a long time does not reflect on the servers performance.
With that being said, our first dining experience at Great Dane was horrid.
They are getting 2 stars because of the outstanding beer we had. If that was merely mundane, 1 star easily.
I went to Sundance movie theater and asked my husband to meet me for a drink and salad afterward. I arrive and immediately I like the looks of the restaurant. The dark wood bar and the placement of the furniture kind of reminded us of an Irish pub.
He ordered a stout and I tried the orange flavored beer, we both really enjoyed our drinks. We then ordered a panzanella salad and an order of fries as I had not eaten lunch yet and wanted something to munch on.
Thus, begins the waiting game.
I ordered my food right around 3:25 PM, at 4:00 my husband finally calls someone over and says, we’ve been waiting far too long for a salad and fries.
The kicker? Our order was never put in. Not once did someone ask how we were, if we needed a refill, nothing after taken our initial order.
Service straight up sucked. They comped me my beer, but I still left feeling incredibly disappointed. I loved their beer and wish I had better things to say, but I am in no hurry to go back anytime soon.

This review is for a take out dinner — and also Sunday brunch. four stars for both.
My sister lives in the townhouse complex bordering the HIlldale Mall, so it was really convenient order take out and also stroll in for sunday brunch.
takeout:
1. Nakoma nachos (no chicken)
2. caesar salad
3. pub wings — 3-​alarm sauce
4. gulf shrimp pork belly pasta
1. Nakoma nachos — the folks at Great Dane added a really nice touch by packing these toppings separately from the nachos that were cooked with the cheese and black beans. So the guacamole, jalapenos, black olives, pico, salsa, and sour cream all came in separate 2-​oz plastic cups you to customize as you wish. Great Dane uses multi-​colored chips (red, gold, purple) that are nice and flaky. It’s hard to screw up nachos, but harder to make them delicious. These were delicious. Definitely recommend
2. According to my wife, she really enjoyed the caesar salad. Not to mention it came with anchovies for authenticity.
3. Pub wings — highly recommended by my sister, especially the 3-​alarm sauce. I think I would have preferred a sweeter, more bbq flavor, but these weren’t bad. The wings were cooked a little longer than I would have liked, but not dried out. Large enough that the meat on the inside of the wings was still tender and juicy.
4. Gulf shrimp pork belly pasta — in a cream sauce with buccatini noodles. Probably the most disappointing dish, simply because it didn’t compare as well with the others. Not bad in any way, just relatively one-​note. The shrimp was cut into bite size pieces, instead of large whole shrimp. I think the would have changed the look and feel of this dish. The pork belly was also cut into VERY SMALL pieces. This is the second time I have had a dish where pork belly was served this way. That is not the way pork belly was intended to be eaten — it needs to be large and fatty, not rendered down into mini cubes.(smaller than raisins).
On to the sunday brunch — at $ 17 a person, us Chicago folks were pleasantly surprised at the price. Maybe that’s a bit much for Madison, but judging by the packed out, methinks not.
This list is probably not complete, but I’ll do my best to tell you what you can expect during brunch: (with my rating next to the item I ate)
ratings are out of five, five being best
Steam Tables
— Chicken ale sausage — 4.5
— turkey bacon — 2
— regular sausage links –4
— bacon — 4.5
— maple waffles, with strawberry sauce or syrup — 4
— french toast sticks with strawberry sauce or syrup — 3 (depends on how long they sit on the steam tray)
— eggs — 4
— cheesy potatoes — 4 (not over-​poweringly cheesy. think mashed potatoes mixed with cheese. a very good blend)
— biscuits with gravy
— grits (my sister said they were good)
— cinnamon rolls — 5 — so soft and fresh. i had two.
Taco Bar
with fajita chicken, soft shell tacos or hard, or even taco bowl
Omlette Station
— did not try
Carving Station
— prime rib — 3
— ham — (my sister said it was good)
Pastries:
— danishes
— mini-​muffins
— other assorted treats
— mini bagels
— mini baguettes
Salad bar/​Fruit bar
Other:
— smoked salmon — 3
— green beans with almonds
— clam chowder
-
Ice Cream station
— malted ice cream, with chocolate chips — 4.5
— vanilla ice cream — 5
— toppings (kit kat, nerds, sprinkles, oreos, cherries, syrups, reese pieces)
— waffle cones, regular cones
Deserts
— minty french silk pie — 4.5
— other various cakes/​pies/​tiramisu
As you can see, the selection of food is impressive. Don’t just sit here, go get some!

