The Mason Lounge

My local watering hole. I’ve been coming to this quirky lounge for several years since I moved to Madison. It’s safe to say this is by far one of my favorite bars in Madison. Live jazz on Tuesdays and other folk/​bluegrass music on select Wednesdays with special shows occurring occasionally. Very interesting décor, I always notice something new when I go there. Be sure to keep your eyes on the trinkets above the bar that are attached to strings the move when people open doors. Beer selection is incredible with a rotating tap list (maybe 60 – 70 different beers available). They also have board games and cards you can play with at the end of the bar. Beautiful beer garden behind the bar that almost seems like a secret. It’s usually a one man/​woman show in terms of service, but they always get your orders in on a timely manner and rarely have to ask for your name twice. All in all a hidden gem in Madison. You won’t be disappointed.

This little hole in the wall is relaxed and fun. I will say, though, that the place gets very crowded as it gets later in the evening — but the clientele is eclectic, which makes for great people watching! :)
Drinks are reasonable and well-​made. The décor is unique and mainly made up of up-​cycled stuff (like cans).

Rotating beer menu is nice. The atmosphere is the real draw — you’re stepping into the set of a Wes Anderson movie when you visit.

I am giving this place 5 stars ONLY because the bartender Crystal there was the best bartender I have ever had. She was attentive and made us some of the best drinks I and my friend have ever had. Sadly she left and a bearded bartender took her place who was anything but nice, I would definitely stay if Crystal was there. If you see a. guy with a beard… Just leave he won’t give you the time of day.

This place is awesome. Live music, relaxing atmosphere, and a great place to have a good time with friends. Go there and give them all your hard-​earned money, because you’ll like what you get in return. And you can get Falbo Sticks delivered to your seat? As if it could get any better than that.

This place is the first place I’ve given 5 stars to. I don’t give these out lightly. The Mason is a great mix of atmosphere and nicely curated list of craft beers. The place is dark and has hand-​picked furniture and art, and hosts a couple of live events each week.
There’s a nice little patio in the back, as well. It is the perfect (as far as I’m concerned) combination of dingy, post-​industrial Chiquita and thoughtfully selected craft beers. Also, there are no TV’s, which makes it a bad place to watch ‘the game’, but a great place for a conversation. Gold Fish crackers available for a nominal fee; you can bring in pizza from Falbo Bro.‘s.

By far one of the coolest places in town. The beer selection is fantastic, bar staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and the vibe is fantastic. Check out the cool patio out back!

Went on a Thursday night for an hr. Great atmosphere and service. I loved the home-​y feeling, perfect for catching up with friends. Good beer selection.

This place is a fantastic hole in the wall. Great beer and wine selection, great atmosphere, the staff was really accommodating. Went there around 5 on a weeknight and there were mostly «regulars» sitting at the bar, which I always love to see. It could only get better if they served some appetizers. I will be coming back!

1 bartender at 9:30 pm on a Saturday? Not impressed. Good beer selection but that doesn’t help if you can’t get your paws on one of them.

Great relaxed atmosphere. Fantastic beer selections and the bartender was amazing at offering suggestions based on our preferences. Quirky décor and a great variety of people to keep things interesting. It’s become our favorite bar in Madison.

I love personality and I love the Mason Lounge’s personality. There is a stuffed chicken in a hollowed out area behind the bar. So random but it works with this place. In a way, it was like hanging out in someone’s dare-​I-​say hipster garage. And I say hipster in the best way possible, it just defines the amount of quirk they have.
Fun beer selection! Can not go wrong here!

Surprisingly cool bar. For years, I drove by the Mason Lounge, ignoring the witticisms posted above the entrance. Now I’ve been inside and I dig it. No TVs nor overly obtrusive music. No dress code. Most folks here are from the local neighborhood, but all are welcome. Mason is definitely more beer oriented than liquor, although a full bar is available. Sitting in the couch nook is kind of like sitting in a basement, only an awesome basement area with taps and occasional live music performances. It’s even a CSA pickup location!
Local artwork, beer, produce pickup… it very much fits into the «drink local» ethos without snobbery.

New to the area here and The Mason Lounge is hands down MY favorite bar in Madison thus far! I absolutely love the atmosphere and beer selection. Very cool that your beer is served in a mason jar too! The bartender was super friendly and let us taste the taps because we decided. Although I paid around 5.75−6.00 bucks for a beer, (seems a little steep to me) it was worth it!
My fiancé and I hung out on the purple velvet couch and it felt like we were in someone’s awesome quirky house. I do wish they had more live music (Wednesdays are the only nights I believe). For sure will be heading back here sometime!

Beer in a mason jar? Why yes, yes I will.
The Mason has a sweet selection of taps and Sarah behind the bar is awesome. This place has zero pretension and has some nice couches and tables for loungin’ around. I’ve walked/​biked by this place hundreds of times without batting an eye, but now that I know it’s there I’ll be back soon. Such a gem!

I feel like they could have filmed Cheers here! This quaint hole in the wall is easy to pass up on Park, but you should park and take a look inside. There’s a hefty dose of quirk, knowledgeable bartenders, and more comfy seating than an Ashley Home Store. It’s not really fair to call this place a dive bar, although it has a few of those characteristics. And «lounge» is in the title, but the atmosphere is miles better than Paradise downtown. I wish Wisconsin quirk was a category on Unilocal

I personally like it when bartenders know beer – I didn’t REALIZE that this was a liberal trait. I guess I’ve learned an important lesson???
WHATEVER.
Rather than go on a sneering diatribe about other people’s politics and behaviors, I’d like to get to the Mason. I absolutely loved everything about the atmosphere, beer selection, and friendly staff here. I will definitely be back to catch some live music AND some expertly recommended beer.

The Mason attracts a certain type of liberal. The kind that considers themselves a connoisseur of beer, who will ask if you like your beer hoppy. I will proceed to stare blankly, I’m not a drinker and really have the don’t care attitude when it comes to these conversations — like the wine snobs it seems beer snobbery is big in liberal land.
I don’t partake.
The drinking culture in Wisconsin is palpable, and being someone who really doesn’t care to drink it has always been an interesting culture to navigate.
I’m more of a good food and good conversation kinda person, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know a good lounge when I come across it. The Mason has great staff, an eclectic beer selection catered to local breweries and smaller operations so popular in this, the beer drinking capital. If you’re into beer you will enjoy, they don’t sell Guiness or New Glarus — they are far too cool for that I guess.
They don’t serve food, they are straight up serving drinks and that’s that — although I’m told you can order pizza next door and have it delivered to The Mason without any growling from the staff.
The stereo blasted PM Dawn’s Die Without You and my breath got caught in my throat… I wonder if my company noticed… For the nostalgia inducing music alone I shall return. Maybe I’ll learn about what it means to be hoppy… who knows…

Simply put: Fantastic.
I remember going in there about a year and a half ago with a couple of friends, right when they opened – we were the only people in there!
I’m thrilled to see them doing so well! Incredible beer selection (uh…Hopslam and Hop Head Red on tap?! Count me in!) and plenty of impromptu mini-​concerts – like their second-​Wednesday-​of-​the-​month Bluegrass Night make it a must-​visit venue.
Bartenders are excellent, everyone who goes there is excellent, and the venue is outstanding. I may live up near the capitol, but I’m always happy to schlep down to The Mason for a bit of booze and some Bluegrass!

I think my favorite thing about this bar are the little doo-​dads that raise and lower when the doors to this place swing open. It’s a little creepy to see something raise and lower from the ceiling from the corner of your eye as you sip (or voraciously swallow) one of their stellar tap beers. I also enjoy how this place is decorated; it is dark inside without being dive-​bar dark (not that there is anything wrong with that). The bartenders are friendly and attentive. The furniture in here really has no rhyme or reason but somehow it seems to fit perfectly with what is going on here. So do the pastel colored paint can lid art on the back wall.
I am not a fan of the parking situation. Thankfully my friends live a few blocks down so this typically is not an issue for me. The other thing I am not a fan of is that they close at 1 am. Some of us keep later schedules on the weekends!
If you are looking for a low-​key, non fussy bar with fantastic beer on tap, stop in. You will not be disappointed.