It is a local, within walking distance for me, so I have been more than more.
Overall, it is an enjoyable atmosphere (in the bar area). Sitting is usually available.
Their beer is good… some great… some okay. They keep a good variety of beers on tap, both seasonal and the regulars.
Food is good… sometime really good… just depends on what you like. I have tried a couple of items I did not like… pulled pork sandwich is one, but I have items I really like… their green chili, Reubens and Smothered Chicken to name a few.
I have been very fortunate with good service. Nice place to watch multiple games too. I will keep coming back for sure.

I generally like Great Dane, and I think the cheese curds are the best in Madison by far. The food can be hit or miss, depending on what dishes you pick, but overall it’s a fun place to hang out and you won’t leave upset at all.

Have great starters to share with friends, and also great beer. Would be even better if they had large screens for sport games.
They have brunch buffet on Sunday mornings. I like their salad bar which has shrimp and salmon. There’s also fresh-​made omelette which you can choose for your own ingredients.

I went in mid day to kill time while a friend shopped. Pool tables and beer, why not. I tried their Stout, it was… Off. Warm, dry and a bad after taste in my mouth. But that could just be me.
Pool table was 8 dollars an hour so its nice it does not go game by game if it ever gets busy. The service was mediocre. Sure the guy was friendly but he kind of failed to notice us when we were trying to make polite gestures to get his attention for empty drinks and the bill.
On top of it, again maybe just me, he ran our card before we closed out. We asked to close out and said we would pay with cash. He handed us a void slip and said the credit card transaction was voided. When we asked why it was ran he just said that is the way we do it here. Kind of weird in my eyes.

I’ve visited the Great Dane dozens of times. I’ve never had a bad experience.
The restaurant is an inviting, clean environment;
the staff are patient and efficient;
the food is made with good quality ingredients;
the menu offers a wide variety of choices;
prices are reasonable.
Once, When a dish came out of the kitchen not-​quite as expected, the staff brought out a new plate and adjusted the bill.
The Sunday brunch is fantastic!

I will love the Dane forever, and this is my favorite location. The food is fantastic – I love substituting for bison burgers.
The burgers are what I order most often, but I also enjoy their «Inner Warmth» stew. There’s something for (almost?) everyone on the menu.
The beer is very good – I especially like their Crop Circle Wheat.
This is a great place to watch a game or hang out with friends; lots of seating options, whether you want it loud and rowdy or an intimate booth (two ends of the restaurant make this easy to sit where you’re comfortable).

For the life of me, I couldn’t remember if I’d been here before tonight. I think we had plans to meet with people and it didn’t work out so we left? Who knows. Anyway!
I was here with a group of people and the service was sub-​par. Granted, we might have been an intimidating group (ha, yea right), but various people kept saying «Where’s our server? Where’d he go?» He may have just let us be to do our thing, but regularly checking on the table would’ve been nice. It got better as the night went on, though.
We shared the nachos, which wasn’t extraordinary but satisfied my hunger. I ordered the fish tacos and was really excited because I haven’t had any for a whiiiiiiile. Unfortunately, it was kind of disappointing. The presentation was fine, but the taste was meh. The seasoning on the fish seemed lacking and I think there was a point where all I could taste was onions. I didn’t use the sauces – I wanted to taste the tacos itself without it. It wasn’t terrible, but I’ve had better so I probably wouldn’t order this again. The price wasn’t bad though – $ 10 for 3 tacos, and they were a good size. Not those little mini ones.
Nothing too special, but it wasn’t horrible. I’d go with a group of people, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for dinner with just myself and my fiancé. Although, I’d like to try the tuna tataki sometime.